The Vale Voice - Chapter 7 (Patreon)

How much difference could a simple walk make?  

Apparently, quite a difference.  That, combined with eating a real lunch, worked wonders in keeping Blake’s energy up throughout the day.  She listened to Sun recount his weekend while outlining The Voice’s layout for the week.  After he finished his spiel and got back to work, she ran through the rest of the sales figures, wrapped up the week’s accounting, edited a couple of Victor’s articles from the week prior, and ended her day by sending a half-page worth of emails seeking more advertisers.

All-in-all, an extremely productive day, as far as Mondays went.  It was actually so productive that by the time Sun raced out the door to catch up with Velvet, and Victor talked Brand’s ear off with five-syllable words while Lola laughed at Brand’s disgruntled replies, Blake was...content...with what she’d accomplished.  There was more work to be done, of course, but there was always more work to be done.

Drumming her fingers on her desk, she checked her inbox - currently at zero unread messages - then looked at her stack of editing - currently only two articles.  Using those two data points to make a decision, she powered down the computer and packed up her bag.  Before leaving, however, she walked out into the main portion of the office, where Yang was still sitting.  

“Hey Yang.”  When Yang tore her attention away from the large book laying open on her desk, Blake took one look at it and smiled.  “What’re you working on?”

“Victor gave me this -”  After briefly holding up the dictionary, Yang set it back on her desk with a soft thump.  “And asked me to find five words he’s never heard before.”

Considering the expression on Yang’s face and the copious notes scrawled on an open notebook, Blake laughed at the task.  Of course Victor asked Yang to do something like that.

“How’s it going?”

“Not well!”  Yang shook her head but laughed at her plight.  “I’m pretty sure he’s memorized the whole thing.”

“That’s a suspicion I’ve had for quite some time,” Blake replied.  “If you find any, please let me know - because I’m sure he’ll immediately throw them into every article he can.”

“Will do.  On the plus side, I’ve learned some great words.”  Briefly glancing at the notebook, Yang read a few words before smiling.  “Unfortunately, I’m not polemic enough to stop him from expanding my vocabulary.”

“I’d be careful though,” Blake replied without missing a beat.  “We don’t want you to fall into ennui having to read that for too long.”

Eyes widening at the term, Yang looked at the dictionary and laughed - a light, happy laugh that made Blake smile.

“Apparently, I have more to learn,” Yang said before gesturing to Blake’s office.  “You heading out?”

“I was thinking about it...unless you want to keep working?  I can wait -”

“No no!  Please don’t stay late for me.”  Hurriedly grabbing her phone and keys, Yang shoved everything into her bag and shot to her feet.  “If you’re going to leave on time, no way I’m making you stay.”

“Then I guess I’ll leave now.”  Earning a quick grin at the comment, Blake headed back into her office and retrieved her bag.  Upon doing so, she was surprised to find Yang waiting for her by the door, evidently planning to walk out together.  It wasn’t often that she left the office with someone else, mostly because she normally left last, but she appreciated the gesture as she rejoined Yang.

“Hold on,” she said before flipping the light switch and pulling the door closed behind them.  Once they were standing in the hall, she fit her key into the lock and turned until she felt the deadbolt slide into place.  Trying the door anyway, out of habit, she only turned around when it refused to budge. 

“We good?” Yang asked once Blake turned her way.

“All locked up.”  

With a nod and smile, Yang waved Blake away from the door - almost as if ensuring that Blake actually left rather than run back inside to work some more.  But she was tired, and she was done working - there would always be more tomorrow.

“Heading home now?” she asked while the two of them headed downstairs.

“Yeah.  I promised my sister I’d make dinner for her tonight.”

“What are you making?”

“Spaghetti - her favorite.”

“Ah, spaghetti is good.” 

“Yeah, and she eats it like it’s going out of style.”

With Yang chuckling at the comment, Blake smiled - only to be surprised when they reached the lobby and she saw several people heading out at the same time as them.  That’s when she remembered that most people headed home around now - a reasonable time that she normally missed by a couple of hours.

“Do you feel weird that the sun’s still out?” Yang asked as they made it to the busier-than-normal sidewalk.

