(A/N) Aaaaaaaaand that's about as much as I'm willing to put into writing fanfiction for the next few days. Uni classes might be a mess right now, but they're not canceled. I should probably do my assignments now.
Ha. Haha.
Feel free to let me know what you think of the direction I'm taking, both with the story and how this particular tournament is organized. If nothing else, I hope the way I introduced it wasn't too convoluted. That would suck.
Aaaanyway. I just lied a little bit ago. The last chapter wasn't a prologue, it was a prologue to the prologue. This is a longer boi, but expect nothing but insufferable character interaction, exposition and world-building.
Joking. I'm just joking. Kinda
I'm absolutely sleep-deprived, so if I forgot to cover anything I apologize. I go slep now.
Please enjoy. My sanity is fueled by the acceptance of others.
Again, joking.
XX
For whatever reason, Jacques had decided to make a family vacation out of the World Tournament, and so the whole family flew out to Mistral two weeks early. The moment all the Arc children finished their exams, they packed their bags and took off. Jaune could only assume that this was supposed to be some sort of celebratory type of thing to congratulate him on making it this far.
"Man," exclaimed Jade, Jaune's younger sister, as she looked outside the hotel window in awe. "It's supposed to be around the same size as Vale city, but this place looks a lot different."
Jaune shot her a small smile and ruffled her hair. "Of course, Mistral's culture is far removed from ours. Especially here in the capital, you're gonna see a big difference in styles of living."
Jade knocked the hand away and frantically tried to fix her hair. "Jaune! Aw… I'm gonna have to redo my braid…"
"Hey, dad!" From across the three-room suite, Saphron called out to their father. Hers and her mother's faces were planted in a brochure titled Best Spas in Mistral. "We're gonna go get a massage at this one place, wanna come?"
Jacques laughed weakly. "No, dear, I'm spent for today. Why don't you all go on without me?"
"Hey! I don't want to go either, you know," Jade chipped in her two cents. "I want to go see that building over there!" She pointed at a temple that was visible through the window.
For a twelve-year-old girl, she was certainly a handful. Jade was particularly hard-headed and perseverant in a way that not many others her age were. As shown by the current instance, if she wanted to do something, she'd find a way to do it.
Jacques didn't waste a second. After years of dealing with (way too many) pouting children, he had developed a repertoire of go-to techniques that allowed him to delegate responsibility. One such technique was…
"Jaune, go take Jade to see the temple."
Jaune didn't even bother arguing. He was expecting this. "Sure, dad."
Jade jumped up and down in excitement, quite pleased that she got things to go her way. "Great! I'll go get changed."
Jaune's five other sisters plus their mother made their way out the door, as his father waved goodbye from the comfort of the couch in the shared living space. Meanwhile, the only son waited patiently for his younger sibling to finish getting dressed.
It didn't take her much longer to come out of the bedroom. She wore some sort of frilly skirt paired with a light beige sweater. Her blonde hair was restyled into her preferred side strand braid, and her green eyes shone with barely restrained anticipation. "C'mon, Jaune! Let's go, let's go!"
Choosing comfort over style, Jaune stuck with what he wore on the flight over; that being a plain red hoodie, grey sweats, and white trainers.
He sighed. "After you, then." He opened the door and gestured for his little sister to go first. With a wave to their dad, they too were off.
XX
Jaune had to admit, the temple was much more impressive now that they were up close. Statues, jewels, and white marble pillars surrounded the lot which must have been at least a couple thousand square meters. Bustling tourists as well as locals streamed in, out and around the structure in waves
"There's… Lot's of people, huh?" noted Jade simply.
Her brother nodded. "Must be a popular attraction. Or… something."
They noticed a crowd forming at what seemed to be an entrance. Security guards were holding them all at bay.
"Look, it's really her!"
"She's gorgeous in real life too, huh?"
"She would have totally won again this year dude. Definitely."
The younger blonde's interest had been piqued. She ran off ahead to go see what the commotion was all about. Using her small frame to her advantage, she easily snaked her way to the front of the group.
