[ ic contact ]

[beaconed]

"Helloooo! You've reached Jaune Arc! If I'm not answering, it means I'm probably off somewhere fighting monsters or... doing something really awesome like saving a cat, or the president's son! You know how it is, a leader's schedule can be really hectic nowadays, ha ha! Just kidding, I'm probably in school, but I'd totally do those things if I ha-- [BEEP]"



[ TEXT | VOICE | VIDEO | ACTION ]

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[beaconed]

[ Quarter coins....... d-don't laugh. ]

I think we earned ourselves a snack, don't you? [ Note to self: Teach her about money sometime. Second note to self: Teach self how to explain money to someone else. ]

Go ahead.

[corona]

EE! [ Unexpected outburst right in the face!! ] Okay!!

[ And now she hop hop hops like a strange mutant rabbit to put the coins into the slot, first the wrong way, then the right way, then hesitantly because she doesn't like to see them go away aaah... ]

Goodbye friends. [ There they go! ]

Jaune, I did it. Look. Now what?

[beaconed]

[ jESUS don't scare him with those outbursts!!!! ]

Well, let's see.

[ Jaune towers behind her as he also leans forward to read the machine better, lightly slamming the thing with his hand when he looks at it accusingly.

It's like a backwards kabe-don. ]

W-What?! Did I only have that much?! C'mon... We're supposed to be students! Unbelievable...!

[ Apparently they can only afford the low quality drinks/snacks. And not enough for both?? ]

[corona]

[ At first this seems like a very serious transaction; Rapunzel looks up at Jaune (she has to crane her neck rather sharply to do this, but it's actually sort of fun), looks back at the snacks, looks up at Jaune...

And then, as he's negotiating with a nonexistent teller, hums and nods to herself as if this makes any sense at all, settling back for the long haul. Ah life in the under 5' lane. ]

Yes. Mm, it's a problem for sure. [ beat ] What's the matter?

[beaconed]

[ Man, he's so flustered about the machine robbing him that he doesn't even have time to be flustered about this weird closeness. HE WANTED THAT ORANGE JUICE, UGH. ]

W-Well? See this second row? [ His hand lowers slightly as he presses his finger against the glass, dragging it across as he continues explaining. ] You get to pick annnnnyyyyyyyy of these snacks or drinks. --Cool, right?

[ He's trying to sound enthusiastic about it, but it's hard when there's a muesli bar among those options. Who the hell ever orders those from vending machines?? No wonder they're cheap!!! ]

But only one! So... ch-choose wisely! I guess.

1/2

[corona]

What-?! [ Uh oh was that a note of irritation. ] T-That's so unfair...! I don't believe them.

[corona]

...um. [ Uh oh was she just rambling on in a misleadingly knowing manner again. ] Remind me again why that's a problem?

[ Her cringe melts into a contented smile as she turns her eyes back to their limited selection. ] I mean, some of these look... all right. Right? Like - hah. Okay, so I don't know what most of these are, but - cha. Still.

[ STOP IT ]

...How about you tell me what they are and I'll tell you which sounds the least awful. If the taste is bad, I'll eat the rest since it's only fair.

[beaconed]

Sheesh! You're really dragging this out, aren't you?

[ Tapping the glass with his finger now, not out of impatience, but more as a way to help him think. Maybe it would be good to narrow these down even more if she's indecisive... ]

First, do you wanna eat or are you thirsty?

[ are u thirsty thirsty... ]

[corona]

[ She giggles. Not at Adi's bad joke, at Jaune's accurate observation. ]

Both. Unless you want to... buy me lunch somewhere else. [ There's a pause. She contemplates mercy. Decides, why not? ] But... I'd prefer food. I want to eat as much of the food here as possible.

[beaconed]

H-Hey, do I look like I'm made of money?! [ He's got enough tsunderes bullying him into buying things. :'( ]

... [ Wait, did she just... ]

E-Err... I-I mean, I... if you really wanna... [ NO, stay on the topic! ] --okay! So this is what you got!

[ He steps beside the machine again, directing her attention to her options as if it's a gameshow with prizes. ]

You get... Beanitos! Bean chips. Annnd muesli bars? Skip those. Oh, oveeeer hereeee... Onion Rings! They're shaped like rings, but you can eat them! ...Well, I mean, you're supposed to eat them. Th.. that's obvious... heh.....

[corona]

Mother has rings... She says if I wore them they'd make my fingers look fat, so these probably will too. Hm.

[ This isn't going to be an easy choice. Rapunzel's eyes narrow. She spends several seconds deep in thought, turning only as she registers, at last, the absence of body heat behind her. ] Hm. I don't think we have beans in Corona, either, but... that's probably a regional thing.