“Honestly, yes.”  Feeling like this was when they should go their separate ways, Blake shifted her bag on her shoulder and cast a glance towards some of the other workers heading home.  Yang, however, never lost that happy grin.

“So,” Blake said after a couple seconds of silence.  “Have you thought about setting up a league for a Faunus sport too?”

“A Faunus sport?”  Through the mere tilt of her head, Yang gave Blake a look that asked for more information.

“We have our own games that are quite popular - at least, amongst Faunus,” Blake explained, not at all surprised by Yang’s unfamiliarity with them.  Most Faunus played the regular human sports, but there were quite a few they had of their own.  

“Like what?”

“Well, like Thunderball…”

As soon as Blake said the word, Yang grinned - obviously interested in learning more.

“What’s Thunderball?” 

“It’s…”  Trying and failing to come up with a cohesive way to describe it, Blake eventually shook her head.  “It’s like basketball, and played on a basketball court, but every section of the backboard is worth some amount of points.”

“So...if someone just hits the backboard with the ball, they score?” 

“Yes, but there’s more strategy than that, and fewer rules.”  Pausing, Blake tried to remember any specific rules but none came to mind.  “It’s been a while since I’ve watched, and I never knew all the rules to begin with.”

“But it sounds fun!  Do you know where I can see it?”

As seemed to be the case, new Faunus knowledge excited Yang when few others would care.  Blake could probably mention Thunderball to hundreds of humans and receive only mediocre interest in response, but Yang operated differently - she wanted to know all about it, and she wanted to see it.

“Sometimes they play in the parks around here at night,” Blake answered, shifting her bag again and waving in the direction of the nearest basketball court.  “Just depends on if they get a game together, I guess.”

“So check out the park at night.  Got it.”  Looking in the direction Blake just referenced, Yang gave a firm nod.  “Maybe I’ll check it out before heading home for dinner.”  With that goal set, she smiled and backed away.  “I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

“Do you even know where the park is?” Blake asked instead, and found her answer in the slight dent that appeared in Yang’s grin.

“Uh, I mean, can’t be too hard to find, can it?”  Confidence suddenly restored, Yang smiled and shrugged.  “If I get lost, I’ll just ask for directions.”

For a brief moment, Blake considered letting Yang wander off on her own.  The park wasn’t too difficult to find, after all.  And yes, most Faunus in the area should be able to point her in the right direction if she got lost.  But Blake knew exactly where the park was...and she was walking that direction anyway.

“I can show you.”  Even though Yang’s brow rose in surprise, she nodded and returned to Yang’s side.

“Oh, that’s ok.  I don’t want to take your time or anything -”

“It’s fine,” Blake replied with a reassuring smile.  “I don’t mind.”

Yang’s eyes gave away her intention of saying ‘yes’ before her smile did.  “As long as you don’t mind,” she added.  “I’d appreciate it.”

With a shake of her head to emphasize that she didn’t mind at all, Blake waved in the direction they needed to go.  “Shall we?” she asked before walking forward, and Yang quickly fell into step beside her. 

It wasn’t until the first person who passed gave them a second glance that Blake realized how strange they must look.  Were they an odd pair, or did something else drew attention their way?  Whatever it was, she maintained a few extra inches between them and tried to push away that sense of discomfort as they headed towards the park.

“Do you know any other Faunus sports?” Yang asked - the perfect distraction from Blake’s subtle unease.  “Ones that are easy for kids to play?”

“Sun would be the best one to ask about that.  He’s basically an encyclopedia of Faunus sports.”

“That’s a great idea!  I’ll ask him.  Then maybe we can have a baseball league and a Faunus sport league.”

Even though Blake’s initial question had been off the cuff, she was pleasantly surprised by Yang’s quick acceptance.  Would they actually set up a Faunus-human league that played a Faunus sport?  And was it as easy as suggesting the idea for something like that to come true?  

If humans were interested in playing, it might expand understanding of Faunus lifestyles...or even help a Faunus pastime grow more popular with the general public.

“You wanna be one of the coaches?” Yang suddenly asked.  “We could always use more.”

