The Vale Voice - Chapter 19 (Patreon)

Somehow, Blake felt even worse the next morning.  After going to sleep exhausted but determined to make tomorrow better, she considered calling in sick instead.  If she worked from home, she wouldn’t hear her coworkers talk about Yang.  She wouldn’t see Yang’s empty desk.  She wouldn’t feel Yang’s absence.

But calling in sick meant that she couldn’t work because of Yang, which implied deeper feelings than she dared to admit.  So, despite having no energy and too many emotions, she dragged herself to the office.  She even picked up a cup of tea on the way, although out of routine rather than desire.  She didn’t have the desire to do much of anything at the moment...

With work having taken a turn for the better, she should be ecstatic to progress even further.  But, while still happy that things were looking up, her heart didn’t fully feel the effects of that happiness.  That’s why when she got to the office, she stared at Yang’s desk rather than rush straight to her computer.

Why couldn’t she just be happy and move on?  After fighting so long and hard to get The Voice to a position like this, the victory felt bittersweet at best.  Now her motivation to do anything only came after reminding herself how important this was, how it was everything she had strived and hoped for.  Even then, what she really wanted to do was sit at Yang’s desk, put her head down, and cry.  Or at least admit defeat to the emotions refusing to release her mind and heart.

Only the sound of footsteps broke her out of that mindset, and she stirred into motion as Sun burst through the door - first to the office for a change.

“Oh, hey Blake!” he said as soon as he saw her, flashing the same smile he always did.

“Hey, Sun.  How are you?”

“Good!  Got here early so I can leave early - watching the game with some friends tonight.”

“That sounds fun.”  Although not so much to her, who only knew what happened in the sports world because she edited his articles.

“Should be.” 

With another grin, he headed to his desk to get to work, and she smiled in relief.  At least that situation turned out well.  From that short conversation, he seemed to harbor no hurt feelings towards her.  On the flip side, she felt better about interacting with him now that she’d cleared the air.  Without worrying about how he might misinterpret her responses, she could be more relaxed around him.

Apparently, she should have been more honest a long time ago, and that lesson didn’t only apply to Sun.  Now that the day had begun, however, she forced a calm demeanor to hide the turmoil raging in her heart.  Today would be busy, after all, and that was without considering Weiss’ visit.  With that in mind, she went into her office, closed the door, and got to work.

In a continuation of last week, the drafts crossing her desk were some of the best she’d seen from her coworkers.  Apparently, they’d all grown tired of writing the same old stories week after week and embraced the opportunity to break free of that mold.  Velvet’s articles in particular, which centered around common Faunus misconceptions and ‘myths,’ were a delight to read.  

While Blake read through more drafts and added notes, she couldn’t escape the realization that Yang had been right yet again.  This wasn’t just what other people wanted to read, this was what she wanted to read.  The articles might not tell her who won the ballgame last night, but they told richer, deeper stories hidden to much of the world.  They made her want to learn more about being a Faunus, even though she would have thought she knew everything there was to know.  They made her want to go out and talk to people, learn about their lives, and hear about what motivated them.

They made her proud to be a Faunus.  And, as she read more drafts and uncovered thoughts she’d never considered before, she wished that she could thank Yang again.  Not just for the idea, but for not telling her about it first.  She would have shot it down, and Yang wouldn’t have mentioned it to anyone else.  By telling the rest of the office first...look where they were now.

Maybe this was the universe’s way of saying Blake wasn’t the best judge of ideas, just like she apparently wasn’t the best judge of character.  She’d learned her lesson, but what use was it to her now?

Midway through the morning, the first interruption of her day occurred when Victor knocked on her door before walking in with several sheets of paper in hand.  

“Several more for your review.”  He set them on her desk in one neat stack, unperturbed by the fact that he’d already submitted his two articles for the week.

“Thank you.  I’ll get to them when I can.”  He nodded and turned to leave when Blake caught sight of the page she just edited.  “Oh, wait,” she called out while picking it up and offering it to him.  “Just finished this one.”

From the way he scanned the page, she knew he was searching for the words she wanted to change.  And she patiently waited for his argument.

