I'm proud to see the smiles I put on people's faces and to see the positivity that was spread to y'all! That being said let's hope y'all enjoy!
" On your left, Arc!" A man in a skin tight jumpsuit with hues of blue on it shouted.
"I only have a single charge on my healing and you're too low for it to matter. Oh shit!"
He reflexively cast his magical gem shield to hover around him and Jaune as metal spheres the size of softballs hurled down, going at speeds great enough to light the air surrounding the projectiles on fire. Jaune and his ally dived in opposite directions to avoid his red haired foe. As Jaune jumped into the bush, his ally who had briefly saved him from an imminent doom stood in the open and bare lane looking at this pistol wielding casanova. A grin came to her face and started unloading flurries of shot at the warrior. A murderous laugh came before her as his gem infused shield cracked and swiftly dissipated. Looking at Jaune he nodded. Jaune knew he what was to unfold. Quickly the man raised his three-faced maul and regained life, additionally an aura radiated from Jaune to which he had his wounds seal up reinvigorating them in the process as suddenly Jaune and the man began to glow.
'He's ulting!' Jaune realized as he ready his sniper rifle. His eccentric top hat had flopped and waggled with him as his head turned sharply. 'Man this character's outfit is weird'
"I'm lining up, taric!" Jaune had shouted and immediately red crosshairs had gone overhead of the Miss Fortune he grin suddenly turning to distress not realizing his ally, Taric ran up to her with the ground in front of him burning with this brilliant light! It glows and then with a flash! And she is stunned and Jaune firing with deadly aim as her body is flung back under tower, lifeless and still.
Jaune leaned back and with excitement coursing through him pumped his fist with a triumphant "yes!"
With her death the bot lane was open and caused them to snowball, ultimately winning the match. League of legends isn't normally Jaune's game since it's always better to play in teams rather than solo queue. But for today he felt like anything was feasible. He asked a girl out on a date with actual success! His job was going well at the comic shop with decent hours so money wasn't much of an issue.
A knock on his door alerted him as he looked over to see his father in the doorway. It was a large man with ice blue eyes full of intensity surrounded by a warm fatherly smile.
"How was your day, Jaune?" His father asked gently as he slowly moved forward to sit on his son's bed.
"It was great, dad. I have a date!" Jaune's eye beamed. His dad had perked up. A smile creeped up his lips and he looked overjoyed.
"This is great news! Who is this lucky lady?"
"Her name is Neo and she goes to Beacon High with me." Jaune felt confident and thought about what to say next about her only to realize he didn't have much else that he knew about her. "And she's a lovely woman who's an amazing listener!"
"Well, I'm hopeful that it goes well." Mr. Arc leaned forward in a comfortable position for himself and looked his son in the eyes. They held a note of seriousness that grabbed Jaune's full attention.
"School is ending soon. And you're going to become an adult. I want you to think about what you're going to do with yourself. What are you skilled at? What can you apply yourself to? There's college yes, but You can get an AA and start working field jobs. There are even vocational jobs that you can take as well. Have you thought about any of that?" Mr. Arc's face was filled with worry and concern as he looked over his son.
Jaune looked down with a sudden interest in the scuff marks that were on his floor. Naturally Jaune had some idea. But never anything that was fleshed out.
"Well… I was thinking that Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and I were going to move in together and split the weight." Jaune knew he wanted that much. He didn't know what they would do afterwards.
"That is an admirable start. A good friend will travel far with you. But what if something happens? Maybe Ren and Nora decide to move away? What if Pyrrha goes to a college across the coast? What's the back up plan?"
"I…" Jaune was uncertain. He looked at his father for guidance only to see his brow knit in contemplation.
"Think of a plan and talk it out. Then look at the flaws and plan. You plan until you consider what will be the best idea not only for you, but the people around you."
Jaune nodded looking away from his dad in a sense of shame that he hadn't thought of what he would do. Suddenly a hand was on his shoulder as his father had stood up and was looking at his son with a smile.
"Your mother and I have faith in you. And as much as your sisters tease you deep down they hope for nothing but the best. Dinner's going to be soon so make sure you wash up!" Mr. Arc had walked out and down the hallway as Jaune sat there. He was scared. Scared and somehow at the same time he was hopeful.
Neo sat silently at the dinner table cutting through her steak. The house was lovely with it's gentle color patterns and pieces of art scattered across the walls featuring the businessmen of the 1930's and pictures of famous gangsters. At the humble table big enough for a family and more, yet able to make everyone feel close to each other with its oblong shape and style. Neo sat across from a tall and slender man with orange hair who was digging into his food.
"So Neo! How was school today?" Roman's voice was warm and cheery. He knew that she didn't do much as school. He still didn't want her to feel like whatever happens in class, no matter how small was insignificant so he would often ask even about the little things that happened, giving encouragement even to the small things that happened that day.
