Claire smiled to herself, letting Violet go when she felt her grow twitchy. Like a scared mouse, she quickly darted back to Jaune. Her son not hesitating to bend down and lift her up onto his shoulders. While she took Bloom's hand in hers. Her second youngest shooting Violet a petty glare.
"So where are we eating?" Jaune asked with a roll of his eyes.
"Heh?" Nora chimed confusedly; eyes still red from crying as she wiped away the snot from her face. Turning to Jaune with eyes shining in confusion.
Claire smiled innocently to herself, happy to see her boy having grown up. 'If only it hadn't been because he ran away.' She huffed to herself. Not able to ignore the pang of guilt that stabbed her from within.
"Mom, there is no way you are going to miss an opportunity to grill my team." Jaune said matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes at her. "I know you well enough that you didn't come just to get Bloom. So where are we eating?"
"Are there even any restaurant's open?" Ren asked sceptically. Like his partner, his eyes were red. While his voice was hoarse, he spoke politely with a light raspy tone.
"You would be surprised." Her boy chimed in. "Rent don't stop just because the city was attacked. Life goes on. Doesn't help that it helps giving a sense of normalcy back."
"So they are coping." Ren replied with a sharp nod. Falling into step right beside her boy when they began walking. Pyrrha and Nora joining them, a fond smile on Pyrrha's face while Nora looked momentarily lost, with her head in the clouds.
"Yes and no?" Jaune remarked somewhat unsurely. "I'm no expert, but I think it's closer to escapism. Something along the lines of 'The city went to shit. But here, nothing happened, so nothing bad is going on.' Or something like that. It's at least one of the reasons the council is throwing everything at the tournament. It's a show, and they want to make it memorable, so people forget what happened."
"Do you think that's why the Headmaster asked me for what song I think fit's me best?" Pyrrha butted in with a hum. Joining their little clique and not hovering in her thoughts with a fair distance.
"Well, I got a mail about it, Ruby got a mail about it, and I bet all team leaders got a mail about it. So, yes." Jaune replied with a little shrug, electing a giggle from Violet upon his shoulders as she was suddenly bounced up and down. "And no, I have already sent in 'our' song for the first stage."
"Awww… come on fearless leader. You can't hide things like that from us." Nora huffed, crossing her arms with a large pout.
"If you want to take the solo fight instead of Pyrrha, you can have thunder or thunderstruck as your song." Her boy rolled her eyes. "But for now, it's a secret."
"What's that?" Violet suddenly chimed out, her eyes turning an icy blue as she jumped off Jaune's shoulder's. Shooting forward the second her feet touched the ground, the ice in her eyes disappearing. Replaced by curiosity and twinkling stars as she pressed her nose against the glass. Some eepy meow's bouncing against the glass wall as a bundle of kitten's looked up at her. A bundle of puppies in another enclosure standing up and yiping at her.
"Awwww~" Nora cooed, pressing herself up against the glass a second later. Excitingly turning around and pointing at some of the puppies. "Ren! Ren! This one looks just like you." She chimed excitedly, pointing at a Shiba pup. The pup in question sitting and scratching behind his ears. Watching the noise around him with detachment. "And this one looks just like you Pyrrha!" Nora smiled, pointing at the Shepherd. The dog in question wagging its tail so vigorously Claire was scared it would fall off.
"That's dad." Violet said shyly, pointing at a golden retriever pup. Claire smiling as she came to the glass. Cooing when she saw the pup Violet was pointing at. Turning around, she saw her boy standing a fair distance away.
"Come on Jaune." She waved, beckoning him over. "Don't you want to see the puppies."
"I do, that's why I'm keeping my distance. For their sake." Her boy said, giving her a smile. One obviously meant to disarm. The smile was sharp, not quite reaching his eyes and showing of pearly white teeth that glittered in the light. 'Feral.' Was the first word that popped into her mind at the smile. While her boy tried to smile as disarmingly as he could, it looked closer to a wolf playing pretend.
Not seeing what she did, Bloom stepped up to him and took his hand in hers. Dragging him towards the glass. Jaune resisted at first, sighing and allowing himself to be dragged when he saw the look in his sister's eyes.
The second he sat foot before the glass, pandemonium broke out inside the animal store. The puppies began barking madly, running wildly for cover. The kittens hissed, hair puffing out as they scattered. Some fish in the tank turned belly up and stopped swimming. Whereas the screaming of a dozen different birds and older animals rang out from the shop.
"I told you." Jaune sighed with a roll of his eyes. "Don't really know what happened, but animals don't like me." He explained, quickly turning to give Violet a little look. "And no, you can't get a pet now. Maybe in the future, when things have settled down and are not so transitory. But not now."
