[ Fiiine, in that case, he'll mess with her. He figures he'll look really cool when he surprises her with the truth later. Set her expectations low, right?! ]
Well, what if one pokes me in the eye? What if one of them gives me frost bite? [ That part is not a joke. He really doesn't know what frost bite means. ]
[ Nudging him with her shoulder as she saunters past, Pyrrha explains -- ]
Frostbite is damage sustained to skin tissue due to freezing. Contrary to popular belief, [ yeah, right, ] you can't actually contract it through being poked in the eye by a penguin.
[ Patiently, she waits for him to fumble his way through that - that compliment, perhaps, before finding his figurative footing once more. It's nice to hear, of course. It suggests he's paying attention to her, which ... hm.
It also leaves her a little bashful. "Don't say it enough"? What does that even mean? A few simple words and he's opened an entire gaping maw of uncertainty right under her feet.
Okay. Just. Say something. Do that much, Nikos. ]
Thank you, Jaune.
[ There's a strange little click, not even a full syllable, that seems to imply she wants to say something else, but... yeah, awkward silence. ]
Jaune wonders if that's a good sign or a bad sign. He complimented someone he likes and she wasn't entirely repulsed. Not that he was expecting that sort of reaction from his partner in the first place, but this is all brand new territory for the both of them. Maybe she doesn't like compliments after being praised all her life? On the other hand, she clearly thanked him, so that's definitely a positive response. Then again, it would be entirely out of character for her not to thank him for it because she's a decent human being with good upbringing. She's so great.
Upon further reflection, since when was awkward silence ever a good sign?!? UGH, STUPID ARC.
(if you've just joined us, welcome to jaune arc's stream of consciousness)
Alright, well, he can't let this end on an awkward note. It just means he'll re-calibrate his game and tone down the compliments, and in turn stick to what he knows best. Comedy! He knows just the joke to--
--n-no. NO. That's the OPPOSITE of what he wants to do. GOD. He's alone with Pyrrha and all he wants to be is the comic relief again! WHY IS SHE EVEN HERE WITH HIM
This is bad.
Just kidding, it's a god damn catastrophe. He's literally staring at her with nothing clever to say. ]
[ You know what, she can fix this. She ought to, since it's entirely her fault that there's an awkward moment between them in the first place. As it grows larger and larger, like some sort of unsettling monster, she decides that now is the time to take decisive action! ]
[ And hey, it isn't like either of them is going to die in a week! They've got time to sort themselves out at their own comfortable pace. ]
Yeah, we did.
[ For a moment, she struggles valiantly against the desire to reach for his hand again. It's tempting - she had been as comfortable with their fingers linked as she had been hands safely by her side - but -- dammit, it's too soon! Not for the first time, she's both glad and begrudging of their meandering pace. There really ought to be books about this sort of thing. ]
So, the penguins? If we keep standing here, they might ... fly away!
Well, the important thing is I laughed on the inside! [ Also not true... he did visibly smile after all. Please don't stop trying to be funny, girlfriend..... f-friend-girl.
Also she's absolutely right about them needing to move on already, so he takes the lead as they reach the place. Follow the leader! ]
The room is a large circular viewing area, where a thick, chest-high barricade does its best to keep the average aquarium goer separate from the penguins. Their habitat is filled with ice water and snow, and a reef for them to play on. There's an employee in there with them, doling out small fish. Most of the penguins are patient; one is squawking with frustration, attacking the unmoved employee's shoe with his beak.
Pyrrha, who actually has never seen them in person before, looks delighted. ]
They're -- [ quite precious, she had been about to say, but ends up shyly reconsidering. What if her formal word choices intimidated him? WHY HAD SHE NEVER CONSIDERED THAT BEFORE ]
--CUTIELICIOUS! [ Yeah, she really shouldn't have let him finish that. ]
Pyrrha, look! That one's nibbling on the man's foot, hahaha! [ He points to the thing they're looking at already. ] Hey-- feed him already!! Oh, man, and-- WHAT?! Look at that one!
[ He points somewhere else, nudging Pyrrha by the shoulder to look once more. What are they looking at? It's this. ]
I-Is it dancing? Pyrrha, it's dancing-- like, like we did! Like-- I-I mean, we, like... a-all of us. Together! [ As a team! Not as a "we're together" thing. ... But also kind of yes?
Holy shit though, they found something cuter than Zwei. Look at it go... ]
[ As the crowd of happy penguin-viewers gets more and more crowded, Pyrrha is forced to sidle up against him to remain able to see the various things he's pointing out. The undisciplined penguin has not yet been fed, despite Jaune's shout, and -- holy dust, that is a
dancing
penguin. ]
He's very coordinated.
[ Like, more than he feasibly ought to be given the distribution of his weight. ]
That must be his aura at work.
[ Pyrrha doesn't actually know if the penguin is male, she's just being gender normative. ]
Aura...? [ He wasn't aware that there's a correlation between Aura and coordination, but that's why Pyrrha's the expert. ]
...Is that why you and I are so coordinated in battle?
