[bright and early one morning... there's a loud crashing that comes from the kitchen, along with archer yelling. the clattering continues for a few moments, long enough that it's evident it wasn't just a one off of him dropping a pan. or breaking a plate. or... breaking a bunch of bottles.
silence.
finally:] YOUR CREEPY LIZARD IS WATCHING ME AGAIN!
[At first, Rapunzel doesn't even flinch; this isn't the first time that the sounds of clattering have followed Archer around the house, but it's only as the sounds continue that she pauses. And then there's the yelling and- oh no, she told Pascal to behave!!
Jumping up from the spot on the couch she'd retreated to as she worked on a few new sketches, Rapunzel hurries into the kitchen to hopefully do some damage control.]
Sorry, sorry! He's just really curious, that's all!
[That's... certainly one way to put it. If a chameleon could look suspicious, he would absolutely be doing doing so right about now. Even as Rapunzel scoops him up from his perch on the windowsill and drops him on her shoulder, his eyes still follow Archer...]
He's great with new people, honest! But he's just not sure what to make of all of this. He's only ever known Corona, after all.
[archer makes a very rude gesture at pascal as rapunzel scoops him up.]
He's an animal! [a... creepily intelligent one, but archer's a herpetologist! he doesn't know the baseline for lizards!] Ugh... whatever. Just tell him to stay out the kitchen, I don't wanna drop anything on him.
[Sure, Rapunzel isn't oblivious enough to not realize that Pascal is an animal with just an animal's capabilities, but... well. He's really the only good thing she had growing up, aside from Gothel. And with her entire life with the woman who kidnapped her being one big lie, she's a bit more protective of Pascal than she might normally have been.]
Aw, he knows how to stay out of the way. In fact, he could probably help you! Isn't that right, buddy?
[Taking a few steps back so she's not in Archer's way, Rapunzel reaches her hand out so that Pascal can scramble back onto the kitchen counter. With a squeak that sounds way too much like an affirmation to her words, the chameleon crawls off her hand and begins rummaging through the spice rack.]
He was my little helper whenever I cooked back home!
[archer, meanwhile, is far too much of an animal lover (except crocodiles and alligators, thank you) to actually purposefully try to hurt the little guy. he's annoying and creepy, but archer isn't a total monster. he wouldn't go out his way to do anything to something that's clearly someone's pet.
who... is rifling through the spice rack. like he can read. like people.
archer's jaw drops and he points at what pascal is doing.] He... he knows... lizard knows spice?
[The chameleon doesn't just seem to recognize that these are used in food; he seems to be judging them, head tilting as he pushes past salt and pepper and oregano until- aha! With a happy squeak, he pulls out the bottle of paprika with those little claws of his, and holds it out to Archer. C'mon man, it can go well on pretty much anything.]
He's a very well-learned chameleon! [Rapunzel is never one to shy away from talking about her friends' achievements, and Pascal is no exception.] Most of the time it was just us cooking, so he did his best to figure out how he could help.
[Despite her reassurances, Rapunzel looks... a little unsure. Was it too much? Should she have sad something? She knows not all animals are as smart as Pascal or Max, but this can't be that weird... right?]
Pascal's always been like this. He even knows how to play chess!
[for some reason, it's the concept that pascal can play chess that makes him chill out on this. how did he not see this before? it's obviously just a trained circus chameleon.
archer bends forward, holding a finger out to give pascal a little rub on the head. he's an animal lover at heart, after all.]
Maybe we should play sometime. I gotta know if I'm smarter than a lizard.
You'd be wise to not underestimate how smart he is.
[Rapunzel's voice drops low, trying to make it sound ~ominous~, with Pascal letting out a low, squeaking growl for emphasis.
... However, any attempt at intimidation, joking or not, goes completely out the window as soon as Archer offers pets. That's enough to make the little chameleon nearly melt as he sighs happily.]
His win streak is just as good as mine! He's even beaten Cass a few good times. [Which surprised her, even though she's played with Pascal for years. Cass is all about strategy, after all!] Maybe there's something about seeing the board from such a different angle that helps think of new strategies....
[despite himself, archer smiles when pascal responds positively to his pats. he sure does love petting animals! archer shifts his hand so pascal can climb up onto it for Advanced Petting, should the little creature so desire.]
Maybe you're just bad at chess, [he shoots back, attention clearly on pascal now.] or he uses the same one every time, and you think it's going to be different and better but it's just the same annoying shit over and over...
[...
anyway:] Since when have they had wild Chameleons in Germany, anyway?
[Between the petting and the way Rapunzel seems totally fine with Archer, even with his gruff words, any suspicions Pascal may have felt are totally gone by now. So when the man offers his hand to the chameleon, he gladly hops up, looking almost catlike as he stretches out in Archer's palm and waves his little claw, almost in a get on with it! gesture.
... Look, he was Rapunzel's only friend for like a decade. It makes sense that he's a little spoiled.]
You know, I don't think there are any other wild chameleons out there. None that I've seen anyway. Maybe his mom was a runaway or lost pet???
[Pascal always looks sad when the topic of moms comes up, so... she's never really pushed him to try and explain where his family came from, if they weren't originally from Corona.]
[he cups his hands to make sure pascal isn't in danger of falling while he lolls about -- god, he wants a pet. does a feral lemur that lives in your wardrobe count? probably not. wonder what kazak is doing these days.]
Uh huh, [he grunts, clearly not really caring. idly, like he's not even aware he's asking:] Are you feeling better? After your dunk a while back. The coughing was getting annoying.
[Oh, Archer. Such strange ways you show you clearly do care. It's still a bit more abrasive than what Rapunzel is used to dealing with, but after the past couple of months, she's starting to get a hang of it.]
I'm still feeling a little weak sometimes. It's not really bad, but more like that kinda shaky feeling you get when you're recovering from a cold. Is that... normal?
[She's come down with colds before. Stomach bugs and chills that come with the changing of the seasons. But she's never really been sick like she was in the aftermath of her trip in the lake, so she's not sure how different everything would be...]
You were probably hypothermic, so that's not a surprise. [it's a good thing she didn't suffer frostbite blisters, those are really unpleasant.] It'll probably last for a couple more weeks.
[there's a pause, then he sighs, giving pascal a little poke on the tum to get him to climb off his hand onto the counter.]
If it gets worse or you're really worried then... I could probably drive you to the hospital, or whatever. Pull a gun on them if they try anything creepy.
Wh- no! You don't have to go that far! Nobody would try anything weird in a hospital!
[Unfortunately, though Rapunzel's learned much about the cruelties of the outside world and how horribly people can treat others, her experiences are with a more... non-violent for of cruelty. Gaslighting, manipulation... all heavy subjects, but still very different compared to being violently held hostage or threatened.]
... I appreciate you looking out for me in your own way, thought. Even though you don't have to, you do it anyway. It... really helps make me feel a little safer.
You say that... [he mutters, looking away, offering no further explanation. archer just sniffs at being, shock, horror, accused of giving a shit.] I'm not a monster, you know.
[maybe some people that know him (lana, mostly) would argue differently.]
If I'm gonna get stuck with some idiot twelve-year-old then I'd feel shitty about leaving you in the middle of all this.
[Not that it actually bothers her. It's like... one of THEIR jokes!]
And I know you're not. I've... known real monsters. [The literal demon Zhan Tiri, and the more subtle, human monster that was the woman who raised her to believe she was Rapunzel's mother.] You're not like them at all. But I still want you to know how much it means to me. It's nice, having more friends I can rely on here.
Nope! [he knows how old she is; she's reminded him enough times. where's the fun in getting it right when it gets a reaction out of her every time?] Just as long as you're not planning on throwing yourself into the lake again any time soon.
That's very... German of you. [that reminds him to check to see what the thermostat situation is in this place. can't quite remember how it all was in the 60s, which is what this disney attraction from hell is going for.] What, like weekly at 5? I can see that. You have that... disposition.
[More like 7:30 am. Tangled had the worst air time for season 3.]
It's not like I try to get into trouble! Things just happen. Like one time my painting instructor turned out to be some kind of... demon apprentice??? And another time we got trapped in a pub with the ghost of the original owner.
[She sounds so... casual about listing off this incredibly bizarre stuff.]
You gotta lay off das methamphetamine-en. [why is he even surprised? he'd really thought krieger was the exception even after mannfred and uta. woops.] You don't do that shit in here, you hear?
[Rapunzel isn't a violent person. In fact, she hates needless violence; she'll fight in self-defense, but taking the fight to someone like that? In such a brutal way? It makes her shudder a little.
Still...]
they they can't be allowed to do that again i don't know if i want that to happen to them but we have to stop them somehow
I'm not going to kill people for fun or for any experiments or for some sick idea of justice
I don't know about you but i met lots of guys that deserved a punch to the face it's better than keeping all that anger inside you and letting it rot your heart
... yeah I know of one person especially who deserves to be stopped without question she did terrible things to someone i love and she enjoyed it there was no remorse at all when we defeated her just anger that she was stopped
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action!
silence.
finally:] YOUR CREEPY LIZARD IS WATCHING ME AGAIN!
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Jumping up from the spot on the couch she'd retreated to as she worked on a few new sketches, Rapunzel hurries into the kitchen to hopefully do some damage control.]
Sorry, sorry! He's just really curious, that's all!
[That's... certainly one way to put it. If a chameleon could look suspicious, he would absolutely be doing doing so right about now. Even as Rapunzel scoops him up from his perch on the windowsill and drops him on her shoulder, his eyes still follow Archer...]
He's great with new people, honest! But he's just not sure what to make of all of this. He's only ever known Corona, after all.
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He's an animal! [a... creepily intelligent one, but archer's a herpetologist! he doesn't know the baseline for lizards!] Ugh... whatever. Just tell him to stay out the kitchen, I don't wanna drop anything on him.
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[Sure, Rapunzel isn't oblivious enough to not realize that Pascal is an animal with just an animal's capabilities, but... well. He's really the only good thing she had growing up, aside from Gothel. And with her entire life with the woman who kidnapped her being one big lie, she's a bit more protective of Pascal than she might normally have been.]
Aw, he knows how to stay out of the way. In fact, he could probably help you! Isn't that right, buddy?
[Taking a few steps back so she's not in Archer's way, Rapunzel reaches her hand out so that Pascal can scramble back onto the kitchen counter. With a squeak that sounds way too much like an affirmation to her words, the chameleon crawls off her hand and begins rummaging through the spice rack.]
He was my little helper whenever I cooked back home!
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who... is rifling through the spice rack. like he can read. like people.
archer's jaw drops and he points at what pascal is doing.] He... he knows... lizard knows spice?
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He's a very well-learned chameleon! [Rapunzel is never one to shy away from talking about her friends' achievements, and Pascal is no exception.] Most of the time it was just us cooking, so he did his best to figure out how he could help.
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Okay. I think I'm having a stroke.
[archer puts the paprika on the counter, leaning back and pressing the pads of his fingers to his temple.]
Or a psychotic break again. The lizard read the labels.
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[Despite her reassurances, Rapunzel looks... a little unsure. Was it too much? Should she have sad something? She knows not all animals are as smart as Pascal or Max, but this can't be that weird... right?]
Pascal's always been like this. He even knows how to play chess!
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archer bends forward, holding a finger out to give pascal a little rub on the head. he's an animal lover at heart, after all.]
Maybe we should play sometime. I gotta know if I'm smarter than a lizard.
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[Rapunzel's voice drops low, trying to make it sound ~ominous~, with Pascal letting out a low, squeaking growl for emphasis.
... However, any attempt at intimidation, joking or not, goes completely out the window as soon as Archer offers pets. That's enough to make the little chameleon nearly melt as he sighs happily.]
His win streak is just as good as mine! He's even beaten Cass a few good times. [Which surprised her, even though she's played with Pascal for years. Cass is all about strategy, after all!] Maybe there's something about seeing the board from such a different angle that helps think of new strategies....
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Maybe you're just bad at chess, [he shoots back, attention clearly on pascal now.] or he uses the same one every time, and you think it's going to be different and better but it's just the same annoying shit over and over...
[...
anyway:] Since when have they had wild Chameleons in Germany, anyway?
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... Look, he was Rapunzel's only friend for like a decade. It makes sense that he's a little spoiled.]
You know, I don't think there are any other wild chameleons out there. None that I've seen anyway. Maybe his mom was a runaway or lost pet???
[Pascal always looks sad when the topic of moms comes up, so... she's never really pushed him to try and explain where his family came from, if they weren't originally from Corona.]
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Uh huh, [he grunts, clearly not really caring. idly, like he's not even aware he's asking:] Are you feeling better? After your dunk a while back. The coughing was getting annoying.
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I'm still feeling a little weak sometimes. It's not really bad, but more like that kinda shaky feeling you get when you're recovering from a cold. Is that... normal?
[She's come down with colds before. Stomach bugs and chills that come with the changing of the seasons. But she's never really been sick like she was in the aftermath of her trip in the lake, so she's not sure how different everything would be...]
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[there's a pause, then he sighs, giving pascal a little poke on the tum to get him to climb off his hand onto the counter.]
If it gets worse or you're really worried then... I could probably drive you to the hospital, or whatever. Pull a gun on them if they try anything creepy.
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[Unfortunately, though Rapunzel's learned much about the cruelties of the outside world and how horribly people can treat others, her experiences are with a more... non-violent for of cruelty. Gaslighting, manipulation... all heavy subjects, but still very different compared to being violently held hostage or threatened.]
... I appreciate you looking out for me in your own way, thought. Even though you don't have to, you do it anyway. It... really helps make me feel a little safer.
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[maybe some people that know him (lana, mostly) would argue differently.]
If I'm gonna get stuck with some idiot twelve-year-old then I'd feel shitty about leaving you in the middle of all this.
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You're never going to get my age right, are you?
[Not that it actually bothers her. It's like... one of THEIR jokes!]
And I know you're not. I've... known real monsters. [The literal demon Zhan Tiri, and the more subtle, human monster that was the woman who raised her to believe she was Rapunzel's mother.] You're not like them at all. But I still want you to know how much it means to me. It's nice, having more friends I can rely on here.
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[BECAUSE WHAT ELSE BAD COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN??]
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The only time I'll be jumping into lakes now are when it's the middle of summer and we need to cool off!
[oh god someone please tell her about the thing in the lake before that happens-!]
Besides, I don't really want to go looking for trouble... trouble just kind of finds me when I'm out exploring. Like... a lot.
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More like 7:30 am. Tangled had the worst air time for season 3.]It's not like I try to get into trouble! Things just happen. Like one time my painting instructor turned out to be some kind of... demon apprentice??? And another time we got trapped in a pub with the ghost of the original owner.
[She sounds so... casual about listing off this incredibly bizarre stuff.]
Oh, I got turned into a bird once, too!
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text, after event
This is Okuyasu
You doing okay?
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yeah, I'm okay
all things considered
I'm more worried about everyone we were trapped with
are YOU recovering okay?
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I'm not bleeding out everywhere
sorry my plan didn't work out
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really
you wanted to fight, to protect everyone
that means a lot
i still believe in you
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I hate it
I want to rip their arms from their body
They can't get away doing this to you
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Still...]
they
they can't be allowed to do that again
i don't know if i want that to happen to them
but we have to stop them somehow
you didn't deserve any of that either
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they deserve what's coming to them
people can't expect good things to happen if they keep hurting others
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nothing good can ever come of hurting people
just
if it's to protect people, i think it's fine to fight them
but don't... enjoy it
i don't want anyone i know to fall into that dark pit
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or for any experiments
or for some sick idea of justice
I don't know about you but i met lots of guys that deserved a punch to the face
it's better than keeping all that anger inside you and letting it rot your heart
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I know of one person especially who deserves to be stopped without question
she did terrible things to someone i love
and she
enjoyed it
there was no remorse at all when we defeated her
just
anger that she was stopped
so yeah
i know people like that
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the guy behind all this is just like that
We're going to figure out whats going on here and escape
you're gonna want to help with punching the one responsible for this
how good can you fight