“About ‘verisimilar’...” he began, meeting her gaze with an earnest one of his own.  “I hoped to keep that one.” 

“Why?” 

“Because...Yang particularly enjoyed it.  We had a wonderful conversation about what it means - to appear ‘true’ - and I thought it would be a nice homage to her time here.  If she reads this week’s edition, I’m certain she’ll enjoy it.”

Stunned by the response, Blake stared at him for a few seconds while searching for words.  Victor took the silence as a bad thing, however, and hurried forward.

“I’m more than willing to remove your other suggestions,” he bargained.  “But I’d like to keep that one.”

“Of course.”  She couldn’t say ‘no’ to an explanation like that, so she nodded and attempted a lackluster smile.  “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”  

“I thought so too,” he replied, glancing at the page once more before heading back to his desk.  

Blake watched him go with an ever-expanding hole in her chest.  Having been so focused on her own loss, she hadn’t fully considered how the rest of the office felt.  From how often they spoke about Yang, they missed her.  Based on Victor’s gesture, however, they missed her in a way Blake hadn’t expected - in a way that implied reluctance to let the office return to ‘normal.’

Considering how Yang’s time with them began, Blake never thought the separation would be this difficult.  Could she find a way to erase the void and ease their transition into Yang’s permanent absence?

Her first idea was to invite Yang back sometime, but that felt impossible at the moment.  Maybe after several months passed, the two of them could forge some sort of working relationship.  Once Yang realized she had it better with Weiss, and Blake didn’t feel quite as much sting when imagining the two together...maybe they could at least be civil.  She would hope for that, if only so her coworkers could still see someone they obviously cared about.

Why did this feel so much like a messy breakup?

Sighing again, she pushed those thoughts away and replied to a few emails.  Their new composition had been positively received, and messages of support or encouragement from some leading members of the Faunus community had poured in.  Those messages, in particular, filled her with pride.  

She’d never felt more like she was doing her part, which only made the situation with Yang seem more glaring.  Could she really accept these compliments while pining after a human who couldn’t be hers?  But she missed Yang so fiercely...the success hardly felt worth it. 

After several replies were sent, Sun’s drafts arrived in her inbox.  By the time she got around to printing those, however, lunch had arrived and, with it, her appointment with Weiss.

Unlike the first time, she didn’t go through the trouble of printing every piece of information they had.  Instead, she gathered their most recent sales numbers versus the week prior to show what an immediate success their change was.  Weiss had all of the exhibits from before, if she’d gone through them, so there was no need to reinvent the wheel.

As noon approached, Blake minimized the tabs on her computer and tidied the piles of paper on her desk.  She didn’t want it to look disorganized but, at the same time, didn’t care if Weiss thought so.  Today, in general, she didn’t care what Weiss thought about the office.  They had played her game and proven themselves; they didn’t need to do anymore, as far as Blake was concerned.

So when Velvet answered the door, Blake felt no nerves at the prospect of sitting down with Weiss.  If anything, seeing Weiss walk through the door only reminded her of last night - the way Weiss touched Yang so casually, smiled at her, apologized for having to reschedule what had probably been a date of their own…

Deciding to be polite but not overly friendly, Blake walked over and extended her hand.  Weiss wouldn’t expect friendship from her anyway.

“Nice to see you again,” she said, shaking Weiss’ hand and noting the way clear, blue eyes flitted around the office before finally meeting her gaze.

“Nice to see you again, too.  I hope the rest of your night went well?”

Blake’s jaw clenched at the comment, which was probably well-intentioned but implied too much for her liking.

“Dinner was excellent, thank you for asking,” she replied before motioning towards her office.  “Follow me?  I’m sure you’re busy, and I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“I’m meeting someone for lunch in a half hour,” Weiss commented while trailing Blake into her office and taking the same seat as last time.  “But she won’t be upset if I’m a little late.”

Agitation shot through Blake at the response, which only fed the flames of jealousy in her heart.  Sitting down and looking at Weiss, she tried to determine if that was supposed to rile her up, but it didn’t appear so.  Not when Weiss calmly placed her hands in her lap and met Blake’s gaze.

