Uh this is out pretty quick again, wow that soundtrack is a life saver, huh?

Really enjoyed this one, hope you enjoy it too!

This is a little different, but, uh, I'm crossposting on Ao3, if anyone prefers it there. I usually get it out a little earlier on Ao3, too. I like both sites a ton, so use whatever you're comfortable with! I just like being able to occasionally sneak in some art for the story, can't manage that well with Fanfiction, sadly ;;

After the restaurant's owner departed with their orders, Pyrrha let out an uncharacteristic sigh, burying her head in her hands. Of all the things she didn't want today, it was special treatment, and thanks to her asking where their server was, she undoubtedly came across as just as snooty as so many tabloids made her out to be back in Mistral. Argus may have had a more favorable view of its favorite daughter, but Mistral was as quick to deride its celebrities as it was to elevate them above others.

"Hey," Ruby's gentle voice drew Pyrrha out of her worries, the taller redhead looking into worried silver eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, Ruby, it's okay." Pyrrha gave a halfhearted smile, trying to reassure the younger girl. "I just… wanted things to be nice and simple for our date, I didn't want any sort of special treatment."

"Hey, try not to think of it like that." Jaune suggested, offering the duo a smile. "You weren't wrong, Ruby. Our server was taking longer than expected, and while we probably could have waited a little longer, we were polite asking about it, even if one of us was zoning out."

As Ruby gave a nervous chuckle, the blonde turned his focus on Pyrrha, who was still looking a bit stressed. "Pyrrha, whatever you're worrying about right now? It doesn't matter. We're here, all three of us, and we're sticking to that, remember? We didn't come here because you wanted special treatment, we came here because this is where your mom met your stepmother, and both of them wanted you to bring us here."

"I know, I just… I was hoping for something simple." Pyrrha lamented, trying to give at least a halfhearted smile.

"Well, then let's do something simple." Jaune stated matter-of-factly, as though it was the easiest thing in the world. "There's cafes between here and the nearest arcade. Let's stop at one on our way there."

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed enthusiastically, a wide smile forming on her face as she looked up towards Pyrrha. "I'm sure that somewhere that isn't as Mistrali won't make as big a deal about you, and if you're worried, you can use my cloak as a disguise again! Maybe a shawl?"

Pyrrha looked to her companions, a soft, somewhat forced smile on her lips. She was gladdened by Jaune and Ruby's desire to cheer her up, but it was hard for her to feel relief at the moment. "I think that sounds lovely," she said gently, lacking some of the warmth in her voice. "We just need to finish up here, first."

"Hey! Cheer up!" Ruby insisted with a dramatic pout, nudging her shoulder against her girlfriend's arm. "Jaune was right, your moms did suggest this place, so why don't you mention that to Miss Alkyone when she gets back here! Maybe she has a really good memory of every customer!"

"I don't think that's really a thing that happens outside of cheesy movies, Ruby." Jaune teased, causing the silver-eyed girl to turn her pout on him, eliciting a nervous chuckle from the blonde. "But who knows! Maybe we'll be really lucky!"

"You two are always filled with such ceaseless optimism." Pyrrha said gladly, a little of her joy returning as she watched her boyfriend and girlfriend trade pouts. "I can ask, if only so I have an opportunity to apologize more directly for being an inconvenience."

"We can all apologize." Ruby insisted, not really able to pull off the dramatic folding of her arms she would have, given the tight confines they'd chosen to eat in. "I was the one who mentioned it in the first place, you were just relaying what I'd said."

Jaune chuckled softly at the exchange between girls, a soft smile on his face. As much as he was happy to just let them debate who would apologize first, he knew it was probably a good idea to change the subject. "So, after the arcade, what would you two like to do?"

"Oh, um, I hadn't thought about it." Ruby confessed, turning to Jaune, head tilted to the side slightly in confusion. "Did you have an idea?"

"Well, not really. Figured we could take a walk in a park, but that's a bit cliche." Jaune admitted sheepishly. "I guess it depends on whether we want to eat dinner in Vale or back at school."

"We can decide after we've enjoyed the rest of our date." Pyrrha suggested, "we don't need to plan it all in advance. Not having an itinerary while I'm out on the town is rather… refreshing."

"Okay! We don't have to be back for a while, assuming we won't have issues with Yang if we're out late." Jaune agreed, his gaze turning to Ruby as he mentioned the silver-eyed girl's sister.

