[Nora hasn't found a steady job yet, but that doesn't mean she's not busy. She continues to keep herself in shape, occasionally sneaks Zwei some treats from the kitchen, practices her Dunamis (Weiss would call her out if she didn't) and looks for odd bits of work to earn money on the side.
When she returns to the room she shares with Pyrrha, the first sight that greets her is not her teammate, but a sword and a shield propped up nearby. Their owner is nowhere in sight, either.
Already, Nora has a bad feeling brewing in her stomach (and it's not the same as the time Ren gave her a gross health drink). She looks around and calls out:]
[ From around the corner, Pyrrha peeks her head in. Surprise! She hadn't actually been in the room. ]
Is something the matter?
[ By now, she's so used to having Crocea Mors and Jaune's armor hanging around that it doesn't occur to her that's what Nora is concerned about. Huh. ]
[ Like flicking a switch, Pyrrha's expression diminishes, becoming more clearly unhappy. She enters the room and sits down at the edge of her bed, where she can only see the offending objects over her shoulder.
They burn heavy, like eyes. ]
Jaune and I had... a bit of a disagreement, I'm afraid.
[Nora's face falls - a brief, chill wind blows from her to Pyrrha - and she promptly crosses the room so she can sit right next to Pyrrha.]
"A bit"? [From the tone of her voice, Nora doesn't believe it was just a bit. It took much more than that to make Pyrrha this unhappy and sit where she doesn't have to see that sword and shield.
For a moment, Nora recalls the time she told Weiss about what Jaune had done with Pyrrha's accessories and his weapons. She had thought nothing about it, except that it was a good way to remember Pyrrha and have her carry on with them in their memories.]
[ Part of her is hesitant to say much. Nora deserves better than being caught up in their drama. She has her own life, after all - her own concerns and delights. She doesn't need to get dragged down by this unfathomable mess.
More than that, though, the last thing Pyrrha wants is to shut Nora out. Not when she already faces the possibility of losing Jaune. ]
I asked if he had obtained my mother's permission before melting down my equipment. He took it somewhat poorly.
[Nora takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly, in a long sigh, knitting her fingers. She had figured Jaune had something to do with this, but not in this way. Already she's wondering why such a matter had caused Pyrrha to feel so downcast.
Then again...all this time away from each other and Pyrrha's death had changed the three of them so much. It was inevitable. Things would no longer be the same.
But first...she reaches out to lay a hand on her friend's shoulder.]
Sorry, Pyrrha. It...never occurred to me and Ren to ask about that, either. I guess we just wanted a way to remember you and bring you along with us.
[ A simple question had brought so many things to light. That Jaune cares more about not tarnishing his memories of her than how she might feel right now. She doesn't want to let Nora know what he had said to her in response - did you ask for her blessing before you went off to the tower - and how it felt like a punch to the stomach, leaving her brittle and winded, and a little heartbroken.
That much is probably written on her face, though, and in the way that her comforter had gone from a pale, neutral green to a smokey grey the moment she had sat down.
Nora's words are probably exactly what Pyrrha needed to hear. She lays her own hand on top of Nora's, gives a light squeeze. ]
I understand, really. I do. It's just - she lost her child and now she's all alone.
[ I should have called her, told her I loved her. Tried harder to survive.
Once that thought hits Pyrrha in earnest, she breaks. The loneliness she's been feeling since arriving, she's an anomaly, she's othered; the awkward weight of being in this house and knowing she doesn't belong; Jaune's disregard, his unkind little jabs, knowing that she could apologise a million times over and it would never be enough for him - and now, grieving for her mother's own heartbreak, knowing that in the end she was a horrid daughter who hurt a lovely woman - it all erupts at once, Pyrrha's sobs pronounced and shuddering, voice breaking like a wave on jagged rocks, hot tears slipping down her face.
She wants to reach for Nora, but doesn't believe she has the right.
She wants to ask why Jaune hates her so much, but can't find the words.
