Alrighty, so let me give some quick background first. This story is a compilation of fics for what the fandom over on tumblr is calling RWBY Relationship Week. We use a name generator to select 2 characters at random and then have to write a fic or draw fanart about them. And we do this once a day every day for the entire week (I ended up doing 3 extra chapters just because).
So you'll see all different characters and genres in here! I had a lot of fun writing these, so I hope you enjoy them!
Day 1: Blake & Penny. [Takes place after episode 15].
Genres: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Chapter 1. Black And Ginger
Wind whipped past Blake's face as she pelted through the buildings of downtown Vale, accelerating faster with every leap.
What have I done? I can never go back...
She'd run off immediately after her argument with Weiss when she had accidentally revealed her identity and affiliations with the White Fang. She'd heard Ruby call out after her, but Blake had deliberately ignored her.
She hadn't even stopped when she left Beacon's campus, nor when several passerby had shouted at her.
Never.
She never wanted to stop running.
She wanted to run until she died.
Anything would be better than having to face the cruel discrimination and the biting ridicule again.
Her chest hurt for several reasons, one being the crushing guilt that weighed down her heart when she had heard of the terrible things the White Fang had done to Weiss' family. The constant strain of running and propelling herself over rooftops didn't make things any better, nor did the dizzying confusion that crashed over her head, making it pound.
She was unsure of how far she had run by now, but the chill of the night was unrelenting.
She longed to go back.
She wanted nothing more.
But she couldn't.
Surely they all hated her?
Her breathing became more ragged when the tears started to fall, and she bit her lip until she tasted the tang of blood.
In an effort to make a leap over an alleyway, her boot snagged on a gutter and she lost her balance, stumbling forward and crashing onto the metal covering of a dumpster. Accompanying the sound of her impact, there was a loud popping sound as pain shot up her left arm, and Blake let out a hiss.
She choked back another sob as she pushed herself up with her good arm, dropping to the ground to press her back against the unforgiving brick wall.
Head spinning, body aching, she sunk to the ground, but only managed to wallow in her agonized thoughts for a minute before she lost consciousness.
When Blake next awoke, the pain was the first thing she remembered, a dull soreness that throbbed throughout her entire body, her left arm and shoulder completely numb.
She cracked her eyes open to take in the sunlight, realizing she had fallen unconscious for the entirety of the night. Her right side was trapped by the dumpster that had damaged her, but when she tried to move to her left, something was preventing her from shifting to that side as well. Beneath her bow, her ears flattened in alarm, and her back tensed as she slowly turned her head to the side.
Two bright teal eyes stared unblinkingly back at her and Blake gasped, her body jerking back to slam against the dumpster again.
"I knew it was you!" a familiar, unforgettably perky voice announced. "Blake, right? Do you remember me?"
Blake squinted up at the petite form of the peculiar girl she had met earlier yesterday, her bob-cut, ginger-colored hair swaying slightly as she tilted her head to one side.
"...Penny?" she wheezed.
"That's right!" Penny clapped. "And you're Blake, right?" she repeated her question.
"Yes..." The Faunus relaxed slightly when she realized the person beside her was probably not a threat. "What... What are you doing here?"
"My master is letting me sightsee around Vale on the days leading up to the tournament!" she stated matter-of-factly. "It's a really beautiful town! And there are so many amazing people!" She paused, seeming to be aware that she was about to go off on a tangent. "What are you doing out here, Blake? Where are Ruby and Weiss and Yang?"
When the girl asked about Blake's former teammates, a pang ran through her chest. She let out a heavy sigh as Penny continued to give her an inquisitive look.
"Well..." Blake didn't know where to begin. "We're... not exactly teammates... anymore..."
"What?!" Penny gasped loudly. "That's terrible! What happened?"
Blake wondered if the conversation would yield any benefits or if it would be better just to leave. But considering Blake was not exactly in any condition to be vigorously moving about, in addition to the fact that Penny was blocking her only escape route, she relented; she knew that Penny would follow her until she learned everything she wanted to know, anyway.
But there was also something instinctive that told Blake the girl before her was a good person. She knew better than to go revealing her Faunus heritage to just anyone, though, therefore she made sure to approach the topic carefully.
"You see..." Blake began hesitantly. "They... They found out a secret of mine-"
"You mean that you're a Faunus?"
"What?" Blake was so taken aback that she jumped and rammed herself against the dumpster yet again, biting back a curse. "H-How... How did you know...?" She reached her right arm up to her head, but her bow was still there.
"Uh, the cat ears?" Penny declared.
"But... my bow..."
"Bow? What bow?" Penny leaned forward to inspect her closely. "Oh! You are wearing a bow! Well, I always thought they were cat ears!" She laughed briefly. "I have a bow, too!" She whipped her head around quickly to proudly show the pink ribbon tied into her hair. Then she quickly turned back to Blake. "But you are a Faunus, right?"
"...Yes..." Blake didn't know what else she could do but tell the truth now.