"Um, she should be fine so long as we're back at 9pm or so." Ruby chirped nervously. "She said "don't stay out late tonight" but it wasn't like in a weird way, she just… I think she could use some sister company tonight."

"She did seem a bit… down." Pyrrha noted, concern seeping into her voice. "It's so unusual to see Yang not her radiant self."

"Yeah… She thought she might have something with Blake, but… Blake isn't ready for that kind of stuff." Ruby explained, looping her arm around Pyrrha's while she leaned against Jaune's as they waited. "Yang is- Yang is really confident in herself, but… sometimes something really small can make that break. She… She feels like she's not good enough, but she is! She just needs to get that sometimes."

"Well, tell her I said she's wrong." Pyrrha said resolutely. "Yang is a wonderful girl, and a great friend. I hope she realizes how much she helped Jaune and I come to terms with our feelings towards you."

"Yeah." Jaune nodded, looking to Pyrrha as he wrapped an arm awkwardly around Ruby, giving the shorter girl a half-hug. "I don't know that either of us would've had the guts to say anything if she hadn't given us the push she did. If she needs help from us, we'd be happy to give it."

"Thanks, you two." Ruby mumbled softly, cheeks warmly slightly at how supportive her partners were being. "I'm… I'm really glad she helped you guys, I-I know I never would've acted on my feelings. I-I just figured you two liked each other, so it was… it was silly to like either of you. It probably didn't help that this was the first time I'd ever really felt that way at all."

"Well, I guess we all owe Yang a big thanks, then." Jaune chuckled, smiling fondly at the other two. "We'll have to remember to give her it as soon as we get back to Beacon."

Pyrrha and Ruby nodded in agreement, and a gentle silence overtaking the group as they cuddled together as best they could. Even if there was a longer wait then they were expecting when they'd come, it wasn't too bad, when they could pass the time with each other like this.

The wait wasn't too long, and before long, all that remained of their meal was a dessert Pyrrha had remembered to order just before Alkyone had departed their table. Popping one of the fluffy balls of fried dough into her mouth, Ruby gave a delighted chirp, grinning widely, before looking up to her girlfriend.

"Um, what did you call these again?" The shorter girl asked sheepishly, a bit embarrassed she couldn't get the name to stick in her head.

"Loukoumades." Pyrrha replied, smiling gently at the silver-eyed girl. "My mother used to make these at home, on the rare occasions we could eat together. Hers had a bit more walnut, I think, but these are a close approximation." Leaning down so she could place her head on Ruby's shoulder, awkward a fit as it might be, she gave a relaxed hum. "I'd love to have her make some for you, when you can finally meet her. I'm sure she'd be glad to show you how to make them if you'd like."

"Really?" Ruby's eyes widened in glee, a bright smile breaking across her face. "I'd love to! They're really yummy!"

As if to reaffirm what she'd just said, Ruby reached out and plucked another from the plate the pastries were piled on, giggling a little as she tossed it into her mouth, cheeks puffing as she ate. Pyrrha couldn't help but keep smiling at the cute sight, though she was glad her girlfriend had the sense to chew with her mouth closed, after eating with Nora every morning.

Jaune chuckled a little at the pair, content to just watch as Ruby enjoyed herself. He didn't hate sweets, but they definitely weren't his thing. Probably something to do with Daffodil playing pranks on him with the salt and sugar at dinner- who knew sugar could ruin a good meal so easily?

Ruby was so consumed in eating the treats she didn't even notice the bulky gazelle Faunus approach the table, cheerfully eating as her girlfriend and boyfriend addressed the woman.

"Thank you for the excellent meal, ma'am." Pyrrha said, doing her best to not default into her "viewer-friendly persona" and speak genuinely. "I want to apologize again for our impatience."

"It's fine, really." Alkyone insisted, "compared to some of the customers we've seen since the neighborhood "cleaned up" you folks are angels."

"Doesn't make it right, ma'am." Jaune insisted, giving a halfhearted smile. "The food here was really great. I'll be sure to recommend it to the rest of us at Beacon."

"You kids really don't have to do that." She insisted with a sigh, shaking her head slightly. "How'd you find this place anyhow?"

"Oh!" Pyrrha perked up a little. "I meant to mention that, actually. My mothers recommended it! I'm sure you don't remember but they met here about twelve years ago."

