Chapter Text
Goodwitch already has the screen lit and properly labeled when they walk into Combat. Nora stares up at the projected match information for a few seconds, then sets Magnhild on their table.
The defending team’s booth is a perfect mirror of the challenging team’s. They're both angled toward the stage center, complimenting the amphitheatre seating of the rest of the classroom. Neither RWBY nor the rest of JNPR have arrived yet.
That suits Nora just fine.
As usual, Ren checks her bow. Today, however, he doesn't linger on the ritual. A soft pat on the shoulder lets her know he's done. Nora drops into the booth seat and sighs. He raises an eyebrow when she doesn't scoot over, then slides around the bench seat to sit next to her.
Only one thing matters today.
It doesn't matter what happens between Jaune, Pyrrha, Blake, and Yang afterward. It doesn't matter what happens the rest of the day or even the week. It doesn't matter that Weiss still hasn't read her messages. A promise is a promise.
Sit down, shut up, and listen to me.
Nora fiddles with Magnhild, opening its face and absently recounting her stock of grenades. There’s nothing special about them; she’s still working on the final version of the flour grenades anyway. No offense to Weiss and Ruby, but there’s hardly any need to do anything new or special to win this.
She holds back a bitter smirk. No one’s seen her and Ren fight together-together since initiation. Last week was barely incidental, more of a JNPR strategy than a Ren-and-Nora one. Today's plan is only one of their oldest strategies, and no one will expect this level of synchronicity, least of all their opponents. It’s almost mean of Goodwitch, to face her and Ren against these two. Almost any other RWBY duo would have been a fairer choice.
Even though it’s one of their standard strategies, Ren did insist they discuss it in more detail before bed anyway. Something about how winning is an outcome, not a strategy. It was a quick and terse discussion; every conversation since Sunday’s outing has been like that. Nevermind his hands-on reminder that omission of the truth is just as irritating as flat out lying, Ren is as stubborn as ever when it comes to Weiss, maybe more. That’s an argument they'll finish another day.
One problem at a time.
Nora snorts and primes Magnhild one last time. As she tucks the weapon underneath the table, Ren exhales loudly. She ignores him. Instead, she watches their classmates file in, flashes a grin at Pyrrha when she arrives with Jaune, and kicks her feet in anticipation.
RWBY finally arrives, with the partners side by side. Ruby, ever the good sport, shoots Nora a thumbs up and an excited grin. As expected, Weiss refuses to look their way.
Soon. Soon, soon, soon.
The bell rings. Stragglers scramble for their seats. Goodwitch begins class with the usual reminders. Then she starts in on how spectating students are supposed to watch and take notes and–
Booo—ring!
The booth table shakes as she jiggles her leg, tapping her heel rapidly against the floorboards. Jaune stifles a groan at her antics. Even Pyrrha looks over with a sympathetic smile. It's been no secret how much Nora’s been looking forward to this. After all, their friendly rivalry with RWBY is the perfect time to exercise her competitive spirit.
If that was all this is.
Nora practically leaps out of her seat when Goodwitch beckons the pairs to the stage. She slaps her scroll onto the match minder before anyone else, grinning up at the screen when her photo and aura gauge appear next to her name.
By the time the rest of them join her at center stage, Nora is all but vibrating. Even her nervous, bouncy energy can't quite conceal her frustration though. She avoids looking at Weiss, which is somewhat easier since Weiss chose to stand across from Ren. Nora instead beams at Ruby, who flashes another confident smile of her own.
It's impossible to not glance at her though. Weiss looks like she does any other day when she's not half-starved. Dressed in perfect whites, silvers, and reds, balancing on those ridiculous heels, and almost certainly frowning behind her pristine white mask, she stands proud and expectant next to her partner. Where Ruby is enthusiastic and fidgety, Weiss is still and stoic.
“Typical classroom rules apply. Mind your classmates,” Goodwitch reminds them. Her stern tone is no match for the palpable anticipation. She glances between the two pairs. “Ready?”
Technically, this is a duo match.
That's what Weiss and Ruby will expect after all. Perhaps if they were against anyone else they would be right. They might even have a chance of winning. Against Nora and Ren? This is just two single matches happening on the same stage.
Nora hipchecks her partner as they wait for Goodwitch’s signal. He doesn't budge, intensely focused on the floor in front of them.
When the match starts, so will their count.
“Begin!”
Twenty.
With a whoop of joy, Nora takes off like a shot, crossing in front of Ren as he ducks behind her. Ignoring Ruby’s shout of alarm, she darts past Weiss. And Weiss? Well, to her credit, she doesn’t panic.
