A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks as always for following along- there's so many of you here now! I'd love to hear from more of you about your thoughts on where this story will go/what you're looking forward to.
Laws of Attraction
Despite all the chattering that echoed through the hall, sleep found Pyrrha eventually and took her away to dreamland. Her dreams were always fairly simple, fairly tame. More often than not, she could never remember exactly what had happened after she woke up, but the dreams always followed the same generic storyline.
That night was no exception. As she settled into the scratchy linens, her mind flew through the trees of Mistral, feet swift and light, hair whipping in the wind behind her. Grimm jumped in her way, but stood no chance against the might of her sword and shield- and by the time she had landed upon the ground, the battle was over, and victory was hers.
But unlike in reality, in her dreams, people spoke to her. They ran towards her, clapping her on the shoulder, praising her warmly- some even ruffled her bangs or gave her hugs or just thanked her, treating her like a young woman her age. Like a friend. And there was no lie in their eyes.
Morning came too soon, unfortunately, and she wound up getting ready for the day's activities- landing strategies, or the like?- in relative solitude. No one had bothered speaking to her ever since the Professor Port incident, and she couldn't blame them- it had been far too outlandish of a skit for the first day.
Unlike her, the other students had managed to find at least one person to cling to during intake, and cling to one another, they did; finding cliques and bonding over mutual fear and excitement.
It made for a lonely breakfast. The pancakes were delicious, though.
Eventually, it was time to gear up. The locker room was anything but small, cramped and smelly, like the one in Sanctum had been- instead, this room was grand and sparkling clean, just as the rest of the school, when Pyrrha had explored it during the entrance ceremony. Her peers bustled about, buckling breastplates and sharpening weapons at their automated lockers. A few wandered sadly between the rows, mournfully calling out numbers as if they would manage to find their specific locker number through sheer willpower alone. As every single student, not just freshman, had their equipment stored altogether, it made for a very easy place to lose one's belongings within.
Pyrrha tightened her bracer mindlessly, checking the time on her Scroll. They still had a while before they needed to muster upon the cliffside, and she was already prepped. What was there to do now?
She looked at her outfit from top to bottom, sighing as she noticed her reflection in the mirror which lined the back of her locker. As usual, she was nearly cut out of the top, although the mirror was positioned in such a way that most people would have no difficulties with it; and yet, she was almost crouching in order to fit fully.
Maybe I should get rid of my boots? she wondered, glancing at her heels. Although they were only a few inches tall, they were more than enough to pop her past six feet. People always seem intimidated anyways- maybe it would help me be more approachable.
You can't, another part of her chided, suspiciously sounding like her mother's disapproving voice. The brand deals and sponsors insist that you keep everything the same as in the adverts. You're not allowed to change it.
She groaned, fiddling with a hinge on her bracer needlessly. There were a lot of things she'd do, if it weren't for the sponsors telling her not to.
Out of the blue, a high, confident voice interrupted her thoughts. "So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on?"
Pyrrha turned to look at the speaker, keeping her face blank as she examined the girl who had come to stand next to her. Her gaze met with striking pale blue eyes, staring up at her with such inner strength and gusto that Pyrrha had to catch herself from showing her surprise.
There was no defeat in her gaze- this was new.
The girl swept her long, silvery-white hair elegantly off her shoulder and continued, sickeningly sweet, "I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!"
Is she mocking me? Pyrrha placed a hand on her hip, rolling her eyes. This stranger sounded so false in her words that it almost made her skin crawl. But… she's the first one to say anything nice after what happened last night, she reasoned with herself. I should give her a chance. Letting out a small smile, she responded sheepishly, "Hmm... I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."
The pale girl smiled wider in response to this, casually saying, "Well... I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together." However, her eyes were still fixated on Pyrrha, still calculating.
Pyrrha almost laughed out loud at how awkwardly the girl was speaking to her. Did she think Pyrrha believed what she was saying? There was no way that the words coming out of her mouth were natural; there must've been some motive, something to make her act this way! And yet, she couldn't help a small laugh from finally bubbling past her lips. "Well, that sounds grand!"