“Oh, thanks, but I don’t have much free time at the moment...”  Realizing that the polite decline was only partially honest, Blake added, “Plus, I don’t think I’d be very good at it.”

“It’s just kid wrangling - trying to keep them from hurting themselves, hurting each other, crying, or peeing their pants.”  When Blake made a face at the image, Yang laughed.  “Think about it, at least!”

“Ok, I will.”

“Keep in mind that you’ll probably lose anyway,” Yang teased.

“Wow.  Cocky, are we?”  Shooting Yang a glance, Blake found a playful smile aimed her way.

“Hey, I might not be good at...a lot of things...but I can get a group of tiny kids to run in the same direction at once.”

“Well, we all have something,” Blake replied, surprising herself as well as Yang with the lighthearted tease.  When Yang laughed, Blake smiled to herself while they left the office buildings behind and moved into more populated areas - at least, more populated at night.  Energetic conversations filtered to the sidewalk from the restaurants they passed, combined with the smells of food and bustle of wait staff serving customers sitting in the outdoor patio areas.

“Have you ever been here before?” Blake asked while gesturing to the area around them.  Unsurprisingly, Yang shook her head.

“I might’ve passed through once or twice but never stopped.  I live on the east side though, so I spend most of my time around there.”

It felt like Yang was offering an excuse for the answer, as if she was embarrassed by her unfamiliarity with the heavily Faunus section of town.  The excuse was unnecessary though, as they all lived in their separate worlds.

“There are some good places to eat if you know where to look,” Blake said, keeping the conversation shallow to steer them away from potentially heavier topics.

“Any suggestions?”

“Sure -”  Passing a busy restaurant that served cheap drinks on Mondays and attracted quite a crowd, Blake heard a loud laugh.  The sound was so out of place and boisterous that it drew her gaze to one of the tables on the patio.  The moment she found the source of the noise, however, she wished she’d never looked.

After accidentally making eye contact with one of the young men sitting at a table near the railing, she turned away the moment she saw a leer growing on his lips.  But it was already too late - she’d caught his attention.

“Hereeee kitty,” he called out to her, much to the disdain of the Faunus waitress standing nearby.  “Hereeee kitty kitty.”  

When he and his friends broke into laughter, Blake clenched her jaw and walked past without sparing them another look.  

“Aww, don’t you want to play?” another one called after her.

“Hey -”

Hearing the tone, she grabbed Yang’s arm and dragged her away from the restaurant.  “Don’t,” was all she said, keeping a firm grip so that Yang wouldn’t turn back.  It was only when the sounds of laughter faded behind them that she released her grip and resituated her bag over her shoulder.

“It’s not worth it,” she added with a shake of her head when she saw the disbelief in Yang’s eyes.  

The response sent a flurry of emotions through lilac eyes - questions upon questions appearing and finally disappearing when Yang turned away.  After shooting one last glance over her shoulder - the restaurant nearly out of sight - she turned forward and walked in silence for a long time.  Blake could practically feel waves of heat emanating from her as she smoldered in anger - way more anger than Blake herself currently felt.

“You don’t need to be upset,” she finally said in an attempt to relieve the fiery temperature.  Instantly diffusing, Yang let out a long sigh and slumped her shoulders as if being pressed down by some invisible weight.

“It just...makes me feel sick.”  Her unhappiness lay heavily in her tone, dragging the usually upbeat cheer right out of it.

“It happens all the time -” Blake began to say, but stopped when Yang gave a firm shake of her head.

“I know.  That doesn’t make it any better.”

With Yang openly fuming, Blake watched curiously - forgetting about the idiot humans at the restaurant in favor of trying to figure out what was going through Yang’s mind.  She seemed genuinely upset - not for herself, but on Blake’s behalf.

“I don’t understand,” Blake finally said aloud.  “Why do you like Faunus so much?”

“I like people in general,” Yang replied, throwing her hands in the air as if trying to encapsulate anyone and everyone.  “I love their quirks and personalities.  But the Faunus I’ve met have always been more fascinating than anyone else.”