Turning, she throws up a glyph to slow Nora and takes to the air. Nora ducks around the glyph and swings the hammer through the space where Weiss used to be. There's no time to waste bemoaning the miss. Nora lets Magnhild carry her through the swing’s momentum. Then, twirling the hammer across her shoulders with a flourish, she transforms Magnhild in one smooth motion.
Nora cackles as she jumps into the air, firing a couple of smoke grenades at the ground below. They explode, flooding the stage with a thick pink smoke. Between her own power and Magnhild, she actually gets high enough to wave at the heiress, perched on a glyph and poised to attack.
Once she meets the other girl’s eyes, Nora chirps—
“Hey Weiss!”
It's a dirty move and Weiss definitely remembers the last time Nora said that. It only makes Weiss flinch for a half-second, eyes wide above her mask, but that slight hesitation is more than enough to halt her retaliation. Nora salutes her and allows gravity to pull her back down into the opaque pink cloud. She rolls and tumbles to the ground, careful to keep within both the smoke and the arena boundaries.
From a Dust user such as Weiss, the gust that sweeps across the stage next is no surprise. Before the smoke can completely clear, Nora sprints in the direction of gunfire with her hammer at the ready. Luckily she comes out of the cloud just a couple of feet away from Ruby. She’s too focused on blocking Ren’s bullets with her scythe to notice Nora behind her.
“Ruby, look behind you!”
Ruby doesn’t actually do as Weiss says. Instead she dissolves into rose petals, weapon and all, to dodge Nora’s attack. Nora stumbles with a yelp, nearly falling flat on her face as she overbalances. She manages to keep her footing, though just barely.
Rats.
Ren and Nora exchange a glance and a nod. To any outsider, it would appear this switch is a spur of the moment decision. However, the simple reality is that twenty seconds is up.
Nora restarts the count.
Thirty.
Nora grins, watching as Ruby realizes her sudden evasive maneuver puts her at a disadvantage There'll be no getting back to Weiss, not without going through Nora. Their eyes meet.
If her semblance is anything like mine–
Without giving her any more time to focus, Nora dashes forward, swinging her hammer back for an opening shot. Ruby blocks it with the flat of her scythe, swinging it to clear space between them. Small stature, huge weapons, short and long range versatility– the similarities between Nora and Ruby keep them both busy. It becomes a close range battle of traded blows; neither of them bother to disengage long enough to shift their weapons. Metal clashes. Sparks fly.
For a little while, Ruby keeps trying to get to Weiss. With her attention so thoroughly stolen by Nora’s offense though, her petaling attempts are lacking and often partial. Nora shadows her relentlessly. By the time Ruby gives up and takes her seriously, it's time to switch again.
Fifty.
While Ruby is fun, Weiss is a delight. After her spat with Ren, sweat plasters her bangs to her face. Frustration rolls off of her in waves.
“Miss me?” Nora quips as she pushes off the glyph that Weiss tosses up, almost lazily.
Weiss doesn't respond; she only glowers. She actually stays on the ground this time, choosing to engage Nora with a volley of Dust attacks: fire, wind, ice. The strategy keeps her at bay. Nora dodges and ducks, all the while trying to get close to Weiss. Her speed and reaction times are impressive, but it only makes Nora choke on her laughter.
I guess that's my fault, isn't it?
It doesn't make for a simple fight. It would be far easier to tackle Weiss if she had a shield to launch from or a subtle magnetic assist. Where Nora is heavy-handed with power strikes, Weiss is light on her feet and nimble. Even when Weiss stands still to cast, it's not as if she can't see Nora coming. She dodges time and time again, often at the last second.
It'll take more than tag to tire me out!
Nora indulges Weiss in this peculiar, breathless, whirlwind waltz. That is, until Weiss feigns a dodge to create an opening and strikes Nora in the side hard enough to make her cry out. Before she can capitalize on the hit though, a hail of bullets stops Weiss in her tracks, cutting across the space between her and Nora.
Ren never loses time.
“Nora!” Ren barks as he darts past her. The tone of his voice does the rest of the talking. Stop toying with her and pay attention!
“Alright, alright! Can't I have any fun?”
Nora blows her bangs out of her face with a loud raspberry. It is not as if she isn't paying attention. Weiss is far from an easy opponent. Predictable does not mean easy. Predictable doesn't always mean consistent either. As if to prove her point, Weiss evades Ren just long enough to get in a parting shot. Nora’s ribs twinge as she twists to avoid the volley of ice needles. One still skims her cheek, glancing off her aura shield.
