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You don't think that might have some unintended consequences?

i dont know what i think!
tihs is freaky!
im just brainstorming
but if the goal is to break it?
then lava destroys everything
seriously nothing comes back from lava

Okay, check it out. You have the power to track-slash-read anything you touch, right? But it's also a secret, so we can't call it esper or psych-- you know what I mean!

So how about we call it "Tracer"? [ GET IT? ] That way, I think of you when I use this gun-- which I guess I already do anyway since I wouldn't have it if it weren't for you, so... so it fits! Right?

Maybe, but... there's always room for improvement. [ ... ] I-I'm sorry about your brother, Miss Hawke. I shouldn't have said that...

ok look. beating up grimm, fine. touching creepy masks, not fine!!!

its not fine jaune!!!

im not gonna do it!

[ How are they team leaders, nobody knows. ]

try shooting at it??

idk what else do you think we should do?

[Biggest disasters elected as team leader, it's canon.]

what if its haunted?? then the ghost will come after us

I CANT CUT GHOSTS WITH MY SCYTHE JAUNE

[Her eyes actually widen as he makes his suggestion and as soon as he's done she's smiling.]

That's pretty clever, actually.

[Not to mention legendary enough that even Hyoubu would approve.]

It fits perfectly. [She tries not to feel too giddy over the thought that he'd think of her whenever he uses the gun.]

That's probably true... you make it sound like you have personal experience with lava, somehow.

dw ghosts are so last month!!

anyway im all out of good ideas
do you wanna bring something to the table

otherwise we can ask around more
i mean SOMEONE must have tried shooting it

like it makes sense

nah just seen a bunch of movies
who would wanna go near lava unless they had to
thats literally the worst thing anyone could do on purpose

um maybe like...

ignoring them for awhile??? if theyre possessed theyll either get angry or lonely if we ignore them right?? and then maybe they'll show up in a way that we can actually fight and that would be fine!

or theyll go away

that would be fine too

so did shooting it work or...

I don't know about literally... I can think of way worse things.

I think we got a little sidetracked, here. It's probably not a good idea to try and destroy the mask. Even if we could make it to the volcano, I've got a theory that the masks might be tied to our code.

i asked and nobody has tried shooting it yet
i dont get it i mean shooting is such an obvious way to go...

anywya i kinda like your plan
lets do nothing and ignore it

starting from now

is it working

no

because you keep talking about it

stop

stop talking about it jaune

You'll improve. Don't doubt that.

[ she sighs then, hoping she doesn't regret mentioning it. she already feels like she might, feeling uncomfortable with sharing at all. ]

It... is what it is. People die, that's reality. Sometimes they're the ones you care about. Sometimes they're not.

continued from here

[ Jaune watches quietly, painfully aware of what's about to happen in this memory even if he doesn't understand Japanese. Considering Yu's question about darkest moments, he's not expecting this particular vision to have a happy ending either.

And he was correct... when the projection ends, Jaune waits a short moment, not saying anything in case Yu wants to speak first. Eventually, he breaks the silence, though he's not sure how to start. Most people have tried to brush it off whenever Jaune stumbled upon their memory. They don't want to talk about it, understandably so. ]

Onii-chan...

...

Brother, right?

[ Jaune gets a surprised look for that one. ]

That's right.

[ He opens his mouth as if to speak, but can't find the words to say right away, and pauses. Subtle adjustments happen to his expression, too small and too quickly to be identifiable. In the end he looks away, back at the mirrors. ]

I'm not-- ... I'm an only child. So is Nanako. I guess you could say I was lucky enough to be her older brother for a year. [ His expression does change then, softening into something very fond and a little sad. With a shake of his head he recovers, looking over at Jaune again. ] Don't worry. Despite how it looked, she survived. Nanako is just fine.

[ It ends very much how it began: with a bang and then a whimper.

There's a sensation like gravity itself pulling on Rapunzel's navel before she's jerked once and with finality, colour and shape and sound losing all meaning around her as she's transported from dark desolation to somewhere Cerealia's star-bright lights can at last penetrate.

The transition is worse than arriving. Worse than being sucked into ViViD, spit out, and then sucked back in again before finally coming to her senses in the colony for good. It's worse than waking up after falling several metres to the bottom of a shaft and breaking all her ribs. Worse even then smashing a bit of her skull in and opening her eyes to find herself in Jaune's arms. This time she opens her eyes in the cold, angry arms of an advertising platform

It's like a nightmare - or like what happens after a nightmare when you're sitting in bed, shocked and clammy and disturbed for reasons you can't understand yet. Emotion, pain, and confusion rush back, filling the numb, empty void inside her with violent enthusiasm.

Goddamn it.