The gazelle Faunus cocked her head slightly to the side, inspecting the taller redhead for a moment. "Hmm, I suppose you always looked a bit familiar." Alkyone said, "not that my memories impeccable, but I *do* take photos of couples if they want, and they did."

The Faunus stepped away for a moment, going to a wall of photos, pulling one down. While she was gone, Ruby finished the loukoumades, giving a content sigh.

"Those were great!" She announced cheerfully, an exaggerated sigh of contentment drawing chuckles from the other three. Wait. Other three? Ruby let out a startled squeak as she looked up at the imposing figure of the restaurant's owner. "I, um! You guys apologized without me! I-I'm sorry, ma'am!"

Alkyone gave a dismissive wave of her hand, a hearty laugh escaping her lips. "No need to apologize, kid. Especially after the little performance you just gave! I don't think anyone has had that reaction to my loukoumades before." The Faunus chuckled, baring her teeth slightly with a wide grin as she placed a wooden picture frame down on the table. "Here's the picture I was talking about. They signed it and everything."

Ruby inhaled sharply in awe, eyes wide with glee as she looked at the photo. Though a little faded, the women were clearly the same that Pyrrha called her mothers, though there were a few differences. Dama's hair was cut short and messy, the lack of flowing locks revealing a gnarled scar near her neck, one that if Ruby was to guess, hadn't come from a Grimm's claws. Pyrrha's birth mother - Anemone, if the silver-eyed girl recalled correctly - had gorgeous long hair brought into a brain hanging over one shoulder.

"You look even more like your mom in the picture!" Ruby chirped cheerfully, looking up to her girlfriend with a happy smile.

"Yes. I suppose my hair does resemble hers, there." Pyrrha agreed softly, returning Ruby's smile with a gentle one or her own. "Do you think I could get a copy of this? I'm sure my mothers would love to see it again."

"Sure. I keep digital copies just in case something happens when the riffraff cause a fuss like yesterday." The towering woman agreed, fishing her scroll out of her pocket and pulling up the file, allowing Pyrrha to access it. "Don't get too many human couples here nowadays, it's nice to remember a time when I did."

"Well, um, maybe you could get a picture of us?" Jaune offered, chuckling nervously. "I know we're a little more than a couple, but, this way you'll have a new picture to add to that wall. Assuming that's fine!"

"I don't mind," Pyrrha said warmly, giving a tender smile towards the blonde. "It sounds wonderful… and normal. I think I'd like the chance to do something more normal like that."

"Alright, I think I can manage, so long as you three stay squished together like that." Alkyone agreed, taking Ruby's frantic nodding as an affirmative. Sliding into the booth seat on the other side of the table, the gazelle Faunus took up her scroll, taking a picture of the trio. "That should do. I can get you a copy as well, if you want. I'll have this one set up this evening."

"Thank you very much, ma'am." Jaune gave a happy smile, as the Faunus again transferred a copy of a picture, now theirs, to Pyrrha.

"It was really lovely coming here." Pyrrha affirmed, a little bit of relief slipping into her voice. "I was worried, but it's been a relief. I was worried that coming here would cause a big fuss, but I'm glad it hasn't been one at all."

"Well, I'm glad you kids have had a good time." The Faunus gave another teeth-baring grin, standing up with a slight jolt to the table's balance. "You kids enjoy the rest of your drinks, and have a nice day."

"Thank you!" Ruby peeped sheepishly, returning the woman's grin with a meek one of her own. As the woman walked away, Ruby gave a nervous giggle. "I bet she used to be a Huntress."

"What makes you say that?" Jaune asked, brow raised curiously.

"Well, for one, she's just… big! Really big!" Ruby managed to keep from exclaiming, but there was a giddiness to her voice. "And the way she walks? That slight limp? That's pretty common in Huntsmen who've retired from injury. It's seen as a sign you're ready to retire when something like that happens."

"You know a lot about that stuff, huh?" Ruby nodded to Jaune's question. "Why to into cooking, though?"

"Because cooking is one of the most common things a Huntsmen will have to learn." Pyrrha offered, earning an enthusiastic nod from her girlfriend. "When we're out on the field, knowing how to cook will make life much easier. Same with knowing how to hunt for prey animals."

"That's right!" Ruby grinned cheerfully. "Outside of village watches and teaching at combat schools, cooking is one of the most common professions of retired Huntsmen!"

