White Gold [ CLOSED ]

[beaconed]

Who: Jaune Arc beaconed & Rapunzel luminarie
When: IC: 5/13
Where: Entertainment District, Temporary Traveling Circus of Tjghsldiwk
What: Jaune takes Rapunzel to her first carnival in which they become a dancing viral hit, confront their feelings and fight gigantic elephant monsters. Carnivals, man.
Rating/Warning: Gross / Stylish Violence + Blood / some groping

---

[ It's the day of the carnival! Jaune and Rapunzel both expressed interest in going together, which is a new experience for him. No, not the carnival, but a girl that he's genuinely head over heels for actually wants to do something like this with him. Him? Jaune Arc?? Mr. Socially Awkward! He wonders if it had anything to do with an old advice he had gotten, "No schemes or pick up lines, you can't get it wrong if it's the truth."

He had tossed out the old pick up lines a long time ago, but is he still not being honest? There are things he wants to tell her, not just about how he feels, but about who he is. About being a fraud back at Beacon. She deserves to know who she's putting her trust in, right? Maybe tonight is the night... or more likely, everything is going to distract them from being honest here. Seriously, he picked a carnival to do this?!?

Whatever the case, Jaune learned his lesson from the last time CERES had some kind of circus here, so he's not traveling without his weapon (and also a certain good luck charm in his wallet!}. He meets up with Rapunzel just near the entrance, but this whole place already looks impressive from the outside, even to someone like Jaune. ]

R-Rollercoasters. Great.

Comments

gets a running start with tl;dr

[corona]

[ Rapunzel is an overacheiver. This much is obvious.

What isn't obvious is that there are patches in her Mary Suelike determination to master literally everything on the face of the planet. Huge patches. Namely in the, uh, relationships department.

As soon as she'd ended their call the other night (AND WHAT A NIGHT RIGHT? You agree.) she'd started thinking to herself that it might be a good idea to do something competitive at this carnival, since she has no idea what a carnival is or entails but knows without a doubt that she's an excellent competitor and that winning something will make her look competent as hell. Mulling it over also gave her an excuse to avoid thinking about... other things. Things she said she'd tell him. Things she'd promised to do in the past.

Boys only want love if it's torture...

There's no competition as to who's the worst at not-exactly-dates-but-not-exactly-not-dates, though: the result is a straight up tie. Rapunzel hasn't been to the entertainment district, but she'd seen how Weiss was about getting ready and took inspiration from that: braiding her hair in elaborate twists so it wouldn't get in the way and putting on a bit of chapstick (she's not ready for makeup yet h-heh). She's only wearing her work clothes - dungarees and straw boater - not that it'll matter soon, but she hopes with all her heart that she doesn't look as sloppy or underdressed as her mother is always saying.

Ah but when she sees Jaune from a distance, just a smear of yellow in the distance, none of that matters. She's happy and scared all over again, and she shouts at him without thinking. ]

HEY! MISTER! GET OUT OF THE ROAD! [ Heh. She's so funny. Pretending like she doesn't know him when she does. What a laugh. HA HA. ]

going for gold already

[beaconed]

WHA-- [ Jaune turns immediately, recognizing that lisp he had been hearing on the phone the other night. It's cute. It's not something he had noticed about her before that, since his other senses (touch, smell, sight) would always go in overdrive when they're in person. Like it's happening right now. ]

N-no, it's me--!! I-- ah...!

[ Did she really not recognize him?? Maybe he's wearing something stupid. Maybe the Crocea Mors and casual combo (it's really just his normal clothes sans armor) was a bad idea. Maybe he just looks like a hobo with a prop sword and that's why she won't recognize him.

Maybe he should go home and change.

Maybe-- ah, she's approaching!! ]

...... Hi. [ Back to this again. Also wow?? She's gorgeous and he's under dressed. WHY... ]

i'm not going to have enough icons for this i can tell

[corona]

Woah. [ Literally running might've been a bad idea. She's still not wearing shoes (ugh.....) and there's a bit of gravel that trips her up enough so that she can't quite control her momentum and goes stumbling speedily towards him.

And only just stops short! Whew. ] Whew! Hi.

[ Oh gosh, he's right here. He's so close. She gives him a completely conspicuous once-over; whatever she finds makes her smile wobble. Makes her look away. ]

Hi. It was a joke, by the way. I recognised you right away, heh.

[beaconed]

Y-You did? Oh! I, hah, I recognized you, too. Yeah, I... you... you look really nice. Like--

N-Not that you don't normally! Haaa--!

[ NERVOUS LAUGHTER, he suddenly turns to the entrance. ] --Well, this is a great start! [ Under his breath: ] (Insult the maybe-date, Jaune, real nice, this is gonna be great...)