“I don’t know if I would say fascinating…”

“You don’t think you’re fascinating?” Yang asked, losing her anger when she caught Blake’s gaze.

“Not at all.”

“But you are!” Yang insisted, again motioning with her hands for emphasis as they drew nearer to the park.  “You’re extremely devoted to this wonderful paper and group of workers.  You’re passionate.  Successful.  Great at what you do.  And you’re gorgeous and don’t even realize it.”

Blake felt a blush coming on, but Yang moved forward as if the compliments were common knowledge.

“I’ve met a lot of people, but you’re way up there with the group of most fascinating.  Definitely.”

Unsure of how to respond to so much flattery, Blake allowed them to walk the next block in silence - the incident at the restaurant feeling like nothing more than a blip on her radar as she parsed through what Yang just said.  She didn’t feel successful, and she wouldn’t say beautiful either, but...it was nice that someone else saw her that way.

“We’re here,” were the next words she used, keeping her voice quiet and nodding across the street.  A group of Faunus were already at the basketball court, but it looked like they were playing traditional basketball - easy to tell when they sent the ball through the fraying nets hanging from the rims.

“They’re not playing Thunderball tonight,” she commented before giving Yang a regretful glance.  “Sorry.”

Observing the scrimmage from a distance, Yang narrowed her eyes and considered her options.  It wasn’t long before she turned back to Blake with a smile.

“Well, let’s go over and ask them.”

Before the sentence even sank in, Yang was already crossing the street.  Blake actually had to jog several paces to catch up, suddenly following Yang instead of the other way around.

When Yang said ‘ask them,’ did she actually mean…?

As Yang walked purposefully up to the side of the court, Blake realized that the statement literally meant walk over and ask.  Feeling a flush of embarrassment while following Yang towards a set of rundown benches sitting beside the cracked cement pad, Blake’s flustered surprise only grew when Yang waved towards the assorted group of Faunus.

“Hey guys!”

The unexpected introduction caught the eye of a tiger Faunus, who stopped playing right as the ball was passed his way - resulting in it bouncing off of his side before rolling away.  The rest of the game quickly came to a halt, and every curious eye fell upon Yang.

“Uh, hey,” the tiger Faunus replied while a tall leopard picked up the ball and held it in both hands.  “Can we help you?”

“Maybe,” Yang replied with that same pure smile that always threw Blake off guard.  “My friend just told me about Thunderball.”  When Yang motioned in Blake’s direction, Blake shook her head - fearing their judgment as they looked at her in surprise.  “I was wondering if you guys knew how to play?”

Whatever they’d expected from a strange human walking over out of the blue, it certainly hadn’t been that.  The tiger looked at his friends, many of whom chuckled and nodded, before turning back to Yang with a grin.

“Do we know how to play Thunderball...” he replied with a laugh.  “Hey guys, screw basketball.  Let’s play some Thunderball for the ladies!”

The leopard Faunus slapped one hand against the ball while the rest of the Faunus moved back to the court, finding various positions and discussing strategies amongst themselves.  After tossing the ball to one of his teammates, the leopard jogged over to Yang.

“Name’s Ben,” he introduced himself while reaching out to shake Yang’s hand.

“Yang.  And this is Blake.”  

When Yang introduced her, Blake politely shook Ben’s hand.  With a nod and a grin, he stood beside Yang and gestured to the court.  

“You’ve never seen Thunderball before?” he asked as the other Faunus split into two teams.

“I’ve never even heard of it before a few minutes ago,” Yang answered.  To Blake, the honesty was unexpected - Yang freely announcing her ignorance.  Yet somehow...it wasn’t insulting.  It was refreshing, actually - and, from Ben’s smile, he felt the same.

“You’re in for a treat then.  There’s four on a team, and no dribbling.”

One of the substitute players stood in the center of the court and prepared to toss the ball in the air, similar to the start of a traditional basketball game.

“We play to two hundred points,” Ben explained quickly, as the game was about to begin.  “You score ten by hitting the backboard only - no rim, no net.  We call it a ‘clean board.’”

