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Trying to hide seeping wounds from a cashier was difficult. The most obvious reason for the difficulty was because it was natural to ask someone if they were okay whenever blood or other bodily fluids were visible. This aspect Penelope counteracted by folding her bleeding forearm against her stomach in what she hoped looked like a natural position as she waited in line. In her hands she had just a few items - bandages, wet wipes, some tape to keep the bandages in place.

The other, more metaphysical difficulty was that Penelope still did not like hiding things from people. She was a naturally discrete individual, but one aspect of being a Senshi--and now a Council Member of Destiny City--that she did not care for was the need for secrets. She hoped to divert attention away from her odd stance with her totally normal purchases by having her CVS card and debit card at the ready.

She took a step forward and smiled as she placed the items on the counter. She then motioned for her companion to place her items as well. "I'll get it, Keren."

Penelope accepted her two cards back as soon as the cashier handed them over and carefully slid them into their respective places in her clutch. Along with her Wonder Woman earrings, the pale blue clutch that was emblazoned with the heroine for whom she was nicknamed was one of her favorite posessesions. "Good night," she murmured. The pain was growing stronger now as the adrenaline faded from her veins, and she was grateful when her purple-haired companion took it upon herself to carry their purchases out the door.

The stain was barely contained now, and the nervous girl pressed her arm to her stomach in an effort to contain it at least until they got outside. The dark was a comfort, and she followed the other girl across the street. She sank into the chair at the outdoor table. She was beginning to feel like a tremendous burden...so Keren's quiet thanks was enough to put her in a better mood.

Penelope's smile was soft as ever as she pulled up her sweater. The material stuck to the wound slightly, and she winced as she peeled it away slowly, carefully. She tried to distract the both of them with humor, "You did more hitting than me. I'm sure he fears you more than me... but anytime you have need, I'll be there. We can't seem to be rid of each other."

It was disconcerting, on some level, to have someone paying so much attention to an area of her body that was... well, never really uncovered. The girl dressed conservatively for that very reason; it was easy to hide body insecurities if your clothing covered your skin and distracted away from the general shape. Penelope knew that Keren's gaze was an entirely professional interest, but her cheeks became a dusky pink all the same as she stammered, "I'll be okay... it doesn't hurt that much, really. I'll be fine..."

She looked away from the ugly, red welt and blood in order to avoid the other girl's eyes more than the wounds themselves. If she did not look, then it would be easier, somehow, to pretend like she wasn't getting the amount of attention and care that was clearly being given to her. The dark-haired girl, frankly, didn't think herself worthy of it. Keren was doing her a great kindness in bandaging her up. The distracting conversation was very, very welcome!

"A surgeon? You seem to have the touch for it," she replied, wincing only slightly as the stomach wound was cleaned and the bandaging begun. "And you know exactly what to do. I'm not as well-equipped... I can bind a wound to keep it from bleeding out, but not with any of your finesse." When the girl mentioned some discomfort at being a page... Penelope gave a kind smile and nodded. She, too, had had doubts and for a time ceased to power up. But now... now, she could not imagine abandoning the duty. Too many people relied on her abilities, on her. "I know it can seem surreal but... you seem very hard on yourself, Keren. You're very capable, and... although I would never suggest you should power up, if you're uncomfortable... you won't have to go through this fight alone. I promise."

"I still appreciate it, all the same. Will you be heading off to college soon? You mentioned us being in the same year when you were at Crystal... and I'm still waiting to hear back from DCU." Applying for college was a nerve-wracking process, but knowing someone else that was going through it (someone admittedly tougher than Penelope could ever hope to be), made it a little easier to talk about. "I want to go in library science, but... well, we'll see."

Penelope was beginning to feel like a child being wrapped up like a stereotypical Egyptian mummy. If this were a make up job, and nota real wound, Harper would probably comment on the effectiveness of the practical effects. Looking at her poor sweater, the girl had to sigh. She stared down at the mint colored wool with a hint of sadness in her eyes. It had been a gift from her grandmother... but maybe. "I'll certainly give it a try. I've lost more clothes this way...I should keep some ratty things to wear when I power up, but I just... forget."

The icecream was cold and smooth, a darker green than her own sweater but a color reminiscent of it all the same. Penelope had actually never had mint chocolate chip icecream, preferring to stay with simpler flavors. But... it would be rude not to accept the offered treat, particularly given that she was forcing poor Keren to tend to her like this. She swallowed it back and took another, slightly larger spoonful now that she knew it tasted pretty good. "It's nice to have a little down time... I mean, after all that's been happening lately. I wish there were more opportunities to meet for icecream without having to earn it."