Well. Nothing for it but to move on!! She can't be the only one dumped here, right? Rapunzel sits up slowly, dizzily, and looks around. Unfortunately the view waiting for her over the edge of the flat platform is that of a cityscape high up enough to spell DEATH in futuristic neon. Still, she takes a second to collect herself, her bearings, and Pascal - as well as to look around at the crazy high skyscrapers and sky bridges in search of a familiar face. ]

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH---!!

[ Oh no, some girl's in trouble!

lol jk, it's fearless leader/familiar face Jaune Arc, who has had the misfortune of also finding himself in a similar position, likely because they spent their last moments in the dark zone being in proximity of each other, too. Still, Jaune is much worse off than Rapunzel, as he's hanging upside down from a docking zone, having his belt hooked by the edge of it.

CAN THEY PLEASE GO BACK TO THE DARK PARTS OF THE CITY AGAIN, THIS SUCKS. ]

[ What a loser. What in god's name is wrong with her that she is so attracted to loveable dumbasses. Is it that they're funny? Because funny certainly isn't worth having her heart (OH HEY THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE LOLOLOLOL) jump into her throat as soon as she sees that idiotic sunflower-yellow head of his.

Guess who doesn't miss fear! (Or loathing in Las Vegas.) ]

Jaune...?!

[ Why ask. Of course it's him. ]

Jaune, hold on!! I'm coming to get you!

Rapunzel...?!

[ Yeah, seriously, why ask. ]

W-Wait!!

[ FFFF-shit, this looks so UNCOOL. And didn't she already rescue him once while he was hanging upside-down?! Although that did yield some positive results... on one hand, he ended up being her "slave", which meant spending more time together. On the other hand, why the fuck does he need to be her slave to do that, why is he thinking about these things, WHY NOW OF ALL TIMES FUCK

... And the term slave was never offered in their bet, why, how did it get to this, why is this his life, why is he attracted to this maniac who keeps pulling him in and out of the friendzone in the span of one date, WHY--

okay, let's focus on not dying for now. ]

It's... I-I got this. I got it, ha! Watch me! Haha.. ha...!

[ He wriggles around a little uselessly, trying to pull himself up before giving up too quickly. If it's not the paralysis of fear holding him back, then it's probably the malnourishment over the past three days. ]

Okay, wow, I haven't got this at all. I'm-- Hey, is that a sign for a new McCeres deal...

Y-- [ Uh oh. There it is. That other Feeling like firecrackers and eight pounds of chocolate down her throat and sweet, sweet champagne!!!! Her cheeks go red and her eyes go wide and she scrambles to her feet, runs to the edge of the platform, and reaches out for him despite a groggy, nauseated Pascal chirping his protest in her ear.

She's about to laugh. How long has it been since she's laughed!?

But considering how he's reacted to her laughing at his blunders the last few times...

SHIT SHIT IT'S EMPATHY!!! SHE CARES AGAIN!!! OH MAN does it feel great to give a shit. Rapunzel beams and flings both arms out-- ] JAUNE! Don't worry and don't struggle okay?! You're going to get yourself killed if you keep --

[ Uh oh. Leaning too far over. Now she's the one pinwheeling and nearly falling thousands of feet to the ground!! ]

W-Waahahaha, ah... ah. If you. If you follow my example, I guess.

Wow, embarrassing.

UH. --Don't worry! I've got just enough strength and magic left to get us out of here, Leader. Trust me! I...I think I can trust you again too.

[ This is what it's like being with him isn't it? Constantly being caught somewhere between thinking this is the best possible thing that could happen and, at the same time, the absolute worst. AT LEAST SHE'S ON HER WAY TO NORMAL THO.... ]

[ Oh SHIT, she's gonna die on him-- he's never had a teammate die on him before, let alone someone he cares about so much for. That would fucking suck, right? Good thing fairy tales come true, right gang?? ]

R-Rapunzel! Don't-- calm down, you'll fa-- I'm fine! It's just... I feel queasy...

--WAIT!!! [ He spazzes again, unaware that he caused his belt to loosen just a tiny bit. ]

You're-- you! Right? I-I mean, I... I haven't heard you laugh in so long... are you okay?

[ As usual, worst time for this conversation. ]

[ And as usual she's doing nothing to dissuade him from trying to have it. ]

YES!! Yes, Jaune, I'm me again [ laughing ] finally! You were right.

[ Christ what kind of universe would create two people who are so goddamn lucky and so goddamn stupid at the same time.

She smiles. ] Thanks for keeping your promise to me. Even... even when I couldn't keep mine to you.

--I'm going to save you now. All right?

[ AUTOHEAL MUST BE THE ONLY REASON EITHER OF YOU ARE STILL ALIVE. ]

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action (did you miss this)

hooked on a feeling

i don't think you understand how much i fucking love that song

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