As he spoke, the ball was tossed into the air and tipped backward when the tiger Faunus out-leaped a wolf.  The first team to take possession immediately launched it towards the other side of the court, where it banged off the backboard before being caught by the opposing team prior to hitting the ground.  The Faunus who caught it clanged the ball off the rim before passing it to a teammate and moving towards the other side of the court. 

“You only get five points if the other team catches the ball before it hits the ground and knocks it off the rim.  We call it ‘clearing five,’” Ben explained when Yang opened her mouth to ask the question.  “But you have to hit the rim without hitting the backboard - or else they get fifteen points.”

Nodding at the rapid explanation, Yang watched the action unfold with wide eyes. “What do you call that?” she asked, and looked up at Ben when he laughed.

“A screw-up.”  

Staring at him to see if he was being serious, Yang chuckled after he nodded.

“Ok, I think I got it.  Clearing five, clean board is ten, screwing up means fifteen points -”  

The Faunus flew past them on the court, where the ball changed possession and was lofted towards the opposing goal just as quickly.  One of the Faunus caught it off the backboard and tried to hit it off the rim to deduct five points, but the tiger Faunus deflected the shot and pushed the ball into the board a second time.  Then the players laughed and goaded each other as fifteen points were awarded and the ball raced the other way. 

In case Yang wondered where ‘Thunderball’ came from, the name should be readily apparent now.  As each shot was launched towards the backboard, it bounced off with a boom that sounded a bit like thunder.

The ball was thrown at many different angles and speeds, that Yang watched the action intently.  And Blake watched Yang - curious but amazed at how interested she was in anything related to Faunus.  Most people would see Thunderball and think it was weird.  Yang saw it and…

“This is the best sport ever,” she breathed out before turning and catching Blake mid-stare.  Undisturbed, Yang grinned before turning back to the game.

Yang seemed to love learning about Faunus...in a way that implied genuine interest and respect for their culture.

The game moved fast, and the points racked up even faster.  After a few minutes of non-stop action, a pause was reached, and players on both teams gladly found their water bottles during the unofficial halftime.  Having been so busy observing Yang’s reactions, Blake hadn’t kept track of who was winning, but one of the teams must have reached one hundred points.

“Ben!” the tiger Faunus called out during the pause before waving Ben away from the sidelines.  “You’re up!”

The two then switched places beside Yang - the tiger breathing heavily from all the running he’d just done.

“Tony, by the way,” he said, giving them a tilt of the head while keeping his hands on his hips.  “You have any questions?”

“Uh, yeah,” Yang said, and glanced at Blake before smiling at the boy.  “Can I try?”

Blake’s ears flicked in surprise at the request, but Tony laughed.

“For sure!” he said before looking at Blake.  “You wanna try too?”

“Oh.”  Shaking her head at the offer, she gave a polite smile.  “I think I’ll stick to watching.”

“You sure?” he asked while Yang gave her an encouraging nod, but Blake held her ground and waved them off to the court.

“I’m sure.  Thank you.”

Shrugging off the decline, Tony led Yang to the middle of the court.  “Ronnie, dude, you’re out,” Ben said then, sending another Faunus to the sideline so Yang could play.

“‘K, so you probably want to shoot like this,” Ben instructed, demonstrating the motion with the ball.  Instead of shooting like a normal basketball, he swung his arm overhand with a slight twist at the end.  “If you put some spin on it, it’ll bounce away from the rim.”

“And try to tap the front of the rim,” someone else offered.  “The back half will send it into the board.”

“Uh, got it,” Yang said before looking around at the group of Faunus eager to teach her a new sport.  “You guys realize I haven’t played regular basketball since middle school, right?”

“Naw, you got this,” Tony replied with a smile.  “Plus, you’ve got me on your team - no way we lose.”  When he winked, his friends gave him a few playful shoves before moving into their starting positions.

Seeing how comfortable Yang was in a group of Faunus - male Faunus, of course - Blake considered taking her leave.  But...she had nothing important planned, and she was interested in seeing how this went.

So, instead of leaving, she took a seat on one of the benches and watched Yang set up with her team.  She wasn’t dressed for a game of Thunderball, but thankfully wore shoes that looked sturdy enough to hold up.  And after tying her long, blonde hair up in a ponytail, she signaled that she was ready.