"Huh. I guess that makes sense." Jaune shrugged, before sipping down the last of his soda from the straw. "I guess we're done here?"

The two girls shared a look before nodding, the trio shuffling out of the booth with a little bit of relief. As nice as it was to cuddle there, they also were rather cramped, it was great to have some space. After Pyrrha left their payment (along with a sizable tip considering the inconvenience they'd caused), the teens made their way to the exit, Pyrrha and Ruby letting Jaune take the lead this time.

As they passed the doorway, something occurred to Ruby, and she brushed three fingers against the faint scratches in the wood. She couldn't remember exactly why, but she recalled reading that she should do that when she saw that symbol. Weird, she'd have to try researching it when she made it back to Beacon.

Weiss was having an… interesting day, so far. She had intended to train again, to try summoning yet another time in her quest to impress her sister. Instead, she had again found herself with Penny Polendina, wandering the campus of Beacon Academy, showing the excitable girl some of the various scenic areas. As much as she hated having a distraction like this again, there was something inescapable about the energy the curly haired redhead had that made it easy to look past.

"The farms are fascinating, Weiss!" Penny announced cheerfully, giving a wide smile to the Atlesian. "I can certainly see why you said Ruby frequents here! All of these animals are quite exquisite to look at."

"I… suppose they are." There was certainly something cute about them, but if there was one thing Weiss had learned in living with her family, it was that she shouldn't say that they were cute. It was… very tempting.

"Especially the cows! I didn't know Beacon had cows." Penny chirped, shuffling in place awkwardly. "Atlas Academy didn't have any fancy stuff like this when I was given a tour by your sister!"

Whatever levity Weiss felt drained at the mention of Winter, and she sighed. "I suppose they wouldn't in Atlas, even with the artificial climates." Taking a deep breath, Weiss put her best smile on, looking to her friend. "Would you like to see the gardens, where Professor Peach teaches?"

"If you don't mind!" Penny nodded, head tilted to the right as she held her hands in front of her. "Do you want to do anything, Weiss?"

"I…" Weiss found her expression faltering slightly, "I'm not sure."

"Surely you can think of something!" Penny said, reaching out to take the white-haired girl's hands, holding them tenderly as she offered a smile. "I don't mind! You've done so much for me already, and you said you'd help me make even more friends."

"I…" Weiss felt her cheeks warm a little as Penny's hands covered her own, doing her best to fight back the blush. "Um, do you think we could still go to the gardens? I… I admit some selfishness in wanting to go there, they help me calm down when I'm feeling… listless."

"Of course!" Penny exclaimed cheerfully, bouncing up and down ever so slightly with an energy Weiss felt even Ruby might envy. "I am ready to go when you are!"

The two remained there for a second, Penny not having removed her hands from Weiss' until the shorter girl timidly tugged hers away, cheeks dusted pink as she clamped her arms to her sides awkwardly. "Right. Follow me!" The Atlesian barked out, her voice squeaking awkwardly as she straightened her combat skirt and started leading Penny to the gardens.

The unusual duo were silent for a time, save Penny's occasional humming, eventually, curiosity got the better of Weiss. "Hey, Penny, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Weiss!" The cheerful redhead chirped, smiling brightly as the white-haired girl looked back at her. "What did you want to know?"

"I was curious," the Atlesian hesitated a moment, returning the smile Penny was giving her. "Have you ever… wondered what it might be like, to live a normal life?"

"A normal life?" Penny's head tilted to the right, blinking curiously. "I'm not sure I understand the question, Weiss!"

"I mean… A normal life, one without the expectations of my f- of General Ironwood."

"I hadn't given it any thought!" Penny admitted without a moment's pause, smiling at Weiss. "Maybe, one day, when things are safer, I can ask him and my father about that."

"I suppose that's the best we can hope for," Weiss said, more to herself than her companion.

"I wouldn't mind it, though!" The Atlesian stopped for a moment at Penny's added comment. "Being friends with you and Ruby… watching all of you go to Beacon and attend classes. It's really interesting, and I'd love to try it someday."

"Maybe… maybe we both could," Weiss mumbled, offering a hand for Penny, who took it cheerfully. "Let's go, I've been delaying us when I could be showing you the gardens, I think you'll appreciate them even more than the farms."