Neo began texting at great speeds and with a sudden ding! Roman looked at his phone
It was good! Class was slow so I was able to read. I also was asked out on a date. Neo was incredibly nervous as she saw his eyes bulge slightly knowing that he had finished the message.
Immediately Roman choked on his food as he was surprised. 'Neo being asked out? So sudden? She didn't tell me anyone was interested in her?'
Ding!
Are you alright!?
Neo looked concerned as her father had regained composure. He hoarsely stated "I didn't expect to see that is all!" He drank from his glass and cleared his pallet. "What's his name? What's he like? Is he from a good home?" Roman started bombarding her with questions increasingly interested in who this boy was.
His name is Jaune Arc. He's a goofball with a good heart aaaaaaaaaand I don't know much about his family.
Roman nodded taking it all in and assessing what she was saying. "When?"
Tomorrow. He's taking me to see a movie and go out for dinner.
'Smart' Roman had thought.
"An oldie but a goodie nonetheless!" Roman smiled. Secretly he was worried what would happen to his little angel. She was his world and wanted nothing but the best for her. 'If he even thinks about touching her…' He was distracted from his thoughts as Neo had walked to Roman gently tugging his sleeve.
You looked angry. Is everything alright?
"Oh everything's peachy! I'm glad you're getting out there and experiencing life! I just want you to be careful!"
Of course dad! He's a goofball, not like other kids at my school
They finished their dinners and spent their time watching TV together for an hour or two till she got a notification.
Firebitch: It's game night. We're getting on League to troll our fifth player rando.
Neo smiled and knew exactly what was going to happen.
Ice cream girl: Alright! I'm on my way!
Jaune woke up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. 'This is it!' Jaune thought to himself. His dreams were a story that told a night of misfortune. The first dream he was a werewolf who couldn't find a suit that fit him due to his enormous size. The second he was a child. An infant who tried to crawl his fastest to the movie theatre and nobody seemed to notice his predicament. His family kept asking why he had cold feet and that he'll never be a man. Jaune shook these off and decided to go for a run.
Burbank is a place that's commonly overlooked by people trying to reach LA to make it big or get into the Nickelodeon lot. It was a bright and sunny day as he ran. It was before the sun really started to cook the giant skillet called the pavement below him as he ran along the street to allow people walking along the houses the space they needed for strollers and other things. Eventually Jaune made his way back to have breakfast. As he walked in it was an odd note of silence. Seven sisters meant noise. Silence meant plotting. Before he could think about what they were up to he saw them all sitting the the dining table silently looking at him.
"Please. Take a seat." Said the eldest. She was a strawberry blonde with slightly darker roots and as the rest of the family, had blue eyes.
Jaune sat down and looked at them all nervously. Slightly fidgeting in his seat knowing his sisters were going to tear him down for every ounce of of information he held.
Twenty minutes went by as he sat there telling them as much as he could. "There really isn't much else I could say. I never really knew much about her. I'm kinda scared I'm going to mess it up knowing my luck." Jaune slouched. "Maybe my dreams are an omen or something."
"Nonsense!" The Eldest said "You're overthinking things, besides she's on equal footing with you. Not like she knows much about you either. Unless she's a stalker and to that we wish you luck!" They all pushed out of their chairs and walked away talking to each leaving their brother alone now satisfied with what they could get out of their brother.
Neo had woken up with a big smile on her face. 'It's the big day!' she thought to herself as she was walking around her mess of a room dancing around goofily until she reached her PC. The pink lights that emanated from the case lit up her otherwise dark room. She had several notifications. The usual. Emails from spam accounts. Friends sending her links to videos through group chats. Angry messages from people she and her crew troll in multiplayer games. She quickly deleted and removed all notifications and started up YouTube.
'How do i look more… Girly?' She pondered. She liked dresses and makeup sure. What she didn't know what how to be girly. She was rude, obtuse, and a total asshat with nothing really agreeable about them. It's what she loved to do online. She finally felt like a person who can do what she wanted. And who cares if people got angry at her? There are so many people who play these games. Why would she expect to meet them again? Real life was different. She couldn't be this verbose and abrasive individual. In fact Neo felt vulnerable to any criticism let alone someone regretting going on a date with her. Neo was resolute to become a girly person. She needed to make herself look like someone worth spending time with.
Neo had spent the entire day looking up makeup tutorials, how to do her hair, anything she can do to look like those girls on YouTube. She almost went overboard a couple times and had to restart with showers and baths.
Roman was worried. 'Why go through all this effort? It's just some kid, right? No way some kid would just come into the daughter's life though. If he's just a goofball then why go through the effort?' He paced back and forth worried that his precious angel was ruining herself over her first date. And that's when it hit Roman that she is going on her first date. She wanted to make a lasting impression. He waited a while and knocked on her door. A few minutes passed and she opened it sheepishly.