There's no time to marvel at Weiss’ accuracy or ruthlessness. As it is, Nora barely has time to register the hairs raised on the back of her neck. She drops to the floor as the wind whistles behind her. Ruby’s scythe slices through the air where she'd been moments ago. Nora scrambles to her feet, looking around for the flow of Ruby's cape.
There are only petals.
Nora swears under her breath, spinning to track the trail.
Oh, come on! Stop going off script!
She dashes over to the triple blur on the other side of the stage. She shifts Magnhild into its launcher form, discharging into it along the way.
“Come on, come on,” mutters Nora. She bites back a warning to Ren. He's just going to have to figure out the change of plans on the fly. If Ruby or Weiss have time to react…
She skids within arm's reach of the fray, sliding on one knee and pointing up into the air to track Weiss’ movement. She skates and skips through the air on her platforms, keeping just out of reach of Ren’s blades and moving too fast for his bullets to land. With Ruby nipping at his heels though, Ren doesn't have a hope of taking Weiss down.
That's my job!
Grinning, Nora launches the remaining grenades from her primary set. Then she watches as Weiss’ eyes widen in horror at the sound. The four grenades spiral up to her; at the last second, Weiss does what anyone would do in her position.
She deflects them.
The grenades explode on impact with the glyph, releasing their thick smoke with a bang. Nora's already on the move, evading Ruby’s advances. Now obscured again, Nora leaps into the air, aims at Weiss’ silhouette, and shoots all six of her secondary grenades at point-blank range.
Weiss screams, tumbling out of the air with the force of the blast. She even loses her grip on her rapier, judging by the clatter of metal on concrete. Nora lands in a crouch, following her trajectory.
“Ruby Rose is defeated by knock out,” Glynda announces serenely.
Way to go, Ren!
Surprising as this is, Nora pays this no mind. She only listens for the sound of Weiss’ landing. When she hears it, there's no out-of-bounds call from Goodwitch.
Good.
Winning against Weiss entails some manner of undeniable defeat– a technical foul, an arena expulsion, a simple surrender. A simple win, however, is not a victory. Only one thing matters here: beat some sense into Weiss.
Nora sprints out of the clearing smoke, grinning wide. She flips Magnhild with a flourish and catches its handle in both hands. The metal settles in her grip, held tight and ready to swing. Weiss is ready for Nora, even though her weapon is nowhere at hand.
Hands outstretched, she throws up three of her standard white glyphs, enclosing herself in a triangular fortress. For a half second, they glare at each other across the brilliant flare of white. Then a hail of bullets rains down on one of the other glyphs.
Weiss whirls toward Ren, perhaps to reinforce that particular glyph. It's clear she had momentarily forgotten about him. Nora did no such thing. She seizes the opening Ren’s created, hefts Magnhild, and activates the rocket boosters as she swings the hammer.
The glyph behind Weiss withstands the initial impact, only to shatter moments later. Magnhild slams into her back, visibly cracking her aura shield where her combat dress is already singed from the grenades earlier. Weiss cries out, dismissing the other glyphs into motes of light. Instead of being crushed between a glyph and the hammer, the impact sends her flying across the arena. Even then, she rolls, skids, and catches herself enough to land on her back. It's a far cry from her usual control, but she's still in bounds.
Nora glances at the match stats overhead. While Weiss’ aura isn't necessarily low by normal standards, it is close to the classroom rules’ knockout threshold.
A flicker of movement catches her eye. Weiss braces herself on her forearms to get up, the determined glint in her eyes outshines her messy hair and laboured breathing. Not far from where Weiss landed, and still miraculously in bounds, is her rapier. Weiss eyes the pair of them as she sits up, but one foot is turned, poised to brace for a quick take off. Nora glances at Ren. He shrugs.
Nope, Nora thinks as she’s already dashing forward. I'm ending this!
In hindsight, perhaps it's a little harsh of her to strike as she does. Closing the distance between them in three bounding strides, Nora swings down and slams Magnhild just inches away from Weiss’ head, sending cracks throughout the concrete floor. Her wispy bangs flutter in the violent breeze, flinching when Weiss does not. She freezes, fingers still outstretched to the rapier just out of her reach.
Chest heaving, Nora twists the hammer's head and forces Weiss back to the floor, pinning her with the weapon's full weight on her collarbone. She scowls at Nora, chin lifted and eyebrows knit together. There's no way to escape like this, not in any way that would let Weiss walk away. Nora presses down just a little more and watches Weiss go very, very still at the increased pressure.
