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[Having Rapunzel around had definitely helped speed up Varian's recovery in a way he's not sure it would have if she wasn't around. She's important to him in a way that's difficult to voice. A rock to cling to when the sea might threaten to drown him otherwise.
He's also been trying to not hole himself in his lab forever, even if it means sometimes having a quiet moment in his room to try and relax a little. All in the effort to take better care of himself. He opens the door on hearing Rapunzel's knock, smiling.]
Hey, Princess. Sure am, uh...you wanna come in? Fern's out right now, so it's just us.
[And if she steps in she'll likely notice a flower that looks VERY MUCH like the Sundrop Flower sitting on his windowsill next to a little daisy. Both are looking a little bedraggled around the edges- but in the way of plants healing from something traumatic rather than the other way around. ]
[He's smiling. Good. Any of the hurts in Rapunzel's heart can easily be soothed when she sees the smiles of the people she loves, so already she's feeling much better about this Thing that's been on her mind lately.
She's hopeful. Really, she is. But it's still been a while since they talked about Cassandra, so she's not sure how this will all shake out.
... And uh- yeah she absolutely does a double-take when she notices the flower on the window's ledge. A hundred questions pop into her head, and her mouth almost trips over her own words before she can push them back - there will be time for questions after this important one.]
Yeah- sure! Sorry, I only realized when I was, like, right at your door that I should've brought tea or something up. I can totally bring some later! But... um. [A hesitant pause. Her expression doesn't quite drop, but there's that sort of subtle shift that happens when Rapunzel clearly wants to talk about something serious.] I have... a question. A plan, I guess? But there's something I wanted to ask you before I did anything.
[That's a whole other thing- but at least it's not a bad thing. It's a nice thing, a rarity in this place, truth be told. He chuckles a little at the offer. ]
Rapunzel, it's okay, you don't need to bring me tea offerings. I'm doing a lot better, I promise.
[He hopes if he promises her on it, it might ease her worries a little. He catches the subtle shift, his eyebrows raising a little. He plops himself on the foot of the bed, patting the place next to him for her to sit. ]
A plan huh? Well, I do like plans. What's on your mind? I'll help however I can.
[She huffs a little at his reassurances; don't think you can convince her to NOT dote on you, mister!! She absolutely trusts him when he says he's getting better - that he's willing to talk about promises again after promising had frayed their friendship so badly is a good sign. But she's still gonna do her best to take care of him, no matter what. She just... needs to get this off her chest first.
She knows that he sees what's going on between her and Cassandra differently. She knows that he's seen how things get better down the road. So she's not worried about how he'll react, it's just... she's not sure if approaching it like this is the right way of going about it.]
... I wanna invite Cassandra over.
[Short and to the point. She can't dance around this subject.]
I don't - I don't even know if she'd respond to me. Or agree. But... With some of the things that have happened lately, I really want to reach out. I don't want to keep waiting for her to come to us, because I think she's forcing herself to not think about doing that.
[His expression softens when she lets out what she wants. Because he agrees with her, wholeheartedly. ]
I kept a room empty here for a reason, y'know. I want her to come here, too. It's...safer when we're together. And I think it would do her a lot of good.
[In understanding that they're not her enemies. That they really do want to help her get better. He rubs his arm, a little uneasy. This treads on a deeply uncomfortable territory for him, after all. As much as Cass tried to tell him their situations weren't similar...well.]
I...remember what it's like, being where she is now. If we leave it to her to make that first step forward, she might not ever take it. It's...scary. Not knowing if the rug is gonna be pulled out from under you if you go back again. But letting her know it won't...it might just give her that chance to realise she's still wanted.
That's why I want to try, at least. I know I can't force her - I don't want to force her. Feeling like that is one reason why she was so angry.
[And she gets it, now. She didn't before, when she was so caught up in the excitement of being around other people, of being outside Corona, trying so hard not to think about the potential dangers of their journey... Cass so easily went along with things, but Rapunzel never stopped to ask if she was okay with it first.]
