Here we are, here we go. Okay, so some people got confused last week, but I did write on the AN of every other fic that I had to take a week off due to a work expo that had me in a hotel every night, when I wasn't working at the event or out drinking with clients. I would have put it in a note on this, too, but I didn't remember it until after the last chapter went out. The last time I posted a notice on a fic to let people know of a change, I got a report for it.
So, I just sort of hoped everyone would see from all my other works. Sorry for worrying anyone and no, I didn't die.
Cover Art: Jack Wayne
Chapter 22
"I'll have a latte – non-fat, please – and I'd like it with soy. I don't drink milk. I'll also have it with caramel sauce and cream."
"Cream?" Jaune asked, eyebrow raised, pen hovering over notepad. "Soy instead of milk, but you want cream?"
"I'm fairly sure that's what I said." The man looked a little indignant at being asked to repeat himself.
"Okay, coming right up." Customer service was king. Always deliver with a smile regardless of how asinine or downright contradictory the order was. It was another busy day in Jaune's and now that he had his arm back thanks to his aura, he was all the more able to enjoy it, which by that he meant the better to slave away.
Russel and Velvet were both working today, and although that now felt like overkill since he wasn't dead weight, he couldn't bring himself to terminate either of them. Besides, when the Vytal Festival hit he'd need all their hard work to keep on top of the customers. Hopefully, anyway. It won't mean much if the construction cuts off one line of customers and Café Prime gets first shot at those coming the other way.
"Here you go, sir, one non-fate latte, soy, caramel and cream. Would you like sprinkles with that?"
"No, thank you. I'm on a diet."
Jaune's eyebrow twitched as the man departed with his definitely non-diet drink, not to mention the chocolate slice on a plate. Customer service, he reminded himself. It wasn't even the most demanding of orders he received in an average day. Ruby would often tease Weiss for hers, but Weiss was practically a saint compared to most people.
They weren't here at the moment, busy with their own things – and really, they couldn't live in his coffee shop, even if Ozpin made a fair try on a Sunday, often bringing paperwork down to work on while he savoured ten or more different blends in a three to four hour period (usually ending when Miss Goodwitch tracked him down and dragged him back to Beacon). In fact, while there were one or two Beacon students, there weren't any he recognised. No Team RWBY, no Ren and Nora, and no Pyrrha, either, which was odd because she'd been a regular for so long and then just stopped coming.
Did I do something to offend her? Jaune bit his lip at the thought. He'd never been good with women despite living with eight. Still, he'd thought he and Pyrrha were getting on fairly well. They'd even gone to watch a movie together. Had he made it awkward? Had he made it feel like a date, and that was why she was avoiding him?
He could ask Russel, but he wasn't sure that would be fair on the guy, not since it would basically be using his position as employer to make Russel talk to someone he didn't get on with. Maybe he could ask Ruby to talk to Pyrrha the next time she came down, but other than that he was out of options.
The front door chimed once more and a familiar face entered, one that brought an unfamiliar frown to Jaune's face. Velvet and Russel saw him and looked to Jaune, wondering if they should intercept. He shook his head, motioned for Velvet to work behind the counter and stepped out, hanging up his apron.
"Mr Arc," the man greeted.
"Sterling."
"Can we speak?" the Director of Café Prime asked. "Privately…?"
That was how they ended upstairs in Jaune's apartment; the suited man sat a little awkwardly on Jaune's run-down couch, his expensive suit and gelled-back hair contrasting with the rather simple surroundings. He accepted a steaming mug Jaune put forward and took a sip, nodding without complaint. Jaune brought his forth and sat opposite his rival.
"This is good," Alexander said.
Jaune wasn't in quite the same mood for pleasantries. "Why are you here?"
"I see your arm is healed. I heard about what happened, about the break-in. A regrettable occurrence, though something one or two of our branches have faced. Luckily, no one lives in ours through the night, so property damage is all it is. Still, the last I heard, you were badly injured."
"I was. I'm not now. Why did you come here, Sterling?"
"I see that small talk isn't your thing, Arc. Very well. I'm here to make an offer, though before that I'll ask again if you won't reconsider selling your business. After what happened, I would understand if you felt less than comfortable-"
"I'm not looking to sell."
Sterling's eyes narrowed. "You have not heard the amount we are willing to offer."
