for watcheslanterns

[bildungsromans]

Dick Grayson (bildungsromans) and Rapunzel (watcheslanterns)

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Sexting
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Deep Lore Notes

[bildungsromans]

DC / Meme Threads Continuity

• Obligatory Nightwing rescuing Rapunzel from the tower thread, prequel to all the meme threads so far as of uh... this comment
  

Childhood Friends / Medieval Tangled!Timeline AU

• A young Robin!Dick is part of a traveling circus headed to Corona, only for him to stumble upon Rapunzel (littlestsundrop) somehow
• They become pals, but are later forcibly split once Gothel gets really paranoid
• They could reunite years later when Dick is already Nightwing-aged
  • Cue angst lmfao

Dark Timeline

• Events of Tangled except Gothel did, in fact, kill Flynn at the end
  • Rapunzel's heartbroken, must stay true to her vow that she'd fight Gothel until she can escape
• Meanwhile, events of Final Crisis = the world thinks Batman is dead, so Dick must take Bruce's place as the new Batman
  • Dick's also heartbroken, except now over the loss of his father
• Despite Rapunzel's vow, Gothel endeavors to take Rapunzel somewhere where she can't be found
  • Gothel could takes Rapunzel to Ra's Al Ghul in exchange for protection
    • Rapunzel's hair is basically a Lazarus Pit without any of the bad side effects, after all
• Maybe this will all compel Dickbats to cut Rapunzel's hair short at some point after they inevitably meet? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Rapunzel escapes a struggle (with the League of Assassins?) with only some of her hair intact, and she's determined not to cut the rest for now out of some misguided belief that she could still help Flynn
  • But eventually after facing the facts and coming to know Dick, she would be able to let it go

childhood au

[bildungsromans]

[ For as long as Dick could remember, his life and upbringing always seemed to carry this sense of escalation. Much like the trapeze acts he's been honing and perfecting under the tutelage of his parents, the rising action was critical, ever-present, and in his case? Thoroughly literal. Because as Dick grew older, the Big Top was only getting bigger. With every advancing year, his parents permitted him to challenge himself with larger spaces and more complicated acrobatic stunts.

Which is fortunate, because Haly's Circus is finding more and more venues across the continent. And recently, they've been called to perform in the kingdom of Corona!

Dick's heard a lot about the place, being such a well-traveled boy who also happens to be quite well-read (it's the advantage of having a lot of downtime while moving in a caravan, and being able to pick up books from town to town with his sizable allowance). What's intrigued him the most, though, is precisely the kind of thing that always intrigues him: a good mystery. He's only seen bits and pieces of text regarding this topic, but the mystery of the lost princess is a thing that's been in his thoughts for quite some time.

On the road to Corona, Dick's spent many a sleepless night on top of his favorite elephant, Sitka, gazing at the stars. Gazing and wondering what this lost princess was like (if she was alive), as well as the circumstances that surrounded her disappearance. Having yet to visit Corona proper, Dick's never really seen an artistic representation of the princess, no murals dedicated to her when she was an infant. Now, he's only got his imagination to go on... and it's really not much to work with if he's hoping for a revelation.

One morning, deep in the forest of the Coronan outskirts, the caravan has set up camp. The kingdom is a few more days away, but the animals all need their rest - especially the elephants, who are among the performers. While the sun is still up, Dick was tasked to go fetch some firewood. It was a simple enough duty that he didn't need parental supervision, except...

That might have helped the moment he tripped and fell into a ravine - a ravine that seemed to open to a vast and hidden valley.

Unfortunately, tripping also happened to sprain Dick's ankle. The poor boy, too curious and resilient for his own good, decides to walk on into the valley, too allured by what appears to be a tower overhead. The pain of the sprain is an inconvenience, at most - Dick can't count the number of times he's been injured just from training to be an acrobat. It might be a surreal sight, this: a young boy clad in reds, yellows, and greens walking around with a limp. He's even found a large stick to use as an impromptu cane, just so he can continue towards the tower.

It's certainly strange that a structure like this is out in the wilderness, with no signs or anything pointing to it. To Dick, it's almost like the place has either been long abandoned, or its owners simply don't want it to be found.

