AN: So, I took a little liberty with Pyrrha and Yang's past as we don't know much about it in this chapter.
Symbiote Knight
Chapter 16: Not a Date
"Well, this is where we get off then," Jaune said as he and Weiss headed for the exit of the Bullhead. "Have a good time you two." He called back to Yang and Pyrrha.
"Yes, thank you." Pyrrha waved as both she and Yang took a few steps off as Jaune and Yang headed in a different direction.
There was an awkward moment between the redhead and blonde as neither were sure what to do at this moment.
"So uh, I was going to go look at some bike parts, if you're not interested in that I would understand." Yang offered seeing if she could ditch Pyrrha quickly enough.
Pyrrha was thankful for the way out, "Oh no problem, I actually have something else I wanted to look at."
"Okay, sure thing," Yang told her walking off.
Pyrrha nodded as she saw the direction Jaune and Weiss were heading, she purposely walked a little slowly as she gave them a larger lead. She would keep back and decide on what to do later.
Jaune was more focused on Weiss at the moment, he really was feeling nervous. Sure, this wasn't a date, but it was time along with her. He was wondering about what to talk about, maybe the weather?
~Even I know that's not a good start~
'Well, what do you suggest?'
There was a pause as he could sense his symbiote thinking, going through so many memories that Jaune couldn't keep up with it. It was like sensing a bunch of blurred images, a strange sensation to say the least.
~Ask her if she's gotten to see Vale much. It should allow us to see how well she knows the area~
Jaune couldn't think of anything else, so he nearly physically shrugged before stopping himself. It would look odd to shrug for no reason but sometimes it was hard not to react to what Valor was saying at times.
"So…have you gotten to see much of Vale while here?" He asked.
"No, my studies and training do not allow for much free time." She simply said.
Jaune paused. "But you're here now?"
Weiss didn't say anything for a few seconds, "I am…merely taking the break I deserve. Besides you said you would treat me for my help, and I intend to take you up on it."
Jaune accepted it but Valor had a different opinion. His species learned to observe other alien races, when you bond to practically any living thing it stood to reason you had to understand them. So, whenever Valor bonded with a species he learned as much as possible. This also including watching others to start to gauge their reactions. It wasn't a perfect science; some alien species were hard to physically read even for a symbiote.
Humans (and Faunus) he was learning, had many small indications of hidden thoughts or feelings. Since his host seemed to be enamored with the girl next to them, he had been paying close attention to her. From what he could guess from her answer that was either not the full truth or a total evasion. He got the feeling she actually did want to go out, but something was pulling her back.
While in a team she seemed to keep everyone at a distance, almost like there was a wall around her. The symbiote was very well acquainted with feelings of isolation and loneliness, both from previous hosts and from his own experience floating in space for so long a time. Because of that, he got the impression that Weiss was a bit lonely.
Of course, he could also be wrong about it, he wasn't perfect and his experience with the people of this world was very limited. It was just the way she acted and talked; it was like she was shackled in some way. Valor would take a closer look at this girl and maybe he could deduce if he was correct in his assumptions.
"Well then," Jaune spoke up. "I'm glad I at least got you out of the school, I admire how hard you're working but it's also nice to relax now and then."
Weiss mulled it over, she hadn't really 'relaxed' all that much she had to admit. She used to love her music lessons as it allowed her to sing, even her concerts back in Atlas were a nice distraction. When the lights hit her, she could barely make out the crowd, so she just pushed them away and in her own little world she just sang her heart out. It was one the few ways she got to express herself freely.
They soon found themselves at a nice little café, they picked out one of the tables set up outside as it was a nice enough day. Jaune quickly pulled out the seat allowing Weiss to sit down.
"Thank you," Weiss appreciated a gentleman's touch to things.
"Well, my mom always said, 'It never hurts to be polite or to be courteous. It cost you nothing but a few seconds of your time.' She pretty much made sure we all were brought up at least knowing that." Jaune explained to her as he sat down across from her.
Weiss nodded her head that was indeed a good thing to teach children. She felt a bit of an ache in her heart thinking about how her own parents were. Her father cold and distant with and iron grip and her broken mother lost to the bottle. She pushed those unpleasant memories away, she didn't need another reminder of her family life.
-Close By-
Yang had looked up the various places you could have tea on her scroll and narrowed it down thanks to the general direction Jaune and Weiss left in. She paused as she knew this was getting into stalker territory. She wasn't planning on doing anything, she just wanted a heads up in case things went well between the two and she could try and put these stupid feelings to bed.
