Dilemma

Omniscient POV

-----

For a long while now, Ozpin's been sinking deeper and deeper inside a bush of thorns.

Where should he start?

The most apparent issue would be the armada of Atlesian airships clouding the twilight skies outside his office.

Because of the breach that led to the Grimm invasion, the council members of the kingdom unanimously granted James Ironwood full authority to safeguard the entire city however he saw fit until the festival ended.

The General's answer to that was short sighted at best.

This military act of bravado was what James believed to be a sign of hope and security, quelling any form of anxiety or doubts in the citizens and that their enemies would cower at the mere sight of their strength.

Ozpin saw otherwise.

An army was a signal of conflict, and not only was the fleet's arrival excessive and unnecessary, it also planted a seed of question in the back of peoples' minds.

If this was the size of their defenses, then what exactly are they expecting to fight?

Certainly neither Glynda nor Qrow showed any hints of approval for James' rather bold move.

The CCT tower intrusion came next.

Ozpin exhaled his frustrations and hoped the team James assembled to review the CCT programming would hurry and identify the intruder already.

That left the biggest problem of all.

According to Qrow and his unannounced arrival, they were here, and if that were true, then there was no longer any time to waste.

The elevator dinged.

As if on cue, Qrow strolled inside the office.

He scoffed at the first sight of airships. "You know, he's making you look like a fool."

"His heart's in the right place." Ozpin pulled away from the window and returned to his desk. "He's just. . . misguided."

"Sometimes I'm not even sure he has a heart." He leaned against a support column. "So, choose a guardian yet?"

"Maidens choose themselves. I simply believe we found the right candidate." Ozpin opened the projector displaying images of the upcoming match and eyed the woman with striking red hair. "Ever since the day I first met her, I had the feeling she would be the one. She's strong, intelligent, caring. . . but most importantly, she's ready."

-----

Pyrrha Nikos

-----

In the middle of the arena, Pyrrha was ready.

"So," Nora shook her hammer, Magahild, "how do you want to break their legs today?"

"I'm not so sure." Pyrrha magnetized Milo and Akouo off her back and to her hands. "Why not let the chips fall where they may?"

"Ooh." Her voice deepened. "Sounds fun."

The man and woman from Haven standing opposite of them sweat dropped at the sinister gleam in Nora's dark gaze.

The holographic reels spun.

Pyrrha paid it no heed since she planned to keep this one out of the zones.

More importantly, was Jaune watching? Maybe he'd be impressed by how quickly she could finish this battle. Yes, of course, and then he'd be swooning all over her.

The buzzer sounded.

Nora hopped on her hammer like a scooter and blasted herself over, and as expected, their opponents broke apart before they were flattened into pancakes.

Pyrrha went for the man wielding the flail. He swung. She leaned back, motioned her finger, and casted her Semblance, manipulating the flail to barely miss her shield and strike his own self.

No time to waste; she delivered a relentless combination of steel.

Why couldn't this be Roderick?

He'd be much more of a challenge, that's for certain.

A shiver ran across her body and goosebumps rattled her arms at the mere imagination of their blades crossing once again.

'You better make it to the finals, Roderick,' she thought. 'I won't forgive you otherwise.'

Wait a minute.

Did she forget to congratulate him on his victory? Oh, how silly of her. He certainly earned a treat after such a hard fought battle. They should explore the fairgrounds, play some games, and try the delicious foods like they used to in Mistral.

The donut vendor Roderick loved was also there, so he was definitely in for a big surprise.

Pyrrha transformed her sword mid-swing into a rifle, shot her opponent's legs out, and planted a spinning back kick into his jaw followed by a shield punch that knocked him out cold.

The buzzer went off.

Nearby, Nora roared and chased the woman bouncing around the platform but to no avail.

Let's see. Hmm. . .

Pyrrha aimed Milo in it's javelin form, waited for the right moment, and hurled it between the Haven student's ankles.

She tripped and was hammered out of bounds.

The buzzer sounded once more.

