Richard POV
Me, my team, and team RWBY are walking through Vale. Alex, Arthur, and I take this opportunity to sight see, since John was the only one of us who had the chance to do so. Meanwhile team RWBY are heading to the docks, for some reason.
Weiss: The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!
Ruby: I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before Weiss.
Me: Yeah. It's kind of... unsettling.
Weiss turns to look at us.
Weiss: How could you not be happy?! A festival dedicated to the different cultures of the world! There'll be dances! Parades! A tournament!
If John, Alex, and Arthur had such events, our world would have been a much different place.
Weiss: Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!
Yang: You really can make a good thing sound boring.
Weiss: Quite, you!
We hear a horn sound. We look over and see a ship pulling into the docks.
Yang: Remind me why we're spending the afternoon on the stupid docks?
Ruby: Ugh, they smell like fish.
Weiss: I've heard that students from Vaccuo will be arriving by ship today. And as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom.
Blake: She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament.
She turns on Blake.
Weiss: You can't prove that!
Ruby: Whoah.
We turn and see a dust shop with broken windows, yellow tape, and police checking it out. The inside of it looked like it had been ransacked. We walk over to it and take a closer look.
Me: What happened here?
Cop #1: Robbery. Second Dust shop hit this week. Place is turning into a jungle.
The cop walks over to consult with his partner.
Yang: That's horrible.
Cop #2: They left all the money again!
Cop #1: Ah, it just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?
Cop #2: I don't know, an army?
Cop #1: You thinkin' the, uh... White Fang?
Cop #2: Yeah, I'm thinkin' we don't get paid enough.
He's right. A cop's pay is usually bogus. Which is insulting once you learn the amount of crap those guys have to go through. We walk a few feet away from the scene. I've heard of the White Fang. They're basically a bunch of terrorists. Though, unlike the terrorists on earth, I actually agree with their cause.
Their cause, not their methods. Faunus, from what I've heard, are treated... not the best. So, in order to obtain equal rights, these guys decided to use violence. However, there apparently was a time when the White Fang used... less aggressive methods.
Weiss: The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates.
Blake: What's your problem?
Weiss: My problem? I typically don't care for the criminally insane.
Me: Woah, that's a little uncalled for.
Weiss: "A little uncalled for"?!
Me: Look, I agree that the White Fang aren't the nicest individuals. If you were to put one in front of me, I'd berate them for their terrorist-like methods. But you can't deny that they have their reasons. Faunus aren't exactly treated well. What, they're not allowed to have the same rights as you and me because they have animal parts? That's like saying that Arthur can't have equal rights because his skin is a darker color.
Yes, I paid attention to the equal rights movement in high school.
Blake: They're just a collection of misguided Faunus.
Weiss: Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!
Blake: So then they're very misguided! Either way, it doesn't explain they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale.
Ruby: Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy that John and I ran into a few months ago.
John: Oh, yeah. He flew away in that flying machine with some woman. Maybe it was him?
They have a point... but even then, what would one man do with that much Dust?
Weiss: That doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal.
Alex: Yeah, well sometimes that's the only way you can survive!
Judging by the tone of his voice, Weiss probably struck a nerve. Of course, when you grew up in Chicago during the Great Depression, you would also have to do those things to get food on the table.
???: Hey, stop that Faunus!
We head back over to the docks and see a guy with a monkey tail being chased by the ship's crew. He manages to get away and hangs by the tail on a nearby lamp post. A cop comes down and probably tells him to get down. To which the Faunus replies by throwing a banana peel at him. He starts to run again, and passes us on the way.
Yang: Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes.
Weiss: Quick, we need to observe him!
We all run after the Faunus, until Weiss rounds a corner and bumps into a redhead girl, knocking them both down to the ground.
Weiss: No! He got away!
Does she not know that-
Yang: Uh, Weiss?
Weiss looks down at the girl, then gets up with a yelp.
Girl: Salutations!
... What?
Ruby: Um, hello.
Yang: Are you... okay?
Girl: I'm wonderful, thank you for asking.
Okay... and she's still on the ground.
Alex: Do you, uh... want to get up?
She thinks about it, then finally replies.
Girl: Yes.
Then she does a ninja recovery to get back on her feet. Team RWBY takes a step back.
Girl: My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!
Ruby: Hi, Penny. I'm Ruby.
John: John.
Weiss: Weiss.
Alex: Alex.
