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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. ]

[ Ah, yes, now he remembers why he gets the dokis around her. ]

Okay-- whoa! Wait! Y-You're not saving me, okay? I-I'm not in any danger, I know exactly what I'm doing, and even if something were to happen to me, I-I have a landing strategy you se-- [ SUDDENLY BELT LOOSENS SOME MORE ] --help me up already!!! Please?? W-Why this...!

[ It's worth saying again: what a loser.

Rapunzel, braving vertigo, peers over the edge and luckily happens to come across another platform similar to the one she's standing on. It's only about fourteen stories down, too: perfect for the length of her hair. She reaches up, disregarding any exhaustion, and grabs a ponytail's worth of gold rope to use as a lasso. He should be used to this shit by now, right? ]

Jaune... I'm going to need you to grab on and then swing yourself onto that ledge down there! Okay? I think it's a bar or something. Maybe a noodle restaurant? --No, that's a bar. All right. It's a bar, Jaune! Try to land outside the bar!!

I don't think it matters what it is, Rapunzel, just-- throw it over! I can't die with my pants undone!! I'm wearing Thursdays... 'cause you know, I didn't-- we didn't have time to change... --okay! Bar! Got it!! Let's do it! I'm ready! Throw it!

[ He's rubbing his hands, getting psyched up to survive this shit. FUCK YEAH LIVING ]

...Hey, I'm glad you're... you. And here. You're here. You. You know. Just. Just in case this plan doesn't work out.

Oh my god, Jaune. [ Don't say stuff like THAT!!!

--is what she'd like to shout. Because, really? He's distracting her with their mortality and also his feelings for her at the same time? Emotion is still new at this stage!!

Instead, Rapunzel winds up, takes aim, and angles the whip in his direction, running for a light pole to anchor herself against for when he inevitably drags her down after him.

FUCK YEAH LIVING WITH A FEW TEMPORARY INJURIES!

And yeah, she assumes he'll know what to do and when to do it (because prior to landing in the dark zone, they'd had little trouble reading one another's minds). All he's gotta do is grab the "rope", wiggle off his hook, and swing himself over to the platform's edge outside the bar or whatever. What could go wrong? ]

[ This. ]

Got it!

[ Jaune reaches out, about to catch it until--

he doesn't.

Now only was his reaction delayed, but he also completely missed catching it in his hand, and so it only bounces off his face until the "rope" falls down....... ]

--Nope! That, sunlight, I had something in my eyes, heh. Wow. I'll get the next one! [ He really has to. ]

[ Oh christ. ]

'K-Kay!

[ And so she's winding it, winding it, winding it back up. Then, squinting against the absolute lack of sunlight from her vantage point, she gets ready to toss it again. ]

Here... here I go!!

[ COME ON MAN YOU CAN DO IT ]

[ CATCH! ]

Yes!

[ And then the belt comes undone (amazing timing). ]

No!! Wa--

[ Well, it's now or never. Jaune tightens his grip on the golden rope as gravity begins to do the rest for him. ]

--AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! [ Is Rapunzel gonna be okay?? He's kind of... not letting go of this yet, and is swinging back and forth like a pendulum. A screaming pendulum. At least his pants are still on! ]

[ Oh shit -- ]

Jaune!! Jaune, let - [ Losing her grip on this light pole, goddamn it smooth futuristic architectural styles!! ] - let go of it! Let go of my hair, Jaune!!

[ He was supposed to let go of the hair, yes, and land outside the bar. But... as he hasn't quite done that, Rapunzel is being pulled along the edge, and then over the edge, and down towards the second, lower edge (and Jaune, augh) - AND THE MOVING VEHICLES THAT'S RIGHT - herself. ]

LOOK OUT!

Edited 2016-02-25 15:19 (UTC)

L-Let go, let go, like, you mean, now, like-- what, when?!

[ And just as he looks up to clarify what she means, he finds himself free-falling with Rapunzel not too far behind. ]

OKAY LETTING GO!!! [ N-Not that it matters, since... they're plummeting now. ] Rapunzelllll---!!!!!!

[ Okay, well, if they're both going to hit the ground, he'll at least try and position himself in a way that she lands on top of him. It seems to save Weiss from getting hurt the last time he did it?? ]

[ THIS IS SUCH A BAD IDEA-- there's no way their combined weight won't hurt when they hit the ground. Rapunzel is squeezing her eyes shut and strengthening her grip around Jaune's torso and praying this doesn't hurt as much as she suspects it will............!!!!

They make contact. Metal and titanium and bone and flesh. There's blood everywhere and muscle everywhere and it's really disgusting and - holy shit!! - it hurts pretty bad! No matter how fast her healing ability seems to be, it's not fast enough to keep her from crying out in agony as her bones break and... then reform. EW.

So yeah. Her prayers go unanswered. It hurts.

Like it hurts a lot, holy shit what did they hit??? What did they HIT a flaming subway car!? ]

AUGH!!! STOP IT!!

[ Seriously. ]

[ No, it was just a bus. A bus that's still somehow determined to make all the stops in a punctual manner, which means they may be some rough swerves and/or stops along the way. Haha, Cerealia!

As for Jaune, his abundance of Aura is at a critical low as a result of the fall - he can't take any more hits or else the graphic rating of this thread will shoot up even more!! For now, it's gross enough that he's slowly coming to the realisation that he probably would have died if not for this bus, and the fact that he's covered in more of Rapunzel's blood than ever before. ]

Ugh... Rapunzel... [ Wait, shit!! BLOOD ] --Rapunzel!! [ He tries to get up, but-- ow, no, he's still stunned from that fall. PLEASE BE OKAY, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ]

Rapunzel, I'm sorry! This is all my fault...

