Originally I had a long piece here about how we need to band together to report and stop Challenge fics, which are appearing in archives, including the RWBY Crossover ones. I'm worried about them coming into the main archive and clogging them up... but I suppose I will raise the issue if it ever arrives. For now I'll just say, if you see any, chances are I have reported them for being against the rules, could you please join me in doing so, using the "Actions" button at the bottom of a challenge fic. We don't want our story lists to be replaced by 400 word challenges that are updated every day so they always are near the top =/
So here is chapter 10, which deals with some emotions of the characters, as well as raising a rather important plot point in the relationship between Jaune and Blake. I hope if you have any concerns about the chapter, you'll read the note at the end which as usual explains some of my reasons.
Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquill
Chapter 10
Blake crossed her arms under her breasts, leaning back on the uncomfortable headboard of the bed as she sighed bitterly to herself. Six hours. That was how long she had been alone for. With nothing more than her scroll for company, and the occasional uncaring queries from the medical staff as to her wellbeing.
She had hours ago come to the conclusion that she despised being alone. Something which had come as a surprise to her, considering how before coming to Beacon she had often found solace in a quiet corner and a book. Now though she had adapted to require a certain level of human interaction, and the sudden lack of it was stifling. Even when she read her books now, it was always with the dull thrum of conversation in the library, or the boisterous banter of her teammates at the dinner table.
She'd woken up that morning around eight, quickly flying into a stressed panic upon discovering a plastic tube travelling up her nose and down her throat. She was a little embarrassed that she hadn't calmed down until they'd slowly removed it – and what a nausea inducing feeling that had been. But still, you just didn't expect to wake up to find that inside you. Either way, it was gone for now, and if she had her way it would never be coming anywhere near her again.
Her team had come by an hour later to bring her breakfast and chat with her for an hour, before they were drawn off to attend lessons. The nurses had refused to let her go along with them, no matter how well she assured them she felt. So she'd been abandoned to sit here alone until classes ended and someone came along to rescue her from death by boredom.
A small part of her mind cautioned that she shouldn't be so hasty, that she had been lucky to get away with such little damage – especially when it was her lung which was damaged. Apparently there had been a serious risk of her right lung collapsing due to the air trapped inside it. To then survive being trapped alone in a forest was nothing short of miraculous. She should be savouring her life right now, even the boredom.
But emotions didn't work like that! She was bored, cranky and stiff and if something didn't change to improve that situation then the next nurse to ask if she was okay was going to get their eyes scratched out.
So instead she waited; half-sat up on her bed, arms crossed beneath her breasts. Lips pressed into a thin, displeased frown. And eyes narrowed in silent warning.
I am not sulking. I am in silent protest. She assured herself internally as a vindictive thrill went through her body at seeing a persistent medical staff member change direction to avoid talking with her.
"Er… is this a bad time?" A familiar voice hesitantly queried from a few metres away, causing her amber eyes to snap from the fleeing nurse to lock onto the blonde who had somehow snuck up on her. "I can come back later?" Her eyes widened.
"No!" She shouted out, louder than she intended to, which caused him to jump back almost in fear. Her cheeks darkened a little as she coughed into her fist and adopted a more normal expression. "I mean, no. Now is good."
"Okay?" Jaune hedged uncertainly as he moved a few steps closer. Blake sighed as she rolled her head back in embarrassment at having shown such an uncharacteristic outburst.
"Sorry, I'm just bored." She apologised with a small shrug of one shoulder. "Very bored. So please don't leave, I need any distraction I can get right now."
"Yeah I remember feeling the same." He cheered up a little, but still seemed a little awkward, which was strange. Weren't they beyond this point already? She had thought they had become closer since their little diversion at Elgard. "Actually I… err, the reason I came was to return the favour."
"Favour?" She asked with a confused expression, but Jaune was already digging around in his backpack and seemingly hadn't heard her question. A few seconds of rummaging later he drew his arm out with a leather-bound tome in hand. "A book!" Blake gasped, before feeling incredibly stupid for that obvious comment. But really, she had been stuck with nothing to do for over eight hours… Yang had promised this morning that she would get her something to read after classes, but that had still left her without reading material through the main part of the day.
"Yeah, I didn't come see you this morning because I wanted to find a book you might like in the library. I don't have any books of my own here and wanted to find a good one."