It took her brother (who was supposed to be looking after her) a little longer than a moment to realize that she'd already ran ahead. "Quite the commotion, I wonder what it's all about. What do you say we go check it out, Jade? …Jade? JADE!"
He spotted her just before she disappeared behind two people twice her size. He ran after her and –maybe a little too roughly– pushed his way forward to try and find her.
He found her once he reached the front. She was leaning against a rope barrier along with many others, an awed expression on her face. Everyone was trying to sneak a peek past the men in black suits who were making sure no one crossed the barrier.
From what he could see on the other side, the interior of the temple was completely void of tourists, truly accentuating its gargantuan size. Centered and to the back, a set of stairs led up to an altar, on which was placed an equally proportioned marble statue of a lady in a toga, presumably some sort of goddess.
…His earlier analysis wasn't completely correct. There was one person inside, kneeling at the base of the stairs. It was a pretty girl with long, wavy red hair. She was dressed like a warrior, clad in intricate bronze armor.
She suddenly got up to leave. Security officers reacted by flanking her and sending orders through some kind of radio on their ears.
"Who… is she?"
He didn't even realize that he'd asked the question until his sister answered, "Seriously? Jeez, I know you don't get out much, but I can't believe my own brother doesn't recognize– "
"Jaune?"
Everything was silent. The crowd stopped talking to themselves, the security team stopped giving orders, and Jaune could've sworn that even the wind blowing through the open-air structure was tamed.
"It's you, isn't it? You're… Jaune Arc."
The redhead didn't get up to leave like he thought. Instead, she was standing a couple of feet in front of him. She looked hesitant to ask her question, hoping that she wasn't wrong.
The people around him were giving him shocked looks, not believing that a celebrity called out to some no-name amongst them. Though he was honestly in the same boat! He didn't even know who she –
"…" He got a better look at her now that she was closer. The familiar red hair, the green eyes…
"You are… Pyrrha, Thetis' daughter, aren't you?"
The uncertainty visible on her face was quickly replaced by a friendly smile. "Ah, it is you. I'm glad. Have you been well?"
"Ahem…" One of her guards tried to discretely alert her that such a public place wasn't ideal to be catching up with someone.
"Oh, yes, I'm terribly sorry!" She turned her attention back to Jaune. "It's been quite a long time Jaune. Would you like to meet me for lunch today, then?" She thought about what she just said, and became a little self-conscious. "Erm, that is, if you don't already have other plans."
Jaune could hear the murmurs within the crowd. His own sister was staring at him in disbelief.
The blond boy smiled kindly at the redhead. "I would love to. Do you mind if my sister joins us?
Jade let out a small "Eep!" as Jaune pulled her closer to him.
Pyrrha laughed. "I don't mind at all."
XX
What the hell is going on!?
Externally, Jade was unresponsive as she tried to figure out just how it was that her older brother was so chummy with one of her idols. She could only answer with a pathetic nod whenever the red-haired woman would ask her a question on their way to the eating establishment that was completely empty in anticipation of their arrival.
"So Jaune, tell me." Pyrrha Nikos spoke first once they were all seated at a round booth at the back of the restaurant. A waitress brought them menus. "What brings you to Mistral? The last we spoke, you told me your plan was to be a huntsman in Vale."
"Yeah, that's still the plan." Jaune laughed. "Actually, the reason we're here is because of you."
"Hm?" Pyrrha was caught off guard.
Seeing that her brother's conversational skills were as terrible as always, Jade interjected before her idol could get too creeped out. "What my brother means to say is that he's here to compete in the World Tournament; his primary huntsman school is representing Vale this year. Not only that, but he's the third round lock, which means he'll be fighting you personally. You're pretty much the strongest there is, so you're the one to beat."
Pyrrha's cheeks glowed with a healthy blush. "My… That's certainly flattering. I hope that our match will be a good one, Jaune."
She didn't seem too phased by the revealing of his position.
"Even back then, you were an incredible fighter," Jaune chimed in. "On another note, why were you at the temple anyway? It seems like you went through an awful lot of trouble to be there despite all the attention you were attracting."