"The amount doesn't matter. Jaune's means more to me than just lien."
Jaune's was pride and ego, and though those things felt petty, they were important to him, and why not? He'd worked his ass off to get this far and made friends along the route. Yes, it wasn't what he'd wanted. It wasn't Beacon. But what it was had become something just as miraculous. Accepting Sterling's offer now would feel like he'd run away with his tail tucked between his legs.
"I see." Sterling didn't look overly bothered by the decision and if he was upset, he hid it well.
"If that's all you came for-"
"It's not." Sterling reached under the coffee table and brought up a leather bag he'd brought with him, more of a folder-case, though fashionable and expensive. The latch opened with a click and he brought out several sheets of paper, laying them down on the table.
Jaune picked one up when Sterling nodded his permission, but the jargon was impenetrable. It looked like legal proceedings. "What's this?"
"It is a… proposal."
"Of…?"
"The Vytal Festival approaches, as I'm sure you know. There will be thousands of visitors to Vale, all of whom will be potential customers for the both of us. Neither of our establishments has the room and would ideally like to expand out, placing chairs and tables out at the front of our stores. Unfortunately, there is red-tape to go through for that."
"That's what this is?" Jaune lowered the papers. "Why would you help me get this? What's your angle?"
"My angle, Arc, is the avoidance of mutually assured destruction. Read article six."
Jaune did so, locating the spot on the second page. "No point of sale displays will be allowed outside of a given premises unless a license is acquired. No license will be issued unless the business involved has the express permission of all other business within six units, signed in writing and presented to Local Council as described in Section 2B." The papers came down. "We have to get the permission of everyone on Walker Street?"
"Everyone within a specific radius, yes. If they believe our tables impact negatively on their business, they can refuse us access," Sterling explained. "Most will not. Increased traffic increases their chances and we help with that, but you will notice that we are within six units of one another."
"We need each other's permission."
And given that they were competitors, and effectively hated one another, that was unlikely to happen anytime soon. Café Prime had outlets all over Vale, so inconveniencing a single one to damage his business was a cost they could more than afford to shoulder. In fact, Weiss would call it a perfectly viable business decision.
"So," Jaune began, feeling a little nauseous. "Where does this leave us?"
"I am willing to put aside our little differences, Mr Arc, if you are the same. I have here a legally binding document, an agreement if you will, that both you and I will right here and now give the other permission to expand onto the street for the duration of the festival." Sterling brought out another document, this one looking far more complicated, and marked with the symbol of one Vale's leading legal firms. Jaune tried to read it but struggled to comprehend anything on the first page, let alone the six or more further on.
"I think I'd like to take some legal advice before I sign this. Is that okay?"
"We need to plan and order tables soon. Since I have to order for all our outlets in the entire city, I'm sure you can understand that the manufacturer requires some advanced notice. I can give you a week to read through that, but no longer."
"A week will be enough. I should have an answer for you in a few days." Weiss might be able to understand it, though he felt bad for relying on her for so much. Even if she couldn't, she'd know a solicitor he could pay to go through it for him. Signing something without knowing what it was would lead him to ruin. He wasn't that stupid.
"I'm surprised you're willing to do this," Jaune said. A wise man would have stopped there and accepted the blessing for what it was.
"The Vytal Festival won't come to Vale for another eight years. I'm not going to sacrifice profit just to put an insignificant company like yours out of business. It would not even do that. I would inconvenience you, but that's all. It simply isn't worth it."
And Café Prime could benefit more from this than he could, anyway. Their store was much bigger, so they'd get more people outside than he would. Still, it was better than nothing and he just didn't need the grief of starting anything with Café Prime right now.
"Okay. I'll get this looked at. Should I deliver it straight to you, or…?"
"Post it to my solicitor. Their details are in the letterhead and they'll handle the discussions with the Local Council for the both of us." Sterling finished his drink and rose, clicking his briefcase shut. "It's been a pleasure, Arc, it truly has. If you'll excuse me." With a nod, he departed, descending the steps back down into the diner.
He had no idea what to make of the offer just presented.
/-/
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong," Russel said. Velvet wasn't having it and frowned after him, easily noticing the bags under his eyes and the frustration in his step. He hid it well, especially when he went to serve the customers, but there were moments when he thought no one was looking when he'd slump and let out a long sigh.
