Winter crept slowly across the continent, with grey clouds and cold winds that chilled the air little by little. The trees of Vale changed from verdant green, to a spectrum of golds, reds, and browns, and finally shook their trappings and bore themselves nude for the cold months. They too took on the monochrome shades of the season, and soon the city came to a quiet crawl as the ground and rooftops took upon them a blanket of white snow.
The people of Vale still went about their daily business, only now they were a bit more sluggish, and they wrapped themselves on coats and hats. Here and there they moved, colored specks trudging across a white canvas, with hot drinks in hand and warm smiles spread across their faces. While most places saw a large decline in traffic as the majority of citizens elected to stay indoors with their heaters, some specific locations flourished, such as cafes, clothing boutiques, and dust mercantile stores. Burn was all the rage this time of year, naturally.
Far above the main streets of this winter wonderland, on a fortified hill, stood Beacon Academy; a noble and proud institution which trained only the finest warriors in the world to defend humanity from their greatest enemies. Even now, as the rest of the people of Vale calmed down and settled in for the cold months, the students and staff of Beacon worked tirelessly to perfect their art, so that at any moment at which they are called to action, they may be ready and able to stand valiantly before death itself, and fight back the encroaching darkness. Day in and day out they trained, studying the art of war and tactics while building trust in one another. For as we know, the greatest weapon mankind has to fight the beasts that lurk in the shadows is our strength through unity.
Jaune considered all this as he eagerly buried himself in Nora beneath the covers of his bunk. The covers created a wall of comforting warmth and darkness as they melded together; breathing each other's passionate exhalations which had begun encircling their heads. They both made generous amounts of noise in the form of pleasured moans and breaths, and now and then one pulled the other into a tender kiss which lasted for as long as either of them could stand not breathing. As usual, Nora brought her legs up and around Jaune, holding him as close as she could while still allowing his hips room to move, gyrate and thrust for her enjoyment. Jaune wrapped his own arms under and around Nora, holding her close as he explored her depths.
This position among others had become something of a routine between them. With each passing week, their appetites for one another's flesh grew stronger, and they quickly found themselves increasing the frequency of their unions from once a week, to once a day, to every moment they were alone together. Part of this sudden rise in quality time was Jaune's doing. The more comfortable he had become with Nora's body and her pleasures, the more he wished to experience her delighted face and writhing body before him. But the blame was not solely his. Nora too, had long since become disinterested in other forms of stimulation. Jaune's increasing skill in satisfying her had made toys and her own hands completely obsolete at granting her sweet release. And so, they became dependant on one another, though neither of them would have admitted it.
Once Nora felt herself coming to a climax, asking Jaune to make the last few strokes count, they had already become too engrossed in one another's fulfillment to notice the door to their own dorm room opening. From the hall Pyrrha entered, casually at first, but then panicked once she realized what was occurring, and what the neighbors might do if they overhead the noise. She slammed the door, startling Jaune enough to make him pull the covers back, and cutting Nora off from the grand finale she had desired when the two hunters had begun their regular reunion. Jaune, who had tensed at the sudden ruckus, relaxed when he realized it was only his teammate and mentor. Nora was not so relieved.
"Agh! You suck Pyrrha! I was so close!" Nora shouted, releasing Jaune from her grip. She let her arms and legs go limp to allow him freedom to move, but he was too shy to leave the safety of the blanket and allow Pyrrha to behold his lower half. Nora and Jaune watched as Pyrrha's face reddened in a volatile mixture of embarrassment and anger.
"Are you two insane!? What if someone else had seen you!?" Pyrrha stomped her foot on the ground, shaking the room just slightly. "Don't you care what people might say?"
"Well they're sure as heck gonna figure it out if you start yelling, cranky pants." Nora pulled her legs up, sliding them under Jaune and out from beneath the covers. Jaune lifted an arm to allow Nora to leave the bed. She emerged in her underwear, which Pyrrha was silently thankful for, and began pulling her clothes back on. "It doesn't matter. You killed the mood."