"You see that!" Nora fist pumped and flexed her arm. "We rock!"

"Yes, Nora." Pyrrha giggled and waved up at Jaune. "We certainly do."

Without a moment to waste, Pyrrha went straight to the stands and found that unmissable mess of blonde hair, calling to her like a moth to a flame.

"Hello, Jaune. Hello, Ren," Pyrrha said. "Did we do well?"

Jaune lit up like an adorable puppy. "It was better than well. I couldn't take my eyes off you. You made it look so easy."

Her face warmed. "Just did my best."

Yes!

"It was excellent as usual." Ren checked behind her. "Is Nora not with you?"

"She went to buy herself some snacks. Said something about 'sneaking in a victory meal.' "

Ren facepalmed. "Sorry, I have to go before Nora gives herself an upset stomach on junk food again."

Recalling a certain piece of advice, Pyrrha summoned the courage to slide closer to Jaune.

"So. . ."

He blinked. "So?"

"Tell me more."

"About what?"

"About how I did." She stared past her eyelashes and lowered her voice to a near whisper. "Don't be shy."

Pyrrha swallowed the humiliation of it all, but according to Yang, this was the quickest way to get a man's attention.

"Oh, um." Jaune gulped and faced the side. "Gee, um, let me think."

"You said you couldn't take your eyes off of me." Pyrrha caressed the edges of his chestplate. "Does that mean you like what you see?"

The moment those words left her mouth, she wanted nothing more than to bury herself in a hole.

Pink stained Jaune's cheeks. "You were, uh. . ."

She pressed against him. "I was?"

"You were. . ."

"Mm-hm?"

Jaune took a huge step back. "Oh, will you look at the time. I'm gonna be late for the thing that I had planned, um. . . See you later, Pyrrha!"

"Jaune, wait—"

In a puff of smoke, he was gone

Pyrrha hung her head. "I'm sorry."

-----

Pyrrha wasn't sorry.

"You seriously did that?" Roderick leaned on the counter and watched her pop the paper targets. "And then what?"

"He ran off." She fired faster. "I believe I overdid it."

"Guess we can cross out Yang's advice." He patted her shoulder. "No need to rush it, though. We got until graduation to win him over."

"I know," the gun clicked, "but last time I waited, it didn't turn out so well."

A long line stretched across his lips.

The shooting gallery operator collected the targets and handed it to Pyrrha alongside some free meal tickets for her high score.

"I have to thank you for everything, Roderick." She peeped at him through the hole she carved in the center of the paper stack. "Because of you, I've been getting closer and closer to Jaune."

"That's great." He led her through the fairgrounds. "At least we're getting somewhere."

Pyrrha blew away a loose strand of hair falling over her nose. "You can say that again."

Roderick gave her a dubious look. "I thought you'd be happier."

"No, no. I am. I just. . ." She slumped. "Let's find a place to sit first."

Heading off to the open fields, they found a nice picnic table tucked in the canopy shade of trees.

Pyrrha released all her exasperations in a single breath.

Ever since the dance, Jaune's acted rather differently around Pyrrha compared to before.

Whenever they spoke, he struggled to meet her eyes, his mind seemed to be elsewhere while they trained, and there were moments during class she'd catch him trying to steal a glance at her.

Pyrrha's heart raced at the obvious signs, yet something within told her it was too good to be true.

"I'm nervous, Roderick." She reached over to hold his real hand. "This is the first time he's actually shown genuine interest in me. What if I mess it up?"

Roderick squeezed back. "Come on. This is Jaune we're talking about."

"I can't help it." She bit her lip. "If that were to happen. . . I don't know what I'd do."

"Hey, chin up." He lifted her head and dinged her circlet. "We made a promise didn't we?"

Pyrrha frowned. "It's not that simple."

"And neither is finding a Semblance." The light of an idea forming inside his head reflected from the gold in his eyes. "How about we make another bet like last time? For old times' sake."

Pyrrha could've melted right there.