Velvet huffed and went to fulfil her own orders, catching back up with him a good two minutes later when they were side by side behind the counter, each using a different machine to prepare their orders.
"Is it the festival? Is your team doing training?"
"It's none of your business is what it is," Russel growled and switched to some milk. "And no, my team isn't doing jack shit. We're as dysfunctional as we've always been and our team leader doesn't want anything to do with it."
"With you?" she asked.
"Not so much me as my partner." He shifted to the second cup. "Besides, I'm busy here most days. If they'd set up some training times so I could practice, it'd be fine, but they don't. I train with some friends."
"Cardin…"
Russel shot her a look at the way she said the other boy's name, flat and filled with hidden emotion. It was no secret how he treat her in school, or any faunus, really. It was also no secret he didn't get on with his own team all that well, with Sky siding with him and Nora and Ren siding against him whenever his tendencies would flare up. Russel's team wasn't the only first-year team having trouble fitting together properly.
"Cardin… he's not that bad," Russel said.
"He's a racist," Velvet pointed out flatly.
"He is… but he's other things, too. There's more to him than justbeing a racist."
"Oh, goodie. I can't wait to find out what those things are."
"Look, Cardin-" Russel bit off with a sigh. "Cardin isn't relevant to this. Point is; I'm fine. Nothing is wrong, and even if something was, it wouldn't be any of your business. I appreciate the concern, but it's not needed." He walked away with his tray.
"We're work colleagues," Velvet called. "Your business is mine if it affects work."
"And it doesn't. I leave my personal life at the door."
Ugh. Velvet settled her saucers a little heavily on her tray, rattling them. She hated that saying of his, especially since this obviously was, whatever he said to the contrary. A smile quickly blossomed on her face as she brought some drinks over to the two huntresses chatting in a corner, both of which thanked her with smiles of their own.
She liked her job, as crazy as that might have sounded a few weeks back. Back then, it had been a constant source of stress and pressure since she had to speak to people and she was garbage at that, and honestly, she wasn't sure if she'd gotten any better. Coco, Yats and Fox all said she had, but that was them. They always said nice things about her. She didn't feel any more confident, just more at ease with people.
But Russel, ugh. Talk about vexing. There was definitely something going on, and she was fairly sure it was to do with his team. There wasn't much else it could be, unless he had some secret girlfriend she didn't know about. And hey, he might, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would need to keep it secret.
Maybe I should have a chat with his partner myself, she thought. Russel wouldn't thank her for it, but she wouldn't be intruding into his business, and Pyrrha had been a regular customer here. Since Russel refused to be the one to serve her (or was at least reluctant to), Velvet had talked to her on occasion.
Pyrrha was… distant. She'd smile and say something nice, which made her leagues above Russel's actual friends, but it felt more polite and meaningless than Velvet's own greetings early on, nothing more than her saying something because it was expected. Pyrrha never seemed to actually see or talk to her, and mostly spent all her time trying to talk to Jaune. Honestly, it was kind of weird. She got that Pyrrha liked him – it was hard not to – but for a girl who looked lonely, Pyrrha was awfully reluctant to actually talk to people.
"And I thought my team was dysfunctional," Velvet said with a little giggle.
Stupid first years…
/-/
It was several hours later when Jaune's closed up for the night, though Jaune had let her and Russel leave an hour early, saying the work wasn't worth it and that he might as well carry his own weight now that he could again. Russel argued – he could be cute like that, even if he was still a royal pain in the butt – and Velvet offered to stay too, but Jaune wouldn't have it.
She and Russel had walked back and caught a Bullhead together, not really talking but also not feeling all that awkward around one another. Russel had pulled out some homework on the Bullhead and she had to answer some messages from Coco, anyway. It was weird, and she wouldn't call the two of them the best of friends, but they were comfortable around one another if nothing else. Constant chatter just didn't feel necessary when you spent hours together most days anyway.
They'd parted at the academy, though Velvet, for once, didn't head back to her dorm. "There's something I need to read up on," Velvet said, scroll before her.
"This late? Come on, bun-bun. I've not seen you for hours!"
"Coco, it's not even nine. And we had class together not five hours ago."
"That's late for studying, and five hours is a long time!"
