Chapter 2: Just how much did our talk change things?
Nora froze.
Well, not literally, and barely even figuratively, since she only did that deer-in-headlights thing for a few seconds. However, it was still a good way to describe how she reacted the moment she saw Ren, standing at the doorway with a worried expression on his face.
That part hurt the most, really. The last thing she wanted to do was to worry Ren, but the Valkyrie just wasn't prepared to talk with him yet. Even if he deserved to know...
"Nora..." His voice was the same as always. Soft-spoken and concerned, with that tone of understanding and kindness that had always made Ren... Ren. Which was why it hurt so much to keep quiet about this. It's not like she didn't want to tell her bestest friend, it's just that she just didn't know how to tell him. After all, Nora knew how crazy her entire situation sounded, what with having shoulder people who argued with each other, drank coffee, and detonated her grenades.
At best, Ren would end up worrying about her, trying to help her cope, like how he always does... But Nora knew that things didn't always turn out for the best. The little Valkyrie was worried about what'd happen in the worst case. After all, if this was what caused Ren to... No. She didn't want to think about it anymore. The last thing Nora wanted was for them to drift apart, especially because of something as silly as this.
So she had to keep quiet!
Nora resolved herself, standing ramrod straight as she gripped Magnhild tightly, her eyes instantly focusing on an empty spot in the air, as she began pondering her options. Of course, this meant that she missed the tired sigh of her friend, who had long since learned to recognize these little plotting sessions of hers.
But onto more important matters! How would she keep quiet about this? Ren was right there, and if she knew her friend, she knew that she'd somehow be spilling the beans in a guilt-ridden mass of tears before he even got a chance to ask her a question. Part of Ren's devious wiles, really.
And as humourous as her mind made that out to be, she knew it was true. Ren... always knew what to say to her. How to act. No matter what bothered her, he could always draw out her darkest insecurities, slowly work them out, and resolve it so it didn't bother her anymore. This was part of the reason why she felt bad for keeping things from him, since her best friend always how help her feel better. Which made her guilty for keeping them from her in the first place.
But this time, she couldn't tell Ren about this, no matter how much she wanted to. It was different, this time.
Which was why she couldn't allow herself to be defeated here! Nora shook her head, earning a curious glance from her best friend. A glance that she had missed, as the rest of her body initiated her fight-or-flight instincts, kicking them into gear as the orange-haired hammerwielder tried to figure out exactly how she was supposed to escape. Fight? Or flight?
Well, first of all, she couldn't "flight", because she's a person and people can't fly, silly. Although things would be so much easier if she could, whether they're day-to-day things or her future-huntsman-things! But that was for later; for now, that meant she had to fight.
But what did she have to fight?
She could never fight Ren, especially since he was concerned about her safety. And because he was Ren, and they had been through so much together. So, logically, that meant she was supposed to fight something else instead. Nora's eyes glanced around the bathroom, moving from the drab hotel towel thing to the fancy countertop. Her attention drifted from the sink to the shower to the... wall. Yes, the wall! If she fights the wall, she'll make her own exit! And then she'll be able to run away befo-
"Nora, whatever you're thinking about... Please no."
Ren's voice instantly snapped the girl from her thoughts. Just like that, his voice broke down what resistance she had, and the girl was left with her worries, resigning herself to her fate. A part of her wanted to be playfully defiant to the end, and the Valkyrie flashed a sorta-playful half-pout to the green gunman as her eyes met his.
"Now... Do you want to tell me what it's all about?"
Nora's shoulders slumped as she lowered her head, the sight of his concerned face sealing the deal as she felt her chest tighten. There was no way she'd be worming out of this, even if Ren ends up saying that she didn't actually need to talk about it. So, rather than wallowing in doubt and confusion, she had no choice but to tell him the whole truth.
"Err... Promise you won't be upset at me?" Of course, she knew Ren wouldn't be upset, but Nora couldn't even properly voice her fear of Ren seeing her as crazy. Yet, it seemed like Ren sensed even that little hesitation as his eyes softened, giving the her a nod and a reassuring smile as his posture relaxed.
"Okay. Well... it started about two months ago, after we qualified for Beacon..."
