"Sal-u-tations friends!" The ginger girl smiled widely and waved enthusiastically at the two girls walking up to her, her hair bouncing slightly as she vibrated on the balls of her feet.
"Hey Penny!" Of the two girls walking there was one with her face matching Penny's grin, her short black hair ending in red tips, with an outfit that colour matched the hair; all black with red highlights or undertones, plus some silver mixed in to match her eyes.
"Good morning Penny, I see you're as excitable as this dolt is." The second girl looked less enthused to be meeting up with the ginger, a slight frown on her porcelain skinned face. The face was marred only by a faint red line that cut down through her right eyebrow and eye into her cheek, ending just level with the tip of her nose.
"Weeeeeiss," The 'dolt' whined at the more annoyed girl, who flicked her long ponytail as she crossed her arms, the almost white hair reflecting in the morning sun.
"Ruby it isn't 9am yet and you're bouncing around like a puppy on a sugar rush. What did you even have for breakfast?"
Ruby suddenly stopped being excited and looked away slightly as she tapped the ends of her first fingers together. "...Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Crunch."
"What was that? You need to speak a bit louder so people can actually hear you..." Weiss suddenly looked a little shocked and muttered to herself, "I can't believe I just said that."
"Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Crunch."
Weiss closed her eyes in exasperation before leaning forwards and flicking Ruby in the forehead, "Ow!"
Penny giggled at the pair, who both remembered they had company at the same time.
"My apologies Penny, both for myself and this dolt." Weiss put on a slightly forced smile.
"No need to apologise friend Weiss! I appreciate you both taking time to show me around Vale. I've never been in a city other than Atlas before."
Weiss blinked and leaned back slightly, a little surprised at that information, whereas Ruby was more vocal in her surprise, her jaw actively dropping for a moment before she exclaimed, "What?! Really? Why? Oh, Vale is awesome! You'll love it!"
"If you don't mind me asking, why have you never left Atlas?" Weiss was more than a little curious as to why, especially if Penny had lived in the highly expensive city of Atlas, that she'd never visited a different city before, but she wouldn't show it.
"Oh, umm, my father is very protective of me. He worries about me a lot." Penny nodded her head at the last bit.
Weiss wasn't convinced though, but Ruby butted in before she could continue to ask about it.
"How about we start this tour then? Come on Penny!" Ruby started walking off with Penny following behind her, only for Ruby to stop and look at Weiss, "Err...this is the way, right?"
Weiss just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, this is the way."
The three girls walked round Vale, Weiss pointing various things out, attempting to impart some level of wisdom and knowledge about the city. She was generally undermined by Ruby however, who was determined to point out some of the best places to eat or play video games at. To her credit, Penny seemed to appreciate both aspects, saying she'd never really played video games before, and when Weiss pointed out an art gallery, she admitted she didn't understand painting, but she did like looking at statues.
"Oh! Oh! Wait Weiss, wait a sec! This shop is actually really important!"
Weiss turned to look at Ruby, who was practically jumping with excitement outside what appeared to be a normal dust store.
"You are very excited about this store Ruby; do they do a special type of dust you like using?" Penny was also a little confused by Ruby's excitement but tried to show interest.
"Pfft nah!" Ruby waved a hand as she dismissed the idea, "If I wanted special dust, I'd just ask Weiss here suuuuuper nicely!" She beamed at Weiss who gave her a flat stare before rolling her eyes with a slight smile. "It's just that this store is where I fought that Torchwick guy the first time! He was robbing it with some goons, and they tried to rob me too, but I had my baby with me, so I was all hi-yaa! And beat the snot out of them all!" Ruby was grinning, "Then Professor Ozpin brought me some cookies and invited me to come to Beacon two years early! All because I stopped a dust robbery and captured the goons!" Her face dropped a little, "...Well, other than that Torchwick guy, he got away cos he had some help from a weird lady that shot fireballs and fought with Professor Goodwitch, but we managed to get him eventually! Eventually...Ha ha..." Ruby's laugh was less than happy.
Weiss walked over and flicked Ruby in the forehead, "Quit moping. If he had help from someone who fought Professor Goodwitch and still got away, then you were lucky she turned up at all! You might not have got away with barely any scratches if she hadn't been there."
Ruby looked up and saw Penny nodding along too. "Mr Ironwood says that Professor Goodwitch is very strong, so if someone fought her and got away, then they must very strong too! Do not feel down if you couldn't capture someone who got away from her!" Penny smiled at Ruby, who felt quite a bit better.
"Besides," Weiss continued, standing beside Penny, arms crossed as she looked at Ruby, "If we hadn't gone to Mountain Glenn and found the train then we wouldn't have been able to help capture him. So, you did capture him." Weiss have a short nod at the end, clearly considering her words the final point.
"Thanks you two, that does make me feel better." Ruby smiled at the pair, her thoughts turning to how lucky she was to have such good friends like. "Ok! No more moping! Let's finish this tour then grab a coffee!"
