[ The Day of Arkos is upon us!! Even as their future remains uncertain, Jaune had already made up his mind that he's going to make the most of this with Pyrrha. There hasn't been any talk about what was discussed the day before, nor what's going to happen tomorrow, as today is all about Jaune and Pyrrha just being... Jaune and Pyrrha!
As they walk through the Entertainment district, it's clear that there isn't much going on in the way of entertainment. A lot of the places are still damaged, and the ones that still work aren't particularly run by any staff... it seems as if anyone can just go and play things for free!
However, one particular place Jaune leads them is familiar ground. He stops and points to it. ]
Look! That's where the carnival used to be.
[ Their very first encounter with Cerealia, nearly a year ago in this world's calendar. ... Also there's nothing there anymore. ]
... Okay, I'll be honest, this feels kinda underwhelming, but I guess it's just not the same as being kicked off a bus after being told about the Flamines and all.
[ Less than a year ago by calendar terms, but it feels like ages upon ages have passed since the first time they stood there. It had been her first real experience with Christmas, and his too, and it had been rung in by a giant but invisible(?) snake frightening them in an enclosed ferris wheel carriage. She had still been alive on Remnant then, they hadn't been together, Jaune hadn't been quite so tall...
It both does and doesn't seem fitting that they're staring at an empty fairground. ]
Well, and there's nothing there.
[ She shrugs, and then, something occurring to her, gives a small giggle. ]
Still, she doesn't seem overly perturbed by his memories mismatching hers. Pyrrha may be a somewhat high maintenance girlfriend, but she's enjoying today to well to goad him. ]
I... remember being yelled at by a trash can. ... [ Somewhat bashfully, she ducks her head. ] There was a pasta issue.
... it was in the presents the robo-Santas were giving out. He insisted I take it, and I didn't want to say no, but when I opened it-- [ penis shaped dry noodles. ] So I tried to throw it away, but the trash can insisted it was overflowing and I was acting against its protocol.
... and then it chased me. [ Well, her and Hiccup, but Pyrrha wisely refrains from mentioning That Other Guy She Kind Of Liked. ]
[ NOW HICCUP IS INVOLVED IN THIS PENIS NOODLE STORY?? ]
From Deathstalkers to trash cans, that's quite a leap. [ Okay, but the story is kind of cute it's totally a Pyrrha thing. Jaune is willing to bet the dork apologized to it, too. ]
I didn't even know how to defeat the robots... but that's when Sousei showed up. Handled them like it was nothing! Just-- ka-POW-ssshhwing! Boom! Y'know? [ Then in a rare moment of self-awareness, Jaune quietly adds to his own amusement: ] I don't think he liked me very much.
[ Hiccup had rescued her, that's how! While Jaune was off swooning over Sousei, apparently.
But yes, she had totally tried to apologise to the angry robot trash can. Spoiler: it hadn't worked. ]
No, that wasn't true. [ Sympathetically, takes Jaune's arm, one hand holding fast through his while the other gives his lower arm a gentle rub. ] Captain— [ wait ] Sousei just expected a lot from people. I'm sure you would have proved yourself eventually.
Yeah, maybe. [ But he never got that chance as Cerealia repeatedly taught him the lesson of never taking things for granted. Sousei disappeared, much like Pyrrha had, and over time too much has happened for Jaune to care about proving his worth anymore.
Funnily enough, it was Sousei himself who once imparted Jaune with some wisdom on how to deal with the loss of every friend in Cerealia from there on. It's a memory that makes Jaune smile somewhat, especially knowing how far they've all come since then. ]
...I mean, I guess I could've been a little less eager, too.
[ Jaune was pretty overbearing in his attempts for approval, much like that terrible storyline with Weiss and the Beacon Dance. Later, Jaune even received a taste of his own medicine. (This is now a clip episode.) ]
Do you think I should be that kind of leader? [ Is he too encouraging or is tough love the way to go, he wonders. Pyrrha seems to like both types!! ]
[ It's difficult to say. Pyrrha is silent for a moment, a thoughtful look in her face as she considers her answer. Had Jaune said the things Sousei had said to her upon his return, she might have been able to pull herself together sooner, not spent so many weeks wallowing in her own trauma. There's a fine line between blame - her reticence was never Jaune's fault - and awareness.
And yet... she had fallen for him because he was kind, and funny, and easy to talk to. Her first friend. Would matters have fallen out the same way between them if he'd been a stricter leader? Possibly not, and it's a sad thing to consider.
Her roving hand becomes a lighter touch on his arm, but doesn't leave it. ]
I think you're the kind of leader who knows exactly what his teammates need and when they need it. [ If he hadn't pushed her to act on the train... ] You already know how to step up, Jaune. That ability's always been there when you need it, even if you don't notice.
[ Pyrrha's more curious about this checklist, truthfully - is she on it in any form? - but acquiesces to his question. ]
... a fair one, I hope.