He doesn't spend much time contemplating the reason for this place's existence, far too captivated by the possibility that someone could be there now. So he looks up at the window and musters his best outdoor voice. ]

Hellooo?

[ No answer... yet. He takes another deep breath, and-- ]

Hey! Anybody up there?

[ Hmm. Maybe it is empty. So, how about-- ]

I'm just a kid, and I'm hurt real bad!

[ Okay, so he's exaggerating. But he might as well pull the sympathy card while he's still this young. He puts a little more weight on the cane just to sell it. ]

Literally-- ow, the pain! Woe is me!!

[littlestsundrop]

[ Rapunzel's mother was away. When Rapunzel was younger, her mother hadn't left often, and only on very short trips. Now that she was older though, her mother left on longer trips so that she could gather more supplies and foods. When Rapunzel had made it known that she didn't like it when she went away her mother was quick to remind her that she did it for her.

Now where would you get all those paints you love if I didn't go away?

You wouldn't want to starve now dear, would you?

Sure enough, Rapunzel had relented, but she still missed her mother desperately when she went away.

As it was, Rapunzel and Pascal are stretched out on the floor, working on a puzzle when they hear someone shouting from below. Rapunzel startles and jumps up on to her knees. Pascal turns a magnificent shade teal. She's never heard someone other than her mother shout to her before. No one even wanders out this far.

They hear another shout and Rapunzel exchanges glances with Pascal. The chameleon leans his head towards the sole window of the tower. ]

We can't. You know what Mother would say.

[ Pascal frowns.

Still, Rapunzel stares at the window. The cries are getting louder and more desperate. Finally, after much debate, Rapunzel moves towards the window. She peeks her head out just enough to see who is down below.

True to the shouts, it is just a young boy below, which puts Rapunzel slightly more at ease. Her mother has warned her about the terrible people in the world, but surely another child couldn't be evil. ]

W-who are you?

[ Her voice isn't very loud, but hopefully loud enough for him to notice. ]

[bildungsromans]

My friends call me Dick!

[ A beat. ]

...and no, they don't mean that as an insult! I think!

[ Why did he feel the need to clarify that to what appears to be a really young girl? At least, that's who he thinks is up there peeking down at him. ]

I'm part a traveling circus, and I sorta lost my way in the woods!

[ He regards his own injury, as he suddenly realizes that his parents might kill him for being so careless. He's gotta perform in a few days, after all!

Best not to freak out now, though. Freaking out is for later, when everyone in the circus can judge him. ]

Thing is, my camp's farther than I'm willing to go with this bad leg.

Got anything I can use to tie it down? Maybe an herb or something to treat the sprain?

[littlestsundrop]

[ Rapunzel's eyes sparkle at the mention of a circus. She's read about them in books, but obviously had never seen one. After first reading about one, Rapunzel had asked her mother to see one, but like to many things, she had forbidden it. Her mother had peppered her with tales of pickpockets and con artists that would steal her blind or trap her in some kind of freak show. The idea had chastened her, but somehow the idea of the circus still seemed alluring.

And looking down at the boy - Dick - the curiosity of the idea burned anew. Certainly someone like him couldn't be a part of the scary tales her mother had weaved. Of course, there's the fact that he's hurt, too. It doesn't seem right that she should let him go back injured when she could help him.

She hesitates though, picturing how angry her mother would be if she gets caught. All of her warnings swirl around her head in a torrent of confusion.

In the end, Pascal presses a foot to her cheek. She looks at him and she knows what he thinks they should do.

And she agrees.

She edges out of the window a bit more, studying Dick. ]

...Can you keep a secret? Like...a really, really big secret?

[bildungsromans]

[ That's always a weird question when it comes from a complete stranger, but Dick doesn't see the harm in this particular person asking. ]

Uh... sure.

[ What's he got to lose, anyway? ]

As long as it's not something creepy that people might kill me for knowing, I'm all ears.

[littlestsundrop]

[ Rapunzel thinks for a moment. Maybe a terrible person would try to harm him if he knew her secret. But then again, nobody would know if he kept the secret to himself. So really, it had to be safe.

So, after a moment, Rapunzel swings her hair over the hook outside the window. It cascades down the side of the tower, falling just short of the ground. She's small still, but her hair had already grown to it's outrageous length.

She shouts out the window to Dick again. ]

Grab on! I'll pull you up!

dark timeline

[watcheslanterns]

[ hope this works. i was hoping dick could arrive for something unrelated and help her out? if not i can re-write. ]

[ Rapunzel's has lost count of how many times she has tried to escape Gothel. She wonders, as she crouches low in her darkened room, if Gothel has lost count as well. She wonders if that woman she had once called Mother regrets her choice so many months ago, if she relives that moment the same way Rapunzel does every time she closes her eyes.

She sees the panic in Eugene's eyes. She sees the dagger buried in his back and the blood that stains his clothes. She sees her name on his lips and the light that slowly dies in his eyes.

At first all she had been able to do way cry. Gothel dragged her from their hidden tower in the mountains to broken down car, and Rapunzel had wept the whole way. Eventually though, the memory turned her tears into fire. Anger and hatred bloomed in her heart, and she remembered the promise she had made.

She would fight. Every day of her life she would fight. Until she was free.

They had traveled from safe house to safe house, but every day Rapunzel had stayed true to her word. At every opportunity, she tried to escape. When Gothel demanded her healing powers, Rapunzel tore away from her until Gothel had to physically restrain her. Every incantation felt like a betrayal, that only made her fight harder.

In times of desperation, Rapunzel had slashed at her hair with a blade, threatening to cut it all, but they both knew that she couldn't follow through with it. Despite what had happened, some small part of Rapunzel still hoped that her hair could do something for Eugene, long left behind in that lonely tower.

Now though, in her latest prison, Rapunzel knew her escape would be more difficult than ever. Desperate, Gothel had brought Rapunzel to Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins. Gothel told her little about these people, but she'd said enough for her to know they were dangerous. Danger or not though, Rapunzel refuses to give up.

Every afternoon, Gothel comes to her with a meager meal, always at the same time. Like clockwork, the lock on her door clicks, and the door opens. Rapunzel springs from her crouched position, a sheet in her hand. She runs at Gothel and throws the sheet over her head. Quick as can be, Rapunzel ties the sheet around her, making it impossible for Gothel to move her arms or to see.

Gothel screams and threatens, but Rapunzel doesn't heed a word of it. She dashes away, her hair bundled up in her arms. Some of it golden like the sun, other chunks of it brown and raged from her cutting. All around her alarms are raised and figures appear, ready to stop her.

She can't let them. ]

works great!!

[bildungsromans]

[ They won't.

Not if Batman has anything to say about it.

Before Rapunzel can even assess just how many figures stand in her way, the entire perimeter is obscured in a cloud of smoke. She can hear pained grunts and shrieks as the hapless assassins fall one by one, beaten and subdued by a towering, dark figure. As soon as the smoke clears, practically every threat that stood in Rapunzel's way lies either unconscious or far too injured to move.

The last man standing is the new Batman: Dick Grayson. ]

Might be pointless to ask if you're okay... but feel free to share with the class. Do you know who I am?

[ He briefly scans the area for any remaining hostiles, only to turn his attention back to Rapunzel. ]

And can you tell me why the League of Assassins are holding you captive?

[ He removes his cape, proffering it to Rapunzel in case she might need the comfort it brings. She's visibly distraught, after all, and who can blame her? This is the League of Assassins, for pete's sake. ]

I'm getting you out of here.

[ Dick's not about to unload any baggage about the reason he's Batman now. Best for the world to believe, after all, that Batman never died.

Still, if there was a chance to resurrect Bruce, bring him back to a world that still needs him so desperately, Dick wanted to assess his options. See if a pact with Ra's Al Ghul to restore life to a man they both respect is even worth it... or if it's just a deal with the devil. Bruce's loss pains Dick still, like the loss of his parents had been repeated and amplified the moment he learned Darkseid had killed his adoptive father.

The pain lingers, Bruce's shadow inescapable ever since, but it isn't enough to distract Dick. Not right now, when it's clear that this innocent girl - who's evidently been in the League's clutches - needs his help. ]

To think, I was only here to talk to Ra's. The bastard will get his due retribution... but not until you're safe.

[watcheslanterns]

[ For a moment, Rapunzel is frozen in shock. She didn't know enough about the league to tell if this new arrival is a part of them. If anything he looks more intimidating than any of the others. It's only the instinctual need to escape that pushes her out of her stupor. In fact, she's about five seconds from whipping her hair to trip him up when he speaks. ]

I don't know who anyone is.

[ She shakes her head. Physically, she has a few scrapes, but nothing she can't take care of later. Emotionally? Mentally? Well, she was okay as she had to be for now. She couldn't let anything get in the way of her escaping, not even her own feelings. ]

My moth-

[ Rapunzel stops herself, almost biting her own tongue in the process. She had barely spoken with Gothel since Eugene had died, let alone said her name. Eighteen years of conditioning was hard to break. ]

I was kidnapped. The woman who did it brought me here so I couldn't escape.

[ The smallest of hopes pulses in her chest. The idea of an ally hadn't crossed her mind, and now that she seemingly has one, she doesn't know if she wants him. Eugene had been her ally, and that had brought nothing but misery in the end. She can't let herself depend on someone else again...but she could at least use him to escape. ]

Do you know the way out?

[bildungsromans]

Yes.

[ From his spiked gauntlet, a hologram emerges displaying a three-dimensional floor plan of the entire base. Dick points to the specific exit they're about to make. ]

This is where we're headed.

[ A little strange that this girl was brought here. Ra's normally didn't do kidnappings, so surely there must have been something special about her. Dick figures that any answer he wants, he'll either have to beat out of Ra's or seek out from the woman who did this. ]

Where's this woman you were talking about? Is she still here?

[ Dick's primary objective is Rapunzel's safety, but being Batman, he wants to be absolutely thorough. ]

Don't want the cape? That's fine, I could still use it.

[ He puts it back on as he starts in the direction of the exit. ]

Follow me.

I have plenty more questions, but this isn't a conducive environment for Q&A sessions.

[ As long as Rapunzel's close behind him, Dick advances towards the exit - a window overlooking a deep valley, from which the fall would obviously be lethal. Not that there's any worry, of course, as a bat-like plane hovers in place within jumping distance. The cockpit opens, but Dick steps aside to let Rapunzel go first. ]

Jump. Believe it or not, the plane will catch you.

[ No matter how long Rapunzel might deliberate, and whether or not she does choose to jump... forces have gathered behind Dick and Rapunzel. While Dick addresses Rapunzel, an assassin pulls him by his cape, and he lands on his back in front of a vast array of assailants.

Fortunately, he jumps so that he can kick an assassin in the face before engaging several others. Seems he doesn't need to give them all his attention, as he looks back at Rapunzel. ]

Jump! Jump now!

[ Should Rapunzel make it to the Batwing, it will descend beyond the assassins' reach, gliding to a distant cliff on the other side of the valley. ]

[watcheslanterns]

[ The cape did bring a certain level of comfort, and for that reason Rapunzel returns it. She can't be comfortable right now. She needs to be on her toes, staying sharp. If she let herself relax, she could be trapped again. With or without this stranger's help, she can't let that happen. ]

I left her behind in my room, though I don't think what I left her in will hold for long.

[ She runs, not far behind him. Despite her long captivity, her endurance is strong, probably thanks to her hair. Bitter, she tries not to think on it too long.

When they reach the window, Rapunzel peers over and catches sight of the place. She's never seen one like it before, but she isn't nervous about the jump. In fact, she's climbing over the edge of the window...only to stop and look back. Even if she does get into the plane, she didn't know where to go from there. She didn't want to rely on anyone, but some advice couldn't hurt. Besides...it would be wrong to leave someone behind in the mess she helped to make.

So when she spots one of the assassins making a play for Dick's back with a knife, Rapunzel flings out her hair, wrapping it around the assassin. She flings him right at a batch of other assassins, knocking them off their feet and into a wall. She at least has the advantage of surprise with her attack method. ]

[bildungsromans]

[ Dick refrains from proclaiming his excitement when he sees what Rapunzel does with her hair. She's practically made bowling pins out of these assassins. ]

Okay.

That is so much better than jumping.

[ He catches a katana blade between his palms before snapping it in half and kicking its wielder with a knee-breaking strike. As he continues to fight off amidst Rapunzel's contributions, the crowd of hostiles slowly thins once more. They have to remember the last time they fought Dick by himself, months ago when he was Nightwing-- it ended well for none of them then, so it certainly won't now.

To make quicker work of his opponents, Dick draws a pair of eskrima sticks to easily parry and counter the assassins' various weapons. He starts to notice that although the assassins are defensive against Rapunzel, they don't seem to be under any orders to attack her.

But surely there has to be a better reason than the length of her hair that's kept her in captivity. ]

We're nearly done.

[ He elbows an assassin in the face, one who'd attempted to attack him from behind. ]

Gather your hair.

When the smoke disperses, we leave.

[ Dick deflects several shuriken with his eskrima sticks, before intercepting an assassin's spear. His sticks seem to be durable enough that he uses them to snap the spear in two. He immediately kicks the spear's owner into the adjacent wall, just as he sheathes his eskrima sticks on his utility belt - only to pull out a smoke pellet in exchange.

He darts to Rapunzel's side and tosses the smoke pellet in the center of the remaining crowd. ]

To the plane. Now.

[ This time, Rapunzel can hop on the Batwing without fear of leaving Batman behind. He runs close behind her, encouraging her to lead the way as he keeps assassins at bay with concussive batarangs.

Before they can completely escape, though-- before Rapunzel can even step on the windowsill, she can hear a sharp and distinct cry behind all the clamor of the remaining assassins. A familiar calling of her name, albeit poisoned by entitled rage.

The voice of her so-called mother. ]

more dark timeline

[watcheslanterns]

[ It's been a few days since Rapunzel's escape from Gothel and the League of Assassins. While she wouldn't say that she's settled in, Rapunzel is at least more at ease in the Wayne mansion than she had been any place since her return to the tower. She's seen Dick a few times, but mostly their conversations were innocuous as she danced around what went unsaid. She knows that Dick is giving her space, and it makes her feel guilty that she's keeping something from him. He'd given her a place to recover and much more beside. What happened with Gothel really had little to do with him, but it didn't feel right to hide, either.

Besides that, whenever Rapunzel thinks back on Eugene, and the mess she and Gothel had left behind, a small part of her yearns to go back. Maybe it's silly, but with all that her hair could do...would it be so impossible to do something impossible? It's a half-hearted hope, but it'a better than no hope at all.

Still...she needs help if she's going to even try, so one afternoon Rapunzel finds her way back to the grandfather clock. She's not sure where Dick might be, but this was the spot he had told her about. She raises her fist and knocks a few times on the side of the clock. ]

[bildungsromans]

[ It might feel like forever as Rapunzel waits for the clock to move. Part of it might also be because the clock never moves today.

See, Dick doesn't actually emerge from the secret passage like he once said he would.

Instead, Rapunzel hears a voice from behind her. ]

Need something?

[ Clad in his Batsuit sans cape and cowl, Dick's already standing behind Rapunzel. He might've been in the Batcave at some point, but he'd clearly left to do something else in the manor.

Despite the innocuousness of their small talk throughout Rapunzel's stay, Dick couldn't help but feel there was an elephant in the room, like there was simply something Rapunzel wasn't telling him. He wasn't going to pry about it, though-- not until Rapunzel's ever ready to talk.

Having dealt with the League countless times, Dick felt he could afford to wait before acting against Ra's and Gothel. Maybe Gothel's going to go into hiding, but Ra's has no qualms leaving his whereabouts known to the Bats.

Ra's knows that even if he tried to elude Dick's reach... he'd fail. And now that Dick's Batman?

Ra's would fail miserably.

So Dick has taken to finishing off other cases in Gotham, keeping the city safe one arrested supervillain at a time. All the while, Rapunzel's had a chance to meet Alfred (whose snarkiness dropped some embarrassing hints about Dick's childhood) and Damian (whose brattiness knows no bounds - partly because he's jealous Rapunzel has so much of Dick's attention, currently). ]

ps. this just makes me want adorable interactions with rapunzel, alfred and damian.

[watcheslanterns]

[ Rapunzel's reflexes work into overtime at the sound of Dick's voice behind her. She cries out as she spins on her heels. Her hair is gripped in both of her hands as if she's readying herself to fight again. Honestly, it's a good thing she didn't have a frying pan on her.

She takes in the sight of him, and forces her guard back down. She sighs heavily and releases her hair. Rapunzel knows that stealth is probably important to his work, but did he have to use it all the time? But then she makes the connection of his suit. She wonders how much time he spends skulking about Gotham and fighting crime. ]

I'm sorry. [ Her voice is still tense from the jolt of fear that had taken her. ] Did I interrupt something important?

my god that would be adorable af!!!

[bildungsromans]

[ Rapunzel's own surprise even startles Dick, who slightly flinches at her reaction. Best, after all, to be ready for anything - but he immediately sees that Rapunzel means no harm.

Because of the tension in her voice, though, Dick places a gentle hand on her shoulder. ]

No, I'm sorry. For once, I actually didn't mean to be that sneaky.

[ He smirks at his own little joke, letting go of Rapunzel before the prolonged contact becomes something awkward. ]

And nah, you didn't interrupt anything.

I was on my way to the Batcomputer to analyze some shell casings, but it's nothing essential.

Deadshot's always been pretty easy to find.

i know, right???

[watcheslanterns]

[ Dick removes his hand from her shoulder just before she has time to think about it, which she most certainly would have. But there's no time for that. Not if she wants to stick to her plan. Rapunzel knows that if she doesn't just start talking that she'll convince herself to change her mind and keep her secret. In fact, she almost does change her mind when Dick talks about his work. But she screws her courage and keeps going despite her hesitation. ]

Okay. Well. I hope you're not saying that to make me feel better, because I'd like to ask you a favor and it might take some time.

[ Okay, so she's not exactly charging into the truth so much as dancing around it. But she's determined to tell Dick everything. ]

[bildungsromans]

Alright, Rapunzel.

[ He keeps his arms crossed as he listens intently. ]

Lay it on me.

[ Dick's already wondering if this is going to be something trivial, like if she needs a fresh batch of towels or something. But surely this must relate to the reason he even found her - why else would she have approached the grandfather clock?

This was definitely Batcave business. ]

medieval/childhood au cont'd.

[bildungsromans]

[ For all his life, Dick had only known Haly's Circus. It's where he was born and raised, where he'd experienced so many new and wonderful things as a child. There was no adjustment period to circus life, no introductions needed for any 'new normal,' because, to Dick, Haly's Circus was normal.

So things beyond it were always what fascinated him. Which was why, when he introduced Haly's to fresh eyes, he finally felt genuine wonderment towards his own life, towards the gifts he'd been born into, the loving and talented family that he was proud to call himself a part of.

Strange, then, how quickly that wonderment had passed. How quickly it fell by the wayside when Rapunzel, whose fresh eyes rekindled Dick's love for his home and everything it represented, was taken away. When Dick stopped hearing back from Rapunzel's pidgeon messages, and he checked to see a tower empty of its furnishings and inhabitants.

And that wouldn't be the end of it. Dick's parents had been murdered by bandits, who sabotaged their rope during their last act on their last day in Corona... and Dick was never the same since.

He lived in the shadow of his parents' deaths for years, letting it change him. He ran away from Haly's and began embarking on a crusade to right the wrongs committed by bandits' and thieves' guilds, systematically taking them down all his lonesome, leaving injured bodies to be seized by local authorities.

Though his own roguishness turned him into a wanted man, he'd earned the name 'The Nightwing,' and had become something a folk hero throughout the continent. He eventually came to lead his own crew, the Titans, whose loyalty and camaraderie gave him wistful recollections of life at Haly's. Leader that he was, Dick felt responsible for every member of the group. They had all been hurt, had all lost something to bad people.

As such, he took it upon himself to fetch them some firewood one evening, as the least he could do for his comrades' loyalty.

Seems this is the same evening that Rapunzel's been wandering the woods, having freshly escaped Gothel's clutches.

Of course, Dick knew nothing of this until finally, navigating the dark of the woods, he senses frantic movement. He climbs a tree and maintains a silent vigil over the body in motion: a familiar one, albeit older than he'd last seen.

He almost can't believe his eyes, so paralyzed by the realization-- does she even remember him, he wonders?

Before Rapunzel can continue down the trail, Dick leaps down from the branch where he was perched. He crouches into his landing to properly absorb the impact of the fall, and slowly rises, clad in all black with some blue highlights. He even wears a mask now, but imagines it does little to conceal his true face if one simply looks at him long enough. ]

Recognize me, Rapunzel?

[ His voice is obviously deeper since they last met, but it carries that familiar cadence. ]

[watcheslanterns]

[ Rapunzel had probably just had the biggest fight she had ever had with her mother. She was finally going to be eighteen and she had hoped that it would mean something. Maybe her mother would see that she could take care of herself, that it wasn't incredibly dangerous to see the world...but that hadn't happened. The way her mother had shouted and starred at her...Rapunzel didn't know how to feel. So when she and Pascal had been left to her own devices, they had fled. More than anything she wanted to find the floating lights that seem to call out to her, and she was determined that this was the year she would make it happen.

...

Of course, they weren't getting anywhere except lost.

Rapunzel had only just admitted that they were lost about an hour ago when the sun had set. In the forest all the tree and plants look the same, and having never actually traversed said forest, Rapunzel doesn't have a clue how to get where she wants. With the sun gone, the forest feels far more sinister. Every rustle in the brush and snap of a twig makes Rapunzel jump. Pascal holds fast at her shoulder, doing his best to keep her calm. It's a large task for someone so small.

Every fright has turned out to be nothing worth worrying about, that is until a stranger in dark clothes lands squarely in front of them. Rapunzel screams and swings out her frying pan in front of her like a sword. It's difficult in the dim light, but she takes in the sight of him. Fear, unfortunately trumps recognition for the moment and she holds her position. Surely this is one of the bandits or ruffians that her mother had warned her about. ]

Don't move! I don't have anything worth stealing...so...so just go back from wherever you came!

[ Surely she's threatening enough...right? ]

[bildungsromans]

That frying pan looks pretty valuable.

[ Dick keeps his distance, knowing full well he isn't impervious to solid kitchenware. He'd hate to startle Rapunzel with any sudden movements and get himself knocked unconscious. ]

Been hoping to have eggs for dinner, so I'd appreciate it.

Though, to be honest...

[ Standing in the moonlight, Dick hopes to alleviate Rapunzel's fears just a little bit. Namely, by removing his mask. ]

...I'd appreciate dinner with old friends even more.

[ Being older, Dick's hair is somewhat longer. His frame is much broader, thicker and more muscular than he'd ever been as a boy. From all his troubles, he's accumulated several small scars along his face and neck - but none of it's enough to dampen his natural handsomeness. One can only imagine, however, the vast number of scars he must have accumulated underneath his clothing. ]

It's been forever, Rapunzel. So much has happened, and I...

[ His features soften, as that initial swashbuckling demeanor gradually fades. ]

I've missed you.

[watcheslanterns]

[ His voice is unfamiliar, deeper than any voice she's heard before. But he says her name and really there's only one person other than her mother who should know it. Tentative, Rapunzel inches closer, but still holds her pan at the ready. There's just enough light from the moon for her to bring his face into focus. Her eyes narrow as she studies him. There's definitely something familiar in the unfamiliar man standing before her.

In the end, it's his eye and the casual smile that alights her recognition. She gasps. Pascal too must have come to the same conclusion as he lets out a squeak and turns a friendly shade of orange.

It seems so impossible that of all the times and places she finds him here, but now that she's realized the truth, she can't deny it. ]

Dick? Is that really you?

[bildungsromans]

In the flesh.

[ 'Dick in the flesh.' Yeah, he's not piecing that together out loud. ]

A lot's happened, Rapunzel. Too much, maybe.

But how are you? Are you safe?

[ He can guess that Rapunzel running around the woods at night means she's been far from safe.

But he wants to be polite. ]

[watcheslanterns]

[ About a million things are running through Rapunzel's head at the moment. Suddenly being face to face with a friend she thought long gone, getting herself lost in the woods and not knowing what to do next, well, it takes it's toll on her.

She throws out her arms, her tense stature now loose from the chaos of feelings rolling around inside of her. ]

I don't know! I think so? I was just trying to get somewhere, but I got lost, and I really have no idea where I'm going. I was following the stars I charted, but it's not easy to do out here in the woods. And now it's dark and there could be wild animals, or ruffians and thugs, and I don't know what I'm doing!

[ The words spill out of her at full speed. Sentences run together, and in the end she's gasping for some much needed air. ]