Was Weiss meeting Yang for lunch?  Dinner last night, then lunch today - how much time were they spending together?  And why did Blake have to hear about it?

“I’d prefer not to make you late,” she replied before grabbing the page she’d printed and sliding it across the desk.  “These are the most recent reader metrics.”

“That’s quite a jump.”

“Our revamp was well-received, and I’m hoping for even better numbers this week.  Based on several new orders, they should be.”

“You must be busy.”  Setting the page down, Weiss again met Blake’s gaze without hesitation.  “What with your sudden increase in...popularity.”

Frowning at the comment, Blake gave Weiss a long, searching look.  Was it her imagination that the statement seemed directed more towards her personal life than The Voice?  Or was that just paranoia speaking?

“You’re right,” she agreed, deciding to let it slide.  “And with the added publicity, our ad spots are filling up.”

“Oh, I’m sure.”  Not at all bothered by the implication that Schnee Industries was no longer needed, Weiss waved one hand and smiled.  “But I’m still interested in signing a sizable deal, especially after what Yang’s told me.”

Blake had hoped to get through this conversation without bringing up Yang, but clearly that was not meant to be.

“I’m glad she had good things to say -”

“More than good,” Weiss corrected.  “If her assessments are to be believed, this is the best group of journalists in Vale, along with the best editor-in-chief.”

Even though Weiss’ words were kind, Blake didn’t want to hear them.  She didn’t want to hear anything Yang said about her coworkers or herself.  She didn’t want to be reminded of Yang’s kindness and acceptance when she had been the opposite.  She didn’t deserve that kindness, and she never had.

“That’s...great,” she muttered before trying to get them back on topic.  “I’m glad she enjoyed her time here, but would you like to look over the ad slots we have left?”

“No need for that.”  Again, Weiss waved one hand as if that answered everything.  

“Ok...then…”

“I’ll take whatever you have left,” Weiss elaborated, but that answer only caused Blake more confusion.

“When you say ‘whatever’s left,’ you mean...?”

“I mean every open slot available.”  Pausing for a second, Weiss gave Blake a look that implied this shouldn’t be so difficult to comprehend.  “And I’d like to sign a six-month commitment.”

The request was so unfathomable, Blake didn’t know how to respond.  That kind of money kept The Voice in circulation for much longer than the six months.  But...could she give all of those spaces to Schnee Industries when other companies might come forward with requests?  And, a little closer to home, could she really bear seeing the name of Yang’s new girlfriend plastered all over the paper for the next six months?  How could she ever move on with that daily reminder?

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can give you all of those spaces.”

This time, it was Weiss’ turn to tilt her head in confusion.

“Why not?”

“That would make our issues look like a Schnee Industries publication,” Blake replied, going with the best reason she could think of.  “That could undermine everything we’re trying to do.”

“You don’t want all corporate ads?” Weiss restated before nodding.  “That’s fine.  I’ll use most of the spaces for personal matters.”

“Such as…?” Blake asked, curious about what someone could use newspaper advertisements for if not for business.  

“Such as a couple of human-Faunus sports teams Yang’s helping set up - we can run ads to garner more interest.”

Receiving yet another reminder of how close Weiss and Yang were, Blake grew even more resistant to the idea of using The Voice to bring them closer.  As if it wasn’t bad enough that Weiss had all the money in the world to take Yang out for expensive dinners or travel around the world, now she would use The Voice to cater to Yang’s interest in Faunus?  She probably couldn’t care less about bettering human-Faunus relations.  This was probably all just a front to make Yang like her more. 

The worst part was that it would work.  Yang would like Weiss more for making the effort.

“While I appreciate the offer, and your willingness to throw money around, I think running a couple of ads will probably be more than enough.”

The response came out more clipped than Blake would have liked, which explained the way Weiss’ eyes narrowed in return.  Still, she stood by her decision and refused to back down.  They could find other advertisers - she was reasonably confident in that.  At least, confident enough to let Weiss walk away if she chose to.

“What’s...going on?” she asked instead.

“Giving you those spaces would be unfair to other advertisers,” Blake answered.  “It shuts out potential Faunus ads.”

“Do you have other companies for the spaces?”