Despite herself, Blake couldn't help but feel a rush of affection for the man at those words. A more objective and cynical part of her mind commented that coming to see his injured friend was actually the sweeter thing to do… But he had instead spent the morning looking for good literature for her. Somehow that was better in her mind. Sympathy could go jump off a bridge.
"You are my favourite blonde right now." She instead joked as she leaned forward to accept the book from his hands. The brown leather was dappled and damaged, showing great use; a sign of a good book in her mind. The title was simple - Legend.
"Uh… thanks." Jaune blushed as he pulled his hands back to scratch the back of his head. "But considering the only other blonde you know is Yang, I'm not sure how much of a compliment that is."
Ah, there's that sense of humour again. Blake thought to herself as she smiled in amusement with him. It certainly seemed like he was going back to his old ways; nervous, uncertain and well… annoying. But there were definitely still signs of the sarcastic humour he had shown when they were trapped in that tree. No one appreciated sarcasm as much as Blake Belladonna.
Still… it was strange to see him acting this nervous again. She had honestly thought the sights they had seen at Elgard would have changed him, or at the very least he would have retained some of the confidence he showed when he was leading them. Instead he had been out of her sight for not even a day, and he was back to old habits.
"So, you and the others have gone back to classes? Yang told me we would have time off." Maybe he just needed to get into a conversation to calm down.
"Ugh... Yeah." Jaune huffed as he leaned back on a seat next to her bed. "I guess we all wanted the time off, but then Weiss wanted to not fall behind. And Pyrrha said the lessons could save our lives… then I think Yang got protective and said they should train or go to lessons." His face was piqued with distress as he recalled this, and she couldn't help but laugh softly as she imagined each of them slowly coming round in turn. No doubt both Jaune and Ren had just sighed in defeat and followed the rest.
"And it snowballed from there?" She guessed, as he nodded in return. She supposed with her inside knowledge she could see how it had happened too. Weiss was easy enough to see, and Pyrrha was a champion – you didn't become that without being competitive, plus she wanted Jaune to do well. With what Yang had seen and experienced at Elgard, she was probably very keen to whip Ruby and herself into shape. Nora… well Nora would be all for anything that beat actually relaxing…
"Yeah… not even a single day holiday. What the Hell? Don't tell Pyrrha I said that though."
"Naturally." She grinned back as he stiffened in his seat and looked about to see if the redheaded taskmaster had actually heard him. "Has she started training you again, yet?" She hoped not… they all needed to get a good night's sleep, and Jaune had been without sleep for as long as she had. Though he hadn't been anaesthetised like a damn animal.
"We're doing some sparring tonight… I don't think I'll be able to beat her though…"
"I'm sure you can. I've seen you fight." Blake urged as she regarded him as he fidgeted nervously next to her bed. From what she had seen at Elgard, Jaune had been easily as competent as Pyrrha herself was. Certainly not as skilled as she was, considering she was a renowned champion who was competent in three different weapons and methods of attack…
But he made up for it in other ways. His strength was far superior, considering that she had seen him turn aside blows from Ursa, and even stagger them by striking with his shield. That had to require some serious upper body strength. What's more his stamina seemed to be incredible, considering how long he had been fighting for…. And that he could continue doing so after they had crashed.
If he played to those strengths, then she was sure he could give Pyrrha a run for her money… maybe even beat her if he caught her off guard, or just worked to outlast her. Wear her down or something.
"Yeah… it's just… I don't know." He shrugged helplessly as he looked at her and she simply smiled it away, despite the curiosity she was actually feeling. Maybe she should pay some attention to the next time Miss Goodwitch had them spar. If his combat prowess was something that was making him unconfident then she supposed she could put some effort into fixing it. Perhaps that would go some way to changing him a little for the better too.
"I suppose you can only try your best." She offered as a rather empty platitude, before her eyes narrowed suddenly, sensing an opportunity. "Never mind that though… while you're here how about you help me go get some food from the cafeteria?" As expected he perked up at the idea, before seeming to freeze and look at her uncertainly.
"I'm not sure you're supposed to leave here…" He hedged, and she did her best to smother the sudden flash of annoyance which almost overtook her. Damn, he'd noticed that.