"You mean you don't know?" Jade gave her elder sibling a flat look. "What am I saying… of course you don't. Miss Nikos' family has been said to be under the divine protection of Mistralian deities for hundreds of years. She goes to the temple to pray to the Goddess of Victory every day when she's here for the MRT."
"Huh. I didn't know that." Jaune didn't have the decency to look sorry.
"No, that's quite alright." Pyrrha didn't seem to mind much herself, even though they acted like they knew each other.
That's it. Jade had enough of being out of the loop. "Uhm, sorry, but… Miss Nikos, how do you know my brother exactly?"
The redhead's face contorted to form a complicated expression. Her gaze found Jaune's, not knowing how touchy a subject it was for the boy.
Jaune caught on to what she was trying to convey and explained to his sister, "You were pretty young, so I don't know how well you remember… A few years back, when I got lost in Mistral, it was Pyrrha and her mother who helped me get home safe."
Ah. That explained it then.
Jade bowed awkwardly from where she was seated at the booth. It looked more like a shrug. "Thank you for helping my brother."
The pro fighter smiled kindly and waved her off. "Think nothing of it, Jade. I didn't do much, really."
"No, it was more than you could possibly imagine."
Pyrrha was a little startled by Jaune's seriousness in his interjection. He continued, "My mind was in a dangerous place at the time; I had just lost the person I looked up to the most in life. I was full of hatred, self-loathing… If it weren't for you and Miss Thetis, I haven't a clue what would've happened to me."
Jade saw her brother in a new light. She had never known how much big sis Jeanne's death had affected him. What would happen if she'd lost him? Jaune was her role model. She tried so much to be like him; to put her whole heart into everything she does and never give up until she gets what she wants.
Not that she'd ever actually tell him that.
Jaune wasn't done. "I owe you both my life, Pyrrha. Maybe to you, it was just being kind, but to me it was… it was everything."
As a celebrity, Pyrrha had grown a knack for always knowing the best thing to say. After all, the camera was always watching and the people were always listening.
The only problem was right now, they weren't on camera and no one else was listening. What could she say to that? She didn't have much experience speaking as herself as opposed to a public figure. "I, uh…"
Jaune realized that he may have made her feel uncomfortable. "Sorry, I didn't mean to– "
"I'm training at eight-thirty tomorrow. Would you… maybe… like to join me? We're opponents, of course, but we should be able to have a workout without divulging any of our plans for the fight."
She didn't know what she was doing anymore. What she did know is that she couldn't leave him hanging. Not after what he just told her. Somehow, it made her feel, for once in her life, like she was able to be something more than an entertainer for the people.
A pregnant silence formed between the three. Jaune blinked and smiled. "I'd like that."
Pyrrha clasped her hands, delighted. "Oh, how grand!" She took out her scroll and held it in front of her suggestively. "Here. Add me to your contacts so I'll be able to– oh?"
Her scroll rang. "Sorry, just one moment. It's my mother," she apologized as she brought the device up to her ear.
"Hello, mom… Yes, I'll meet with you soon. I finished a little while ago, and now I'm breaking for lunch… I'm with Jaune Arc, actually. He and his sister… Yes, that Jaune… Oh, of course. One moment."
She brought the scroll down to her lap. "My mom said she'd love to speak with you, Jaune. You wouldn't mind terribly, would you?"
"Ah, not at all." Jaune was caught off guard by the question, but he surely wouldn't mind hearing from the woman again.
Pyrrha put the scroll on the speaker function and placed it in between the three of them.
"You're on speaker, mom."
"Jaune! Are you there? How have you been?"
The boy's eyes brightened. "Miss Thetis! I wish I could greet you in person, but it's great to hear your voice regardless!"
"That's why I wanted to talk to you, actually. Why don't you bring your family to meet up with Pyrrha and I after she's finished training tomorrow."
"Well, mom," chipped in her daughter, "Jaune will be joining me, actually."
"Oh? I see, I see! In which case, I'll go bring your family over, then you and Pyrrha can come to us once you've finished."
Jaune grinned at Pyrrha. "Sounds good to me."