Ruby seemed back to her normal bouncy self as the finished the tour, the last place taking in one of Vale's biggest squares. There was a large fountain in the middle, the water spurting from the top sparkling in the air. Various grass verges intermingled with paving stones to create a mosaic that was almost visible from the ground but gave a gorgeous view of waves and mountains from the air. Around the edge of the square were several open fronted shops and cafes, and, once Penny had finished looking at the square and fountain in amazement, they headed to one of the cafes near the fountain.
Weiss ordered her usual coffee, strong with milk and sugar on the side, Ruby went for a hot chocolate overloaded with marshmallows and whipped cream, and Penny stood there, thinking and looking at the board. Ruby suddenly remembered something and leaned into Penny to whisper, "Are you okay to have coffee? You know...with the whole...beep boop aspect?"
Penny giggled before replying, "I can have food and drinks, but I have never tried coffee before."
Weiss raised an eyebrow behind their backs, having stood aside to let them order, 'Can have food and drinks?' That's a really weird thing to say, although Penny is pretty weird herself.
"Never had coffee before? Well fortunately you have a coffee conas...connis...expert here in Weiss!" Ruby struggled with the right word before changing it and making a grand gesture of indicating Weiss, who rolled her eyes a little, but with a smirk that bordered on fondness.
"If you've never tried coffee before, I'd recommend getting either a flat white, as it's the most basic, or a black coffee so you can add as much milk and sugar as you would like to it so it fits your taste. Either one is...um...a good starting point." Penny was paying rapt attention to Weiss' every word, eyes focused on her face, which turned slightly pink in the cheeks as Penny continued to stare.
Weiss found it a little intimidating if she was honest with herself, the fact that Penny was clearly very focused on exactly what she was saying. The girl was as excitable as Ruby at times, although they both could clearly focus on something. Ruby might take longer, and it not be as obvious, but put her in front of a workbench and give her a project and she'd zone the world out. A Grimm could break in and she probably wouldn't notice. Penny's focus seemed to be more of a laser focus with all of her attention zeroed in.
Penny nodded, "Thank you for the advice Weiss! I will go for a black coffee, and then do several taste tests to find the combination that is most pleasing." She ordered hers and asked for several milk and sugar on the side. Weiss dropped her card on the machine to pay, right as Ruby was starting to get some lien out of her pouch.
"You can owe me for this later Ruby. Penny, you don't have to pay me back, consider this a treat at the end of the Vale section of the tour."
"Ooooo nice Weiss is here!" Ruby grinned and followed Weiss to the end of the counter, only to grab her forehead in pain when Weiss spun and flicked it without warning. "Ow!" Penny couldn't help but giggle at the pair, and Ruby was smiling when she looked at them both, "Go find a table, I'll bring the drinks over!"
"No, you will not!" Weiss crossed her arms and gave Ruby a hard stare, "You may be a prodigy on the battlefield, and when fighting Grimm, but you can still be an absolute klutz when you don't have a weapon in your hands. Go sit with Penny and I'll bring the drinks over."
Ruby went to protest for a moment but changed her mind, looked down, and nodded before walking away with Penny in tow to find a table near a window looking out at the square. Weiss felt slightly guilty at seeing Ruby, who almost looked like a scolded puppy, walk away. Grumbling to herself at how weak willed she was around her partner, she picked up one of the cookies and paid for it quickly. She put it down on the tray and carried it over to the red and green pair, sliding it down and handing the drinks out, before relaxing into the remaining comfy armchair that was around the low table.
Ruby looked at the bagged cookie, then at Weiss, a gleam in her eyes. Weiss smiled softly and indicated with a slight incline of her head that Ruby could have it. Penny laughed as Ruby almost inhaled the cookie she ate it that fast. Even Weiss couldn't help but laugh at how quickly the cookie vanished, and soon Ruby was laughing along with them, the three girls caught up in giggles for a minute or so before they stopped laughing and focused more on their drinks.
Penny bent over her coffee and gave it a slight sip before looking slightly confused. "I think this is slightly bitter? I know I can add sugar to help, but what will the milk do?"
"Adding milk will make the coffee a little thicker and can reduce the bitterness a little. Adding sugar will make it a bit sweeter, but you'd need to add the sugar first." Weiss was stirring her drink with a small spoon, "Adding the milk first means it takes longer to mix the sugar in. You also run the risk of having a mound of sugar left at the bottom if you put in as much as this heathen here." Weiss flicked her thumb to point at Ruby, who scratched the back of her head and giggled.
Penny spent the next minute or so adding small amounts of sugar, stirring, taking a sip, thinking for a moment, and then repeating. After three small spoonful's of sugar, she smiled, and then added a small amount of milk, stirring, and taking a sip. "This is the best one for me." She gave Weiss a huge smile, "Thank you for your advice Weiss! I really enjoy this drink." Taking a larger drink, Penny leaned back into the chair a little, slightly emulating Ruby who had sunk low into the comfy armchair.