"I'm almost as good as recovered; a short walk and some food would be good for my recovery. Don't you agree?" She leaned forward and laid a hand on his wrist as she said this, offering him a small smile in an attempt to sway his answer.
"I'm not sure…" Jaune fidgeted in his seat as her eyebrows twitched. Gods, couldn't he just make a decision already?
"Come on Jaune, the nurses think I'll be free to leave tomorrow. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Freeze! This is the police!" A voice exclaimed suddenly from the door to the room, causing Jaune to leap up from his seat in a panic, even as Blake let out a suffering sigh and turned towards the door. Her blonde partner stood there, hand outstretched with two fingers pointing towards Blake like a gun. "Nobody move!"
"Yang…" Blake groaned with a distressed expression on her face. But the blonde ignored her and instead wandered over to Jaune.
"The prisoner goes nowhere Private Arc, and until she's released from here you don't give in to her flirtations." The blonde boy blushed, gulped and tried to protest in one movement, leaving him coughing for air, even as Blake rolled her eyes.
"Damn it Yang…" She protested as the taller girl settle down into the now vacated seat by her bed. Flirtations… really? Was touching a man's arm and smiling now considered flirting? Well, actually, yes she supposed it was. But in the case of trying to gain her freedom she preferred the term "manipulation."
"I'd best go then… err… see you tomorrow I guess Blake." The male blonde coughed out before practically fleeing the room, Yang's mocking laughter following after him.
"Sheesh, you'd think he was the rabbit instead of Velvet, from how he acts." She quipped as she wiggled her eyebrows at Blake. "I wonder if that says something about you, being a cat and all."
"Hardly." Blake sighed as she ignored the innuendo in the words. "But the rabbit comparison is apt enough."
"Hmm… and you trying to flirt your way to freedom. I am so proud right now."
"Glad to know my desperation amuses you." She sighed back as her head rolled back against the headboard again. Despite the action she was pleased to have Yang here, even if it was just to be the butt of her teasing. Anything was better than sitting alone all day.
"Desperate would be a good choice of words, I've no idea what Rubes and P-money see in the guy." The blonde made an expression of mild distaste after she said the words, and for a moment Blake felt an overpowering urge to defend him. Her eyes narrowed as she considered the emotion, before rationalising it away. Jaune was her friend now, so it was natural to want to defend him. Either way, she knew Yang didn't mean what she had said in an offensive manner.
"I'm not sure about Ruby, but part of me thinks Pyrrha's attraction does actually stem from desperation." She instead responded.
"Hmm… go on." Yang urged when she didn't continue. Blake nodded and paused to collect her thoughts before offering her theory.
"It seems to me that Pyrrha enjoys it when people treat her normally, probably due to her life as a celebrity figure. If you remember, Weiss was complaining how Jaune didn't even know who Pyrrha Nikos was." Though Weiss' indignation had mostly come from the fact that Jaune Arc didn't know who she was.
"So Pyrrha likes him because he's the only guy who treats her like a normal person? Awkward, but it makes sense… actually it makes a scary amount of sense if you consider how she acts, and how they ended up being partnered together." Blake nodded in agreement. Pyrrha had literally chosen him, and ensured they would be partners based on nothing more than a single conversation between the two of them. No one made a decision that would affect them over the next four years in a single instant… not unless they were desperate that is.
"It's actually pretty grim now that I think of it like that." Yang complained with an uncomfortable expression on her face. "I'm not sure if I should feel sorry for P-money or Jaune himself."
"I don't think it's that bad anymore." Blake offered with a shrug. "It may have been pure desperation that made her take the risk, but they get along well and the whole team is best friends. I'm sure Pyrrha has found better reasons to desire him now." Blake didn't like to use the word "love," mostly because she thought it weird when people suggested they could fall in love so quickly. Love was meant to be an incredible feeling, and very rare, if her books were to be believed. Not something you just assigned to the first person to catch your eye… it was almost as if people reduced its value.
"Yeah, you're probably right. I mean he's a good guy, I get that. Not bad looking, if a little scruffy. Okay body, at least he's tall…" Blake wanted to laugh at the expression on Yang's face, it was the look of a person who was desperately trying to compliment a meal that was making them sick thinking of it.
"But his personality?" Blake finished with an understanding smile, even as Yang slumped in her seat.