She signed as she went looking, she didn't have to go far as she noticed across the street, she could see Weiss' hair catching her attention. Pure white hair in an offset ponytail was kind of a unique look and looking closer she could see both her and Jaune. She was about to think of her next move when while looking she noticed another familiar face.
On the same side of the street as her was Pyrrha who was trying hard to not look like she was watching them, and kind of failing at it in Yang's opinion. The woman was inside of a different café looking through a window that looked out into the street.
'Why on Remnant would she be here watching them?' She thought to herself. She knew why she was here but that was because…and then it hit her. "No way…right?" She muttered to herself.
Pyrrha was inside of a building looking like she was nursing a cup of coffee herself but was also watching through the window the entire time. It was the only reason she most likely hadn't seen Yang was because she was so focused on the pair across the street. Yang went into the front door seeing it was a café without someone to seat you, so she guessed you just pick a place to sit down.
Easy enough and it allowed her to walk right up to the booth that Pyrrha was sitting at. Yang got right up to Pyrrha who still didn't notice her presence from being so focused on the pair outside.
"So, what's up?" Yang spoke startling the other girl who jumped. Somewhere something metallic moved on someone's table as a yelp was heard.
"Y-Yang!?"
"The one and only," she sat down and looked out through the window. "Good view to spy on them from here. You can see them well but they can't see you as well back through the window."
"I-I don't, I mean, I would never…" Pyrrha fumbled as she wasn't sure what she could say at being caught red handed.
Yang cast her a look before looking out the window again. "So…how long?"
Pyrrha blinked. "How long I've been here?"
"How long have you been crushing on Jaune?" Yang clarified as she saw the blush on the other girl's face. She grinned, she hit a bullseye after all. "Ah, so I was right. Damn, now a few things start to make sense."
"What do you mean by that?" Pyrrha asked as she was feeling mortified. Her biggest secret, her feelings for Jaune had been found out. Would Yang tell him or anyone else? She wasn't sure what was she was thinking and Pyrrha could feel her heart racing at all the horrible options that started to fly through her head.
"Well let's see," Yang thought it through. "You were always just a bit more protective over him than any other partner pairing I've seen, even my own with Blake isn't like that. Then looking back, you always seem to want to be with him when you didn't have to. Like our workout sessions and going to Vale to help him improve his look."
Yang looked across to see the former Champion slumping in her seat. She decided to give the girl a break. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone."
"You're not?" she looked up hopeful.
"Nope, this isn't something to gossip about," She looked across the street at the two of them. "Besides that, would be kind of hypocritical of me when I feel similar to you about him."
Pyrrha blinked a few times before it clicked. "Wait, you mean Jaune?"
Yang sighed before leaning back and looking back at her. "Yeah, came as a surprise to me too. There I was just starting to think of Jaune as a good friend when 'wham', next thing I knew I had feelings for the dork. Took me by surprise, and it wasn't even just one thing, it was all these little things that just sort of built up and…"
Yang searched for the right words as Pyrrha gave a small smile. "And suddenly you realized he meant a lot more to you."
"That's one way of putting it," Yang chuckled. "I only recently figured it out, but I guess you were a lot earlier?"
"I think it was after the first week when I really started to feel things for him," Pyrrha blushed looking down at her tea.
"Wow, only a week huh?" Yang smirked. "So why didn't you make a move? I mean you are a total package."
Pyrrha shifted a little uncomfortable, "Well, we were friends and partners. I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to date a teammate."
Yang nodded. "Yeah, inter team drama I can see being a problem. Throw in dating and things can get awkward if not downright messy. I mean you share a room with the guy." Yang paused and then looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes. "You never took advantage of that did you? Check him out when he wasn't looking?"
Pyrrha was about to deny it when a certain memory of him shirtless getting out of the shower after she had noticed the way his body had been transformed recently. Yang could see the girl lost in a memory and crossed her arms. "Yep, you did, and I won't lie, I feel jealous."
"I-It wasn't on purpose!" She quickly said. "He just came out of the shower…shirtless." She muttered the last part of Yang still heard it.
"Well aside from that lucky moment," Yang wanted to get back on track with the conversation. "You had a lot of time to confess to him, so you didn't because you were worried it might screw up with the team?"
"Partly," Pyrrha sighed looking down at her drink. "I also knew he liked Weiss and didn't see me in that way. I wanted him to notice me, but he didn't. Also, what if he didn't feel that way about me in return? I'm not sure how I could have lived with him rejecting me and us still on the same team for the next few years."
Pyrrha knew she was baring her soul to Yang but with Yang's own confession about her feelings. It felt like she finally had someone she could confide in that might understand what she was going through.