The three sat there in comfortable silence for a little while, each happy to drink their drinks in the pleasant company of the others. Ruby finished hers last, taking a final long drain, lifting the mug up to down the dregs, putting it down with a soft "Ah." Weiss gave her a look and even Penny was looking at her slightly weirdly. "What?" Ruby turned to look at them each, and Weiss' eye twitched as she fought to keep a straight face. "What is it?" Ruby looked over her left shoulder, and then her right, before facing the other two.
Penny tried to hold back her smile whilst Weiss quickly pulled her scroll out and took a picture. Ruby then pulled a quick pose that made Penny struggle to hold her giggles back even more, whilst Weiss took another photo, her face only just remaining straight. "You've got something on your face," once Ruby stopped posing, she reached over with a napkin and wiped the entirety of Ruby's mouth, "That's better."
"So why did you take photos?" Ruby looked at Weiss, who smirked and turned the phone around. Ruby gasped and leaned back with a look of hurt and betrayal on her face, as the photo showed her pulling a pose with a massive moustache made of milk foam covering her top lip.
Weiss started giggling out loud, trying to cover her mouth, but quickly closing her eyes and giving into full on laughter, which set Penny off, and then Ruby, the three of them laughing that they couldn't stop for quite a while. Eventually the laughter dried up and Weiss wiped a small tear away, smiling warmly at the two girls. "I haven't laughed like that in such a long time, especially over something so small and silly. Thank you."
Having finished their drinks, the three girls headed up to Beacon Academy in time for lunch and then to finish the tour off. Penny got very excited with the workshop for weapons, Ruby's excitement was clearly contagious to Penny, and maybe even Weiss, as even she was smiling more than usual. Ruby laughed as she told Penny about the food fight, they'd had a few months prior, and Weiss blushed when Ruby pointed out she'd used a swordfish. "Y-y-You were the one who went all action hero when I got hit into the pillar! Diving to catch me yelling 'Weiss! Noooooo!'" Ruby laughed as Weiss blushed and overacted, making a fake swooning motion that had Penny laughing along too.
They finally reached the dorm room, which the two partners had saved until last. "Wow! So, this is where you both sleep? I am curious about the stability and survivability of the bed hanging from ropes." Penny looked at the ropes holding the dangling bunk bed up.
"Believe me, so am I." Weiss muttered under her breath, earning a soft shove in her shoulder from Ruby.
There was a loud beeping noise and Penny jumped before pulling a scroll out and putting it to her ear. "Hello? Oh! Mr Ironwood sir! Yes, I was just being given a tour of Beacon and Vale by Ruby and Weiss...No sir, they've been very helpful and informative...Yes sir, I will do." She looked a bit dejected as she hung up and turned to the two girls, both of whom had tried to avoid listening in, but as Penny spoke in quite a loud voice, it was difficult not to.
"What's wrong Penny?" Ruby's voice was full of concern, and it showed through into her face.
"I have to go now. Mr Ironwood didn't want me staying out too late, so I have to go back to where I'm staying now." Penny's voice matched the emotions in her face, sad and disappointed that their time had been cut short.
"Oh. That...that is unfortunate." Weiss wasn't happy about it either, she had enjoyed spending time with the ginger girl.
"Don't worry though friends, I'm sure we can spend time together again!" Penny threw her arm up in a salute that lightly tapped her forehead.
"Yeah! We'd love that, wouldn't we Weiss?" Ruby grinned and turned to Weiss.
"I wouldn't be opposed to that." Weiss crossed her arms and avoided looking at either of the two, looking at the nails on one of her hands instead. Penny grinned and gave Weiss a big hug, which she resisted as the ginger girl lifted her off the floor, much to Weiss' surprise. She is strong. But her arms feel strange, they're warm, but not very soft at all, even through her dress sleeves. Wait, why am I thinking about her arms?!
By the time her brain had caught up with what was happening, Weiss had been put down and Ruby was being hugged. As Ruby was put down Weiss heard her whisper to Penny, "That was much gentler! You've gotten better at hugging!" Penny grinned in response and then headed for the door.
"Thank you for a brilliant day! I will make sure we can spend more time together if that's okay with you both! Bye friends!" She headed out the door and Ruby sidled up next to Weiss.
"Soooooooo...I see somebody didn't push Penny away when she came in for a hug." Ruby was smirking and flicked her eyebrows at Weiss.
Weiss rolled her eyes, "I'll admit I was a little worried about spending time with both of you, as she...is different."
"Different? Errr what do you mean? Different how?" Ruby did a quick panic and shot backwards from Weiss waving her hands.
"What's with that reaction?" Weiss shook her head, "I mean she's quite similar to you in some ways, so I wasn't sure I could handle spending an entire day with you and her, but...I think I actually quite like her." She had a soft smile on her face and was looking at the door as she said it.
Ruby looked at her face, taking in the sapphire blue eyes, the carefully done makeup to appear invisible, and the faint scar that went through her eye, and smiled. "Yeah, I do too."