Thanks to this random eye clip art, which I edited to make the cover image:
https️:️/️️/️www️.️pinterest️.️com️/pin/62487513555495389/
"Something's up with Mr. Arc as of late, don't you think?"
Glynda and several other teachers are lounging around in the staff area just after the last batch of hunters have finally rushed out of the classrooms.
"It's quite apparent that something is wrong."
"I've seen him squinting at the board for the past week and a half. His test grades are also down a bit too."
Out of nowhere, the doorknob begins to turn. The door is flung open to reveal Ozpin, who has arrived fashionably late to the party.
"Hello Ozpin. Glad you could join us."
"Thank you, Doctor Oobleck. What did I miss?"
"Not very much. Just talking about Jaune's performance in classes recently."
"What about them?" Ozpin sits down next to Glynda in one of the two remaining empty chairs.
It's Glynda's turn to but in. "His performance has degraded. At first I thought it was just a temporary spell, but it's been proving quite consistent. So, myself and the rest of the teachers were thinking he might need glasses."
"How did this happen? His vision was fine at the beginning of the semester."
"In some cases it can pop up in as little as one month. Assuming this is what is causing his problems, Jaune here just seems to be the victim of bad fortune." Thumbelina Peach is the one cutting in this time. There's not a teacher in this whole academy that hasn't noticed the squinting he's been constantly doing.
"Quite unfortunate. So should I schedule him now?"
"Sooner rather than later."
"Alright, I will get on doing that. I hope this resolves quickly."
Ozpin quickly stands up and exits the room, headed straight for his office. Before long the teachers are back to talking, this time about more pressing matters.
"Did you remember how Cardin tried to push Weiss around a few days ago?"
"Of course, you wouldn't stop talking about it for hours."
"Well prepare to waste another day, because this time Weiss fought back!"
Unfortunately, we don't have time to hear about the resident dum-dum getting cracked like an egg…
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"It looks like you're the same as you were last year."
The patient sighs in relief. "Thank the gods above."
"Will that be all today?"
"I want some new lenses. These ones are getting scuffed."
"Alright, I'll get that done for you, just wait a couple of minutes outside please."
The doctor folds up his glasses for him and puts them in their special holding bin. After making sure the customer is out of the way, he follows behind, turning left at the first door. The door is stuck ajar, so there is very little sound when he walks into the fitting room. Inside are two people, one that looks like any other person in Vale, and another whose hair shines a dazzling red…
"Hey Crimson, here's another one for ya. Make sure to pick the sunblocking ones up in the top cabinet."
He sets the glasses down next to her hands, which are currently fiddling around with a pair of frames for an earlier customer. A tiny screwdriver balances in between her middle and ring finger, staying perfectly still as if a magic deity is keeping it quite positively stuck there. But not two seconds later, her right hand whips into a frenzy, knocking the tool right off its perch. This is nothing to worry about, as her hand gets under it, snapping it up with remarkable ease. She's got it back inside the screw just a moment later.
The doctor looks on briefly, smiling to himself as he watches his star employee's handiwork.
I'm glad I chose to hire this one…
That's the only thing he lets himself think, as soon he saunters off, ready to take yet another customer.
While we're here, I suppose I should tell you more about this "Crimson" girl, as her white lab coat hides more than just her lower body and midsection. The one hiding behind the unassuming uniform is none other than the mythical "Invincible Girl" herself, Pyrrha Nikos. Her mere presence inside this medicinal building has catapulted this place to the #1 care facility in all of Vale in less than a week.
Or at least it would have, if she was actually known to be here.
And now we get to the secret identity. She chooses to don this false name for what is by far the most sensible reason: to hide. This lie is actually beneficial for both sides: Pyrrha gets to work somewhere without being fawned over constantly, and the boss gets to reap the benefits of a loyal worker that rarely, if ever complains. And of course, there isn't anyone coming up to the building with bug eyes screaming things like;
I LOVE YOU PYRRHA!
CAN I SEE PYRRHA!
WHERE'S PYRRHA?!
CAN SHE FONDLE MY EYEBALLS?
-and so on. This place could not be a better area to hide someone either. Who would think to run by an optometry service to "check around" for their favorite idol? No one, that's who. Not one stalker has even entered the front door to this place. There's a good many other areas in Vale that can't make that claim.
Pyrrha has long since finished off those frames, already moving on to the next task that is currently sitting on her desk. She picks up the card containing all the information that the doctor has written and slots it right into the teeth of the scanner, almost like one would put in a dollar bill in a vending machine. The scanner gracefully accepts it, and runs some computations for about a second before spitting out two serial numbers.