Barely two minutes had passed by the time Nora Valkyrie had finished her story. She could see the surprise on her friend's face, since the entire tale was far shorter than its seriousness would've suggested. Yet, there was nothing the orange-haired girl could do about that, since she was just as lost as her partner was, only able to tell things from her limited perspective. And unfortunately, the two others had been exceedingly tight-lipped on the manner, so her retelling ended up seeming more like a hazy half-dream than an actual story.
But that wasn't her fault! There were only so many ways you could say 'They exploded in one day, started saying that I shouldn't panic, and then stuck around since', and she had even tried to be eloquent about it! At the very least, she tried to inform Ren that the subsequent grenade detonations that day weren't on purpose, and that she had just been surprised by the appearance of foot-tall mystery people.
"I liked my version better."
The voice of one such shoulder person, the man who had a strange obsession to coffee, broke Nora from her thoughts. Her gaze immediately turned away from Ren, an action that her friend undoubtedly, as the Valkyrie's turquoise eyes fell to the source. As always, the man had appeared suddenly on her shoulder, his arrival signified by a single poof of light smoke and cog-shaped clouds...
Which wasn't normal in the slightest, she realized. But, before she could comment on the new visual effect, another poof made its presence known, her other shoulder exploding in a harmless puff of fire.
"Oh please, Ozpin. Your version's embellished, and glosses over far too many important details that you simply wished to see swept away." The black-haired beauty scoffed as she made her entrance, ignoring Nora's confused glance as she threw a glare towards her counterpart.
The miniature Ozpin, for the most part, gave no heed to the woman's barbs, ignoring them in favour of his own critique as he took a sip from his coffee cup. "And your particular story skirts the line between dramatic, idealistic, and terribly short sighted, Miss Fall. A bit surprising, considering your position and previous experiences, wouldn't you say?"
Nora flinched at the ensuing argument, as miniature puffs of fire arced over her shoulders, aimed squarely at the green-suited man. They hit, of course, but not before the man ... split? himself apart, leaving behind something that caught the fire, exploding in a puff of coffee-scented smoke. It was... weird, especially since she had never seen anything like that before, and the Valkyrie could even begin to question what that meant. Fire was easy understand; whatever Ozman did was not.
But, before she could question that further, the sound of her friend's voice snapped her from her thoughts, drowning out the complaints of the little red lady and her comments about 'new powers' or something.
"Nora... I want you to tell me the truth..."
Nora's chest tightened, her heart nearly stopping at the words. Did this mean that he didn't believe her? That he thought that she was crazy, and that there was no hope for her? The girl's face visibly paled, her shoulders slackening as she released Magnhild, paying no attention to the warhammer as it collapsed with a thud. If Ren didn't believe her, and she just ruined her chances of ever sticking by him again, the-
"Nora, please, calm down. I just want to be sure that you didn't dream it... That you truly believe it's something happening to you."
Was... was that better? The Valkyrie honestly didn't know, so she kept herself quiet, her eyes gazing off into the distance as she slowly began to nod. Nora didn't trust herself with actually talking now, her voice caught at her throat as she tried not to stare at Ren, unable to bring herself to see whether he honestly believed her, or he honestly didn't.
"I see..."
His voice was quiet, barely audible in the air, a stark contrast to the growing melee that the shoulder people had engulfed themselves within. Nora paid no attention to the bursts of flame and shrapnel, nor the frustrated yells of the two shoulder people, barely registering the male voice lamenting over fallen coffee. Instead, she closed her eyes, her head drooping as she waited for her best friend's judgement.
It came in the form of a hug.
Her eyes shot open as she turned to Ren, not quite sure of what to make of it, even as she began to lose herself to the feeling of his arms wrapped around her. It wasn't the first time he had done this, and instantly, the Valkyrie leaned herself against her friend, the familiar comfort taking her senses as she hugged him back.
"Listen Nora. I know you aren't the type to joke about something this serious... And I've also noticed a few... odd things around. So please, don't worry. I believe you."
For that singular moment, Nora Valkyrie was no longer a worried teenager at the end of her ropes, but a simple little girl, capable of only a beaming smile as her arms tightened around Ren. She didn't even mind the sudden quip by the shoulder person, as one voice threw its words at the other.
"I believe you owe me 5 Lien."
"...Hmm."