"Excellent! See you tomorrow– oh, you said your sister's with you, right?"
"Uhm… Hello," Muttered Jade shyly.
"Hello, dear. I look forward to meeting you. Now Jaune, make sure to let your family in on the plan! Oh, and Pyrrha, we can meet up later. For now, show your friends around the city."
"Oh? Uh... yes, mom." Pyrrha agreed, caught off guard by the suddenness on the demand.
Click. Thetis hung up.
"So… After we eat, would you two like to see some… interesting places?" She would ignore the fact that she hadn't been able to explore much of the city herself. She could wing it.
Jade answered for the both of them. "Of course! We'd love to!"
Her older brother scratched the back of his head. "Let me just call dad and let him know what we're up to. No need to have him worry."
XX
"And this is the Keii Colosseum. The Mistral Regional Tournament, or MRT for short, has been hosted here for decades ever since its relocation from Haven Academy campus. Every member of the Nikos family has fought here at least once over the course of their lives; it's in our blood!" Pyrrha finished off with a proud exclamation. After many grueling hours of showing the siblings popular sites –all while not having a single clue what she was talking about– she was in her comfort zone again.
"I thought the temple was big, but this is a whole other level of huge," mused Jaune. "Don't you feel uneasy performing in front of all these people?"
"I'll admit, my first year I was a wreck. My trainer, my manager, and my mom spent the better part of an hour trying to calm me down before each match," reminisced the champion. "Honestly, I think it only got worse the further along I made it."
"Wait, really?" Jade couldn't imagine the Invincible Girl being anything other than cool as a cucumber.
"Yeah, really! I grew out of it eventually, though. While it is true that I have fans that counted on me to win, this tournament is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things."
"Insignificant?" Jaune never thought that's what a three-time champion's mindset would be like.
"Mhm. If I won, then I won; if I lost, then all that really happens is that I lost. People will be mad, disappointed, all of that… but no matter the outcome, this is just entertainment. Nothing more."
"That's…" Jaune was thrown for a loop. He shouldn't be one to talk, but that just sounded…
"Unbecoming? A little too blasé, maybe? I suppose it is." Pyrrha laughed to herself, taking it all with a grain of salt. "Now all of that being said, I do have responsibilities as a public figure. Children look up to me –idolize me, even– and my actions have had political consequences. My opinion is held to a high enough regard that it can sway the public's opinion. I can't say I've gotten over that part yet."
"Sounds like a pain, to be honest." Jaune thought it, Jade said it.
Pyrrha smiled at the younger girl. "It can be. However, it's what makes all of this worth it for me: to be able to make a real difference."
Jaune couldn't help but feel that she seemed a little sad.
RING, RING
"Yeah, dad?" Jaune answered his scroll, seeing that his father was calling him. "…Yeah, we can be home in a bit. See ya."
Jade peered over his shoulder. "Was that…?"
"Yeah, dad says it's getting late." Jaune placed his hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. She started at the unexpected contact. "We had fun today, but our dad wants us home before it gets too late. See you tomorrow?"
The older girl flushed away her embarrassment from being caught off guard and returned the gesture. "Certainly! Here's my number, by the way." She tapped her scroll against his. A beep indicated the data transfer was complete.
She noticed Jaune's little sister fidgeting, trying not to make eye contact. "I'd love to trade numbers with you too Jade… That is, if you want?"
The younger girl lit up like a lamp. "Yeah!"
Without wasting a single instant, Jade whipped out her own scroll and eagerly tapped it against her idol's.
"I'll send you a message with the time and place later after I speak with my trainer. That okay?"
He gave her a thumbs up. "Sure. Want us to walk you home or something?"
The redhead giggled and pointed to one of the many security guards following them from a distance. "I think I'll be fine. See you tomorrow."
Jaune stopped. "Oh, one last thing."
The redhead gestured for him to speak his mind. "Hm?"
"I was wondering… Why did you withdraw from the MRT?"
She smiled. "That's a secret."
XX
A bleary-eyed Jaune woke up to the sound of his scroll pinging. As he reached for it, he saw that the displayed time was five-thirty.