"Hey Sweetie" Roman said softly. "Mind if I come in?"
Neo nodded and let in her father. The room was full of steam and perfume. The door to her bathroom was open and fogged up her mirrors. The room was a mess. More than usual. Dresses piled up in a corner next to her Closet. Various tops were hanging out of her dresser and he could see about ten different tabs open to different YouTube videos.
"Take a seat, honey." Roman said as he sat down on her bed and patted right next to him.
Neo sat down next to her dad unsure what he was going to say.
"I know this is your first date. Naturally you want to make a good first impression." Roman held onto her and gave a gentle squeeze. "But remember whatever reason he wants to be with you Neo it's because you were yourself." Roman rubbed held onto Neo as she leaned into him. Unbeknownst to Roman, Neo was panicking.
'He doesn't know what kind of person I am!' Neo flailed internally as she held onto her dad. 'Jaune probably thinks I'm something completely different.'
"If that fails though, remember. He's the one losing out. You're a great gal. No matter what you do I'm sure you'll make tonight memorable."
Neo calmed down hearing that. 'Maybe I can ease Jaune into it?'
Roman got up. He smiled and looked down at her. "I'll go put on my mean face. I'll scare him a little when he comes over."
That's not funny dad! Neo exclaimed to the best of her abilities while pouting.
"Hey it's one of the few things a dad gets to do really! I can't waste my moment." He gives a playful smile as he strikes a melodramatic pose. He walks over to the door seeing his daughter thoroughly enjoying the theatrics at hand. "I'll leave it to you." He smiles and closed the door behind him as Neo knew what she was going to do.
It was later that day as the doorbell ringed. Jaune was wearing a black polo and a letterman style jacket with a new pair of jeans. He was sweating bullets and silently thanked god that antiperspirant was a thing. The door had opened showing a tall man in a white coat with orange hair towering over the Arc boy.
"Well hello! You must be Jaune!" Jaune had gulped. The man had an incredibly off putting aura to him as he nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir!" Jaune stood at attention with saucers for eyes. Roman knew this kid wasn't a pushover, but lord would he relish this.
"Please please where are my manners. Do come in my humble abode!" Roman bowed slightly extending his arm for Jaune to enter. Jaune did so seeing all the 30's art and mugshots of people such as Bugs Moran and Al Capone.
"I.. I like the art. It's very uh. Speakeasy?" Jaune said attempting to fit in the time frame. Roman had nodded with a satisfied smile 'Kid at least knows something'
"Why thank you! It's a personal collection that I intend to grow. My family had ties to all of this prohibition era madness that happened in Chicago. It's an invested interest that I am keen on continuing. Come please do sit with me until Neo is ready." They both moved the the barstools that were on the opposite side of the kitchen. Roman rest his hands on the slab where he would normally serve Neo her breakfast. "So tell me about yourself."
"Well, I'm from a large family with seven sisters." While Roman looked unfazed about the news, inside he was quite surprised. 'DON'T HIS PARENTS HAVE A TV OR SOMETHING'
"Wow Jaune that's very interesting! It must make your house quite exciting."
Jaune perks up a little "There's always something going on! Makes the family trips difficult though."
Roman laughed a bit. "I can imagine that you have a caravan of cars when you take road trips." Roman felt suddenly happier that his house only occupied two people never having to deal with how coordinated they would be on any outing. "But anywho." His smile died down into a more serious and quizzical look. "You know with how to treat a lady I'm assuming with seven sisters?"
"Yes sir!" Jaune looked nervous thinking something else was coming.
"I'm glad. Then I don't have to tell you how my parents taught me how to deal with boys who didn't." Jaune audibly gulped as a pit was in his stomach. Roman's smirk grew knowing what he said was acknowledged.
"I'm just joking kid, don't take me too seriously." The smile returned the Roman's face. "Just bring her home before 11 and you will be fine." Jaune immediately calmed down as his posture relaxed.
After a few more minutes of speaking shoes were heard clicking against the stairs as both men watched the petite woman walk down the stairs. She was wearing an all black dress with a thin white leather belt around her hips. Her pigtails bounced slightly with white bands that were frilled holding her hair down. The top was laced with a loose bow accented by gentle frills around the collar and had no sleeves. Her shoes were black wedges with white laces almost as if the tops were sneakers. She stood there at the bottom of the steps holding her arms behind her back with a light blush looking down at the ground.
'Aren't you gonna compliment me anon?' This pleased herself as she giggled and looked up to Jaune who was absolutely stunned.
"Wow… You look amazing!" Jaune walked forward and hooked her arm around his and lead her to the door. "I'll make sure she come home safely sir!" Roman just leaned there and smiled. His daughter turned around as they left waving goodbye.
"God I hope they know what they're doing."