Yang did have a good idea of what Pyrrha was going through as she had some similar thoughts. "Well, he's a bit thick with certain things. I get the feeling you'd have to go right up and kiss him for him to notice your feelings."
Pyrrha wanted to deny it, but Jaune could be a bit…blind to certain things. She blushed at the thought of just going up to him and kissing him. She wasn't sure she could just muster up the courage for such a brazen act like that.
Yang looked the red head over. "I mean I certainly wouldn't kick you out of bed."
Pyrrha paused and looked at the girl. "Do you mean that in…"
Yang raised an eyebrow. "What? You are an attractive woman."
Pyrrha's eyes widened as she shifted as this was unexpected. "I thought since you were interested in Jaune that, well…"
"Oh that," Yang laughed it off. "Okay I see the confusion, you may not know this but I'm actually bi."
"You are?" Pyrrha hadn't even thought that. "But you never did anything that would, well show that side of yourself."
"Yeah, kind of a long story," Yang sighed as she leaned forward. "Okay since we're bearing our souls here, here's something you don't know about. I'll give you the short version, see I like guys but during my time in Signal I learned that I kind of like some girls too. Not all but certain types. There was this…girl." Yang said the word with a bit of a sour tone to Pyrrha's ears as she listened on.
"Well at first, I was thinking 'wow she's pretty cute' and after some time with her found out she felt the same to me. So, I tried dating a girl for a bit, that was my only try at it by the way. Now at first things were good but then odd things were happening. My friends started to distance themselves and she kept on forcing me to all kinds of stuff I didn't want to go to."
"Well after about a week of this I got suspicious and asked my friends why they were ditching me. Turns out I was giving him some messed up messages on my scroll. Messages I wasn't making."
"Wait," Pyrrha was catching on. "Did she?"
"Yeah," Yang said angrily. "I sorted things out with my friends, and we were all pissed. Turns out she was using my scroll when I wasn't looking. I confronted her about it, and she denied it until I showed her my messages in my history and told her I talked to my friends. The Bitch had the nerve to start crying and say she was doing it for us."
"Well, I kicked her to the curb right then and there." Yang leaned back.
"Well, I'm glad that ended." Pyrrha couldn't believe someone would stoop so low like that.
"Oh, that's not the end of it," Yang shook her head. "She spent months hounding me. Trying to get back together, bothering me at all hours, bothering my friends. She even started rumors that I was the one harassing her, trying to isolate me from the whole school."
"So, what did you do?" Pyrrha asked getting pulled into the story.
"Next time we were in combat class the little Bitch said if I let her win she would go easy on me." Yang's temper flared at that memory. The girl hadn't been much in combat class, she was actually a little behind everyone in that department. "So instead, I beat the hell out of her. I took out all my aggression on her and the teacher had to step in when I broke her aura."
"Did you get in trouble?" Pyrrha asked.
"Got a week of detention for being too aggressive," Yang shrugged it off as it had been worth it. "But I did tell her that if she didn't back off, I would do that to her every chance I had in combat class."
"Did she stop?"
"Oh yeah," Yang smirked. "She knew I could kick her ass and I think that made her realize pissing me off was a bad idea. She stayed away from me after that, but it was a long two years seeing her all the time. Last I heard she went off to Shade, not sure if she got in but whatever. I could care less what happened to her. Well after all that drama with her I focused on boys, at least they don't get all psycho like that, and I can handle them more easily. I think if I had to try with a girl again, I want to be friends with her first, it must be someone I can trust because I am not going through that hell again."
Pyrrha nodded her head, after something like that she could see why Yang would want that. It sounded like a horrible experience.
"How about you?" Yang asked her then seeing her blank look. "You ever get tempted to cross over to the other side?"
"Well, no, not really," Pyrrha thought about it. "I mean I can see a girl as attractive but I never…" She paused at a memory.
Yang grinned. "Oh, that sounds like a juicy story you just thought up."
"I-It was nothing!" Pyrrha defended herself.
"Doesn't sound like nothing," Yang leaned forward again. "Come on, I said mine, it's only fair."
Pyrrha winced as it was only fair for her to share her story. "It was my first coach."
"Oh, now this is really getting good." Yang smirked liking where this was going.
"Her name was Hera," Pyrrha explained. "She was a former champion like me but had retired to train younger students." Pyrrha thought back to those days with a found smile. "I was just starting out, but she gave me all the basics I know and more. I wouldn't be half the fighter I am today without her. She was just, she was glorious to me. Every movement was perfection, she moved flawlessly, and I wanted to be just like her."
"So, you had a crush on the teacher," Yang wiggled her eyebrows. "Did you get any real 'hands on' lessons alone?"