[corona]

[ As they pass through the gates, Rapunzel quickly finds nervousness is nothing to be worried about. She's so swept up in the display of colour and the whirling of motion, light, and noise surrounding them that she hardly has time to think before she's grabbing Jaune's hand, bouncing up and down on her toes while they walk.

She pushes up on them just enough to whisper excitedly: ] This is amazing! [ Not seeing the, uh, attendant winding rapidly through the crowd in their direction. ]

[beaconed]

[ ajdskalhgfg aaaaa

t-this is fine. ]

I told you it's pretty cool! You haven't even tried the cotton candy yet! And I know that for a fact because how can someone who's never had beans in their life have... uh, wha-- [ Between her sudden hand holding, whispering, the amazing lights around them, and some stranger pushing them both through a curtain, Jaune has already lost control of this situation. The only thing he does manage to take hold of is the hand that's in his, squeezing a little tighter just so nothing separates them until he figures out what the hell is going on. ] --h-hey!

[corona]

What-? Jaune! [ He's her first thought! It's curious, as she's rather proud of the fact that her self-preservationist instinct seems to be so damn strong. For example: her response to this is to squeeze Jaune's hand and leap to stand in front of him, holding an arm out defensively. Rather different than how she'd acted only two weeks ago. Only then does Rapunzel whip her head around, taking in what looks like... a giant closet?

Pretty clothes, though.

Oops. Is that his hand?! Shit. She drops it and moves away, flushing and furious with herself because she immediately wants to grab it again. ] D-Does this happen at every carnival?

[beaconed]

[ doo dee doo, don't look at her, just gonna investigate their surroundings, yep... ]

I... I don't think this happens at any carnival... b-but I did promise you a surprise, so... surprise? [ He's trying to be optimistic here??? ] But does it count if I'm surprised, too? Man...

[corona]

Wow. [ Already graduated to investigating the fabric yo. She steps up to the rack of white outfits. ] Are... these for us? Jaune, look, these look like real jewels...!!

[beaconed]

What, how...

[ Jaune looks around the room, at the other NPCs. ] Really? Why is nobody asking if this seems weird?! C'mon...! [ He even suspects he's in the girls change room. THIS IS SO NOT IN CONTROL. Jaune attempts leaving, but the attendant blocks him and points at the time, telling him to hurry. ]

I... I guess we're supposed to go out? [ ... ] Out there, I mean! Go out there! Hah! Haha...!! But I can't wear this stuff...

[ can he? ]

[corona]

Why not? [ Rapunzel stands back, already holding one of each of their options and popping a hip, though she's too excited to be impatient.

JAUNE CAN DO JAUNE she's gonna play dress up. ] You'd look amazing in this wine colour here.

[beaconed]

[ She thinks he would look amazing... ] Well, I-- no, h-hang on, that's for girls! What're you saying?! Oh-- oh, man, we're gonna run outta time!

Just-- [ GRABS WHATEVER TBH. Ohh, it's a yellow one! ] M-Meet you outside, okay?!

[ He's about to hide behind a changing curtain, but quickly peeks out to look at her again. ] ...and I think that one looks good on you. [ HIDES AGAIN ]

[corona]

But... [ And she's left to stand there, blinking but not entirely displeased. ] ...I'm not wearing it yet.

[ Whatever. Rapunzel shrugs and flounces off to her own changing cubicle, chatting up the NPCs casually through the curtain as she goes. Oooh cute skirt... Much soft. Nice bells and whistles too! They jingle when she walks (dem hips) - why didn't she ever think of something like this?! Genius!!

...Uh oh. ]

Uh. J-Jaune?!

[beaconed]

[ HE MEANT THE ONE THAT SHE WAS HOLDING, GEEZ. But alas, Jaune is having a little trouble with his costume, getting tangled (lol) up and falling all over the place. Not that Rapunzel can see any of it.

In fact, Rapunzel is being pushed out through the curtains, and when she's presented on stage, the jester makes the announcement: ]

The Ugliest in All of Cerealia!

[ The crowd cheers (?), but where is Jaune?? ]

1/here we go

[corona]

H- HEY!

[ Even for someone as psychotically bent on paying attention to her surroundings as Rapunzel is, there's absolutely no way to process what's happening. One minute she's struggling to pull her top down along her hair and the next she's–?!?!?! ]

[corona]

[ And just like that: she's on stage!! In... front of people.

