Week 2, Monday - Rapunzel

[fragileprophet]

[It's still fairly early in the morning when Ion comes knocking on Rapunzel's door.]

Excuse me--are you awake?

[Once the door is open, there's a shocking new development: His scars are gone! Ion's face is back to its normal cute undamaged self! Actually, there are still some discolored and healing bruises from the same area the scar was in, but this is a real big improvement.]

Comments

[hairbrain]

Celadon?

[ rapunzel peeks out, and opens the door. there is fucking hair everywhere. ]

Oh, of course. What's up?

[fragileprophet]

[Ion pauses. A lot happened in the last couple of days, so it takes him a moment to click that that's his name now--at least for her. He smiles, holding up a pair of scissors cautiously in his free hand.]

My scars from the wishing well vanished, it seems, after all. So I think it's time I made a more permanent change. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping?

[He borrowed those scissors from the tailor but he'll put...them back. Also Yulia Christ, that hair.]

[hairbrain]

[ gosh celadion if you don't want her to use it jus say so!!! she frowns a little. ]

I wish the well hadn't hurt you..... but hair is definitely something I can help with.

[ then she's perking up with a little coy grin!!! ] Any requests?

[fragileprophet]

[Jokes on you Ion can hold onto his discomfort even to the extent that it literally kills him. Nothing matters as much as what makes other people happy!]

I don't mind.

[His smile softens, a little sheepish.]

It did what I asked, after all...

[And then a pause as he looks at the scissors, his expression becoming befuddled.]

I don't know--I'd never had a choice in how I was supposed to look. We could just cut these... [He touches the ends of his long tails gently.] Unless you can think of anything else that might suit me?

[hairbrain]

[ shut up you rapunzel kin, stop this. ]

You should mind that. It's horrible. You shouldn't need to be hurt to distinguish yourself.

[ :/ :/ :/ ]

Well, why not give it your own style? Have you seen any other haircuts that intrigue you?

[fragileprophet]

I'm sorry.

[It just slips out at the word "horrible" as he looks down. Of course he knows she wasn't implying it was his fault in any way, but...]

My own? Um...I'm not sure...

[Her hairstyle intrigues him but it's not like he can be, Rapunzel, so.]

I think everyone here looks beautiful.

[hairbrain]

No.. it's nothing you need to apologize for. I don't think you should use that well again, though.

[ hey danielle i hate you. just saying. ]

They do, don't they? [ listen she can braid his green hair, all he has to do is ask! ] Any inspirations?

[fragileprophet]

[I love you, Sipp.]

Yes! Ah...I find quite a few people inspiring. Like you! And Natsuo! I don't know how to choose...

[He finds himself touching his hair idly again. This is hard. Agency is hard.]

[hairbrain]

[ why must you torture me. ]

What about a combination? You can pick a few people's styles, and I.... well, I'll do what I can.

[ make a decision, binch. ]

[fragileprophet]

My hair doesn't really leave much room for creativity.

[He can't help but laugh.]

And...maybe, with what we've talked about before...trying to copy someone else would defeat the point, even if it's meant with good intentions.

[Ion pauses in thought, and then nods resolutely.]

Let's just do something simple! I don't need anything extravagant.

[Ion removes the ornaments from his hair and then holds the scissors out in front of him, facing the handle toward her.]

I'd be most honored, Lady Rapunzel, if you'd help me embrace who I am.

[who he is inside]

[hairbrain]

Maybe it just takes a true artist to bring it out.

[ gosh she meant hairstyles inspiring him to make his own, not to literally copy one. ]

Something simple, then --- you definitely want to get rid of these, right? [ she tugs on the little rat tails gently. ]

[fragileprophet]

[Stop expecting so much out of a two-year-old.]

Yes!

[He gives her a definitive nod, squaring his shoulders. He's made up his mind!]

Please!

[hairbrain]

[ snip snip they go!!!! there's probably a mirror or reflective surface around for him to look in, right. ]

Okay, they're gone. What next?

[fragileprophet]

[It happens so quickly that Ion doesn't even register, at first, that it's done. He blinks, and turns to look at the mirror. That's when the sudden absence of hair pulling down toward his shoulders really registers, and he startles.

He's never looked like this before.

Even at his newest, his hair was longer--the way that the other Ion had always worn it. Ion's heart beats faster.]

I'm...

[He wasn't expecting this feeling. He wasn't expecting it to really mean anything--he was afraid to cut them. Afraid to be different in any way that he could control. The wishing well was different. This feels like...for the first time, making a decision for himself, about himself, whoever he is, underneath the guise of an Ion that he never was.

The high leaves him just as quickly, a cold, all-encompassing dread grasping at his heart. He feels an abrupt urge to cower, and apologize to someone or something that is worlds away from where they currently are, and his legs start to shake.]

I'm sorry. Can I sit down for just a moment?

[hairbrain]

[ she cut off two locks of hair, calm down. but anyway, she semi-gets it -- her hair has been her identity for as long as she could remember, so when eugene cut it off (admittedly, it was followed by mother gothel and him both dying), she'd had a moment where she'd frozen up. then, going back to her tower had nearly paralyzed it --- and then,when she returned again and it'd been destroyed, she'd shed tears so. ]

[ she guides him to her bed to let him sit. ]

Take all the time you need. I'm here.

[fragileprophet]

I'm sorry.

[Again. Ion sits, looking at his hands, and steels himself into another smile as he looks back up at Rapunzel.]

It's wonderful, it is. Thank you for doing this for me. I just...I was thinking about home.

[hairbrain]

Are you sure?

[ she's no fool, celadion, she can tell there's a little more to it than that..... he's talking to the winner of the 'most dramatic haircut' award, gosh. ]

[fragileprophet]

Yes, I am!

[Celadion is just! fine! But he pauses, and decides to elaborate a bit more.]

I was just thinking about how mad Grand Maestro Mohs would probably be with me. Even though he's not here, it's hard not to.

[hairbrain]

[ sounds fake danielle. ]

Mohs..... is he the one you answer to?

[ she smiles a little sadly. he's not the only one who can stepford!!!!! ] I know what you mean. If Gothel could see my hair now..... totally normal, I think she'd.... well, she'd probably freak out.

[fragileprophet]

[He nods.]

Mohs generally oversaw my...well-being.

[In, a sense of the word, uh.]

Was it the same for you, with her? What happened to your hair?

[hairbrain]

Did he? [ the way he says it makes her a little skeptical. for some reason. hm!! ]

Kind of? I mean, she kidnapped me from my real parents when I was a baby and pretended to be my mother and locked me in a tower.... so she could use me for the magic of my hair?

[ hm. yikes. ]

My hair--- well, um, it ended up getting cut.