She wants, more than anything, to be put back - and it's a fine but perceptible line between wanting to die and wanting to be dead again, despising every moment she's here against her will, wanting to be grateful for her life but coming up short. ]
[Nora had wanted to say Pyrrha's name, but it comes out as a strangled gasp when the other girl breaks down. Her next move is automatic; gently pulling her hand away from Pyrrha's, she opens her arms again just like the day they first decided to be roommates in this house. It hurts Nora to see Pyrrha sobbing this way, trying to go on with her second life but hitting one too many bumps along the way. It also hurts Nora to know that her two teammates with her were disagreeing so much, so much more than before.
She hugs Pyrrha tightly, wishing that she could have Ren's Semblance, just for today, just so she could help calm her down some. Instead, she opts for slowly patting Pyrrha's shoulder.
No. Her team would not end like this. Not here. Not now. If Ren ever showed up next, Nora did not want him to walk in on his teammates falling apart.]
Yeah...she did, but it's not your fault. It's no one's, except for the one who... [No way is she going to bring this up so explicitly. Not while Pyrrha was in a terrible place emotionally.] Cinder.
And Jaune...he was so distraught. [She sighs softly, shaking her head.] Maybe he felt the same way Ren and I, did, only it hit him harder, and he didn't think of how others would feel.
[ Although she's listening, it takes her a few minutes to calm down and reply. Hearing Cinder's name had caused her heart to flinch almost painfully, as if she had been back on the tower, an arrow still lodged between her lungs and protruding out her back. Thankfully, that too subsides.
Pyrrha eases up a bit. She remains in the hug, but Nora isn't forced to bear quite so much of her weight. (She's probably a bit heavy due to being gigantic.)
She - hurt Jaune too, didn't she? And Nora and Ren and --
Everyone who cared, all for one person who didn't. ]
Nora, why - [ a brief, hiccuping pause, ] - why aren't you angry at me as well?
[Eh, Nora can lift things that are bigger than Pyrrha anyway. It doesn't faze her.
She stops patting Pyrrha on the back to reply.]
Me? [For one thing, it takes a lot to get Nora angry. Truly angry, not just rawr-a-Grimm-Nora-smash angry.] I figured you wanted to do what felt right at the time. To help save Beacon and everyone.
Besides...even if I were, I can't waste our time here together sulking. [Quietly:] We don't know how long we'll be staying here.
[ At the time, it had felt right - or, at least, right enough. As she told Jaune, she doesn't regret going after Cinder. If nothing else, it had distracted her long enough for everyone else to flee. That Nora and Jaune are here, unharmed, alive... Pyrrha's honestly glad. What might have happened if she hadn't intervened?
Maybe something bad. To everyone.
Or, maybe - nothing. Nothing would have happened. She may have thrown her life away for nothing, died alone and scared, gasping for breath.
She'll never know at this point. Pyrrha puts the thoughts out of her head, focusing as best she can on what Nora is saying, not what she herself is extrapolating from her friend's words. ]
I suppose we don't.
[ Surprise! Nora is the wisest member of JNPR. ]
I asked Jaune if he'd ever forgive me and he said he didn't know. [ ... ] I didn't... think that meant he hated me so much.
[Ugh. Nora's brows furrow and her mouth sets in a worried, almost grim line. Jaune can be difficult to deal with sometimes, she knows, but never this difficult, that forgiving Pyrrha is suddenly so uncertain for him. She wants to scratch her head or throw up her hands in exasperation, but right now she just wants to hold Pyrrha tightly. Because if Jaune won't, the gal pal will.
For a moment, she remains silent, gathering her thoughts.]
I don't think he hates you. [Or so Nora hopes. Her tone is steady, and gentle.] I think he's still...really hung up on what happened to you, and doesn't know what else to do with how he feels.
[Jaune can be really dumb with these kinds of things. Nora is about 90% sure that Jaune's regrets and anger toward himself were now being projected through how he acted around and spoke to Pyrrha.]
Which, really, is pretty dumb, because you're here now and we have another chance to...be together, and stuff.