And... oh woah not just people, but surely at least one of her canyon's worth of people. There are more faces and angles, curves, spots, fabrics, and textures than she's seen even since her arrival in the colony; she imagines it must be rare to have this many humans and... others gathered together like this in one place. It's almost suffocating. It is suffocating. Rapunzel shrinks back, stumbling over hair that was pulled out of place in the dressing process, as her heart starts to pound and her vision telescopes.

IT TOOK HER TWO AND A HALF FUCKING HOURS TO BRAID THAT YOU BASTARDS. ]

[corona]

[ ...Did... they just say ugly?

But she worked so hard on the chapstick... Is that true? Was the effort wasted after all?







Does Jaune think she's ugly? ]

done

[corona]

[ Also she's topless so that blows.

She whirls around, frantic and casting about for her friend. ]

Jaune! Where are you?!

1/2 HERE WE GO

[beaconed]

[ The laughter of the crowd intensifies the more dumbstruck Rapunzel looks after hearing her title. Really, this looks like one of their best practical jokes yet, the kind that would go viral on the internet if someone were recording it.

Which someone probably is.

But the laughter comes to a sudden stop when their view of Rapunzel is blocked by... well, this. ]

[beaconed]

[ Jaune himself looks like someone who's taking this very seriously, posing in front of the crowd, staring them down as Rapunzel is hidden behind his "wings". How dare they call her ugly??? It should be noted that it's hard to tell whether Jaune looks intimidating or if the crowd is just too shocked at his ridiculous display to make any noise.

Taking opportunity of the silence, Jaune brings his wings down and flamboyantly turns to Rapunzel. His voice is low, though, only for her to hear. ]

Hi.

...Am I late? [ He knows he is, though. ]

1/2

[corona]

[ What. What is he weari– Is that a collar?.

The noise around her dies. ]

Oh. Jaune, you look like one of the CYbuddy parrots I saw on my way here.

[corona]

[ Her shoulders squeeze up towards her ears without her thinking about it. She bites her lip and turns away without thinking about it.

She answers without thinking about it. ]

And... your partner? Would... would you say they're the broken moon type too?

[ Suddenly so aware of her voice and her words and the way her tongue hits her lips and her Ts a little too hard. khalfkngkahlli LISPPPPPSSSS!!!

But thinking about Jaune as a child sort of cheers her up and takes her mind away from self-consciousness; this isn't about her. ] I would have liked to have known you. I mean - then and... and now, before - before you came to Cerealia, I mean. I feel like maybe my life would have been different with you in it. You know? [ No, this is going to sound too weird!!! ]

[beaconed]

Broken moon type, heh... try invincible. [ Trust Jaune to have his own metaphor fly over his head. Not that she's giving him much time to think too deeply about it with her next comment. ]

R-Really? [ No, this isn't the time to doubt her sincerity, he knows she means it. That fact alone fills him with this strange new energy that's not unlike Aura. Like he wants to fight ten more of these elephants just so he can catch Rapunzel ten more times!! ... Or maybe just skip to the end bit. ... No, no he still wants to fight them for some reason. Testosterone is weird, man!! ]

I... wish I could've known you, too, Rapunzel. I kinda feel like I have for a long time. [ Speaking of sounding too weird!!!!! ]

why do i bother /does endless lines

[corona]

Yeah? You think I'd fit in at your monster killing school? [ Oh, why bother hiding the joy at this point. Rapunzel's face lights with a smirk that comes about from nudging him, encouraging him to (fire) walk with her, to following the lights that come on as the sun goes down. ] Weiss told me you all have something called a Semblance that helps you protect yourself. I wonder what mine would be.

[ And then, a laugh. As they come up to the food stalls, each smelling more heavenly than the last, she's tempted to take his hand again and drag him over to examine them, damn any sudden oversensitivity to contact. Damn the torpedoes and crackling, invisible magnetism. ]

I'm... glad we met when we did. [ LEANING INTO EAR. WHISPERING INTO EAR. ] ...Leader. I'm glad you met me last.

[beaconed]

[ For a second, that insecure part of Jaune has to wonder if Weiss also informed Rapunzel that Jaune has absolutely no idea what his Semblance is or how to use it. It's a brief panic attack that he manages to quell before it snowballs, but then he gets a different thought. Rapunzel... she has a soul. Of course she does! Anything with a soul, including animals, could potentially have an Aura, right?

Mental note: LOOK DEEPER INTO THIS BEFORE PROMISING HER A SEMBLANCE

...As for the other thing she says, "Leader" Jaune takes the initiative this time, taking hold of her hand as she leans in to whisper. There's a lot of things he could say here, but it's been a lonnnng night, draining both mentally and physically. No, the only thing he does in response is squeeze her hand.

And it's going to be some time before he remembers to let go again. ]