[ He asks as he realizes that they're practically glued together and tries his best not to indicate that... his heart might be racing a little. It's not the first time that they've been in such close proximity, but with the way things have been developing and all the romance they've witnessed today... ]
[ Well, she had been just kidding, to a degree. Not even she knows everything about aura, and particularly not how it works in animals. Pyrrha's not thinking about that right now, however. At some point, they had progressed past their usual habit of remaining shoulder to shoulder, forced to squeeze tight as the crowd around them grew more cumbersome. It's only when she turns her head to look at him that Pyrrha is made aware of it, perhaps disquieted by the proximity. ]
... no, [ she answers, her voice soft, ] I don't think so.
[ It could be, of course. But Pyrrha is sporting both a healthy sense of skepticism and a much more plain desire that something so fluid and comfortable not be the result of a quirk of existence. ]
I think that's just ... us.
[ For example, her heart had picked up its tempo the exact moment Jaune's had. ]
[ Not-so-coincidentally, he was hoping the same thing, so her response only makes him smile to himself. He even welcomes the sudden fast pace of his heartbeat, that small rush of adrenaline... it's no surprise why a day like this is celebrated. ]
[ Damn it, he knows he can tell her anything, and yet it's still so... so difficult. Not because she's on an unattainable pedestal, but because the last girl taught him that he needs to unlearn everything he ever knew about pursuing romance. He wants to say the things he wants to say to her, someday, if not today.
And when he does, he'll make sure it's perfect. ]
--I-I'm not really afraid of penguins! Yeah. I.. I was just kidding earlier.
[ It's hard to miss that note in her tone, the struggle to hide disappointment. At least, for most people, it could be hard to miss. With Jaune, who knows. While he's content with "it'll be perfect, when," she's left wondering why he had pursued Weiss with such unapologetic abandon, never hesitating, while with Pyrrha herself, he's just ... not. Like a dozen times before, or a hundred, she's immediately struck with the notion that it's her, she's too tall, too bulky, she can't sing, her jokes suck, etc. Later, she'll untangle it, telling herself again that if anyone of those things are a turnoff for him, she's better off the way things are now.
Maybe there really isn't an "us". That's something else Pyrrha finds herself thinking, as her smile grows wooden, the product of effort instead of a natural occurrence.
Turning her head away, she rests her arms against the top of the encirclement and watches the penguins. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ Despite his rather surprised insistence, Pyrrha's tone still comes across like she's trying to gently cajole him out of this alleged fear.
Huh. ]
There's no reason to be afraid.
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...
[ Fiiine, in that case, he'll mess with her. He figures he'll look really cool when he surprises her with the truth later. Set her expectations low, right?! ]
Well, what if one pokes me in the eye? What if one of them gives me frost bite? [ That part is not a joke. He really doesn't know what frost bite means. ]
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Failing.
Teehee. ]
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Penguphobia is a serious thing and it affects seven out of ten Huntsmen every year!
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Frostbite is damage sustained to skin tissue due to freezing. Contrary to popular belief, [ yeah, right, ] you can't actually contract it through being poked in the eye by a penguin.
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[ Just kidding! Although, hopefully he said it quietly enough for nobody to hear. Anyway, he follows Pyrrha--]
Y'know, you... you're really smart, Pyrrha. [ ... ] T-That's not to say that I never thought you weren't! It's just... I don't say it enough, I think.
[ Among other things. ]
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It also leaves her a little bashful. "Don't say it enough"? What does that even mean? A few simple words and he's opened an entire gaping maw of uncertainty right under her feet.
Okay. Just. Say something. Do that much, Nikos. ]
Thank you, Jaune.
[ There's a strange little click, not even a full syllable, that seems to imply she wants to say something else, but... yeah, awkward silence. ]
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Jaune wonders if that's a good sign or a bad sign. He complimented someone he likes and she wasn't entirely repulsed. Not that he was expecting that sort of reaction from his partner in the first place, but this is all brand new territory for the both of them. Maybe she doesn't like compliments after being praised all her life? On the other hand, she clearly thanked him, so that's definitely a positive response. Then again, it would be entirely out of character for her not to thank him for it because she's a decent human being with good upbringing. She's so great.
Upon further reflection, since when was awkward silence ever a good sign?!? UGH, STUPID ARC.
(if you've just joined us, welcome to jaune arc's stream of consciousness)
Alright, well, he can't let this end on an awkward note. It just means he'll re-calibrate his game and tone down the compliments, and in turn stick to what he knows best. Comedy! He knows just the joke to--
--n-no. NO. That's the OPPOSITE of what he wants to do. GOD. He's alone with Pyrrha and all he wants to be is the comic relief again! WHY IS SHE EVEN HERE WITH HIM
This is bad.
Just kidding, it's a god damn catastrophe. He's literally staring at her with nothing clever to say. ]
.........
My good!