But her feeling alone, and feeling like nobody really cared about her... that's how Zhan Tiri was able to get into her head. I've already made it clear that I'll come the second she reaches out, but... [She lets out a long, heavy sigh through her nose, flopping down next to him on his bed.] I'm scared, you know? That something terrible is going to happen to her, that things might get as bad as you told me they do sometimes, and make everything worse. And she'll just keep hurting and hurting, until...
[Her mind flashes back to last month. To poor Varian, struggling so much against his pain that he fell to beasthood. It had torn her up, seeing him like that - she's not sure if she could handle seeing someone else she loves do the same.]
I don't... I don't want her to like me again. [It hurts, so much, to say that. But that's far from Rapunzel's top priority right now.] I just want to make her feel safe again. I want her to know that I'm willing to put in the effort for her.
...Yeah, I get it. She has to make that choice herself or not at all.
[Which is hard, when he's worried about her. When Rapunzel would be even more worried. Even coming from the point in their future he does, being fully aware that things work out, doesn't ease the concern nipping in his head. Sure, Cassandra doesn't have Zhan Tiri here, poisoning her further with promises and lies, but he's lived here long enough to know it has its own ways of pressing people's buttons.
He exhales softly, glancing over to her. He's not about to sugarcoat this, she doesn't deserve that. ]
I understand. And...honestly, there's a good chance that will get bad. It's important that you have people you feel safe with to recover when it does happen. If you're alone for that... well. This place would swallow you alive.
[He's definitely a good example of that, and he HAS people to help him recover. If he hadn't...well, he doubts he would have been brought back from Beasthood at all. His eyebrows raise at Rapunzel's admission- that had to have been hard to say.]
...I think that's something that would just come with time. [Liking her, he means.] But making sure she has a safe place? That's...that's a good start.
... It's hard to think that Cass could get sucked down like that, y'know? She's one of the strongest people I've ever known. Probably the strongest. That just makes the power of this place even scarier to think about.
[Cass has been beaten in fights before. Against Adira, Hector under the control of Zhan Tiri, their big fight in Cassandra's tower... but she always gets back up again. It's something she always admired about Cass - that sort of determination that burns so hot and bright that nothing can snuff it out.
Except... it's like something is so determined to snuff it out now. She'd seen the way Zhan Tiri talked for Cass, rather than let her speak on her own, during their encounter at the Spire. She saw how the memories of Gothel had shaken Cass up beyond belief. Knowing that this place could be that one final push...
No. It's not gonna happen. Not while Rapunzel's here. So she pushes those worries aside, deep down into a corner of her mind, and smiles against it.]
Maybe we should get her room ready and comfortable. Just in case. [She won't overdo it. She can't, not yet. But still... after a moment, she laughs.] Do you think Fern would be okay with using some of his weapons to decorate her room? I bet that would make her feel more comfortable. It'd be like a little reminder of home!
[... It doesn't occur to Rapunzel, at this moment, that Varian might not know about Cass's. Er. Wardrobe.]
Strength doesn't really do a whole lot for you if this place really sinks its claws in you.
[It's a horrible truth, but he's not going to hide it from her- she needs to be able to survive this world too. He's seen it happen time and time again, he's experienced it for himself. Hell, this past month was example enough of that.
As much as he wants to put faith in his friends being able to rise above what this place will throw at them...experience has taught him otherwise. He thought home was bad enough- but no, no no. Between Deeringon and Trench he knows how just how easy they'd had it.
Still, better to think of positive things now- and this is definitely a positive thing! He smiles- he was tragically unaware of her wardrobe, when he did his stint doing her chores he never dared enter her wonderous bedroom his little 14-year-old self would have had some sort of aneurism about being in CassANdra's bedroom.
