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"Are you sure you are alright with this?"
Ruby nods eagerly, giving Penny's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Penny utters a noise of what is probably confusion? Ruby isn't sure. The android opens her mouth, then closes it, then opens it again. "It's just, from what I understand, most people go to coffee shops or the movies for their first dates. I don't want you to feel like this is...weird."
"You're weird," Ruby teases. "So am I. Neither of us are normal girls, Penny, do we really want to go on normal dates?"
"I guess..."
"Besides, we've been to cafes before, back in Vale. And Weiss told me all the movie theatres in Atlas have terrible popcorn. I'd much rather go here with you."
"I suppose, if you insist."
Ruby grins. "Come on, you're always sharing your cool bug facts. I'd love to walk around the insectarium with you."
Penny scrutinizes Ruby's face and finally relents, her shoulders dropping. "I'm sorry. I'm just very nervous to be hanging out with you in a romantic capacity. I do not wish to disappoint."
"You could never disappoint me." Ruby tugs on Penny's hand and steps forward. "Let's go. We've been standing here for so long my Aura must be in the red by now."
"Your Aura reserves are at 54%. In the yellow."
"You keep track of my Aura?"
"I have access to the Aura levels of General Ironwood, Winter Schnee, Qrow Branwen, Oscar Pine, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, and all of Team RWBY." Penny crosses her arms behind her back and rocks on her feet. "I always keep you and Winter at hand, so to speak. In my peripheral vision, essentially."
"Huh." Ruby files that information away to address later. "But I still want to get out of the cold."
"Of course. The insectarium is kept at a rather comfortable temperature, due to...the insects." Penny giggles. "Solitas isn't welcoming for cold-blooded creatures."
"I'm surprised Atlesians care about insects at all. Doesn't strike me as something they'd be interested in."
"The normal citizens of Atlas, surely. But not everyone in Atlas is like the Schnee or Marigold families." Penny lets go of Ruby and steps forward, then opens the door to the insectarium, a rush of warm air hitting Ruby. "Some of the finest minds in Remnant live here. Those that appreciate more scientific, intellectual pursuits and fields."
"Like your father?"
"Like my father," Penny affirms. "After you?"
"How polite." Ruby winks and curtsies, distinctly noting the blush on Penny's face. She hurries inside, sighing in relief as she rubs her hands together. "Warm..."
Penny stifles a laugh as she follows Ruby in, stopping to knock snow off her boots. "Told you." She links her arm in Ruby's and practically skips to the front desk, where a rather bored woman sits, staring vacantly at a computer. "Two tickets, please?" Penny asks.
"Why do you ask every time?" the receptionist sighs. "You have lifetime free access for yourself and any guests."
"I just like to check! Things can change often in today's world."
The receptionist snorts. "Understatement of the century." Her face softens slightly. "But yes, Penny, you can go in."
"Excellent! Shall we, Ruby?"
"We shall!"
Penny guides Ruby over to a map of the insectarium, projected on a hardlight screen. "Hmm...I know where to go last, but where first? Spiders? Bees? Scorpions?"
Ruby shivers. "I'll pass on the scorpions."
"I was not aware you were arachnophobic. Is it just scorpions that bother you? You don't seem to have any issues fighting Deathstalkers"
"Just one scorpion." Ruby clears her throat. "Just some bad memories."
"I see." Penny hangs her head. "If you would like to leave-"
"No, no! I want to see everything here. I'm not gonna let something like that stop me." Ruby smiles reassuringly. "Scorpions first."
"Scorpions dance when they mate," Penny declares. "The male and the female will grasp each other's pincers and move around, as the male tries to guide the female around until he can find an appropriate spot to deposit his...." Penny trails off blushing; she leans forward, watching a scorpion bury itself in the sand. "Most scorpions aren't a danger to humans. Only about twenty of them have lethal venom."
"Hmm. Don't think that matters if you live in Vacuo. I wouldn't take out my field guide when I see a scorpion climb into my boots."
"I suppose." Penny shakes her head, amused. "Look, see that one? Those are called emperor scorpions. Native to Menagerie, they're one of the largest and longest-living species, Quite popular as pets, thanks to their hardy and docile nature. Aren't they cute?"
"For a scorpion, I guess?"
"They're cute and cool. Like a certain Huntress I know."
"Winter?"
Penny giggles. "Not who I meant, but true enough. I was referring to -"
"Me, I know." Ruby winks. "So tell me about this scorpion over here."
"If you insist. That's heterometrus spinifer, also known as a giant forest scorpion. Which is a name I personally dislike, as a lot of giant scorpions live in forests. But these are native to Mistral. They have weak venom, which is paralytic rather than lethal. See its pedipalps?"
"Its what?"
"Pincers. Scorpions with large pincers have weak venom, and vice-versa."
"Hmm." Ruby tilts her head and watches the scorpion walk around. "Can we go to another exhibit now?"
"Of course. Bees?"
"Bees."
"You know about bees, right?"
"Honey bees and bumblebees," Ruby answers, tracking a blur of yellow-and-black through the air. "The kind you find on Patch."