Violet pouted at Jaune, going straight back to stare at the kittens who hissed at Jaune. Stopping, dropping, and rolling onto their back's the second Jaune looked at them.
"And even then, you have to ask, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora if they are ok with it. They might be allergic." Jaune continued, starting an impromptu lesson. Placing a hand on Violet's head and ruffling her hair good naturally.
"Grimm are free." Nora whispered under her breath.
"No." The rest of her team chimed instantly. Making Claire chuckle under her breath, happy on her son's behalf. A pang of guilt shoot through her. She wasn't blind to how overprotective she and Titus had been of him. Neither was she blind to how possessive her daughter's were of his time. Her boy stepping up to walk his sisters to their activities, helping them with homework, helping them with chores when they lagged behind, and giving himself little to no time for himself.
'You shouldn't have had to run away from home to spread your wings.' Claire thought, hiding a sigh behind her hand. "While the puppies and kittens are adorable, why don't we go find something to fill our stomachs with. I take it you haven't had something to eat."
On que five loud grumbles escaped the teenagers. Violet blushing furiously, holding her hands over her stomach as a gentle pearl of laughter slipped out. "Don't worry, I will pay. I remember well how it was being a poor student."
"And we wouldn't be so poor if someone hadn't gotten their stipend frozen." Jaune quipped, sending Nora a teasing smile. In an instant her smile was wiped away as she crossed her arms with a loud huff. "Well maybe if GG hadn't been such a hard-ass, I wouldn't have had to. Do you know how much good grenades cost in this economy?"
"I'm sure we can think of some other ways to earn money." Ren said with a little smile. "I can already think of some ideas, homebrewing, freelancing, handywork, among others. It shouldn't be that impossible to earn some lien."
"A homebrewing starter kit isn't that expensive." Nora mumbled. Rubbing her chin as she stared intensively at the kittens. "We don't even need to make something good. As long as they can get drunk, students will drink everything. Or almost everything. But cheap and quick booze? Ohhhhh mama can already see the lien pilling."
"With it being homebrewn, they also don't have to take a trip down to downtown if they want to have fun." Her boy chimed in. Looking lost in thought as he stroked his chin. "It wouldn't really be that hard to cobble together a brewing stand. I have been thinking of experimenting with other bases for my molotovs. Ethanol tends to have a lower flash point, but it's optimal burn temperature is closing in on two thousand Celsius. Double what I have now. Sprinkle in some fire dust…"
"Jaune, who are you even trying to convince?" Pyrrha chimed in. Sighing heavily as she ran a hand over her face. Sending Nora a stinky look. "And Nora. Honestly. How can homebrewing be the first thing that popped into your mind?! Like seriously! Off all things!"
"It's quick money." Ren butted in. "Medium-ish investment, little effort, an investment at sure, but less time intensive as other options. We just have to check in occasionally, while the fermentation does its thing."
"Ren. NO." Pyrrha cut of, setting her foot down.
"If you are against it, we'll think of something else. We are a team after all, if one doesn't agree, none of us agrees." Ren shrugged, not at all minding how the idea was shot down. Instead only shooting a quick look at the still terrified animals. "While I'm not against having some alternative income sources, we should get going before we are chased away."
"If you are burning for an alternative income source, have none of you never considered getting a job? Doesn't Beacon pay you a share for doing missions?" Claire pointed out, blue eyes darting over the teenagers. Not knowing how to feel about what her son and his team were planning.
"Nope, we are both student and interns." Her boy replied instantly. "Our stipend comes from going on missions. It's one of the alternative way's Beacon as an institution earn money. One criteria for us to graduate is to have completed a set amount of missions. Some supervised, some unsupervised. So, if we were to refuse, we can lose our stipend and have to do more missions at a later date to get our shoot at graduation."
"That sounds overly convoluted." Claire said, throwing a look over at the academy with a frown. Knowing she would check if it was something new, or if it had been like that from the beginning.
"It is what it is." Her boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Beacon earns money, students get experience and are incentivised to individually begin picking mission from the second year forward. The incentive probably comes for some not so pure places if we were to look underneath the underneath. But let's pretend it's for our good, for now."
"I don't know where your obsession with understanding rules came from, however it's calming knowing you have a solid grasp of what you can and can't do." Claire sighed, shooting her boy a proud look. Even if she coulndt for the life of her understand why he began in the first place.
Pushing the thought to the side, she looked around, smelling something good in the air. Of to the side sat a rustic restaurant, it was fashioned after old Mistralian temples. And while she wasn't personally a fan of Mistralian cuisine, she would make an exception today.