Still, that makes sense for Cass and given he's spent the better part of two years living with another sword gremlin who thinks GIANT TERRIFYING WEAPONS are perfectly acceptable decorative accessories (does he have a type? he thinks he has a type) it's less of a confusing thought that it could have been otherwise. ]
Yeah, we can set it up all nice for her. And I'm sure Fern won't mind sparing a few of his weapons. He's got a lot of them. So, so many.
[Rapunzel can't hide a giggle at that. Good, this is good - just focus on the positive, so the negative doesn't drag you down.
She knows now that she can't ignore the negative, and she's really not. But if she only focuses on that, she's only going to think about all the ways this can go wrong. And if she goes into talking to Cass like that, then she's sure she's gonna mess up somehow. So instead she'll focus on thinking ahead, when she knows things will get better.]
Good!! Oh man, they're gonna get along really well because of that, huh? [It'll be like Vardaros all over again. Rapunzel had been a bit thrown off back then, with how different everyone was, but... Cass being able to find Her People was kind of refreshing to see. It's good that there's something like that for her here, too.] Did I ever tell you about that time Cass pulled out a giant axe that was twice as tall as she was?
[It's nice to hear her laugh- it really is. He knows adjusting here has been hard, and with all the Cass problems on top of it- it's...just nice to know she still can find something to laugh at. It's just putting the negative down. Just for a little bit. A tiny break. ]
Hah, they probably will. Fern will want to spar with her, very much. He likes being able to do that with people and I'm just...bad with swords. I hucked it on the roof last time.
[He sounds amused by it anyway, it was a funny time. But he'd like Cass to find someone she can bond with, too. (He definitely has a type) ]
Oh man, really? I'd ask how she carried it, but let's face it, this is Cass. She's really strong.
Really! I mean, I knew she was strong before, but I didn't know it was to that level! And she was able to pull it all the way up close to the bottom!
[Even after so long, that giant axe is still so wild to her.]
Honestly, what I wonder is how she got it up to my room all the way from hers. That's a pretty long trip with something that big, and I'm not sure it could even fit in any of the secret passages.
You haven't lived through it yet, but I tracked a whole lot of grease in the castle and got some of it on that weird rug with the green tassels she's so fond of? I genuinely thought she was gonna kill me.
[Brrrr. That sends a chill down Rapunzel's spine. Still, she manages to laugh, even if it's a little at Varian's misfortune.]
I think that's kind of a good thing, actually! Not her being mad!! But I mean... that she didn't stay mad at you. In a way, that just shows how much she cares!
[... Trust Rapunzel to see the bright point in even an intimidating situation.]
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droptheious) wrote2021-06-20 12:39 am
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cawaii
no subject
He's also been trying to not hole himself in his lab forever, even if it means sometimes having a quiet moment in his room to try and relax a little. All in the effort to take better care of himself. He opens the door on hearing Rapunzel's knock, smiling.]
Hey, Princess. Sure am, uh...you wanna come in? Fern's out right now, so it's just us.
[And if she steps in she'll likely notice a flower that looks VERY MUCH like the Sundrop Flower sitting on his windowsill next to a little daisy. Both are looking a little bedraggled around the edges- but in the way of plants healing from something traumatic rather than the other way around. ]
no subject
She's hopeful. Really, she is. But it's still been a while since they talked about Cassandra, so she's not sure how this will all shake out.
... And uh- yeah she absolutely does a double-take when she notices the flower on the window's ledge. A hundred questions pop into her head, and her mouth almost trips over her own words before she can push them back - there will be time for questions after this important one.]
Yeah- sure! Sorry, I only realized when I was, like, right at your door that I should've brought tea or something up. I can totally bring some later! But... um. [A hesitant pause. Her expression doesn't quite drop, but there's that sort of subtle shift that happens when Rapunzel clearly wants to talk about something serious.] I have... a question. A plan, I guess? But there's something I wanted to ask you before I did anything.
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Rapunzel, it's okay, you don't need to bring me tea offerings. I'm doing a lot better, I promise.