“No, not yet -”

“Is there a cap on the number of slots a company can buy at once?”

Rather than back herself into a corner, Blake sighed and shook her head.  “It’s just not fair to others,” she repeated.  “Not everyone is fortunate enough to have bags of money they can use to get whatever or whomever they want.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she said too much.  That became all the more evident in the silence that followed, while Weiss looked at her with a frown and pursed lips.

“Is this...about Yang?”

While Weiss looked curious, she also looked slightly smug - and that expression made Blake agitated like nothing else.

“This has nothing to do with Yang,” she retorted in a tone that only made Weiss more assured.

“Really?  Then why does this feel so...confrontational?”

“This is how business works when one party demands too much.”

“No, this is how business works when romantic feelings are involved.”

Even more annoyed by the answer, Blake leaned back in her chair and clenched her jaw.  She couldn’t stand the triumphant expression on Weiss’ face - like she’d won.  Of course she won.  She had money, power, beauty, and belonged to the world’s preferred race.  

“So you’re dating her.”  Blake hated the words and the feeling brewing in her chest but wasn’t about to stop now.  “Why would that bother me?”  

She wished the response came out less combative than it did, but she couldn’t stand that Weiss came here, to her office, to rub this in her face.

“Well…” Weiss began in a slow, measured tone, as if she didn’t want an argument even though she’d started one.  “If I were to guess, it bothers you because you have feelings for her.”

Weiss watched for a reaction, which Blake refused to give.  Instead, she glared across the desk and considered throwing Weiss out of her office.  There wasn’t time for that, however, before Weiss continued.

“It must hurt too.”  Again, she used that calm voice which did nothing but stoke the fire in Blake’s chest.  “Knowing you had the opportunity to be with her and threw it away.  You don’t get to your position without making professional mistakes, but I doubt you have much experience with personal ones.”

“I didn’t make a mistake.”

“Then why are you angry?”  This time, Weiss raised both hands before dropping them in exasperation.  “The last time we spoke, we had an intelligent and thoughtful conversation.  Now, you’re intentionally trying to rile me up.”

Why was Blake angry?  Because Yang made her feel so alive for the first time in her life.  Yang made her feel special, as if the ears atop her head didn’t matter as much as she thought they did.  So to learn that she wasn’t the only one…that she was so easily replaced by some human with money and standing she could never dream of...hurt.

“Why am I angry?” she spit out, venom flowing through her veins.  “I’m angry because of your games.”

“Games?”  For the first time since walking into the office, Weiss looked surprised.

“This was all just a game, wasn’t it?” Blake reiterated, knowing she was crossing serious professional lines but not caring in the slightest.  “You put a spy in our office, and I bet you had some good laughs when we all embraced her despite her race.  She probably wasn’t even supposed to watch how we operated - she was probably supposed to go after me, just so you could hang it over my head.”  

She didn’t believe a word of it, but she was mad, and she blamed Weiss for this - for giving her Yang only to take her away.  

“Are you happy now?” she added as tears stung her eyes.  “Did you have your fun, watching me fall for a human?”

When her outburst ended, she felt raw, exposed, and emotionally drained.  She hardly even knew what she just said - all she knew was that everything spilled out in anger.  Now that the anger was gone, she was left with...sadness.

Across the desk, Weiss gave her a long, hard look before unfolding her hands and standing up.

“Yang is nothing if not genuine,” she stated before unflinchingly meeting Blake’s gaze.  “If you actually think she behaved falsely towards you, then you didn’t know her very well.”

The words hurt more than anything else Weiss could have said because they were true.  Blake knew that.  She knew Yang’s words and actions were genuine and real.  It just hurt less to imagine this was all an elaborate game rather than the result of her decisions.

“I’m going to pretend this meeting never happened,” Weiss added while heading to the door.  “We’ll reschedule when you have your personal affairs in order.”  

Before leaving, however, she paused and turned around.

“And for your edification, not that it’s any of your business, I’m dating Yang’s sister - not her.”

It was the sucker punch Blake didn’t need, and it forced the air from her lungs while the first tear slipped down her cheek.  Quickly rubbing it away, she focused on pulling herself together rather than watch Weiss leave.  When another tear appeared, she turned towards her computer so no one would notice.  