"Not what you said before the exams last year. You were up until four in the morning." Velvet laughed as Coco spluttered on the screen, making excuses. The exam period was always like that, though Coco didn't do herself any favours lazing around up until the last minute. "I'll be back soon."
"You better be, girl. It's movie night."
"Did Yatsu pick it?"
"After the poetic, mystic shit he made us sit through last time?" Coco barked a laugh. "What do you think?"
"Alright, alright. I'll be there in a little bit. You need anything?"
"Grab some soda from a vending machine and we'll call it even. I want grape."
"Lemonade," she heard Yatsu and Fox call in the background.
Velvet ended the call with a promise to fetch some sugary goodness. Her team really could be children at times, though she loved that. After a hard day being bullied and taunted, coming back to that never failed to bring a smile to her face.
Not like there was much bullying now, though. You had to be around for bullies to find you and she often went straight to work after lessons, and thanks to all the extra money she earned, when she did have free time, she could spent it out in Vale having fun with her team. Whoever said money couldn't buy you happiness obviously hadn't factored in the fact it gave you more opportunities to have fun with the people you loved. If the usual racist jocks were looking for her, they'd probably been pretty disappointed of late.
Now, if I were someone wanting to avoid my teammates until the last possible moment, where would I hide? Not the cafeteria – not this late, anyway. Some people liked to use that as an impromptu common room and Pyrrha Nikos would draw eyes. The training rings? Again, it was possible, but loads of people used them late in the evening to wear themselves out before bed. If someone wanted to truly be alone, to find absolute solitude, there was only one place to go.
Beacon's library was open at all hours – all hours – and come time for exams or coursework, it might even be full to bursting come midnight. Now, however, with everyone focusing on the physical aspects of the festival ahead, it was just about empty. Low light came from lights on the walls and what felt like miles above on the ceiling, giving it a warm-lit atmosphere, perfect for the one or two people studying, and the twenty or so avid book-readers, to which the library was some kind of utopia.
Back when she'd first come to Beacon, Velvet had also considered it as such – back when she'd seen Coco's enthusiasm as intimidating, Yatsuhashi as some silent, judgemental mountain and Fox as cunning and dangerous. That was before she'd come to realise who they truly were and how silly she'd been.
Wait, was I as bad as these two? No way. Surely not…
A-Anyway, there were plenty of people around and she knew first-hand how good a spot it was for someone who wanted to avoid all attention and hide away until their teammates might be asleep. True to her suspicions, it wasn't hard to find Pyrrha, her red hair giving her away. She was tucked into an aisle with some seats at the back, a lamp to the side of her and a thick, leather-bound book in her hands.
Two weeks back, Velvet wouldn't have known how to approach someone randomly like that and might have given up. Now, she strode forward.
"Hello Pyrrha."
"Oh!" The book came down and pretty green eyes sought her out. They were nervous at first, but relaxed when they realised who it was. "It's you, Velvet."
"You remembered my name."
"You've served me enough times," Pyrrha said, smiling weakly.
She had, and that was a part of why she was here. Pyrrha had been more of a constant fixture in Jaune's than Jaune was sometimes. She had a feeling that if class were out for a weak, she'd have brought a sleeping bag and a tent. Reaching into her bag, Velvet brought out a small, cardboard box and held it out.
"Here, I thought you might like something."
Pyrrha watched her nervously but was too polite not to accept the gift, opening it gently. A fragrant scent wafted out immediately and Pyrrha's eyes drifted shut, recognising it.
"We had some cake left over and it was going to be thrown away. Jaune offered it to me and Russel, but there's only so much cake you can eat. I brought some back for my team, but even then there's a little going spare."
"Thank you." Food wasn't technically allowed in the library but it was late and no one was watching. Pyrrha nibbled on it, using the paper plate inside to hide it from view. "It's delicious. I've missed-" She cut off.
"You've not been around for a while," Velvet said.
"I… I haven't… I've been busy."
"Yeah?" Velvet sat down next to her, Pyrrha making room. She didn't believe it for a second, not since there was barely any homework around this time. "Jaune keeps looking for you, you know. He seems surprised when you're not there."
"I… I see…"
"He probably thinks he did something to upset you."
"What? No!" Pyrrha's mouth fell open, spilling some crumbs. She collected herself and swallowed in a hurry, shaking her head the entire time. "It's not that," she blurted out. "Not at all. Why would he even think that?"