Pyrrha sighed, placing her hands on her hips as she attempted to regain her shattered composure. "I know you two are fond of each other, but you should really think about the reputation of our team before you go doing things like this." Pyrrha watched as Nora pulled on a loose shirt, and threw herself onto her own bed, kicking her feet up. Jaune was still nervously holding the covers of his bunk up to his chest to hide his shame.
"Pyrrha, I told you if you wanted to join in we'd be more than willing to make room in the bed for you." Nora teased.
"Y-you did what now?" Jaune was not adept at taking subtle cues, and had shamefully grown slightly excited by the thought of this. He focused on calming down as the girls spoke.
Pyrrha, who had now regained the red cheeks she had upon entering the room, shut her eyes and screamed internally. "I'm not trying to tell you not to do this sort of thing, but it's not healthy to do it so often. At least take breaks from one another now and again, if only so you appreciate it more." Her words were soft on the surface, but she hide within them a bit of sharpness.
"Are you sure? I taught Jaune pretty well, and now he can lick the chrome off a bumper." Nora said with a wide grin. Pyrrha's eyes did shift over to Jaune, still covered in his blankets, and her face found a way to grow even redder at the thought of his shock of blond hair between her thighs. She pushed the thought away quickly.
"Can you at least contain yourself long enough to go into town with me today? You promised we'd get Edgar Burgers again, remember?"
"Oh shoot! I almost forgot! No problem, let's go right now. I'm actually really starving for some reason." Nora hopped out of bed like a puppy at the sound of the treat box and began pulling on a warm sweater as well as some fur lined boots. "Stay here, Jaune; I'll be back for you when we're done. In fact, keep it warm for me." Nora dashed across the room, turning Pyrrha around and shoving her out the door. "You're a doll!" She exclaimed as she rushes out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.
Jaune sat quietly for a while, listening to the faint murmur of people in the hall, and watching the snowflakes coming to rest on the window-sill. He considered getting dressed, but when he lifted the blanket a bit to find some clothes, the sudden chill deterred him. He then considered settling in for a nap, but his nudity and the wet spot that had been created beneath where minutes ago he had been plunging himself into Nora made that unfavorable. He finally settled on doing as Nora asked, and priming himself for her return, though he did feel some shame in it.
Far away and sometime later, Nora Valkyrie and Pyrrha Nikos stood in line at their favorite sandwich stand. The line, although not as large as it has a tendency to be around noon, was long enough that Nora felt a sense of frustration strong enough to think it appropriate to stomp her feet and kick up snow as she and Pyrrha waited for their turn to order. Pyrrha tried to calm her, but lately she'd noticed Nora's temper getting the better of her.
"Stupid slow dumb stupid line! Nora needs food badly!" Nora shouted as she pelted an innocent pigeon with a snowball. It was sent tumbling, leaving behind only a few of its plumes. "Want eat! Want eat! Meat! Meat! Meat!"
"Nora, please, I'm sure he's working as fast as he can to fill the orders." Pyrrha said, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to bring her down from a ten to a five.
"But Pyrrha, I'm sooo hungry!" Nora turned, grabbing tightly onto Pyrrha's sweater and falling to her knees, almost taking the red-haired huntress to the ground with her. "My stomach hurts so baaad!" Pyrrha reached down and helps Nora to her feet, supporting her with one shoulder as she pat Nora's stomach with her free hand.
"Just be patient, we're almost to the front." Though Nora calmed down, Pyrrha noted her teary eyes and sudden loss of energy as she was forced to drag her a few feet every time the line moved.
When they finally reached the counter, the kind old man who ran the stand slapped two think meat patties onto his grill, sending out delicious sizzling as the fat of the beef was heated by direct contact with the black metal of the grill. At this, Nora perked up once more, and stood tall, peering over the list of selectable ingredients and condiments bolted to the side of the cart. Her mouth watered as she perused the list, and Pyrrha took it upon herself to save the old man some time by ordering first.
"I'll take one Edgar with cheese, onions, sauce, and lettuce. Oh, and a GavoGrape." The old man nodded happily, and reached beneath the grill to a hidden cooler, pulling from it a can of purple soda with a cartoon depiction of a grape cluster on the side, and their familiar slogan: 'People like Grapes!'