Hey, Jaune. Meet up at 8? (Location attached)
Man, and he thought he was an early riser.
Deciding he may as well get up, he quietly made his way to the door as to not wake up the two sisters he bunked with. In the queen-size bed next to his, Jade was snoozing away next to Garnet.
Entering the shared living space, he turned on the complementary pod coffee maker. Thankfully, the hotel provided tea pods as well.
His scroll went off with another notification just as he sat down with his mug.
"News update?"
Having nothing better to do, he opened the newly published article.
"PFFFFFT!"
He spat out his tea in surprise the moment it touched his lips.
Pyrrha Nikos Talks 'Career Paths' With Vale-Affiliated Parties.
What was all this about?
He put down his mug, more concerned with figuring out what the hell he was reading.
"Sources have leaked that Jaune Arc, third round lock of Vale's representative World Tournament team, was spotted in Mistral with three-time champion Pyrrha Nikos… Huh? Analysts speculate that the meeting was an attempt by Vale's Beacon Academy to recruit the region's top prospect following her graduation from Sanctum?"
"So you're up, Jaune?" His father yawned as he joined him in the living space. It wasn't often that Jaune was up before the man, seeing as Jacques liked to wake up at ungodly hours of the morning. "How was your day with Pyrrha? It's nice to see you talking with people your own age other than Yang and Mocha."
His son didn't answer him. Wordlessly, Jaune slid the scroll across the table to his father with the article open.
"Hm?" The head of the Arc family swiped through the news page. "Oh, this is– ha. Hahaha!"
Jaune frowned. "Why are you laughing? Who knows what kind of drama this will cause for Pyrrha?"
Jacques gave his son a strong pat on the back. "Don't stress about this too much. When you're as big of a deal as your friend here, tabloids and reporters will do anything they can to scrounge a story. Nikos is probably taking this all with a grain of salt, and so should you."
"I… guess…"
XX
A few minutes before eight, Jaune found himself standing in front of a tall white building. Its exterior design was pretty simple and boxy, so it looked a little out of place amongst all the historical monuments that filled this particular neighborhood.
As he got closer, the glass panel doors opened on their own, and a "ping" sound reverberated somewhere inside. While he had never actually been to Atlas, the place still gave him "Atlas-y" vibes.
Once he entered, he b-lined to the desk in the middle of the reception hall.
"How can I help you?" asked the receptionist in a tired voice. The poor guy looked like he must've gotten here pretty early.
"I'm here to meet up with a friend, actually. She gave me this address?" Jaune started to sound a little unsure of himself. Was this the right place? It didn't really seem like a gym at first glance.
The receptionist gave him a dead stare for a moment. "Yeah, sorry. The gym doesn't open until this afternoon; tournament, and all that. The staff is busy keeping training facilities operating on extended hours for Mistral's competitors. Come back later, please."
Well, at least it was the right place. "I'm here to see a competitor, actually. Pyrrha Nikos?"
"Oh, I see."
Jaune gave the man a bright smile. "Great! Could you point me in the right direction? I've never been here before."
"That's… gonna have to be a no, buddy. Sorry."
"Eh?"
The receptionist's tired scowl scrunched up even further. "Look, kid. You're the third person to come in this morning that tried to tell me that they're 'in' with Nikos. The third. Have you seen the time? You're gonna have to be a little more creative if you think that–"
"Jaune, you're here! Sorry, I took a little longer than I thought to get ready." Coming out from the door behind the receptionist's desk wearing compression pants and a sleeveless top, Pyrrha gave the blonde a dazzling smile. "You brought workout gear, right? I'll show you to the dressing rooms."
The poor receptionist didn't know how to respond. He knew what to do if someone pretended to know Pyrrha Nikos, but he had no clue what to do if someone actually knew her. "Uh…"
Jaune gave the man a big smile. "Never mind, there she is. Thanks anyway!"
"…Yeah…"
XX
"Hng!?"
"Harder, Jaune! Push harder!"
"Hng!"
"Excellent, just like that!... Steady, now. Don't throw your back out."
