"Salutations Weiss! Are you ready for another fun day down in Mantle?" Penny cheerfully asks after greeting Weiss, a nod and a smile being given by the brace faced huntress.
"I am, let's go make a difference." Comes an almost as cheerful response, Weiss sipping at her coffee afterwards before boarding the transport with Penny. However, before the transport departs, Winter approaches and looks inside, clearing her throat for a few moments after catching Weiss and Penny's attention.
"Good morning you two. I'm afraid there's a change to your scheduled mission." She begins to say, Penny and Weiss glancing towards each other before looking back to Winter. "You are both being given the day off instead, it seems our mother is intending to head into town today while father is busy, so she'd like to meet with you both." Both girls nod before disembarking the Manta and settling beside each other, Weiss mulling over the change in plans with an idle hum.
"Alright, when are we supposed to meet with mom?" She asks before sipping at her coffee again, Winter glancing down at her scroll for a few moments to make note of the time.
"She'd like you to meet at Dr. Savoy's office in half an hour, she wouldn't say why though. You don't have an appointment today, so it's not for you, and I don't believe it's for her either." Winter muses, Weiss quirking an eyebrow curiously at the mention of their meeting location.
"… Dr. Savoy? That's… Odd, but… If she wants us to meet her there, then we will." After Winter departs Penny and Weiss take each other's hand, then begin the trek to the orthodontist's office, electing to walk in silence to enjoy the company of one another and the slightly snowy winter weather. As they approach the building they notice two familiar figures stepping outside, Willow and Whitley, Whitley looking to be in a fair bit of discomfort and mildly unhappy with Willow actively comforting him.
"Mom!" Weiss calls out, Willow and Whitley looking to her and Penny before waving and moving to meet them in the middle.
"Weiss, Penny, it's nice to see you both!" Willow greets the two with a smile before hugging Weiss, the embrace being reciprocated without hesitation.
"It's nice to see you as well mom, but why did you want us to meet you at Dr. Savoy's office? And, err… Why is Whitley with you?" She questions, on the brink of deducing the answer for herself yet not arriving at it just yet.
"Whitley, do you want to show your sister?" Whitley looks slightly hesitant to respond, but nods regardless and slowly opens his mouth, revealing the fresh set of braces lining his crooked pearly whites.
"W… Wait… Whitley has… How long has he needed them?" Weiss asks with slight shock to her voice, Penny leaning forward slightly to inspect Whitley's teeth curiously.
"We learned he needed them a few weeks back, before the holiday party. Your father wasn't happy to find out, and, well… He was adamant we wouldn't have another 'you' on our hands, but I personally would rather Whitley get the care he needs instead of letting your father get his way again." Weiss chuckles a little before nodding, gaze falling onto Whitley.
"… Are you okay, Whitley?" She asks, Whitley huffing quietly before shaking his head.
"I really don't know how you were able to do this once, much less twice… My mouth hurts…" He murmurs in response, Weiss just stepping towards him before pulling him into a hug.
"I… Had a mom and great siblings to help me the first time, and… I have friends this time…" She begins to say, a soft sigh escaping while her eyes fall closed. "I promise… I'll be here to help… I won't leave, not again, not if I can help it…" Whitley doesn't hug Weiss back at first, electing to process her words for a few moments before slowly wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.
"… Can you… Really promise that, sister? I know mother has gotten better, but… Can you promise that you won't leave?" Weiss freezes up as Whitley speaks, but nods slowly before giving him a squeeze.
"Yes, I… I can, I promise you, Whitley, I won't leave you alone with our father, not again." Whitley nods before squeezing Weiss back, then gently pulls away before settling beside the smiling Willow who had sneakily taken a picture of the two together.
"I'm so happy to see you two getting along again, it warms my heart." She softly says, Weiss nodding slowly before Penny moves by her side.