590649532998
352749532998
The bottom one is the one she's looking for. Her hands reach up for the metal handle, shoving it forwards to open up the top shelf. There's easily 200 pairs of lenses here, but they're all labeled with appropriate numbers so something that's not a robot can actually find the right one. But even with the numerical aid, it still takes a fair bit of time to scavenge through the glass. Pyrrha's hands are already going through the boxes, with her mind doubtlessly processing the numbers as fast as she can manage.
While this is all going on, a powerful *ring ring ring ring* is coming through from the main office, where all the appointment calls come in. Pyrrha barely even registers the noises as the call is answered by a front-line worker.
"Hello?" The person on the other end is not even close to hearable.
"For who?" The pen gets a workout as it starts to be manhandled by the secretary, forced to scribble dozens of short lines.
"Alright. We have an opening for him at around 6:30, is that a good time?"
"Okay, I have Jaune Arc penciled in for the 21st at 6:30. Hope to see him then!" A final beep signifies the end of the call.
As soon as the words "Jaune Arc" reach Pyrrha's ears, her hands immediately halt their execution. This abrupt stoppage sends a box of 10 lenses barreling down toward the desk, but luckily for her, they only squirm slightly in their slots upon landing. But that's not important. What is important right now is her object of infinite affection, "Jaune Arc", was just mentioned. She commands her brain to run back a little bit to grab the context behind that appearance.
…
Wait…
He's coming here?
To this building?
Jaune?
Coming here?
Her thoughts get stuck on those two lines for a bit before her brain manages to snap out of its trance.
Alright… it's the 21st… three days from today. Let's just focus on the job for now…
She forces herself to switch back to the lenses. The thoughts of her impending future with Arc move to the background, but that doesn't stop them from setting a pleasing tone for the rest of the day. The next few hours flow by faster than a waterfall, with Pyrrha not making a single mistake to any customer's order.
At 9:00, the doors finally close, with the last two satisfied customers making their way out into the setting sun.
The doctor looks on with his face curved into a slight smile.
Yet another good day.
He moves on to the back, not wanting to keep his employees any longer than he has to.
"Congrats, you two. Excellent work as always." The less noble one sighs in relief and walks out quickly, but the other is working hard to put everything up as neatly as she possibly can. Even the boss can't help but notice the contrast between the two sides.
"What's got you so productive today, Crimson? Something good happen?"
Her cheeks grow just a slight dusting of pink as she relives a few of those earlier thoughts.
"You could say that…"
"Well, I hope it keeps on going, whatever it is, because you were exceptional today." And with that, he goes back to his private office, just for some last-minute housekeeping before locking everything up.
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This part of the day is always the worst. Pyrrha's uniform is laying in a tangle at the bottom of the laundry basket, ready to face its inevitable bath in a washing machine. Eventually. But for now, Pyrrha puts her armor pieces back on and walks out of the shop. The sun has fallen under the horizon by this point, with only the faintest glows of orange seeping through at the very bottom. Now's the time for the bullhead ride back… *sigh*
Not that the bullhead is bad or anything. In fact it's a very effective mode of transportation. What makes it so unfun is how everyone reacts when she steps onto it… Instantly one of the passenger's eyes bug out. His friend sees what is happening and bugs out too. One on her right is giddier than a kid in a toy store. There's no need to list everyone, because they've all got the same infatuation in their mind: The myth, the legend, Pyrrha Nikos! How…...joyous…...
At first it was a shot of energy for her seeing all those adoring faces following her as she went about her day. But then it started to spiral. First it was the occasional autograph. Then it became people throwing merchandise at her face, while still expecting her to be a magic bullet of happiness for them. Then it was "Hey! Show me some moves!" and other such annoyances taking up ever more time…
It was so bad that escaping to Vale was the only option left to try to get some semblance of a normal life back… and even that hasn't been a complete break. This group of devotees aren't doing anything particularly aggravating, but the memories of the less inhibited have soiled her perception of the public.
If there is one saving grace for her, it's that this bullhead is fast. It's only a couple minutes of pain before the plane touches down, granting her her reprieve. Pyrrha walks out normally, however, making sure not to bump anyone as she splits off to go into Beacon proper. She pays no mind to the numerous of pairs of eyes still beaming at her backside as she continues her trek. The looks only stop when the door closes on them, but that's not even a bump In the road to her anymore. Now it's on to the rest of tonight. She steels herself for a quick breath, and lets happier thoughts drown her mind.
A certain blond keeps popping up, acting like a vacuum for all of her daily woes. With each appearance the weight on her brain gets smaller and smaller. Before she knows it, she's faced with the JNPR door. She unlocks it with haste to reveal the ragtag trio of JNR all awaiting her arrival.