"Yeah… I mean he has a good personality too, friendly, nice, loyal, generous I guess. Definitely not selfish or arrogant like some other guys. But he's just got like… no edge." The blonde looked as though she was trying to find the right words to explain what she meant, hands waving around dramatically. "He's like a teddy bear. All love and kindness, but I couldn't ever date a teddy bear."
"A teddy bear!?" Blake laughed softly as she considered the image of a Jaune sized teddy bear with a sword and shield. "I do understand what you mean though, he's just a really nice guy, but there isn't anything to grab your attention. Or attraction."
"Exactly!" Yang agreed with a grin. "Y'know, I was fairly sure you were into him as well. I think P-money still thinks you are."
"And whose fault is that?" Blake replied as she looked at Yang out of the corner of her eyes, a flat expression on her face. Yang shrugged unapologetically. "Why did you think I was interested in that way? Beyond just teasing me for the sake of it I mean."
"Hey…" Yang jokingly complained, before putting a hand beneath her chin in thought. "I think it was just because of how much effort you were putting into him. I know he saved your life, so you giving him a book to read was fair enough. But the whole Elgard thing, then being willing to be his confidante if he needed help and all that. That's a lot of effort to just put into a friend you're not even close with."
"I suppose…" Blake accepted as she crossed her arms once more. "The book thing… well he liked my book, so we talked about it a little. It's nice to find someone who likes books like I do. As for Elgard… maybe it was sympathy or pity, I don't know. I would have done the same for you if I thought you needed it."
"Aww Blakey." Yang cooed as she gave the bedridden faunus a soft hug. Blake lightly patted the back of Yang's shoulder. "Is this the part where we make out?"
"Back off tiger." Blake smiled as she pushed the blonde away, giggling slightly at the pervy look on her face as she made over-the-top kissy motions.
"I have to wonder though… you looked kinda frustrated with Jaune back there, he seemed to be acting normally though. So what was the issue?"
Blake sighed at the words, feeling a little uncomfortable, but knowing that if Yang had noticed then she wouldn't be able to avoid the issue.
"Well… it's like you said, his lack of confidence and general panicked attitude is kind of annoying when you're trying to have a conversation with him." It wasn't an issue when he was talking with other people or she was listening to him having a conversation already. But when you were trying to actually one-on-one talk to him, it was awkward to have him not meet your eyes or look like he was always hiding something. Let alone that he almost forced you to make every line of dialogue yourself.
"Yeah, but that's how he's always been. And you've been able to chat with him quite a bit recently."
"That's just it though." Blake argued as she leaned forward in her bed. "He hasn't been like that."
"Eh, really?"
"Absolutely." Blake nodded, making sure to keep her eyes locked on Yang's. "You remember when we were in that basement? He was straight to the point, no stammering, no panic. He took control and even went so far as to order us."
"Yeah, but that was a pretty traumatic situation. You can't expect him to act normally when he sees that."
"True. But even after that, all through the mission and the fighting he was confident and clear, he made good decisions and was a proper leader." He'd also been a confident combatant, relying on good instincts and his training to defend and attack with equal ability. He was definitely strong enough to be a confident person, so it was annoying, maybe even galling, to see him go back to this manner.
"I'll have to take your word for it, I was holding the other side with P-money and Ren. How was he when you were stranded?"
"The same." She sighed out. "He wasn't afraid to take command, he was willing to argue and even shout at me if it was necessary. He even cracked jokes and was sarcastic about what was going on. He was good company, enjoyable even."
"You liked it?" Yang teased with a dirty leer on her face, while Blake laughed and shook her head.
"I meant it was good in that situation. He kept our spirits up, if he'd been useless and weak-willed out there I think we both would have died. Instead he made a plan, stuck to it and fought off some Grimm single-handedly."
"Damn… was he assertive?" Yang asked, and Blake nodded in agreement. "Confident?" Another nod. "Huh… that actually sounds pretty hot. If only he did that normally."
"That's my point." Blake complained, glad that Yang could understand where she was coming from. "He was a good conversationalist, interesting and fun to be around. I became closer friends with that side of him, and to see him go back to this? It's not that I hate Jaune or anything, but it's annoying to see him act so uncertain… he acts like some kind of comic relief character from a B-rate movie."
Yang burst out laughing at the words, rocking in her chair for a few moments before wiping her eyes.