Blake: Blake.
Arthur: Arthur.
Me: Dick.
Arthur: Real name.
Me: Richard.
Yang: Are you sure you didn't hit your head?
I elbow her in the arm.
Yang: Oh, I'm Yang.
Penny: It's a pleasure to meet you!
Weiss: You already said that.
Penny:... So I did!
Weiss: Well, sorry for running into you.
Ruby/John: Take care, friend.
John looks at Ruby.
John: Stop that.
We continue walking down the street.
Yang: She was... weird.
Weiss: Now, where did that Faunus riffraff run off to?
Suddenly we stop, due to the sudden appearance from Penny.
Penny: What did you call me?
Yang: Oh, I'm really didn't think you heard me!
Penny: No, not you...
She walks up to Ruby and John.
Penny: You two. You two called me "friend". Am I really your friend?
John: I don't see why you can't be.
Penny starts to leap for joy.
Penny: Sensational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!
Me: Is this what it was like when you met Ruby?
Weiss: No, she seems far more coordinated.
Arthur: So, what are you doing in Vale?
Penny: I'm here to fight in the tournament!
Weiss: Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?
Penny: I'm combat ready!
Maybe for this world's combat. Nothing can ready you for a war on earth.
Weiss: Forgive me, but you hardly look the part.
Alex: Coming from the dame wearing a dress.
Weiss: It's a combat skirt.
Ruby: Yeah!
Then they high five.
Weiss: Wait a minute. If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey tailed rapscallion?
Penny: The who?
Weiss pulls out a terrible drawing of the monkey Faunus.
Weiss: The filthy Faunus from the boat!
Blake: Why do you keep saying that?!
Weiss: What?!
Blake: Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!
Weiss: Oh, I'm sorry! Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can?! Or the lamp post as a lamp post?!
Blake: Stop it!
Weiss: Stop what?! He clearly broke the law! Give him time, and he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!
Me: She is not gonna let that go, is she?
Arthur: Highly doubtful.
Blake: Ugh! You ignorant little brat!
Weiss: How dare you talk to me like that! I'm your teammate!
Blake: You are a judgmental little girl!
Weiss: What in the world makes you say that!?
Blake: The fact that you believe he's going to join a terrorist group makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!
Weiss: So you admit it! The White Fang is just a radical bunch of terrorists!
Blake: That's not what I meant and you know it!
Time skip
Weiss: I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!
Blake: That is the problem!
We're sitting in team RWBY's room. Why? We have no damn clue. But it was the biggest mistake we ever made. I'm just barely holding on to my sanity, John is covering his ears with pillows, and Alex is smashing his head into the table. Arthur peaced out half an hour ago. A smart idea, as it turns out. These two have been fighting all. Damn. Day.
Weiss: You realize that you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you?! The faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!
Blake: There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate humanity so much?! It's because of people like Cardin! People like you, who force the White Fang into taking such drastic measures!
Weiss: People like me?!
Blake: You're discriminatory!
Weiss: I'm a victim!
She turns to the window and looks at the city.
Weiss: You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War. As in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear. Board members, executed. And every day, my father would come home furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood.
Ruby walks up to talk to Weiss.
Ruby: Weiss-
Weiss: No! You want to know why I despise the White Fang?! It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!
Blake: WELL MAYBE WE WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!!!
"We"? Wait a minute...
Me: Blake?
Before anyone else can say anything, she runs out of the room.
Third Person POV
Blake runs to the courtyard with tears in her eyes. She stops when she sees Arthur standing at the statue in the middle of campus with a lit cigarette between his fingers.
Arthur: It's a shame how you faunus are treated.
Blake: A-Arthur? You... knew?
Arthur: I saw your bow twitch from time to time.
He puts the cigarette in his mouth.
Arthur: I'm no stranger to discrimination. I know it's hard to deal with.
He takes the cigarette back out of his mouth and blows a puff of smoke.
Arthur: I know you want be alone right now. I know you don't want me to tell them where you're going... so I'll do you one better. I'll walk in the opposite direction and pay no attention to where you're going.
He starts to walk off, then Blake asks him one last question.
Blake: Wait! What do you mean "you're no stranger to discrimination"?
Arthur sighs.
Arthur: I have a premonition that you'll find that out the hard way.
Then he walks off. Blake looks at the statue, then takes her bow off, revealing the cat ears underneath.
???: I knew you'd look better without the bow.