"Mother Mistral, a little bit on the nose, but it will do." Claire chimed, looking over her shoulder to see Bloom and Violet glaring at each other. Holding onto each of her son's hands. Her boy only sighing defeated, obviously it wasn't the first time this had happened. Meanwhile Nora looked like she coulndt waiting to go in, while Ren was already running an eye over the menu.
"It has been a while since I have eaten something Mistrali." Pyrrha hummed. And that was that. Claire taking the lead and leading them into the restaurant. Pushing the doors open, the smell of food and spice hitting her nose. Accompanied by the sound of light chattering.
Not that Claire hadn't expected anything different, while it was Saturday, it was just something after four. The restaurant would undoubtedly draw more customers later into the evening.
A tired waiter turned to greet them; his hair slicked back standing in stark contrast with the bags under his eyes. Throwing a lazy eye over them, he jolted awake when he saw her retinue.
"W-Welcome to Mother Mistral." He said, quickly getting his nerves under control. "Do you have a reservation?"
"No we don't. Would that be a problem?" Claire asked politely.
"No it isn't. We have tables for seven." The waiter said professionally, quickly turning back to her before leading them in. "That is unless there are more coming?"
"Table for seven please." Claire clarified. Falling into step behind the waiter as he led them into the restaurant proper. Shooting a warm smile backwards as Nora and Violet awed together.
Letting her eyes wander, Claire coulndt help but be impressed as well. The restaurant managed to properly sell the atmosphere they were going for. There were some incense burner's hanging by beautiful murals of serene forests and beautiful waterfalls. 'Thankfully they have proper chairs.' Claire thought to herself, knowing her knees would protest if she were to sit on the floor.
"We have some tables for seven around the windows, and some further into the restaurant if you and your company would like some more privacy." The waiter shared with a professional smile. His eyes trailing of her and onto her son and his teammates before snapping back to her. Not that Claire could really blame him. With how pushed for the stream had been, popping up everywhere, not to mention the fight banners she had seen be hanged up on billboards, they weren't exactly unknown. Pyrrha's fame non withstanding.
"How about something further in?" Claire asked, quickly letting her eyes wander over the open spaces. Noticing a larger corner table with a large wall sofa. "Maybe in the corner over there by the incense burner? If it's not reserved that is."
"If you would let me check quickly in with the booking plan before settling down-" The waiter started. Clarie giving him a nod as he brought up his scroll. Fingers quickly flying over the screen before he looked up and gave her a polite smile. "The table isn't reserved. Please take your seats while I go and get you some menus."
"Shall we sit?" Claire asked her retinue, chuckling under her breath as Bloom and Violet instantly stared up at Jaune.
"I'm sure the three of you can squeeze in together into the sofa." Nora beamed full of schadenfreude as she pulled out a chair and sat down. Never taking her eyes of Jaune as he shuffled down onto the sofa and into the corner. The second he was seated, a wet thunk echoed out in the restaurant. Violet and Bloom both clutching their foreheads with tears in their eyes as they glared bloody murder at each other.
"Girls, I know you want to sit in my lap. However if you are not able to be civil about it, I will be forced to take away lap sitting privileges." Her boy said sternly, setting his foot down and giving the girls two sharp glares. Before lifting them to each side of him and acting as a wall between them.
"Uuub-ububu-buu-bbuuu-" Violet started, wildly gesturing with her arms over at Bloom. Betrayal and anger simmering in her eyes.
"Yes, I under-"
While her son was lecturing his daughter. 'And wasn't that weird to think. His daughter. Her grandchild, if not by blood, then at least by spirit of adoption.' Claire pulled out a chair and sat down, not able to help the soft exhale of relief. Her knees not what they once were. While she could still go for long walks, her knees protested more and more recently.
"Are they always like this?" Claire asked, throwing a little glance over to Jaune and Violet.
"Violet is often better behaved, if that is what you are asking." Pyrrha replied, sitting down on her right. "They were already like that when I got back from my meeting with the headmaster."
"They've been arguing like dogs and cats since this morning." Ren chimed in, taking a seat on the other side of Violet. Pretending as if he didn't notice the glare she sent him. "I don't have to tell you that Violet is possessive, and maybe a bit overly attached. I think she sees Bloom as trying to take what's hers."
"Don't I know it." Claire sighed, all to familiar with the situation. It wasn't often it happened anymore. Her boy was older, and so where her girls. But someday's her girls simply wanted to fight. And Jaune was often that reason. It wasn't something she was proud of, she liked to think she had raised her daughter's better. Yet sometime reason and upbringing lost to anger and being uncomfortable.
"Here. Five menus, and two kid menus'." The waiter said politely, coming back with a stack of menus. Handing them out with a polite smile. "Simply call for me when you are ready to order. I will be back in a bit to get you your drinks."
