CHAPTER 4: LET'S TALK FAMILY
Remnant
City of Vale
November 7th,
80 Years After the Great War
Penny really wanted to go outside today, she really did, but she had a very specific reason for not going out anymore this week.
As a synthetic being, she had very detailed system logs indicating where she went, what she did, basically all the details about whatever she experienced consciously. Add this to the fact that she wasn't supposed to be going out and interacting with civilians made this all the more difficult for her to stomach. With her numerous violations seeing Jaune, there was no guarantee that the next time her logs were scanned, she would be permanently confined.
The only reason that the carrot-haired girl wasn't being restricted in any way was because she was managing to hide these memories of Jaune and replacing them with some garbage information in its place. It was only a temporary measure and sooner or later, she would have to come clean about what she was doing, but by that point, she hoped to at least have a sort of explanation that would suffice. Her father would be the most understanding; she wasn't sure if General Ironwood would be as lenient.
Penny understood that duty took precedence over whatever relationships she had, even that of Doctor Pietro Polendina. For every soldier, ever sailor, every marine, and every airman, duty to Atlas mattered more than anything else. Some might call it unfair, even cruel. However, that was simply the nature of being a part of the military. She might not be human or faunus in the strictest sense of the word, but she would be sharing the burdens and maybe even the sacrifices that they did.
Yet for all of the logical ways she could rationalize not seeing Jaune, she still wanted to see him badly. She wanted to be with him in person, spend time doing fun and neat things with him, and become a better friend to him. It was a feeling that she knew could be explained, yet not one that she could consciously understand and explain. All she knew for sure was that she wished for his company.
Be that as it may, she still needed to think about herself and about her strategic importance to the Kingdom of Atlas, thus she found the discipline within herself to refrain from going out to see her first friend. Next week, she would definitely find time to meet up with him in person.
Penny activated her heads-up display to scroll down her list of contacts, her eyes resting on Jaune's number. She couldn't be within close proximity to him, but there was nothing stopping her from calling him and just talking to him. As long as she didn't go into territory regarding her nature and anything regarding military information, everything else was fair game according to the rules.
Before she could make the call, she found herself hesitating. Even talking to him made her anxious and he wasn't even going to be able to see her, not even via scroll video call. Actually, now that she thought about it, her initial few moments to a minute when first coming into contact with Jaune was always the most tense for her. Only after comfortably settling into the activity set before them did she begin to act naturally.
In that case, it was better to get a head start and push through her anxiety. She began dialing his number.
One ring passed by her audio receptors, then two.
"Penny." Jaune answered after the second ring. "That you?"
"Jaune!" Penny was excited just to hear him. "Hello!"
"Someone sounds excited to hear me." Jaune laughed. "I'm flattered."
"Oh. That's splendid!" Penny spoke in an animated fashion. "I-I'm sorry for calling-"
"Penny, what did I tell you about apologizing?" Jaune cut her off.
"To not apologize." Penny realized that she was emotionally charged and tried to simmer down. "I'm… I'll try to do better."
"Good to hear." Jaune seemed satisfied with her answer. "So, what did you want to talk to me about? You want to meet up?"
"I wish that I could." Penny smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I have other business keeping me busy, but I was wondering if we could… talk for a while."
"I've got a little time to spare." Jaune answered. "Anything in particular you want to talk about."
The synthetic girl let her processors begin to work. So far so good. She had managed to secure some time for them to have a conversation. Now she had to find a topic that would keep both of them invested. That was where she began to think harder. For all the fun that she did have with him, she wasn't sure what sort of topics or subjects he would enjoy going into detail about.
She pulled up the complete memories of their time spent together; their very first interaction together was them talking about topics that weren't necessarily connected. More specifically, they went into length about her life and what she did in Atlas.
That gave her the idea she needed.
"Tell me about your family." Penny said that, then realized she provided no context for her request and quickly added it. "I've talked about my life so much and I couldn't help but wonder about your life."
She hoped he would accept.
"Sure, I can talk about my family, although I can't say it'll be an interesting story." Jaune remarked. "Honestly, I'm just a normal guy with some big dreams."
"But I want to listen." Penny earnestly expressed her desire to hear him out. "I'm sure there's something that I'll like."
"Alright, if you say so." Jaune didn't fight her further. "So, my family comes from a long line of fighters, some huntsmen and huntresses, others military veterans. In every generation of the Arc family, there's always been at least one in our family that's picked up a weapon of some kind and decided to fight."