The reigning champ was teaching her blond friend how to do a proper bench press. Considering his formidable physique, one wouldn't think that he'd never touched regular workout equipment in his life. When asked, he stated simply that his dad had a more "hands-on" approach to physical conditioning.
He tried to talk while keeping his breath steady. "Do you really think–"
"Don't speak during the rep."
He finished the extension and –with the help of his red-haired spotter– gently placed the barbell on the rack. "Sorry. Do you really think you have the time to be doing this? I mean, shouldn't you be focused on training too?"
Pyrrha waved him off. "Don't worry about it. You can do me next."
He frowned, but conceded. He chose to ignore the awkward phrasing. "If you say so."
The huntsman-to-be reached for the bar again, but paused when his companion asked, "Say… have you competed in the world finals before, or is this your first time?"
"First time," he admitted.
"I… see. Me too, but I doubt it's too different from a regular competition." She nodded to herself. Let it be known that Pyrrha Nikos had never been accused of dragging out a conversation.
But what did she want from said conversation? What compelled her to ask him to come train with her this morning? Sympathy? Pity?
"So, is this how all the competitors from Mistral prepare for the tournament, or just you?" As Jaune looked around, he couldn't help but notice that they were the only two in the weight room, despite it being reserved for all five participants.
"Hmm…" Pyrrha took a glance at the digital clock display on the wall closest to them. They may as well get started sooner rather than later, she supposed. "I'd say that everyone does their own thing, more or less, but if you're wondering why there's nobody here, it would be because most of them don't start training this early."
"I guess that makes sense."
XX
They spent the rest of their time at the gym trying to make small-talk. As they moved from machine to machine, they fell into a rhythm of sorts.
"One. Two. Three. Four… Five!" Jaune counted for his 'gym buddy'. He made sure to keep barbell steady as it came down from her last squat.
She got to her feet at a steady pace. The redhead flashed him a smile as she wiped the sheen of sweat from her forehead with a towel. "Thank you, Jaune. This has been quite the productive morning, don't you think?"
The blonde nodded as he did his best to stretch his hamstrings "Yeah. It was fun actually. I'm happy you invited me."
Nothing else was said. The two found that they appreciated each other's company through the last few hours.
At a certain point, Pyrrha let her eyes trail on the clock. Eleven already? "Let's call it a day, shall we?"
"Sure."
She passed him a bottle of water from her bag. "I'll meet you in the lobby after I take a shower."
With a wave, she left him alone in the arena.
Taking a seat on a rolled-up yoga mat with his legs sprawled out in front of him, Jaune took the time to soak in his surroundings. Somewhere along the line, other fighters had trailed in. Some stared at him, but they probably assumed he was hired as Pyrrha's training assistant. Eventually, though, they forgot about him in favour of doing what they originally came to do.
With a "Hup!", the blonde put himself on two feet. He placed everything back in order the best he could, then left gather his things from the locker he rented.
…Where were the showers again?
XX
It was fifteen minutes later that Jaune found himself in the lobby, now dressed in a clean pair of sneakers, sweats and a plain black t-shirt.
He was nearly blinded by the flashing lights that shone through the front windows. Squinting, he could make out a wave of journalists carrying huge cameras.
"Jaune," waved Pyrrha. "Over here!"
At first, he wondered why she stood so far away. It took him little more than a few seconds to realize that she was purposely keeping away from the windows.
The blonde approached her, curious about the commotion outside. "Hey, do you know what's up with…"
He trailed off. Noticing how she was dressed, his question became, "what's with the outfit?"
Pyrrha was dressed head to toe in what could only be described by him as 'expensive stuff'. In place of the bronze body armor he remembered from the other day, she wore a gold-colored silk blouse paired with mustard corduroy pants. Her wrists, ears and neck were lathered in jewels, and her feet were slipped into a pair of red-bottomed high-heels that he could vaguely remember his sisters ogling in a magazine.
The only familiar thing was her circlet, though it was paired with a matching bun cover that held the length of her hair.
Jaune felt grossly underdressed, all of a sudden. Because of his lifestyle, most of what he owned was either activewear, or activewear repurposed as loungewear. At least he had a uniform back at school… but now?