Pyrrha stepped aside to let Nora place her order, and she did with great joy and enthusiasm.
"I'll take one double-Edgar with pickles, relish, onion, sharp cheddar, provolone, swiss, mushroom, tomato, hot sauce, spinach, sardines, pineapple, guacamole, spicy mustard, green peppers, hummus, olives, bacon, turkey bacon, vegan bacon, bacon bits, a chicken patty, butter, butter lettuce, romaine, ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, paprika, black pepper, and ketchup. Oh, and a diet soda." The old man frantically scrambled to assemble the monstrosity Nora had commissioned, piling the ingredients high.
"Nora!" Pyrrha exclaimed, shocked at the magnitude and disgusting nature of Nora's order.
"I know, it's not good for you, but if I have too much sugar I'll be bouncing off the walls all night."
"No! Sir, just give her a deluxe, please. She doesn't know what she's talking about." The old man sighed in relief, scraping off the mountain of confused and pungent toppings from the beef patty. As he resumed his work, Pyrrha turned to her friend, who seemed to be mourning her lost meal. "What's gotten into you? Some of those things aren't even on the menu. Are you feeling alright?" Pyrrha reached a hand up to feel Nora's forehead for heat, comparing it to her own.
"I don't know. I just had a sudden craving and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Good thing you stopped me though. At one-fifty a topping I'd have been broke." The girls smiled at one another, but Pyrrha still felt a bit of concern for Nora's sudden drastic behaviors
As the two sat down at their usual bench to eat, Nora began savagely tearing into her sandwich, slowed down only by the need to bite and rip away the paper wrapped around it. She spat it away into the snow, and dug in without another word. Pyrrha opened her drink, taking a sip, then set it aside to unwrap her own burger. By the time she had gotten it open and taken an excited bite, savoring the warm, delicious juices of the meat as they burst forth in her mouth, Nora had already finishes hers, and tossed the wrapper over her shoulder.
"That was good. I'm gonna go order another one, back in a minute." Nora stood, dusting her hands off, and made for the back of the line. Pyrrha was just fast enough to reach out and grab Nora's sleeve before she got away.
"Nora wait! Sit down, please." Nora turned back, revealing frown and furrowed brow. Pyrrha was a little shocked by it, but set her surprise aside for Nora's sake. "You're acting very strange lately. Surely you've noticed. Talk to me, please?"
Nora pulled her arm away in anger.
"You don't get to judge my, Pyrrha! I know all about what you do and who you are! You think you're so pretty and perfect, but really you're afraid to even tell people when you're upset because it'll ruin your perfect, stupid image!" Pyrrha recoiled slowly, stunned, mouth agape. She felt a bit of pain in her chest as well, but whether it was for the truth of Nora's words or the tone of her voice was uncertain to her. However, upon seeing Pyrrha's wounded expression, Nora's eyes shifted, and became full of tears.
"Pyrrha! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Nora threw herself into Pyrrha's lap, knocking away Pyrrha's food as she pressed her face into her chest. "Oh my god, I didn't mean that, I didn't mean any of it I swear please don't be mad at me!" Pyrrha cautiously reached a hand around to pat Nora's back. Nora lifted her face, and Pyrrha could suddenly see tears streaming down her pink cheeks. "I'm so sorry! I love you so much, Pyrrha! You're always there for me and you never ask for anything back, pleasepleaseplease don't be mad at me!" Nora buried her face in Pyrrha's chest again, nuzzling it as she sobbed wildly, soaking Pyrrha's sweater with her fresh tears. Pyrrha held her, rocking back and forth as Nora sat in her lap, and thinking quietly to herself.
After a long while, Nora finally let up, but even then she refused to let go of Pyrrha. They sat alone, ignoring the eyes of passersby as Pyrrha did her best to comfort her passionate friend. Nora said nothing, and once or twice Pyrrha wondered if she had fallen asleep. As minutes turned to an hour, Pyrrha had finally come up with a course of action. She took Nora's chin between her fingers, and lifted her face to look her on the eye. Nora's eyes were red and swollen, and her nose was slightly dripping with snot. Pyrrha gave her a sweet smile, and Nora responded in kind.
