"This is the worst," Ruby grumbled, standing in front of the gates to Schnee Manor. She kept trying to adjust her red dress, but it never seemed to become comfortable. Worse than the dress were the heels, which made her keep a hand on Yang's shoulder for support. "How do other girls walk in these stupid things? I feel like I'm on stilts." She wasn't a girl who played dress-up, so getting dolled up felt way too strange for her. Dresses couldn't hold a candle to combat skirts, and the heels. Ugh, heels were the worst! She could walk straighter with her feet in empty tissue boxes.
"You know what's the worst? How much we have to spend on that hotel. Even one night is ridiculous. We should've just stayed in Mantle and dealt with all the flight BS." Yang was bitching about the money, but she wasn't wrong: even staying one night in an Atlas hotel took a good chunk out of their savings. At least she wasn't uncomfortable at one of these fancy parties. She didn't go to them, but she knew about getting dolled up. In a pure white dress, she looked absolutely stunning. If they happened to need anything, she would have no trouble acquiring it for them.
They clammed up as soon as they reached the front doors, where two large men in black suits stood guard. Typical. They were probably being stared at, but it was hard to tell with the sunglasses they were wearing. Could they be any more stereotypical? However, as soon as Yang shot them a wink, they silently allowed them passage. Ruby wanted to roll her eyes at how easy it was for Yang to do such things, but she instead just nodded courteously to the guards as the two of them entered the manor.
"Holy..." Ruby whistled lowly, immediately struck by the beauty and glamor they have just walked into. The manor was huge, which made sense, since it was a manor. So many parts of the interior looked as if they were made of ice. It was like they had walked into the most intricate ice sculpture ever created. There were so many people too, all of them dressed super fancy and milling around with glasses of wine and finger foods delicately held with hands that likely hadn't done a hard day's work in their lives. "Nobody said anything about there being so many people here..."
"It's a party, Rubes. Of course there's going to be people." Yang took a glass of red wine and sipped it delicately. It was like watching a completely different person. "Needs something mixed in. Anyway, we have to wait for your dragon to seek us out, right? There's nothing else we can do but wait and nab some rich people food." Her eyes were moving across the different waiters, but it was the trays of food she was eyeing. "Uh, look, there's someone over there. She seems awkward like you. Why don't you go talk to her?"
"What?" Ruby turned in the direction Yang was pointing. Standing against the wall was a girl with bright orange hair, indeed looking somewhat awkward in a pale green dress. She seemed to have found the best place to stand where no one was within a five foot ratio of her, which made Ruby a bit jealous. "I dunno, Yang. I don't even know who she is..." Talking to people was awkward enough. but initiating conversation? That was harder than climbing the Atlesian Peaks.
"That's why you find out! Look, Rubes, I know you. If you stand around here long enough, you're going to start fidgeting, and then people are going to notice you, and then they'll ask questions. You're not the greatest liar, you know." She sighed, knowing that Yang was right. The things she'd do for adventure... "Just ask her about the weather or whatever. I'm sure it'll be fine. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Satisfied that Ruby was as encouraged as she could be, Yang slid away from her side and to the nearest waiter, where she was prepared to 'test' all of the food. Sighing again, Ruby glanced around nervously before heading towards the ginger girl.
The two of them made eye contact halfway there, which meant there was no turning back now. Swallowing down her anxieties, she kept moving forward, which meant nearly falling over every couple of steps due to her death shoes. The other girl was staring at her openly now, probably realizing that she wasn't one of them due to her lack of heel skills. Why were combat boots not high fashion?! In a case of 'worst case scenario', her legs finally gave up the ghost and she started falling to the right. She waved her arms around in a panic, as if she could generate enough wind power to put her back in place. Right before she hit the ground, however, the ginger-haired girl was there, crossing the distance in a second to catch her.