"Great!" she responded brightly, the most honest Pyrrha had seen her. But then, strangely enough, the girl turned away ever so slightly, holding her hands up to her chest, a wicked smirk growing on her face. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly, almost as if she was having a conversation within herself.
Pyrrha blinked, watching the girl's odd behaviour, but she didn't comment. Even though it was clear that this girl's intentions were less than pure… did this count as making a friend? Go me, I guess!
Before she could say anything, however, a blond head interrupted her train of thought- and evidently, the pale-haired girl's, too, as she woke from her stupor and stared at the newcomer. Pyrrha raised a brow as a familiar figure leaned suavely against her locker, facing the other girl. "You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."
Almost immediately, the girl's façade dropped off. She crossed her arms, revealing her irritation plainly to the young man. "You again?"
It was then that the figure finally clicked in her mind- this awkward creature was the blond from the entrance ceremony, the one from the airship who had gotten far too acquainted with the trashcans. Although a part of her wanted to laugh at his attempt at smooth conversation, another part was warm, seeing the excited, expectant light in his eyes as he looked at the smaller girl.
Might as well help him out a bit and calm her down, she thought, sliding into his view and waving brightly. "Nice to meet you, Jaune!"
It seemed that Jaune did not pick up on how Pyrrha was trying to assist him in his endeavors. "Yeah, yeah," he responded brusquely, pushing Pyrrha to one side. Turning his attention back to the other girl, he smirked, "So, Weiss, couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day." He puffed his chest up proudly as he spoke.
Pyrrha almost snorted. It was like watching a young child playing the brave, confident hero- she had to fight down giggles even more as she imagined that round, slightly chubby face on a small blond boy, bright-eyed with a towel tied around his neck like a cape. It matched with this Jaune perfectly.
Weiss, as she was called, was nowhere near as amused. She groaned, burying her head in one hand. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
"Don't worry!" Jaune continued, clearly not even paying attention to what she was saying anymore. "No need to be embarrassed! So… been hearing rumors about teams!" His voice had turned into sing-song, and Pyrrha was on the verge of breaking down into a fit of giggles, seeing Weiss' temper slowly rising. "I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?"
Weiss' eye was twitching, so the redhead sighed, deciding that it was probably time to step in. "Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-"
"You don't say." He spun on his heel, stepping towards her, all bluster. Pyrrha blinked- standing upright, he was actually a little bit taller than her. And, despite all his clumsy bravado, she couldn't help but feel like he actually wasn't intimidated by her.
But, his words gave him away easily. "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."
She shook her head, trying to banish the image of a smile child petulantly scolding her; and yet, her stomach unexpectedly fluttered as she listened to him. There was no lie in his eyes, no duplicity, no false sweetness when he said that.
Join my team. That's what he had said. Well, not exactly what he had said… but it was good enough to make Pyrrha's heart sing.
Unfortunately, Weiss was growing tired of the exchange. Exasperated, she said, "Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"Not in the slightest, snow angel," Jaune murmured, leaning into Weiss.
It took more muscle strength than she had ever used before to stop herself from collapsing of laughter as she looked at Jaune's earnest, enraptured expression. Snow angel?! Where does he get this?
"This is Pyrrha," Weiss motioned.
Clenching her abs and facial muscles to keep her expression light, she waved, "Hello again!"
The pale-haired girl continued, "Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!"
Deadpan, Jaune said, "Never heard of it."
How does one not hear of Sanctum? Everyone knows that Sanctum is the most well-known preliminary school in Mistral…
Weiss scoffed, disgust evident in her tone. "She's won the Mistral Regional Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!"
Before Pyrrha could jump in, because really, it wasn't that great, Jaune said blankly, "The what?"
She froze. Jaune literally seemed to have no idea who she was. That little warmth in the pit of her stomach began to gnaw its way up through her body, setting her heart ablaze. Was this boy being serious? And yet, looking at his child-like gaze, she knew that he was dead serious.
