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[kaboop]

[After that outburst, Nora brings her hands away from her hips and onto the table - not even slamming them, as she listens to Pyrrha.

The fact that that wasn't the first time they kissed doesn't surprise Nora. Either way, she and Ren could have heard it straight from Jaune before they set off for Mistral, or Nora would have figured that something had happened between Jaune and Pyrrha before Pyrrha's death.

Nora's posture relaxes and her expression softens from a previously stern one, but she remains standing and therefore still in control of this conversation.

And honestly, so long as Jaune and Pyrrha were friends, that was fine. Nora would have wanted them to end up together together, but perhaps it was better for them not to. At least, not for now. Maybe not ever? Who knows. Nora just wanted them to get along and be an effective team again, and that's enough for her.]

It still does. [Even her voice has been toned back down.] Just...just to clear the air. [She waves her hands about.] You know what I mean. Set things straight, and be honest with Jaune about everything.

[Well, almost everything.]

[yielded]

[ It's fine if Nora wants to take control of the conversation; Pyrrha didn't hesitate to relinquish it moments ago. She had sought out her teammate's perspective, after all, although she knows she can't keep doing this to Nora. Their friend deserves better that becoming a bit prop and advice dispenser in all this unnecessary drama, especially when she has things of her own to work through. ]

I - I will.

[ At the moment, she certainly intends to try. The later result will be... complex, at best.

Looking a bit more harried, Pyrrha rubs at her face with her hands, sighing out. ]

Things weren't supposed to be this way. [ ... ] I would hate if Ren got here and found us in this inappropriate state. -- I'm sorry, Nora.

[kaboop]

Don't be. [Nora reaches out to grip Pyrrha's shoulder gently. In the back of her mind, she thinks that Ren would be able to deal with this too. He'd be too relieved to see Pyrrha alive to complain.

She takes a moment to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet before plopping back down into her chair.]

So...you're okay with just being friends with Jaune? After everything?

[It's not that Nora is going to ship push them, she just wants to be really sure.]

[yielded]

[ It's a difficult question. Pyrrha struggles to answer right away, fearing what she might end up saying. ]

Yeah.

[ Impulsively, she takes Nora's hand and squeezes it. ]

It's preferable to not having him in my life at all.

[kaboop]

[The struggle doesn't go unnoticed on Nora's end. She allows Pyrrha to take her hand, even squeezing right back.

Nora's brow furrows.]

What do you mean? Did he...tell you something about that?

[yielded]

[ Plaintively, she replies, ] Jaune doesn't have those sort of feelings for me.

[ A tiny shrug. ]

Remember when he left to assist with an archaeology expedition? He wrote me a letter explaining why. He left because he'd quarreled with Weiss and was upset about it. [ It's the first time she's admitted that. At first, she had wanted to keep his words as private as he intended them; later, she had simply been embarrassed. She never should have let him kiss her, knowing how he truly feels.

She doesn't let go of Nora's hand, even when she should. ]

[kaboop]

[Honestly, there is no such thing as "please let go of my hand now" in Nora's dictionary as long as you're as close to her as Pyrrha is, or closer. So Nora says nothing about Pyrrha still holding her hand.]

Oh. [Nora figures that after all this time, Jaune would certainly not have the same feelings he did for Pyrrha before Beacon fell. He had moved on; unfortunately, Pyrrha was left behind in some way.]

Anyway, even if you'll just be friends, you both still have to be honest with each other.

[She sighs and draws the other girl into a hug.]

I guess...after all this time, he...moved on. [It probably hurts, but that was how Nora saw it.] Somewhat. But I think you still mean a lot to him, even if he doesn't have feelings for you.

[yielded]

[ Pyrrha's own words had been speculation, a quiet assumption based off the evidence available to her. Nora's agreeable confirmation is taken as inarguable proof - after all, she had spent months traveling with Jaune after Pyrrha's absence. If anyone would know, truly, it would be Nora.

She sags a little in her friend's hardy embrace. It's due to relief, or exhaustion, or both. ]

I know. Jaune and I will always be friends.

[ Only one of them has a future now. It's better this way. ]

... if my team is happy, then so am I.

[ That includes you, Nora. jsyk. ]

[kaboop]

[The truth hurts. But Nora won't let Pyrrha face it alone. And as long as Pyrrha was here, she still had some semblance of a future waiting for her.]

And if you're not happy, I'm gonna find you, and make you happy again.

[That sounds ominous and touching at the same time.]

[yielded]

[ Pyrrha is silent for a moment, surprised... and then bursts into loud, buoyant giggles. ]

[kaboop]

[Giggling is always a good sign. Unless the giggling is at Nora's expense.

...even if it were, she's a good enough sport to still consider it a good sign.]

Oh, good. I don't have to find you and make you happy. Looks like you're feeling better!