001

[coronae]

09/28 network video

[ there is a teenage girl with just. way, way too much hair. way too much hair. she looks nervously excited, and waves at the communicator once. so does the chameleon on her shoulder. ]

Um, hi! I'm new? I mean, that's not a question, I'm new, and! I was wondering if anyone is really good at braiding hair? I kinda can't do it all on my own. Or not...quickly? And it's, um, there are so many little passages and stuff around here it's kind of a pain to just leave it down soooooooo. I can cook you something in exchange?

[ a beat. ]

Oh! I forgot. I'm Rapunzel? That's. Also not a question oh my gosh I can't do this anyway even if you can't braid I'm in the kitchen? Making cake and cookies? If you want any? It's kiiiiiind of a holiday for me. A little bit. It's my birthday! So. If you want to drop by that'd be great! If not, that's. Also great? Yeah!! So I should just. Turn...this off now.

[ she needs to work on her awkward levels but she. tried. ]

09/28 base kitchen

[ like she said, rapunzel can pretty much be found in the kitchen all day, just. reorganizing stuff (no one seems to mind? it should be okay?) and chopping and drying the spices magnus chase found like in the tdm and also just. baking cake. lots of cake. and cookies. they have eggs and she can make a ton of shit from scratch okay she's got this even if it's mostly fruit flavored cakes but hey we have cocoa so. she can do chocolate stuff?

she's also probably singing or humming to herself and she'll jump just, super high whenever anyone comes in. ]

Oh! Oh, uh, sorry, you scared me! Not that you're scary. I mean, unless you want to be scary? I'm not sure why someone would want to be scary - er, anyway, hi! Did you want something to eat? I have...lots.

09/27 | locked to korra

[ the last thing she remembers is the ugly duckling and the tunnels underneath, and rapunzel can't recall when she fell asleep. but she must have, because she wakes up on a...mountain. so. that's a thing. she also has to spend some time negotiating with the birdogs who tried to make a nest of her hair, but luckily her disney princess powers make her super great with animals. so that's not actually that difficult.

the mountain climbing is also...well, it's more difficult than befriending birdogs, but they kind of lead her down and so she follows along, all her hair bundled up in her arms, although she's probably getting cuts on her feet and legs and yeah this is just. all around a dumb thing.

she has no idea where she is. at all. but she's tired and confused and no one is there to stop her when rapunzel huffs and flops to the ground, her hair spilling out of her arms. ]

Oooooh. I don't know if we should keep wandering around, Pascal. Maybe we should wait for night time? I could at least get us oriented from the stars, then. But...that's pretty far away?

[ help her??????? help her. korra, you're her only hope. she's talking to her chameleon who has no ideas, either. ]

But I didn't see anything familiar from up there - how's that possible?

[ she's mumbling again. ]

Comments

[coronae]

I...

[ wow she did not think this through. but then again she has met all of how many people in her life? flynn rider and also. a tavern of ruffians.

korra does not fit either category? ]

I soooooort of grew up in a tower. Alone? I mean, Pascal was there, and Mother, but. [ a tiny, nervous shrug. ] It was for my safety! But.

[braavado]

[Korra exhales, pushing her hair away from her face.]

So here's something crazy. I grew up in a compound down in the South Pole. I wasn't alone like you were, but I didn't really meet anyone my age until about a year ago.

It was supposed to be for my safety, too. [She smiles ruefully.] I guess we have more in common than we thought.

[coronae]

[ why do all these old people keep locking up these teenage girls, animated canons.

rapunzel's eyes widen, but - it's probably the first time she's had anything in common with anyone. besides having a dream, that is, but - flynn had never been locked away, and neither he nor the ugly duckling guys knew about not knowing how things worked. ]

You...really? Then, um. [ a hopeful smile. ] Maybe we can be friends? If you want.

[braavado]

[Who even knows, but they should really stop.]

You don't even have to ask--of course! [Korra returns the hopeful smile with one of her own.]

I've never met anyone else who even had a similar experience growing up. It'd be...nice. If we could be friends.

[coronae]

I'd love that! [ she even steps forward to grab korra's hands in hers, because. disney. pascal gives korra a thumbs up because. disney. ] Oh! But, were you doing something here? Can I help?

[braavado]

[Grinning, Korra holds Rapunzel's hands reassuringly in hers. Friendship!]

I was just training, actually. I was on the way back to the base... speaking of which, I can take you and your friend back there since you don't know the way.

[Finally, she lets go, if only to free her hands and greet Pasco properly.] So who's this?