Pyrrha blushed. "Please, don't mind me. My sponsors pay my management team a lot of money, so this is all I can wear outside of my combat gear."
"I mean… it looks… nice?" he tried.
Though the redhead appreciated the gesture, she groaned. "There are plenty of women who'd love to wear my clothes –that's the point, I suppose– but it's just so restrictive. It's not… me."
He felt for her. He really did.
"Miss Nikos," the receptionist –a different one from earlier– whispered to them from where she sat at her desk. "We'll be opening to the public shortly."
Jaune glared at the entrance with trepidation. "How do you plan on dealing with them?"
The Mistralian idol glimmered. "I'm not."
"Eh?"
She motioned for him to follow her to the emergency exit. "We have a car waiting for us out here. This side of the building isn't accessible from the main roads, so we should be fine."
True to her words, a black limousine was parked in the deserted alleyway behind the gym. A plain-looking man in a black suit got out of the driver's seat and opened the back door for them."
"After you, sir," joked the over-dressed girl with a wide smile. After training with him for a few hours, she found him easier to talk to.
He smirked and shook his head, but heeded her command nonetheless.
As they took off, Jaune took it upon himself to start small talk. "So where are we meeting Thetis, exactly? I remember my sister saying that you only come to the capital whenever there's a tournament, so that means you don't actually live here, right?"
"That's right." Pyrrha scratched her cheek, feeling a little self-conscious. "Though since we come here a lot, my dad thought it would be a good idea to purchase a second property close to the colosseum. My family's actually from a town called Phthia; I'd say it's one of the western-most places in Mistral."
"I've never met your dad. Is he here too?"
She shook her head. "No, he hasn't come to one of my tournaments since my first."
"Wha– really?" Jaune spoke a little louder than he would've liked. "That really sucks! Since Thetis came all the way here, I figured he'd at least–"
He stopped himself when he noticed the plastic smile on her face.
"Sorry… I don't know your situation. That was rude of me."
"No, no, I get what you mean." she waved it off. "But that's just how it is in my family. My dad expects me to win. He's really busy most of the time, so why commute for what he sees as a forgone conclusion? In a way, it's because he believes in me that he's not here."
There was so much that the young Arc wanted to say to that. He should be here to support you. He should be here because that's what family does. But in the end, he kept his mouth shut. Like she said, that's 'just how it is in her family'.
They didn't exchange any more words for the rest of the commute. It wasn't an awkward silence, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable one either.
The closer they got to the heart of town, the more closely packed everything was. Traditional Mistralian buildings became high-rises and mom-and-pop stores became corporation head offices.
The limousine stopped in front one of the many apartment complexes in the area. There was nothing distinguishing about it save for the marble pillars sandwiching the main door.
"We've arrived ma'am," announced the driver.
Pyrrha smiled. "Thank–"
Both Pyrrha and the driver paused and stared at Jaune, who had already opened the door. He blushed.
Did he do something wrong?
The driver –who was prepared to get out of his seat– put his hands back on the wheel.
"It's fine, we got it," amended the redhead.
The pair entered the building as the car pulled away.
Now that they were alone, Jaune felt compelled to ask, "Should I have not opened the door myself?"
"It's a cultural thing, Jaune," she explained to him. "Mistralian people take it as an insult if you try to take their job from them. Opening the door for his client is part of that driver's duty."
Jaune never thought of it that way. In vale, most would be happy if you made their job easier for them. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."
"Think nothing of it." Her bracelets jingled as she waved it off. She blushed and lowered her arm once she noticed how obvious her jewelry was. "He knew you weren't from Mistral, so I can guarantee he didn't take it personally.
The Arc nodded. It was situations like these that reminded him that the world was a big place, and that it didn't revolve around him.
Once they entered, Jaune was surprised to see a small, closed-off space rather than a lobby. "The front door leads straight into the elevator?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes. This building is for residents only; the business end of things is managed next door." The redhead placed her hand on a translucent black square. After hearing a beep, she pressed the button that would take them up to the top floor.