Weiss was not having any of this. Frustrated, she screeched, "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"
Jaune stepped back, gasping loudly, his expression changing from disinterest to pure awe. "That's you?! But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"
If she had been alone, Pyrrha would've been crying of laughter by that point. She could barely even see the young man in front of her anymore, his face completely replaced by the little boy she pictured him to be, the towel cape tied around his neck flying triumphantly behind him.
However, it was clear that he was waiting for her to verify what Weiss said, so at last she responded, "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you." They were, on the other hand, one of the most disgustingly sweet cereals she had ever tasted in her life. Of course Jaune would like them.
Calming down a bit, Weiss concluded, "So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?"
Forlornly, Jaune hung his head, disappointment oozing from every pore. "I guess not… sorry…"
Pyrrha frowned, looking at Weiss's cold expression. Although, yes, Jaune was a little odd, and unaware, and eccentric, and... well… but there was no need for Weiss to be so cold. The more she listened to Weiss speak, the more discomfort grew in her stomach as the redhead realized just how little of the kindness Weiss had initially shown Pyrrha remained in her words.
Jaune doesn't deserve being beaten down like this. In order to prove it, Pyrrha stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on the blond's pauldron. "Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader!"
And just like a child, he immediately brightened back up, clasping his hands together, infatuated. "D'oh, stop it!"
"Seriously," Weiss sighed, "please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!"
Jaune bounced back right away. "Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?" As he spoke, he leaned in closer and closer.
Panic creased her forehead ever so slightly, and Weiss cried, "All right, that's a bit too close! Pyrrha, a little help, please?!"
Instinctively, Pyrrha reached down, undoing the clasp on Miló and throwing it in its javelin form. The point caught Jaune's sweatshirt by the hood, dragging the boy back with its momentum and embedding itself into another locker, effectively trapping Jaune against it. He weakly attempted to pull it out, but to no avail; and as Jaune looked back up at her in disbelief and sadness, she couldn't help but call, "I'm sorry!"
Fortunately, an announcement interrupted the awkward situation playing out in front of her. The voice of Professor Goodwitch said calmly, "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."
Pyrrha quickly snuck a look at her Scroll, sighing lightly when she saw that only a few minutes remained until the allotted meeting time. Before she could say anything, however, Weiss strode past Jaune without so much as a second glance.
"It was nice meeting you!" Pyrrha assured Jaune, pulling Miló from the locker and freeing Jaune. She held in her snicker as he tumbled to the ground, moaning at the impact with the cold, hard tile floor.
"Likewise..." he groaned, slumping against the locker.
She raised her eyes, seeing Weiss waiting impatiently for her at the door. Giving Jaune another apologetic smile, she trotted after the other girl, putting away her weapon as they entered the courtyard.
"Ugh. Who does he think he is?" Weiss complained as they walked, throwing her hands in the air in disbelief. "And to think he has the gall to talk to you like that- to talk to me like that-"
"I think he's fine," Pyrrha insisted lightly, a smile still playing on her lips. "He's fun."
"Fun?" Weiss huffed. "We didn't really come here to have fun, Pyrrha."
The redhead froze, looking at the shorter girl with concern in her eyes. "But… we're going to be here for so long! I'd like to enjoy myself a bit, at least."
Weiss rolled her eyes, but bit her tongue, likely sensing Pyrrha's disapproval. However, the damage was already done, and Pyrrha was now sure that she didn't want the icy girl on her team. Maybe she'll be a cool friend, she thought. One day. Maybe not right now.
Her smile only grew, though, as she thought of the clumsy blond sitting against the locker. He hadn't known her. He hadn't known her, and he'd treated her- albeit not in the best way- like another human being. Even after Weiss shut him down, Jaune still responded to Pyrrha's words without any malice nor resentment. Without any defeat.
It felt amazing. She felt a little spring in her step as she marched towards the cliff, eager to face whatever challenges initiation had in store for her.
And he was taller than her. What a good start to the day.