"Comic relief, that's awesome." She whispered. "But yeah I see your point, that Jaune sounds more up my alley too. Maybe he has split personalities."
"I doubt anything that contrived." Blake sighed. "More likely he just acts more professionally on missions, but I liked that professional side of him more than his typical idiot personality. So it's annoying to see him degrading himself."
"But which is the real Jaune?"
"They both are, obviously. But he could be putting on a more professional attitude when his life is on the line. It's not like he's faking or wearing a mask or anything dramatic like that. It's the same as being polite and respectful to some people, and being normal to everyone else." Except the results were a little more noticeable than that. The problem was that she couldn't bring it up to Jaune, because his goofy personality might be what he was more comfortable with, what he actually was. And it would be cruel of her to say she preferred him when he was acting in a way he wasn't comfortable. It would be like asking a friend not to be themselves, but instead to act in a certain way. Sure they could act that way in situations that demanded it, but it didn't mean they enjoyed it.
"Eh, I can see where you're coming from to be honest. Looks like P-money and Rubes prefer his idiot personality more though. I like the sound of yours though, I'll have to keep an eye out for it next time."
"Please do." Blake urged as she rubbed her forehead with one hand, actually feeling a little tired from all the heavy thinking. "I'd love confirmation that I'm not just going insane or something."
"Maybe all those books are getting to you." Yang quipped, before leaning forward. "I have to ask though… if Jaune was like that all the time, the way you describe. Would you fancy him?"
"He's not like that." Blake cut in, shaking her head. "So it's a fairly pointless hypothesis. I might fancy Ruby if she was witty, confident, tall and male." She knew exactly what Yang was fishing for; confirmation that she might fall for Jaune if he acted in that way, but just like she had said, she didn't know.
It was easy to say "if they were different," but there was history to remember too. Maybe if he had been that way when she had first met him then she would be interested in him. But that wasn't the case, and if he suddenly changed now then she would still have thoughts of him acting like a nervous child.
"Ahh, you're so boring." Yang sighed while Blake simply grinned back and picked up her new book.
Jaune reeled back as a sword slammed into his shield, sparking off the metal as he thrust his own sword forward to strike at his aggressor's midriff. Another shield met him before the strike could be completed, but luckily his strike had lacked enough force to disrupt him.
Pyrrha poked at his face as her sword shifted into its spear form, but he leant backwards while waving his shield before him to prevent a follow up attack. Frustration sparked within him as he felt a strong urge to charge her with his shield but he checked the emotion and squashed it down. It was one of Pyrrha's first lessons. Emotions were all well and good in life, but not of use in a fight – you needed to be calm and analytical, the better to find and exploit openings in an opponent's guard.
A difficult thing to accomplish when your opponent was as skilled and experienced as Pyrrha freaking Nikos. Entire teams had failed to take her on, so expecting him to do so was foolish. Not that it stopped him feeling annoyed when he could never so much as strain her.
Taking a moment to correct his footwork to match her own, he edged forwards with his shield before himself, his sword held vertically behind it. It was a similar move to what she used, and she had explained it was so that he could use his sword in any direction, without having to lead it all the way around the shield's circumference.
It felt awkward to him, but he could agree that it offered him more freedom of movement.
"You need to put more force behind your blows." Pyrrha instructed as she slammed the length of her spear into his shield arm, causing a small thrum of pain to shoot through his wrist. It was easy for her to say that, but he couldn't bring himself to attack with full force… and not for any silly reason like protecting her – Pyrrha could, and regularly did, kick his ass. It was because it damaged him every time he struck at her and hit her shield, the pain shooting up his arms and jarring his shoulder painfully. It was a natural reaction to having your momentum halted so suddenly.
If he honestly saw an opening where he thought he could hit her, then he would strike purposefully. But those openings just weren't creating themselves, and it was honestly frustrating to feel like the only thing he was improving was his ability to defend against a far superior opponent.
Valuable experience for sure, but not a situation he hoped to often find himself in.
"You can't defend forever Jaune, you need to try and overpower me."
I can't! His mind snarled angrily. He couldn't overpower her, she was too skilled and too strong, and over a hundred different sparring sessions previously had shown that to be the case. Deciding that he might as well make an attempt though, he shuffled forwards and brought his sword down in an overhead chop in an effort to overpower her with brute strength.