She hated that Weiss made her cry.  She hated that everything she said was wrong while everything Weiss said was right.  Most of all, she hated that Weiss implied it was a mistake.  That was the one word she refused to consider the past few days because if it was true - if this was a mistake - that meant her ideals were wrong.  

But how else could she explain her worsening mood and her uncalled-for agitation towards the girl she assumed Yang was dating?

Ironically enough, she couldn’t have been more wrong.  The reason Yang and Weiss were so close, the reason they spent so much time together, was Ruby.

Shaking her head, Blake silently chastised herself for being so jealous while trying to focus on work.  But she couldn’t.  Not with the torrent of emotions swirling through her.  Not with the constant thought that Weiss was right - Weiss was right - and if Weiss was right, what did that make her?  Who did that make her?

Grappling with that thought, she stared at the screen and pretended to read while the words failed to register in her mind.  She wasn’t sure how long she sat like that, but eventually someone knocked on her door.  Tearing her gaze from the screen, she didn’t even attempt a smile while waving Velvet inside.

“Hey Velvet,” she said while Velvet sat across from her.  “Do you need help with something?”

“Not particularly, but I thought you might need a break.  You’ve been staring at your computer for a long time.”  

When Velvet gestured towards the computer, Blake glanced that way and sighed.

“It’s just...one of those days.”  

She didn’t want to elaborate and, thankfully, Velvet didn’t ask her too.  

“Will you still write an article for this week?” Velvet asked instead, but her ears drooped the moment Blake sighed.

“I don’t know, Velvet...not really feeling up for it at the moment.”  

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.  Just...tired.”

The answer was true - Blake was tired.  Mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.  She knew Velvet understood that, and Velvet nodded as if she did, but then she caught Blake’s gaze with sad, compassionate eyes.

“That doesn’t fool as many people as you think, you know.”

Surprised that Velvet called out the lie - and called her a bad liar, at that - Blake tried to figure out a way to respond.  She had hoped to get through this mess on her own so that no one judged her for taking so long to get over someone she never even dated.  But, if the last two days were any indication, this would only get worse before it got better.  Plus, Velvet was one of her closest friends, who would undoubtedly worry if this continued much longer.

“I...think I messed up,” she admitted.  Saying the words aloud only made them more true, and that made her feel worse.

Weiss was right.

“What do you mean?”

Sighing at the question, Blake knew she had to answer.  Now that she brought it up, she had to fill Velvet in.

“I...like someone.”  

“That’s...good, right?”  

“But I can’t date them,” she explained, rubbing her eyes before dropping her hands to the desk.  

“Why not?  Do they not like you in return?”

“No, they...they did.”  Sensing Velvet’s confusion, Blake shook her head and got to the point.  “But I can’t date them because...they’re human.”

To Blake, it felt like revealing a huge secret.  She never thought she could like a human in that way, because how could she like a human in that way?  Humans did everything in their power to exclude her, keep her down, and remind her that she wasn’t one of them - why would she ever want to date one?

Velvet, however, leaned forward as if waiting for more explanation.  When none appeared, her brow furrowed and she sat back.

“Why can’t you date them because of that?”

Having expected surprise or shock, now Blake only felt confused.  Shouldn’t Velvet be surprised that Blake liked a human, of all people?  Shouldn’t she nod in understanding and comment on how that was contrary to their goals in life?

“All this time I’ve preached for Faunus rights,” Blake explained.  “Then I turn around and date a human?  I’d be a traitor to our kind.  And to my word.  I say Faunus should be treated equally, but it will look like I like humans more - it’s hypocritical.”

That was, in a nutshell, her greatest fear - being a hypocrite.  So, as much as she liked Yang...

“I don’t see it that way at all.”

Caught off guard by the response, she looked at Velvet for clarification.

“What?”

“The way I see it, we want more Faunus rights and better Faunus livelihoods.  But mostly, we want acceptance.  I always thought our idea of a perfect world was one where no one was judged based on their appearance.”

“That’s right,” Blake agreed, although she didn’t yet understand where Velvet was headed with this.