"You must be careful," she warned as soon as she had Ruby back on her feet. "It is not safe to wear high heels if you have not walked in them before." It was that obvious, huh? Ugh, and people were staring at them now. It was time to disappear forever.
"Yeah, I figured..." Her face was certainly red now. Well, now that she had finished embarrassing herself, she was supposed to introduce herself. What an introduction, huh? This girl must know for sure now that she wasn't Atlesian, or from anywhere even close to there. "Hi, uh, thanks for the save. I'm Ruby." She stuck her hand out, and it stayed there as the girl just stared at it. "Uh, I'm sorry?" She pulled her hand back, now wondering if handshakes weren't a custom in Atlas. Maybe she should've read a book beforehand.
"Nobody has ever asked me to shake their hand before." She looked back up at Ruby's face, her eyes wide. "Is this a sign of friendship?" A... handshake? Okay, there was no way she was the weird one, right? Maybe all that money did something to their heads.
"Uh, yeah, sure." She decided to just go with it, not wanting to either offend or make things any more awkward than they already were. Suddenly her hand was right back out as the girl had grabbed it and was shaking it with quite a lot of strength. She nearly had her arm yanked out of its socket. Were she and Yang related?
"That is so great to hear! I am so happy to have a friend! My name is Penny, and it is so very nice to meet you, Ruby!" She gave her temples a quick tap to stop her eyes from spinning around. Goodness, that girl had a grip. It was weird, though... Penny was acting as if she was her first friend, but that couldn't be true, right? Even she, with her terrible social anxiety, had friends. "How are you liking Atlas? It must look quite incredible if this is your first time here."
"You knew?" Ruby swallowed thickly: so it was obvious. Yang wasn't going to like hearing that. If they got thrown out of the manor before meeting the dragon, she'd be crushed. "Please don't tell anyone! I don't want to get thrown out!"
"Do not worry, friend Ruby! I would never tell on my new friend!" Penny was weird, but it was the kind of weird she could get behind. She giggled, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. "Making a friend laugh... That is most excellent! I will check that off my list!" She went stock still, as if getting clocked with a frying pan, before coming back to life. "Make a friend laugh: completed! This is so exciting!" She looked legitimately excited, which confused the heck out of Ruby. Oh well, as long as she wasn't being booted off the premises, Penny could be as weird as she wanted. "Oh, Ms. Schnee! Good evening!" Ms. Schnee? Like the manor? Ruby looked over and her jaw immediately dropped.
It was like one of the ice sculptures had come to life. She had never seen anyone look so... so beautiful. Everything about her was as immaculate as the rest of the people in the manor, but there was something different about her. It was in her eyes: icy blue and calm yet storming at the same time. Those eyes, and that hair of pure snow, flowing effortlessly down her back, it felt so familiar... She had to be the dragon! It was an intuition that hit her like a brick. Ms. Schnee had come towards them, but her eyes weren't on Penny: they were on her.
"Good evening," she replied courteously with a quick nod to Penny. "I don't believe I've seen you around here." She was speaking to Ruby now, and she hoped there weren't any questions asked of her because she'd never be able to get her tongue working to answer them. "You like climbing mountains, I presume?" Ah, it was code! She nodded, thankful such a question could be answered without moving her lips. "I thought so." A small smile played on her lips, and Ruby was convinced it was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. "If you would like to bring your climbing partner, we can discuss it in a quieter place. If you'll excuse us, Penny."
"Absolutely, Ms. Schnee!" She saluted them both, and it looked so silly that Ruby burst into giggles again. "Ah, twice! This is a moment I will never forget!" Covering her mouth, she started to lead Weiss back into the crowd in an attempt to find Yang. However, she had forgotten that her shoes were not made for walking, and she was immediately wobbling again. It did not escape the notice of Ms. Schnee.