"Dad." Violet intoned with all her might. Pretending she didn't see Bloom glaring at her. "Can I get a soda?"
"Yes, you can, just don't drink it up so quickly. Remember what happened last time." Jaune smiled gently.
"What happened last time?" Nora whispered to Ren.
"She drank too quickly, yelled 'there are knives in my water', and shot soda out of her nose." Ren whispered back, not helping how the edges of his mouth curled up. "I have pictures if you want to see after."
"I know where you sleep." Violet hissed beside him, staring up at him with a glare as her cheeks turned rosy.
"And I know where you sleep." Ren quipped back, rolling her eyes as the little girl seethed. "You have to work on your threats. It's cute that you imitate Jaune, however you are lacking a certain gravitas when it came to your bearing. While a threat is a threat. When, where, and how it is said all matter when it comes to making it really leave an impression."
"Who also matter. In both contexts, saying and receiving, said threat." Jaune chimed in, looking up from helping Bloom decide on what she wants to order. "But I, or we, can teach you about making threats another time. What would you like to eat? I recommend fried rice with chicken, it's simply, but it's also filling and shouldn't be too spicy. If you want to try something else, you can try a bit of mine."
"Remember that you should eat everything you order." Claire chimed in, sending her daughter a look. While Bloom was autistic and didn't do well with social cues, Claire had long since learned how to phrase certain things for Bloom to get what she meant. She wasn't going to let her daughter eat herself sick just because she was 'competing' with another girl.
"I'll take stir-fried noodles with chicken." Bloom muttered under her breath with a pout.
It didn't take long for everyone to decide what they wanted; their orders placed soon after. Gentle chatter sprouted up around the table, if Claire slipped in some gentle words to further push them away from the 'homebrewing' plan of theirs, then that was that. While she would allow her son to grow and spread her wings, he wasn't going to accidentally clip his own wings by being too hasty.
"So are you ready to hold the opening fight?" Claire asked, as the waiter came with their food. Setting the steaming hot bowl of soup with noodles before her. Before quickly setting down plates before everyone.
"Enjoy." The waiter said politely before heading back to the kitchen. Throwing a curious glance over to them. Quickly beginning to whisper to one of the chefs that poked her head through the pass-through. Whispering with the waiter as she sent another quick glance their way.
"We are going to win." Nora replied, leaving no room for doubt in her voice as she bit into her meal.
"While I share your confidence, Nora. Don't speak with your mouth open." Ren chimed in from the side. Rolling his eyes at the glare Nora sent him.
Throwing a look over to Jaune and the girls, Claire could do nothing but smile warmly. Feeling a gentle warmth spring up from within as the took on the gentle scene. Bloom and Violet occupying one leg each as they ate with gusto. Violet's eyes sparking as she shoved rice down her throat, Bloom not far behind her as she slurped on her noodles with a smile.
"Jaune, when I said I wanted grandkids I didn't mean for you to take it so literally." Claire said teasingly. Violet looking up from her food, tilting her head as she frowned at her. "I'm not complaining. And I know you are legally an adult. But I didn't think you would adopt."
"Well… things happened." Her son replied with a simple shrug. "I'm not regretting it, if that's what you were thinking."
"Goodness no." Claire exclaimed instantly, huffing slightly as she waved away the heat in her mouth. "I would never, Jaune. I know how you are; you would never do something to harm her."
Giving her a little glance, her boy returned to eating.
"I must say I'm pleasantly surprised." Pyrrha said from the side, a polite smile never leaving her mouth. "When I head Jaune's family was visiting, I didn't expect you to be so-"
"Were you expecting a spiteful stepmother?" Claire smiled gently, not missing the way subtle startle that ran through her. Pyrrha, like her son, wore her emotions on her sleeves. "If I know my Jaune, he hasn't exactly painted the best picture of us, has he?" The way the girl cringed telling her everything and more. "Not that I expected anything less. Jaune left after a rather nasty shouting match with his father. Even if it was some months ago, I still reckon the words are still fresh in his mind."
"He always talked well about you, and his sisters mostly. It was always when he mentioned his father that he clammed up." Pyrrha shared. Making Claire sigh, not that she had been expecting anything else. 'Not with that last shouting match of theirs.' "And we met Lily when she came to bring him a bag of cloths. She didn't leave the best of impressions."
"That's putting it lightly." Nora snarked, rolling her eyes as she took an angry bite of her food. "She was acting like a complete-"
"Bitch?" Clare finished for her when she noticed Nora trailing off. "I'm not blind to my daughter's misgivings, dear." Clare rolled her eyes. "While I have nothing against her interests in the occult. And while I do miss her golden locks every now and then, black hair suits her."