Listening to that bit alone told her quite a bit about him already. If his family had a history of being fighters and he was working to become a huntsman, then that could either mean he was the first of his generation to do so.
"Are you the first?" Penny inquired. "The first to fight?"
"Actually, yeah." Jaune confirmed her hypothesis. "I've got seven sisters and none of them have shown any inclination for fighting."
"Seven sisters?" Penny tried to picture that. "Is that not hard for your parents? Raising eight children, I mean."
"Sure it was tough for them." Jaune didn't appear phased by this segway. "But mom and dad always said that no matter how tough it got for them, they were always happy that we were born. They always say that raising a family is the greatest joy that they've ever had."
A family. That single word alone made the girl with carrot hair think. She would never be able to have a family, not like a normal person could. That was just another thing that separated herself from the rest of the world. Normally, that distinction shouldn't have bothered her. If anything, it should have been a positive for her. It would be one less thing to worry about when facing the enemy.
That didn't stop her thoughts from wandering and asking one simple question: what if she could have a family?
"Your parents sound like wonderful people." Penny complimented.
"Yeah, they are." A wistful tone could be heard in Jaune's voice. "I just wish they could've been more supportive about me becoming a huntsman."
"They didn't agree with your choice?" Penny ventured carefully. "Why not?"
"It all goes back to our history as warriors." Jaune didn't miss a beat. "Basically, we've been fighters for so long that it's hard for us to think of ourselves as anything else. My dad never cared for fighting and mom certainly didn't come from a warrior line, so they naturally fit together. I guess they didn't want any of us doing the same."
There had to be more details surrounding this difference of opinion, but hearing this was enough for the synthetic. It was like looking into a mirror and hearing her own struggles with authority figures. Their reasons for disagreeing with the powers that be weren't the same, but their conflict was born from the same feeling. They just wanted to do what felt right to them, even if it went against their parents.
"I see." Penny took a moment to think of something better to say.
"I guess you kind of understand?" Jaune connected their similar situations. "You know, with your father worrying about you?"
"Yes." Penny nodded her head. "But if I may ask, what… why did you disobey your parents and come to Beacon Academy?"
"I'm pretty sure I said this before, but I've always wanted to do important things." Jaune had indeed spoken of this before. "I just don't want… I just don't want to rely on my family so much. I want to become my own man, someone that others can rely on."
"I see." Penny said.
The more that she spoke with him, the more that she could relate to him.
They could become truly close friends.
RWBY - - - RWBY
Jaune's relationship with Penny was unlike any he'd ever had with a girl. Granted, he didn't have any connection with the opposite sex prior to coming to Vale excluding his family, but he got the feeling that even with his lack of experience, there was something atypical about what was going on between him and her.
It was strange, but in a lot of ways, being with the girl with green eyes and carrot hair felt less like a date with a girl and more like an outing with a dude. That might be kind of weird to say considering that she was definitely not a guy, but that's kind of how he felt about it. When it came to boys and men, they did all sorts of things together. Sports, eating, watching sports, playing video games, anything and everything pretty much. As long as everyone was having a blast, it was all good bonding time.
When it came to bonding with girls, there were all sorts of nuances and things to watch out for, at least that's what Jaune felt like was going on if his listening to other dudes talk about dating was anything to go by. It made sense in many ways; gals were biologically different than guys, but it did make him wonder just how some of his fellow men were able to discern all the specifics of the opposite sex.
The whole reason for the blonde knight to be thinking about this was due in no small part to how effortless his relationship with Penny was. In all seriousness, he expected it to be much harder somehow, like he had to work hard to earn true friendship or any meaningful connection, yet here he was, talking to her on the phone like it was the most casual and natural thing in the world. Did that mean he was much better than he realized or maybe he had just found a stroke of good luck?
Whatever the case might be, he wasn't about to waste the opportunity before him. He wanted to make as many friends as he could because like his mother said, strangers were just friends that he hadn't met yet. As naive as that sounded, he still wanted to believe that those words carried some truth.
And now that Jaune was on the subject of talking about family with Penny, he couldn't help but wonder where her curiosity was coming from. He could guess that it had something to do with her complicated relationship with her father, but what specifically was she hoping to relate to while hearing his story?
He didn't get the impression that things were going terrible from how she always presented herself, but there definitely was something there. Actually, now that he thought about it, maybe the whole protective parent aspect is what she was latching onto. She did mention that her father was a bit overprotective of her and even as a trained fighter, that worry still remained. If that was the case, then that made things easier.