Wow, Jaune, is - is eating always this daunting in the real world? I mean. Heh. Having all this choice, is...

[beaconed]

[ (I've made a huge mistake.) He interrupts her, getting really expressive with his hands! ] --it's literally the easiest thing! It's SO easy! Y-You just pick one! What do you want?! That's all it is! One, two, or three! That's all you gotta do, just, just-- what!

[ GOD ]

[corona]

Heh. Beanios. [ There is no feasible way that was right. ] Er– The bean one, I mean. I've never had a bean. Are you going to have some too, Jaune?

[beaconed]

[ WHOA SHE PICKED SOMETHING!! ]

I don't think I'll have a choice... [ B-But sharing this low-quality snack with her suddenly increases the appeal. ] Don't forget to press the button, okay? Now you'll finally get to the good part!

[ The part where vending machine finally gives you what you want. WHOA SHIT HE FORGOT ABOUT SOMETHING-- ]

--H-Hey wait, didn't you say one of these was cursed or whatever?

[corona]

[ Everything about her freezes. Smile, hovering finger, even her laughter, which was ringing high and clear as ever (aw), cuts out.

Turning to face him takes an eternity. ]

How... would we find something like that out? [ BECAUSE NGL CURSES SEEM TOTALLY PLAUSIBLE FOR THIS PLACE ] Is... there like - a curse authority?

1/2

[beaconed]

[ D-Don't look at him like that, now he's freaking out, too!! FUUUUUCK, TO BE CURSED RIGHT HERE AND NOW, that would be plausible for JAUNE ARC.




... And yet the machine still has his money. His pockets are empty. ... Wait, are they? ]

[beaconed]

[ The only thing he finds in his pocket is the leaf. The good luck charm. Heh. Looking at it, he's not even sure if he can say he entirely believes in it, but... Rapunzel believes in him, right? Maybe it's a bravery charm, but it's all the same, because his choice is made based on her trust in him. It's a far better feeling than anything else. ]

Only one way to find out...

[ He stands behind her again, as her hand hovers over the button she's afraid of pushing, Jaune presses the leaf against the back of her palm, and then gently pushes so that they press it together.



. . .



OH MY GOD WHY DID HE DO THAT, THAT MADE NO LOGICAL SENSE AS SOON AS HE DID IT, THEY COULD STILL BE CURSED AND DIE ;;;;; ]

1/2

[corona]

[ AHAHAHA WHAT THE HELL WHAT IS THIS FEELING THIS IS SO UNPRECEDENTED ]

2/3 why do i even try to guess anymore

[corona]

[ She shivers, swallows, and looks down at her feet to mask the hella sudden, hella dorky smile blossoming across her face, not seeing anything because she's gone blind with a weird kind of bubbly pleasure. AFFECTIONATE PHYSICAL CONTACT. Probably she should feel like a right moron, because that's what they are, trusting their fate to whimsical impulse like that, but– ]

How long do we have to–

3/3

[corona]

[ PLOP. ]




[ Rapunzel turns her head, ducking it at an angle so she doesn't run into Jaune's arm, and watches as a puddle of bird shit conceals on the ground next to them. ]

Huh. Good sign!

[ The fate of their bean thing is up in the air but DAYUM. ]

[beaconed]

[ Luckily for them, no curse!! Nothing apparent anyway. Unless you count the bag of chips getting stuck in the machine, because that's exactly what just happened. After all that build-up... ]

...

Oh. You've got to be kidding me.

[ MAKES STRANGLING MOTIONS AT THE MACHINE GRR ]

[corona]

[ Wilting like a magic golden flower here. ]

Uh. Jaune? Maybe we should, uh - not destroy any more school property for now? [ She tilts her head back a second time, though not as far. ] Just for now, promise. We can try kicking it, though, if you really want to! I bet we'd make a pretty good team.

...Or we can just - you know. Get food made by people that is not also in a loud, sticky wrapper.

[beaconed]

Yeah, some team we make... [ He sighs, feeling like a failure. Things have been so out of control today, haven't they? ]

I-I'm sorry, I really wanted you to have a fun first day, Rapunzel...

[corona]

HA! [ Ouch another outburst. ] Are you kidding? [ And there's absolutely nothing in her voice that betrays anything but glee. ] This was a blast!

I was going to suggest we try again because it was so much fun the first time but... you know. You... said you didn't have any money? Sorry. I'm - really not trying to embarrass you or anything, I should have money myself honestly, ha ha! [ Mumble train coming throoooough. ]

[beaconed]

[ asophnajbgf he jumps so far back at the outburst that he almost steps on the bird shit. DAMN. ]

R-Really?! But, but we were chased around all day, and... we forgot your books in that classroom... and my locker almost-- [ whoops, now he's mumbling, too. ]