No more ignoring me!
“Weiss Schnee is defeated by disarmament and aura depletion,” Goodwitch announces after a silent eternity. “This match goes to Team JNPR.”
Nora beams, barely registering the applause and cheering behind her. She pulls Magnhild away and offers her other hand to Weiss.
Finally.
“Now you'll listen,” Nora declares, not quite loud enough to be heard over the din, as she pulls Weiss to her feet. It's not a request, but she means it as a cheerful statement of fact. Instead it comes out a little forced and demanding. Even with the mask on, Nora can see Weiss open her mouth, then clamp it shut. Rather than wait for Goodwitch's cue or Nora to switch hands, Weiss stiffly shakes their already-clasped hands, then stalks over to her weapon.
Ruby is much more cheerful as she trails across the stage to shake hands. Her griping is good-natured and playful, even though there's definitely a sparkle in her eye that promises payback later. Nora inhales deeply, filling her lungs with air that smells of sweat and ignition Dust and machine oil. Ren slips silently into her periphery and she turns to low-five him. She pretends she doesn't notice the faint downturn of his lips as he slaps his palm to hers.
Serious fights between them, more than a dumb squabble or disagreement, are so rare. When was the last time she was even this mad at him? Surely it was before Beacon and probably over something trivial, right? After this victory, yesterday feels like ancient history. All things equal, he wasn't wrong, so much as in the wrong. Nora looks away, failing to squash the guilty flutter in her stomach. They'll make up soon.
We always do.
With their good sportsmanship obligations completed, Nora skips back to their booth and scoots in next to Pyrrha. Ruby and Weiss head for the nurse, with the latter girl steadfastly ignoring everyone.
“Excellent work, you two,” praises Pyrrha with a small smile. Nora blinks, redirecting her attention. “Though I'm not really surprised, of course.”
Of course.
Nora exhales, slumping in her seat, boneless with relief. Nodding to acknowledge Pyrrha, Ren reaches the booth a few moments later, his long stride counteracted by his hesitance. This time, she scoots over to make room for him, then rests her head on his shoulder once he's settled. Ren tenses, then slips a hand into hers. Nora squeezes twice without a second thought—
With you.
He squeezes back in kind. She closes her eyes and breathes in slowly, holding the air in her lungs. The tension bleeds from his shoulders. The knot in her stomach untangles once and for all. They exhale as one, a soft sigh.
Who needs words anyway?
The rest of class goes just about as she expects. Debrief. Store Magnhild. Visit nurse. Reassure Ren. Watch Jaune and Pyrrha lose spectacularly to Blake and Yang. Witness Jaune blend shame, frustration, depression, and self-loathing into a brand new emotion smoothie. Ignore Jaune. Ignore Pyrrha attempting to psychically beam her emotions at Jaune across the booth via big, sad, cow eyes. Spring out of her seat as soon as it's sparring time.
Step 1: Tell Weiss I'm going to kick her butt.
Step 2: Actually kick her butt.
Now for the tricky part.
Step 3: Make her talk to me.
Nora skips out of the classroom ahead of Ren, her team, Goodwitch, RWBY, and everyone else. Her heart thumps behind her ribs, betraying her anxiety, if only to herself.
Just… grab her. She'll only be mad for a second. Or two.
She reaches the exit before anyone else, slips outside, and tucks herself behind the door. The brick at her back is sun-warmed. It's soothing; all the aura in the world can't prevent every muscle ache. Nora sighs, sinking to a low crouch in the dirt to catch her breath.
Then the door slams open again, jerking to a stop by its chain. Nora braces her palms against the wall, keeping one foot poised and ready to sprint. People begin streaming out of the building, rowdy and chattering. First MYNT, then THSL, the rest of JNPR– and finally, RWBY!
Weiss trails along behind Blake and Yang, arms crossed and posture rigid. Ruby is also a bit subdued, but even from here, Nora sees her trying to catch Weiss' attention. As usual, Weiss trails along at the outskirts of the crowd.
Perfect.
Nora pounces. She launches herself off the wall and throws her arms around Weiss' neck.
“Ruby–!”
“Not me, I swear,” Ruby blurts as Weiss growls over her shoulder. Nora snickers. In her combat heels, Weiss is just tall enough for Nora to hang a teensy bit off the ground, if she kicks her feet up.
“Alright, Weiss! I'm gonna explain why you lost," Nora chirps. She tempers her volume, but Weiss flinches anyway.
