beaconed | [ ic contact ]

Yes. [ She flinches once before remembering who she's with. This is her teammate. There's no need to feel guilty or self-conscious around him...

Yeah right. Of all the people she treated nastily over the past few days, Jaune certainly got it among the worst. Rapunzel, biting an already bloody lip, laughs but doesn't scoot away from him.

If they fall out onto the goddamn street... ]

Is... there something wrong with that? Our housing situations are a little weird right now. I mean - heh. We don't have to. But I know the Pleasure District has a lot of hotel-type places and I want you to be comfortable and happy after--!! ...After everything.

Y-Yeah, I know what kinda hotel-type places they got there...

[ He knows since he worked at the Pleasure District for a good two weeks. He also suspects that Rapunzel doesn't know which is WHY HE WILL DEFINITELY NOT READ TOO MUCH INTO THIS SUGGESTION EVEN THOUGH HE'S SWEATING A LITTLE. ]

H-heh... though, I think if anyone needs a happy boost here, it's probably you, right? I mean, you've been really gloomy for those three days. Like-- really, it was so freaky and I-- s-sorry, I didn't mean... [ He doesn't need to remind her of how difficult that must have been. ] --let's stay at a hotel, since... we're in the right district anyway. [ Entertainment, NOT Pleasure. ] I wanna eat, sleep and shower as fast as I can!

N-Not in that order, I mean. I'd definitely wanna get cleaned up first. And I'd take my time sleeping... that was stressful back there. Also your face is still-- hang on... [ How did she clean his face but hers?? Anyway, he returns the favour by wiping his wrist around her mouth like a weirdo. This is also super nostalgic. ]

[

Seriously, they've been back for like twenty minutes...??? ]

[ Not that she's complaining. In fact, she is giggling!! Giggling like an idiot and letting Jaune do what he pleases as she watches him through half-lidded eyes. Nothing about this is funny so much as it is incredibly stupid, but she can't help herself. ]

Heh. You know, I wouldn't worry about gloominess...

Great. That... sounds like a great idea.

[ Her lips are probably about as clean as they're going to get at this point but she's still not moving and still grinning like a half-conscious moron. ]

Know anywhere nice?

[ There! All clean! ...W-Why is the laughing so much? ]

I don't even know if we can afford anywhere "nice".

[ They might stay somewhere cheap and gross, which would be fantastic to see itself. ]

I-I guess now's a good time to hop off as any...?

Yes. [ She's already preparing to leap from the, yes, still moving vehicle. Hopefully this time they'll land a little softer... ]

--wait, why not? I make tons of money. We can stay wherever we want!

[ HAHAHA wait till you get a look at your bank account, loser. ]

[ LMAO THIS IS SO EMASCULATING ]

Oh, yeah, how could I forget?! They pay you in diamonds just for a few photos while I'm the one who keeps the streets clean! Unbelievable!

[ No, Jaune... the robot cleaners do that. You just got this job because it's the only thing you qualify for other than being a stripper. ]

A-Alright then... we'll make it your pick... [ It should be safe, given that they're still in the Entertainment district and not the other one. ]

[ Uh, duh, they're at least hitching to the border between districts. Hotels there are so much nicer, greener... spacious. Natural!

Nothing natural about flinging yourself off the top of a bus going at god-knows-how-many-km-per-hour, though. Rapunzel, still impossibly shaky on her feet but determined to see this bit through with sheer pluck, climbs to her feet and holds both arms out for balance, doing her best not to vomit.

Get with the program J-arc. No such thing as emasculation through income in 2016!! ]

Ready?

O-Okay...

[ Jaune rises slowly to his feet as well. Wobbling, but... HE CAN DO THIS. ]

Ready!

[ But because his belt got undone and he forgot, Jaune's jeans come dropping around his feet, causing him to trip and FALL OFF THE BUS FUCKKKKKKKK.

AND NO AURA!!!

Which means when Jaune hits the concrete now, he rolls along until he hits a signpost. ]

[ Rapunzel's first thought is: I hope this hotel has a hospital.

Her second thought is that her teammate is going to get hit by a car and it's going to be her fault.

JESUS JUST ONCE MAYBE THEY COULD HANG OUT WITHOUT NEARLY DYING

JUST ONCE!! ]

JAUNE...

[ She sounds like an angry tiger or something, growling at the street as she crouches low, then runs madly along the length of the bus, jumps from the backend, and then hits the ground.

Luckily Rapunzel is a fairly accomplished acrobat! She's not invincible like a certain someone, but she comes pretty damn close provided there are no graceless team leaders yanking her and her hair all over the place. Landing is as simple as rolling. Finding Jaune is a little harder.

But no! There he is. Mid-traffic.

Awesome. ]

Jaune, don't move! I'm - I'm coming!

[ Still lying on the ground with his polkadot bunny underwear for all to see, Jaune's face is covered with his own blood this time. Although his head is busted open and there's a bit coming out of it, it's really not as bad as it sounds.

WHO PUT THAT FUCKING SIGN THERE?! ]

Yep-- w-what's that? "Don't move" -- yeah, okay, got it. I-I'll just-- I mean I'll try really hard not to... do that... 'cause, y'know, I just, I'd really love to move right now.

That-- that was sarcasm, by the way. I don't think I can get up...

That's fine.

[ Her face is a mask of determination as she crouches at his side, turning only just to gauge the oncoming traffic, which is, yes, still oncoming. Rapunzel frowns as if she can stop it through the sheer force of her WILL AND PLUCK.