The instant the ball went back into play, hectic energy started up again.  However, the boys took it easier on Yang.  Ben covered her, and moved at a slower pace while giving her hints as to where she should run to get open. 

The first pass she received, Ben motioned for her to shoot - which she did, trying to mimic the motion he showed her earlier.  The ball spun off her fingertips and...missed the backboard entirely.  

Laughing at the failure while the other team retrieved the ball, Yang ran back to play defense as soon as play started up again.  After the other team scored, Tony and the rest of Yang’s team made every attempt to get the ball back to her.  As soon as she caught another pass, she showed no hesitation lofting up another shot, with Ben making a half-hearted attempt to block it.  

Everyone watched the ball as it hit the backboard, but ricocheted off the rim before being picked up by the other team and ran the other way.  

Even though Yang shook her head, she didn’t stop smiling while chasing after Ben.  When he playfully tried to trip her with his tail, she made a grab for it, and they both laughed while jostling for position.  Then he caught a quick pass over the middle of the court, jumped, and launched the ball over Yang’s head.

More points for Ben’s team but, again, the other members of Yang’s team refused to shoot - opting instead to pass her the ball as much as possible.  With the ball in her hands around the traditional three-point mark, she tossed up another shot - and this one thudded off the backboard cleanly.  When the other team tried to follow up, Tony knocked the ball off course and it hit the rim, then the backboard before falling away.

Fifteen points.

While the boys cheered and gave Yang high fives, Blake couldn’t help but feel amazed at how quickly they accepted her into their midst.  Not only that, but they were going out of their way to make sure she had a good time.

She definitely was.  A smile refused to leave her lips as she ran up and down the court - alternatively chasing and being chased by a leopard Faunus who was enjoying himself as much as she was.  As a group, they were quick to laughter and playful jeers alike and, even though she wasn’t playing, Blake found that she was having an equally enjoyable time watching them.  They were out here having fun, playing a game, and enjoying the camaraderie and competition that came with it.

How many times had she walked past on the other side of the road but never bothered to stop and watch?

The game ended when Ben’s team made it to two hundred points first, but it hardly felt like anyone won or lost.  Slaps on the back and high fives were exchanged all around while a short break was silently agreed to.  

After each player offered Yang congratulations, she made her way back to Blake with a grin that threatened to break a record - which had already been set pretty high.

“That was so awesome,” she said, setting her hands on her hips and taking deep breaths but smiling all the same.  A sheen of perspiration ran along her forehead and down her neck, but it quickly evaporated in the cool night air.

“Looks like you were getting the hang of it there at the end.”

“Pretty sure they were taking it easy on me,” Yang replied with a laugh and turned to the side when Ben walked over to them, his long, spotted tail curling happily behind him.

“You’re a natural!” he exclaimed while giving Yang another high five.  “Wanna play another game?”

“Ah, thanks, but I should probably go.  Supposed to have dinner with my sister tonight.”

After looking briefly disappointed, Ben gave them both another smile and heading back to the Faunus, who looked ready to start another game.  “If you ever want to play again, we’re here pretty much every night,” he said while walking backwards away from them.  “Could always use another player!”

“You know, I’ll probably take you up on that sometime.”  

When he grinned at the response and waved, Yang waved back before turning to Blake.

“Ok, I’m sold.  I’ll talk to Sun tomorrow about what other sports there are to play.”

“You like it that much?” Blake asked, pleasantly surprised by how much Yang liked such an unconventional sport.

“Uh, yeah.  That was so much fun!”

“Yang!” someone shouted as soon as the two of them turned to leave.  Looking back, they found Tony pointing in Yang’s direction.  “You better come play again!” 

“I will!” Yang promised before chuckling to herself while she and Blake headed back the way they came.

“Seems like you made some new friends,” Blake commented as they walked away.  By this point, however, she shouldn’t be surprised by Faunus tripping over themselves to make a good impression on Yang.

“They’re cool guys.  It was nice of them to let me play.”

