[ ic contact ]

[beaconed]

"Helloooo! You've reached Jaune Arc! If I'm not answering, it means I'm probably off somewhere fighting monsters or... doing something really awesome like saving a cat, or the president's son! You know how it is, a leader's schedule can be really hectic nowadays, ha ha! Just kidding, I'm probably in school, but I'd totally do those things if I ha-- [BEEP]"



[ TEXT | VOICE | VIDEO | ACTION ]

Comments

action.

[metalist]

[ Truthfully, Pyrrha never had any illusions about the Fall Maiden's ability to survive the aura transferal process, but - it doesn't seem worth saying now. ]

... Her name was Amber.

[ Shaking her head, Pyrrha fights off a wince. ]

I'm sorry, Jaune. I don't like talking about her.

action.

[beaconed]

Yeah, no kidding.

[ Talking about her only humanizes the girl in the machine, right? And not talking won't change that they're both thinking about her anyway. In some ways, it doesn't sit well with Jaune to just never talk about her, like it's an irrelevant thing, even though he was just the same when he was grieving for Pyrrha. ]

I won't bring it up. [ He quickly corrects himself: ] Amber. [ Her. ]

--I'm sorry.

action.

[metalist]

[ His comment is a bit biting, until he eases into apology, and Pyrrha's left uncomfortable, even if she understands. It will never be a tidy thing. No one will ever know that, for a split second, her and Amber's mind connected; that Pyrrha still remembers a brutal attack on a road in the middle of nowhere, something she has no business remembering.

Ozpin had been right. The procedure would have altered her fundamentally. Her hand trembles somewhat in Jaune's. ]

... repeat it back to me, [ she says again, simultaneously sounding more and less sure in her insistence. ] "Nothing that happened that night was my fault." Please.

action.

[beaconed]

Is that supposed to make me feel better?

[ It's the same as saying he was useless from the start, unable to change things even if he had the chance to go back. ]

A leader doesn't shirk responsibility - I can't say what you want me to.

action.

[metalist]

[ As usual, their words collide unevenly. Pyrrha's begun to resign herself to this, viewing it as a bump in the road rather than a legitimate detriment to their relationship. And, noticeably, she doesn't insist a third time. ]

I just don't want you to get torn up wondering if you could have done things differently when I'm --

[ - gone. She's trying so hard to get him to embrace his future, and he's been fighting her every step of the way. ]

action.

[beaconed]

[ A little sadly, but with resignation: ] It's too late for that.

[ For him, months have passed since that night. One conversation isn't going to change how he feels about his personal shortcomings - and he knows he's not the only one either. Everyone that Pyrrha had left behind is blaming themselves for something, Ruby most of all.

Jaune lets those words sink in as they finally reach the rooftop. Since they're on the subject, the view almost looks like the way Beacon currently does, minus the Grimm.

He doesn't mention that. ]

action.

[metalist]

[ Stepping out onto the roof, her first observation is how much chillier than it is compared to the ground. They're high up enough for the faint cold to be nippy - and Pyrrha, having never been a strict proponent of sleeves, folds her arms over her chest, fighting a little against it.

She was right about one thing. They can see almost the entire colony, lit up before them, flat as board but strangely lovely.

Bereft of further words, she's demonstrably quiet. ]