[IC Inbox for Cerealia]

[heiroglyphs]

Thank you for calling.

You have reached the voice mail box of Weiss Schnee. My humblest apologies, but I am presently unavailable.

Please leave a brief message and I will get back to you as soon as-- wait Ruby no!

[ Beep! ]

Comments

[heiroglyphs]

The people, mostly, I guess.

[She folds her hands into her lap.]

[corona]

Right. [ Excuse her while she scoffs. ] That? Is a lie. And you know how I know? Because that thing you said about not having any dreams is a lie.

Everyone has a dream. Everyone has something inside them that is only theirs. Even if you don't know what it is yet, that potential is there and it is You. Your Soul. Your purpose. Call it what you want but... you have it. And you're just fooling yourself by saying you don't.

[ / s p e e c h e s ]

[heiroglyphs]

Yeah, maybe.

[She rolls her shoulders, finally freeing herself from the back of the couch she had been slowly trying to retreat into.]

Well, it's now 4 in the morning. I wouldn't mind getting some semblance of rest tonight.

[corona]

Weiss - come on. [ But she sounds more fearful than determined or self-righteous now, and her hands fly immediately to her hair. ] I... don't know that I can sleep, remember? I'll just be annoying you with all my sound anyway. Or I'll draw your face while you're asleep, heh.

Please stay up with me. Just a little longer.

[ beat ]

...We can have s'mores!

[heiroglyphs]

[She sighs.]

Do we have the stuff to make s'mores?

[Legitimate question. She might have some graham crackers in the pantry. But marshmallows and chocolate?]

[corona]

I don't know. I just learned about this today. [ IT'S FINE ] Can't we just... find some? That's - how modern human society works, right? It's so convenient to have stores like that.

[heiroglyphs]

[Did you seriously just ask her to go to the store at 4 in the morning to get s'mores?]

Okay, how about we go to the store tomorrow morning and have a proper sleepover tomorrow once we're better prepared?

[Because she barely made it to the front door from her bed. Do you really think she can drag herself to the store?]

[corona]

[ AKLNAG RUSHING AFTER HER WAIT!! ]

Wa - wait! What if I... Uh -- Darn what do people usually do at sleepovers? Chameleons are totally different than people!!







What if I do your hair?!

[heiroglyphs]

Rapunzel...

[She shakes her head.]

Would you feel better if you slept here tonight? That way you don't have to sleep alone.

[corona]

...





Could I?

[heiroglyphs]

[She takes a moment to ponder this.]

Eh, why not? My bed's big enough for two.

Just don't go making a habit of this.

[corona]

[ There's a short pause - Rapunzel's too humbled, intimidated, and, yes, grateful to Weiss suddenly to feel brave enough for much more than a brief one - as she thinks it over, still not quite smiling. ]

...Can we still make s'mores? I - I have the stuff at my place, it's just down the hall -- I just. Really want to get to know you, Weiss. And I want to thank you for everything you've done for me - including this. I know that sounds crazy, but I'm...

This is new for me. You know?

1/2

[heiroglyphs]

[Hnnng Rapunzel, you don't understand how badly she wants to sleep right now.]

If you want to cook them, then I suppose I can stay up for one s'more.

[heiroglyphs]

[Wait what was that whispered part.]

W-what part of this is new, exactly?

[Just what do you think is going on right now?]

[corona]

All of it. Me staying here. You - telling me about your family and making s'mores with me...

Friends.

[ Quietly because, yes, she is ashamed! ]

[heiroglyphs]

Oh.

[She sits back against the couch again. Rapunzel seems like such a lonely girl, which is strange considering she's so full of energy and optimism.]

Yeah... I guess this is kinda new for me too.

[corona]

Is that why you're so terrible at staying up late?

[heiroglyphs]

Hey, a good night's sleep is very important for keeping a body healthy and a mind sharp.

[Two things that she values very much.]

[corona]

[ What. ]

What?

Is that true?

[heiroglyphs]

Yes?

[Girl we have got to get you in a classroom.]

That's pretty much the whole reason why we sleep.

[corona]

Uh. Aha. [ She shakes her head, happy at least to have Weiss on a track that leads away from an ending where she's the only one awake and shoving s'mores into her mouth to keep from crying. Gosh does that sound pathetic when she lays it all out like this. ]

It's not the concept I'm confused about exactly? I mean patterns like that are impossible to miss if you're looking. It's just... you said it as if it were a fact, and-- Well, it kind of made me wonder about the science behind it...

[ Namely because HEALING POWERS AYYY LMAO. It's fascinating to her that people - her included, now - actually have to take care of themselves beyond a single song! ]

What happens to you if you don't sleep? Sometimes I don't sleep for days.

[heiroglyphs]

You'll pass out, most likely. Though it's not unheard of to die from extreme exhaustion.

[Kind of grim to think about when nightmares are already keeping you up BUT]

...Please don't tell me you're going to keep me up for days. How do you even--

[corona]

Die. Mother never told me I could die from exhaustion. Why didn't she ever tell me I could die from exhaustion? [ After all, if the end game was to keep Rapunzel healthy, happy, and safe from the evils of the world... didn't those technically include herself? ]

Uh, I mean-- No. No we're not going to stay up for days. Only hours. [ Yes, she's already getting up, eager to put this exhaustion thing out of mind. ] I'll be right back, okay? Don't fall asleep, Weiss. I mean it.

[ And there she goes. Out the door and down the hall. ]

[heiroglyphs]

[And when Rapunzel returns, she'll find Weiss fast asleep, sprawled across her couch.]

[corona]

Weiss!!

[ She's not s annoyed so much as totally disbelieving: how can anyone sleep!? Huffing unattractively, Rapunzel slides to her knees beside the couch and lightly prods Weiss in the nose. ]

Weiss, hey! Hey - wake. Up. I don't you we were going to do this! [ Did you tho. ]