Instead of slamming into her shield as he expected, Pyrrha caught the blade on the cross guard of her sword, before delivering the edge of her shield to the underside of his jaw in a painful uppercut.
"Ugh…" Jaune groaned from where he lay on the floor, his jaw aching, though he could feel his aura healing it. That was quite the nasty blow, and the thin edge of the shield had only amplified it. Thankfully Pyrrha didn't see the necessity to land any further blows and instead offered him a hand.
"Not bad Jaune." Pyrrha praised as she pulled him to his feet and patted him on the shoulder. "Your defence is getting better, I think we just need to work on the offence."
"Sure." Jaune replied back simply as he sat on the edge of the roof with his feet dangling off the edge. It was a position they often took after sparring, to let the cold night air cool down their aching bodies and also allow them to talk. Pyrrha settled herself down next to him, her feet hanging close to his own. The first few times he had been worried about falling, but it had only taken a quick glance down to show him there was a wide ledge not four feet below that they would land safely on.
"Are you feeling better now from your mission? You're not still suffering from the stress are you?" Pyrrha spoke after a few moments to catch their breath. From the corner of his eye he could see her green eyes looking at his face. Typical Pyrrha to be so worried about him, but he owed it to her to be honest.
"I'm feeling better now. I didn't get as much sleep as I'd have liked, but the training helps wear the stress away." Which was true enough, heavy exercise was great for forgetting your problems and relaxing the mind.
"I'm glad I could help then. Are you having trouble sleeping, maybe we could get some medici-"
"Pyrrha, please." He interrupted, causing her mouth to click shut with almost panicked force. He smiled at her to show he wasn't upset at her concern, and she seemed to calm down. "It was my first night back, let's wait to see if I keep having trouble before you drug me. Not to mention I could happily have slept in for another four hours if Nora didn't share a room with us."
"I suppose you're right." Pyrrha laughed softly, her arm brushing against his lightly as she seemed to lean into him before righting herself. "We'll get an early night tonight I guess. We have combat training with Miss Goodwitch tomorrow."
"Sure." He agreed, though he made no move to get up from the rooftop, and neither did she.
"Jaune…?" The redhead enquired softly, her voice sounding unsure in a way that had him shifting to face her with a concerned expression on his own face for once. She shuffled slightly in place, her hands clutching one another before she looked up to meet his eyes.
"When you came back from that mission you… well Ruby…" She stammered off, and Jaune felt his own cheeks turn red to match her hair as she brought up that memory. "Did you… do you like Ruby?"
Jaune looked away as he tried to think of a response to give to that statement. Sure, on retrospect he had enjoyed the kiss, for the brief few seconds he had experienced it. Honestly it had been two seconds of what is happening, maybe one second of Oh my God and then one last second to actually feel it before it was over.
"Yeah… that." He stammered out uncertainly as a finger idly touched his lower lip, a move which Pyrrha seemed to be paying attention to. "I don't know, it was over so quick I wasn't sure what to think. I don't think it matters anyway. Ruby did it to thank me for looking after Blake, it's not like she's actually into me." He laughed as he said that, scratching the back of his head, while Pyrrha echoed him, her own laughter not sounding all that amused.
"Maybe." She said simply as she looked back out into the night. Jaune could feel a silence building between the two of them so looked to break it himself.
"So do you have anyone you're interested in then?" He cajoled teasingly as he nudged an elbow into her side, making her jump slightly. Pyrrha's face instantly flushed strongly at his words, in a way that made him pleased. Not so easy when it's on the other foot is it!
"M-me!?" She nervously stuttered, turning away from him to hide her face, despite that he had caught it already. If only he'd thought to take a picture on his scroll, he could have enjoyed looking at her blushing face for hours!
"Yeah, you. Surely the Great Pyrrha Nikos would know if she fancied a guy. Or a girl, I won't judge." He nudged her again as he said this.
"I like a guy!" She crowed back indignantly at his comment, before slapping a hand over her mouth to try and hide the damning words.
"Oh really? Anyone I know." So Pyrrha was interested in someone. He wasn't sure what to make of that. On the one hand it was great that she had maybe found someone, but he sure hoped it wouldn't interfere with their team dynamics. Ren and Nora were partners, but Pyrrha was his partner, and he didn't like the idea of being abandoned on his own if she went off to spend time with some guy. And what if the guy was a complete bastard?