"Have you never walked in heels before?" Ruby looked down, seeing a pair of pristine white heels on her feet. Yeah, that seemed about right. She shook her head, feeling like the floor had become a balance beam. "I did not expect someone who would climb a mountain to meet a dragon to be so uncultured." That sounded like an insult if she ever heard one. She pouted, which made Ms. Schnee giggle. Shoot, her laughter was so much airier and prettier than her own laugh. What the heck?! "I would prefer you didn't make a fool of yourself in my manor. Come on." She reached out and grabbed Ruby's hand, gripping it tightly as she began to take the lead.
If she had any hope of talking before, it was gone now. Her breath was stolen away when she felt the cool skin of Ms. Schnee's hand around hers. Feelings, so many feelings... She didn't like this one bit! To her relief and disappointment, they quickly found Yang snacking on what looked like some sort of mini-sausage. Who would even bother making one that small? It wouldn't feed Zwei!
"Woah," Yang murmured as they approached, her eyes going right for Ms. Schnee. "Is she...?" They both nodded, which made her smile. "Excellent! We going somewhere?"
"Yes: somewhere less pretentious than down here. Shall we?" She was in the lead again, heading up the stairs with the sisters in tow. Ruby had her hand on Yang's shoulder, feeling less balanced climbing up the stairs in heels than she had climbing that darn mountain.
"Yang," she whispered frantically, her eyes darting between Yang and Ms. Schnee. "Help, I think I just discovered my sexuality."
"Congrats, sis. Make sure to practice kissing on your Beowulf plush before trying it for real. I bet Atlas girls expect only the best." Ruby shoved her hard and nearly fell over in the process, so that wasn't her smartest move. Thankfully the stairs finally ended, allowing her to only somewhat be at risk of falling over. She was never wearing heels again, no matter what! Rich people would just have to deal with a pair of sneakers.
"Woah, this place is huge." Yang was the one to vocalize it, but both of them were staring around in awe. It seemed like the hallways never ended, and there were so many rooms they'd probably get lost looking for the bathroom. "You really do live comfortably up here."
"That is one way of putting it." With it being her manor, Ms. Schnee had no trouble navigating through it. They eventually reached what apparently was the correct door, which she opened and allowed them inside. It was a bedroom, which was so clean that it made Ruby feel bad about her own bedroom. There didn't seem to be a single piece out of place. Whether Ms. Schnee was a neat freak or they had maids to clean everything up, she wasn't sure, and she didn't feel like wasting one of her questions asking. Ms. Schnee then sat down on the bed, as gently and perfect as possible. "Alright, it's just the three of us now. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask."
"Thank you so much, Ms. Schnee-"
"Weiss," she responded curtly, cutting Ruby off. "Only kowtowers and the avaricious call me Ms. Schnee." Well, she was pretty sure she wasn't either of those things, but she kind of, sort of didn't know what either of them meant. She looked over at Yang, who just shrugged.
"Well, uh, thank you, Weiss. I, uh, I have so many questions." She had been thrown off guard ever since she stepped foot in the manor, but especially when Weiss first came into her vision. It was a wonder she even remembered what language was, but the questions she wanted to know were too important to ask. "Are you born a dragon, or a human? Is it genetic or was it some sort of curse? There's so many different theories..." While dragons were known to exist, concrete knowledge of them wasn't so prolific. She couldn't miss this opportunity to find out.
"We are all born as humans. Being able to transform into a dragon is genetic, having been passed down the Schnee bloodline for generations." She had the fairest Atlesian accent, much easier to understand than their mountain guides. She wasn't crazy for accents or anything, but Weiss's was so melodic on the ears. It was the kind of voice she'd want singing to her at night when she was trying to fall asleep. She could make reading the scroll directory exciting. "My siblings are the same as I."
"You have siblings?" She couldn't remember seeing any other people at the party who looked like Schnees.
"My brother is skulking around downstairs somewhere. As for my sister, I have not seen her in many years." There was a melancholic tone to her words, but she didn't seem willing to divulge anything else on that topic. It was likely best to move on.
