LJNT

Insecurities

"Aaaaaaand that's what happened on our first mission. Pretty cool, yeah?"

Pyrrha nodded as Lyra finished up telling the story of her team's adventures. The two were sitting in the JNPR dorm, but everyone else was absent except for them. It was some nice alone time for the two sisters.

"That is exciting," Pyrrha agreed, twirling a metal pen above her hand with her semblance. "We haven't even gone on a mission yet. You're lucky!"

"Well, Professor Ozpin did pull us out of class for it...he keeps saying there's something special about us. Which, no doubt, considering the team's led by me," Lyra half-joked about that last part before sobering up. "I mean, we're special...But...I don't know why he didn't take you."

"Maybe for once...I'm not the special one," Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at this thought. Lyra just shrugged. Pyrrha was smart, beautiful, and the strongest warrior at Beacon Academy. There was no way she wasn't the special one here...but Pyrrha was reveling in the thought of being normal, so Lyra let the topic drop.

"Maybe," Lyra said plainly before switching subjects. "So, uh...how has your team been?"

"I love it. Jaune really treats me as if I was just a normal student," Pyrrha replied happily, and Lyra smiled. She was happy to see Pyrrha so comfortable around someone that wasn't Lyra herself. "Nora and Ren are nice as well."

"Good! I'm really glad to hear that," Lyra nodded. "I still wish we were on the same team, though. Don't get me wrong, I like all my teammates, but you're my freaking sister. It would be so nice if we were together..."

"True...But I think destiny had different options in mind," Pyrrha shrugged, a slightly mystified look in her emerald eyes. "We're both meant to play out different parts. Just look, Professor Ozpin selected your team for a special mission. He's got something planned out for you all."

"I'm sure he has something important for you, too...but it is weird how Ozpin really just took us," Lyra wanted to mention how much more Pyrrha deserved to go than she did, but that would only upset the redhead. "I guess it really is destiny...or something."

"Haha! He has something wonderful planned out for you all, I can tell."

•••

Janelle felt utterly confused.

No, it wasn't about anything academic. If it was, she would have studied until she figured it out. No, this was...something different.

"Janelle...I know that you think emotions just get in the way. In truth, they do. But it's the courage and strength that allows us to overcome these emotions that help us grow as people. We need emotions, because they help us learn and empathize with others. Without emotions...we lose trust, we lose friendships, and we lose our humanity. We lose ourselves, and in turn, become no better than the Grimm we're trying to kill."

Lyra's words had definitely shaken Janelle. In the Torres household, no mistakes were tolerated. Emotions were alright, but lacking respect was not. Janelle's family had expected no mistakes and perfect discipline to raise her off to a prestigious engineering academy.

"But mom, I really don't feel well-"

"Do not cut me off, Janelle. Refer to me as mother, like I instructed you, and I know I did not just hear you use a contraction! Honestly, young lady!"

Janelle winced at the memory. She loved her mother, but she was...difficult to live with. After constant life like that, Janelle had just figured that remaining distant from her family and detaching herself was the easiest way around everything, even though emotionless wasn't required. It was a way of coping for Janelle...but Lyra seemed to think poorly of that decision.