[ The crux of the matter lies in what Pyrrha is unwilling to admit, not wanting Nora to hear Jaune at his worst. She had asked about her mother and he had thrown it back into her face, hurting her so badly she could barely string a sentence together. You don't do that to a person you don't hate. And then there's Nora, caught in the middle, likely as sad as the rest of them but being strong in spite of it - well, it certainly puts Pyrrha to shame.
She sits up, swipes at her eyes so they're dry.
Together, Nora says.
Well, not really. Even with her presence, their team is still fractured, and breaking further apart with each passing second. Nora must feel like she was holding the world together with her fingertips. ]
[The "I'm sorry" does create a hint of a smile tugging at Nora's lips. Though many things have changed with the chunk of Team JNPR currently here in Empatheias, some things remain the same. She manages to grin ruefully.]
It's nothing I can't handle. [Nora shrugs.] Besides, what are friends for?
[ A bit calmer now, she returns to leaning on Nora. Well wrung out from her burst of torrential emotion, she's a little drained, content to let someone support her, even if it's uninvited. ]
[Nora drapes one arm over Pyrrha's shoulder. Man, her teammates are so tall. She laughs softly.]
Stay as long as you need to. You feel better now, right?
[So does she, truth be told. She also feels better about what they had done to Pyrrha's weapons; perhaps it was not the best course of action, but at the time, it felt like it, it happened, and there was nothing left for them to do about that except move forward from it.
Many times, that was all that was left. To keep moving forward.]
[ To be fair, Pyrrha doesn't know than Ren is now of height with her! Hopefully soon, she'll see his growth spurt for herself.
Regardless, as Nora feels better, they both do. A bit worn out from her crying jag, she swipes at the drying skin under her eyes without opening them, clearing off any last bits of streaky tear residue from her face. There's a faint sniffle, but it's a remnant of what was, and bitten off by a somewhat embarrassed chortle. ]
Thank you, Nora. -- I'm really glad you're here with us.
[ She's sure she said it before, but there's no harm in repeating it. ]
[Nora winks. It's true. She pats Pyrrha's shoulder while keeping her arm where it is. And Nora bets that Pyrrha would be glad to see Ren too, if he ever arrived - and possibly notice how he's grown inside and out.
But Nora is not going to stop at being a literal crying shoulder for her friend. Oh, she has so much more in mind.]
How 'bout...I get you a handkerchief, a cold drink, and maybe a day out in the town?
[ She definitely needs to wipe her stupid face and re-hydrate. As for a day on the town, well - she hardly feels fit for human interaction or even showing her face in public right now.
Admitting it would involve saying no to Nora, which Pyrrha is utterly unwilling to do right now. ]
Alright.
[ Letting out a breath, she finally makes an effort to disentangle from Nora's embrace. ]
That sounds wonderful. [ Beat. ] How about we find a bakery and taste-test everything?
[Nora stands up and walks over to her dresser to look for a handkerchief...or at least, a small towel. But she does find a pale pink handkerchief, which she hands over to Pyrrha.]
Well, a bakery should have cold drinks, so...sounds like a plan. [Anything that involves both food and friends is always a good plan, to Nora.]
Besides, I haven't been to all the bakeries here yet!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
And this is the part where Nora finds Crocea Mors not where it's supposed to be
When she returns to the room she shares with Pyrrha, the first sight that greets her is not her teammate, but a sword and a shield propped up nearby. Their owner is nowhere in sight, either.
Already, Nora has a bad feeling brewing in her stomach (and it's not the same as the time Ren gave her a gross health drink). She looks around and calls out:]
Pyrrha...?
tries not to cry .... cries a lot
[ From around the corner, Pyrrha peeks her head in. Surprise! She hadn't actually been in the room. ]
Is something the matter?
[ By now, she's so used to having Crocea Mors and Jaune's armor hanging around that it doesn't occur to her that's what Nora is concerned about. Huh. ]
cries with
Pyrrha!
[She doesn't beat around the bush, though.]