"But it doesn't excuse her for being a bitch." Ren pointed out. Making Claire sigh for what felt like the nth time today. "It doesn't excuse her for being a bitch." Claire replied with another sigh. "I can't say for certain when her shift in attitude began. At least they can get along civilly. Even if I hope that they can get over their difference."
"That is… optimistic." Ren said diplomatically after spending a short while to find the proper words.
"Yeah." Nora chimed, shooting an unsure look to Claire before shrugging and spilling the beans. "Never thought it was possible for Fearless leader to get so angry. Think he destroyed three punching bags."
"Two." Ren clarified, ignoring Claire's spinning mind. "He began at the third, but Yang and Pyrrha stopped him. Just in time really, the second he stopped his leg's gave out on him."
"Excuse me?" Claire asked politely, blinking incuriously. Looking over to her boy who was busy wiping sauce from Bloom's chin. Violet's eyes constantly bouncing between him and her food with twinkling eyes. The only thing stopping her being the stern look Jaune gave her.
"What?" Nora replied peppily, shaking away her concern. "Never thought fearless leader could get angry?"
"I guess he isn't my little boy anymore, huh." Claire muttered under her breath. Giving Jaune a little look. "They can't stay children forever, can they. They have to grow up one day." Shaking the glum thoughts away, she turned to Pyrrha. "There is something I have been wondering, and don't worry, it's not autographs."
"Oh thank you." The girl in question sighed. "It's not that I have anything against being asked. It's just…"
"Don't worry, I would never pressure you into writing autographs." Claire said with a smile, having an idea what she was worried about. "I can't say some of my girls won't ask when we come and visit tomorrow. But it's up to you first and foremost. I raised them better than to use their brother's friends like that. What I wanted to ask about was how you and your team would feel about hosting Mari, Bloom and Dawn for a sleepover sometime."
"Maybe not tonight?" Ren asked, sharing a glance with Nora.
"Yup." Nora nodded enthusiastically. "We are going to have a team-meeting!" She exclaimed, her eyes bouncing sharply between Jaune and Ren before settling on he again. "I'm not against them staying over, as long as it isn't Lily. We could have a proper sleepover. Just a heads up. Jaune and Renny are up super-early, like, I worry for them early."
"That shouldn't be a problem." Claire chuckled. "My girls are mostly heavy sleepers. I just hope Dawn will sleep better if she is with her brother. She hasn't been herself after that day?"
"Oh what happened?" Nora asked curiously, her eyes darkening slightly. "If it's bullies. We can deal with bullies." The way something dark flashed through her eyes making it completely clear what she meant.
"If only." Claire sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We were watching the team presentation ceremony." It wasn't really a ceremony, just the teams for the tournament being officially presented. It was something they had watched together as a family since Saphron had been kicking inside her stomach. Being a family tradition more than anything. However, this year's presenting ceremony was different.
"What- Oh… OH…" Nora muttered, eyes lighting up with realisation. "While we can't promise anything, we will do our best." She said gently, a deep frown marring her features.
"That's all I could ask for." Claire smiled gently.
#####
"Team meeting!" Nora called out the second they got back. Kicking the door open and herding them in. Closing the door behind her she turned to look at her team. A thousand and one things running in her mind. Electricity pickling under her skin.
"What do you want to discuss?" Jaune asked politely, pulling out a kitchen chair and sitting down. Ren following his example and sitting dowl, while Pyrrha leaned against the counter. Pouring herself a glass of water while she was at it. Violet, feeling the tense atmosphere settling in, sat down on the couch, curiously peering over at them. The younger ghosts floating over to her, while Alexandra hung of Nora's shoulders like always.
"So what is this about?" Pyrrha asked curiously. "I was planning to share what the headmaster told me, but that can wait till after this."
"Thank you Pyrrha." Nora smiled kindly, before slamming her palms against the kitchen table and looking sternly at Jaune and Ren. "Spill."
Ren and Jaune shared a look, confusion marring both their faces as they turned back to her. "Spill what?"
"You know." Nora quipped sharply. "Maybe about 'the thing that happened but didn't really happen'." She jabbed, giving the two of them harsh looks. "The thing about why Aurora and Ren shared a morning throwing up together?"
"Ahhhh. That." Ren replied with a nod, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, that never happened." Jaune nodding with him from the side.
"Ren, Jaune. I love the two of you like family. But don't think I'm not afraid of cracking your skulls togheter." Nora threatened, more than willing to go through with her threat.
"Don't look at me." Jaune shrugged. "I will have you know this time I didn't do anything. Ren is both instigator and victim of his own actions. If anything I'm a victim."