"You're finally back! Jaune-Jaune has been missing you all day!"
"Nora! It's not like that! I told you I was looking forward to sparring!"
Ren says and does nothing, merely holding a small smile to greet her.
Pyrrha laughs a little, partially to make sure her face doesn't start burning red at Nora's insinuation.
She walks in and sets herself down next to Jaune.
"So how did your job go?" Ren makes sure to lead the conversation before Nora can throw it somewhere crazier.
"It went alright. Anything happen with you guys?"
Both Nora and Ren are mysteriously quiet on this one. But Jaune comes in with the save before the silence becomes awkward.
"I got called in today by Ozpin. He told be that I was going to get an eye exam on the 21st."
"Yeah! Jaune-Jaune's gonna get some new eyes!"
Everyone is trying to hold in a laugh now.
"What!"
"He's not getting new eyes, Nora. Jaune's probably just going to get some glasses."
Nora deflates a little.
"I wouldn't want my eyes taken out anyway. That sounds painful-"
"But then you could get new ones! You could get lazer ones and then you could just go *PEEEEEEEEEEW* and vaporize some Grimm! Wouldn't that be cool?"
"It would be cool, but I'm still not interested. I want my eyes to be natural."
...Well, maybe Nora derailing a conversation isn't such a bad thing. It's got Jaune in a good mood, that for sure. That smile on his face, although he doesn't know it, is making Pyrrha's heart melt into a puddle of pure happiness.
He's just so dreamy when he does that… it's just- mmmm!~
The conversation fades to small murmurs as thoughts of Jaune course through her once again. There's nothing she can't do when her loyal knight is there to support her. Her mind swoons at the thought of cuddling up to him after a long day at school, or after she's just been heckled by one too many-
*bump*
And it's gone.
She looks to see who would dare to break her reverie only to find Jaune looking like he's waiting for something. Over to the right is Nora, the cause of the disturbance, with a cheeky grin plastered all over her face. She notices her looking and uses her eyes to point back over to Jaune.
"Pyrrha? Do you still want to spar tonight?"
"Of-of course! Let's go right now, Jaune!"
Both of them rush to grab their weapons, and before Ren and Nora can even blink they are off for the rooftop, leaving not a single shred of evidence they were ever there.
"You had to do that again?"
"Of course! Did you notice how happy she was?! I wish those two would just kiss already."
"I'm sure it will happen soon. Want me to fix you something while they're gone?"
"Can it be pancakes?"
"We're out of pancake mix. How about a cake?"
"Strawberry?!"
"Nothing less."
"YES! Get on it already!"
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Three days later…
The lunch today is the classic crowd-pleaser: Pizza! It always goes over well, and today is no exception. It goes over so well in fact that Jaune has already completely finished his slice.
He's the first one done by a long shot, as everyone else is still in various stages of pepperoni massacre. Nora has a bonus plate, containing a single piece of strawberry cake that was left over from earlier. The strawberry on top glimmers in the sunlight. It also looks pleasing on the inside with the pinkish hue of the base standing as a perfect compliment to the whipp-
"Rubes, stop drooling over her cake! Your pizza will get cold!"
"I wasn't drooling!"
A quick look down at her pizza slice reveals a single clear droplet in the center of one of the pepperonis. She was totally drooling.
"I could make you-"
"No! This chef is MINE! No one touches!" Nora pulls Ren a little bit closer to make sure nobody else gets any ideas about borrowing him.
This silences everyone for the next few seconds. The quiet is interrupted by Pyrrha picking up her plate and holding it out in front of Jaune's mouth.
"Do you want the rest of mine?" Her hand covers a fairly large portion of the slice, those pale fingers now lathered with grease.
Jaune thinks for a moment before putting both his hands out toward the plate in a "pass" motion.
"No thanks, Pyr. I'm full for now."
"Are you sure? I'm not gonna eat any more of it."
"I am good. Thank you for offering though." He smiles at her again as he puts his hands back down. But before his smile can intoxicate her, the scene is shattered by a rude snort.
Yang realizes her mistake as everyone's head swivels around toward her.
"Oh don't mind me, I just thought of a hilarious pun! You want to hear it?"
The idea of being forced to sit through another one of those horrible "jokes" brings the focus of everyone, even Jaune and Pyrrha, back down toward their plates.
Phew… that was way too close...
️️
The rest of the lunch goes by with no hiccups or dastardly cook-stealing schemes to be had. As the bell rings to set them off, Yang decides to take things into her own fiery hands. As everyone walks off, Yang taps Nora on the shoulder, communicating to her non-verbally. It looks like she's just going crazy, but Nora understands, suddenly tugging Pyrrha on her right shoulder.