"Maybe." Pyrrha spoke quietly, taking a deep breath to bring herself back under control. "I do like someone, and I know someone I care for likes him too." She looked him in the eyes for a few seconds before continuing. "I'm worried that I might go so far as to sabotage her, just to have my way. And I don't like the picture that paints of me. Even if I win, she would be hurt."
Jaune didn't know how to respond, never having been in a similar situation himself. It was hard to imagine Ren and he in that same situation… imagining Ren pining after a person was just odd. But if Ren did deeply love someone, say Nora… and then he tried to step in and take… gulp… Nora… himself….
Okay, this analogy really isn't working. But he could still see the general idea. And the question was; would Jaune compromise his friend's happiness by actively taking advantage of a chance to sabotage them?
He didn't know either. And that made him feel pretty bad.
"I don't know." He honestly admitted as he looked up at the cracked moon. "I'd like to think I would be the better person and let the one who it is about decide who they like best. But if I was there? I'm not sure if I would be selfish or not… But…" and at this he turned to look Pyrrha directly in her green eyes, "I think you are a better person than me. You're definitely stronger than me, so I think you would be the better person."
She didn't look away from his eyes, though her expression did soften as a gentle smile curled her lips.
"Thank you." She simply replied, as he smiled back, glad to have offered some help in what was a more delicate matter than he was used to. Deciding to take one for the team, he brought the teasing back to himself to spare her any further embarrassment.
"So any advice what I should do about Ruby? Or do you think I should avoid the issue so Yang doesn't kill me." He meant it as a joke, since he had already decided that Ruby wasn't actually interested in him, but Pyrrha paused as her head tilted to the side in thought.
"I can't offer any advice on this I think." She smiled, with a complicated expression on her face. "Like you said, I've got to be the better person."
"Huh?" He tilted his head in confusion at her. Did she mean she was worried she might offer him bad advice by accident, he doubted she would actively sabotage him – what benefit could she honestly get for it?
"I'd suggest you not ask Yang though." She joked, which brought a grin to his lips.
"About Ruby, or just ask Yang out?"
"I'm not sure which would get you killed faster." Pyrrha laughed as she gave him a gentle elbow to the side as he laughed along. Yeah, he wasn't going to ever ask Yang out. Like Blake, she was something like fifty levels out of his league, they might as well have been different species.
"Just answer me one thing Pyrrha?" He asked, looking seriously at her when she nodded to him. "It's not Cardin is it?"
"Idiot!" Pyrrha huffed as she pulled him back by his collar, slamming him painfully onto his back as she grinned cockily down at him. Yeah, he guessed he deserved that.
I'd like to head off any concerns people might have here about me "bashing" on Jaune with that conversation between Yang and Blake. First of all, I'm sure you're all aware that this is what women (and men) actually DO? I often chat with my girl friends about guys they have slept with or who have asked them out. We always analyse them and discuss their flaws and good points etc... Just like this. But beyond that, I wanted to show the distinction Blake has between her attraction for one facet of Jaune, while being almost disgusted (though not that extreme) with the other side.
This was actually the inspiration for the story. In my mind I imagined a humerous situation where Blake keeps getting turned on whenever Jaune is a badass, then frustrated when he is a doofus. And poor little Blake's emotions constantly jumping between enamoured and annoyed driving her insane. While Yang watches on amused. It also lends credence to a reviewer who once commented that Blake and Jaune only seem to get on well in trauma situations, well here is the reason! You spotted something I had purposefully put in, it's always nice to have people notice it.
Another shorter chapter here. I struggle to write long chapters where there is no drama or action taking place. Next chapter will still be a Beacon one, with Blake exiting the infirmary and combat evaluations with Goodwitch. I would expect maybe two more chapters before they hear any more about the incursion.
Also I felt bad for Pyrrha at the end here, as if her name wasn't signal enough, she surely has achieved a Pyrrhic Victory here by taking Jaune's words to heart. All's fair in love and war, she should take every advantage she has – but we see in the series time and time again that she doesn't… she always let's Jaune go after Weiss, to her own loss. Despite that she could have convinced him to give up on her a while back.
P.s. "Legend" by David Gemmell is an AMAZING book. He always captures the more emotional sides of wars and battles, often in ways that surprise and amaze me.