“I do not need any further explanation,” Weiss snaps, shaking her off. Nora allows herself to be dislodged and skips alongside her. “Professor Goodwitch was exceedingly clear in her analysis.”
“Too bad!”
Weiss yelps when Nora grabs her arm and begins to haul her away from her team. Ahead of them, she sees Ren’s head turn at the commotion. Nora pulls harder, dragging Weiss toward the margins of today's sparring field. Ren frowns, pushing against the flow of students toward them.
“Ruby, you too!" Nora calls out, ignoring Weiss' resistance. “Ren has so much to tell you about your mini fights!"
When Ruby turns around, Ren is indeed nearly next to her. A few rapid blinks are his only obvious response to finding himself faced with Ruby's earnestness. Nora flashes him a grateful smile and waggles her fingers at him.
Sorry, she mouths.
“Oh, yeah?" Ruby grins. “I mean, I have notes too, you know! Just because you won doesn't mean you're flawless!"
With Ren taking care of Ruby, or Ruby taking care of Ren, Nora snickers to herself. She tunes out his awkward panic and tugs Weiss further away from their class. Weiss resists anew, digging her heels into the grass. Nora strains against her in equal measure.
“Let me go,” Weiss hisses. “I already said I don't need to talk to you!”
“I said,” Nora growls under her breath, “Too! Bad!”
“Ugh, fine!” Weiss snaps. “Just stop pulling me! You're going to stretch my sleeves.”
“Seriously?” Still, she lets go.
Weiss continues to follow, dusting herself off. She scrutinizes the white fabric, scowling at invisible wrinkles.
“If I find out they’re even slightly uneven, I will send you the bill,” Weiss grumbles.
“You’ll live,” Nora mutters, stomping toward the copse of trees. “Cause you know, that was the whole freaking point?”
Now Weiss falls silent, glancing over her shoulder. Even though both their teams are far away on the bleachers, Weiss shoves Nora further toward the tree line. Nora goes crosseyed at the finger suddenly jabbed at her nose.
“We are not talking about this right now!”
“Too bad,” chirps Nora, for the third time. “Maybe if you just texted me back, we wouldn't be here! We could have talked days ago!”
“I don't need to talk to you,” Weiss retorts. “About this or anything else! I said we're even! I need you to leave me alone!”
“Why would I just do that?"
“Because I have this under control," Weiss insists. Then she adds firmly, “I am in control of this situation."
Weiss gestures at her face mask. It blends with the bangs framing her face, especially in the shadows of the trees. Tossing her hair and staring into the sunshot canopy, she crosses her arms again. The gesture is haughty, but stiff. Nora takes a half-step forward, surprised when Weiss leans away.
No. She doesn't lean. She flinches.
Did… something happen?
Nora grits her teeth. Of course, there are complications. Gods forbid she should be so lucky.
“Okay fine, fine! You're in control,” Nora agrees, but lowers her voice before Weiss can interrupt, “but are you… actually okay?”
“Am I actually okay–?” Weiss cuts herself off, severing the shrill note before it crescendos further. She takes a deep breath, then whispers hoarsely, “I am perfectly okay.”
Right and I'm the King of Vale.
“No, I mean like, nothing got any worse, right?”
Weiss glares, irises flashing bright. “Define worse, Nora.”
“Well, I… I didn't actually hurt you or anything? During our match?” Nora squirms. “I wasn't trying to… I just…”
Weiss raises an eyebrow.
"You’ve been ignoring me,” Nora finishes lamely, cringing at the way it sounds. She takes a step away, threading and twisting her fingers together behind her back.
Weiss huffs softly. “Don’t be ridiculous. Surely even you can tell my aura is perfectly functional.”
“Er, well, not all the time,” Nora amends, rocking back and forth on her heels. Her hands flutter at her sides, fingers twitching restlessly. She crumples her skirt hem in her hands and averts her eyes from Weiss’ mask. Even with her lips pressed tight together, further explanations threaten to spill out.
Stop it! Not now, not when she's already freaking out.
“What–? Actually, nevermind.” Weiss pinches the bridge of her nose. “I can do without your ridiculous crypticisms. I don't need your help!”
“I’m not trying to be cryptic,” Nora protests, grabbing for Weiss’ hand as she turns away. To her surprise, Weiss actually allows it. “And yes, you do!”
“You've done more than enough!” The way Weiss' voice breaks on the last syllable makes it sound less sarcastic, and more like she means it. Bile sours the back of Nora's tongue.