How was she supposed to argue when he said it like that?

"If you win, I'll help you confess to Jaune. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"What?" She stiffened. "Wait—"

"But if I win." He looked up and scrunched his face. "You'll still have to confess to Jaune."

Pyrrha buried her face in her hands. "Unbelievable."

"More like win-win."

"Win-win?" She lifted an eyebrow. "You'll lose again, you know."

"No. I'll beat you for sure this time." Roderick clenched his fist victoriously. "I can feel it."

"You always say that."

They stared at each other, smiles growing larger by the second until they burst out laughing.

"I guess you have a point there." Roderick held out his metal forearm. "But still, what do you say, round five?"

"Always." She sighed and bumped her forearm against his. "Round Five."

"Awesome, but for now, how about we forget all of that," he played with her fingers, "and just enjoy ourselves."

"Say." She flashed one of the many free meal tickets she won. "How about I get those donut balls you love so much? My treat."

The way he glowed at the offer stirred a giggle out of her.

Pyrrha rose but stopped when a woman in a crimson-gold dress approached the picnic table.

"It's been a while, Little Eagle."

Roderick groaned.

That was Cinder Fall, right? The Haven student Roderick mentioned who keeps bothering him.

"Why the long face?" Cinder leaned on the table. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"About that. . . " He tried to speak as nicely as possible. "Could you, uh, you know, hold back a bit. It's sorta uncomfortable."

Cinder looked like she was incapable of comprehending his words.

"I only came to offer my congratulations for such a. . . interesting victory." She offered a slow clap. "And unfortunately, it appears that you'll get your wish. I'm rather preoccupied right now, so you won't be seeing me much in the meantime; this tournament requires my utmost attention."

Roderick's face warped, but he managed to reign in a stoic expression. "Aiming to win the whole thing, huh?"

"I'm confident things will go exactly as planned." Cinder smirked. "Tell me: have you changed your mind about my offer?"

He glanced to the side and scratched his cheek.

"Worry not. There's still time." She brushed the blue feathers hanging from her hip. "I'll give you two more days to decide. If I hear nothing by then," knives sharpened in her throat, "well, let's just say I'm the last woman on Remnant you'd want to stand up."

Huh?

"And when all goes well," she poured sugar over every word, "then I'll make it my prerogative to truly devote my all to you."

Hold on.

Was she actually trying to. . .

A burst of fire ignited within Pyrrha, and she sprung herself into the conversation.

'Don't worry, Yang!' she thought. 'I'll save him!'

"Excuse me." Pyrrha fought for their attention. "Hello. I'm Pyrrha."

The eye not covered by Cinder's hair narrowed. "I know who you are, Invincible Girl."

"Normally I'd ask if you'd want to come sit with us since you're familiar with Roderick, but I'm sorry." She feigned a polite smile despite her heart trying to beat itself out of her ribcage. "We're in the middle of something important right now."

Please, go away.

Cinder examined Pyrrha the same way a seasoned warrior searched for holes in an opponent's defenses.

"As a matter of fact, I was just about to leave." She turned heel. "Don't forget, Little Eagle. Two days."

Pyrrha and Roderick released their breaths and let out a relieved chuckle, completely sweeping the whole thing under the rug of oblivion to make room for a box of donuts and an evening well spent.

-----

Stiofan Ua Binn

-----

The anchor of Winter's words weighed deeper in his ears than he could ever hope to raise from the depths of his mind.

All his life, he's only ever known the SDC First Guard and his obligation to protect and serve them at all cost, and considering how close he was with the company's heiress herself, that alone was enough to warrant his devotion.

However, things were different now.

A new path opened, leading towards an enticing future that beckoned him each and every waking moment, and on the other side was the very person who captured his heart, whether she knew it or not, and threw his world in a loop.

Stiofan sighed as he coaxed the skin off an apple with a knife.

Perhaps it would be best to not dwell on the matter anymore and focus more on tonight and the invitation eagerly awaiting his company.

It was a special occasion.