I don't want to repeat my predecessor's mistakes.
[ Like she had told Sousei, she hopes that entering into this with no interests of her own helps her see things clearly and try to do best by everyone. ]
[ For a moment, she almost wants to demur the subject change, but ends up accepting it. If he wants to talk about this now, today, then... she owes him that much.
Even if she's foreseeing this conversation ending with their relationship. ]
Although there's still a fair distance between them, Jaune draws his sword as he turns to face her. ]
A part of you is with me, don't you know? Just like our hearts, my battles are yours, and yours are mine. If anyone threatens this planet again, I'm gonna be your sword and shield, I promise you that.
[ As he walks closer to her, he gets down on one knee. ]
I don't care if you're a Bridge, you're Pyrrha Nikos to me and I wanna be with you until the day I die! You're my dream!
[ Staring up at her. ] ...Also I don't have a ring. [ So... yep, he hopes the message is clear enough. ]
[ Her hands tense by her sides, fingers curling in toward her palms, but it's not a - an irritated or angry tension. Rather, it comes from a place of shocked uncertainty, a shock that wars with faint and illegible happiness, even if it's borne of something that seems too surreal to be happening right in front of her.
Jaune, who had grown up in the sort of full family she had always craved, who probably had a much healthier and more aware idea of what this sort of commitment entails than she does -
Jaune, who loves her and spent weeks trying to tell her this, weeks her own fear rebuffed -
[ He calls her his dream, and her knees feel weak.
After the power transferal, and their talk following, she had begun to mentally prepare herself for - well, the opposite of this. She had been saddened when he had referred to it as final but, maybe, she had also internalised that possibility: a nice day, a last day, and a mutual breakup. They would part as friends and first loves, and live their lives separately. He might have even returned to Remnant unaware of what they had shared and, dust hoping, would have moved on and healed, lived an emotionally fulfilling life.
This is so far from how Pyrrha thought matters would fall out. As such, she has little idea how to react, startle and confusing competing with girlish sentiment, the sweeping and irrepressible joy of loving and being loved, for control over her response.
If he stays here, he might never be able to see his family again, the parents he had wanted to impress and the sisters he spoke of with plain fondness. (Although they'll be her family too, now - maybe and technically.)
If he stays here, he'll never be a Huntsman, and what if he has replaced that dream with her and later grows unhappy?
They're so young, both of them, and Pyrrha's keenly aware of it even if he isn't, how can they be sure —
...make certain that you are not leaving someone behind who does not wish to be.
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action; pre-endgame 1.5 remix
As they walk through the Entertainment district, it's clear that there isn't much going on in the way of entertainment. A lot of the places are still damaged, and the ones that still work aren't particularly run by any staff... it seems as if anyone can just go and play things for free!
However, one particular place Jaune leads them is familiar ground. He stops and points to it. ]
Look! That's where the carnival used to be.
[ Their very first encounter with Cerealia, nearly a year ago in this world's calendar. ... Also there's nothing there anymore. ]
... Okay, I'll be honest, this feels kinda underwhelming, but I guess it's just not the same as being kicked off a bus after being told about the Flamines and all.
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It both does and doesn't seem fitting that they're staring at an empty fairground. ]
Well, and there's nothing there.
[ She shrugs, and then, something occurring to her, gives a small giggle. ]
Do you remember, after we climbed down the ferris wheel— [ Her situational awareness test. ]
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Yeah, I do! ... I somehow went back in a second time without realizing.
[ With Weiss Schnee of all people, even if that was a coincidence itself. LOOK, HE WAS YOUNG AND STUPID. ]
It was a hectic day, and that's without the killer Santa-bots. Remember those?
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Still, she doesn't seem overly perturbed by his memories mismatching hers. Pyrrha may be a somewhat high maintenance girlfriend, but she's enjoying today to well to goad him. ]
I... remember being yelled at by a trash can. ... [ Somewhat bashfully, she ducks her head. ] There was a pasta issue.
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[ Somehow that's what hooks him more than the yelling trashcan. He's clearly been here too long. ]
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...................
It was, um, erotic pasta.
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..............
Go on.
[ Seriously, what the hell?! The erotic part once again doesn't surprise him, but how does pasta fit into the picture?? ]
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... it was in the presents the robo-Santas were giving out. He insisted I take it, and I didn't want to say no, but when I opened it-- [ penis shaped dry noodles. ] So I tried to throw it away, but the trash can insisted it was overflowing and I was acting against its protocol.
... and then it chased me. [ Well, her and Hiccup, but Pyrrha wisely refrains from mentioning That Other Guy She Kind Of Liked. ]
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From Deathstalkers to trash cans, that's quite a leap. [ Okay, but the story is kind of cute it's totally a Pyrrha thing. Jaune is willing to bet the dork apologized to it, too. ]
I didn't even know how to defeat the robots... but that's when Sousei showed up. Handled them like it was nothing! Just-- ka-POW-ssshhwing! Boom! Y'know? [ Then in a rare moment of self-awareness, Jaune quietly adds to his own amusement: ] I don't think he liked me very much.