"Yang! I was thirteen!" Pyrrha told her. "Plus, she was in her early thirties."
"Ah, well that's good nothing happened then, although I'm guessing at times you wanted more?"
Pyrrha shifted thinking back on those days. "I don't know, maybe? I was young and infatuated with her, she was my idol and one day she told me out of the blue she couldn't be my teacher anymore."
"What happened?"
Pyrrha sighed. "She was getting married and wanted to fully retire to focus on her family. She told me I was her pride and joy to have me as a student. I remember being so heartbroken when she left but she left me with something."
Pyrrha pulled off her golden tiara. "She left me this, this was hers and I wear it to honor her."
"So that's why you have that thing on all the time." Yang nodded her head in understanding.
"Well, I had to grow into it a little at first," Pyrrha smiled as she slipped it back on, her younger self had been a little too small for it but now it fit perfectly on her head.
There was a comfortable silence between them as they felt they had bonded a bit over the conversation. Yang glanced over at Jaune and Wiess as the two seemed to be having a decent time. "So, we both like the same guy still, but I don't want to hate you if things with Weiss don't turn out and Jaune falls for you later."
"I don't want to hate anyone," Pyrrha shook her head as she looked out the winter. "Even now I don't hate Weiss, more I hate that fact she has Jaune's attention."
"Yeah, that I agree with, not her fault or anything. Just the way the cards landed in our hands." Yang paused and then looked at her and stuck out her hand. "So how about a pack, if we get our shots no hard feelings and the may the best girl win?"
Pyrrha was surprised by this but smiled and shook Yang's hand. "May the best girl win."
-Jaune and Weiss-
Weiss sipped her tea, she had to admit it was a nice blend. "What was this called again?"
"Honeywood," Jaune told her. "My mother's favorite, every time I smell it, well it just reminds me of home."
Weiss nodded as she took another sip it was nice, and she might think about getting some for herself later. It had a soothing fragrance and a taste of sweetness to it. Most likely where it got the name from. She had to admit that her time with Jaune wasn't…terrible. He wasn't the most eloquent of conversationalist, but he was she was learning at least honest with his words. There were no hidden meanings or agendas talking with him, which was a nice chance of pace.
"So, I've been meaning to ask you something, do you mind?" Jaune asked her.
Weiss put down the tea and prepared herself for another attempt at asking her out. "If you must."
"Did you stop singing?" He asked her.
Weiss blinked not expecting that. "Why do you think that?"
"Well, I never heard you sing since coming to Beacon."
Weiss thought about it as he wondered how he knew about her singing. There was only one way as she felt her guard come up. "Did you research me?"
Jaune at least had the decently to look a little abashed. "Kind of…I didn't know anything about you, and everyone kept making a big deal about you being a Schnee, so I got curious."
Weiss remembered when she learned that Jaune had no idea about the SDC, which still made her wonder what rock he had lived under all this time. Still, she supposed it made some sense, she just hated it when people looked her up. There were who knows how many journalists, tabloid reporters, people trying to worm their way into her life, White Fang terrorist and who knew how many stalkers using information online against her.
"So, you came across my music." It was more of a statement form Weiss than a question.
"Yeah, I did, I was curious," Jaune scratched the back of his head. He had planned to just listen to a few songs, but he was amazed by her vocal range that he had to listen to more. "You really have a lovely singing voice. I was just worried that since I never heard it at Beacon, you might have given up on it."
Weiss felt a bit of satisfaction he appreciated her singing. "Not at such, I just like to sing either privately or in concerts and since I don't plan on doing anymore concerts while at Beacon, I don't get much time to practice."
"Surprised you didn't go to a karaoke bar or something." Jaune shrugged.
"A what?" Weiss tilted her head confused. She knew what a bar was but what was 'karaoke'?
"You know, it's a place where people can hang out and they got a machine set up with songs without the vocals so that people can sing the songs themselves." Jaune explained to her. "You can even find places that rent out the karaoke machines too."
"Oh, I see," Weiss took another sip feeling a little embarrassed not knowing that. It wasn't like she needed a machine for music. The mansion back home literally had a music room filled with everything they might need. Still, a place for people to just sing? It did sound interesting to her.
~I think she might be interested; this could be an opportunity for you~
Jaune agreed, plus it would be nice to hear her sing in person. "Well then how about we go to one?"
Weiss gave him a small look as she figured he might try to sneak in a date from this.
~With the teams, say with the teams!~
"With our teams I meant," He added in quickly. "Sorry I meant to say with everyone? It might be fun for us all and who knows, maybe they have your songs, and you can show everyone how talented you are."