"What is it?"
Nora just starts moving back the other way, and Pyrrha follows behind. Yang comes up from the back, and after all is said and done, they meet up a couple of feet away from the table.
"This is getting ridiculous."
Yang and Nora both turn their head towards the only other person in the group. She looks confused for a moment, before becoming just slightly scared when she realizes the focus is all on her.
"W-What is?"
"You. Jaune. I've caught you staring at him eight times just this past week."
"Um… u-uuuuuh.."
"Yeah! Do you know how many times I've had to bump you while you were daydreaming about him? Twenty!"
"I just can't help it! He's just so-"
"Ask him out already!" Yang cuts Pyrrha off before she can get lost singing his praises again.
"But-"
"Do you really want me to lock you two in a room together?"
"You wouldn't da-"
"I would!" Nora has both hands on Magnhild. She is deadly serious.
Pyrrha's body is quaking in fear, but whether it's about dealing with Jaune or the bright glints inside the eyes of the most colorful huntresses in Beacon is unknowable.
"Don't be so scared Pyr! Jaune won't hurt you that bad!"
"You two have fun, I'm gonna head off to class." Yang briskly walks away from the two, leaving them alone in the cafeteria. A smile can just barely be made out as she turns down the hall.
The two that remain stand awkwardly for a bit. Pyrrha is about to head off when Nora grabs her arm and whispers one final parting thought into her ear.
"He likes cheese."
Nora whips around and almost skips away. With the thoughts of everything all blended together in a mess, the only thing Pyrrha can do is push it all off for later. She walks off as composed as she possibly can, leaving the lunch hall completely barren.
️
*ring ring ring ring ring*
The last class of the day is finally over. It's just the usual "take some notes and try to stay awake" sort of fare, and other than a single ball of paper flying around to break Pyrrha out of yet another fantasy, there's not much to say. This time Team JNPR have all gone to the dorm after class, as a quick pit stop before they all get going with the rest of their plans.
"Okay Jaune, here's the notes to copy down, and don't forget the appointment!"
"Relax, Pyr. I'm not gonna forget. I got a reminder on my scroll." Jaune goes to pull his scroll out, but Pyrrha waves him away in the interest of time. Today's another half-shift for the Invincible Girl, which starts less than an hour after the end of classes.
"Okay, okay! Just don't miss it!" She rushes off without a word to anyone else to ensure she doesn't miss the all-important bullhead.
It's still around three hours until the appointment, so JNR have all the time they need to get something special going. A trip to the fairgrounds perhaps? A relaxing bit of nothing for a while?
"Hey guys?! How about some charades! Jaune you can be the first one to go! I can't wait to-"
...Somewhere in the middle? Ah whatever…
️
"A Boarbatusk!"
"A lion!"
"Sprinter!"
"Magician!"
"A cheetah."
"Point to Blake." Weiss starts walking back to the group as the results sink in.
"Again?!"
"Are you hiding an encyclopedia in that smut?"
"Yang!"
Something about Nora's ideas always seem to turn out well. What was supposed to be a quick game of charades has spiraled into a fight to the last breath, as the now 12-person crew has been introduced to the reign of the black cat. She has quickly taken control of the game, having won the last fifteen in a row.
This utter domination has triggered just about everyone, with Ruby herself threatening to bring in Zwei at one point. But even that hasn't stopped Blake. Now it's Jaune's turn, once again, to try to stump this lexical genius. It's almost like trying to break through a brick wall. Wait, that's it! Brick Wall!
He stands up, exuding lots and lots of confidence as he takes his position, and does… nothing.
But standing completely still is hard. Especially when people start throwing out guesses.
A buzz interrupts his concentration. 6:00 already?
"Ugh, I gotta go. See you guys."
"See you."
"Come back fast!"
"Better hurry back, VB!"
"Bye Jaune-Jaune!"
"You better not come back wearing something stupid!"
"I hope that you res- Yang, what kind of pose is that?!" *click*
Jaune rushes outside, wanting to get down there and get the exam over with.
Luckily for him, thanks to some clever tricks that all of NPR almost beat into his head, the urge for nausea stays down. No comics are necessary as the ride is over in almost a flash. He teleports off the bus, now coming face to face with the strip containing the vision center.
There's a variety of shops and things to do in this bustling district, but the goal for today is the vision center, which stands apart thanks to its blue paint and general utilitarian styling. Nothing signifies this more than the booming sign that displays the name of this establishment.
️
Find-O-Vision
We find your vision for you!