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But yes, she had totally tried to apologise to the angry robot trash can. Spoiler: it hadn't worked. ]
No, that wasn't true. [ Sympathetically, takes Jaune's arm, one hand holding fast through his while the other gives his lower arm a gentle rub. ] Captain— [ wait ] Sousei just expected a lot from people. I'm sure you would have proved yourself eventually.
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Funnily enough, it was Sousei himself who once imparted Jaune with some wisdom on how to deal with the loss of every friend in Cerealia from there on. It's a memory that makes Jaune smile somewhat, especially knowing how far they've all come since then. ]
...I mean, I guess I could've been a little less eager, too.
[ Jaune was pretty overbearing in his attempts for approval, much like that terrible storyline with Weiss and the Beacon Dance. Later, Jaune even received a taste of his own medicine. (This is now a clip episode.) ]
Do you think I should be that kind of leader? [ Is he too encouraging or is tough love the way to go, he wonders. Pyrrha seems to like both types!! ]
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And yet... she had fallen for him because he was kind, and funny, and easy to talk to. Her first friend. Would matters have fallen out the same way between them if he'd been a stricter leader? Possibly not, and it's a sad thing to consider.
Her roving hand becomes a lighter touch on his arm, but doesn't leave it. ]
I think you're the kind of leader who knows exactly what his teammates need and when they need it. [ If he hadn't pushed her to act on the train... ] You already know how to step up, Jaune. That ability's always been there when you need it, even if you don't notice.
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[ Playfully, he mimes a tick on an imaginary board in front of him. ]
...So what kind of leader are you gonna be?
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... a fair one, I hope.
I don't want to repeat my predecessor's mistakes.
[ Like she had told Sousei, she hopes that entering into this with no interests of her own helps her see things clearly and try to do best by everyone. ]
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Are you scared?
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Yeah, I am.
[ Eyes wide, she looks up at him. ]
What if... what if I do more harm than good?
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[ How does he know that? Hm! ]
You know, I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, and... you were right about some things.
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Even if she's foreseeing this conversation ending with their relationship. ]
I was?
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I don't want to be someone's sidelined boyfriend. I... wanna be more.
[ Whatever "more" means remains unclear until she responds! ]
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Welp, time to board the train to singlesville! ... or so Pyrrha is imagining. ]
... I know, Jaune.
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Although there's still a fair distance between them, Jaune draws his sword as he turns to face her. ]
A part of you is with me, don't you know? Just like our hearts, my battles are yours, and yours are mine. If anyone threatens this planet again, I'm gonna be your sword and shield, I promise you that.
[ As he walks closer to her, he gets down on one knee. ]
I don't care if you're a Bridge, you're Pyrrha Nikos to me and I wanna be with you until the day I die! You're my dream!
[ Staring up at her. ] ...Also I don't have a ring. [ So... yep, he hopes the message is clear enough. ]
1/god who even knows
... on one knee.
xfjgnfd,s
akdhfgksdbBDMAVHDFMFBC → Pyrrha internally right now because what. the. fuck.
The lack of coherent prose in this tag is 100% a literary metaphor for what's going on in her head. ]
You know what I'll tell you when I'm done
that he does not have, should she be disappointed by this? is there a proper protocol for teenage proposals? YANG HELP ]
You're gonna get a few repeated icons
Jaune, who had grown up in the sort of full family she had always craved, who probably had a much healthier and more aware idea of what this sort of commitment entails than she does -
Jaune, who loves her and spent weeks trying to tell her this, weeks her own fear rebuffed -
- Jaune — ]
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After the power transferal, and their talk following, she had begun to mentally prepare herself for - well, the opposite of this. She had been saddened when he had referred to it as final but, maybe, she had also internalised that possibility: a nice day, a last day, and a mutual breakup. They would part as friends and first loves, and live their lives separately. He might have even returned to Remnant unaware of what they had shared and, dust hoping, would have moved on and healed, lived an emotionally fulfilling life.
This is so far from how Pyrrha thought matters would fall out. As such, she has little idea how to react, startle and confusing competing with girlish sentiment, the sweeping and irrepressible joy of loving and being loved, for control over her response.
If he stays here, he might never be able to see his family again, the parents he had wanted to impress and the sisters he spoke of with plain fondness.
(Although they'll be her family too, now - maybe and technically.)
If he stays here, he'll never be a Huntsman, and what if he has replaced that dream with her and later grows unhappy?
They're so young, both of them, and Pyrrha's keenly aware of it even if he isn't, how can they be sure —
...make certain that you are not leaving someone behind who does not wish to be.
Well, there is that. ]
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Done. X(
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