"If you are a victim. Why didn't you bring it up, huh?" Nora chastised, giving her leader a fat glare.
"I forgot." Jaune shrugged again. A faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "Aurora just popped in, I had a lot on my plate, I was struggling with some other revelations I had stumbled upon in Yharnam. So I forgot, or I didn't really forget, but it's more a 'if we don't acknowledge it happened, it didn't happen' situation. So it may have taken a backseat to everything else."
"I will allow that for now." Nora said, holding her hand up and giving a slight nod. "And what about you mister?" She asked, turning to Ren and giving him her best glare.
"Nothing bad happe-" Ren began, only to be rudely interrupted by Jaune coughing into his hand. Schadenfreude shinning in his eyes, together with something hard, as Ren turned to glare at him. "Ok, maybe something happened. But it wasn't that ba-" Another loud cough interrupted him. Smacking his lips, Ren sent Jaune a flat look. One which the other boy returned with twinkling eyes of his own.
"Not so fun when you are put on the spot, now is it?" Jaune asked with a petty smile.
Knowing when a battle was lost, Ren sighed heavily. A familiar petty glint disappearing in his eyes, making Nora think she had almost imagined it. "Touché Jaune, touché. But Nora. I want you to know, it's for your own sake. Please. I beg. I will get down on my knees if you want. But please, don't make me hurt you like this."
Nora didn't remember the last time Ren looked so vulnerable. Nor could she remember the last time she saw genuine fear in his eyes. The sound of scratching lighting grew louder as she took a deep breath. Her stomach screaming at her do to something else. 'But we are in this together.'
"Please." She whispered, the fight leaving Ren instantly.
"I almost killed myself." A sentence she never wanted to her left his mouth. "I… got too greedy… dug too deep. The talisman did exactly what it was intended to do. It was just… I almost got lost."
"Pyrrha. I need to ask you something." Nora hissed though clenched teeth. Static rang in her mind. Drowned out by the scratching sound of electricity that made her deaf. "Please, for the love of everything, promise me what you talked about with the headmaster was something innocent. Something normal, mundane, that it was just a conversation about the tournament."
"I can't do that Nora." Pyrrha whispered, staring at the wall when Nora snapped her head towards her. Her jaw hitting the floor as Pyrrha said her piece. "I'm sorry. I really am."
"What is the chance that what you talked about will kill you." Nora asked airily, her eyes pleading with her friend to say something else.
"Unknown." Pyrrha whispered softly.
"Am I the only one normal here?" Nora exclaimed suddenly, a trail of disbelief mixing with hysteria in her voice. Her eyes trailing over her teammates. Pyrrha shying away from her gaze, guilt twinkled in Ren's eyes, and in Jaune's she only found jagged shards of broken glass.
"I'm normal." Violet chimed in support. Leaning against the back of the couch. Giving Nora a look of understanding. Not fake understanding, not platitude, and thankfully no pity. Just pure understanding. "I know how you feel. I saw dad melt and rot into a puddle of flesh and bone. Then we were back in the dream, and dad was alive, and healthy, and nothing had happened at all."
What joy Nora felt in having a comrade in understanding shattered into thousand pieces. A garbled "What?" being everything she managed to get out as she turned to look at Jaune. Who only shrugged with an apathic nonchalance, a sheepish expression washing away the nonchalance as he turned serious and leaned forward. "Unless you get real cool about a bunch of stuff quickly, we are not having this conversation today. Or sober."
"It can't be that bad." Nora snapped back, rolling her eyes at her leaders antics. The static in her mind growing louder by the second. The sound of scratching electricity becoming almost overbearing.
"You would be right. It's worse." Jaune replied instantly with none of the earlier nonchalance. Instead her fearless leader stared her dead flat in the eyes with an intensity that scared her. While Jaune was big, he never felt big, he was kind, approachable, and even when he was busy, he would lay down what he was working without a second thought if someone came by and needed help.
Now, it was the opposite. Jaune feeling larger than life. The intensity that radiated of him, the seriousness in his eyes, the sharpness on his face, the way he sat, the way the ghosts floated towards him, turning from the friendly girls she had begun to know, to resentful revenants in an instant. Even Alexandra wasn't spared, her nails turning back and sharp. An icy breath tickling her ear and sending shivers racing down her spine.
"If you want to know, I won't minding sharing with you." Jaune continued, voice sounding like granite. "But if you want to know, we should move over to the couch. Maybe get something to drink. Just, before starting, how against are you against maybe-"
"Guaranteedly." Pyrrha butted in.
"- having one, or more, existential crises?" Jaune finished. Reaching into his breast pocket and taking out his pipe.