"Penny, why are you asking me this?" Jaune decided to be upfront. "Is everything okay with your dad?"
"If you're worried about me and my father, then don't be." Penny sounded noticeably less chipper than he was used to hearing. "I just wanted to hear what sort of relationship you possessed with regards to your family."
"Right. Yeah." Jaune pieced together a few things. "I sometimes forget that you don't get out a lot. You were probably wondering if your relationship with your dad is normal and all that."
"I suppose that could be true." Penny conceded partially. "But I was more inspired by the fact that our feelings for our family and their feelings for us are not dissimilar."
"Huh." Jaune took a moment to think about it before agreeing. "Now that you mention it, you're right. What are the odds?"
"I honestly could not say." Penny interpreted his question in a literal sense. "Seeing as I have no concept of how families are supposed to operate besides your own and mine."
Jaune couldn't help but smile at her very peculiar language, but he was able to grasp her intent all the same. Her viewpoint in conjunction with her experience with family did make sense, but he got the feeling that she didn't really get that family was a very loose term. She was looking at it from a simple and innocent viewpoint.
Naivety was a strange thing to try and grasp. On one hand, so many people wanted to hold onto it, but on the other hand, some people were admonished for retaining naivety when transitioning into the adult world. It was a love-hate relationship that never seemed to end and when it came to what side he would rather be on, the leader of Team JNPR fluctuated between both sides, understanding both sides. However, if push came to shove, he leaned more towards siding with naivety.
"To say family only works one way is like saying there's only one type of food in the world." Jaune tried to make a comparison that was easy to follow along with. "I can't say that I know everything about how a good family works, but there are tons of ways that are great. For me, my family was all about teaching us responsibility while also giving us the ability to decide our own futures."
"I see." Penny was silent for a second. "My father has a very specific future in mind for me and I've been doing my best to follow it."
"You don't get a say in your future?" Jaune frowned, a red flag going off in his head. "None at all?"
"No, I don't, but that's okay." Penny didn't even sound like she hated that. "I've come to accept what the future will bring. I know that I have a purpose, a reason for existing."
He didn't want to presume anything because arrogance was not a trait that he had in any way, but something about what she just said was concerning to his ears. It sounded wrong to him that a parent could be controlling. Sure, strict parents existed and maybe he didn't agree with that method of parenting in all ways, but he could respect it because there was a reason behind it.
This though?
"You're okay with that?" Jaune didn't want to sound pushy, but he needed to know. "You don't have any problems?"
"I will not say that I'm absolutely okay with my life, but I accept it because someone has to." Penny's energy was slightly sapped. "It's the same for all of us huntsmen and huntresses. We might be able to choose our jobs, but in the end, we are all dedicating our lives to the greater good, some paying the ultimate sacrifice."
Yeah, that he could understand. As much as this job did pay well and as much respect and reverence was afforded to those that could defend against the Grimm and other threats, the realization that it wasn't a pretty job was beginning to sink in. Still, it wasn't enough for him to merely accept what she was saying.
"But at least we get to choose who we word for." Jaune pointed out her own words. "So why aren't you getting that choice?"
There were a few moments of silence before Penny posed a question. "Jaune, did you know that many of the graduates of Atlas Academy ultimately end up joining the military?"
"Not really." Jaune shook his head. "Penny, wait, are you saying that you're going to join the military once you graduate?"
"Yes. You could say that my entire enrollment at Atlas Academy is contingent on the condition that I join the military upon graduation." Penny's reply came more quickly this time. "It might not be the path that I chose for myself, but I do accept it nonetheless."
Judging by what he was hearing, this wasn't something that she could easily get out of and frankly speaking, who was he to try and barge in on her business? He was just her friend; his job was to be supportive of her and whatever she did no matter what. If she did accept this, then he needed to abide by it, only intervening if there was serious trouble.
Besides, it wasn't like they had a long history or knew each other so well. Maybe if he were a close friend or a loved one, he would react differently, perceive things in another way. He knew better than anyone what it was like to have people intrude on things that were better left untouched because of pride, secrecy, or whatever.
"I don't really get it, but I hope you get some joy out of what you do." Jaune did his best not to add any more pressure. "If you need anything, let me know."
"You being my friend is more than enough, Jaune." Penny regained some of her spirit. "I couldn't ask any more of you."