"…Was that a–"
"Yes, that was a hand scanner." Her cheeks were tinted a pink hue.
"Wow… okay."
She didn't quite pout, but her lower lip did something. The whole security system was admittedly a little… much. She couldn't complain, though, as she wouldn't put it past some over-zealous fan to try breaking into her place.
The ground underneath them steadied and a bell chimed. The doors of the elevator opened to face a sizeable foyer that Jaune wasn't quick to believe could actually fit inside of a building.
"Oh… that must be them," spoke a woman's voice from another room. While muffled by the walls, it wasn't hard to hear. "Pyrrha, honey, we're in the living room!"
"We'll be right there, mom."
'Mom'? So that was…
He followed the redhead into the next room over.
The living space was immaculate. The furnishings were top class, and decorations were placed tastefully. It must have been the work of an interior designer of some kind, though, since Jaune couldn't help but feel that that there was no 'personal touch' to it. It was doubtful that either Nikos spent much time here.
"Jaune, is that really you? You've grown so much!" exclaimed a red-haired woman from her seat on a love chair. There were three sofas facing it, all of which were occupied by the entire Arc family.
As he thought, it really was Thetis. She hadn't changed a bit; not even a wrinkle was out of place.
He offered a kind smile and a wave. He addressed his father first, however. "When did you all get here?"
"A little less than an hour ago. She came to pick us up herself, and has been very hospitable." –he lifted the mug he was holding– "She makes great tea, by the way. You'll love it."
The woman in question scoffed. "Hospitable? Hardly. You wouldn't stop thanking me, so I gave you a beverage to keep your mouth busy."
Despite her harsh words, she laughed airily. It was obvious that she was just joking.
Jacques scratched the back of his head; a habit shared between both men of the Arc family. "Well, of course I'd thank the one who looked after my son. This is the first time I've been able to meet you in person after all."
All the while, his sisters were whispering amongst themselves. They took quick glances at Pyrrha when they thought she wasn't looking.
"Wow… she's taller than I thought she'd be."
"I figured it was the camera lighting, but she's pretty no matter what, huh?"
"What I want to know is how our muscle-brained brother was able to hold a conversation with someone like her long enough to be invited to her house."
Jaune's eyebrow twitched. They knew that they weren't being that quiet, right? They knew that he could hear them, right?
"Pyrrha, introduce yourself properly, won't you?" Noticing the murmurs herself, Thetis spoke to her daughter in a judging tone that only a mother could muster.
"Um, yes! Sorry! My name is Pyrrha Nikos. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
The girls continued to talk amongst themselves.
"She's really down-to-earth, too!"
"I was expecting her to be a little more snobbish."
"Like you?"
"Hey!"
"Ahem." Isabelle disrupted her children's banter. They shut up instantly.
"Why are you still standing! Take a seat, both of you." Thetis pointed at the open space on the adjacent couch. "Would either of you like something to drink? I'm certain that there's more than enough tea to go around."
She wasn't actually looking for an answer, apparently. She had already poured them both a cup. Jaune nodded appreciatively.
Jaune took a sip. It was quite good.
"So. How goes convincing my daughter to abandon her country for Vale?"
He spat the tea back into his cup in shock.
"Mom!" admonished Pyrrha.
"Hahaha!" chuckled Thetis as she leaned further into the love seat, "Joking! I'm just joking."
The blonde boy sighed. "I'm sorry if I've caused any misunderstandings over that."
"Don't be." Thetis stopped laughing and adopted a relatively serious tone. "Tabloids come out with stuff like this daily. It's not the worst thing that's been said about my daughter by far."
Though she tried to keep the mood light, no one could mistake the annoyance in her voice.
Jaune closed his eyes and took another sip of his drink. "I'm sorry."
The younger redhead patted his shoulder "No, really. Mom is right. You don't–"
"No, I mean I'm sorry you have to put up with stuff like that."
She stared at him dumbly for a second, though her trademark smile came up in an instant.
"Thank you."
He couldn't help but feel that her smile was a little more genuine. She might have been thanking him for something else entirely.