"Yes, those are the most well-known." Penny strands up straight, like a lecturer at an academy. "Bees can generally be split into two types: long-tongued and short-tongued. Long-tongued bees include honey bees, bumblebees, carpenter bees, and leafcutter bees, while short-tongued bees include sweat bees and plasterer bees."
"That's...more than I thought."
"Oh yes, bees are quite a prolific species. You know, most bees actually don't live together in hives or colonies. They're usually solitary creatures."
"Huh. Bees always struck me as a social creature."
"Well, bumblebees and honey bees are. So it's understandable why." Penny walks over to another section of the artificial habitats, watching bees swarm in and out of a hive. "They remind me of Blake and Yang, in a way."
"Yeah. That's why their team name is Bumblebee." Ruby snickers. "Gods, was I that unimaginative?"
"I think it's nice. Though," Penny frowns. "I thought you named their team attack after Yang's bike."
"Not intentionally," Ruby says, shaking her head. "It was pointed out after the fact."
"I see. Whatever happened to Yang's Bumblebee? I liked it. It was a very impressive bike."
Ruby scratches the back of her head. "She and Blake didn't want to go into detail. But from what I gathered, Yang used it for a...surprise attack?"
"What?"
"She drove off a cliff and jumped off it, and it hit someone dead-on and then fell into a river."
"Oh. Unfortunate. But I'm sure Yang had her reasons."
"Yeah. Couldn't have taken it with us anyway. Not enough fuel on the Manta."
Penny nods in agreement. "I still cannot believe you stole a Manta."
"Really? Do you know me?"
Penny giggles. "Well, I can believe it. What didn't surprise me was hearing that Cordovin refused to transport you to Atlas." Penny leans over and whispers, "Between you and me, I think General Ironwood wanted to get her as far away from Solitas as he could."
Ruby snickers. "That's the popular theory. At least she seemed to be reconsidering her views when I left."
"That is always good." Penny grins. "You know, I do find it impressive. The stealing of a Manta."
"It was Jaune's idea."
"Even so." Penny winks. "Would you like to move on?"
"In a minute. I like watching them fly around."
"Do you still speak cricket?"
"I'm a little rusty. Metaphorically, of course." Penny rubs her legs together, producing a chirping sound. "My metallic parts are all rust-free."
"Aren't spiders and scorpions both arachnids?"
"Correct!" Penny beams. "Very astute, Ruby."
"I just remember learning about it in school." Ruby shrugs. "I'm not an expert like you."
"Oh, I'm not a bug expert. I'm just a bug enthusiast. An insect enjoyer, if you will."
"That was...a lot of bugs," Ruby mumbles.
"It is an insectarium, silly. Did you have a favorite exhibit?"
"The butterfly house," Ruby immediately answers. "Without a doubt. What about you?" Ruby giggles. "And don't say 'all of them'."
"This one," Penny replies. "Save the best for last." She nods at the door in front of them. "In here."
Ruby's about to follow Penny in when she notices a plaque on the door. She inspects it and begins to read it aloud. "Atlas Lampyridium, dedicated to the Protector of Mantle, Penny Polendina." Ruby cocks her head. "Dedicated to you?"
"Mmhmm."
"What's a lampyridium?"
"Come find out." Penny opens the door, gesturing for Ruby to step inside. The room is small, about a five-foot square, seven-and-a-half feet tall. Ruby cautiously steps inside, looking around and finding nothing of interest. "Penny, are you sure this isn't a closet?"
"I think I would know what a closet looks like, Ruby." Penny follows Ruby in and closes the door behind her, leaving them in pitch black darkness.
"Penny?"
Not pitch-black, as Ruby focuses on the faint glow of Penny's legs and eyes. The green orbs observe her. "Excuse me," she says. Ruby feels Penny's arm brush past her, followed by the click of a door handle. "We have to make sure no outside light gets in here, in case they head towards it.."
"Where is here?"
"Follow me!" Penny pushes the second door open and marches out, holding Ruby's hand. Ruby gasps.
Hundreds of fireflies swarm the air. The room is dome-shaped, about a hundred feet in diameter, with grass and trees at all - she recognizes them as species from Vale. Even with no artificial light, Ruby can see it all. "Fireflies," she whispers in awe.
"The family name "Lampyridae" refers to the varieties of beetles known as fireflies." Penny hides a smirk. "Hence the name of this exhibit."
"It's...like a butterfly house. But with fireflies?"
"A gift, to me." Penny laughs, her eyes flashing. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"It's...amazing." Ruby smiles warmly. "It reminds me of when we watched the fireflies at Beacon."
"Yes, on March 17th. My birthday."
Ruby double-takes. "You never told me it was your birthday."
Penny shrugs. "I didn't count it as my birthday then. It was not something relevant to me. But later I decided that I would celebrate that date as my birthday. It was when I was first activated."
"Huh." Ruby grabs Penny's hand. "Well, it's not March, but if you want to watch the fireflies with me again..."
"I would love to, Ruby."
"They won't throw us out of here, will they?"
"Probably not." Penny squeezes Ruby's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry."
"I'm not worried. You're here."
The girls are sprawled out on the soft, meadowy grass in the center of the lampyridium, watching the lightning bugs above flit and flash above. The air is calm, and peace reigns.
Ruby tilts her head up and right to check on Penny. She's quietly watching the fireflies, a smile on her face. There's not even a hint of sadness, of stress. She's enjoying herself.
While the fireflies are interesting, Ruby's much more interested in her firefly. The one with the pretty green eyes and the long orange hair and the countless freckles. She briefly entertains the notion of doing so instead of watching the fireflies and chuckles to herself. Penny glances up at Ruby. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Alright." Penny returns her attention to the bugs. "Ruby?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For coming with me today."
Ruby chuckles again. "Was I supposed to turn down the date?"
"I was worried you wouldn't want to come. That you would not be interested in a romantic outing with me."
"I wasn't exaggerating when I told you that you light up my life. Back at Beacon." Ruby rolls over onto her stomach and props herself up on her elbows, face hovering upside down above Penny's. "I missed you a lot." Ruby frowns. "More than missed."
"I missed you too. I didn't even get to say goodbye." Penny laughs sadly, quietly. "The last thing I told you was that I wanted to stay at Beacon. That didn't really work out."
"No, it didn't. But now I'm here. And the two of us won't leave each other again."
Penny nods - rather awkwardly, since she's lying down. "Never again."
"Firefly?"
"Where?" Penny's eyes dart around. "You must be more specific."
Ruby shakes her head. "You." She lifts a hand off the ground to boop Penny's nose. "Firefly?"
"Are you feeling alright? I'm an android, not a firefly."
Ruby shakes her head. "Firefly."
"Ruby I have never been more confused in my life."
"I'm gonna call you 'Firefly'," Ruby finally explains. "I was trying it out."
Penny tilts her head to the side and quirks an eyebrow. "Like a nickname?"
"Exactly."
"Hmm." Penny taps her chin thoughtfully. "Then I need to give you a nickname. What about Red?"
Ruby grimaces. "Only person who ever called me that was Torchwick."
Penny frowns. "Roses? Slayer? Wolfhound?"
"We'll work on it. Get the gang together, have a brainstorming session."
"That would probably be best. Still, I like being called Firefly."
"Good." Ruby leans in closer. "So, Firefly, there was something I really wanted to do last time we looked at fireflies."
"That was two years ago. You must've been waiting a while."
Ruby nods eagerly. "Close your eyes."
Penny studies Ruby's face and relents, doing as instructed. She even shuts off all her extra sensors. Only her senses of sound, smell, taste, and touch stay active.
Smell goes off first. Ruby leans in so close that Penny can pick up perfume. Which is surprising, considering Ruby isn't really the type to wear perfume. Penny concentrates on identifying the scent - chocolate. Rich, flavorful milk chocolate. A present from one of her friends? Or did Ruby buy it herself?
Next is sound. Ruby's shallow breathing. Penny wonders if Ruby has some kind of heart issue, too, as Ruby's heart is beating very fast and hard. But Ruby never complained about any issues before. An adrenaline rush? From what? They hadn't been fighting anything.
Then touch. Ruby's black hair touches Penny's face, tickling it. Ruby must be very close to her. Her hair is extremely soft, softer than expected. Either it's genetic, or Yang chooses all of Ruby's hair products. There's another feeling of being touched - warm and gentle.
Taste. Strawberry-flavored lipstick, mixed with the salty taste of skin.
Before Penny can open her eyes to confirm her suspicions, Ruby's pulled back and is sitting cross-legged in the grass, a very nervous expression on her face. Penny lies in the grass, currently thinking a lot of things. The thoughts quickly dart through her mind like the fireflies above.
"Um, I'm sorry." Ruby looks away. "I -"
"Why are you apologizing?" Penny shoots up from her horizontal position, sitting up straight. "I'm confused."
Ruby pulls her hood up, trying to hide her rose-colored cheeks. 'You know," she mumbles.
Penny crawls over to Ruby and pulls her hood back, cradling Ruby's face in her hands. "Kiss me again."
"I - what?"
"Again. I need to be sure."
Ruby blinks, then closes her eyes and puckers her lips. Carefully, she moves forward to meet Penny. Penny wraps her left arm around Ruby and moves her right hand from Ruby's cheek to the back of Ruby's head, running her fingers through the black-and-red hair. Ruby similarly puts her hands on Penny's hips, holding the kiss for longer before breaking away, panting.
Penny stares into Ruby's silver eyes, suddenly understanding how Nora feels when using her Semblance. "I see. I was right?"
"About - about what?"
"The flavor of your lipstick. My senses are a little duller than a human's, so I had to make sure I was correct."
The corners of Ruby's lips twitch. "You could've just asked me, you know."
"This way was more fun." Penny winks.
Ruby does her best to ignore the spreading warmth in her cheeks. "You know, I, uh, can't quite place your lipstick."
Penny giggles. "You can't recognize the taste?" She laughs again. "You do not need to make excuses. Just ask politely."
Ruby scrunches up her face. "May I?"
"You may. I shall be the happiest firefly in this lampyridium,"
Ruby plants a quick kiss on Penny's cheek, leaving behind a red imprint of her lips. "I will make you the happiest firefly on Remnant."