Weiss paused at that she did like the idea of showing off her skills. She was very proud of her singing and the thought was growing in her head. She was also curious about what kind of songs and the device itself. She had no idea singing could just be a pass time after all and she did so miss singing, even in front of an audience.
She studied the young man in front of her, he was a little nervous but that was how he usually was. Was this a subtle attempt to spend more time with her? Well maybe, so far, he had behaved in a gentlemanly manner today. She mentally sighed, his first attempts had been overboard and kind of irritating, but it was like he had switched tactics. She wasn't blind, she knew he was attracted to her but now he was coming up with very innocent looking ways to spending time together.
First the training, which she had to admit he did focus on and did learn so it wasn't all for show. Now the tea, again she had to admit it was a nice place and she was enjoying her time. She felt a bit more relaxed than she had before. Once he got past his nervousness, he was a decent conversationalist. He wasn't trying to shower her with praise, trying to worm his way into her good graces or any other of the tactics the males back home in high society had tried with her.
He was more down to earth type, simple and she didn't have to try and piece together whatever hidden meanings or agendas he had while talking. That got exhausting after a while, so she was starting to enjoy more simple talks.
Weiss wasn't sure if he was pushing her buttons with praising her singing talents and offering her a way to show them off to everyone, but he had. Weiss had grown up in a life that demanded perfection and to show it to the world. So of course, a part of her reveled in the idea of blowing everyone out of the water with her singing.
'Best way is to not to agree with it, nor promise nothing. Keep it open but leave a way out.' She thought to her business lessons her father insisted that she take.
"We'll see," She told him. "We'll have to ask our teammates if they want to but only if they want to go." She told him in a subtle way saying she was not prepared to be alone with him. She didn't want to give him any false hope or anything.
"Cool, it should be fun then if we can get everyone together." He was happy about the idea as he liked his team, Ruby was really fun, and he was getting closer to Yang too. The only ones he really wasn't as close to were Weiss and Blake so maybe this was a good chance to get everyone to have some fun together.
-Elsewhere-
Cinder Fall had just finished with dealing with the White Fang group. There had been a little push back apparently, but she firmly reminded them of who was really in charge of this operation. She made all the promises that they would get what they wanted out of the deal but that their continued cooperation was demanded. They had half a year to plan for this operation and get things set up. Roman was already doing his work with the dust shipments.
She was walking through the forest back to the airship they had left in a clearing. Emerald and Mercury were bickering like children behind her, she long since learned to tune them out. She could feel the presence of Grimm not that far away, but she had no worries. The Grimm inside of her that Salem gave to her had more than just the ability to take away a Maiden's powers. It also allowed her to sense Grimm slightly through it and to command them. She could feel it in her left arm if she focused but most of the time it was dormant.
She wasn't sure how far the creature spread in her body, but she would do anything for the power it gave her. She could feel half the Maiden's powers inside herself, and she couldn't wait to take the rest. Then it would be on to the others, with all four maidens she could literally be the second most powerful person on the planet. She knew she could never be more powerful than Salem but other than her, no one else would have power over her again.
The phantom pains of the shock collar she had on herself in her youth flared in her mind, but she stamped it down.
'Never again.' She swore to herself.
Her scroll started to beep as she pulled it out and saw that was Watts calling. She refrained from groaning as she accepted the call.
"Watts, what a pleasant surprise to have you call," Cinder said in obviously false happiness.
"Yes, I know you are a busy woman, running around doing all the little errands," Watts spoke up as he made a subtle dig at the importance of her work. "But I've been looking through that video file you sent me."
"Anything interesting?" Now Cinder was curious about this strange white suited would be 'hero' that Roman encountered.
"Unfortunately, no, there's too little data. I was hoping you could get more video of this, preferably more and in better quality or if not that quantity. I can only do so much with the limited information I have from it." He explained to her.
Now Cinder did sigh, "I'll see what I can do." She only agreed because the suit interested her. She saw nothing like it before, and she wanted to know what it was, and if it was possible to gain access to it. After all, anything that could increase her power she would take it.
Ending her conversation, she looked over her shoulders at her two underlings. "Looks like we're going back to Vale earlier than planned."
TBC…
Okay so the little backstory I came up with for Yang and Pyrrha here are for a few reasons. First was to help flesh them out their pasts since we know practically nothing about Pyrrha in comparison to the main four characters. Second was to explain why in the series Yang went from straight to liking girls suddenly later on when RT changed her and Blake's character to match that. This gives an explanation to why the sudden shift in a reasonable way. Finally, this is to help matters later on when the girls might start to get closer to each other and not just Jaune.