A/N:
Hi friends and welcome back to RWBY: The Selection!
With Reese home (sad sad) it's the night after the Rose Ceremony, and someone has something she wants to get off her chest. Here is your Arkos fluff :) (this was one of my favorite chapters to write). Also, I realized that I've been including quotes on my thoughts instead of just italicizing them, and I am *way* too lazy to go back and fix that for the previous 69 chapters, so from here on out, thoughts will be unquoted.
Once again, please review with any thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns. Thank you all for your continued support and for being an amazing audience :):)
Without further ado, enjoy!
Chapter 70: Pyrrha
It was technically against the rules to seek out Prince Jaune of her own accord, so it was with a pounding heart and sweaty palms that Pyrrha snuck through the palace halls Sunday night after the rose ceremony. She ducked out of view of two patrolling Huntsmen after leaving her room. She dodged an angry-looking Dr. Watts on her way up the stairs. When crossing the landing to Jaune's room, she stared death in the face in the form of Glynda Goodwitch, stepping off a balcony with a scroll in her hand, looking anxious. Pyrrha was only able to escape by darting behind a suit of armor, holding her breath until Professor Goodwitch was out of earshot.
When she reached Jaune's door, she found herself having second thoughts. What if, after all her trouble, Jaune turned her in? What if he didn't want to see her? What if he was still upset after their Saturday night argument?
But then why would he give me a rose? Pyrrha thought. That question had nagged at her since the rose ceremony, and it was the reason she stood at Jaune's door now. The moment their eyes had locked, she had felt a jolt of electricity run through her veins, like Nora had just activated her semblance, only a thousand times more powerful. Had Jaune felt it too? He was surrounded by beautiful girls that he'd surely had much more agreeable interactions with. Why send home one of them, instead of her? Pyrrha knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she got the answer. Or, at least until she was able to apologize for the fight they'd had earlier.
With a shudder at the memory, Pyrrha raised her hand to the door and knocked.
Jaune was in his pajamas when he answered: a blue, footed onesie with the Pumpkin Pete's logo on the front. A toothbrush hung out of his mouth, and Pyrrha held back a giggle.
"Pyrrha!" he exclaimed, yanking out the toothbrush and wiping his mouth. "Sorry, I didn't know you were-"
"No, I'm sorry. I know it's technically against the rules, but I-"
They both stopped abruptly, staring at each other. Pyrrha felt herself melt a little at those wide, blue eyes.
"Do you want to come in?" Jaune asked hastily, opening the door slightly.
"You won't get me in trouble?"
Jaune laughed. "No, those are the Queen's rules more than mine. I don't mind at all, really,"
"Okay," Pyrrha smiled, and she walked in, Jaune closing the door behind her.
She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but Jaune's room certainly exceeded it. It was twice as large as any of the guest rooms for the Selection contestants that she had seen, with a couch and table on one end and a bed on the other. His walls were painted blue, and were covered in posters. There was one large picture of a family of eight above the fireplace, with a large glass case of a sword and shield on the mantle.
"That was my dad's," Jaune explained behind her. Pyrrha turned to face him. "I'm allowed to have it, for memory's sake, but not allowed to use it."
"Because you're a One?"
"Yeah,"
Pyrrha chewed on her lip. She'd never overtly opposed the caste system before, seeing it as a necessary evil like many others, but the pain on Jaune's face made it hard to justify.
They locked eyes again, and Pyrrha opened her mouth to speak. "I wanted to apologize-" she said, at the same time that Jaune blurted, "I want to say I'm sorry."
Both of them blinked, and then Jaune laughed nervously.
"Is this about Saturday night?" he asked.
Pyrrha nodded. "I didn't mean for it to come out that way," she explained. "I don't think you need help any more or less than anyone else,"
"I'm sorry for flipping out. I think it's just… touchy," Jaune admitted. "It's hard not to feel helpless in battle when you can't do anything to save your best friend.. And you girls are all so competent, and…" he sighed. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the biggest loser in the room."
"That's not true," Pyrrha said firmly.
"Thanks," said Jaune, but it was clear he didn't believe her. "How are things otherwise? I'm glad you came. I feel like we've only had group dates."
"They've been nice," Pyrrha smiled. "Especially watching Nora kill that Grimm with a golf ball,"
Jaune ran a hand through his hair. "I still don't know how she did that."
"It was definitely an attest of strength. Forget a grenade-launcher, she should go into battle with a golf club."
Jaune laughed. "I feel like she'd be such a tank in a fight too. Like," he moved over to the table, where Pyrrha realized there were a bunch of figurines of various Grimm and famous Huntsmen and Huntresses. He pulled out an Ursai and two Beowulves and set them beside each other. He then pulled out a pink Huntress figurine and a red one. "If she could get launched into the air, maybe by your shield, or something, I feel like she'd come down with enough force to at least daze the Grimm, so that you, or whoever else is fighting, can get close enough to do some short-range attacks."
Pyrrha walked over to the board with interest.
"That's a good power-move, but how do you buy enough time to do it?"
Jaune chewed on his nail. "You'd need a distraction. Someone who can't do a ton of damage, but is quick." He picked up a green Huntsman figurine. "Like a ninja!"
Pyrrha grinned. "So the ninja will distract the Grimm long enough for Nora and I to step away for a team attack, and then once Nora slams down-"
"You two can get close range," Jaune explained, "and the Ninja can fall back and heal. Of course, if there's a flying Grimm, we'd need someone with good aim on long-range instead. You've got a rifle, right?"
"Yes," Pyrrha nodded, thinking back to Milo and Alkuo. "A rifle, Xiphos, and javelin."
"Awesome! Yeah, if a Griffon or Nevermore comes, you should fall back and fire from a distance. I've seen you fire at range. You're really good."
"Thank you," replied Pyrrha. She was in awe, not just of his compliment, but of his plan and how quickly he had come up with it. Sure, he would make a fine king, but deep down, Pyrrha knew this boy needed to be a Huntsman.
"The only question is, who watches Nora's back if you need to take out the flying Grimm?"
Pyrrha eyed the sword and shield on the wall.
"Maybe the Ninja," Jaune mused.
"Maybe..." Pyrrha bit her tongue. Jaune should be in training with the rest of us, she thought, but she didn't dare say it.
Jaune shook his head, and, for a second, Pyrrha was afraid she'd spoken out loud. "Sorry, this is probably really boring for you, and probably all wrong-"
"Actually, I think it's a really good strategy."
Jaune blinked, and the smile that crept onto his face was as genuine as Pyrrha had ever seen it. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Okay," Jaune moved around some of the pieces, "what do you think of this one?"
Before Pyrrha knew it, hours had gone by. She had learned about battle strategy in school, but discussing it with Jaune was a whole new level of engaging. He had out-of-the-box ways of thinking, and he listened to her input, and, by the third team attack he'd run by her, Pyrrha had made up her mind.
If the caste system was keeping Jaune from being a Huntsman, the caste system was wrong. He would be amazing: on par if not better than any of the classmates she'd had in the past. He seemed so happy when he discussed strategy too, his eyes lighting up, his hands moving energetically.
Both of them lost track of time until the loud, castle clock chimed thrice. Three in the morning.
Pyrrha winced.
"Three AM?" Jaune jumped. "Already?"
"I should probably go," Pyrrha said, "Training starts at seven in the morning. I'll need as much sleep as I can get."
"Yeah, of course,"
"Thank you for letting me in," Pyrrha smiled, walking to the door. "It was nice to talk to you, Jaune."
Jaune smiled, and once again, Pyrrha felt herself melt a little. "It was nice to talk to you too, Pyrrha."