"How does it feel to fly? It seems like it's so cool! I've always wanted to fly." She had been convinced she could fly when she was six years old, and she jumped off the roof of her dad's car to prove it. That was when she first unlocked her semblance, and also broke her nose.
"It is... freeing. To be able to move through the skies unencumbered is the freest I have ever been." Again with the melancholic tone. There was something that was bothering Weiss, but she probably didn't feel comfortable telling it to people she just met. That made sense, but Ruby really wanted to know so she could try and help. Who would want to make such a beautiful woman sad? Not a good person, that was for sure!
Now, there was something else that had seemingly caught both Ruby and Yang's attention. Neither of them felt it proper to bring it up, but it didn't stop them from accidentally gazing in the direction of Weiss's left eye. Specifically, there was a long scar going down that side of her face, which had faded enough to make them believe it had happened some time ago. Had it been there in her dragon form? She must've been delirious from the exhaustion and her excitement to notice. Now standing in front of her, the scarring was much more apparent, as well as the cloudiness in her eye. It was obvious that it was socially improper to ask: even Ruby knew that. Unfortunately, their staring was noticeable, as was the frown on Weiss's face.
"Well, at least I know you are not here for my treasure," she remarked, a touch of ice in her tone. "Otherwise you would not be so blatant in staring at my scar." Ruby's own eyes widened as she pointedly looked away, which had her staring at the ceiling on accident. Yang did the same thing, ending up staring at the floor. The silly scenario actually got a laugh out of Weiss. "While I don't blame you for your staring, it is rather tiresome, so let's get this out of the way. Yes, I am blind in this eye. No, the story is not for the ears of strangers. It is not a dragon-related question, after all." Her response was as polite as could be in that situation, but it was clear there was no room for negotiation. That shut the sisters up, which seemed to be enough to soften Weiss's expression. "Alright, I have a question for you two, if I may." They both nodded, curious about what a dragon might want to ask them. "How is it to be adventurers? Do you feel truly free wandering around the continents, seeking adventure wherever you want? I have never been able to ask someone that."
"Oh, well, it's super fun and exciting! We still need to go to Vacuo, but we've been all over Vale doing whatever we want, and we've killed like..." She started counting on her fingers, but gave up quickly. "... at least a hundred Grimm! We've got these awesome weapons that we built ourselves and we get to protect people who are being troubled by the Grimm. You should see Crescent Rose! Except someone wouldn't let me bring her." She shot a pointed look at Yang, who rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure the Atlesian elite wouldn't be suspicious in the slightest if a shorty like you walked in tripping over her heels with a gigantic scythe on her back." Ruby pouted deeply, giving Yang a shove. That got her a shove in return, and soon the two of them were half-wrestling right in front of Weiss, who just watched them in utter confusion. Then she started to laugh, hiding the dainty, ethereal sound behind a pale hand. That stopped the two sisters, who realized who they were fighting in front of and immediately stepped away from each other.
"I have never seen two people act in such a manner together with such playful intent. It's... different," she mused, another meaning in her words that neither sister could decipher. "How long have the two of you known each other?"
"Uh, all our lives. We're sisters!" Yang declared, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulder and pulling her close. Weiss just stared at them, disbelief written all over her face.
"You're kidding me. You don't look anything like each other."
"Yeah, you know how it is." She did not appear to know how 'it' was. "Same dad, different moms. I got my mom's good looks and her abandonment issues. She got her mom's sense of justice and love of cookies." Weiss just nodded, still seemingly very perplexed. "Did you never play fight with your siblings when you were a kid?"
"Hah, hardly. We had more important tasks to do, like advanced schooling and proper business manners." Yang's jaw dropped: what kind of childhood was that?! That was like something out of a silly TV show. As for Ruby, she felt a strange sadness welling up inside her. Had Weiss never gotten to experience the things that regular kids did? Was that just how her family was, or was that how all Atlesians were? It actually made her miss her dad. She'd have to call him later when they got back to their expensive as all heck hotel.