N-- [ She's about to protest when her speaking capability deserts her entirely.

Which is not to say she isn't fine! Sure it's sort of amazing that they were so high and now they're so low and so....... physically present (as in, she can feel each uncomfortable puncture above her waist as her spine slowly, slowly heals itself) but--

IT'S ALL GOOD! ]

We...a-aghn... [ Is that blood dribbling out of her throat and down her chin? WHO KNOWS. ] We're in this t-- [ Yeah. Yeah, all right, that's blood. FUCK THIS HURTS HAHAHAHA talk about an adrenaline rush. She can't even see!!

Which is why, finally, Rapunzel simply... screams.

And screams and screams because MAN THIS SUCKS FUCK THIS FUCK LEAVING YOUR TOWER FUCK BEING ALIVE IT IS NOT WORTH THIS PAIN!!! ]

[ HOLY FUCK YOU ARE TRAUMATIZING HIM HERE ]

Hey!! [ Are those tears dribbling out his eyes and down his chin? WHO KNOWS. ] Rapunzel, it's-- it's gonna be okay!! You can-- I mean you said, you, uwahhHH!!!

[ She can heal herself, right?? But she never said how. Maybe she was joking about it back then? Either way Jaune grabs a bunch of her hair and gently presses it against Rapunzel's face. ]

C'mon, heal yourself! Please!! Ughh-- h-how did it go again?! Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, something lost--this, why!! Why is it so long?!? Help me! Glow! Glow!! [ Pressing harder now! ]

Ja-- [ askldnjfanf hair in her face! hair in her face! ] Jaune--

[ She's going to hate herself for putting him through this; he must be going through an entirely different kind of agony watching her writhe like someone possessed...

Then she feels it, the last of her magic like dying sparks at the end of a wire. Muscle and bone and tissue knitting together, repairing themselves, closing wounds and easing pain.

And her hair does glow! After all, her power knows no loyalty provided someone knows the song... ]

Ja-Jaune, I'm okay. [ weakly ] I'm here.

[ He finally wills himself to sit up, helping her stay upright, too. As the bus continues to cruise through the traffic as if two teenagers didn't just come crashing on top of it, Jaune takes a moment to check Rapunzel for any injuries, firmly patting her shoulders, arms, che-- whoops, skip that part, face, yeah he's feeling her face, too. It's a nice face... even if there's still blood left between her mouth and chin... ]

R-Rapunzel, I'm... you scared m-- [ The bus stops abruptly before proceeding again, causing Jaune to headbutt Rapunzel in the nose. WOW THIS IS KIND OF NOSTALGIC ] --I-I'm sorry! Wow!! Oh, no...!

[ Yeah, wow, crazy nostalgic. When she looks up from her blinding daze to find Jaune's forehead crashing into hers, she's stunned by a rush of positive, happy feelings. Endorphins or something like them. Her heart skips a beat and something like a laugh escapes her, though it's accompanied by a red bubble of blood... ]

I'm sorry. I -- Heh. Are we doing this again--?

[ Before either of them can respond, though, the bus takes a hairpin turn around the corner, sending Rapunzel sliding into Jaune and forcing their heads together yet again. ]

AH! Not for that! For - For scaring you...

[ His hands on her are like sunlight themselves, warm and heartening and magical.

She smiles, still weakly, though she feels supernaturally calm now despite a hoarse voice. ]

Thanks for watching my back, Leader.

You're the one who saved me, y'know.

[ He almost got them killed just now. He also doesn't say that part out loud, especially with her face nearly glued to his again. No need to dwell on what he almost lost when the Rapunzel he knows is finally back.

Back and... so close! If he hasn't accidentally tasted her blood by now, he can certainly feel her breathe on him. ]

Hey... what did you mean, by the way? When you said you couldn't keep your promise?

[ She frowns and looks down at their intertwined legs, mangled and bruised but whole. The crumpled metal of the bus's roof beneath them reminds her uncannily of the robo monsters out in apocalypse land. ]

Nothing. It's nothing. Just--

[ Lifting her gaze to meet his and... Oh, wow. Hey there, handsome. Sure are violating that personal space bubble, huh? ]

Heh.

I'm just glad you won't have to carry me around anymore.

Heh. [ Said in response to her "heh". ]

Are you sure you can walk after that fall? 'Cause I'm still kinda sore. --A-And I don't mind carrying you... ever-- I-I mean. Team. We... teams do that. Yeah! So. Yyyou got blood on your mouth and nose.

[ He backs up a little, only to reveal that... he has a lot of red splashed on his face, too. What's more embarrassing than that are the clean streaks across his cheeks where his tears flowed down and washed away a bit of the red.

Please don't mention he was crying. ]

[ She can't ignore him after ignoring him for so long. Without missing a single beat Rapunzel reaches out to cradle his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs softly against his cheeks to wipe away tears and sweat and blood. ]

I do like touching you. And... [ And askldnanf hands to herself!! Hands to herself!!

She coughs, clears her throat, and looks away just in time to grab hold of the edge of the bus as they turn once more.

Hopefully the turn will also cover up her stupid smile. ]

I don't mind being carried if you're carrying me I suppose. It was a long fall.

[ And she's going to be having nightmares about it for days. ]

Y-Yeah... it was my third biggest fall, too. [ His second one was over Emerald Forest.

The first one is for her. ]

--Hey, if we're lucky, this bus might drop us off near our-- your-- I mean, one of our places. Heh! Though I wouldn't mind stopping by somewhere to eat, too... Hopefully we don't look too messed up. D-Do I look okay?

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