"If you enjoy them, then I'm sure I'll enjoy them just as much!" Penny agreed cheerfully, smiling brightly as she followed after Weiss.

Getting to a cafe near the arcade they were going to, one that Jaune had apparently visited a couple times while he was waiting for Beacon's school year to start, was easy enough. Though the distance was a bit far, a quick cab ride saw them there in less than a quarter of an hour, and now Ruby was between Jaune and Pyrrha as they casually walked to the arcade.

Ruby had, of course, gone with a classic for herself, hot cocoa. Her dad used to joke about it running in her mother's family, but she just thought it was tasty. Jaune had gotten something called a cafe au lait, with (somehow) not a hint of added sugar. Apparently, they were popular in Domremy and other Eastern Sanus cities and towns. Pyrrha, on the other hand, went with a simple caramel frozen coffee.

"Are we almost there?" Ruby asked, looking up to Jaune as they waited for the all clear on a crosswalk. With the festival approaching some months away, it seemed like things were getting busier and busier each day.

"Shouldn't be too much longer," the blonde reassured, taking a satisfied sip of his drink as he reached out with a free hand to ruffle the shorter redhead's hair. "How's your drink?"

"It's good!" The younger girl chirped, pouting ineffectually at her boyfriend as he messed up her already disheveled hair. Turning to look at her girlfriend, the silver-eyed girl smiled brightly. "How about you, Pyrrha? Is your drink good?"

"Yes, a little sweeter than I thought it'd be, but I don't mind." The taller girl replied with a gentle lilt to her voice.

With traffic coming to a halt, Jaune led Pyrrha and Ruby across the street, bringing them to a stop in front of a rather garish building compared to its surroundings, the words "The Thrush Rush" on a gaudy sign above the entrance, circled with blinking lights.

"What exactly is this place?" Ruby asked, giving Jaune a rather skeptical look. After all the hyping up he'd done, this certainly wasn't what she was expecting. Even the arcade back on Patch was a bit more maintained looking than this.

"The Thrush Rush!" Jaune repeated what was on the sign, sounding way too enthusiastic for what they were looking at. Raising his brows with a cheerful expression, he did his best presenting motion to the sign, as if Ruby had simply not seen it, earning a deadpan stare from the short redhead.

"Jaune, I don't know how to tell you this, but this place looks a bit… raggedy." Ruby didn't want to say "rundown," but it was a rather apt description of the place. Her shoulders sank in sympathy as the blonde deflated into a pout, and she decided that maybe she shouldn't judge a book by its cover, or arcade, in this case. "I-I mean, that doesn't mean it'll be bad! I just thought it was going to be really fancy with how you talked about it."

"I'm sure it'll be fun, Ruby." Pyrrha reassured the smaller girl, placing a hand gently on her shoulder and offering a squeeze. "I've certainly never been to one of these in a long while. I can't even remember the sorts of games they might have."

"Well, I can show you, then!" Jaune exclaimed, taking Pyrrha's hand with a wide smile. After noticing Ruby was hanging back a little, he frowned slightly. "Is something wrong?"

"N-No! I just, sorry." Ruby mumbled, ducking her head a little. "I was just thinking about the last time I'd gone to the arcade back on Patch. I guess it just reminded me that I haven't really gotten to see any of my friends back at Signal. I-I didn't have many, but I did like the ones I had."

"Don't you write?" Jaune asked, recalling that he'd heard mention of her writing them before.

"They… no one responded. Th-they didn't all take it well when I told them I was going to Beacon, but I thought that they still liked me." Ruby said, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked towards the ground. Whatever bleak thoughts had begun to pester her faded suddenly, as she was brought forward into a tight embrace, the redhead looking up to find Jaune and Pyrrha holding her close.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ruby." Pyrrha's voice was soft, filled with a sympathy Ruby felt could only come from similar experience. "But we are here for you, okay? Me, Jaune, Ren and Nora, too. You've got us, you've got your team, and you've got Team CFVY, too."

"Yeah, and we aren't going to leave you, either." Jaune affirmed, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration, and maybe disappointment? "People who just… leave you behind because you're following your dreams aren't worth your time."

A sigh escaped the blonde's lips, the teen shaking his head before he smiled gently at his girlfriends. "Come on, let's go have some fun, that'll cheer you up." He suggested, as their embrace slowly broke.

Ruby looked up to Jaune, nodding slowly. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, you two."