“In this perfect world, we fall in love not because someone is Faunus or human, but because of how they make us feel.”  Holding Blake’s gaze, Velvet gave an almost apologetic smile.  “If someone makes you happy, but you turn them down because they’re human...how is that different from someone turning you down because you’re Faunus?  Why is one ok and the other not?”

Blake had no idea how to respond to that bit of clarity.  To her, it made sense that she could only date Faunus because she was Faunus.  But if a human told her they would only date other humans…that it didn’t matter how much they liked her...that the ears on her head determined their compatibility more than personality did...that would not be ok with her.

But that’s exactly what she did to Yang.

“Are you calling me on my hypocrisy, Velvet?” she sighed, realizing that’s exactly what she was.  In trying so hard not to be a hypocrite, she became one anyway.  And she hurt someone she cared about in the process.

“I’m not trying to disparage you.”  Velvet shook her head at the notion.  “I’m just pointing out that every day we ask humans to look past the ears and tails.  Shouldn’t we look past the lack of them in return?”

They should.  Blake would tell that to any human, so why wouldn’t she tell that to Faunus too?  Why was it one way and not the other?

That realization hurt more than anything else.  Because it was already too late.  She already turned Yang down, then hurt her even more by going on a date with Sun. 

“We should,” Blake admitted before letting out a big sigh.  “Unfortunately, I think it’s already too late for that.  After what I said…”

“You can always try, can’t you?  If not, it sounds like an apology would be nice?”

Yang deserved an apology, at the very least.  She deserved much more than that, but...an apology was a start.  Blake would probably feel better after giving one.

“Yes, I should apologize…” she agreed while mulling over the idea.  It wouldn’t be easy but...she had to.  After being so determined to turn Yang down because of her faulty view of her ideals, she had to be even more determined to apologize.

How was she so blind?  How had she so easily fallen guilty to the same situation she fought against?  She thought she was better than that but...apparently not.

“I’ll apologize,” she repeated with a resolute nod before looking at Velvet.  “Thank you…”

“No need to thank me.  You’ve helped me more times than I can count, and I’m happy to do the same.”  After briefly pausing, Velvet smiled.  “Besides, I think you two would be cute together.”

Brow raising, Blake gave Velvet a look of disbelief.  Had it really been that obvious?  Was Blake the last one to figure out her feelings?

“Don’t you have work to do?” she teased, and Velvet smiled while standing up.  

“I do.  I’ll just...hop to it.”

When Blake laughed at the joke, Velvet smiled and left.  Somehow Yang made Faunus puns a thing in the office.  And, surprisingly, Blake enjoyed them just as much as everyone else.

As Velvet returned to her desk, Blake looked towards Yang’s old desk.  Her heart still hurt, but now she knew why - because she liked Yang.  She liked Yang so much but let her flawed views stand in the way of them being together.  She didn’t want people to judge her as not Faunus enough.  She didn’t want Faunus to think she sold them out to date a human.  

She shouldn’t have focused on what anyone else thought about her.  She shouldn’t have listened to what her ears said she could and couldn’t do.  She should have just...followed her heart.

She needed to apologize but first, she needed to confront one of the sources whose approval she constantly sought.  So she picked up the phone, dialed home, and her mom picked up on the second ring.

“Blake, what a surprise!  How are you doing?”

“I’m...pretty good,” she replied with a small smile.  “Work is busy.”

“I’ll bet.  Your dad and I loved the copy you sent us.  We read every article.”

“Really?”

“We both enjoyed it!  It was a refreshing change of pace.”

That was one of the best responses Blake could have asked for, and her heart swelled with pride knowing that her parents enjoyed something she helped create.

“I’m glad you do, because we’re keeping that format for the foreseeable future.”

“Really?  That’s great news - we loved it.”

The positive response confirmed one of Blake’s newfound suspicions.  She loved her parents, and she knew that they loved her, but...she wanted them to approve of her life, whether that meant her job or the person she decided to bring home with her.

“That’s good,” she replied, absentmindedly spinning a pen on the desk.  Nerves popped up in her mind, but she forced them aside in favor of saying what she needed to say.  Before even attempting to apologize to Yang, she had to let her parents know that she wouldn’t be following the path they expected of her.