[coronae]

Oh! This is Pascal. Pascal, say hi - [ he waves ] And if you're okay with that, that'd be wonderful. Oh, but, um, what were you training for? Is there going to be a competition?

[braavado]

Hey, Pascal. [Korra playfully wiggles her fingers at him in greeting, then straightens up again.] Nah, training's just part of my usual routine. The ocean can be kind of dangerous, so I've gotta keep my skills sharp.

Alright, so--I've gotta ask. Can you hold your breath for every long?

[coronae]

Ummm, I think my record is about three minutes!

[ she has no idea if that's long or not. ]

[braavado]

That's not bad. [Korra props her hands on her hips as she stares out across the water, gears turning in her head. Suddenly, she grins.]

I've got an idea. It'll get us to the base faster than swimming, too.

[coronae]

Really? What is it?

[ she's always eager to try new things so. hit her with your best shot?! ]

[braavado]

I'll show you. [Practically bouncing on her feet, Korra makes her way over to the edge of the water. Concentrating, she begins to freeze water into ice, shaping it all as she goes. In the end, she's left with a relatively thick, rectangular raft of ice.

She hops onto it fearlessly, then holds a hand out to Rapunzel.]

I make no promises about it not melting before we get there, but it should be safe! I think.

[coronae]

[ how very disney of korra

rapunzel's eyes widen, but she is after all the girl with magic glowing hair. not that anyone here knows that. probably no one will know that until she has to use it to heal someone, because she's been raised to keep that on lockdown. so she doesn't freak out, but instead a slow smile blooms.

it's magic, and someone else has it who isn't mother, and she immediately reaches out to take korra's hand. ]

All right, I trust you! I've never - well, I've never been on a boat? A raft? Canoe? So - it'll be fun!

[braavado]

[Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide??]

Let's... just call it an ice raft for now. [Korra laughs, stepping back as she helps Rapunzel onto the ice.] I've never tried this on the water before, but I've always wanted to. Now's a good time as any, right?

Okay. Hold on tight! [She gestures at the edge of the raft, where the edges are slightly turned up, providing a place for Rapunzel to grab onto.]

[coronae]

[ it's a little cold, being made of ice, but rapunzel obediently hooks her hands over the edge of the raft.

pascal hooks his hands securely onto rapunzel's shoulder. this is clearly the same thing. ]

Ready!

[braavado]

Here we go! [With a swift gesture, Korra sends the raft forward, picking up speed as it glides through the water.

With the wind whistling past her, Korra finds it easy to laugh freely. But she has a passenger to check up on, too! She turns her head slightly, still keeping an eye on the waves ahead.]

How're you doing back there?

[coronae]

[ behind them is a streaming wave of seventy feet of golden hair, like a banner. THIS IS A LITTLE RIDICULOUS LOOKING, but what can you do. ]

This is amazing!!! Can we go faster?

[braavado]

[Ridiculous looking, maybe. But also fun!]

Let's find out!

[Bracing her feet against the raft, Korra speeds things up a little until they're almost skimming the surface of the water.]

[coronae]

[ they are so going to capsize or something, aren't they. either way, rapunzel sure isn't telling her to slow down...if anything, her gleeful laughter implies she might just have a thrillseeker side in there somewhere.

because.

well.

tower life. ]

[braavado]

[Feeling playful, Korra tilts the raft slightly as they zip along, making the water splash up onto its passengers.]

This is pretty fun, I should've done this sooner. I think we're almost there, just a few more minutes!

[coronae]

[ there's only more laughter from rapunzel - apparently she does not mind getting wet. pascal, on the other hand, wipes his face with a dead-eyed look. ]

Maybe you can give people rides! For fun, I mean! Oh, maybe people could race!

[braavado]

That's not a bad idea. We've all been working pretty hard on the base--we could use a break.

[Just as Korra had guessed, the base island's form becomes visible over the water soon enough. Korra slows down slightly so they don't crash right into it.]

The base is still underwater. [Korra glances at the ridiculous amount of hair trailing behind them. How does she keep it all so tidy, Korra wonders.] You think you'll be okay? Your hair looks pretty heavy without adding water to the mix.

[coronae]

I should be okay!

[ maybe. probably. she's not...100% sure, but it should be fine? ]

Er, if anything, it'll help me get down there faster, right?

[braavado]

[It's a little bizarre, and Korra can't the soft chuckle that escapes her.]

It might. Anyway, I'll be right here with you if you run into trouble. [Confidently--] I'll make sure you get to the base safely.

[coronae]

Then we just, er, hop in? And swim down? And...open a door?

[ presumably. ]