"!" Nora asked, not even hearing her own voice. All sound simply drowned out by the constant scratching sound of electricity. 'Is this what a breakdown feels like?' What part of her mind that wasn't tv-static thought. The reveal that Ren almost killed himself viciously tearing open more old nightmares and horrors than she thought possible. Nightmares that had almost become a reality. Only made worse by her entire team's lack of self-preservation
Before she knew it, two pars of hands grabbed her firmly. Holding her firmly, allowing her to feel the cold sweat that raced down her back. Nora didn't feel her legs, instead using all her strength to grab the hem of Ren's shirt. Knowing it was him. Pulling him close so she knew he was alive. So she could feel he was alive.
"Don't leave me." Nora whispered, the words coming out a broken sob as she muttered them like a mantra. Not even knowing when Ren's slender finger's ran through her hair, or when she was laid out onto his lap on one of the couches. All she felt was relief so palpable she coulndt feel her toes.
"I knew she would take it badly. Just not how." Ren's voice rang out. Thick with concern as he gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I should have done something the second I saw her spirit begin changing rapidly." The voice of Jaune, thick with self-condensation, broke through the static. A gentle hand gently turning her head around. The scent of lavender tickling her nostrils, the coldness of glass touching her lips. A liquid that was neither hot or cold, or had any taste, raced down her throat. The static in her mind transforming into drifting clouds. Taking the panic, stress, and everything else and gently burying it under a bed of cotton. The sound of scratching lighting growing distant. A cold finger poking her cheeks in concern as chilly form hugged her from behind.
"Why can't our team just be normal?" Nora asked, her voice a drifting whisper. "Why us? Why Kuroyuri? Why Yharnam? And now what the headmaster shared with Pyrrha! Why us? Why is it always us?"
"I don't know." Jaune whispered gently, both Ren and Pyrrha humming something in agreement. "Bad luck?" He chimed half-heartedly.
"Cruel destiny?" Pyrrha said softly.
"If Fate really exists, I don't think I like her very much." Nora spat, setting venom as she sat up. Pulling her knees into her chest as she leaned on Ren. Feeling electricity fuelled by anger race under her skin, ripping away bit's and pieces of the calm that had settled over her. "You don't think it's possible to break her legs?"
"Nora." Ren huffed, pushing her good naturally with his shoulder.
"You know what. I will refrain from answering that question." Jaune answered quickly. Standing up and walking over to the kitchen. Taking out some glasses and placing some snacks on the tray.
"Jaune." Ren, Nora and Pyrrha exclaimed at the same time. Shooting him nasty glares as he sat down on another couch. Violet quickly making her way over. Smiling victoriously to herself now that Bloom wasn't here to fight with her.
"Don't mind me." He said somewhat hurt and defensively. "I would never go and say something to make Nora worse. I know how it is. I live it on a nightly basis almost."
"How does even a city get so fucked up?" Nora asked, taking a glass and sipping on it lightly. Shotting Jaune a snarky look when she didn't taste any alcohol. Wanting to just forget the last minutes.
"Why don't we instead ask Pyrrha what the headmaster shared with her?" Ren asked, butting into change the conversation. "So… I don't know…Jaune doesn't run his mouth and accidentally over share."
"I resent that claim." Jaune snapped straight back. "It's not wrong, but I still resent it."
"Well…" Pyrrha stated, falling down into another couch. Mulling over what to say or where to begin. "First of all, magic is real."
Jaune, Nora, and Ren shared a glance. So did the ghostly spirits who tilted their heads as they looked at her.
"Well… yes." Nora blinked. "We know."
"Fairytales are real." Pyrrha continued.
"Well… yes?" Jaune butted in. "They have to be?"
"In the literal sense." Pyrrha snaped, shooting him a little glare as she huffed. "The story of the season? Real. The wizard was a wizard. The power he gifted to the four girls? Real. The stories of the silver eyed warriors? Real. The tale of two brothers. Real."
"Well fuck me then." Ren whispered as he leaned back.
"Ruby." Jaune said instantly. "Why she enrolled early."
"Or. Not all fairytale's are real." Pyrrha said, a faint blush on her cheeks as she rolled her eyes. "The story of the seasons is real at least, so are the power's the wizard gifted. But-" Gesturing at the gaggle of floating ghosts beside them, Pyrrha huffed. "- it isn't so farfetched to believe that other fairytales also are real."
"If the gift's the wizard gave are real. Then the Indecisive King's Crown might also be." Ren pointed out, the calm in his eyes buckling and surging.