Penelope had very definite views on the war. Being a Senshi was not the life she would have chosen, but it was the life she had to lead. The distant moon of Jupiter which gave her the power she wielded demanded her time and, if necessary, her life. She had a duty to protect those who could not protect themselves, to stand by her allies so that they were not torn asunder by the forces of darkness. She could not leave. Either she would die on the battlefield, defending those who needed her and those she loved, or she would rejoice with the rest of them whenever the forces of Chaos were gone once and for all.

No one should have to give up their civilian lives, naturally, because they all fought to one day reclaim them. But being a Senshi, or a Knight, was part of their lives now too. There was simply no going away from that one, simple fact. Her mouth tightened around the bite of icecream she swallowed down. It would not be right to lecture the other girl, who was kind enough to bandage her up, and it wasn't like she didn't understand Keren's position.

"No," she agreed eventually, quietly. "No one should have to give up on normal life. My friends haven't, and I don't intend to... not unless I have to. I've applied to some out of state schools too, to increase my chances of being accepted, but... I don't know if I could leave, really. I feel like... even if I can't do much, my place is here."

The talk of a standing icecream date provided much needed lightness to the conversation. "I would really love that," Penelope admitted, licking at the back of her spoon. She did not want to seem like she was complaining, but she could not help but sigh, "Between all that goes on, sometimes we drift too far apart. I know everyone has their own lives, but... I would love to see my friends more. Go to the movies, eat pizza or icecream... walk the mall." Something safe, normal, and fun. Something that was not a blaze of Chaos and Pain.

With a half-smile, she joked, "What about a Secret Santa? We're all pretty good at keeping secrets. And with your wrapping skills, I'm sure you get asked to do presents a lot."

Penelope stared down as the gauze obscured her wound. At least it would be completely covered soon. She was glad to hear that Keren's disappearance had been done on consensual and the girl had been in no danger. "I will not miss the war either," the girl confessed, her voice soft. "But... for now, it is how I can help my friends. It is exhausting, to fight, and we could use more time off but..."

Her voice trailed off because, really, what could she say? As much as she might disagree with the purple-haired girl on some aspects, there were others that made complete sense. Keren was right about the needed for respite. If one stayed on fields soaked in blood, the stomach-churning Chaos oozing around them, getting hurt, seeing others get hurt... then there was no joy, no hope. That was not what their lives should be, no matter what their responsibilities.

Penelope had mostly been joking about Secret Santa, but now that she had Keren agreeing to it... her face lit up. She always loved to give gifts and to have excuses to suppot her fellow allies. It would just... be a nice thing to do. "You think so? I... I would like to do it, if you think it's a good idea. I mean, we get together so often for... less pleasant things... and..." Now she was getting self-concious again.

But it would be real, and it would be fun, and it would be... nice. Nice and normal.

Penelope frowned in thought, tapping the spoon against her lip. Her companion raised a valid point. There were many faiths in Destiny City, and it was not a stretch of the imagination that Senshi and Knights could be a part of any of them - or a part of none. That was their right, and she certainly did not want to make anyone uncomfortable. "Secret Senshi could work but... um.. do you think the other Knights would be offended? I don't want it to be... I want everyone to have fun..."

Seeing that Keren was done with the mint chocolate chip icecream, she also declined anymore of the treat. She was actually beginning to get a little cold from sitting in the night air in addition to lowering her internal body temperature. She placed her spoon down beside her and followed her friend's example by digging out her cell phone from her pants pocket.

Penelope's phone was not as advanced as her friend's, although she was hoping that she would be getting an Android for Christmas. There was a Transformers card game that she wanted to try out, and of course it would be a lot easier to keep track of her digital accounts and asssets, but those were considerations for another time. She pulled it out and prepared to enter Keren's number. "Okay... let's do this! I'm ready whenever you are, to exchange numbers."

"Oh... oh, I'm sorry!" Penelope immediately apologized, her cheeks reddening. It was never wise to make assumptions, especially whenever Keren had just gotten finished telling her that she had been out of town for more than a year. She likely had not had time to meet other Knights. The embarassed girl quickly followed up with, "Well, I'll... I'll make sure that you meet some of the Knights I know, and they're really very nice! I'm sure you'll all get along just fine... but if you think it'll be okay, then we'll go with Secret Senshi."

With the numbers successfully exchanged, Penelope showed how eager she was to please. She nodded enthusiastically, perhaps a little too enthusiastically as she winced from jostling her room. "I'll take care of introducing the idea to others... Valhalla and some of the others know even more people than I do. We'll make it work."

"I'll be fine," Penelope assured her. She ahd already taken too much of Keren's time as it was, and she could not impose upon her any further. "Thank you for everything... I'll text you soon about event planning!." She waved and moved off, her mind happily contemplating this future celebration and intending to keep that happy glow inside of her for the rest of the night.