[He hopes if he promises her on it, it might ease her worries a little. He catches the subtle shift, his eyebrows raising a little. He plops himself on the foot of the bed, patting the place next to him for her to sit. ]
A plan huh? Well, I do like plans. What's on your mind? I'll help however I can.
no subject
She knows that he sees what's going on between her and Cassandra differently. She knows that he's seen how things get better down the road. So she's not worried about how he'll react, it's just... she's not sure if approaching it like this is the right way of going about it.]
... I wanna invite Cassandra over.
[Short and to the point. She can't dance around this subject.]
I don't - I don't even know if she'd respond to me. Or agree. But... With some of the things that have happened lately, I really want to reach out. I don't want to keep waiting for her to come to us, because I think she's forcing herself to not think about doing that.
no subject
I kept a room empty here for a reason, y'know. I want her to come here, too. It's...safer when we're together. And I think it would do her a lot of good.
[In understanding that they're not her enemies. That they really do want to help her get better. He rubs his arm, a little uneasy. This treads on a deeply uncomfortable territory for him, after all. As much as Cass tried to tell him their situations weren't similar...well.]
I...remember what it's like, being where she is now. If we leave it to her to make that first step forward, she might not ever take it. It's...scary. Not knowing if the rug is gonna be pulled out from under you if you go back again. But letting her know it won't...it might just give her that chance to realise she's still wanted.
no subject
[And she gets it, now. She didn't before, when she was so caught up in the excitement of being around other people, of being outside Corona, trying so hard not to think about the potential dangers of their journey... Cass so easily went along with things, but Rapunzel never stopped to ask if she was okay with it first.]
But her feeling alone, and feeling like nobody really cared about her... that's how Zhan Tiri was able to get into her head. I've already made it clear that I'll come the second she reaches out, but... [She lets out a long, heavy sigh through her nose, flopping down next to him on his bed.] I'm scared, you know? That something terrible is going to happen to her, that things might get as bad as you told me they do sometimes, and make everything worse. And she'll just keep hurting and hurting, until...
[Her mind flashes back to last month. To poor Varian, struggling so much against his pain that he fell to beasthood. It had torn her up, seeing him like that - she's not sure if she could handle seeing someone else she loves do the same.]
I don't... I don't want her to like me again. [It hurts, so much, to say that. But that's far from Rapunzel's top priority right now.] I just want to make her feel safe again. I want her to know that I'm willing to put in the effort for her.
no subject
[Which is hard, when he's worried about her. When Rapunzel would be even more worried. Even coming from the point in their future he does, being fully aware that things work out, doesn't ease the concern nipping in his head. Sure, Cassandra doesn't have Zhan Tiri here, poisoning her further with promises and lies, but he's lived here long enough to know it has its own ways of pressing people's buttons.
He exhales softly, glancing over to her. He's not about to sugarcoat this, she doesn't deserve that. ]
I understand. And...honestly, there's a good chance that will get bad. It's important that you have people you feel safe with to recover when it does happen. If you're alone for that... well. This place would swallow you alive.
[He's definitely a good example of that, and he HAS people to help him recover. If he hadn't...well, he doubts he would have been brought back from Beasthood at all. His eyebrows raise at Rapunzel's admission- that had to have been hard to say.]
...I think that's something that would just come with time. [Liking her, he means.] But making sure she has a safe place? That's...that's a good start.
no subject
[Cass has been beaten in fights before. Against Adira, Hector under the control of Zhan Tiri, their big fight in Cassandra's tower... but she always gets back up again. It's something she always admired about Cass - that sort of determination that burns so hot and bright that nothing can snuff it out.
Except... it's like something is so determined to snuff it out now. She'd seen the way Zhan Tiri talked for Cass, rather than let her speak on her own, during their encounter at the Spire. She saw how the memories of Gothel had shaken Cass up beyond belief. Knowing that this place could be that one final push...
