[ 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 ]

Comments

action.

[multiglyphs]

[ heavy squinting going on here ]

And what about Pyrrha? Nora? Are you going to leave your team leaderless?

action.

[beaconed]

[ He just turns silent when confronted with that question. Neither Pyrrha or Nora are here at this point in time, so there isn't much of a team for him to lead. Then he's got other friends here who don't know him too well, friends like Shiho who want him to stop trying to fight or lead because they're worried about him... unaware that those well-meaning words are toxic to his self-confidence. ]

I-I'm sorry... could you leave me for a bit...?

[ He can't stand to disappoint her for so long, but he'll consider trying again when he's better, probably. Right now, he just can't make a promise that he's not sure he'll keep. ]

action.

[multiglyphs]

No.

[ her answer comes rather simply, perhaps even a bit too plain for the gravity of the situation. but as disappointed as weiss is in jaune right now, leaving him had never even crossed her mind.

she'd like to think — no, in fact she knows, that if the tables were turned, he wouldn't dare to either. ]

You may not think of yourself a leader, Jaune Arc, and while I frankly disagree... that doesn't stop you from being my friend.

[ so instead she just makes herself comfortable on that seat, unfolding the comic book so that she can peruse through it once more. ]

action.

[beaconed]

[ ???

He finds himself staring at her while she reads the comic. Usually her kindness comes with backhanded compliments... ]

Did you... just use the friend-word?

action.

[multiglyphs]

[ ???????!? ]

...and what of it!

[ she bristles visibly, but absolutely refuses to look up from the comic. in fact, she raises the book a little more, so as to properly hide her face from it. ]

Am I not allowed? You throw the word around as if it were nothing — why can't I!

action.

[beaconed]

It's not nothing, Weiss!

It's... a lot.

Thank you...

action.

[multiglyphs]

[ she just frowns at him, cheeks pink. ]

Well. Just so you know, of course. As your friend, I'll not tolerate hearing you speak so poorly of yourself.

action.

[beaconed]

[ He laughs at her way of assuring him, visibly happier now despite his argument. ]

I don't think you tolerated me speaking highly of myself either, Weiss.

[ Granted, he was hitting on her in the worst way imaginable. ]

action.

[multiglyphs]

[ the ready response is to assert that they were hardly friends then, not like this.

but she keeps that to herself. ]

One would think you'd know how to please me by now.

[ so she'll just poke fun at them both. ]

action.

[beaconed]

If I don't, then I won't stop trying until I know!

[ Although he's fairly sure how, ever since their last two dance parties. ]

action.

[multiglyphs]

[ she smirks at him. ]

That's what I like about you, Jaune.

You always give it your all.

action.

[beaconed]

[ If he'll ever blush in his entire lifetime, let it be here and now. Weiss Schnee admitted to liking something about a teenage dirtbag like him. ]

A-Ah... so that's the secret to making Weiss Schnee like you...

action.

[multiglyphs]

[ she quiets a little at that. ]

It helps that she actually bothers to look now.

action.

[beaconed]

[ He looks back quietly, not entirely sure what she means by that but it sounds like she's had some of her own growing up to do. Eventually he just smiles, feeling happy for her as he lies back down in his bed and starts humming to himself. It's a soft hum, but Weiss would probably recognise the chorus of a certain song: I'm just a little bit caught in the middle, life is a maze and love is a riddle...

It's strange how he sang this during happier times, and now here Weiss is the one reminding him that he's not alone here, and he should never try to be - just as he did once to her. ]