What better way to celebrate such a moment than by indulging in the freshest of delicacies crafted by his own two hands?

Anything else would be remiss of him otherwise.

"Stiofan."

He snapped towards the person standing across the table donning a pink apron labeled: Do Nothing To The Cook.

"Ren, you surprised me." Stiofan searched the empty dormitory kitchen. "I thought I was the only one here."

"I came in a minute ago and called your name, but you appeared to be too lost in thought to notice." Concern tinged his magenta eyes. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing of the matter," he said and towelled his hands. "So, anyways, what recipe brings you here today?"

"Nora's having pancake cravings again." Ren gave a playful shrug. "And judging from the amount of apples you have, I have a vague idea of what you might be making."

Stiofan picked one of the many red and green apples he set aside and bounced it in his hand. "It's Lady Weiss' favourite."

Ren smirked. "Need assistance?"

"Well, if you insist." Stiofan gestured to the knife and cutting board. "I'd greatly appreciate it."

As Ren took over peeling, slicing, and coring the apples, Stiofan heated a small pot on the stove and creamed together butter with flour and sugar to form an enriched roux, and he left it to simmer on its own while he withdrew the disc of dough he made beforehand from the refrigerator.

Stiofan split the dough on the counter and shaped both halves, all the while contemplating more on the lingering choice and the dire consequences hidden within.

"Stiofan."

Stiofan perked and checked over his shoulder to meet Ren's bewildered gaze.

"Apologies," he said. "You were saying?"

"I'm finished with all your apples." True to his word there was a chopped pile of said fruit set aside in a bowl. "And your roux is burning."

Stiofan withheld a breath and jumped towards the smoking pot.

Alas, there was no saving it.

Burying the embarrassment of such an amateur mistake, he found a new pot and started anew.

"I can tell that you're having trouble concentrating." Ren joined him by the stove. "If there's something bothering you, I wish to be of help—that is if you want it, of course."

Despite the initial impulse to dismiss the notion and make light of his inner turmoil, Stiofan actually considered it.

Hmm.

Speaking his mind to remedy the conundrum may prove fruitful.

"If you had to choose, which would you prefer?" Stiofan stirred the pot. "Coffee or tea?"

Ren leaned back first against the counter, puzzled.

"What if you've only ever had the luxury of partaking in the finest of coffees." Stiofan basked in the sweet, nutty aroma of the browning roux. "And then one day, you're introduced to the wonders of tea and its simplicity."

"That's a tough decision." He hummed and rubbed his chin. "Purely from a taste perspective, the flavours can change immensely considering the quality and types of tea leaves or coffee beans used. That doesn't even include brewing time, water quantity, and creams or added sweeteners."

Stiofan could only smile at the innocent speculation. "I suppose it was silly of me to say such a thing."

"Don't be," said Ren rather fervently. His expression tightened as if the subject itself required a strenuous amount of effort. "Taste is one thing, but don't get me started on the nutritional properties they have. That's a whole other story entirely."

Did Stiofan stoke the embers of a slumbering passion and rekindle its flame to a former glory, by any chance?

"I can tell you all there is to know about the key differences between coffee and tea. However, all in all, it ultimately boils down to one thing." Ren brushed his apron. "Choose whichever you believe will bring you the most happiness."

Happiness. . .

Certainly returning home as a full fledged member of the SDC First Guard would bring him considerable joy since it's the entire reason why he enrolled into Beacon.

A knot squeezed his abdomen.

Then why did the very notion of leaving the academy behind not sit right with him?

Stiofan froze.

Because once graduation comes, Stiofan would have to part ways with everyone, and then it meant no more friends. No more Team RTLS. Farewell, Blake.

A spike impaled his chest.

Whatever made him happy, was it?

"Ren," Stiofan said, "if you wouldn't mind, could you speak more of this? I wish to hear what else you have to say."

From that point on, Ren expanded further on the science behind the benefits of coffee and tea, and Stiofan was more than willing to lend an ear.