A/N: For a Tumblr request.

Request: Ruby Rose/Penny (Nuts and Dolts), "a date at an amusement park with hilarious consequences".

The Best Prize

Summary: Penny is very good at ring toss. Very, very good.

"It's easy, Penny," Ruby said, handing some lien to the man at the booth and helping herself to a set of rings. She passed them to Penny, then pointed to a couple of tourists demonstrating the game. "You toss the rings like that, and try to catch one around the neck of one of the bottles." The ring she had tossed clattered against the glass, but fell down into the retrieval tray without catching.

There were at least two hundred bottles within the booth, with perhaps eight feet separating the outermost row of bottles from where the players were permitted to stand.

Penny blinked, her bright green eyes reflecting puzzlement. "But why?"

"It's a game, Penny," Ruby explained patiently. "If you get a ringer, you get a prize." She indicated the stuffed animals displayed around the booth. There were no Beowolves, unfortunately, but there was a stuffed Ursa in the corner that Ruby had an eye on. It would make a great birthday present for Yang! The example Penny was watching suddenly threw a ringer—the Mistrali tourist winning a big stuffed animal for her cheering Atlesian girlfriend. She passed the prize to her blushing date with a quick kiss.

"A game?" Penny repeated, eyes widening. She drew a breath, and then exclaimed, "Sen-sational! I love games! Thank you for teaching me this one, Ruby!" Penny threw her arms around Ruby, squeezing tight enough that Ruby felt her ribs creak.

"Urghh… You're welcome…" she gasped, and Penny released her.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Ruby my friend!" Penny apologized hurriedly. "I always forget, and hug you too hard, when I get that feeling."

"What feeling?" Ruby asked, curiously. Her gynoid friend often managed to both fluster and confuse her, by being open and honest but lacking the words to adequately describe emotions and sensations that humans took for granted.

"I'm not sure…" Penny said predictably. She laid a hand over her chest. "It seems to originate here, near my coolant pump. Is that normal?" In the strictest sense, Penny was far younger than Ruby, and had always been intensely curious.

"I think it is," Ruby reassured her circumspectly, trying to control the sudden pounding of her own heart.

"What do you think it could be?" Penny asked, her eyes seeming to sparkle in the late afternoon light.

Penny was wearing her usual white jumper and grey dress, with the tall stockings that only served to draw attention to the tiny strip of leg between themselves and the dress' hem. The skirt fluttered a little as Penny bounced on the spot, plainly excited about the new game.

She's so cute. Ruby felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. Then, Where did that thought come from? But there was no denying it: Penny had her flustered. Ruby had never been able to hide when she was embarrassed, and that meant it was probably only a matter of time before Penny asked…

"Is something wrong, Ruby?"

"Nope!" Ruby chirped, praying her voice was steady. "Ready to play?" she added, hoping to redirect Penny's attention until she could control the flush in her cheeks or at least stop her mouth from forming that goofy grin oh Dust it was happening why couldn't she stop.

Fortunately, Penny had turned back to the booth, and therefore noticed neither Ruby's internal quandary, nor the knowing smile on the face of the booth's proprietor. Ruby shot the man her best glare, but she had never been able to appear intimidating like her sister, and his grin only widened. That was, until Penny threw her rings.

All of them.

Every single one looped around the neck of a bottle, hardly rattling or spinning before they settled, leaving proprietor's jaw was hanging open, along with the other couple at the booth and everyone else who had been passing by.

Penny looked back around at Ruby. "How was that?" From anyone else the question would have been smug, but there was nothing but honest inquiry in Penny's voice.

"Very good!" Ruby cheered, giving in a little follow what her heart was telling her she apparently really wanted to do and throwing her arms around Penny. "You can pick any prize you want!"

"Prize?" Penny repeated slowly. "Okay!" She pointed to the giant Ursa Ruby had been eyeing earlier, which the proprietor retrieved, still chuckling to himself. Penny immediately pressed the toy into Ruby's hands, then before Ruby could react, Penny suddenly leaned down and kissed her. Ruby froze comically in place as Penny turned to the game once more. "That was very fun!" she exclaimed. "I think I'd like to play again!"

Ruby's mind had gone completely blank, utterly failing to provide her with any explanation for what had just happened. Automatically, she fumbled absently for her wallet to pay for another game, but the proprietor waved away her lien with a cheshire grin.

Penny tilted her head, studying the bottles and then the rings in her hands, before once again flinging the entire handful for perfect ringers. She turned back to Ruby, clapping her hands excitedly, but paused at seeing Ruby still reeling from the kiss. "Ruby? Is something the matter?"

"I… You…" Ruby stammered.

Penny leaned forward, and Ruby's mind—just beginning to catch up—abruptly shut down again. Was Penny going to kiss her again? Why had she kissed her before? It was completely out of nowhere. They were friends! Dust, Penny was a robot. Well, she was still a person, but she was also like a weapon, which was super-rad and awesome and Ruby really wanted to know how that worked exactly, but it seemed rude and way too personal to just ask, but was it too personal since Penny had kissed her, and why didn't it exactly bother her more that Penny had kissed her?

Penny's forehead bumped against hers, and Ruby jumped. "Your face is all red, Ruby," Penny said, sounding concerned. "And your temperature is elevated."

And your proximity is not helping, Ruby thought frantically. She's right in my face and how can she even take my temperature like that and gosh she has pretty eyes. …Wait—!

"Really, I'm fine, Penny," Ruby managed finally. She gestured at the bottles behind the now-chuckling proprietor. "You won again."

"Yes! And that means I win another prize!" Penny said excitedly. "I sure did enjoy the last prize." The line demanded a coy tone, but Penny, of course, delivered it completely naturally. Flustered all over again, Ruby sputtered.

"R-right…" she mumbled.

Penny smiled, completely undeterred. "What prize should I pick this time, then?" Ruby's barely-recovered train of thought derailed yet again.

In the end, they walked away with not just the Ursa but also an equally-enormous Nevermore. Penny managed to loop one arm through Ruby's as she held the bird with the other. "Come on, then, Ruby!" Blushing madly again, Ruby found herself being dragged away from the openly laughing proprietor, who was eagerly collecting lien from the large crowd that had suddenly gathered around his booth.

A/N: My original idea was that fish-catching game that you see in anime, with the little paper nets, but I've never actually seen that at any fair or carnival that I've ever been to. (Silly American writer, tsk tsk.) Also, funny though the image of Penny flipping fish after fish into a bucket was, I just didn't really know where to go from there. I guess they'd have to go buy a big aquarium? Having to deal with countless giant stuffies seemed to fit better.

'Gynoid' is the proper term for a robot (or anything else, technically) that resembles a human female. (Thanks, Mahou Sensei Negima!)

I'm sorry this isn't very good. I need to get back into the swing of things. Head over to .com to drop me some new requests!