“I called because I wanted to tell you something.  I...kind of met someone.” 

“Oh that’s great, honey!”  

Before her mom got too excited, Blake hurriedly added, “She’s human.”

“And?  What’s her name?  What’s she like?”

“...don’t you care that she’s a human?”  

“Of course not,” her mom replied with a laugh.  “I’m just happy you finally found someone you like!”

That wasn’t the response Blake expected.  She thought there would be some kind of reaction.  A drawn in breath of surprise.  Asking whether she was absolutely sure.  Trying to talk her out of it.  Not...acceptance.

“But you’ve always tried to set me up with Faunus,” she pointed out.

“Only because that’s who you preferred, but your father and I don’t care.  Humans are basically different types of Faunus.  Just...plain ones.  Or you could think of Faunus as unique humans, I suppose…”

In disbelief, Blake shook her head and tried to hold a wave of emotion at bay.  Not only was she a hypocrite, but she had projected her feelings onto her mother.  She thought her mom wanted her to end up with a Faunus because that’s what she’d always expected of herself, not because that’s what they expected of her.

“So?  Her name?”

“Her name is Yang...”  The small sentence was an admission she hadn’t made out loud until that moment, but she heard it loud and clear.  “She’s the one who started working here a little bit ago.”

“Is she a writer?”

“No, she’s…” Blake paused and frowned.  “I’m not sure what she does,” she said with a chuckle.  “But she’s very lively, energetic, and...wonderful.”

The more she thought about Yang, the more the magnitude of her mistake grew.  Yang was an amazing person - human, Faunus, or otherwise.  And Blake had the chance to be with her...only to throw it away.

“She sounds perfect, honey.  When will we meet her?”

“Oh, I’m not sure.”  Suddenly realizing she might’ve spoken out of turn, seeing as how she needed to earn Yang’s forgiveness before anything like that could happen, she tried to downplay the announcement.  Besides...she didn’t know if Yang would ever forgive her.  “I haven’t even told her how I feel yet, so...it could be a while.  Maybe not ever.”

“As long as you’re happy, honey.  Does she make you happy?”

Thinking about the time they spent together - talking, laughing, discussing any topic that came to mind -  Blake smiled.

“Yes, she does.”

“Then what’re you waiting for?” her mom replied with a laugh.  “Go get her, Blake.  Put that writing of yours to use.  Write her a poem - she’ll love that.”

“Mommm,” Blake whined, her cheeks flushing at the mere idea of doing something like that.

“I’m serious!  When your father and I started dating, he wrote me the most horrible poems.  None of the lines rhymed, most of them didn’t make sense, but I loved them regardless.  I think they’re still around here somewhere if you want to hear them -”

“That’s really ok,” Blake said before her mom rushed off to find them.  “But I’ll let you know if I need inspiration.”

“I doubt you will.”  Hearing her mom’s lighthearted laugh, Blake smiled.  “I know what you can do when you put your mind to it, so put your mind to getting that girl of yours.”

“I’ll do my best.”  Even though her blush grew deeper, she also felt incredibly motivated to do exactly as her mom suggested.  “But I need to get some work done first,” she added.  “Then I’ll...think of something.”

“Let me know how it goes,” her mom replied, a smile evident in her tone. 

“I will.  Talk to you later.”

“Good luck, Sweetie.  I’m rooting for you!”

Ending the call, Blake shook her head and smiled.  

That conversation made her feel better yet did nothing to diminish what an idiot she was.  She put herself through this heartache because she was stubborn, foolish, and more anti-human than she ever let herself believe.  She thought she was doing something good for Faunus.  She thought she was doing what her parents wanted.  But she was wrong on both counts.

Now, her biggest wish was that she’d figured this out sooner, preferably before hurting Yang and herself in the process.  But she was determined to make it right, so she cleared her work off of her desk and pulled over a pen and blank piece of paper.  

While not exactly a love poem, she could write an apology.  And she would deliver it in person if she could, but first...she needed to organize her thoughts to ensure she included everything she had said and done wrong.  

Unfortunately, that might take a while...