"So might the Infinitive Man." Jaune said sharply. "Religion or not. Fairytale or not. Let's not get hung up on what might or might not be. Don't go running down rabbit holes, it doesn't matter if the two brothers are real or not. Even if they are, or were, gods, they haven't cared about us before, why will they begin caring for us now?"
"That still doesn't explain why." Ren pointed out. "Why did the headmaster share this with you?"
Nora took another sip of her water, having somewhat lost track of the conversation. Not being in the headspace to follow Jaune and Ren bouncing ideas and revelations of another. The potion Jaune gave her was still there, even if it's effects was diminishing by the seconds. Yet, the static, the scratching lightning wasn't there. Something she was thankful for.
Looking over to Pyrrha, Nora waited patiently. Halfway in the mind to simply ignore half the things that was said and accept the other half at face value.
"I was coming to that." Pyrrha whispered, tucking back a strand of hair as an apologetic smile plastered itself on her face before she even opened her mouth. "She is dying. Someone attacked, and mortally wounded, the current fall maiden. And the headmaster thought I was the one who should inherit her power-"
"How?" Jaune asked instantly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but how? Is it something akin to awakening aura? A blood transfer? A succession ritual?"
"The same machine that keep her in stasis will move her soul into my body." Pyrrha said, eyes brimming with determination even if her voice cried of sorrow. "It's the only way."
"Is nothing holy anymore?" Jaune exclaimed in silent disbelief. Running a hand over his face as the ghosts beside them threw themselves into the conversation. A blanket of noise falling over Pyrrha as the ghosts swarmed around her. "Not even Yharnam meddles with the soul."
"It's the only way. The safest way." Pyrrha continued. "The only other way is to kill her, and hope I am the last person she thinks of before passing on. And pray the split power doesn't somehow return to the attacker."
"You have already decided, haven't you." Ren said gently. Nothing accusatory in his voice, yet Pyrrha cringed slightly.
"Yes. I… I'm going to accept." She said, voice breaking slightly. The determination in her eyes not faltering even for a second. "I want us to be safe. And I don't think we can be safe if a madwoman is out there hunting after the maidens. Intent on stealing their power for herself."
"Not today you are not." Jaune butted in. "You can accept, but not today."
Ignoring the gobsmacked expression of Pyrrha's face. Jaune continued unabashedly. "Not before I have some spells and countermeasures to fix you if things go wrong. I don't know what happens when you force another soul into a body. But we are going to take every precaution we can to make sure that the same Pyrrha that steps into that chamber is the same Pyrrha that steps out."
"Bu-"
"No buts." Ren shot down instantly. "Pyrrha, you have to understand. We will pick you a hundred percent of the time, when it comes between you and someone else. I might not completely understand, or agree, but there is no way we are letting you go and do something like this without making sure we can make sure you remain you."
"I'm sure the headmaster-"
"Have Vale's best interest in mind." Jaune cut her off. "Not yours. I'm sure he cares, just not as much as us. If it were to go wrong, he might grieve, but how many others are there in Beacon that fits the requirement to succeed the maiden? But we will lose you, a member of our family. And you can't be replaced in the same way another successor can be."
"I'm still going to accept." Pyrrha breathed hoarsely.
"And we will make sure that it's you who return." Jaune replied instantly.
"What if she doesn't?" Nora chimed. Cringing slightly, but not taking back her words. Even when the heartbreak on Pyrrha's face almost sent her spiralling. "What if she doesn't?"
"Nora, I have killed a queen. I don't care for the headmaster. He could be the Infinitive man, the Dreaming One or his Caretaker for all I care. He will die, it's just a matter of how and when." Jaune said, leaving no falsehood and making it blatantly clear what his intentions were if things went wrong.
"Jaune, no." Pyrrha sighed heavily. Giving him a stare.
"I'm afraid that's not something that's up for discussion Pyrrha." Ren said as he stood up, making Nora pout as she slid down onto the couch. "We care for you. And we are going to mourn you if things go wrong. And we are going to avenge you if someone were to force you into making a choice you are unable to say no too."
"Team Juniper is ride and die, with a bit of murderous revenge sprinkled in." Nora chimed. Bending up so she could take another sip of her glass. The uneasiness in her stomach receding slightly.
"You guys." Pyrrha sighed, rolling her eyes. Unable to wipe the smile away from her lips. Or the tears in the corner of her eyes.
#####
Note: I hope I caught that out eating with family vibe.
Note: You know what, having Nora be the 'rational' was never the plan. But here we are. Only hopes she stay that way.
Note: I hope the idea bouncing to the relics, the gods, and that at least feels somewhat natural. It's one thing to think it's only a one of chance that fairytales are real. That it was a freak coincidence or something. But when you have a gaggle of ghosts in your dorm, that mind tends to open.