"Well, why don't you come with us? We could go on a bunch of adventures together, and you could show us all the coolest spots in Atlas!" Both Yang and Weiss gawked at her: Yang for Ruby asking something like that out of the blue without consulting her, and Weiss just for the sheer audacity of the suggestion. "Wouldn't it be fun? We could be the three amigas! Ooh, maybe we could bring Penny too! You know, the girl down there that I was talking to? Groups of four are awesome if you're all friends and know each other and don't feel super weird talking to one another!"
"Ruby, that is a nice thought, but it is naive. Neither of us would be allowed to leave Atlas, so adventuring with the two of you is completely out of the question." She spoke with conviction, but it didn't feel honest. Ruby could see the hurt in Weiss's eyes, appearing and then blinking out of existence. There was something not right about this. She didn't say she didn't want to go, but that she couldn't go. Why not? It seemed... private, and yet she couldn't leave it alone. She had only just met Weiss, but she felt this compulsion to know more about her, and that included whatever was going on in this instance.
"Why can't either of you leave?" Weiss was silent for a moment, weighing something in her mind.
"Penny has an important job to do here in Atlas. Having her leave for any amount of time would be irresponsible. As for me..." She let out a tiny sigh, staring beyond the shoulders of Ruby and Yang. "I am not allowed to leave the grounds without supervision on the command of my father. I'm only allowed to leave when I am in my dragon, and that is for... other reasons." Like before, those 'reasons' were not meant to be disclosed. "As enticing as your offer may be, I must decline. I'm sorry, Ruby."
That was so sad to hear... Again, Ruby thought about her own dad, who worried about them but would never stop them from adventuring. It sounded like Weiss's dad was super controlling. Maybe it was because his children were dragons, but that wasn't a good enough excuse! Weiss should be allowed to spread her wings, physically and metaphorically. It wasn't something she was able to stop thinking about. It sat in the pit of her stomach like a rock, taking away most of her abilities to think of anything else.
"We'll figure something out." Her voice came out as a whisper, but it was heard loud and clear. Regardless, she spoke louder, with the positive conviction she always carried. "We won't let you be stuck here because of your family. We'll... We'll figure something out! And then you can come on any adventures with us that you want! I promise you, Weiss. We will save you." For something she had little knowledge of, she felt a new sense of confidence that she and Yang could do something. Weiss didn't deserve to be locked in her house forever, even if it was huge and awesome-looking.
"Honestly Ruby, you have no idea what you're talking about. You can't just say you're going to free me and expect to be able to do it. There is a difference between being an adventurer and being a businesswoman. If you stuck your foot in my father's world, he would crush you." It seemed as if she had already resigned herself to her fate, which made Ruby's stomach churn. There couldn't be nothing she could do... "I'm sorry, but I need to go. My absence will be noticed if I'm here any longer." She stood up, her eyes lingering on Ruby. It felt like she was being drawn into a full, tortured world she couldn't possibly comprehend. "I hope I answered all your questions."
"Thank you," Ruby whispered, knowing that all her questions hadn't been answered, but unwilling to put Weiss in any more of an uncomfortable position than she already was. She had gotten information about dragons that she never expected to, yet she couldn't help but feel completely dejected. Knowing that Weiss was trapped in her house and couldn't go anywhere without supervision felt wrong. Even getting to be a freaking dragon didn't seem to sate the desire for freedom that she held deep within her chest. That didn't sit right with Ruby: not one bit. On her honor as an adventurer, she was going to free Weiss and take her all over Remnant! And it did not have anything to do with how stunningly pretty Weiss was.
"C'mon, Ruby. We'd better get back to our bank-breaking hotel. Unless you'd like to stay and mingle." She grinned as Ruby made a face, the thought of having to interact with more people making her stomach turn. "Thank you for answering our questions, Weiss. We really do appreciate it, and we're sorry for any issues we may have caused you." Weiss smiled at that, shaking her head slightly.