Now that she wasn't worrying about her best friend anymore, Nora Valkyrie slipped back into her usual excited self, playfully hopping about as they began packing their stuff. At least, Renny did. The only thing Nora had to pack was a bag or two of her bare essentials, and she had already stored them in an easy-to-carry pile.
"I understand that you possess a great deal of strength, Miss Valkyrie, but surely you see the benefits in utilizing a more... efficient packing method?"
Easy. To. Carry.
And no tiny coffee-addict was going to tell her otherwise. Nora crossed her arms, giving a huff to the green-suited man, ignoring him as the girl turned her sights to... The clock! Yes! It's important to tell the time, especially since her little outburst earlier had occurred so early in the morning. It seemed that her sprinting and door-slamming had caught the attention of hotel management, and she had ended up receiving a lecture about keeping track of time. Courtesy of Ren, since he's the best.
"As you wish, Miss Valkyrie." The tiny green man gave a sigh, his voice tired and drawn out, and Nora could almost hear the eye-rolling as he began sipping at his cup.
It seemed that the man had finally given up trying to change perfection. Nora smiled to herself as she bundled her stuff into a pile, slowly forcing her luggage into one singular point, as she went through the arduous task of packing everything into her luggage container. Her singular, much-smaller-than-the-pile luggage container. Of course, this was something most people thought abnormal, and that observation seemed to hold true for tiny advisers as well.
"How is she... ?"
The fancy-dressed woman chose this moment to appear, another puff of smoke signalling her entrance as she stood beside the mini Ozpin. From the corner of her eye, Nora noticed that the Fall lady had acquired a tiny comb from... somewhere, the tiny woman's actions pausing for just a moment. She quickly recovered, though, and by the time Nora had fit her weights into her bag, Cinder had resumed brushing her hair.
"Ah, yes. I forgot that you weren't around when she packed last time."
"That still doesn't explain how..."
For his part, the rude little man ignored his friend's question as he sipped loudly at his cup instead, paying no attention to the people around him. At least he wasn't spilling the coffee this time. The last time he drank his annoying stuff, it had been on top of Magnhild, and the last thing Nora needed was to clean miniature coffee stains...
"Hey! Why do you two keep sitting on that?"
Nora scrambled to her feet, making her way over to her weapon as she glared down at the two. Once again, the two shoulder people were seated on Magnhild, her weapon once again propped up against the wall. And, once again, the two ignored her, the man giving her a noncommittal shrug while the woman settled her attention on her hair. So, rather than deal with it, Nora grabbed her weapon, shifting it back to its launcher form as she fixed it behind her back.
As always, the moment she reached for her weapon, the two shoulder people disappeared, poofing back onto her actual shoulders before she could do anything to them; Another part of the confusion that she didn't understand, really, but she had accepted it long ago. Instead, she gave the two a glare, starting with the little green coffee gremlin as her eyes bore down on him. It seemed to have its usual effect of doing absolutely nothing to the tiny man, as Ozpin didn't even acknowledge her, his eyes focused on something in the distance.
Out of curiosity, she followed his gaze, and her attention soon found itself attached to the digital display that was fixed to the wall. Nora's eyes didn't leave the clock, squinting a bit as she read the time. There was... something odd about it, and she simply had to ask her friend a question.
"Hey Renny?"
"Yes Nora?"
"What time was our plane thing supposed to be?"
She slowly turned her head from the clock to her friend, her curiosity matching his... not-curiosity. Well, maybe not matching, but she did spot a brief flicker of surprise as he continued packing, a quick flash that paused his motions for just a few moments. That soon disappeared, but it gave way to another expression as he closed his eyes. Ren was silent for a few moments, letting out a tired sigh before finally opening them.
"... 7:50. Why?"
"Oh. Well..."
Nora paused, not quite sure what to say to her friend. She was definitely certain that the time was... something sorta related to that? But she wanted to check the clock again to be sure, and her eyes flickered nervously between Ren and the display.
"... It's 8 o'clock, isn't it?"
"Uhm... 8:49, actually..."
There was another brief moment of silence, as the two teenagers slowly stared at one another, then at the clock. It took another few seconds before they found their eyes on each other again, as realization hit.
8:49 changed to 8:50, and the room was suddenly left empty, the two teenagers having left people-shaped dust clouds in their wake.