“Like hell I have!” Nora snarls, grabbing Weiss' other hand. She pulls her closer, closing the distance between them until she can see the thin ring of paler blue around Weiss’ irises. “Are you going to let me tell you anything?”
When Weiss meets Nora's gaze, it's a startling sight. Unshed tears on her lashes glimmer in the sunlight.
“You’ve told me enough already,” Weiss says quietly.
“I did not! That night wasn't for talking,” Nora retorts, throwing her hands up in irritation. “We did one thing. Really well, by the way!”
Weiss rolls her eyes. “Right."
“Did you think I was just going to leave you hanging!?”
Weiss takes the opportunity to step back and pull her hands out of reach. “More than you already did?”
“I had to sleep! Did I not tell you that? Is that what this is about? Did you really expect me to magically recover without sleep?” Nora laughs, a small disbelieving giggle, just short of hysterical. She shoves her bangs back with both hands. "Just how awesome do you think I am?”
“You could have at least warned me…” Weiss trails off.
“About what…?" Nora prompts, squinting.
“Did you think I wasn’t going to research?”
“Research what?”
“What I… What's wrong with…” Weiss narrows her eyes at her. “Are you really going to make me say it?”
That you're pretty much mostly doomed to drink blood for the rest of your life? Or that it might have to be mine? Or that you're one wrong step away from losing it? Or that you've become something from long-lost scary stories?
They stare at each other for a long moment. Weiss apparently takes her silence as confirmation.
“An irudine,” Weiss murmurs, almost too softly to be heard. Even at that volume, she manages to spit the word with disdain. She even pronounces it correctly, not that it's surprising. Nora expects nothing less.
Eerie, eerie irudines,
coming out to play!
If one asks you for a drink,
here is what you say–!
“Eerie, eerie irudine!
Why, it’s surely day!
The night is yours, but I am not!
So kindly go away!”
The echo of the slap-rhyme-and-rhythm game reflects the pounding of her heart, faster and faster until something is sure to break. Nora inhales sharply, unable to form the words she needs. She can feel the blood draining from her face.
“I thought you didn't know,” Nora blurts, immediately wincing at how that sounds. “No, I mean– when, no, how did you figure that out?”
Weiss keeps her gaze on the forest, hiding her face. She folds her arms and digs her nails into her upper arm. “You told me, you idiot! Did you think I wasn’t listening?”
I told her? Oh. Oh no. Nora covers her mouth with her hands, as if that might stymie words that have already escaped. “When did I tell you?”
“Before you… before you left,” Weiss replies, lowering her voice considerably. “You said you and Ren have dealt with… with others before.”
Oh. This is all my fault.
“Oh gods. Weiss, I didn’t mean to tell you that.”
“So what? You were just going to keep it to yourself?”
This is all my fault.
Nora reaches out and grabs Weiss’ hand again. “Weiss, you have got to believe me. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid! I was specifically trying not to tell you. ”
“Then why did you?”
Why indeed. Nora runs her hands through her hair, trying not to pull it out of her scalp. That was so expressly against the plan. Get in, get bit, get out.
Why?
Nora sighs. “I don't… really remember?”
Weiss arches an eyebrow. “How convenient for you.”
“Oh, come on, Weiss,” Nora whines. "I was super high!"
“What?”
“Did you really not notice?” Nora flaps her free hand at Weiss. “You kind of have an effect, you know…”
"An… effect?” Weiss echoes, her skepticism plain in her tone. It doesn't mask the horror and disgust in her expression though.
Nora forces herself to stop swaying. "A sedative. It makes it easier for you to–”
Weiss reaches out and slaps a hand over Nora's mouth, cutting her off. Her face reddens, even as she looks to the heavens to avoid meeting her eyes.
“Nevermind!"
Nora blinks. Weiss stares off into the trees, then squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. She breathes deeply enough that her shoulders rise and fall in kind. When Weiss still doesn't move her hand, Nora does the responsible thing and licks her.
“Gross!" Weiss snaps, yanking her hand back and wiping it frantically on her skirt.
Nora snickers. “You're such a dork."
“I am not!"
“Okay, then you're a nerd.”
"Hey!"
“Only a nerd would research instead of just asking me!”
Weiss crosses her arms and scowls. “Right. Because you've been so mature and level-headed about this.”
"Actually, yeah! I have!” Nora flushes, buzzing with frustration. “Especially since I know way more than you!"
“So what you're saying is you don't think my research is any good."
“I know it's not! Because I know the kinds of people who write those things and they're not writing them for us."
Us.