"It was not a problem. I wish you two the best of luck." She seemed like she had more to say, but instead she just left them with, "If circumstances were different, perhaps I could join you." There was a wistfulness to her tone: it seemed to surround her body like an aura. Ruby could almost feel the sadness if she reached her hand out. Without knowing what to do, however, she just stood there, caught between the easiness of leaving and the troubles roiling in her mind over Weiss being trapped in her own home.
"I... I want that to happen. I want you to come with us, Weiss." She turned around, eyes burning with determination and importance. Yang recognized that look: it was the one where she was going to promise something that would be a real bitch to fulfill. It was too late to stop her, though: it usually was. "We're going to get you out of here, no matter what, Your family won't stop us, because you're your own woman and you should be allowed to do what you want! We're going to come back for you, Weiss. I promise." She was so sure of it. It wasn't fair of her family to refuse her the freedom that the two of them had. She had to do something about it!
"You're using a lot of 'we' when I never agreed to this," Yang leaned in and mumbled.
"Ruby, please do not make promises like that. There is nothing either of you can do." Weiss walked up to them, placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You cannot go against my father: no one can. Please don't waste your time." Her voice was icy, but it didn't reach her eyes. Ruby was sure that Weiss wanted to leave, but felt it was too great a task. Well, not to her! Nothing was impossible! However, she could tell that arguing further would get them nowhere. As much as she wanted to play the hero, she might cause more trouble than any of them wanted to deal with. It pained her greatly, but she had to acquiesce. For now, at least.
"Alright Weiss... but I'll figure out how to bust you out of here, and then I'll come back. I promise you that." She didn't take her promises lightly. They were made from the heart, and she trusted her heart just as much as her brain. Well, sometimes anyway. It made Weiss laugh at least, an airy laugh that sounded like the gentle movement of a glass chandelier.
"You are something else, Ruby. I have never met anyone like you. You would die in Atlas." She had a faint smile on her face, but it faded into something akin to a thin, businesswoman-like line as she stepped back from the two sisters. "I wish you two good luck on your adventures, and perhaps our paths will cross again." With no argument left to wage, Ruby could only give Weiss a wave before she and Yang were heading out of the room. As they went down the hall and down the stairs, she couldn't help but feel unfulfilled. She had gotten to speak to a dragon and ask her every question she wanted, but it felt secondary to her worries about Weiss. That was something she never expected to think.
"Alright, I guess we're outskis, huh? Lemme grab a few more of those little finger foods. Would it kill them to have something a bit more substantial, like a hot dog? Oh, you want anything?" Ruby shook her head, and the two temporarily separated as they reached the bottom step. Yang went to get her food while Ruby milled around the nearest wall, feeling dejected and unfulfilled. The visage of a sad, resigned Weiss lingered in her mind despite the physical distance now placed between them. It was powerful enough that she didn't even notice someone trying to get her attention.
"Friend Ruby?" She squealed and jumped when Penny's hand touched her shoulder, again nearly collapsing as her stupid heels met the ground. Again Penny had to catch her, and again there were stares. She really was not cut out for these kinds of parties, huh? "Is everything alright? You are very tense and you are frowning quite deeply. Did something happen when you were talking with Miss Schnee?"
"Not exactly," she sighed. She wasn't even sure where to begin with what had happened. It likely wasn't her place to tell Penny anything anyway, even if she knew Weiss. That was something best left to Weiss to share. Instead, she decided it was best to try and deflect. "Hey Penny, it was really nice meeting you, but we've gotta head out. We're going back to our hotel. Stupid expensive hotel." She shuddered at how much the bill was when it was handed to Yang. If their dad saw how much they had spent, he'd have a conniption.