No. It's not gonna happen. Not while Rapunzel's here. So she pushes those worries aside, deep down into a corner of her mind, and smiles against it.]
Maybe we should get her room ready and comfortable. Just in case. [She won't overdo it. She can't, not yet. But still... after a moment, she laughs.] Do you think Fern would be okay with using some of his weapons to decorate her room? I bet that would make her feel more comfortable. It'd be like a little reminder of home!
[... It doesn't occur to Rapunzel, at this moment, that Varian might not know about Cass's. Er. Wardrobe.]
no subject
[It's a horrible truth, but he's not going to hide it from her- she needs to be able to survive this world too. He's seen it happen time and time again, he's experienced it for himself. Hell, this past month was example enough of that.
As much as he wants to put faith in his friends being able to rise above what this place will throw at them...experience has taught him otherwise. He thought home was bad enough- but no, no no. Between Deeringon and Trench he knows how just how easy they'd had it.
Still, better to think of positive things now- and this is definitely a positive thing! He smiles- he was tragically unaware of her wardrobe, when he did his stint doing her chores he never dared enter her wonderous bedroom his little 14-year-old self would have had some sort of aneurism about being in CassANdra's bedroom.
Still, that makes sense for Cass and given he's spent the better part of two years living with another sword gremlin who thinks GIANT TERRIFYING WEAPONS are perfectly acceptable decorative accessories (does he have a type? he thinks he has a type) it's less of a confusing thought that it could have been otherwise. ]
Yeah, we can set it up all nice for her. And I'm sure Fern won't mind sparing a few of his weapons. He's got a lot of them. So, so many.
no subject
She knows now that she can't ignore the negative, and she's really not. But if she only focuses on that, she's only going to think about all the ways this can go wrong. And if she goes into talking to Cass like that, then she's sure she's gonna mess up somehow. So instead she'll focus on thinking ahead, when she knows things will get better.]
Good!! Oh man, they're gonna get along really well because of that, huh? [It'll be like Vardaros all over again. Rapunzel had been a bit thrown off back then, with how different everyone was, but... Cass being able to find Her People was kind of refreshing to see. It's good that there's something like that for her here, too.] Did I ever tell you about that time Cass pulled out a giant axe that was twice as tall as she was?
no subject
Hah, they probably will. Fern will want to spar with her, very much. He likes being able to do that with people and I'm just...bad with swords. I hucked it on the roof last time.
[He sounds amused by it anyway, it was a funny time. But he'd like Cass to find someone she can bond with, too. (He definitely has a type) ]
Oh man, really? I'd ask how she carried it, but let's face it, this is Cass. She's really strong.
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[Even after so long, that giant axe is still so wild to her.]
Honestly, what I wonder is how she got it up to my room all the way from hers. That's a pretty long trip with something that big, and I'm not sure it could even fit in any of the secret passages.
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[He's learning that the hard way now as Royal Engineer. His smile widens, a little conspiratory. ]
I think the real question is how did she sneak it past Old Lady Crowley?
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... Maybe Cass had some kind of special powers even before all of this.
[She says it so seriously, it's hard to tell if Rapunzel legitimately believes this, or if she's joking.]
That's the only explanation for being able to sneak by Crowley, right???
no subject
[Only logical explaination!!! He laughs.]
You haven't lived through it yet, but I tracked a whole lot of grease in the castle and got some of it on that weird rug with the green tassels she's so fond of? I genuinely thought she was gonna kill me.
no subject
I think that's kind of a good thing, actually! Not her being mad!! But I mean... that she didn't stay mad at you. In a way, that just shows how much she cares!
[... Trust Rapunzel to see the bright point in even an intimidating situation.]
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I don't know. I think she was just waiting to get her own back on me. Just...biding her time, y'know?
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[Cass is... sneaky and kinda mean like that. But a funny kind of mean.]
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[He sure bitches about it enough to suggest she does it all the time.]