"But that's not a bad thing!" Penny's eyebrows furrowed. "So why aren't you guys teammates anymore?"
"Well... you see-"
"Just because someone's different doesn't mean you can't be friends with them!" the ginger-haired girl went on. "I mean, everybody's different from everybody else. Even twins! So why is it so bad if you're just a little bit more different than some other people?"
Blake felt her mouth open to reply, but no words came forth.
The way this girl said it... it was so simple, a child could understand perfectly. So why was it that well-educated adults failed see the truth in those simple words?
"I'm different, too, you know," Penny continued. "A lot different from other people. And I don't have many friends. But that just means I haven't talked to the right people until now! You and Ruby and Weiss and Yang were all really nice to me yesterday! You didn't yell at me or chase me away or call me a freak! Ruby even said I was her friend!" She was beaming, and Blake was bewildered by the innocence of her smile. But that smile soon faded and she lowered her voice a little. "Have you ever been called mean words because of your ears?" Penny wondered.
Blake shrunk back for a second, but eventually managed to meet Penny's piercing gaze.
"Yes..." she admitted. "A lot of mean words."
"Then you're just like me!" Penny declared. "And you know what you have to do?" She paused, indicating that she wanted an answer.
Blake slowly shook her head from side to side, caught up in the small girl's passionate tone of voice.
Penny smiled a little as she continued excitedly. "If you've met a lot of people who have called you mean things, then you've just got to keep meeting new people until you find someone who calls you nice things! Haven't Ruby and Weiss and Yang ever called you nice things? Haven't they ever done nice things for you?" she wondered.
Blake remembered her first night at Beacon, when the rambunctious pair of sisters had sauntered up to her. When she forgave the fact that they had interrupted her reading, Blake remembered being flattered when Ruby asked her about the story. She remembered how Yang had been welcoming to accept Blake as her partner, working so well together with her that it felt as though they'd been together forever. And Weiss...
"So..." Penny brought Blake back to the present. "Have they? Have they ever said nice things about you?" she prompted.
"Well... Ruby and Yang have been really nice to me..."
"And Weiss?"
"She... She hasn't said anything mean... about me specifically..." Blake realized.
"Then maybe you haven't given her the chance to say nice things yet!" Penny said this as though it was the simplest solution to the problem. "Maybe you just need to give her another chance! Did you tell her everything before you left?"
"...Not exactly..."
"Then maybe you should try that! I'm sure she'll come around once she understands everything! She is your teammate, after all!"
"I..." Blake's voice trailed off.
The static that had been swarming her mind and clouding her thoughts for the past night began to dissipate. She remembered the final expression Weiss had made before Blake had ran out, clearly shocked and dismayed.
How is running away going to solve anything? Blake asked herself. Is that how I deal with my problems? By running off like some frightened child?
Having made up her mind, Blake straightened her posture. Penny noted the spark that flashed in her golden eyes and smiled.
"So are you going to go back?"
"...Yes," she decided.
"That's wonderful!"
Blake could tell that Penny was genuinely delighted. She had felt a particularly soft spot for the girl before, and it continued to expand even further than it already had.
She opened her mouth to offer her gratitude, but before she could speak, Penny gasped. "Oh! But before you go, let me help you!" When she slid in close and touched Blake's injured arm, the Faunus stiffened instantly as she remembered her fall the previous night. "Sorry about this." Penny apologized as she firmly placed one hand on Blake's shoulder and the other on her arm. With a swift twist and precise tug that demonstrated the expertness of her motions, Blake's dislocated shoulder was popped back into place by a satisfied Penny.
"Ah!" Blake whimpered as a slight pain settled in, but it lasted only a few seconds.
"Sorry!" Penny repeated.
"How... How did you do that?" Blake blinked wondrously.
"I'm combat ready!" The ginger-haired girl gave a salute. "Which means I'm also programmed to know how to treat any injury!"
"Program-"
"Now then!" Penny jumped to her feet as she offered Blake her hand. "You should go back to your team, Blake!"
As she was pulled to her feet, Blake tried to inquire about what Penny had just said, but she ultimately decided against it, assuming she had misheard.
"Right." Blake nodded determinedly.
"And I'll see you all in the tournament!" Penny beamed.
"Yes you will," Blake agreed. "And thank you, Penny. You're a good friend."
That seemed to render the talkative girl speechless for a minute.
"You... You, too!" She bounced up and down. "You called me 'friend', too! Oh wow, I love Vale!" Before Blake could comprehend what was happening, Penny had thrown her arms around her and pulled away again. "Thank you, Blake!" She waved energetically before skipping off down the alleyway.
Blake watched her go, feeling an odd affection for the strange girl. Once the pink ribbon had disappeared, Blake removed her own black one and slid it into her pocket.
Then, she gathered herself for a jump, and headed back to Beacon Academy.
A/N: If I learned anything from this, it's that I love writing Penny.
Please review!