"Oh, I have an idea! Why don't you stay at my house? It will not cost you anything, and we can talk about your adventures and Atlas and girl talk all night! Wouldn't that be fun?" Well, besides the girl talk... Honestly, it did sound fun. She didn't get to talk to a lot of people because of her crippling social anxiety, but she felt a lot better talking to Penny than she did most people. It also helped that Penny was so eager that she didn't have to come up with anything to talk about herself. Figuring out how to small talk was one of her greatest weaknesses.
"That sounds great! Mm, I should probably ask Yang." After already volunteering her for something she didn't agree to, it'd probably be best to actually ask permission now, though she couldn't imagine Yang having a problem with saving money. Now all she had to do was find her...
"You looking for me?" Yang suddenly appeared behind her, taking a drink of what looked to be white wine. "We ready to boogie? This place has garbage alcohol."
"Actually, Penny was saying we could stay at her house tonight. It would mean no expensive hotel-"
"Yup, I'm down." That didn't take much convincing. "You said the magic words. Let's head to the hotel and get our money back, and then we'll head over to your place. Can you give Ruby your address so we can get there afterwards?"
"Oh no, you would get lost since this is your first time in Atlas. Let me help you with the hotel, and then I can take you to my house." She smiled brightly, already turning to head out. "Shall we go, ladies?"
"Wait, don't you have to stay here? Won't someone notice you're gone?" As much as she wanted to get out of the manor as soon as possible, she would hate to be the cause of Penny getting in trouble.
"Do not worry! I can leave any time I wish, as long as I do not go too far. My father said I don't have to stay at these galas anymore since they hired the military directly to stand guard." ... Uhh, what did that mean? What was that about the military? That question lingered on Ruby's tongue as Penny started walking to the door, a cheery skip in her step. "Come on, friends! Let us get your Lien back from the hotel!" She looked to Yang, wanting to know what that was all about about the military, but Yang could only shrug. Well, whatever that meant... They both hurried after Penny, willing to leave the question unanswered in order to get out of that stuffy mansion.
The people at the hotel were not exactly happy about returning their money. They didn't seem to have a hope or a prayer, or even a leg to stand on. The haggling got to a point where Yang looked as if she was ready to knock the lady behind the counter's block off, but thankfully Penny intervened before they all ended up in an Atlesian prison. It seemed that Penny held some sway throughout Atlas, and though it was begrudgingly, the lady gave them their money back. That was such a relief. They were both thanking Penny the entire way to her house.
Unlike the manor that Weiss lived in, Penny's house was much cozier. At least they wouldn't have to worry about getting lost. "Let me tell my father you're here." They were led to a kindly looking man in a wheelchair who introduced himself as Pietro. Ruby was immediately in awe of the chair he was sitting in: it looked incredibly advanced, but she wouldn't expect any less from the crazy-cool technology Atlas had. It ran circles around what any other region had, and she had never thought she'd have an opportunity to take a look at it in person.
"I have a feeling you have a question you want to ask me." In an older, comforting voice, he directed his words towards Ruby, who went stock-still. She had been caught eyeing every inch of his wheelchair that she could, but the question she specifically wanted to answer embarrassed her. It could only be spoken in a hushed whisper.
"Does your wheelchair have secret machine guns or rocket launchers packed inside it?" The question actually floored Penny, as the room went dead silent for several seconds. Then Pietro burst into an uproarious laughter, slamming his fists on his armrests. It was like what Ruby had said was the funniest thing he had ever heard.
"Oh my goodness, I have never been asked such a question. You must be into weapons, aren't you Miss Rose?" She nodded sheepishly. "Well, no, my chair does not have such weaponry. It would be pretty cool if it did, though, right?" Ruby perked up instantly, nodding hard. Yang could only roll her eyes fondly. Ruby really was the weapon nut of the family. At least she could trust that Ruby would safely use the weapons in her hands, unlike some people... "I would be happy to have you two stay the night. My little girl could use some company." He reached up to ruffle Penny's hair fondly, and she leaned in to let him happily.