She really was humble.
RWBY - - - RWBY
They talked a little while more about small things before eventually ending the scroll call. After that, she could only think for a little while. She felt a lot better after speaking with him. The rest of her day ought to fly by smoothly.
The synthetic closed her optics as her mind began to replay her entire conversation with the knight bit by bit. It was redundant reliving the very talk she had just been having moments after the fact. She did it anyway simply because she felt like it. She wanted to analyze each detail to the best of her ability. Just like any normal person, she desired to understand the world better, to get a more complete picture. That included thinking back on her experiencing and seeing if any new insights could be gained.
Penny's previous interactions with Jaune carried two purposes for her. Her primary motivation as well as the most exciting one was for her to personally be happy and create new memories that she would be able to recall fondly because Gods know her window of opportunity grew more narrow with each passing day.
The other reason was so that she could learn how to better interact with people. Her existence would become public knowledge sooner or later and in order to gain the trust of the people, she needed to know as much as she could about them, hence the importance behind spending time outside with friends.
Keeping all of this to herself was sort of unpleasant for her. The carrot-haired girl had this idea that friends shouldn't keep things from each other, especially not something as critical as this. If he were to find out in the future, what would become of their relationship then?
But like with many things in her life, it wasn't up to her what she could or couldn't do with what she knew. She had duties to fulfill, promises to keep, and sacrifices to make. That was just the nature of her being.
However, Jaune finding out about what she was might be coming soon. Penny had noticed that he sounded very interested in her ability to make choices in her life, or rather her lack of the ability to choose. It was most likely connected to him trying to reconcile the differences between his family life and hers, but it could eventually lead to him asking more questions.
Normally, the solution would be to cut herself off from any sort of contact whatsoever. It's what General Ironwood would have recommended as well as her father. If there was no person to speak to, there would be no secrets to reveal. The argument was to the point, but it was not wrong. It would be much easier to sever all ties with her friend in order to preserve a vital secret.
Unfortunately, when it came to friends, that was one place where the synthetic was unwilling to compromise. One way or another, she would make friends and she would keep them forever. As she had said to Jaune, she was perfectly willing and able to dedicate her life to serving and protecting Atlas and soon the rest of the world. It was what she was made for. In exchange for this mantle, she wanted to have at least one thing in her life that she could control, something that she could make her own.
Because Penny had selflessly thrown herself into her training and done exactly as she was told to the letter at all times, her hope was that her one request to have friends would be authorized. One selfish request didn't seem like all that much to ask for in exchange for serving her nation and its people. Of course, she was only thinking strictly from what she could see and her scope of understanding was admittedly limited.
Despite being the daughter of Pietro Polendina, she was also an expensive investment that was made possible with the help of the Atlesian Armed Forces. That meant that for the entirety of her operational lifespan, she would be in service to the military. At any time and for any reason, she could be called upon to do whatever she was needed for, whenever she was needed, and how she was needed. In essence, if ordered to end her friendships, she was obligated to do so.
But even if it came to that, the girl with green eyes wasn't sure that she wouldn't find some other way to retain the relationships that she had gained. She had already proven to be disobedient by leaving to venture out into the City of Vale. That might work against her should she plead her case.
Ultimately, it was General Ironwood that would decide her future and the man was nothing if not uncompromising. He had a vision as to how he saw the world and how things would be ten years from now, even twenty years. That vision included her as the defender and savior of the world. While not unsympathetic or indifferent to the lives and desires of people around him, the headmaster of Atlas Academy believed more in the good of the entirety of Mankind rather than the good of one person or a group of persons and that was what was most worrying.
Penny would have to carefully word what she wanted. Her best chance was to frame her friendship with Jaune as an essential part of her being and failure to maintain that relationship could result in instabilities in her mental processes, but that could be interpreted to mean that her code had to be reconfigured, in which case her father would step in and put his foot down. She might be military property, but it was his genius that saw her realized.
Maybe she ought to call her father and see what he had to say on the matter, although she expected that he too would be a tad bit worried about her most recent developments. Regardless, she searched for his number and began to make the call.
"Penny, is that you?" Doctor Polendina's voice came through after two rings. "How have you been?"
"Well, father. Very well." Penny responded with her brightest tone. "I actually have a question for you."
"This is unexpected, but ask away." Pietro was always willing to listen. "What do you want to know?"