Nora bites the inside of her cheek and waits for Weiss to point out the odd pronoun or get the wrong idea. She doesn't. She just drums her fingers on her upper arm; for a moment, the soft tapping is the only noise between them.
“Seemed plenty accurate to me,” Weiss finally says.
“Weiss, listen,” Nora pleads, stepping closer. Weiss doesn't flinch this time, but she doesn't exactly show any signs of warming up. “We broke the rules. That changes everything.”
Weiss screws up her face and looks away, saying nothing.
Nora groans and stomps toward the treeline, kicking pinecones. “This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you! If you had just talked to me–”
"Well, you weren't exactly available," Weiss grumbles.
“And whose fault–" Nora whirls around to face her, only to shut her mouth with squeak. The look in Weiss' eyes is sharp, cold and focused on her, not the sudden interruption.
Petals dance around Ruby as she skids to a stop in the crunchy pine needles. Her hands are excited, even if she keeps them close to her sides. Nora glances past her in time to catch Ren’s helpless shrug. Fair enough. Not much can stop Ruby from doing what she wants.
"Hey guys! Are you done yet?”
"Yeah," Nora sighs, just as Weiss snaps, “No."
Ruby and Nora stare at her in confusion. Weiss adjusts her bangs, tucking stray strands behind her ears, then sweeps her ponytail into place behind her. Drawing herself up to full height, she fixes Nora with a withering glare.
"You leave your torso too open when you swing widely," Weiss begins, holding up a finger to keep count of her points. “Your stance is only balanced if you get hit from the side, not from the back. You're terrible at closing distance while you're using your hammer. Your jumps are pathetically predictable. You show off too much, which would get you killed in a real fight. You waste time being flashy. Your posture is sloppy at worst and unrefined at best. You don't utilize Ren's maneuverability as much when you're fighting long-ranged, which leaves ample time for a competent duo to separate you, pick Ren off, then take you down."
Weiss takes a deep breath and emphasizes the last sentence by dusting off her hands.
"Um, ouch,” Ruby squeaks, wincing. “I thought we did okay?"
"Nothing I said was wrong."
Projecting much? Nora makes a face as the familiarity of the last scenario dawns on her. “Are you saying you and Ruby aren't a ‘competent duo’?
“Is that all you got from that?"
“It was the last thing you said!"
“What's the point of a debrief if you won't even listen to me?"
Before Nora can snipe back, Ruby clears her throat loudly, getting their attention. She waves sheepishly. “Um, I didn't mean to interrupt… this. I’ll just go... ask Ren some more questions. Bye!”
Then she's gone, there one moment and a storm of rose petals the next. Nora stifles a snort, watching Ren brace himself for her return.
"I'm well aware that it's my fault you were unavailable,” Weiss mutters, picking at her sleeves. Nora tilts her head in disbelief, following their conversational thread from earlier.
"Yeah, that's kind of what happens when you avoid someone?"
Weiss' gaze darts to hers, then away. "I was talking about before.”
Nora gapes at her, blinking in confusion. “You… can't be serious. I'm not blaming you for that night!”
Weiss’ frustrated expression is all the answer she needs.
"No, Weiss! I'm talking about you doing literally everything to stay away from me!" Nora holds up her scroll and shakes it. “Including lying to our friends!"
"What did you expect me to do?”
“Trust me!" Nora gestures at herself for emphasis. “I didn't go through all this just to, what? Betray you? Abandon you? Come on!”
Weiss crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at Nora, but even her glare is more of a pout. Breathing hard, Nora tries for a smile but it feels like it might break. She bites her lip to keep herself from trembling. Weiss rolls her eyes and dusts off her skirt.
“That's what you said that night too.”
Nora blinks at hers. “Huh. Really?”
“More or less,” Weiss mutters with a sniff.
“Well, we've got that in common at least.”
Weiss raises an eyebrow. “What?”
“We're still the same, even when we're totally out of it.” Nora snickers and sways forward into Weiss’ personal bubble, pleased when she doesn't flinch. “Imagine what we can do together now!”
Before Weiss can argue, Nora boops her on her masked nose. Then, before Nora’s composure can shatter any more, she runs away.
Nora skips dinner.
Technically she wouldn't have to see Weiss anyway, because of that stupid ‘team avoidance agreement’, but even the proximity in Team Building was too much. At the prospect of Weiss actually reading her messages and coming to talk to her, Nora can feel herself falling apart. So, if she's going to face Weiss again today, floor time is a must.
The room is quiet. She tosses her blazer and schoolbag on her bed, kicks off her shoes, and grabs a pillow.