Maybe I should be the one asking you what's the matter. [And then she tilts her head toward Crocea Mors with no Jaune in sight.]
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[ Like flicking a switch, Pyrrha's expression diminishes, becoming more clearly unhappy. She enters the room and sits down at the edge of her bed, where she can only see the offending objects over her shoulder.
They burn heavy, like eyes. ]
Jaune and I had... a bit of a disagreement, I'm afraid.
[ pyrrha that explains absolutely nothing? ]
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"A bit"? [From the tone of her voice, Nora doesn't believe it was just a bit. It took much more than that to make Pyrrha this unhappy and sit where she doesn't have to see that sword and shield.
For a moment, Nora recalls the time she told Weiss about what Jaune had done with Pyrrha's accessories and his weapons. She had thought nothing about it, except that it was a good way to remember Pyrrha and have her carry on with them in their memories.]
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[ Part of her is hesitant to say much. Nora deserves better than being caught up in their drama. She has her own life, after all - her own concerns and delights. She doesn't need to get dragged down by this unfathomable mess.
More than that, though, the last thing Pyrrha wants is to shut Nora out. Not when she already faces the possibility of losing Jaune. ]
I asked if he had obtained my mother's permission before melting down my equipment. He took it somewhat poorly.
[ To put as mild a turn as possible on it. ]
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[Nora takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly, in a long sigh, knitting her fingers. She had figured Jaune had something to do with this, but not in this way. Already she's wondering why such a matter had caused Pyrrha to feel so downcast.
Then again...all this time away from each other and Pyrrha's death had changed the three of them so much. It was inevitable. Things would no longer be the same.
But first...she reaches out to lay a hand on her friend's shoulder.]
Sorry, Pyrrha. It...never occurred to me and Ren to ask about that, either. I guess we just wanted a way to remember you and bring you along with us.
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That much is probably written on her face, though, and in the way that her comforter had gone from a pale, neutral green to a smokey grey the moment she had sat down.
Nora's words are probably exactly what Pyrrha needed to hear. She lays her own hand on top of Nora's, gives a light squeeze. ]
I understand, really. I do. It's just - she lost her child and now she's all alone.
[ I should have called her, told her I loved her. Tried harder to survive.
Once that thought hits Pyrrha in earnest, she breaks. The loneliness she's been feeling since arriving, she's an anomaly, she's othered; the awkward weight of being in this house and knowing she doesn't belong; Jaune's disregard, his unkind little jabs, knowing that she could apologise a million times over and it would never be enough for him - and now, grieving for her mother's own heartbreak, knowing that in the end she was a horrid daughter who hurt a lovely woman - it all erupts at once, Pyrrha's sobs pronounced and shuddering, voice breaking like a wave on jagged rocks, hot tears slipping down her face.
She wants to reach for Nora, but doesn't believe she has the right.
She wants to ask why Jaune hates her so much, but can't find the words.
She wants, more than anything, to be put back - and it's a fine but perceptible line between wanting to die and wanting to be dead again, despising every moment she's here against her will, wanting to be grateful for her life but coming up short. ]
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She hugs Pyrrha tightly, wishing that she could have Ren's Semblance, just for today, just so she could help calm her down some. Instead, she opts for slowly patting Pyrrha's shoulder.
No. Her team would not end like this. Not here. Not now. If Ren ever showed up next, Nora did not want him to walk in on his teammates falling apart.]
Yeah...she did, but it's not your fault. It's no one's, except for the one who... [No way is she going to bring this up so explicitly. Not while Pyrrha was in a terrible place emotionally.] Cinder.
And Jaune...he was so distraught. [She sighs softly, shaking her head.] Maybe he felt the same way Ren and I, did, only it hit him harder, and he didn't think of how others would feel.
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Pyrrha eases up a bit. She remains in the hug, but Nora isn't forced to bear quite so much of her weight. (She's probably a bit heavy due to being gigantic.)