That's cheesy. What, you thought Jaune was looking at the slogan? His eyes are actually looking at the burger joint next door. Or rather, trying to. It takes three tries, with Jaune moving closer to the store every attempt, but finally the advertisement comes into clarity. The picture is dominated by the yellow-orange of cheese, courtesy of the "Heart-Attack Burger" that this store is selling right now. But Jaune can gorge himself later. His legs reluctantly move away from the colorful imagery and take him inside the vision center, 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Once inside, his eyes droop slightly in boredom. There's absolutely nothing interesting about this place… or is there? The corner of his eye just barely catches some bright colors over on a table of what looks to be magazines. Could it be a comic?!
"Name please?"
"Jaune Arc." His eyes are looking past the sign-in girl, just waiting for the chance to read it.
"You're here for the 6:30 appointment?"
"Uh huh."
"Alright, go over to the waiting room. The doctor is out for today, so it might take a little while."
No need to tell him twice. Before she can even confirm his arrival, Jaune is already rushing over there, taking a seat next to the works that he's been waiting to see. Now at a closer distance, he can finally make out the text:
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Diamond-Man!
Issue 28: Trouble in Flavortown?
️
Jaune's cheering internally as his hands stumble over themselves to open the comic up and dig into it. The commotion catches the eye of one of the departing customers, who chuckles to himself before leaving the center, a look of satisfaction proudly plastered on his face. Almost immediately a woman that Jaune has never seen comes into view, stopping just at the edge of the lead-in.
"Grace Edwards."
He's already shifted down toward the comic, now fully immersed in the exceptional storytelling.
️
ˉˉˉˉˉˉ
"Let's get this over with."
"Okay, Miss Grace, sit down in the chair."
All this customer needs is a quick dilation. Anyone can do this, especially someone like Pyrrha, the one playing doctor this evening. It wasn't hard to get her to agree to sub in, especially with thoughts of helping out the dreamiest man in Remnant nudging her along. They are like a calming breeze, keeping her mind steady and focused on data-gathering. The vision center is humming along like a sports car engine, shuttling people in and out with maximum efficiency. Changing her voice to keep herself a secret is nothing to her right now.
"Alright, all done! It'll take effect in about 15 minutes, so don't do anything risky around then."
"Yeah, yeah…" Grace leaves the chair, leaving it open for the next patient. And guess who that next patient just so happens to be?
"Jaune Arc."
Yep, that noodly guy. He slams the comic shut and walks over past the greeter, who follows right behind.
"Just wait in the room on the left."
That small deflection is very important, as being a new patient, he has to run through all the extra vision tests. The large machines make it more complicated than they actually are, though. Anyone with even mediocre eyes can pass these with flying colors.
"He's ready." The greeter's voice makes it through from outside the room, signaling that the doctor is near. "O-okay. Thank you." There's only a couple of rushed footsteps before the door is pushed open.
"Sorry for the wait, J- *clears throat* Mr. Arc! I am the one doing the exams for today. We're gonna start with the one on the left."
Thankfully, Jaune doesn't notice the fidgeting or disjointed movements that his "doctor" is making. He moves his seat over to the machine, quickly putting his eyes down into the funnel.
"Take this and cover your right eye." She holds out the plastic tool for him, and there is a lot of contact as he takes it from her hand. Every touch feels like a massage from the gentlest teddy bear, making it harder and harder to keep her composure. But Pyrrha's gonna get saved by the bell. Or, more specifically, the beep.
"There's going to be pale blue lights showing up in the background. Hit the button when you see one. Ready?"
"Yep." Jaune can't wait to get through these. His wish gets granted the best it can, as Pyrrha hits the start button so fast it almost breaks. She forces herself to focus on the results screen as it begins to get populated with light blue marks. This was really interesting the first time through, but the lights always follow the same pattern, never deviating from their steady beat. She watches the screen fill with dots, each one helping calm her extremely unsteady heart. The little jingle when the machine finishes its dance shakes her a little, but she still feels, much, much less fidgety.
"Alright, now switch to the left one."
Maybe I can get through this…
Jaune does as he is told, and the machine starts again. The second set seems to fly by, and next thing she knows, it's all done. Both perfect scores.
"Good. Now rest your forehead on this bar over here."
Again, no hesitation on Jaune's part. His forehead is almost magnetically stuck to this bar, and after a quick lowering of the chin cup, she presses the button to start the air puffer. The machine finds its target almost instantly, and silence dominates the room for a while. But suddenly a thought beaks through into the front of her brain. Something very important. Something that she didn't remember to warn him about.
