prodigalhairess | IC Contact (deercountry)

[Wrapped up in a bright red and white box is a plate of bought snowflake cookies and a a weavable hair ornament that actually CAN work for ALL of Rapunzel's hair.

Attached is a note with a little rabbit doodle:]

Happy Holidays!
Love,
Usagi

[Merry Christmas to Rapunzel! On Christmas day there'll be a gift sitting outside her room from Fern. Inside of it is a very elaborate flowery hair accessory and one ugly sweater.]

[After his conversation with Mako, and his realisation of what that bond actually was, guess who's getting a frantic text as he sits outside the Raccoon Room.]

So. Hey. I learned a fun thing about the mental link bonds today that I think I might have probably missed when I first read it. So it turns out it might kind of sort of be marriage?

So yeah.

That's definitely a thing that happened. To me. And Fern.

[... Rapunzel has to read this over. Like. A few times. There's a LOT to process with just these few words and-

Oh god this means. A lot of things. Oh geez.]

wait, what???

but that's

maybe someone was just messing with you??? I mean, there were lots of different types of bonds, right? The others didn't really mean anything like that.

[THERE'S SO MUCH. He didn't realise things and he's vaguely aware that if Quirin finds out (SOMEHOW?!!) he'll be in so much trouble!]

Nope! Wu pointed it out and he'd never do that. So I decided to read it a little more closely and yeah.

Yeah, it turns out it definitely meant that. Just that one. The others were still definitely family and platonic but the romance one? Definitely marriage.

[oh no. Ohhhhhh no.]

oh

well

at least you and fern are happy together!! That's really good
you may not have meant it THAT way, but it was still done out of love, and wanting to make that love stronger.
it's really, really sweet
and you don't HAVE to think of it as a marriage yet.

but um

it doesn't count if it was, like
an accident, right?

Oh yeah we're very happy together. It's not a BIG deal it's what it is. Like, it's not like it's something we wouldn't have thought of down the road eventually. Just kind of a surprise it's right now. And yeah, I guess we can make it what it is.

...

I don't think you can accidentally bond with someone.

[R A P S]

Rapunzel. Did you romantically bond with someone?

[WAY TO PUT HER ON THE SPOT THERE, BROBRO]

NO!!!

i mean

it's not

i didn't mean to!!!

we were already doing the platonic bond ceremony and so that happened just fine and it all finished and i just reached up to touch her face [wait, her????] and it just

i guess it kind of just

happened????

...

Oh my god, you definitely accidentally married someone.

[Who's the BEST at this? Is it them? Sure looks like it's them!!!!]

Or... romantic bonded, anyway. Which is apparently the SAME THING. Can you hear her thoughts? Because if you can it definitely is that.

[Waitwaitwaitwait.]

Who did you do it with?

ohhhhh no. Oh no oh NO.

[What is she going to tell her parents??? What is she gonna tell Eugene??? She knows they won't be mad, but- this is crazy! This- she needs to think. She needs to... wait. NOT think. She needs to make sure none of this is sent over BOTH the bonds she and Cass have now because oh geez they were JUST starting to reconnect and this might be too much at once and-

And just. Breathe. It'll be okay. Right??

MAYBE BUT FOR NOW--]

um

cass?

[Having to explain that she kind of got married is definitely not a conversation Varian would have to sit in on. But then again, he's pretty sure none of them are really going home anyway, so maybe this is...fine. Probably. ]

Oh. OH.

[There's a MEASURED pause.]

So. How do you feel about that? I mean, it's good progress she wanted to do any bonds with you at all right? Good step. This is just a little.

Extra.

i don't

I really don't know

[It's. Hard. For her to process this. She has absolutely no problem with having such an important magical bond with Cass - she'd been the one to suggest it. She'd wanted to do it, to have there be inescapable, undeniable proof of her dedication and loyalty to her very best friend.

But...

She wants to marry Eugene. Not right now - she's talked to him a lot about how she doesn't feel ready. And he respected it! That's great! But does this... ruin that?

It hurts. But it doesn't feel like the end of the world. All of this is just... confusing]

I mean, I guess if it was going to happen with anyone here, I'm glad it was cass
and not, you know. a stranger or something
but it feels.... i don't know
I really don't

I just hope it doesn't freak HER out.