"Because you used to come around all the time and now don't. What else is he supposed to think?"
"T-That I'm busy with school!"
"When Team RWBY and loads of other students comes down almost daily?"
"That's not. I…"
"He's only human," Velvet said, stretching her legs out before her. "Jaune isn't psychic, otherwise he'd know you like him. He's got to make his own decisions, and those will be based on what information he has to work with. If you avoid him all the time – and it's kind of obvious you are – then what else is he supposed to think?"
The irony was thick there, especially since Coco had once said the same to her. "If you keep acting like everyone is going to dislike you, some people will give up. You're awesome, Vel. Let the world see that. Take a chance."
"You work with him," Pyrrha said, grasping into a straw as if it were something recently discovered and not old news. "You can tell him. You can tell him it's not that I hate him."
"I could…"
Pyrrha's face fell. "You won't? Or is it that you want something from me in exchange?"
"Whoah, slow down. Where did that come from?" Why would she want something and what was Pyrrha even suggesting – heck, why was she giving her a suspicious look even now? "I can't tell him because I don't know why you're avoiding him," she quickly explained. "What am I going to even say?"
"Ah…" Pyrrha relaxed, and then came the guilt, welling up behind those eyes as she averted her gaze. "I see. I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."
You shouldn't, Velvet wanted to say, but she had a feeling that would just make the conversation more awkward than it already was. And sheesh, it was awkward. She'd thought she was prepared for this, but Russel was right. This was complicated. "What should I tell him, then?"
"Tell him…" Pyrrha bit her lip. "Tell him…"
Velvet waited.
For a good three minutes.
"Tell him that I… that it's not him…" Pyrrha slumped, either unable to find more or unwilling to. "Damn it. Russel was right."
Velvet's ears perked up. "Russel? I thought the two of you weren't even talking."
"We're not, but… well… he did say something to me the other night."
"That's great!" Velvet cheered. Progress! "What did he say?"
"He called me useless. Or `fucking useless`, I believe."
And there went her ears, drooping down to her ankles, or at least it felt like it. What had she expected? Well, something other than this, but she should have known better. If their relationship had been frosty before, it sounded like it was arctic now. No wonder Russel wasn't getting much sleep.
"I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"No, he did. And he's right."
"Okay, no, now I'm really sure he wasn't," Velvet said, laughing nervously. "No one is useless. He was probably just angry. Russel isn't good at talking to people. Trust me, I should know."
"He's better than me," Pyrrha said.
"Yeah, well, you don't exactly try very hard!" Velvet blurted out desperately. She slapped both hands over her mouth a second later. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, I just meant that Russel looks better because he talks to more people, so there's more room for him to look better-"
"It's fine." Pyrrha laughed bitterly and put the book down. "You're right, and he's not wrong, either. My trainer, one of my trainers, once said that it doesn't matter whether I attack or defend, just so long as I do something. The only time a fighter is useless is when they choose to do nothing at all." The girl looked to her. "You know who I am."
It wasn't a question. "You're Pyrrha Nikos, famous competition fighter." She hesitated a second. "And you're the girl on the front of that cereal."
Pyrrha snorted. "I am. I'm that to everyone who ever sees me. I can't walk down the street without someone asking me for an autograph. I can't eat at a fancy restaurant without someone coming over to ask me to sign a napkin, or people taking pictures of me. I can't even order a pizza without everyone making a fuss!" The last was followed with a frustrated slam of her fist on the bench, rocking it. Several people looked over but found other things to focus on when it was clear there wasn't a fight.
"Beacon was supposed to be different," Pyrrha gritted out, eyes clenched shut. "It was supposed to be a change. It was supposed to be better. It was… It was supposed to be something."
"And it wasn't," Velvet guessed.
"It wasn't. It was more of the same, except that people wanted fights instead of autographs. It's worse because I can't even pretend to be normal. Every spar just goes to show who I am and what I'm capable of. Even if hide away, a single lesson with Miss Goodwitch reveals everything."
"That…" Velvet swallowed. "Okay, I won't pretend I know what that feels like, but I don't get why that's stopping you coming to the diner."
"It's… It's because I'm a useless coward."
"Eh?"