Wait, I forgot to-
*pzzzt*
Even though it's just some air, Jaune still gets flung back quite significantly. Seeing Jaune in distress short-circuits her mind, so much so that she bolts out of the chair without even thinking, as if he is about to fall into a pit of lava. By the time she can catch her bearings, her hands are ≻this≺ close to wrapping him in a full-on bear hug.
"Oh, I'm so sorry about that. I thought you were about to fall. Heh..." Pyrrha quickly moves back behind the equipment, wanting to forget this whole thing ever happened. But this time, Jaune's eyes follow her all the way back. Suddenly, his face pops in surprise, as if the dots had suddenly been connected.
"Pyrrha? You work here?"
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!️!️!️!️!
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"w-w-w-w-w-w- er..." She can not even hope to muster any form of defense. No use hiding it now...
"Uh… yeah…"
"That's… so cool! Why didn't you tell us?!"
"Well…"
"Wait, let's finish this up first. I'm getting hungry."
Thank the gods… "Okay then. Put your head against the machine again."
He wastes no time. The second puff still sends him back, but not nearly as much as the first. On to the last one…
"Alright, on this test you just need to stare at the picture. Easy enough?"
"Sounds simple."
Jaune wheels his chair over to the final machine, and straps his eyes in for the ride. Well, it's not really a ride, but regardless Jaune breaks out into a happy smile. Pyrrha's heart melts all over again. That little accident looks to be a blessing in disguise, because everything just seems to flow… better now. No dancing around, no trying to hide herself… just her and Jaune. And some machinery.
"You know, this reminds me of my home back at Arcadia…"
"Oh really?"
"Yep. It looked just like this one." Before Pyrrha can respond, the machine beeps. The results of the test make one thing quite clear: Jaune is nearsighted. But just how nearsighted will have to be found out in the examiner's chair…
"You did great, Jaune. Now let's go to the chair." She puts the result papers in one hand, almost pulling Jaune out of the room with the other without even realizing it. After a rubdown of that lower arm, Jaune dutifully follows behind her. His own thoughts are beginning to get a little clouded now.
Damn, she really is strong…
Pyrrha swings herself next to the chair, eagerly awaiting Jaune's arrival. As soon as those blond locks come into view, her heart swoons with pure, unmasked happiness. He sits in the chair, eyes pointed straight ahead at the mirror that shines back at him.
"I'm gonna put the phoropter over your eyes, and you're gonna tell me what you see on the mirror, okay Jaune?"
"Alright."
The surprisingly low *whirr* of the mechanical mask barely lasts a second before it comes to a halt, with metal and plastic now pulled over most of his face.
She hits the "Randomize" button, and an alphabet soup of letters are displayed on the glass.
"Can you tell me what you see?"
"J, A, P, N, B, O, M, F…..."
He makes it to the 5th row before tripping up.
"Okay, so now I am going to change the lenses on the phoropter, and you need to say which one looks better." It comes out so naturally she doesn't even have to think. Not about the order of the lenses, either, as that is handily printed out on the computer screen next to her. Technology really has advanced.
"One, or two?"
"Two." Jaune says almost instantly.
"Two, or five?"
"Five."This one is a bit slower.
"Three, or seven?"
"Seven." Back to instantaneous.
"Six, or nine?" ʳᵒˡˡ ᶜʳᵉᵈᶦᵗˢ
"uhhhhhh… repeat that one again?"
"Six?" She gives him a little more time to stare through this one. "Or Nine?"
"Six…"
"Seven, or twelve?"
"Twelve."
"And Twelve, or One?"
"Twelve."
That is, finally, the last of the questions.
Pyrrha taps the '12' button on the screen, and watches intently as it calculates all the technical numbers.
That intent stare only increases in intensity as the seconds tick by with no results.
"What's going on?" By now Jaune has hopped out of the chair as well, coming up to her to look at the same loading screen.
"I don't know. Usually it doesn't take this long." Now is the first chance Jaune has to get a good look at her. It's not everyday that she's in a lab coat, you know… Of course, that coat hides just about everything in a drape of white. But that doesn't mean that she's not… pleasing to look at. Especially with that red hair flowing down like a stunningly beautiful river. The way it meanders around the back of the chair, stopping just short of the desk, careful not to be singed by the rest of the world around it…
After a long wait, the progress bar finally reaches 100%, and the screen fills to the brim with various numbers and technical jargon. Pyrrha turns to tell Jaune his results, and is just about to speak when she catches his eyes looking straight at her. His face has that same dreamy look that she apparently always has when looking at him. It takes all her strength to break this adorable moment.
"Jaune!"
He jumps before quickly recomposing himself. "What? Oh, it's done already?"