[This is definitely a mess. He's picked up that Cass definitely has...something for Rapunzel (he has EYES) and he's not sure if it goes both ways. It's a tricky mess because Eugene is in the equation even if he isn't in it...right now. He's not sure the best way for this to be handled at all. A relationship guru, he sure isn't. ]

The best advice I can give you is to talk it over with her. It'll probably be awkward, but it's better to be honest than...not.

Plus she can read your thoughts now so y'know. She'll definitely pick it up if you try to hide something.

[Which is, he guesses, why it's a bond for lovers than...anyone else. It's for the person who already knows what's going on in your head most of the time.]

It'll be okay- and if she isn't okay with it, we'll figure something out. I don't think there's a way to remove it, but if it comes to it I'll try and find out what I can.

Hey.

[This is already off to a terrible start. First time she's made the effort to do the contacting, and this is how she does it? Geeze, louise.

She can't just leave it like this.]

Do you... have a minute?

[Aww, it's okay! Rapunzel doesn't judge at all. Honestly, she's just. Really excited to get any message at all from Cass.]

of course!!
I have all the time in the world for you.

What's on your mind?

[Technically, she could find out, with the magic of their new bonds. But Rapunzel has been very careful not to go poking and prodding where she doesn't belong, and avoided paying any attention to stray thoughts not her own that drifted into her head. That's a massive invasion of Cass's privacy, and not something she really feels comfortable with doing without permission just yet.]

[Stray thoughts had indeed drifted between them, feelings of anxiety, doubt... a slowly burgeoning hope for the future. Whether Cassandra had caught on to any of Rapunzel's errant ideas, she probably won't say. What the princess did when no one was watching wasn't her business. She might not have even noticed!]

A lot, actually.

[Oof. Okay. Here... here we go. Just cut to the quick.]

Is... that room at your house still open?

[oh

oh

Rapunzel... is really glad Cass decided to do this over text. As much as she likes talking and hearing her friend's voice, it's easier to contain the absolutely massive wave of excitement that crashes into her. She wants to squeal, to go find Varian and shake him and tell him the good news (even if Cass hasn't outright asked fully yet) and just celebrate this huge milestone in how their relationship has gotten back on solid ground.

But... she doesn't do those things. Not yet anyway. Okay - maybe she squeals just a little, but she's just so happy that she can't fully contain herself.]

of course it is!
I told you, didn't I?
It's not just a room. it's your room.

for whenever you need it, however long you want it to be.

[For both of their sakes, it's a miracle they can have this conversation without ever looking one another in the eye. Cassandra herself was barely keeping it together over the general feeling of unavoidable anxiety.

Her heart was racing in her chest at even the thought. Her. Rapunzel. Rapunzel. Ohhh, she thought the last month was tough, but this? She's trying to jump a hurdle twenty feet in the air. A milestone like this took time and planning, not simply calling Rapunzel up! Was it really so simple? Fixing a relationship with a pie and some typed out words?]

My room. Okay.
So.
I just thought that maybe
I could try staying a night.
Just to see what it's like.
That's all.

[At least she's not alone in attempting to jump this hurdle. Rapunzel is there - will make sure she's always there - to help pull her up, so that she doesn't stumble and fall back.]

that sounds really, really great
you wanna make it a sleepover?
just like when we first became friends

Oh. Right.
The sleepover in my room.
That you started without asking me.

[She's not mad - about this, specifically - but, c'mon. She can't not point it out.]

hey, it all worked out in the end, right???
that was a really fun sleepover!

... but yeah I guess I should have invited you to my room instead.
imagine the blanket fort we could've built with that kind of space

A blanket fort big enough for a princess.
I guess you could build some pretty crazy stuff over at that house now.
Might not be like in the castle, but... It's something.

not just a princess but her totally awesome warrior friend!
you deserve the absolute best, top tier of comfy forts

it won't be like back the castle, but that's okay
the time we'd spend building it together is what matters

IC Contact (deercountry)

Christmas Delivery

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un: Cass; text

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