“Ben seemed to really like you.”  The moment Blake pointed out the obvious, she wished that she hadn’t.  It sounded almost envious when spoken aloud, but Yang’s response was a soft chuckle as they crossed the street together.

“Is it just me or did he have the most gorgeous eyes you’ve ever seen?”

“Oh, well, I guess…” Blake replied, the lack of enthusiastic agreement drawing Yang’s more vibrant lilac eyes her way.

And Yang looked in Blake’s eyes before turning away and mumbling, “Second most gorgeous,” towards the ground.  “Sorry for making you wait, by the way.”

Left wondering if that had been a compliment or not, Blake decided to do the same as Yang and brush past it.

“Don’t be sorry.  It was fun to watch.”

“Especially when I air-balled that shot, right?” 

“You’re lucky none of your little league coaches saw you do that,” Blake replied, and smiled when Yang laughed at the joke.

Realizing that the two of them had been standing on the sidewalk across from the park this entire time, Blake looked around while Yang glanced at her watch and made a noise of surprise when she saw what time it was.

“I should really get going,” she said before giving Blake an apologetic look.  “Ruby’s gonna starve if I don’t get some food to her soon.”

“Ok -”

While Blake was prepared to leave, Yang looked around with a concerned expression.

“Should I walk you home though?” she asked, possibly more to herself than to Blake.

“I think I’m going to run an errand first,” Blake cut in before Yang overthought it.  “But I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, of course.”  Fortunately, Yang didn’t press the matter while heading in the opposite direction with a wave.  “Thanks so much for showing me Thunderball - have a good night!”  

After watching Yang set off at a brisk pace, Blake turned and headed the other way.  What Yang didn’t know, and likely didn’t need to know, was that she’d already walked Blake almost all of the way home.  Not that it was intentional - it just happened to be the way Blake walked home and also where the park was.

Leaving work early had been more rewarding than expected.  If she’d stayed late again, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to walk with Yang or bring up Faunus sports.  She wouldn’t have had the opportunity to watch someone unexpected be welcomed into an after-hours game at the park.

Changing her schedule seemed to have positive impacts...

In a continuation of that theme, instead of ducking into her apartment building, she walked two blocks further.  On the left-hand side of the street was a small, family-owned hardware store.  From the hours listed on the door, they would close soon, but she made it there just in time.

“Can I help you?” an older gentleman asked as soon as she walked inside.  Reaching into her bag, she found her keys and pulled them out.  

“Can you make a copy of a key for me?” she asked, holding up the specific key she wanted copied.  Making a noise of acceptance, the man took her keyring and walked over to a large machine to do as requested.  After he turned on the motor, a loud rattling noise filled the tiny store.

“Just one?”  After sliding the key into the machine, he held up a blank silver key that it would be copied onto.

“Yes, please.”

Nodding, he set about making the copy - the sound of grinding metal echoing in the small space as he did so.  While waiting, Blake’s mind drifted over the evening, where the unfortunate catcalls at the restaurant had been washed away by Thunderball.

She’d always been proud of her heritage.  She’d always been proud of who Faunus were and what they’d accomplished regardless of what they’ve been through.  Tonight, she’d shared a bit of that heritage - a goofy sport with an origin that could be traced back to an act of prejudice.  

Sharing that little piece of their history with someone open and willing to give it a try was...emotionally satisfying.  Yang’s acceptance, in a way, confirmed that they weren’t just a group of outcasts coming up with a game because their nets had been cut down.  They weren’t just surviving with leftovers - in some cases, they thrived.  They came up with their own rights, their own rituals.  And it wasn’t all nonsense.  Some of it could be enjoyed by groups outside of their own.

“Here you go,” the man said, handing Blake her keys and the spare key before heading to the counter to ring up the bill.  Looking at the brand new key in her hand, she ran her finger along the crisp edge before dropping it into her bag and finding her wallet to pay.

Yang thought that Faunus were fascinating.  Blake hardly felt the same way about humans, but there was one human, in particular, that was more interesting than any of the others she’d met.

If Yang was willing to try out a new sport, then maybe Blake should be willing to try something new, too.  Like, for instance, trusting a human with a key to the office.