"I'm going to run down the street to get something, Nora. Promise me you'll stay here and wait until I get back?" she said, in a soothing, motherly voice.
Nora merely nodded, smiling up at her and sniffling a bit. She then slid off Pyrrha's lap to let her up. As Pyrrha stood, she watched Nora wiping her eyes on her wooly sleeves, then took off at a light run. Nora watched her go for a while, then turned her attention to the pigeon she had hit with a snowball earlier, who had returned to feed on the scraps of Pyrrha's burger as it lie in the snow.
The bird pecked at the meat and buns, cooing softly as it ingested what was likely one of the finest meals it had ever managed to find. At first, Nora was somewhat calmed by it. She watched it hop in little circles around the burger, picking at it little by little. In time, she grew frustrated with it. She began to dislike the way it moved, and the way it seemed to be only choosing specific bits of the food to eat. She considered it ungrateful and selfish. This feeling ebbed as well. After, she felt compassion for the creature, which likely had nowhere warm to roost at night, when winter was harshest. She began to cry for it, thinking of it sitting cold and alone in an alley, huddled beneath a box for warmth. She wondered if it at least had friends to fly home too. A family who loved it, and cared for its safety. Nora began to feel lonely. She missed Ren, who had always been the most trusting and trustworthy person in her life. She missed the way he smiled, and the way he comforted her when she was upset, even when nobody else seemed to be able to notice. She missed Pyrrha, who understood her so well sometimes. She was always smiling with her, and always willing to be pulled along on whatever silly whim Nora got into her head. She missed Jaune, and his…generosity. As this thought crossed her mind, her thoughts flowed to the time she and Jaune had spent together that day, and how she still wanted that sweet moment of release only he seemed to be able to provide her anymore.
Pyrrha returned shortly, snapping Nora's thoughts from lewd fantasies to curious concern. Pyrrha breathed a bit heavily from the run, and held in her hand a white, plastic bag that bulged with something inside. Pyrrha reached in, and held out a pink box to Nora, who could only stare at it, stunned and afraid.
"Nora. Come on."
Back in the dorm room of JNPR, Jaune sat on the edge of his bunk, staring at the floor. Ren, who had returned some time ago, was reclining on his bed, reading a comic about witch girls, or some such. He wasn't very open about the things he enjoyed, and Jaune didn't feel right prying. Jaune himself had dressed shortly after Ren's arrival, and now stood in a long sleeve thermal shirt and pajama pants. His thoughts were mostly consumed by Nora as he remembered her from beneath the blankets, but he felt less than comfortable expressing that to Ren, and so the room was filled with near silence, save for the quiet turning of a page now and then.
As the two young men sat enjoying the peace, the door swung open slowly. Jaune and Ren both looked over to see Pyrrha and Nora quietly enter the room. It was eerily out of character for them. Pyrrha was holding onto Nora's shoulders, whispering something into her ear as Nora clutched something against her chest. Jaune felt the atmosphere in the room thicken, becoming as heavy as the snowdrifts outside as the girls crossed the room. He realized in a moment that they were coming directly toward him, and Nora's face was red and swollen, as if she had just been crying.
Jaune stood, taking a few quick steps forward, and Ren was not far behind, tossing his book aside to see what had happened. JPR circled around Nora, two out of concern, and one out of compassion. Nora began to sniffle again.
"Nora? Nora, what's wrong? Nora, please talk to me." Ren reached out, pulling Nora from Pyrrha's arms into a half hug. Jaune was silent, as he felt his heart sink into his stomach.
Nora sobbed a bit, but held back her tears as best she could. She looked up from the ground at Jaune, whose eyes were filled with worry and fear. She held out a clutched fist, and slowly opened it for Jaune to see. In it was a small, pink wand made from plastic, with a clear plastic cap on one end. Jaune stumbled back as he observed the red mark in the center. That red cross would forever remain burned into his mind from that day on.