"Café Prime used a celebrity to get an advantage on Jaune," Pyrrha explained. "I was there and I heard it, and I knew Jaune needed help. He needed someone to put themselves out and help him, like he's helped me. It was my chance to do something, and I didn't. I couldn't. I just sat there and stayed quiet, hoping someone else would do something."
Velvet winced. "Well, Weiss did in the end. She's offered to perform, so it's not like you have to do anything."
It was obvious from Pyrrha's expression that fact didn't offer her any comfort. Velvet could understand why. Even if Weiss wasn't a competitor for Jaune's affections and didn't seem to harbour any such feelings, it would still be a reminder to Pyrrha that someone else had stood up in her place.
"I can't face him after that," Pyrrha said. "That's why I've been avoiding him. I just can't see him without feeling guilty."
And that was it, wasn't it? Pyrrha looked like she had nothing more to say and a silence opened up between the two of them, punctuated every now and then by a page turning several aisles away or a chair scraping against the wooden floor.
She had everything she needed to know. She could go back to Jaune and tell him, and everything would be fine. There was no reason to stay and she'd done her part. She could walk away and not feel bad.
But she didn't.
"That doesn't make any sense."
"What?" Pyrrha's head shot up and fixed her with a fierce glare. Velvet felt some sweat dribble down her brow. She wasn't good confronting people, but she couldn't back down now. She'd already gone and opened her big mouth.
"It doesn't make sense," she said again, sticking to her guns. "You're saying you like Jaune but you feel guilty about not stepping in to help him, but what does it matter? Weiss has and that's it. It's done. He doesn't need two people to step in." Even if it would be better. "And I get that you feel guilty, but what does avoiding him do for that? You still feel guilty, but now you feel miserable, too. Perfect. Double the pain."
"I-"
"And that's just dumb!" Velvet cried, throwing her arms in the air. "Jaune doesn't even know what the big deal is, so it's not like you have to face him. I stepped on a dog's tail once and felt guilty, but it forgot about it by the next time we met. Life goes on. I didn't swear to avoid animals forever."
"This isn't the same," Pyrrha argued. "This is bigger than a stepped-on tail."
"Yeah, it is, but it's your problem, not his. Jaune has no control over whether you come or go, and if you feel bad about it then say so and apologise to him. It's not like he'll hold a grudge." And even though she wouldn't say it, Velvet started to understand why Russel had called Pyrrha useless, even if it had been a ridiculously harsh thing to say.
Do or do not, but doing nothing was being useless. Pyrrha could either help Jaune or she could choose not to, but choose something and stick with it. What was the point in sitting around choosing neither option and avoiding the person you liked? That was never going to result in anything other than misery.
"It's not that simple. Jaune doesn't know who I am."
"What?"
"He doesn't know that I'm famous."
"How can he not!? You're everywhere!"
"W-Well, he doesn't. I don't know how." Pyrrha became flustered and Velvet couldn't bother her. Sheesh, was Jaune sheltered or just inattentive? Hadn't he wanted to become a huntsman? Every huntsman or huntress their age knew Pyrrha Nikos. Some of her fights were shown as course material in prep schools.
"Either way," Pyrrha said, "I don't want to change what we have. Jaune doesn't seem me for what I am. He sees me for who I am."
"Uh, no, he doesn't." Velvet didn't enjoy Pyrrha's shocked look, but she forged on. "You're saying he can see beyond your reputation, but he isn't even aware of your reputation. That's not acceptance; that's ignorance. He's going to find out sooner or later, and then what? This is… This is just like I was." She shook her head. "I tried to pretend I wasn't a faunus when I came to Beacon, and I doubt I'm the only one who did."
That Blake girl was an obvious example and Velvet wasn't sure who she thought she was fooling. Then again, given her last name and the very well-known ex-leader of the White Fang, she might have had something more to hide.
"But I was wrong, and so are you. It took Coco, my team leader, to drag me out and show me how stupid that line of thinking is. I wanted friends who could accept me for being a faunus, but all I was going to get was people I had to hide my true self around. Is that what you want?"
"No!" Pyrrha protested.
"Then you have to tell him, or you can't keep hiding it, anyway. Surely it's better to have someone who knows who you are and doesn't care."
"Yes, of course. That's what Jaune is!"