Then she wriggles under the bed until she can lay flat on her stomach and bury her face in the fabric.
It's all my fault.
She groans loud enough to wake the dead, kicking her feet and yelping when her heels crash into the bed frame. The pain is enough to bring hot tears to her eyes and, once the waterworks start, she has plenty of other things to cry about.
She probably thinks I'm still going to kill her. Or turn her in. Or–
Her own words trickle back to her, so calm and reassuring in the moment, coaxing Weiss to focus on the moment and carefully give in to her hunger. Pulling off an absolute miracle, only to be undone by a slip of the tongue, in the stupidest way. And she doesn't even remember. Nora screams into the pillow some more.
What did she even read? What'd she find out? It's not like there's anything nice to say about irudines. Stupid, stupid, stupid–!
Not long after she realizes the pillow is soaked with tears and snot, the door creaks open. It shuts softly. Quiet, quiet, always so quiet. Sometimes she wonders if Ren even remembers how to be loud. Gods know she's loud enough for both of them.
His footsteps, the sound of a bag dropping onto blankets, the hish-hish of socks sliding out of shoes– it's a quiet symphony of presence. Then, there's the feeling of nearness, an electric current of its own, as Ren joins her in exile.
He inhales.
Sniffling, Nora doesn't wait. “You can say ‘I told you so’ now."
“That… would not be productive."
Nora rolls to her back and folds the pillow in half. Still damp, but not snotty. Great. It's better than nothing. She hugs it to her chest and lets her head loll towards Ren. She watches him in the soft light of dusk. He traces the bedsprings with his fingers. Dust motes trickle down, studding the sunbeams like glitter.
“Oh, come on."
Just get it over with.
Ren pauses, hand hovering. “I did tell you to tell her sooner."
Nora pulls her knees up and twists into a fetal position, clutching the pillow tighter. This couldn't hurt anymore than her own admonishments.
“However, based on current evidence… I think Weiss would have run away.”
He's not… wrong.
Nora stays quiet.
“I also told you to tell her team. I told you I could kill her instead. I told you to tell Professor Goodwitch. I told you to be careful.”
Ren sighs and resumes his tracing. He closes his eyes, letting his touch guide him.
“It doesn't matter though. You didn't listen. Weiss is still alive.” Ren tilts his head towards her, gaze soft. “I don't think that's a bad thing."
“But I messed up," Nora whispers. “Really bad. She's freaked out because I couldn't keep my mouth shut and now we've wasted so much time–”
Ren lifts one shoulder in an attempted shrug. "Considering everything that could have gone wrong? This is trivial."
“Not to Weiss!” Nora counters. "She doesn't get it! She thinks the world is ending!"
"Then explain it to her,” Ren replies.
Nora scoffs. “Right, because she definitely doesn't think I'm an idiot! She's not going to listen! Who knows what she read?”
“You could."
Nora's stomach flips. Ren has a point. What Weiss saw is probably in the library or online somewhere. It's not impossible to figure it out.
"...I'm still moping,” Nora mumbles into the pillow. It's not quite true. Ideas are already swarming her like unruly crows.
Ren slides out from beneath her bed and contorts enough to grab something off the mattress. He sets a cloth bundle between them. The smell of fresh bread hits her like an Aurox. Her stomach growls.
Ren smiles, just a little. “The worst part’s already over.”
Nora snorts, shoving a dinner roll in her mouth. “Nah, that was the easy part. I could’ve done that in my sleep."
"No,” Ren disagrees, plainly horrified. "That is a terrible idea.”
"I don't really mean that–”
"Nora.”
She gulps down a mouthful of warm bread and places a hand over her heart. "I will not let her bite me while I'm unconscious.”
Ren sighs.
“Or without you," adds Nora, reaching out to boop him on the nose.
And maybe a gag for me…
Ren nods, looking completely relieved for the first time in days. Before he slides out from beneath the bed, she rips a second roll in two and hands one half to him. He accepts.
"Hey, can you wake me up if I fall asleep?”
Ren’s hum of agreement is muffled. Nora giggles. The sun has yet to set, but its light is a warm orange. It only strengthens in its warmth as the minutes tick past. While Ren putters around the room and settles in to do homework, Nora works her way through the rolls. By the time she swallows the last one, and resolves to find shelf-stable butter for her stash, Pyrrha’s bed casts long shadows across her face. Nora crumples up the napkin and wipes crumbs and tears off her face. Then she slaps her cheeks twice and shakes her head.
No more moping around. I've got work to do!