"Father… I've disobeyed orders to remain out of sight." Penny decided to come out with the truth. "I've got into Vale many times and most recently. I understand that you and General Ironwood have told me not to do so, but I didn't want to remain isolated until the Vytal Festival. I wanted to go outside and see the world that I'm supposed to be saving."
For a moment, silence reigned on the other end of the line.
"Well, I can't say that I'm happy about your choice, but I do understand it." Doctor Polendina sighed. "And judging from what I'm hearing, this doesn't sound like the end."
"No. There is more." Penny acknowledged. "I have recently befriended a freshman student from Beacon Academy. His name is Jaune Arc. We've spent time together on several different occasions."
"I see." Pietro sounded like he was doing something on his end. "Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR, an interesting record."
The anxiety that the girl had been feeling from the start was only on the rise. She didn't think her father was one to judge anyone harshly upon the first judgement. He was a kind soul and a true friend to people all around. However, he was also one of the most brilliant minds that Atlas had ever seen. He had to possess some pride in him and perhaps that pride extended to her as well.
"He's a really nice boy." Penny chimed in with her two cents. "We've talked a lot, gone places together, he's even introduced me to his teammates."
"Hmm." Doctor Polendina thought for a moment. "Judging by what I'm reading, it looks like he's a perfectly normal young man if not a bit reckless."
"I don't know anything about his time at Beacon Academy." Penny didn't know about him as a huntsman in training, only the friend. "We haven't spoken much about it."
"Well, it looks like I don't have to worry about your judgement in character." Pietro responded after a few more seconds. "I think that this boy is a good lad, but do remember what you talk to him about."
"I will." Penny nodded her head. "You can count on me, father."
"And for now, we can keep this between us two. Looking at the data that your handlers have been sending me, it looks like your combat potential is still on the rise."
"Roger that. I'll keep doing my best."
"That's my girl. Well, I'd better let you go. It's getting late. Good night, Penny."
"Good night!"
RWBY - - - RWBY
Jaune stared at the ceiling of Team JNPR's dorm room. Sleep wasn't coming to him tonight for whatever reason, so he chose to simply lay on his back and look up, thinking whatever thoughts came to mind.
The days in Beacon were passing by faster than he knew. His constant dedication to improving himself was both extremely taxing and extremely rewarding. It was so hard for him given his current level now, but each time he refined his sword technique, every time he answered a question right in class, and every time that he became a better leader, he felt an immense sense of pride and joy.
Once he was done patting himself on the back, he then thought back to his call with Penny. She must like him enough to want to call and talk. That was twice that she had initiated an interaction with him. Now he had to step up and be an initiator, otherwise he felt like he would lose the right to be called a man.
It would have to be sometime this weekend though. The rest of the week he was going to some additional lessons and taking some workshops relating to leadership training. As much talent as he did have being the head of his team, he would get better results by honing his talent to a fine point.
Jaune closed his eyes and the image of green eyes and orange hair came to the forefront. That cheerful smile which could probably make the Grimm turn, that boundless energy which was never affected by anything, her oddball quirks that made her stand out from many other people, and her continuous forward movement to learning.
Now all he had to do was get her to show him how she trained and maybe they could help each other grow as fighters. The only problem was that he had this image in his head that her fighting was an alien concept. She didn't look much like one and he certainly couldn't imagine how she would fight and with what weapons, if any, she fought with.
He turned on his side and shifted the covers atop of him in order to get more warmth. He felt a bit of soreness in his sides, a holdover from his intense training today. He would no doubt be feeling it more tomorrow morning once he woke up. He mentally groaned about that, then just accepted it and shifted again to find his most comfortable spot.
Jaune kept his eyes shut and focused on his breathing and again letting his mind wander. This time, he began to replay all of the best moments in X-Ray and Vav. He had all the issues and he could talk in depth about very specific moments. He really did like the series.
Sleep didn't take long to follow.
Announcement time. Some of you already know, some of you do not. I'm enlisting to join the United States Army. For more details, read my profile page. This is the end of announcements.
This story is really testing my ability to write meaningful and carefully paced friendship and romance. One of the things about a good relationship between romantic partners is that they need more than just the romance. They need to be best friend if they're to get serious and all of that. Thus, I need to show lots of moments, big and small, that move the relationship along in a way that makes sense.
Thoughts? Reviews are always appreciated.
Thanks for reading and I hope you're all doing as well as possible.
"Love is my religion - I could die for it."
John Keats