"No, it's not. He doesn't see past your reputation. He doesn't even know about your reputation. If you want someone to be able to see you for who you are, you need to at least give them a chance to do so. I'm fairly sure Jaune won't even care, especially if you tell him the reason, but you're not doing him or you any favours like this."
"And speaking of, you're pretty much doing the same with us, aren't you? I wondered why you said what you did earlier, but you thought I wanted something because of your fame! How could you? I know who you are, but I don't care! I've never even acted like I do! I'm only here because I wanted and help R- Jaune. I've seen you around school, Pyrrha. You don't even talk to anyone. You don't try. How can you expect to find someone who can see you past your reputation if you don't take any risks? That's like trying to catch a fish without throwing a line, or trying to lose weight without exercising, or finding a boyfriend by sitting around hoping the guy you like will realise your feelings and ask you out. Nothing good will happen if you don't do anything."
The deluge came to an abrupt end as Velvet ran out of words. And steam. She panted, a rare – often unused – temper coming to the surface. Oh Gods, that… that had felt rather nice. Getting stuff off her chest had been kind of liberating. .
Maybe she should do that more often – maybe even to Russel.
Oh wait, she'd just run her mouth off to the one first-year who probably could push her head up her own rear end. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all.
"I-I mean, that's how I see it, anyway," she stammered. Her confidence, bolstered by fury, had faltered and now left her red-faced. She'd just gone on a rant in the middle of the library. How humiliating! "M-Maybe I was a little too abrupt, but-"
Pyrrha laughed.
She actually laughed.
Oh, good. I've broken her. Now she's going to go on a killing spree starting with me and- huh? Velvet stared at the hand Pyrrha had placed on her shoulder. It wasn't gripping her with crushing force and the girl was still laughing, though a little bitterly.
"You're right," she said.
Velvet blinked. "I am?"
"Yes. I… It's blunter than I would have appreciated, but I can't fault what you're saying. A battle can't be won if neither side goes on the offensive." Saying it like that, Velvet realised she probably should have gone for a combat-oriented metaphor, given who she was talking to. "You're right that I'm not being fair to Jaune. Even if I do feel guilty, that's my problem, not his."
"And," Pyrrha said, "I'm sorry for what I insinuated about you. That was callous of me… and paranoid. You've shown no inclination towards me, my fame or anything else. All you've ever done is do your job and be friendly, while I… I've been awful."
"Ah, well." It was strange, but even though Pyrrha was now agreeing with her, Velvet felt the need to argue. "I think I was too harsh, though. You weren't acting like that out of cruelty, and you must have had reason to. A lot of people probably did try to take advantage of your name."
"That doesn't excuse me accusing you of the same."
"Still, I should have phrased it nicer."
"I'm at fault here," Pyrrha insisted.
"But I was critical, and it's none of my business."
Pyrrha made to argue again but caught herself. "We're going in circles. How about we both just admit we made some mistakes and start afresh?"
"I'd like that." Velvet held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Velvet. I'm a faunus, hope that doesn't bother you."
"Hello Velvet. I'm Pyrrha Nikos. I may be famous." The redhead smiled. "But I don't like to talk about it much."
"That's fine." The two shared a quick look and laughed, the tense atmosphere dispelling at last. "Does this mean you'll come back to the diner? Jaune doesn't say it, but I've seen him looking around and watching the door. He really does miss you."
Pyrrha's smile could have outshone the sun, if her cheeks didn't beat her to it. "I'll come tomorrow, Velvet. I promise. I wonder… I wonder if this was what Russel was trying to tell me, that I should just do something, whatever end I chose."
"Maybe." Not even Velvet could guess Russel's intent. The guy was prickly and soft in equal measure, and despite showing no overt signs of racism he'd still not disagreed when Cardin showed it. She really didn't know what to make of him. "Hey, speaking of, how did you and Russel fall out, anyway? What happened to start it all?"
Pyrrha grimaced, but after a moment's thought, told her.
"Pyrrha Nikos? Hey, that's cool. We should spar sometime. My friends will never believe me when I say I'm partnered with THE Invincible Girl."
Velvet winced. It wasn't the whole story and she knew it, but a part of her could see why Pyrrha had reacted so badly, even if she didn't think Russel had meant anything when he said it. Feelings were complicated. People were complicated, and right now, Pyrrha felt she had no friends and no chance of ever acquiring any.