But, yeah, she does just that actually!! All right it's probably the fact that there are two very visible figures in the middle of a busy four-lane road that brings the line of space vehicles and whatever to a screaming halt mere feet away. Pluck is a viable option too, though!

Oh well> Time to wrap Jaune up like a present so she can carry him away to the love hotel.

I mean -- ] Tell me if I'm hurting you. All right?

I don't want to hurt you.

W-Who's hurt-- I-I'm not hurt, I'm just fine, this... this is -- wait, I-I was supposed to carry you!

[ REALLY JAUNE?? ]

Shh. [ Guess whose nose is touching his nose?

The same person whose lips are centimetres away from his, threatening to impose silence upon him. ]

Stop. Even heroes need to be carried.

[ To prove it, Rapunzel wraps her arms under and around his torso -- woah, he's a lot wider than he looks and, gosh, talk about rock hard -- and stands, using the golden rope of her hair and non-but-nigh-invincible upper body strength, it seems, to emergency lift her princess to safety. ]

You're still a hero when you're hurt, Jaune. Especially to me.

[ WHOO HOO who's ready for room service!? ]

[ Take him home, he's wasted! Jaune resists every urge to close the few centimeters of gap between their faces, since they're still not quite out of danger yet. TIME AND PLACE GUYS, if... they ever live that long enough. ]

Heh... all right...

[ In that case, he'll give in and wrap his arms around her as she lifts him. That's for two reasons: one because he likes touching her, too. ~~C'MON GUYS~~ Two, because it will make it easier for her to carry him.

No, wait, there's a third reason, too, which is to pull himself in a little closer to her ear. That's right, you know it's coming: ]

Can you.......

...c-can you make sure my jeans don't drop again?

[ That was embarrassing. ]

[ ... Wow. He really can be pretty impressive when he wants to be.

She'll have to remind herself to pick up the missed beats of her heart later. ]

[ BECAUSE FOR NOW IT'S ASS-KICKIN TIME!

Almost. ]

Y...es! Yes, I can do that. [ Though she's going to have to lift them up again in the first place, which is tremendously more awkward than Rapunzel expected it to be - and with one hand!

~~Mechanical difficulties aside, it gives her an excuse to touch his ass sooooo......??? WIN WIN???~~ ]

Uh. Heh. Sorry.

[ Yeah. If she's blushing it's only because of the exertion. Whenever they finally get wound down (and she doesn't expect it'll happen any time soon) at this hotel or wherever, she's literally going to pass out and sleep for three days.

Carrying Jaune through the bright and occasionally grimy city streets is no easy task, but Rapunzel manages mainly by keeping an eye out for any muggers and simultaneously enjoying the view.

It's kind of... romantic? Right??? I mean, they both need a doctor real fucking quick, but-- ]

Heh. Best... worst day ever?

[ Now that she's back to her old self, this whole thing is u n c o m f o r t a b l e. I mean, they confided a lot in one another, didn't they...? What is she supposed to say? When is she supposed to begin to apologise for how she'd acted over the course of their vacation in hell? After all: she forgot about him for a great, big chunk of that!! Worst teammate in the world, for sure. ]

--uh. Are you in pain?

[ oashfdasjklhbfsjg CAN'T KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSE-- ]

Hm, let's see, we're starving, we barely slept, then we almost died, one of us more times than the other, I mean, we could've killed some other motorists, too... but we didn't! So... best worst day ever? Y-Yeah, I'd say that's a contender. But am I pain? N-Not so much right now... [ Other than the whole Nora thing making him realize how much pain he could be in if Rapunzel were to disappear. ]

A-Actually! ...No! ..... Yyyep. Yeah, I... I think I'm concussed. You look great. [ She looks MESSED UP. ]

--w-wait, are... are you in pain? Physical or otherwise? You look great. [ He just said that... ]

You just said that. [ He's distracting her. She wants to shut him up again but there are more pressing matters!

Someone honks a bike horn and forces her to half-stumble onto the opposite sidewalk, nearly crashing into a businessman with a robot's head and --

Okay centre of the road it is! All of this is performed on Rapunzel's part with a soft smile and athletic cool, of course. Never mind how fast her heart is going with their bodies held together!! ]

Aside from repeating yourself, why do you think you're concussed? [ HEH ] I'd say we've set a record for how many near-death experiences we can have per dat-- ...day.

[ HEY LOOK is that a call girl with fish scales?? Neat!! ]

Better near-death than actual... I mean... y'know.

[ Look, he dodged a question again. Maybe he is just fine after all. ]

... I guess, what I'm trying to say is, maybe we shouldn't complain. I've seen others lose much worse while we were... down there...

[ Loosening one arm around her, he reaches for his pocket and takes out their clover and puts it in her hair for now. ]

We really are lucky, you know that? I mean, I think I am, at least... --hey, is that a mermaid?

[ Don't stare at the call girl while being gross, Jaune. ]

Huh. Maybe. [ Rapunzel is staring too because she's fucking impossible. ] Do you know her, Jaune...?

--ah, anyway, uh.

[ Wait, was that his hand near her cheek again? It's a little shocking to think he still even has the clover at first. But considering everything she knows about him ("An Arc never goes back on his...! ETC!"), perhaps his tenderness shouldn't come as such a surprise to her or anyone. ]

...You're an amazing person. [ He is. She's not always known it, but she's always believed it of him. ]

Anyone would be lucky to know you. --And you're an excellent leader too. Really, Jaune, you've come so far.

[ HEH he's supposed to be the expert..... ]

no subject

no subject

1/3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/???

done

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/3 jk jk

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject