mother knows best

[powershines]

Rapunzel doesn't sleep well, and she does wind up wrapped up in her hair overnight like a golden-cocooned butterfly. She's still dozing fitfully when the sun comes up.

Comments

[powershines]

"I need paper. Blank notebooks would be ideal but looseleaf is fine too. And pens and pencils."

[makeyourselfuseful]

"Well, you sure came to the right place," she says. She fishes around in the various drawers and cabinets of her enormous desk, and comes up with a pen, several pencils, and two canvas-bound blank notebooks. "Will that do for now?"

[powershines]

"Yes, thank you. Um, what's your name?"

[makeyourselfuseful]

"Torea."

[powershines]

"And you do... paper filing things."

[makeyourselfuseful]

"That's one description of my job, yes. I run the palace staff and keep track of the domestic budget. I also happen to be head cook, but only because I can't seem to find a replacement who's better than I am."

[powershines]

"So you're also who I talk to if I want to cook something?"

[makeyourselfuseful]

"Yep!"

[powershines]

"Okay. Thank you."

[makeyourselfuseful]

"Anytime."

[powershines]

Rapunzel backs uncertainly out of the room.

[hisowninvention]

"I'm pretty sure," Rolan comments as they head back toward Rapunzel's room, "that 'can't find a replacement who's better than I am' was a joke and she really likes cooking."

[powershines]

"Couldn't both be true?"

[hisowninvention]

"Being a joke doesn't necessarily make it false."

[powershines]

"Well, I hope she's also actually good at cooking."

[hisowninvention]

"Me too. If not, I might have to volunteer."

[powershines]

"I'm probably going to be too busy catching up on things for it to make sense for me to cook a lot. I don't think I'd miss it as much as I would some of the other things I'm used to doing."

[hisowninvention]

"Why, which ones will you miss?"

[powershines]

"I don't necessarily need to keep up with all my instruments and singing, but I like music. I don't think I need to keep making lots of crafts just to fill time or for fun, but I think it would be sad if I forgot how."

[hisowninvention]

"You have a nice singing voice."

[powershines]

"Thanks."

[hisowninvention]

[powershines]

"You've only ever heard me sing the hair song - I know more but all my sheet music is in the tower so I'd probably forget lyrics if I tried now."

[hisowninvention]

"Well, I seem to recall someone sending a bunch of people to go get that stuff for you, so maybe you can sing more things later."

[powershines]

"Maybe. I have a few things memorized on the piccolo, which I packed. I was thinking maybe if - something went wrong - I could busk."