"Yep! Looks like you're gonna need some glasses. Go pick out the frames you want while I finish up here."
"Alright Pyr. See you later!" And just like that, he rushes out like a gust of wind.
That would have been the perfect time! A big chunk of her mind screams at her for missing an absolutely golden chance to take her knight.
He was staring right at you! All you had to do was say it!
Shut up! The other, more rational side is cutting in, desperately trying to keep control.
You should have just grabbed his face and-
SHUT IT!
️
…
That loud thought successfully quiets down the disgruntled daydreams. But Pyrrha is still just a tiny bit sour.
"Focus… focus… next customer… *deep breath*"
It's working! The years of life experience are paying off in spades. Now with renewed vigor, she finally turns her attention toward the screen, still patiently waiting for the doctor to write the numbers in. She picks up her pen and writes all the eye prescription numbers down on the paper, finally giving the screen a much-needed break from the constant display. She rushes down to the fitting room, where the other employee is catching up on the lens-work from all the previous customers.
"Here's the next customer. Hurry up on this one, he's already picking out some frames."
She doesn't say anything, not even a nod of her head. Pyrrha is about to say something before the piece of paper is grabbed out of the cup and put straight into the computer's metal jaws.
"...Thank you." She walks out of the room, going back to the main room to clear everything out for the next patient.
️
After only a couple minutes of searching, Jaune returns to the waiting room with the frame of his choice dangling out of his hands. It's a surprisingly fashionable set, with the lens area quite large, easily covering both of his eyes. It makes him look cool, that much is for sure.
"You are looking real happy today. Guess it's about the new glasses?" She talks to Jaune quite leisurely as she pops the proper lenses into the frame.
"Yeah. I can't wait to finally see normally again. And Pyrrha works here! Now I finally know just where she goes after Beacon half the time."
"I'm sure that's great for you. Don't go telling anyone she works here, alright? She kept it secret for a reason. And there's no way in hell that I'm about to deal with those obnoxious stalkers around here." She holds the completed pair of glasses out for him, which he graciously takes, throwing them on his head almost immediately.
Jaune's eyes almost turn to stars upon looking through them for the first time. The employee smiles just the tiniest bit.
"Glad we could satisfy you. That's all we got for ya, so bye." She quickly returns to work on yet more frames and lenses, no longer paying any mind to the huntsman standing nearby.
And stand he does. He would stay rooted in place, enjoying the perfect eyesight if not for some extremely annoying growls emanating from somewhere very, very close.
"Dammit, I'm starving…" He walks out of the vision center, turning around to get a new, proper look at the strip of businesses. That hamburger place next door sure is tempting… If there was any idea of him not going there, his empty stomach makes sure that that path will remain untouched. Jaune's eating. Now. The various bones and muscles that happen to surround his digestive system carry the armored meatbag into the restaurant, the allure of food just too much for right now…
️
9:01 P.M...
Even though it's only been two hours, this area is already almost completely dark. Besides the sun going on it's daily vacation below the horizon, every business around here has also closed. The burger joint closes at 7:30, the Find-O-Vision closes at 9, and the arcade that Jaune was happily enjoying closes at 8:30. He only has a modest haul from this one, with two prizes under his belt: an adorably-sized Ursa plushie, and a little plastic snow globe that has a replica of Vale inside it. Of course, the arcade just happens to be the largest building in this micro-city, but that's not so important.
The object of much greater importance is out of sight, hidden behind the doors of the vision center. Even someone as ravenous as Jaune was still couldn't eat all the way to 9 o'clock. After gorging on some delicious hamburgers, he was just going to go back to the dorm and check up on the charades game, but something in the back of his mind told him to hang around here for a while. Maybe the charades got out of hand and the JNPR room is destroyed? He chuckles to himself at the thought, but it's one of those chuckles. After a quick stop at a conveniently-placed arcade, we arrive at the now, where Jaune stands alone, scroll in one hand, prize bag in the other.
The stiff breeze is making it really hard to focus on shredding Grimm in Grimm Wars 2. Jaune's movements are imprecise as all hell, and he's barely able to hold them all back, despite all the trickshots and tactical cleverness in his arsenal. He's about to roll a massive rock down a hill, straight towards a gathering of Grimm when the sounds of a door opening catches his eardrums. He looks up to see the unmistakable form of Pyrrha Nikos, now back in her traditional armored getup. She looks… down. Her eyes droop only a precious few millimeters, but that's more than enough for Jaune to notice.
"Pyrrha!"
Her head snaps around. She looks side-to-side for a few seconds before noticing him, and in an instant she breaks out into a jog headed straight for his location.