"I never knew how much my leaving hurt you guys… I was… Selfish, leaving like I did, but…" Willow interrupts Weiss by clearing her throat, smile growing before she gently cups Weiss's cheek with a hand.
"Weiss, you weren't selfish for leaving, you did what you had to do to get to safety, and I'm so, so glad that you were able to leave. Your father… Don't blame yourself for anything he did or will do to you, me, or your brother, he's an awful man, and I will not stand to have you think lesser of yourself because of him, not anymore." She says with a slight fierceness to her tone, Weiss nodding slowly before smiling a little wider.
"I… Yes, you're right, sorry… So, err… What's on the agenda for today?" Willow hums softly for a few moments, mentally recalling her schedule.
"I was planning on treating him to ice cream like I used to do after your appointments, then we were going to the store to pick up some things for him to eat that won't bother his teeth, and lastly… We were going to pay Winter a visit, we were hoping you both could join us today." Weiss nods slowly, then looks to Penny who nods as well, albeit a fair bit eagerly.
"We'd love to mom, thank you for inviting us along." Taking the lead, Willow walks with Whitley at her side while Weiss and Penny follow behind, the group reaching the local ice cream parlor before long. They stop inside for half an hour to enjoy a treat, then depart to the grocery store to pick up needed things, Weiss getting a few things for herself as well, namely some snacks and soft sweets to hide. Once satisfied with their purchases, they depart to Atlas Academy, Weiss leading them to Winter's dorm before knocking.
"Oh, hello mother, Weiss, Penny, Whitley. How may I help you?" She politely asks, Willow smiling to her for a few moments before speaking.
"We came to see you while we were in town, darling, I hope you don't mind. Whitley is… Not likely to be terribly talkative, his mouth is sore right now, so don't mind him." Before Winter gets a chance to question why Whitley's mouth is in pain, Weiss parts her lips and gestures towards her own braces, Winter quirking an eyebrow before nodding and motioning for the group to enter.
"No, I don't mind at all. I appreciate the company, actually, General Ironwood is away on business, so I've just been tending to paperwork, it's dull." Soft chuckles ring out as they step into the dorm, Willow looking around for a few moments while Whitley leans against one of the walls.
"I've never cared much for paperwork myself, it's far too drab, but it's important, so I'm glad that you keep up with it." Winter adjusts a few things on her desk before turning back towards the group, a slight nod being given before she speaks.
"As General Ironwood's second in command, I have my fair share of paperwork to do, especially when he might not care to do it, but I'm honored to be trusted with things of such importance." Winter spends an hour chatting with Willow, and eventually Whitley when he can be convinced to speak and show his braces to his sister, Penny and Weiss idly conversing when spoken to while otherwise content to let the others chat. Eventually, they all get up to leave, Winter sharing a hug with both Willow and Whitley before waving to them as they depart.
"That wasn't so bad now was it sweetie?" Willow asks Whitley, who nods slowly while looking at the floor.
"I… Wasn't expecting her to be so civil… I thought she would've been unhappy to see me." Instead of Willow, Weiss is the one to speak, a hand settling on his shoulder comfortingly.
"Whitley, when she left, she left for her own reasons, but she was never on bad terms with you. Just because me and you weren't on the best of terms before recent doesn't mean you both weren't." She says with a prominent smile, Whitley nodding before awkwardly smiling back.
"Right… It… Has been a while since I last saw her and was able to speak with her… This was nice…" Weiss nods, then gives him a quick hug before stepping back.
"We should get going darling, your father will be finished with his work soon, and I'd rather not have him grow angry because we're gone. He's certainly not going to be happy to see your braces, but he'll have to deal with it." Whitley nods, then looks to Weiss and Penny before bowing towards them slightly.
"It was nice to see you again, sister- Err… Weiss. We certainly need to get together again." Weiss nods, then waves as Whitley and Willow turn and walk off, Penny's hand being taken before she heads towards her dorm with her, idle conversation sparking up as they walk along.