She - hurt Jaune too, didn't she? And Nora and Ren and --
Everyone who cared, all for one person who didn't. ]
Nora, why - [ a brief, hiccuping pause, ] - why aren't you angry at me as well?
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She stops patting Pyrrha on the back to reply.]
Me? [For one thing, it takes a lot to get Nora angry. Truly angry, not just rawr-a-Grimm-Nora-smash angry.] I figured you wanted to do what felt right at the time. To help save Beacon and everyone.
Besides...even if I were, I can't waste our time here together sulking. [Quietly:] We don't know how long we'll be staying here.
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Maybe something bad. To everyone.
Or, maybe - nothing. Nothing would have happened. She may have thrown her life away for nothing, died alone and scared, gasping for breath.
She'll never know at this point. Pyrrha puts the thoughts out of her head, focusing as best she can on what Nora is saying, not what she herself is extrapolating from her friend's words. ]
I suppose we don't.
[ Surprise! Nora is the wisest member of JNPR. ]
I asked Jaune if he'd ever forgive me and he said he didn't know. [ ... ] I didn't... think that meant he hated me so much.
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For a moment, she remains silent, gathering her thoughts.]
I don't think he hates you. [Or so Nora hopes. Her tone is steady, and gentle.] I think he's still...really hung up on what happened to you, and doesn't know what else to do with how he feels.
[Jaune can be really dumb with these kinds of things. Nora is about 90% sure that Jaune's regrets and anger toward himself were now being projected through how he acted around and spoke to Pyrrha.]
Which, really, is pretty dumb, because you're here now and we have another chance to...be together, and stuff.
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She sits up, swipes at her eyes so they're dry.
Together, Nora says.
Well, not really. Even with her presence, their team is still fractured, and breaking further apart with each passing second. Nora must feel like she was holding the world together with her fingertips. ]
I'm sorry.
[ There it is! ]
We haven't exactly put you in a good position.
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It's nothing I can't handle. [Nora shrugs.] Besides, what are friends for?
[For counseling rocky relationships, apparently.]
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[ A bit calmer now, she returns to leaning on Nora. Well wrung out from her burst of torrential emotion, she's a little drained, content to let someone support her, even if it's uninvited. ]
... Can you stay here for a little while?
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[Nora drapes one arm over Pyrrha's shoulder. Man, her teammates are so tall. She laughs softly.]
Stay as long as you need to. You feel better now, right?
[So does she, truth be told. She also feels better about what they had done to Pyrrha's weapons; perhaps it was not the best course of action, but at the time, it felt like it, it happened, and there was nothing left for them to do about that except move forward from it.
Many times, that was all that was left. To keep moving forward.]
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[ To be fair, Pyrrha doesn't know than Ren is now of height with her! Hopefully soon, she'll see his growth spurt for herself.
Regardless, as Nora feels better, they both do. A bit worn out from her crying jag, she swipes at the drying skin under her eyes without opening them, clearing off any last bits of streaky tear residue from her face. There's a faint sniffle, but it's a remnant of what was, and bitten off by a somewhat embarrassed chortle. ]
Thank you, Nora. -- I'm really glad you're here with us.
[ She's sure she said it before, but there's no harm in repeating it. ]
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[Nora winks. It's true. She pats Pyrrha's shoulder while keeping her arm where it is. And Nora bets that Pyrrha would be glad to see Ren too, if he ever arrived - and possibly notice how he's grown inside and out.
But Nora is not going to stop at being a literal crying shoulder for her friend. Oh, she has so much more in mind.]
How 'bout...I get you a handkerchief, a cold drink, and maybe a day out in the town?
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Admitting it would involve saying no to Nora, which Pyrrha is utterly unwilling to do right now. ]
Alright.
[ Letting out a breath, she finally makes an effort to disentangle from Nora's embrace. ]
That sounds wonderful. [ Beat. ] How about we find a bakery and taste-test everything?
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Well, a bakery should have cold drinks, so...sounds like a plan. [Anything that involves both food and friends is always a good plan, to Nora.]
Besides, I haven't been to all the bakeries here yet!