RWBY Silver Eyed Warrior Chapter 10: A Talk (Patreon)

“I’ll see you both, later!”

Smiling, Pyrrha returned Corvo’s wave as he jogged across the lamp lit straight.

The day had been perfect. A few hours spent exploring a mall, then catching a movie. When he requested a fight of all things, she’d expected things to go south. She’d wanted to say no, throw out an excuse, maybe just throw the match entirely, but his excitement had been so infectious she couldn’t help but go along with it. And when she stopped holding back at his request, friendly or not, while a small part of her hoped otherwise, prior experience left her resigned to what would follow.

Corvo was obviously talented, giving just as much, and then more, trouble than what she'd expect from a finalist of the Mistral Regional Tournament but that hadn’t been enough to stop her from setting the pace of the match and forcing him back. Worse of all, she’d been so swept up by his dogged persistence that she hadn’t even realized how low his aura shield was until she shattered it and drew blood.

No, he wasn’t to blame. It’d been a long, long time since she simply fought someone for the sake of fighting. To not have to worry about a crowd watching. To not have to worry how every little move she made would be scrutinized. To not have to accept she was crushing the hopes of her opponents.

She’d forgotten what that simple thrill felt like.

Anger, envy, and frustration. Even if he ended up looking at her with one of those, the last thing she wanted to happen, she would still be grateful for the day they ended up spending together.

Completely derailing her expectations, Corvo had been nothing but excited. So excited that he didn’t even realize he was bleeding.

She understood right then and there why he didn’t have friends. When one had such an intense passion for something, those lacking it distanced themselves, all that energy put towards it not considered something to be admired but a quirk that went against the norm.

She'd faced the same thing until her reputation set in and reversed it, the strict training she dedicated herself to suddenly labeled an ideal others should strive for.

Sometimes she found people as a whole so frustrating.

Endearingly excitable and kind. Able to relate to the issues she faced to some degree. And, if all that wasn’t enough, able to truly enjoy and remind her of part of why she continued to do all this for so long.

The moment he asked for another match in the future, her heart had skipped a beat. In that singular moment she realized what she felt for him had changed from some fantasy she didn’t actually believe in, a passing interest, or some schoolyard crush.

He was exactly what she came to Vale looking for.

As he finally turned the corner onto another street, her smile fell a little as she glanced to her side. She nearly jumped back, heart slamming against her chest. Neo stood directly in front of her, head tilted and a smile spread across her face, dual colored eyes staring up at her.

The day had been perfect until she showed up.

A girlfriend. Against all odds she found a guy who didn’t know who she was, was nice, talented, and could enjoy fighting for what it was without attaching ego to it. And he was headed to Beacon in the same year as her!

But he had a girlfriend.

Neo raised a hand, pointing further down the street.

“You-“ Pyrrha paused. She had to be misunderstanding her. “-you want to go somewhere together?”

Neo nodded.

She didn’t exactly have friends or much experience when it came to most types of relationships beyond family, but Pyrrha had done enough people watching and reading to know that she was right to think this was strange.

Neo had been nice enough. Nicer than expected truthfully. She suspected the invite might just be polite gesture, most likely to take issue with the fact that their boyfriend was spending their day with another woman, but she’d been trying to include her in the things they did after crossing paths.

But, then again, she was openly affectionate with Corvo, constantly embarrassing him with kisses, hugs, and sitting in his lap. Maybe it was a way to declare to her that she didn’t have a chance, but Pyrrha quickly realized that Neo was mute, touch and gestures her preferred way of communication.

Basically, she had no idea what to think of Corvo’s girlfriend.

But like Corvo, Neo didn’t acknowledge her popularity. She wasn’t as easy to read though. Did she not know who she was or did she just not care?

Making a friend that fell into either of those categories could only be a good thing, right? Its not like she’d made any other plans.

XOXO

Pyrrha’s jaw tightened, the smile she was trying her hardest to keep in place strained as her lips fought against her.

She and Neo sat at the back table of a dimly lit bookstore, no other within it this late aside from the cashier out of view and at the very front of the place. An odd place to be brought to in these circumstances but she didn’t actually mind it. There wasn’t anyone around who’d care about who she was.

