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

[alicornucopia]

Closer, closer.

[hisowninvention]

"It's okay," he says. "It's okay."

Funny thing, he's still not running. He can't hope to win this fight, can he? Surely that would be ridiculous. Two against one, and either one of the pair so much bigger and stronger than he is, and wielding large clubs against his empty hands.

[alicornucopia]

Well, if they're at all concerned by his bravado that doesn't stop #1 from swinging a club at his head.

[powershines]

Rapunzel yelps and shields her eyes.

[hisowninvention]

Well, that will save Rapunzel the sight of #1 getting stabbed in the gut, and of Rolan taking a glancing blow on the shoulder from that club as he ducks under it to try to get behind #2 with the knife he had formerly concealed in his sleeve. He's not big and brawny, but he is fast and he is not fucking around.

[alicornucopia]

Well, now they're pissed off. Really pissed off, pretty good at working together, moderately experienced at shrugging off injuries to keep fighting -

[hisowninvention]

- still going to lose.

It's close. If he was just half a second slower, a few times - but he isn't. He does have to block #2's club with his left arm, which suffers extensive damage in the process, but in the next moment he hits #2 very hard in the jaw with the hilt of his knife. Now both brothers are on the ground, #1 having gone down just beforehand.

He checks pulses. #2 is merely very unconscious. #1 is very dead. With how he was bleeding before he fell over, Rolan isn't surprised.

"Rapunzel?" he says hoarsely, looking back at her. "Are you okay?"

[powershines]

"Is it over?" she squeaks, still hiding her face.

[hisowninvention]

"Yeah. One guy's dead, the other one's knocked out, I broke my arm and I'm going to cry because I hate doing this," he says, the last words trailing off into sobs.

[powershines]

Rapunzel peeks between her fingers, whimpering. "I - I can fix your - your arm -"

[hisowninvention]

He steps over #1's club to get to her, holding out his left arm, which is pretty badly off. He is having trouble speaking, because of the crying.

[powershines]

Rapunzel drapes her hair over his shoulder carefully, and sniffles and then controls her voice well enough to sing softly. Unlike last time when she was rushing, pianissimo, from several stories up, he can hear the words this time:

"Flower, gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt
Change the Fates' design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine."

Hair: glows. Arm: heals.

[hisowninvention]

"Thanks," he manages. Now he can sit down and cover his face with his hands and cry. So he'll just be doing that.

[powershines]

Rapunzel sits too. Rapunzel cries too.

[hisowninvention]

It's a few minutes before he's recovered enough to say, "Do - do you want a hug?"

[powershines]

"Y-yeah."

[hisowninvention]

He scoots closer and hugs her. He is still sniffly and teary, but not crying as hard as before.

[powershines]

Rapunzel hugs him tight.

"Th-the one who's not dead, I could fix him."

[hisowninvention]

"You can, yeah," murmurs Rolan. "But when he wakes up he's just gonna try to kill me again. I guess we could tie him up first. If they were planning to kidnap you they probably have things to do that."

[powershines]

"Unless they were just going to tie me up in my own hair."

[hisowninvention]

"Could be. Want me to check?"

[powershines]

"Y-yeah. If you would?"

[hisowninvention]

"Okay."

A little bit more hug - he is currently of the opinion that you can never have too much hug - and then he goes and searches the brothers' belongings for things with which to tie someone up.

[alicornucopia]

They had some rope.

[hisowninvention]

"There's rope," he says. "We could tie him up and you could fix him. If you want."