Their usual meeting spot is a little park right across from a small coffee shop in downtown Vale. On the days Ruby is able to meet with her metallic friend, it has become a little ritual for the young girl to show up early enough to get a warm, sugary drink as she waits.
Ruby only drinks coffee when she needs to stay up late and study, or - more often than not - finish forgotten homework assignments at the last minute. If she had a choice though, she'd pick a nice cup of hot cocoa with a heap of marshmallows any day.
On these days, Ruby likes to get an extra early start to make the most out of the time she has with Penny, and today is no exception. By now, this is her routine Sunday; wake up at 7:00, be showered and dressed by 7:30, and make it to the first airship into the city by 7:45, making a quick stop by the mess hall for a cream cheese bagel on her way.
The early-morning flights are usually empty for the most part, but being on a first-name basis with the pilot makes for a nice little chat during the short ride as she eats her breakfast. Today's conversation revolved around the maintenance of an airship's Dust engines, lasting till touchdown. As she disembarks, Ruby waves to the pilot. He tips his helmet back to her before taking off once again.
The coffee shop is just a few blocks away from the air station; it's not a long walk, even for someone of Ruby's stature. It's a very warm and inviting shop, something one would imagine seeing in a fairy tale. A roof with old, dark-wood shingles and a spiraling copper chimney, on walls built of stone. There is a large circular window in front, just to the right of an arched entryway with a very heavy-looking wooden door. To top it off, an intricately carved marquee is hung just above the door displaying the words 'Soul of the Seasons: Coffee and Cookies'.
As she enters, the man at the counter calls out, "Hey there, Ruby, it's good to see you again today! You're right on schedule."
"You know me, I like to be punctual!"
Over the months of coming here, Ruby has become well acquainted with the staff of the small shop. They know her so well that by the time the girl walks in, they have her regular order waiting at perfect drinking temperature: a 20oz Hot Chocolate with a big scoop of mini marshmallows, a squeeze of dark chocolate syrup on top, and two large chocolate chip cookies.
"Here's your regular, kid." He says, placing the cup and fresh-baked cookies on the counter, "Do you ever get sick of eating all that chocolate?"
"Of course not; I would die before giving up chocolate!"
"You think maybe it could be stunting your growth a bit?"
"Hey! What are you implying?" Ruby questioned, putting her hands to her hips. "I'll have you know that my height is perfectly suited to my weapon and fighting style."
He chuckles. "If you ate fewer sweets, maybe a certain friend of yours would treat you less like a child, too!"
"…Touché old man."
She picks up her treats, taking a big bite out of a cookie.
"You're meeting that little redhead again today, right?"
"Yup, we like to hang out as much as we can."
"That's nice, you've certainly gotten yourself a really cute girlfriend. I'm kinda jealous…"
"G-girlfriend!?" Ruby sputters, blushing furiously. "W-w-what gave you that idea?!"
"Well..." He tilts his head and holds his chin. "You've been meeting her in that park across the street for quite a while now. Like clockwork every Sunday, you show up around the same time to wait for her. And you always seem to get a bit fidgety when it gets close to the time she usually arrives…"
"What, have you been keeping tabs on me?" The girl asks suspiciously. "We only get to see each other on Sundays! There's a lot I have to tell her about my week…" She pauses. "Without her…"
"What was that last bit?" He says through a toothy smile.
Ruby flails her arms. "Nothing, it was nothing!" she says, her cheeks returning to their rosier hue.