Or so she thought.

Neo’s scroll, being held up towards her at a tilt, was playing a muted video. One of Pyrrha in her full gear fighting against another participant of the most recent Regional Tournament.

Pyrrha pulled her eyes up from the clip as it came to an end, locking gazes with Neo’s uniquely dual colored eyes. And she found herself unable to read her. Why show that to her? For an autograph? To ask questions about it? Maybe she realized that Corvo himself didn’t realize who she was and this was some kind of message to tell her to back off?

Neo pulled back her scroll, typing before turning it back over.

You like Corvo. The simple statement was typed up as an unsent message in what looked like exchanges between her and Corvo, Pyrrha quickly forcing her wondering gaze down when she caught a glimpse of a particularly revealing photo of Neo herself.

“I-“ Apparent lack of shame aside, this was the sort of thing she was supposed to deny, wasn’t it? Be smart, toss aside the short lived fantasy she had involving him, and be happy with just being friends with someone for once so no drama messed everything up. Before she could decide whether or not to go through with that lie, the scroll was pulled back again, more typing done.

Don’t you think you should ask him out before Beacon?

“B-But he’s your boyfriend.” Pyrrha whispered, voice raised by surprise. What kind of question was that? Some kind of petty joke to further drive home that it wasn’t possible?

He is but he isn’t good at hiding anything. It's obvious he likes you.

Her chest tightened. As much as she wanted to believe that she wouldn’t have labeled his shy interest in her like that. For her, their meeting represented something big. To him it must’ve just been another day. She wasn’t quite naïve enough to think he could return the feelings forming in her after one day together.

But his girlfriend was saying that.

Neo titled her head as if to repeat her previous question. Was she actually serious? And if she was, what exactly was she getting at? In this day and age, after a history of wars, freedom of expression was valued above plenty else, few laws prohibiting how people could live their lives across the kingdoms so long as it wasn’t harmful to others.

The concept of something of a multipartner relationship wasn’t anything unheard of but it’s not something she’d ever considered for herself, even if huntsmen and huntresses in particular were known for having unorthodox relationships among their teams.

“Are you suggesting that all three of us date each other?” Pyrrha tentatively asked, voice as low as possible. Neo, so far unreadable, let her opinion be known right then there, disgust flashing across her face, and a side eye so strong Pyrrha felt like an idiot for even bringing up the question aimed at her.

I’m not interested in anyone but Corvo.

That just made things more confusing. “But you’re fine with him dating other people?”

If it’s what he wants.

This was strange. Far stranger than anything she’d thought she’d be getting herself into after meeting someone as simple and straightforward as Corvo. On one hand a door she thought she’d have to turn her back on, or more pathetically, wait until it opened up again if he ever broke up with Neo, a selfish thought she’d tossed as soon as she had it, was never closed to begin with.

She shouldn’t be considering it.

“Is…is he already dating others?” She asked. Neo shook her head, typing again.

Probably in the future.

“Does he know about this?” Neo shook her head, all of it just leading her to more confusion. An idea like that, one guy dating multiple girls just sounded like something he should’ve been the one fantasizing about, even as innocent as Corvo seemed. But he was apparently dating a woman going about setting this up herself.

Did that say more about Corvo or Neo?

An unusual relationship like that would draw attention and naturally get people talking, strangers always eager to throw their say into whatever she was involved it. It wouldn’t look good.

The scroll was turned around, more typing done. He’ll learn about you once you’re both at Beacon. Things might not be the same after that.

As Pyrrha looked up from the scroll, Neo smiled and stood, disappearing down an aisle of books before she could figure out what to say. That woman. She’d been trying to read her this whole time, but Pyrrha felt like she was the one who had been seen through.

It was odd.

But Neo wasn’t wrong, only bringing up the same thing she feared. Corvo didn’t seem the type, but could she truly be sure fame would change nothing?

It really was odd.

But she could have it. Two weeks to enjoy a relationship where she didn’t have to worry about any of that. It might not work out the way she wanted and circumstances were strange but that alone was worth it, wasn’t it?