"J-Jaune?! What are you doing out here so late?"
"Late? I was just waiting here for you when you got off your shift."
"You were…" Her train of thought derails.
...
He waited for me…?! Those daydreams are rocketing up to the front of her mind, so fast and so suddenly that the rational part of her brain has no chance to stop it. Now removed from thinking, she traps Jaune in a hug so strong that his bones almost squeal at the insane pressure.
"Pyrrha! Please, let me go! You don't want to miss the bullhead, right?" He can barely get it out without choking.
She lets out a single lustful breath as the pendulum shifts back over. "Of course not Jaune… let's go."
The pair walk side by side to the bullhead stop. They barely have time to recuperate before said bullhead arrives, ready to take the two back home to Beacon. Jaune and Pyrrha walk in perfect sync, crossing out of the gentle evening moonlight into the bright light show coming from the fixtures on top.
As soon as the bullhead doors close, multiple pairs of eyes begin to look closely at the two.
Most of them remain content with just a gentle stare, but one new face decides to go to the next level.
"Are you Pyrrha Nikos?"
The fan looks to her for a response, but she has run off to yet another daydream, her eyes boring holes straight into Jaune's left side. The mention of her name puts Jaune on alert, and he looks over to the expectant fan, quickly realizing what he's after.
"Yes she is."
"Can I have an autograph?" The last word drags Pyrrha kicking and screaming out of the fantasy, her mind now having to quickly adjust back to Remnant. The first thing she sees is those eyes looking expectantly at him, the ones she has dealt with for countless days before. She's just about to divert this next one, but gets cut off.
"She's not interested right now. Maybe some other time."
Who- oh wait a minute…
See! He's the best!
I know that…
Then claim him!
A new pressure emerges, this one caused by Jaune's left hand, resting on her left shoulder.
Aaaaaaaaaaaa~! Fireworks are going off inside her brain, those happy thoughts getting more and more booming with every move he makes…
She basks in this moment for a while, her face curling into a beautiful smile.
Jaune's tenure as Pyrrha's loyal lookout comes to a quick end as the bullhead stops at Beacon.
As soon as the door opens, Jaune is off, giving Pyrrha a quick tap as he leads the two out. The lack of touch causes her smile to fade away, and before long she is chasing behind him.
The breeze has relaxed to nothing. The bullhead rushes off to serve yet more people, leaving Jaune and Pyrrha completely alone. Just a huntsman and a huntress.
She's clinging to him as they stand, her mind completely submerged in bliss.
Now's your chance! Do it!
ᴮᵘᵗ ᶦᵗ'ˢ⁻
No more buts! Go for it!
ᴬ⁻
Just go!
Go! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!
️
"GO OUT WITH ME!" Pyrrha belts this out so joyously that Jaune is thrown into a loop, unable to cleanly process it.
️
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh-"
His unremarkable stutter is enveloped by a set of hungry lips. Her hands fly up to Jaune's cheeks, covering them up and locking his head in place. Green eyes stare into blue as she finally chooses to release his body from the lip-lock, topping it off with one last push of longing as the two finally separate. There is no way his brain can misunderstand that.
She waits for something. Anything. Just one little response to confirm that her infatuation is not one-sided.
Jaune's arms wrap around her torso, dragging her over to the nearest wall, ready to one-up that passionate display with one of greater lust. She closes her eyes, ready to surrender to his attack.
️
But none comes.
️
She opens her eyes, expecting to see his handsome face, but instead she sees nothing but the dark shy of the outside. She dares to look down to see the huntsman she loves so much with a face a darker shade of red than her own hair, gone completely limp in her arms.
Lust overload.
Pyrrha's gonna have to work on that. Give him a lot of practice… Her mind is already over the moon just thinking about it. As she is about to take her partner inside, a loud explosion rumbles through the air. She looks up to see a bathtub flying into the air, with a black kitten clinging onto the rim for dear life.
"NO MORE WINNING FOR YOU, BLAKEY!"
Oh lord, just what has Nora gotten into this time…
But that can wait. She has to tuck her sleeping beauty in first...
️
Why did I write this? No seriously, why?
My mind had the funny idea; "What if Pyrrha declared her love to Jaune via an eye exam", and then THIS is what pops out? I was thinking this to be 2k words or so but then it just exploded… I even had to change my original intended ending almost 5,000 words in. So that's fun.
Regardless, I hope you enjoyed… whatever this is. If you did, leave a review! I do want to improve my writing at least a little bit, as I am preparing to write something bigger (and more serious) sort of like this in the near future, so I would much appreciate some tips.
I also learned way too much about eye exams while making this. Safe to say that shit is hella complicated.