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[ what. ]
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Yes.
[ THAT'S NOT HELPING ]
...
[ Still. Not. Helping. ]
surprise multi-parter is done
We're not very good at this, are we?
THANKS
We made it this far, didn't we?
[ Whatever that means. ... What did she mean by it? What does he mean? ]
sits here and laughs at you tbh
Yeah, we did.
[ For a moment, she struggles valiantly against the desire to reach for his hand again. It's tempting - she had been as comfortable with their fingers linked as she had been hands safely by her side - but -- dammit, it's too soon! Not for the first time, she's both glad and begrudging of their meandering pace. There really ought to be books about this sort of thing. ]
So, the penguins? If we keep standing here, they might ... fly away!
[ That's a joke.
She's funny. ]
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Really? Fly away? You didn't go with "can't let this opportunity slide"?
[ Penguins... slide... get it. ]
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[ Pyrrha seems genuinely bashful under his comedic scrutiny. ]
... I suppose, in hindsight, that would have been best.
[ She can't sing, she's too tall, and he doesn't even like her jokes. :( ]
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Well, the important thing is I laughed on the inside! [ Also not true... he did visibly smile after all. Please don't stop trying to be funny, girlfriend..... f-friend-girl.
Also she's absolutely right about them needing to move on already, so he takes the lead as they reach the place. Follow the leader! ]
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The room is a large circular viewing area, where a thick, chest-high barricade does its best to keep the average aquarium goer separate from the penguins. Their habitat is filled with ice water and snow, and a reef for them to play on. There's an employee in there with them, doling out small fish. Most of the penguins are patient; one is squawking with frustration, attacking the unmoved employee's shoe with his beak.
Pyrrha, who actually has never seen them in person before, looks delighted. ]
They're -- [ quite precious, she had been about to say, but ends up shyly reconsidering. What if her formal word choices intimidated him? WHY HAD SHE NEVER CONSIDERED THAT BEFORE ]
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Pyrrha, look! That one's nibbling on the man's foot, hahaha! [ He points to the thing they're looking at already. ] Hey-- feed him already!! Oh, man, and-- WHAT?! Look at that one!
[ He points somewhere else, nudging Pyrrha by the shoulder to look once more. What are they looking at? It's this. ]
I-Is it dancing? Pyrrha, it's dancing-- like, like we did! Like-- I-I mean, we, like... a-all of us. Together! [ As a team! Not as a "we're together" thing. ... But also kind of yes?
Holy shit though, they found something cuter than Zwei. Look at it go... ]
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dancing
penguin. ]
He's very coordinated.
[ Like, more than he feasibly ought to be given the distribution of his weight. ]
That must be his aura at work.
[ Pyrrha doesn't actually know if the penguin is male, she's just being gender normative. ]
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...Is that why you and I are so coordinated in battle?
[ He asks as he realizes that they're practically glued together and tries his best not to indicate that... his heart might be racing a little. It's not the first time that they've been in such close proximity, but with the way things have been developing and all the romance they've witnessed today... ]
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... no, [ she answers, her voice soft, ] I don't think so.
[ It could be, of course. But Pyrrha is sporting both a healthy sense of skepticism and a much more plain desire that something so fluid and comfortable not be the result of a quirk of existence. ]
I think that's just ... us.
[ For example, her heart had picked up its tempo the exact moment Jaune's had. ]
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... Yeah, I think you're right.
[ Not-so-coincidentally, he was hoping the same thing, so her response only makes him smile to himself. He even welcomes the sudden fast pace of his heartbeat, that small rush of adrenaline... it's no surprise why a day like this is celebrated. ]
Can I... tell you something, Pyrrha?
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You can tell me anything.
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[ Damn it, he knows he can tell her anything, and yet it's still so... so difficult. Not because she's on an unattainable pedestal, but because the last girl taught him that he needs to unlearn everything he ever knew about pursuing romance. He wants to say the things he wants to say to her, someday, if not today.
And when he does, he'll make sure it's perfect. ]
--I-I'm not really afraid of penguins! Yeah. I.. I was just kidding earlier.
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[ Well, what did she expect, really? ]
Oh.
[ It's hard to miss that note in her tone, the struggle to hide disappointment. At least, for most people, it could be hard to miss. With Jaune, who knows. While he's content with "it'll be perfect, when," she's left wondering why he had pursued Weiss with such unapologetic abandon, never hesitating, while with Pyrrha herself, he's just ... not. Like a dozen times before, or a hundred, she's immediately struck with the notion that it's her, she's too tall, too bulky, she can't sing, her jokes suck, etc. Later, she'll untangle it, telling herself again that if anyone of those things are a turnoff for him, she's better off the way things are now.
Maybe there really isn't an "us". That's something else Pyrrha finds herself thinking, as her smile grows wooden, the product of effort instead of a natural occurrence.
Turning her head away, she rests her arms against the top of the encirclement and watches the penguins. ]
... that's good. They are pretty harmless.
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