"We really appreciate it," Yang responded, reaching out to shake his hand. Ruby did the same to not seem impolite. "Are you sure you don't want us to pay you anything? I know we're imposing."
"Oh no no, please keep your money. You have to pay an arm and a leg to spend time up here." He looked down at his own legs, then back up at the shocked looks on the sisters' faces. "You can laugh, you know. Believe me, without a sense of humor, you'll die up here. Either that or you already rule up here." He laughed at that, his wheelchair seemingly moving on its own to let him leave the hallway. 'So cool!' "Besides, I see more broken Atlas tech in here than actual souls, so it's nice to have more people here." And with that he was gone, removing the argument for them to pay him anything.
"Well, I guess we're staying here for free," Yang remarked, shrugging. "That's a pretty sweet deal to me."
"Ugh, finally I can take these off!" Ruby dramatically kicked off her heels, nearly falling to the floor and kissing the floor now that she could balance on it. "I am never ever wearing those again. I don't care what kind of fancy schmancy parties we have to go to."
"You must really not like heels," Penny giggled, turning around with her hands behind her back. "Let me show you to my room!" She led the two of them to her room, which ended up being pretty small. There was a bed and a chester drawer with several pictures on it, but besides that there wasn't much in the room to distinguish it as her own. "I apologize for the bareness of my room. Actually, maybe you two can help me!" She whipped around to stare at them with a big smile. "What do you two have in your rooms? What is your, mm... 'aesthetic'. Is that the word?"
"Well, our aesthetics would be different than yours. What do you like?" Yang sat down on Penny's bed, feeling it hold steady beneath her. Dust, it was hard. How did she sleep on this thing?
"Hmm... Well, I like making friends, and my father. I..." She stopped, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure what else I like," she admitted, getting lost in thought. Ruby felt like she should step in, because it seemed like Penny was having trouble.
"That's okay, Penny. I'm sure we can work something out." She gently put a hand on Penny's shoulder, giving her a soft smile. "I'm sure there's some things you like. We can talk about that tonight. I'll help you find cool things to decorate your room with!" What she lacked in social skills she made for in confident enthusiasm. It seemed to be enough for Penny, who started smiling too. She gave Ruby a thumbs up.
"I believe in you, friend Ruby!"
"You seem unhappy, Penny. What's wrong?" Pietro had his wheelchair placed perfectly at his command console, typing on his keyboard purposefully. Penny was next to him, facing the door with a small cable plugged into her back. Data was flowing across the screen: white letters on a deep blue background, though occasionally the letters were red and in a garbled language that Pietro was unable to understand. All of that data was logged into a file called 'Personal Thoughts,' which had a specific data lock that only Penny herself was able to access.
"I can't stop thinking about how cool it is what Ruby and Yang do. They get to see the entire world, and they know what they like. They told me their rooms have posters and shelves of stuff they've collected and things they like. I don't have any of those things." She could have it. If she told her dad what she wanted, then it would be easy to either get or make what she wanted. The issue was that she didn't have anything that could fulfill such a requirement. Her whole life had been spent in Atlas, and she didn't have anything that interested her like normal girls did.
"Oh Penny, you haven't had enough time to find yourself yet. Believe me, what we do does not give us much time to find other interests." He chuckled to himself, decades of a weary life in his laughter. While he spoke, he kept typing away, moving data around into the appropriate categories. "I understand your frustrations, Penny. It is... stifling, but you are needed here in Atlas for the time being. Both of us are." She sighed, nodding slowly. She knew that. She had been created for a purpose, and that did not include leaving to see the world. If only...
"I know, dad. I just... I wish I could go adventuring with Ruby and Yang. It would be so much fun, and I could find things that I enjoy." She smiled faintly at the thought, but the reality of her situation came crashing back down on her. "I wish I was a normal girl like they are."