when will my life begin

[powershines]

In the morning, Rapunzel is not disturbed until she has had a little while to go over her coded notes from last night (letter by letter - she will learn to read this just like she learned to read printed notes, but neither task is quick) and has opened the door.

The guards posted there - they've changed in the night, she notices - tell her that she's invited to take breakfast with her parents in the dining hall.

Comments

[hisowninvention]

"Okay."

[sundayfish]

Cearl gets up from the breakfast table, looking pensive.

[hisowninvention]

Rolan declines to inquire. He stays put for a second or two, and then gets up himself.

[powershines]

Rapunzel is in the library as predicted. Reading.

She looks up and smiles just a little bit when she sees Rolan come in.

[hisowninvention]

"Hi," he says on the approach. "Your father noticed I'm in love with you - one of those times when I smiled - but he hasn't said a word about it, so I'm not sure what he thinks. He seems okay with me sticking around, though. He got the whole story of how I found you out of me and then asked me how I'm so good at violence if I hate it so much."

Is there somewhere to sit, comfortably close by? Why yes there is. How convenient.

[powershines]

"How can you tell he noticed if he didn't say anything?"

[hisowninvention]

"He got a look when he saw me smile. It's hard to describe - I come by these things through experience; I don't usually think of them in words. But it was a noticey look. And it's a fairly obvious smile."

[powershines]

"It is that."

[hisowninvention]

"Yep."

[powershines]

"There are so many books here."

[hisowninvention]

"Yeah. Having fun?"

[powershines]

"It's kind of overwhelming, but it's also nice to have all these choices about what to read."

[hisowninvention]

"Well, maybe the overwhelmingness will go away with time."

[powershines]

"Maybe."

[hisowninvention]

"We can always hope. How'd your thinking go, last night? Is the code thing working?"

[powershines]

"The code's coming along. I came up with asking to go to a hospital, we'll see how that goes, I guess."

[hisowninvention]

"Yeah." The Smile makes a reappearance, although an unusually pensive one.

[powershines]

"What're you thinking?"

[hisowninvention]

"I like that you asked to go to a hospital. It's sweet. You're sweet. I love you. And - I'm trying to get my thoughts in order, about that. Wondering if I should talk to you more about it or leave it be." He quirks a faint smile. "What's your take?"

[powershines]

"I'm curious. But I mean - what else would I do, with healing hair, the hospital is where sick and hurt people go."

[hisowninvention]

"Most people aren't nasty, but... most people aren't necessarily nice, either. Someone who wasn't you might not think, 'I have healing hair, what can I do to help people with it?' That's specifically you, to think that way. Some people would, but not everyone."

[powershines]

"Oh."

[hisowninvention]

"So. I like it when you do things that are... you."

[powershines]

"I don't think I get it."

[hisowninvention]

"Okay. What do I need to explain?"