It was with that in mind that Velvet took a leap.
"Hey. You want to come watch a movie?"
/-/
"Do you think I was too harsh?"
"A little bit. I think you've got to speak your mind sometimes, though. You know? People aren't psychic. They need a little push to see the truth."
"Yeah, true." Melanie smiled as she wiped some blood off her stiletto heels, doing so on the back of the man whose body she was sat cross-legged on. "That's good. I was worried you'd think I went a little over the top."
"No way. If anything, you didn't go far enough," Miltia said, sat atop her own pile of wounded wannabe-gangsters. "That guy that flipped your skirt up and grabbed your ass? I'd have killed him then and there."
Melanie shivered. "He even tried to slip his fingers down the waistband."
"He didn't! Where is he?"
While she was touched by her sister's protective anger, Melanie held a hand out to stop her red twin from dispatching some much deserved justice. "He's the one we left mostly intact, Mil. You can't mess him up any further."
"Why did you let him get away so light?"
"Because someone has to be interrogated by Roman." Melanie smiled and her sister mirrored her, satisfied that the creep would get what he deserved. It was bad enough the clowns thought they could be picked up like street whores, but to drag them to some dilapidated squat filled with empty bottles of beer and used syringes? That crossed a line. Touching her had been digging his own grave, but it was when he'd tried to show off that he really dotted the I's and crossed the t's.
Because Melanie recognised that sword…
"Don't worry," she whispered, holding the sheathe against her body and brushing a hand down it, dispelling some grime that stuck to the metal. Jaune normally kept it well polished and proudly displayed on his wall, so to see it like this felt like a crime. She drew the blade and frowned at the grease on it. It could use a good clean before it went back to its master. "You'll be going home soon, sweetheart, I promise."
"Yeah, just as soon as we find out who ordered this in the first place. Isn't that right, cutie?" Miltia accompanied her question with a swift kick to the side of the largest, most tattooed gang member. "Oi, dickweed. I'm talking to you."
The man opened one eye and coughed past a split lip. "Y-You're messing with the wrong people, girl. W-We're the Crimson Devils. Who do you think you even are?"
Melanie and Miltia shared a deadpan look. The goon didn't even know who they were, which was pretty damn unforgiveable in the criminal underworld. Even if you thought you were hot shit, you knew who Junior was – and that he worked with Torchwick, not exactly an unknown face in, like, any situation. That this guy didn't know any of that?
Miltia laughed.
"Yeah, I think we'll be fine."
Stuff and things, and plots for later. I'd just like to say this isn't me bashing on Pyrrha here, though knowing my luck everyone will think it is anyway. This Pyrrha is different from canon Pyrrha, which some people never seemed to grasp. Why? Because she didn't meet Jaune. This is the Pyrrha you all saw talking to Weiss, the Pyrrha who was guarded and evasive, who would half-heartedly pretend to be interested when she wasn't. This is a Pyrrha who doesn't get the lucky break of Jaune being there to break her out of her shell and prove to her that her dreams can come true.
As such, she never learned to, and when Russel proved to be "just as bad" as she feared, she retreated. I know, like, 90% of people who read this seemed to get that, but some either couldn't or refused to.
I always saw Pyrrha in the show as being a very desperate person. She's been disappointed so many times and you can see how it's the same with Weiss, and she's desperate for someone to prove her wrong – and lo and behold, Jaune. Take that away, however, and what would happen? If Pyrrha finally found a partner, a team, and they proved to like her fame, or to respond to her fame before they do her?
Do you think she'd bounce back and be the same as canon? I don't.
I think she'd close the walls around her pretty damn quickly. Sure, she'd still be nice, and she is here, but it would be nice because of politeness, not because she genuinely likes people. It would be a mask.
But you know, the point I had Velvet raise is kind of true. Jaune shouldn't be the solution to Pyrrha's problems, at least not in the way the show tried to phrase it. Pyrrha wants someone who can accept her despite her burdens, not someone who can accept her while being ignorant of them. What she wants is what Weiss and Blake got, where Weiss discovered Blake was a faunus and was willing to look past it. Their friendship was stronger after that.
Anyway, this isn't a rant about her character, just me pointing out how she differs from canon, and having Velvet be the one to help her out here.
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur