#same deal with rapunzel and flynn rider

[literaryspinster]

people will swear up and down that it’s disgusting and predatory for an 18 year old and a 16 year old to date but then turn around and ship z*tara 🤦🏾‍♀️

[butter-your-flies]

I HATE IT (not exaggerating) WHEN PEOPLE CALL EUGENE FITZHERBERT (from Tangled) FLYNN RIDER. That's not his name! Him telling Rapunzel that his real name is actually Eugene is a major turning point for his character. It's not some obscure, little known fact, you don't have to watch the series (which, even though it has it's flaws, if you like Tangled you should watch it) to know. It's EXPLICITLY stated in the movie. All you have to do is watch the FIRST HALF OF THE MOVIE. I hate it even more when the people calling him Flynn are the same people who say that Rapunzel is their favorite Disney princess because if you miss/ignore a major point in the plot...is she really? And before someone says "it's not that deep" or "it's not a big deal," YES it very much is. Tangled is SO important to me, I've watched the movie and series and read the original fairytale more times than I've BLINKED so IT MATTERS TO ME!!

Rant over thank you :3

[hornyhornyhimbos]

"Heaven or Hell?" ~ L. Alvez

Summary: When Luke and Reader get picked for Seven Minutes in Heaven, the couple truly can't decide if it's heaven or hell being locked in that closet together.

Pairing: Luke Alvez x AFAB!BAU!Reader

Word Count: 1,435

Content Warning: MINORS DNI (18+ content) oral both!receiving, fingering f!receiving, cum swallowing, explicit language, lmk if i missed anything!

Extra Notes: i apologize for ruining the image of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider…

Originally Written: 10/27/2023 through 10/28/2023

criminal minds masterlist can be found here!

halloweek masterlist can be found here!

"Well, this just got interesting," Penelope smirked from her seat.

No one was really sure who started the game of Seven Minutes in Heaven, but you'd been praying all night that you nor Luke would get picked, or at the very least, you'd get picked for the same round. Based on the look Penelope was sporting as she looked over the pieces of paper in her hand, you could only assume the worst.

She smugly held up the papers, one reading off your name and the other reading Luke's. A small sense of relief washed over you at the prospect of not having to hang out in a closet with one of your other colleagues.

"Interesting," Tara commented, sipping her glass of wine.

You narrowed your eyes at both of them. "You guys are terrible."

Still, you stood from your seat, Luke's hand meeting yours as he led you down the hall to the closet that was currently being used for this middle school esque game.

"Have fun, you two," Penelope giggled. You could hear her propping a chair up against the outside of the door before walking off, her high heels clicking across the tiled floor.

Luke chuckled, presumably at the whole situation. You could barely make out his form in the tiny sliver of light shining through the slats in the door, but you could see his goofy smile as he laughed to himself, clearly amused about something.

"What's so funny?" The words came out clearly peeved.

"I avoided this game throughout the entirety of middle and high school, and now, mid-thirties is when it's catching up to me."

A smirk settled on your lips, hands meeting his body. "Well, since it's your first time, should I make it memorable for you?"

The sliver of light shined through just enough to show the deepening color of his eyes, lust swirling heavily in those dark brown irises. "I'm down for that."

To say you and Luke were in the honeymoon phase of your relationship was an understatement. Any chance you got, you were climbing him like a damn jungle gym, and any chance he got, he was bending you over the nearest surface possible.

His lips were on yours in a second as his hands worked to bunch up your dress out of the way. You'd dressed as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, and he'd never been happier that you'd picked to wear a dress.

One of his legs slotted between yours, thigh flexing against you as your hips rutted against him. A desperate breath left your lips as you registered his hard-on growing against you, your hands desperate to find the fastening of his pants in the dark closet.

"I want," he started to say between kisses, "to taste you."

"We only," another kiss, "have so much," kiss, "time in here."

"I know," he said, as if it was a done deal. Hands were entangled as you were both desperate to uncover one another, but Luke had still made up his mind. "Please, baby. I've wanted my head between your legs all fucking night."

When he was practically begging for you, how could you deny him? In an instant, he was on his knees, lips trailing kisses and bites up the expanse of your thighs.

"Pretty sure we only have six minutes left," you said through heavy breaths. "Better not waste it."

"I'm not," he simply replied, hands meeting your soaked underwear. "God, baby, you don't know how bad I wanna keep these for myself."

Before you had a chance to reply, he was pulling the fabric aside and meeting your center with kitten licks. His tongue effectively shut you up, the only sound coming from your lips being his name in whispered moans.

Luke groaned into your sensitive core, the vibrations absolutely heavenly. Hands met curly raven hair, pulling him ever so close to the spot you needed him.

Alternating between your entrance and your clit, his ministrations already had you nearly coming apart. This has to be some kind of record, you reckoned, the thought fleeting almost immediately when a finger prodded at your dripping entrance.

"Fuck, baby, please," you begged, grasping his hair for any purchase you could find. Your wish was his command, the digit easily slipping inside you and curling just the way you needed.

Luke, being ever the gentleman, only broke away from your pussy long enough to hand out compliments of praise, doing so well's and tastes so good's and just like that's filling the tiny space.

He held you close with the hand that wasn't buried inside you, fingers gripping your ass like you were made just for him to hold. Between his tongue swirling around your swollen clit in delicious figure eights and his finger crooking into that intoxicating spot inside you, your release was washing over you. Luke's name fell from your lips like a prayer, hands holding his face close as possible as you rode out your high.

You'd barely finished coming down before pulling him up for a kiss, tongue dipping inside his mouth and savoring the taste of yourself on his lips. He'd had barely enough time to reciprocate before you were dropping to your own knees, working hard at the fastening of his pants.

"Baby, what are you doing? We only have a little bit of time left," he reminded you, though he was cut off by a moan as you reached into his boxers.

"Then I better make it count."

In one swift motion, you were pulling him out of his boxers, mouth nearly watering at the sight of his pretty cock. Your eyes went glassy as you took him into your mouth, moaning around his length.

"Shit, you're gonna make me cum in two seconds," he whined, beginning to slide his cock further into your throat.

Quiet moans sounded throughout the space as you began to slide up and down his shaft, taking in the taste of his pre-cum. You steadied yourself with one hand, wrapping it around his thick thigh, while the other cupped his balls, rolling them at the speed he loved. He was already twitching in your mouth, you knew he wouldn't last long.

Your cheeks hollowed as you took him impossibly further, eliciting a string of profanities from the man above you. "Fuck, baby. The game's supposed to be Seven Minutes in Heaven," a desperate mewl tumbled between his lips, "but the way you're fucking torturing me, it feels more like hell."

You repeated the action, nearly choking around his length. Your pussy fluttered at the noises coming from Luke's mouth, already wishing you could have more of him.

His hands moved to your cheeks, effectively fucking himself with your face. His belly was tightening as his orgasm neared, cock twitching in the warmth of your mouth. Your tongue swirled around the tip, a movement sure to have him coming undone.

With one last hard thrust of his hips, he was spilling into your throat, the salty taste of him one you simply couldn't get enough of. He was moaning and panting and cursing above you, fucking your face in unsteady ruts as he rode out his own high.

Luke pulled you up with what little strength he had left, his lips connected to yours while his hands worked to fix clothes. Your wetness mixed with his seed as your tongues roamed in the expanse of each other's mouths, and you wished once again that you could have more.

"We gotta hurry," he said against your lips, his hands working to pull down your dress. "They'll be back any-"

Voices sounded from the other side of the door before his sentence was even finished. "I hope you guys are decent!" Emily laughed from the other side of the door.

Just as Luke situated his pants, fixing the fastenings, the door was flying open. "Seven minutes is up!" Tara stated. The women on the other side took a moment to look over the two of you, no doubt taking in the sight of disheveled hair and the scent of sex that wafted from the confined space. "What did you two get up to in there?" Penelope asked, feigning obliviousness.

"Hey, what happens in the closet stays in the closet," Luke said simply, putting his arm around your shoulders.

The two of you waltzed back into the party as if nothing had happened. His lips lingered by your ear, hot breath fanning across your skin. What happened in that closet definitely wasn't staying in that closet later, and you couldn't say the idea didn't excite you.

Not that it's owed to anyone lol but I just wanted to leave a quick lil apology here for not having this posted earlier in the day! I feel like I have lived 8 lifetimes in the span of about 6 hours lol but I wanted y'all to know that I am still very much planning on posting these every day that I had set aside lol! Hope you guys are well and enjoying the fics! 🫶🏻

-> taglist: @reidsbookclub @dungeons-are-too-cold @lukeclvez

[enby-jellyfish]

I See The Light

Part of the Baldur's Gate 3 Fairytale AU Collection

Rapunzel!Gale Dekarios X GN!Flynn Rider!Reader (POC friendly)

Pronouns: You/Your

Summary: You meet a strange man in a tower. Also he's magic. What?

Warnings: Grooming (cuz Mystra), kidnapping, eye trauma, reader yearning against their will.

Word Count: 4671

A/N: This took way too long to write for someone who loves both Rapunzel and Gale...

Once upon a time there was a humble farmer who lived in a cottage in the forest with his pregnant wife. Everything was perfect for the happy couple, until one day the farmer’s wife suddenly fell ill.

The farmer consulted many healers, all of whom told him they didn’t know what was wrong or how to cure his wife.

As she got worse and worse, the farmer’s desperation to save his wife grew. He heard rumours, whispers, about a witch, living not that far from his home.

Unfortunately for him this witch was not a witch at all, but a disgraced goddess, cursed to live in human form.

As soon as he could the farmer bid his wife goodbye and left in search of this goddess. When he found her, the farmer pleaded for her to save his wife.  The goddess agreed on one condition: his firstborn.

Without a moment of consideration, or consulting his wife, the farmer agreed, and he was sent on his way with a magical golden flower from the goddess’s garden.

When back home, the farmer used the flower to brew a tea, which instantly made his wife feel better when ingested.

With her regained health, the wife delivered a healthy baby boy who she named ‘Gale’ for the joy he brought her. This joy however was soon snuffed out by the goddess coming to take what was owed.

She screamed and kicked and cried, but to no avail. Her son was taken from her.

The goddess took the infant to a lonely tower, hidden in the forest. She took great care to make sure no one but her could find it and having only one way in and out of the tall structure, great thorn bushes surrounding the tall structure to ensure no one climb it.

She went through these great lengths to keep Gale hidden from the world because he is special. Gale has magic.

Magic is a rare thing nowadays; many believe it to be extinct. The disgraced goddess can feel it, and with it her only chance of returning to her former glory, slowly ebbing away from this world.

Keeping the young wizard close and grooming him and his power to serve her, they lived for many years in that tower. Gale growing into a handsome, strong, clever man.

He is lonely though, aside from Mystra his only company is a Tressym he named ‘Tara’ he accidentally summoned during one of his exercises.

Gale spent most of his time studying the books Mystra brought him. His favourite time of year is when hundreds of floating lights fill the night sky. According to his calculations, it happens once a year, every year, on the same day: his birthday.

You on the other hand are nothing but a humble thief, currently being chased through the forest by several guards of the castle you attempted to break in to. You don’t see why they’re making it out to be such a big deal. They have plenty, and you don’t. It’s not like they would miss a few trinkets or a couple of coins.

Oh well.

Pretty sure they’ve lost your trail; you dare to stop and catch your breath. You don’t recognise this part of the forest, an eery fog covers the landscape. Looking around, you try and find some form of landmark that would lead you back to familiar soil.

You notice a giant boulder, covered in vines. Maybe if you climb it, you’ll have a better vantage point.

And so, climb it you did. Or at least you tried. When grasping the vines to pull yourself up you notice behind them a hidden entrance through the boulder.

Suddenly you hear the sound of the guards chasing you nearing closer. You quickly pull aside the vines and hide inside the boulder. Listening to them pass your hiding place you release a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

Looking further into the cave you see a small valley with a lone tower surrounded by thorny bushes. Your curiosity getting the better of you, you reach the tower. Looping around it you notice it doesn’t seem to have an entrance. There is, however, a bell attached to the old walls, almost unnoticeable, hidden behind the thorny branches.

You, being the sane, reasonable person you are, decide to manoeuvre your hand through the prickly plant and ring the mysterious bell attached to a creepy tower in a hidden valley.

The second the ringing sound pierces the quiet of the valley you are surrounded by a purple hue. When the purple fades away you are no longer standing in the valley but instead a room. Before you can thoroughly start to panic about being magically teleported, you hear a loud ‘CLANG’, and everything fades to black as you fall to the floor.

When you awake, you notice you are sitting in a chair. You try and reach for your throbbing head in an attempt to soothe the pain but notice you can’t move your arm from its place on the armrest.

Trying to blink away your dizziness you find yourself tied to the chair with, purple tendrils? Is this… magic?

What in the ACTUAL HELL?!

“So, what exactly were your intentions here? Kill me? Kidnap me? Extort me for my magic?” The voice comes from a shadowy corner.

“Uh, no? The only thing I want with your magic is to get out of it?!”

“Oh.” The figure in the corner turns and whispers something to something to a cat you hadn’t noticed before, and to your surprise, it whispers back.

“Did- did that cat just talk?” Magic? Talking animals? A few minutes ago both seemed like something out of a fairy tale, with magic having been long extinct. You can’t tell if your head hurts from the bad hit you just took or the insanity of the situation.

“She’s not a cat, she’s a Tressym.” The man corrects you, carefully stepping out from the shadows, clutching a frying pan. The source of your headache, no doubt. The cat- Tressym follows close behind. As she properly comes into view you notice her birdlike wings.

“My name is Tara!” she says with an offended tone.

The man is dressed in simple, yet well-made clothes. His shoulder-length hair is brown, as are his eyes, and swept back in a half-up-half-down style. A stubble of facial hair decorates his kind, yet stern, looking face. A silver earring, shaped in the form of an eight-pointed star, dangles from his left ear.

An attractive man, you think. If not a bit odd.

“Oh-kay! Nice to meet you?” The odd duo stares at you for a moment, you staring back, before turning to each other. They whisper back and forth for a bit; you can make out Tara telling the man that you ‘don’t seem that bad’ and that he should ‘ask’ you. They seem to come to an agreement and turn back to you.

“Alright intruder-”

“You teleported me up here.”

He ignores your interruption. “We have come to a decision of what to do with you. In return for your freedom, you shall take me to see the lights.”

“The lights?” The man puts up a finger as if gesturing for you to wait and moves to a writing desk, taking some scrolls and showing them to you. “See, they show up every year. According to my calculations they will come again two days from now.”

You look at his notes, they contain astronomical equations, maps, and drawings of his ‘lights’. They seem awfully familiar.

“W- the lanterns? Listen wizard-”

“Ah, I’m Gale.” He interrupts you.

“Whatever. Even if I wanted to take you, I couldn’t. I’m kind of wanted around here.” Taking him with you would only slow you down.

“Oh.” His disappointed eyes remind you of those of a sad baby cow.

He suddenly perks up. “Wait, I could cast a spell so no one could recognise you! What do you say?” You weigh your options and make your decision with a heavy sigh.

“Alright, fine, I guess I can take you.” You cave.

“An excellent choice!” With a flourish of his hand, you’re no longer tied to the chair. You rub your wrists and stand up, glad to be able to move freely again.

“So, a simple cloaking spell should do the trick. Now you just keep standing there.” Having grabbed a thick book, Gale turns to a page halfway through, taps it with his index finger, and speaks some words in a language you don’t understand.

A warm, tingling feeling surrounds your body for a second before disappearing. “Is that it?”

“Yes, anyone who looks upon you from now until after the lanterns won’t be able to recognise you.” He punctuates his sentence by closing his book. “Great. Now, let’s get out of here.” Gale bids Tara, who upon an invitation to come along states she has a prior engagement with a particular comfortable pillow for a nap, goodbye and teleports the two of you out of the tower where your journey begins.

The two of you walk through the forest in silence for a while until Gale breaks it. “Lovely day, this. For now.”

You look at him. He seems a bit skittish, staying close to you while keeping his vigilant gaze on his surroundings. Like he expects an attack to come from behind every tree, rock, and bush. “You don’t get out a lot, huh.”

“No! No. I don’t know if you can tell, but” he leans closer to you, lowering his voice as if telling you a secret “I’ve never actually left the tower.”

That explains a lot. “You don’t say. Well, we’ll have to take the scenic route then, don’t we.” Maybe you can find a way so you don’t have to take him on this little side quest.

“I- Well, a bit of sightseeing can’t hurt, can it?” You give him a pat on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit! I know just where to go first, are you hungry?”

You lead him to the infamous ‘Ugly Duckling’, a tavern known to shelter all sorts of thugs and criminals. The perfect place to take your recluse wizard and scare him back to his tower. You almost feel bad for him. Almost.

Opening the heavy door of the unassuming building, you gently push him inside. “Salutat- ions…” Gale exclaims, his excitement ebbing away half-way through the word when he sees inside the dimly lit tavern.

It is quite busy inside; all sorts of unsavoury types fill the old seats and halt their conversation upon hearing Gale’s out-of-place exclamation.

“Don’t mind us gentlefolks! Isn’t this place great? You should try their rotisserie rat, a true delicacy!” You push Gale past a particularly large thug wiping his bloody nose with his long, no longer white, beard. “How unseemly…” You reach the bar and order some food and drink.

Gale surprises you, you figured he would back out from the musty smell of the place alone, but here he sits trying his hardest to make polite conversation with the bartender. “Charmed, I’m sure.”

The bartender gives you a look. “’Charmed’?” You give an apologetic shrug. “He’s not from around here.” The bartender looks Gale up and down one last time before seemingly accepting your answer with a scoff.

You sit and enjoy your meal for a bit, Gale less so, until guards suddenly barge into the room. You’re thankful they won’t be able to recognise you, if Gale’s spell worked, but still get ready to run at any moment.

“We have been commissioned to find a wizard. We’ve received word he’s here. Hand him over now, and there won’t be any bloodshed.” The captain’s loud voice fills the room as everyone looks around suspiciously. You feel Gale grasp your arm, squeezing slightly. He’s shaking. You can’t tell if it is due to the adrenaline of the coming fight or the fear of being caught.

The guards draw their swords, making everyone stand up and draw their own weapons. The fight that breaks out starts with a plate being thrown at one of the guards, food still on it. In the chaos you briefly consider slipping away, leaving Gale to fend for himself.

“Swords, meet sorcery!”

Dork.

Wait, idiot! He just gave away his identity!

The fighting continues and suddenly you come face to face with your companion. Gale looks relieved to see you, but relief quickly melts into something else when he sends a purple blast over your shoulder. You look behind you to find a familiar guard unconscious on the ground.

The fighting continues as you and Gale manage to make your way out of the tavern. Finishing off your last opponent you turn to Gale to find him knocked on the ground.

“Get me up, would you?” He pants, clearly not used to using his powers for this cause. “You fought well.” You try to assure him, unsure as to why you’re bothering putting in the effort, pulling him up.

“Well, one can’t always be a gentleman.” The laugh that escapes you is genuine, much to your surprise.

A crashing sound from the tavern pulls you out of your daze. “We should go.” Gale agrees and the two of you rush away to safety.

It is dark when you decide to stop and rest. You gather firewood and Gale sets it ablaze for a perfect campfire. Only then it is you notice a wound on your side. Something must have nicked you in the chaos you think as you peel the fabric of your clothing aside.

“You’re hurt.” Gale states the obvious, taking a seat next to you. “I know a simple spell to remedy that, allow me to demonstrate.” And you do.

With your permission he places a purple glowing hand over your wound, causing you to hiss in pain, before a warmth flows through the tender flesh.

Upon Gale’s hand leaving your body, your skin looks untouched. You gently trace where your wound used to be. Despite having seen it several times now, magic is still a shocking concept to you.

“Thank you.” His gaze is soft, an unreadable look in his gentle eyes. “You are most welcome.”

Oh no, you may be starting to like this guy.

You snap out of your daze, clearing your throat. “Sooo… How long have you been a wizard?”

Gale lets out a surprised chuckle. “Uh. Forever, I suppose. Mystra says people tried to kidnap me for my power when I was a baby. Hence the tower, she says it keeps me, and my gift, safe.”

His eyes grow distant at the mention of this ‘Mystra’. “She must be something special.”

He gives a sad smile as he turns his gaze to the flames. “She is. The Goddess of Magic. She was my guardian, my teacher, muse, and eventually lover.”

Ouch.

And gross.

“Must be a complicated relationship.” Gale chuckles sadly. “It is, I suppose. But it’s the only one I have. Except for Tara, I accidentally summoned her when I was ten. Thankfully Mystra allowed me to keep her.” He smiles as if it’s a good thing.

“’Allowed’? And you’re sure you want to go back?” You can’t stop yourself from asking the question.

Gale startles. “Yes! Maybe- I don’t know. It’s complicated.” He splutters out, scrambling to defend himself, and her.

He clears his throat and turns back to you. “But enough about me. What about you? Have you always been a thief?”

You laugh. “Touché. Ah, no, I haven’t. I didn’t have a lot growing up and had to make do.”

He gives you a sad smile. “Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose.” His voice is soft. You give him a sad smile back. “Exactly.” A warm, fuzzy feeling you can’t exactly place fills you.

You inhale sharply. “It’s getting late, we should probably get some shut-eye.” Gale smiles. “A pity. I’m sure I could talk to you all night, but, as you wish. I bid you goodnight.” You watch him turn away to prepare for the night.

Oh no.

The next day the two of you make the final stretch of your journey into town. Decorations for tonight’s spectacle cover every street and alley. Gale is having a great time drinking it all in, dragging you from stall to stall, from view to view. The food, the sights, the sounds, he simply can’t get enough, and you’re happy to indulge him.

He smiles oh so sweetly at you when you do.

When the day comes to an end and the sun begins to set you take Gale on a small rowing boat on the lake.

“You’ve been looking forward to this for so long, I figured you should have a decent seat.” Gale smiles at you, but you can tell it’s forced. “Is everything alright?”

He sighs, brows furrowing. “I- I don’t know. All my life I’ve been dreaming about what this very moment would feel like. What if it’s not everything that I dreamed it would be?”

You grab his hand, an impulsive decision meant to comfort him. “I’m sure it will be.” You squeeze his hand. “And if it isn’t, you’ll get to find a new dream to look forward to.”

His soft gaze and small smile gracing his lips make your heart clench and butterflies erupt in your stomach. It makes you both afraid and excited. Adrenaline flowing through your veins like electricity.

“Gale I-” You hesitate, Gale’s thumb caressing the back of your hand in a comforting motion. “You have my attention.” He gently encourages.

You take a breath to speak again but interrupt your confession when you notice a small light rising from behind the trees. “Look.” He does.

Hundreds of lanterns start filling the night’s sky, casting a soft yellow light that showcases Gale’s bright smile as he watches them being carried by the wind towards you.

You look at him instead. How the lights’ twinkle reflects in his eyes. His excitement when the lanterns float close enough for him to guide one back into the air.

As the lights slowly drift away Gale turns to you, grasping both of your hands into his. “Thank you. Truly. I wouldn’t have even left my tower if it wasn’t for you. I am so very glad you came, to share this with me.” He looks at you so earnestly. It feels like your very soul has been set ablaze.

“I have enjoyed our time together. A little too much, perhaps.” There is a shake in his voice that wasn’t there before.

“With you, I feel happy, safe. You must know you’re- you’re very special to me.”

A breath.

“With you, I forget my goddess.” That last bit is spoken as if it is a secret only meant for your ears. It makes your heart skip a beat.

“I don’t think I want to go back to the tower. You’ve shown me there is so much for me to see, to learn, to experience out here.” One of his hands releases yours to reach up and take out his earring.

“Mystra gave this to me as a token of our relationship.” With one quick motion he throws the silver earring into the lake, for it to sink into its inky depths.

“But that is in the past. I want to move forward now,” His hands clutch yours again, the same shake present as in the tavern.

“, with you, if you’ll have me.”

Time seems to stop.

Your brain, seemingly unable to present an eloquent agreement, instead moves your hand to softly cup his cheek.

You lean in closer, his breath tickling your face, yours probably doing the same to him. You can feel his face starting to heat up underneath your palm.

Just when you are about to meet in the middle Gale suddenly halts his movement, his suddenly stern gaze fixed on something behind you.

“Is everything alright?” It isn’t, you can tell, but can’t stop yourself asking.

“Yes. I just-” He takes a breath, steadying himself before turning his gaze to you again. “I need to take care of something before we leave.”

Once back on land Gale nervously asks you to wait by the boat until he comes back before disappearing into the dark of the forest.

You sit there, anxiously waiting for him to come back as seconds turn to minutes which turns to close to an hour.

About to lose hope of Gale coming back you let out a sigh of relief at the sight of a dark figure emerging from the forest. “There you are. I was starting to think you’d ran back to your tower and left me.”

Your smile leaves your face when the figure comes closer, revealing not Gale, but a tall, slender woman with dark hair.

Mystra.

“He did.” Her voice is smooth, powerful.

“What?” You start to feel nauseous.

“Gale came to realise the mistake that was leaving his tower.” You’re shaking now, tears welling up. “No, he- we were-” She interrupts you. “You were what? Come now dear, you didn’t think any of it was real, did you?”

“Now, dry those tears. He’s back where he belongs. With me.” She then disappears.

Confused and hurt you head back to town. You aimlessly wander the cobblestone streets, wondering if it indeed was all fake.

“Rough night, hon?” You stop and turn to the source of the voice. An older woman, dressed in a purple cloak. Her long, brown hair, decorated with silver streaks, pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck.

“I suppose you can say that.” She looks at you with, oddly familiar, dark eyes, framed by crow’s feet and laced with a melancholy sort of pain.

“It happens to the best of us. I can never find it in myself to be particularly joyous on this day.” She takes you by the arm. “Come child. I’ll put on the kettle for you.”

Her cottage is warm, homely. The tea is comforting, and so is the crackling hearth. You fall into easy conversation with the woman, Morena, as she introduced herself.

“Hmm, you know I started with the lanterns?” She reveals. “I hoped that one day my son would see them, and they would lead him back to me.”

“You have a son?” It would explain her motherly nature. “Yes, but he was taken from me when he was but a baby.” Her brows furrow. “His father sold him, so he could cure me. A witch took him. Apparently, my son had, has, a gift.” She takes a shaky breath. “I dropped that man as soon as I found out. Never saw him again, nor my son.”

Wait a minute.

“Your son. What was his name?” She looks at you, confused by your sudden desperation.

“Gale. I named him Gale.”

Oh.

Oh.

Oh no.

“I am so very sorry, Ms Dekarios, but I suddenly realized something, I have to go.” Surprised by your sudden rush she allows you to borrow her horse after you promise to bring it back.

“C’mon boy, let’s see how fast you can run.”  You ride through the forest, arriving at the boulder that shelters the hidden tower, dark clouds make it seem even more menacing than before.

You jump off your horse, rushing to the tall structure and ring the bell, thorns scratching at your hand in your rush. “Gale? Gale, I need to speak to you!”

Nothing seems to happen for a moment, then, instead of the familiar purple, a white haze surrounds your vision. When it clears you are back in that room. It is dark and in disarray, books strewn from their place on the shelves over the floor. Gale is nowhere to be found.

“Gale?” You call for him. A muffled sound catches your attention.

Gale is gagged and bound to a chair in the familiar way you were previously. Instead of purple, white tendrils hold him in place.

“You should have stayed away.” Mystra comes slithering into view behind Gale. “He. Is. Mine.” She traces her perfectly manicured nails across Gale’s face, causing him to flinch away. “And now you’ve forced my hand.”

Before you can reply you feel yourself being violently pushed by an invisible force. You go flying through the room and out its only window. The last thing you hear before hitting the ground is Gale’s panicked, muffled voice calling for you and the wind rushing through your ears.

The first thing you notice when you wake up is the drops of rain hitting your face, the second is the darkness, and the third the pain.

You try and blink your sight back, to no avail, as you attempt to get up. As you wrestle your way out of the thorns you realise, they must have broken your fall, blinding you in the process.

Freed from the plants you kneel to the wet ground, breathing shakily. Bringing your trembling hands up to your face you gingerly feel around, finding cuts and torn flesh. You find yourself unable to tell the wetness of your blood apart from that of the rain. You bring your hands back to the ground, trying to find stability in the wet earth.

Unable to tell how long you’ve been out; you use your remaining senses to try and figure out what is going on.

You hear voices above you, though it’s hard to understand what they are saying above the clattering of the rain, the rushing of the wind, and the occasional clap of thunder.

“NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

Your suddenly hear a blast, loud enough to make you cover your ears. The earth beneath you shakes and a gust of what you can now clearly identify as magic passes through you.

You sit with bated breath, hands still digging into the ground. It has stopped raining.

A gush of wind, clumsy footsteps, a sharp gasp.

“You’re- I thought you were- I thought I would never see you again.” Gale’s voice shakes, heavy with emotion.

He collapses next to you, clutching your shoulders as if they are his only lifeline. You cry his name through a sob, bringing your hands up to hold onto his arms.

“Your eyes.” He breathes, his warm, gentle hand brushes over your cold, wet cheek.

You let out a nervous chuckle, shaky with adrenaline. “I’ll live. What happened up there?” You feel his forehead resting against yours. “She’s gone. I’m free.” He lets out his own shaky laugh as you feel your tears mixing with his.

When you go to blink the wetness from your ruined eyes you suddenly notice your vision growing better with each blink.

“Gale.” He hums and pulls back slightly, a shocked expression gracing his face when he does. “Your eyes!”

You laugh, honestly and earnestly, as does he, pulling you into a tight hug, which you gladly return.

“I have to tell you something. Something I didn’t have a chance to on that boat on the lake.” He pulls back slightly, looking at you intently. “I could go hours waxing poetry about how I feel about you, but I feel this situation calls for something simpler. I love you. Plainly and completely.”

You can’t hold back the smile tugging at your mouth. “And I love you.”

He then pulls you into a gentle kiss, filled with desperation and relief. It tastes of blood, and rain, and tears.

It is perfect.

“I hate to interrupt this sweet moment, but I would like to know where we are to go now?” You had almost forgotten about Tara you think, Gale spluttering excuses at her.

“I don’t think that is something we have to worry about. Gale there is someone I met while we were separated. I’m sure she would very much like to see you again.”

And there, back in that small town, after a tearful reunion with his sweet mother, you and Gale lived happily ever after.

Masterlist

Tag list: @glitterandgoldfinds

Thank you for reading <3

[nualaofthefaerie]

Hi! I'm curious, what do you think of Nuala/Daniel? I personally don't ship her with Morpheus for the same reason I don't ship Morphienne: I think these ladies deserve better (no shade, obviously I love Morpheus, but I prefer him with someone as morally gray as himself--like Hob, the Corinthian, or Johanna). However, if we think of Daniel as a kinder, gentler version of Dream (which may be reductive but you know what I mean), I think he would really understand and appreciate her in ways that Morpheus just couldn't, what with everything he was dealing with. Anyway, I'm rambling, but I just really like the idea of Daniel/Nuala and I wondered what your thoughts are, as the leading expert in Nuala Studies. 💗💗💗

Thank you for the wonderful question!

Well, for me, the issue with Daniel/Nuala (and I'm not by any means saying you shouldn't enjoy their dynamic) is that for me, Daniel is much closer to a teenager. We know very little canonically of Daniel as a character, therefore each of us infers by what we know.

So, I have always viewed Daniel as a teenager. Perhaps because of the theory that Daniel is white because he is a young Dream and he will gradually regain his darkness. But I can't shake it off. I also see him as a very asexual/aromantic entity, I do not know why.

Furthermore, I will be lying if I say that Morpheus' darkness opposing Nuala's light is not one of the pivotal charms for me in the relationship, so of course, I am also biased.

I much prefer HobxNuala, post Wake. She travels to the Waking world anyways and they meet during the Wake. So there is a lot of appeal in a more "Rapunzel x Flynn Rider" dynamic with them.

BUT again, those are my personal views, and they shouldn't reflect what others like.

[henriiiii-1001old]

tmc fairy tale au!!!

SO this is actually a concept i had a few months ago that i never rly expanded upon.

first, let me explain the basics:

i assigned different tmc characters to different fairy tales, but they all exist in the same universe.

Adam - Rapunzel Evelin - Snow White/Flynn Rider Jonah - Little Mermaid Sarah - Gretel/Daughter from The Juniper Tree Mark - Hansel/Stepson from The Juniper Tree Cesar - Frog Prince Thatcher - Lumberjack guy from Red Riding Hood Ruth - Red Riding Hood Dave - Father from The Juniper Tree Six - Gothel Gabriel - Stepmother from The Juniper Tree Preacher - The Sea Witch Stanley - The Candy Witch Alt!Thatch - Big Bad Wolf

next, some art i made for the au!!!

and now, huge lore dump! >:)c its gonna be long so buckle your seatbelts LMAO

so, the main plot of this au is basically that adam has been stuck in a tower in the middle of nowhere for almost 21 years. he had been raised by six, who is actually a witch set on taking over the kingdoms that surround the nearby areas (aka the counties). one day, six it out doing stuff, and while he's gone prince evelin (yes she's a prince bc fuck it) ends up finding the tower. she decides to climb it out of curiosity.

she ends up in a standoff against adam, but to try to deescalate things, they introduce themselves to each other. all of a sudden before they could talk more, adam hears six coming back and hides evelin in a nearby closet. evelin sees adam and six get into a fight abt adam wanting to go out into the world for once, but six is all "you're not ready" and it just gets really bad. all until six lovebombs adam and leaves again to get something for adam's upcoming 21st birthday.

evelin had exited the closet as six left, and she's like "you let him do that to you?" adam is like "uh yeah? he always does? i dont see them problem" and evie starts making adam question everything. she promises to take adam into the world but return him by night in case six came back. they'd also stay near the tower just in case as well.

cut to jonah's pov! he's a simple merman wanting to be a part of the human world! he sees evie and adam having a lot of fun and wishes he could join them. his dad (yes, if jonah is the little mermaid, the fucking mervin marshall is the king by proxy DCFVGBHNJ) is all like "nuh uh too dangerous, especially with most of the witches residing on land anyway" and jonah is like "FUCKING BET!"

he goes to the sea witch, preacher, and asks for legs and talks about seeing adam and evie hanging out! and preacher is like "im sorry WHO????" bc she knows that adam shouldnt be out and about. she makes jonah promise that as part of the deal, he must return adam to six in three days time, otherwise he'll turn back into a merman. he quickly agrees, and the whole deal is made. preacher does go tell six about this, and while he freaks out at first, preacher is like "it's ok dude i got this. i got a client to promise to return him home as part of our deal. you're fine m'dude."

jonah ends up on land and tries teaching himself how to talk while finding a cloth to barely dress himself with. adam and evie do eventually see him and they're like "yo who tf are you?" and while jonah cant talk, they do find a way to write to each other and they become friends!!!!

they do also eventually meet sarah at some point, and oh b o y does she have a backstory.

SO, in order to explain her backstory, let me explain the story of "the juniper tree" (copy pasted from discord LMAO)

"so a mother is peeling apples under a juniper tree and accidentally cuts her finger. the blood drips onto the snow on the ground, and that (somehow) grants the woman's wish to have a child as white as snow and as red as blood. she dies after giving birth to her perfect child, and the father soon remarries, having a daughter of her own.

she loved her daughter but hated her stepson and abused him every day and is all "i want my daughter to inherit your father's money." she then leads her children to a chest of apples one day. she lets her daughter pick an apple from the chest, but when her stepson came to pick one, she slammed the chest on his head and decapitated him.

she then set it up to where the same thing would happen again but the daughter would be there to witness it all, and her mother would gaslight her into thinking that she murdered her own brother. she then literally turned her stepson into soup and fed him to her husband. the daughter was so grossed out and distraught the entire time, but she couldn't rat her mother out. she ended up burying her brother's bones under the juniper tree.

then, he reincarnated as a bird and sung a song to some townspeople to convince them to help him get revenge on his stepmother. he gathered a golden chain for his father, red shoes for his sister, and a millstone to crush his stepmother. he reveals himself to his family and they live happily ever after."

here's the changes i made to the original story:

instead of just the mother dying, both of mark and sarah's prents die, and now they are in the sole custody of dave

instead of having the caretaker marry someone, dave asks his friend "o'brien" to help raise mark and sarah

instead of the stepmother dying, it is revealed that o'brien was actually the great mage gabriel trying to steal something important to their plans that dave just so happens to have

and thats it CFVGBHNJM. gabriel does try and come back every once in a while to coax gabe into either letting them come back or trying to make dave give himself up for sarah's sake.

cesar's story is also p cool imo! he is the prince of bythorne and evelin's cousin! they got along great when evelin was younger, but that stopped once cesar disappeared.

this was caused by him saving mark and sarah from the candy witch, stanley, who had lured them in to specifically kill mark. cesar saw what was going on and saved the two of them before it was too late.

later that night, stanley decided to be a petty bitch and curse cesar into being a frog so he wouldn't be able to save anyone else from her or her sisters' (in which six is her like. brother but i'll explain why later LMAO) plans. cesar hid in the shadows of mandela kingdom's palace for years since then.

since cesar's disappearance, evelin had wanted to take the role of prince to honor him. she also used it as a way to not have to be trapped inside the palace walls and coddled. she ended up still feeling stuck anyway, which led to her sneaking out to travel through the woods, which ofc led her one day to find adam's tower.

at some point (if anything this would be after evie and adam meet and stuff), evelin finds cesar in his frog form on the windowsill of the guest room he would regularly stay in whenever he would come to mandela to visit. he finds that she isnt revolted by his new appearance and is actually willing to help him out!

he explains that he learned that most curses can be cured by "true love's kiss", which in storybooks was always seen as romantic. he had always viewed evelin like a little sister, so he felt that he was hopeless.

that was until evelin thought of a loophole, since the stories never explicitly said that it was romantic, she would try to break the curse purely through the love she has for him as her cousin. she kisses the top of cesar's head, and cesar has returned to his human form!!!

...well, somewhat. the curse had altered his human form due to it not being broken for years on end, so cesar came back deformed. his limbs were too long and half of his face was always covered by a dark shadow. cesar did freak out about this, but evelin assured him that he'll always be her cesar, no matter what he looked like.

evelin and cesar explained the situation and cesar was finally returned to bythorne. he did write a letter a bit after wards telling her that he has resigned from his princely duties to become a princess! maybe it would help him not have to struggle with the expectations of needing to be brave and bold, and it would be a thank you to evelin for taking his role as a prince!!!

speaking of evelin, let's go back to her for a minute. so, i had also put her as snow white, but we haven't really seen her fulfill that role yet. weeelllll...

at some point in the story, six finds evelin alone in the forest and offers her to take a bite of an apple in exchange for knowledge about adam and his past. the thing is, evelin HATES fruit so she's like "ewww do i have tooo" and six is like "if you really wanna know, then you gotta."

evelin agrees and bites into the apple. it tastes so fucking gross, but she feels like she was to swallow it to finish her end of the deal. once she swallows, the pieces suddenly cling onto her throat, choking her in the process. as she struggles to breathe, six begins to tell her who adam truly is.

adam is a regular boy who six took as part of a deal made by his parents. lynn had been getting pregnancy cravings and wanting the rapunzel frm the neighbor's garden. she made jude retrieve them for her, but it wasn't enough. eventually, jude got caught by six and agreed to give up their firstborn child in exchange to continue taking the flowers.

once adam was born, lynn and jude were killed by six, and he took adam away to raise him as his prodigy. as a catalyst for the witches' plans.

as six is explaining all of this to evelin, she is trying her hardest to take him down with her. fuck the info he's giving her, he tricked her, and now he has to pay. she swings with all her might but falls in vain. her vision goes black as six walks away from her dying body...

there's probably a "mother knows best reprise" moment here and six is all like "oh you might wanna go save your friend if you care about her so much" and adam freaks tf out. she's desperately trying to think of something to help evelin.

eventually, the group remember's cesar's story with "true love's kiss" and they're like "fuck it let's try that". adam, while literally sobbing, plants a small kiss on her forehead and prays for her to wake up.

while this is all happening, evelin ets visited by mark's spirit. he basically hypes her up and is like "you got this girlie!!!" and she wakes up after adam plants his kiss on her. she starts to choke again, but adam helps her with it and heimlichs the apple out of her throat. she's finally able to breathe, and the group celebrates.

however, the happy moment doesn't last for too long. jonah does eventually return adam to six behind evelin and sarah's backs, but afterward he feels so guilty for it. they literally sacrificed one of the first human friends he's ever made for legs. how stupid is that? they eventually go to sarah and evelin and they quickly figured out what happened. while evelin goes to the tower to save adam (with help from a certain spirit), sarah and jonah confront preacher.

there is gonna be a plot abt preacher almost taking over the seas, but jonah and sarah do eventually take her down and retrieve jonah's voice. and yes, sarah gets to see that jonah is a merman and she's actually like "YO WAIT YOU GUYS ARE REAL???" and jonah is like "UH YEAH?????"

and yes, adam does eventually escape as well, but i dont have those details either so ye :')

that's the main plot at least! i do have a subplot for thatcher's pov tho! more copy paste from discord

"thatcher and ruth are friends and live nearby each other. ruth usually helps out w raising mark and sarah, though mark by this point is dead so dave DEFINITELY needs help. he and sarah havent been taking his death well, especially since dave literally ate mark’s remains without knowing. and sarah feels guilty enough for being gaslit into believing that she killed mark.

so ruth is about to go to dave’s place and has to walk through the forest to get there. she eventually meets what seems to be a very friendly wolf. she is a little weirded out by it, but she eventually tells it how dave lost mark and that she’s helping out! and the wolf is like “oh thats cool! i wish you luck on your journey. though i must say, these flowers smell beautiful! maybe you should pick some and take them to your dear friend!” and as ruth collects flowers as the wolf suggested, it found thatcher nearby and took his appearance to take a visit to a particular dave lee." ...

"she gets to dave's place who has been escorted out by the wolf/alt thatcher, right? so he's like "dear friend, why don't you rest! you've spent all day walking here, and you should be able to rest" aaaaand he tries to turn her into a werewolf but then thatcher comes in and is like "AYO TF YOU DOING TO MY BESTIE????" and he and the wolf fight. thatcher ends up getting bitten but is able to ward him off with his axe that was laced with silver just in case. so ruth is saved, but overtime thatcher feels more pain surge throughout his body and just kinda. turns one night.

unfortunately, he ends up killing ruth. alt thatcher tries to take this as an opportunity to maybe make him join the witches, but thatcher ofc refuses and makes a break towards dave's house. thatcher ends up telling dave what happened, and dave is okay with helping him hide it as well as hiding his newfound lycanthropy

sarah overhears this convo and becomes EXTREMELY angry at thatcher bc ruth was helping dave raise her after mark died. she was basically the mother figure sarah had always wanted, and thatcher took that away from her."

that's it for plot!!! now for some witch shenanigans >:)

so the witches are basically all the alts who usually practice shapeshifting magic to like. deceive others and all that jazz. ive made it a running joke that six is technically the only guy there FVGBHNJ

like, stanley is fem, preacher is female, alt!thatcher is copying thatcher who is transfem in this au, and gabriel dresses fem. six (and by proxy adam) is literally the only guy there DCFVGBHNJ

i am. running out of energy but i think that's everything for rn. hope you enjoy this au though!!!! ive put a lot into it <33333

[twotangledsisters]

How would it have been had Caine been in the very first fic that covered the Tangled movie?

Casually opens up AUs in the AU folder and adds a new folder

This is what WIPs look like in their very messy first draft form but I was too inspired to just answer this question normally with like a few bullet points so enjoy:

Okay, so I’m picturing Caine chilling in her base when she’s told she’s got a visitor who claims to be an old friend.

Flynn Rider… long time no see.

“What brings you around these parts, Flynn?” Caine acts stern because that’s just how small talk in the criminal world works.

“The Stabbingtons.”

“What about ‘em?”

“They got arrested yesterday.”

“Surprised it didn’t happen sooner.”

“Which means I need a new associate for a mission.”

“I’m listening.”

“I think you know the one…”

Caine’s struggling to hold back a smile.

“Wanna help an old friend out and make some royals cry in the process?”

“Fuck yeah I do.”

They steal the crown; they flee Corona.

Flynn and Caine go way back, they care for each other, as much as criminals are allowed to, and because of that and a bit of fear, neither of them betray the other.

Axel helps them escape but Maximus is still on their tail, that is until Axel comes to a sudden break to avoid crashing into a stone wall and both thiefs go flying through some vines.

Axel assumes they just vanished and moves on with his life. Caine has an opening for a new horse associate. Thankfully Flynn has the crown and there’s a tower perfect for hiding in!

Because the race was different the timing at which they arrive in the tower is different. Nobody’s knocked out with a frying pan but they do come face to face with two young women ready to defend their territory.

Caine managed to get Rapunzel against a wall, knife to her neck. Flynn has his back to another wall, Cassandra has a weapon pointed at him.

Negotiations may commence.

Caine is born and raised in Corona, she knows the royal family oh too well and it only takes a name to realise who the blonde is and for a moment she’s tempted to end her here and there, but then the other women would probably kill Flynn and the blonde looks frightened and is mumbling on about lights and dreams and how she really, really wants to know how grass feels and something about ruffians and how they don’t have weapons to fight the ruffians—weapons.

“Flynn… I have a knife to this woman’s neck.”

“Yeah. Great. But I also have a weapon pointed at me so maybe… be nice?”

“What weapon is it?” Caine asked.

Flynn looks down realising the thing pointed at him is no more than a broken broom. Cassandra though snatched Flynn’s own knife and puts it to his throat. “A knife,” Flynn answers Caine’s previous question. “At least it is now.”

Caine isn’t happy.

Eventually Caine and Cassandra agree to lower and drop their weapons on the count of three. One… Two… Three…

Neither woman drops the weapon.

“I didn’t trust you.”

“Same.”

“Hey,” Rapunzel laughed, “At least you’re finding things in common? That’s the first step to bonding! Are we bonding? I think we’re bonding!”

Hours pass and both Caine and Cassandra’s hands are getting tired, neither women is used to finding someone equally stubborn.

They try to make the same deal again. One… Two… Three…

Neither woman drops the weapon.

“Oh, come on!” Flynn is tired.

“Our Mother will come home eventually so… it may take days but we are the ones who will win if nobody moves,” Rapunzel pointed out, leaving out the fact Gothel would absolutely not let anything bad happen to Rapunzel.

Finally, it’s Caine who drops her weapon.

Cassandra drops hers after Caine.

Rapunzel and Flynn are relieved.

“Sooo… can I get you two tea?” Rapunzel offers.

The four sit and have some tea and chat. Flynn tells the two girls about how he and Caine are adventurers and they were just exploring the forest and exploring what they assumed was an abandoned tower and meant no harm at all.

Rapunzel seems to soak up every word, asking him many questions about the world beyond the tower.

Caine had her arms crossing and is assessing the fact she, she of all people, found the lost princess and is now going to have to make a decision about what the fuck to do with this information. Cassandra seems to be messing around with something under the table.

Caine is worried it’s a weapon.

Until Cassandra pulls out a piece of paper. “Hah! You’re not adventurers! You’re criminals!”

Flynn notices he’s satchel is missing.

Caine wonders how Flynn is still alive.

“Ooooh? Fellow criminals!” Rapunzel smiled. “We’re criminals too.”

“You are?” Flynn raises a brow.

“Yeah, tell ‘em Cass!”

Cassandra frowned then goes onto explain a hilariously bad misinterpretation of the law and how “it’s illegal for children to be alone at home… which we were a lot.”

Caine watches Cassandra and wants to call the young woman dumb… but instead she nods. “Yeah… I broke that law a lot too.”

Cassandra seems comforted by Caine’s understanding.

Rapunzel, who in her understanding just made two new super awesome criminal friends, then asks the strangers for a favour, for them to help them see the lights!

Flynn explains Corona isn’t the best place to be when wanted but for some reason Caine agrees to do it. She knows Corona, knows the underground tunnels and knows the perfect spot to go watch them without getting caught.

In exchange Caine gets to use the tower as a hide-out whenever she’s on the run, it’s not a very good deal for Caine, but she has to at least pretends there’s a reason she’s being nice.

Caine doesn’t tell Flynn about Rapunzel being the lost princess, she realises doing so may lead the man to returning her, because of the reward money but also because Flynn had, at least in their youth, often longed for a second chance. This could be his. But Caine couldn’t be a part of giving the royal family their lost daughter back when they were the reason Caine’s family had fallen apart. She just wasn’t willing.

But on their way to Corona the girls do most of the talking and the picture they paint of their life and childhood is not a pretty one.

The lights!

Rapunzel is running to the edge of the small island Caine brought them to to get the best possible view, Flynn by her side. They like each other, it’s clear for anybody to see it and it sickens both Cassandra and Caine.

Cassandra, on the other hand stands back, she watched them but with a sad energy to her.

Caine asks what’s wrong and Cassandra explains how they’re just another way Rapunzel’s special… and she’s not. In need of a distraction Cassandra asks Caine what the lights mean?

Caine explains about the Lost Princess but without naming her and without giving any clues to indicate it was Rapunzel other than them sharing a birthday.

“So, these lights represent hope?”

Caine hummed.

“It’s really pretty that the king and queen still hold so much hope and love for that princess even all these years later…”

Caine frowned. “I think it’s unfair.”

Cassandra looks at Caine in confusion.

“They have so much. They have riches, power, every comfort one could ask for. They don’t have to worry where a meal is going to come from. They’re protected. Not everybody whom they’re sworn to protect is so lucky. And on top of that they get hope? Hope, the thing they ripped away from so many families!” Caine’s hands are fists.“They cry over the family they lost, but they ripped apart families, cutting the lives of mere thieves short, mere thieves with wives and… daughters.”

Cassandra’s hand moves over Caine’s. “I’m so sorry they did that to you.”

Caine’s eyes moved up to Cassandra’s.

With no Stabbingtons to interrupt New Dream are kissing somewhere in the background.

Caine almost kisses Cassandra (probably for the best she doesn’t though cause Cassandra is still pretty confused about romance)—but they’re interrupted by Gothel!

Who I think brought guards? Trusting the guards to arrest the criminals and be stupid enough to not realise the blonde with seventy feet of blonde hair is a bit odd because honestly they can sometimes be a bit… useless.

And for a moment it looks like her plan will work, Gothel is holding her daughters close to her who both look frightened and confused, probably expecting to be arrested as nobody has taken the time to explain Cassandra’s misinterpretation of child neglect laws.

Flynn is shouting about Gothel being a bad mother but the guards aren’t listening.

Caine knows what to say to make them listen. “That’s the lost princess.”

Dramatic add break as the screen fades to black!

Screen slowly fades back in.

“Explain,” Captain is the first to speak.

“Gladly.” And Caine does.

Cassandra looks to her mother, hoping Gothel can refute what Caine just said, but Gothel doesn’t. Instead, she pulls a knife, which she holds to Cassandra’s neck. “Well, I think that’s enough adventuring for one lifetime girls. How about we leave the guards to their arrests and they let us leave because they don’t want your blood on their hands?”

Gothel is dragging the two girls away in tears.

Axel is there to carry the three.

Damn horse, found a new job already.

Captain realises he and the other guards stand no chance of following due to the loud chunky armour, but there are two people who do.

They release the two thieves.

Eugene randomly tells Caine his real name as they’re following Gothel, you know, in case they die trying to fight a witch.

Caine calls his name stupid.

Eugene asks about Caine's first name.

Caine promises it’s less stupid than Eugene but doesn’t tell him.

There’s an epic rescue, somebody probably dies and gets revived, somebody cuts that blonde hair, Gothel definitely dies and gets no revival. But the point is they go back to Corona so Rapunzel can meet her parents, Cassandra can lie in a corner and cry for a week as she processes how bad her mother was and Eugene can get a taste of castle living!

There’s a hug! Except… it doesn’t get to last long, as when Arianna tries to thank Caine, the woman just starts screaming at her and letting out years of anger.

Like, she just stands there screaming at the royal family for a solid half an hour minimum and Arianna doesn’t let anybody intervene because screaming isn’t illegal and this young woman risked her life to bring her daughter back the least she can do is listen.

Caine tired herself out and Arianna asks Caine to help them help others like her.

Caine wants to say no, to tell the royals to fuck off.

But then Cassandra looks at her, and with one word, she’s convinced her. “Please?”

Caine and Cassandra are a cute co-op law-changing team.

New Dream makes bets on how long they’re going to take to start dating, when will the first kiss be, who confesses to the other, etc.

Everybody lives happily ever after!

You know… until Rapunzel touches black rocks, and then the politics of the other kingdoms, and Equis start burning people, and the moonstone stuff and AGH! All that bs.

[mariatesstruther]

tangled au with tommy and maria

maria as badass rapunzel and tommy as cocky flynn rider

idk why this just appeared in my brain but i feel i must share w you

okay okay okay maddie ur a mf genius for this like wow. WOW. i will admit, my mind immediately went “how do i make it so maria’s dad is still good” bc in my mind hank is never evil so its a lil different from tangled, but it def still works because like. here’s how it could all start

maybe maria’s mother, dorinda, was like a witch or sorcereress. maybe her family’s lineage was blessed with the same drop of sunlight that blessed the flower in tangled, or maybe she’s fae-descendant. either way, she has a magic garden full of flowers with magical properties and shit: anti-aging tulips, sick-remedy sunflowers, good-luck clovers, that kinda thing. her and maria’s father try at first to keep themselves secret, but it gets hard because she’s known to their small village as a healer. everyone tries to keep the news of her magic under wraps when it comes to outsiders because they know that, if word got out about maria’s mother, she would be quickly taken away by the king and queen, and locked away forever in the castle

so the secret stays buried—at least until maria is born. at this point, it’s virtually impossible to keep maria or her mother’s powers a secret, because maria is even more powerful than her forbearer. flowers bloom when she laughs, animals go haywire when she cries, and anyone who has the privilege of twisting her hair is blessed with a surge of healthful youth. dorinda has always had the power to heal people with her plants and herbs, but maria’s abilities are external and as powerful as she’s ever seen. she knows instantly she needs to be protected, so she and hank agree to do what’s necessary: they disappear to protect maria. with the help of the villagers, they give away all of dorinda’s magic plants and burn the roots away. they’re gone before maria reaches three months old

decades later, when the old queen falls deathly ill, the castle sends out gaurds to every corner of the kingdom looking for magic. they’ve heard rumors of the villager’s healer, a commoner witch with the powers necessary to save the queen, so the king orders them to raise hell until she’s found. village by village, soldiers interrogate everyone for information on the secret healer’s identity. eventually, they have a lead on a hideout and find them

before they’re stolen away to the castle, dorinda makes a deal with the king: that she can remain the queen’s nurse, dedicating her life to keeping her alive, but only if her daughter remains a protected secret. the king agrees, and they all decide it’s best for maria to be locked away somewhere safe, where her powers wouldn’t be witnessed by anyone.

so NOW we’re at tangled: maria is locked away in a tower and only gets occasional visits from her father, when he can get away from the castle. tommy, former blacksmith and current fugitive, is on the run from castle guards when he happens upon maria’s tower and hoists himself up with a pick-axe. she wipes him out with her cast iron pan, and it’s love at first knock-out

[captainbrookeworm]

Explanation Post

Hey everyone, thank you for participating! Time for the explanation post (incorrect answers in order of most votes)

(Spoilers btw)

Eugene’s REAL real name is Horace: Guys I am so fucking sorry but Eugene’s birth name is indeed Horace. They renamed him Eugene at the orphanage. Eugene absolutely refuses to go by this name but his long-lost dad still calls him that sometimes lmaooooooo It’s also funny to me that this one wiped the floor with all the other choices considering it is the most easily verifiable. You don’t have to wade through my purposefully confusing wording to find some obscure plot point, it’s just THERE on the wiki lmaooo I very much had fun watching everyone in denial in the comments

Pascal becomes a mother: This one is probably the most deceptively worded on my part. He finds a dragon egg and hatches it lol Here is his beautiful son:

Mother Gothel was part of a secret demon-worshipping cult: This one is one of those technically-not-officially-confirmed-but-I-mean-come-the-fuck-on type deals. It’s implied this is how she knew the healing incantation, because this cult + science monkey man were researching the Sundrop. Here is the cult in question:

Rapunzel and Eugene’s ex-fiance join the WWE while Eugene is in prison: This one is also real. Everything with the ex-fiance a really interesting exploration into what kind of partner would be best for Eugene WITHOUT making it a possessive cat-fight kinda deal and it’s really good. Everything with Rapunzel and Eugene’s relationship is fucking STELLAR actually. 

Eugene and Lance get high and then almost get eaten by Diet Audrey 2: Here's the clip: Zachary Levi, James Monroe Iglehart - Buddy Song (From "Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure")

Science man puts his soul in a monkey to gain immortality and prophecy powers: I looked but I could not find anywhere that explains how the fuck he made the monkey immortal or got prophecy powers, but the reason he didn’t do it on himself is to hide from the evil demon’s cult.  The monkey’s name is Vigor.

Rapunzel almost sucks all of the life out of her friends by accident: This is in the same episode as the one Eugene and Lance get high. It’s happening like fifty feet below them at that moment lol

A 14-year-old stages 2 coups, the 2nd of which is successful for a good while: Most people who’ve heard of TTS have also heard of this because “Ready As I’ll Ever Be” got so popular lol. A LOT of people started watching this show almost exclusively for this character (including me)



Those of you keeping track will see that the correct answer is... 

Flynn Rider 2 (electric boogaloo) joins the Corona Royal Guard: He does not - he picks a crab off the ground, declares it his animal sidekick and fucks off. His real name is Brock Thunderstrike and he goes on to date Eugene's ex-fiance. Girl knows what she likes lol. Spoilers but EUGENE does end up joining the Corona Royal Guard as captain, but the knock-off does not

I had fun with the Ninjago one so probs gonna do it with the other semi niche stuff I'm into

[poisonouswritings]

Hi it's the same anon who requested the frozen AU🧍.

IT WAS SO GOOD BTW TYSM.

I have another request Disney related. How would the M3 deal with an MC who's like Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert? Like the thieving stuff, tragic backstory and personality 😳? Idk I just love Disney🤤.

Thanks so much!

I hereby dub you Disney Anon. You may have your own tag

And I'm really glad you liked it!! It was a lot of fun. Absolutely love this idea hehe.

GN!reader, breaking the law, some cussing probably

Felix

Okay but in this scenario,, Felix is Rapunzel. The child with magic powers raised by a shitty parent (Escell, not Florian. Florian is goals) who wanted to get out of that and explore the world.

But anyways.

Okay so imagine the first time you meet him when the guards are coming to grab you in Mournfall?? Instead of going through a portal you grab Felix and do a lil bit of fighting to slip past them. You two escape down the stairs and hide in one of the rooms. As he's trying to catch his breath you reveal you stole one of the guards' coin bags.

Felix is highly impressed!

As he teaches you magic, he asks you if there's anything in particular you wanna learn about. Perhaps a spell to hide the sound of your footsteps, or to hide in shadows easier or something?

He takes you out into town. You're on your best behavior, but if someone is mean to Felix?? You are Stealing All Their Shit.

Man an MC who flirts with Felix go get what they want,, or even just for fun honestly,, and Felix gets flustered everytime.

Honestly as long as your thievery is within reason - like you aren't making someone destitute or whatever - he doesn't mind. In fact he's a little impressed with how nimble you are.

Steal him little gifts!!

When you finally do tell him your Sad Backstory™, he holds your hand and reassures you that you won't have to go through that again. He's by your side for however long you want him to be.

You make it a habit of stealing from Escell. He still hasn't caught on. Scylla, Felix, and Florian have a betting pool on how much you can get away with.

Anisa

On one hand she's,, a little exasperated because She's A Knight Lieutenant Babe You Can't Be Stealing Stuff!!! On the other hand she's really impressed.

You guys,,, make a game,,, you go on market dates and you steal things and Anisa has to try and stop you. If she does then you have to buy lunch, but if you win then she lets you take whatever you stole. She goes back to the stands and pays for whatever it is tho

You show up with a pastry for her and she eats it and then you're like 'I stole that' and she's just >:(((((((

Despite your criminal activity, she knows you have a good heart. When you reveal your Sad Backstory™ I'm sure she's not surprised. Probably guessed some of it herself. Kisses your cheek. She is Your Knight And She Will Protect You from now on!

Honestly, as much as she tells you to stop stealing, she doesn't really want you to. You wouldn't be you if you weren't a thief y'know?

You meet Azimuth and think your games are over,, no,,, they just casually say they Don't Know What Anisa Is Talking About when she asks them to use their future sight to see what you stole.

It turns into a double game where Anisa and Saaros have to stop you from stealing because Damnit MC You're Gonna Get Thrown Out Of Rivath while Azimuth helps you avoid getting caught

There's like,, an important meeting with Rivath officials and you're just toying with a dagger you stole from one of them. Azimuth tells you who you can steal from that won't freak out. You gotta keep up aesthetics.

Anisa wants to go to a place to touch things but the place is closed?? You break in and you two have a date. Gets interrupted halfway through and you're both running from the guards, having the time of your lives.

She steals something of yours and tries to be cocky/teasing about it but she just,, can't,, gods I would die for her

Sage

First interaction,, when he has you up against the wall and is all growly,, and then after when you guys are heading back to the bar and he stops to talk to you,, you casually pull out a dagger you stole from him and be like 'oh you can have this back' then casually walk past him and back into the bar,,,

Oh Sage has fallen for you Then and There.

You two steal from each other??? He steals from you and you (affectionately) push him against the wall and reach into the inner pocket of his jacket while not breaking eye contact????? Oh! So this is what it feels like to be totally whipped??? He's bright red and trying to be flirty but he just can't get the words out because you've got him so worked up

You steal something from him and he hugs you from behind and purrs in your ear while reaching into your pocket to pull out whatever you took? Nips you a lil? I'm dead. You're dead. MC is dead. Someone get Rapunzel to cry on us because we're all dead and gone.

Whatever your backstory is, he can relate to it in emotion if nothing else. You guys are together now tho, and you'll protect one another.

One of you gets arrested and the other just breaks into the jail. Anisa and Felix have to use their combined influences to deal with it. They yell at you both.

Obviously you two are flirting with each other all the time. Both because there's a lost of mutual attraction (Sage is really into confidence) but also to try and trick each other. It's all part of the game.

At the end of the day you guys return whatever you stole from each other. He always compliments your skills.

[hellacioushag]

acotar characters as animated good guys

this is dumb af, enjoy.  

rhys: jack frost (rise of the guardians)

both hot af, both have painful pasts resulting in losing a loved one(s), both appear to be cold and flippant, but deep inside feel the need to make the world a more beautiful and wonderful place to be. jack constantly struggles through his movie to be seen for who he truly is and rhys felt that same pain until he and feyre healed together. 15/10 they can nip my nose anytime. 

feyre: robin hood (robin hood)

my girl feyre is the living embodiment of robin hood. she knows what it’s like to have to fight for survival so now she’s always looking out for those in need. both kickass archers, both say eat the rich, and both would risk their necks for their true loves. 14/10 feyre and robin hood can fucking get it. 

amren: archimedes (sword in the stone)

archimedes and amren are both wise and gruff sidekicks. they see everyone else as children barely able to speak full sentences and have no problem laughing in at their shenanigans. 12/10 would let them lecture me for hours 

cassian: flynn rider/eugene fitzherbert (tangled)

flynn falls in love with rapunzel after being beaten with a frying pan and dragged into enemy territory so she can watch the lanterns, not realizing if caught he would for sure to arrested and killed. what other himbo would risk everything he is for a woman who would beat him up on the regular? 15/10 no one does it like my bois flynn and cassian.  

nesta: anastasia (anastasia) 

ana and nesta both have sass for days, neither would run from a fight, and both end up being the hero of their own stories. ana and nesta also have that tough outer exterior that only becomes softened when they grow to love and trust their significant other. 16/10 would fight a zombie sorcerer for you any day

elain: aurora (sleeping beauty)

i love both elain and aurora, but we barely know either of them let’s be real. aurora has maybe 18 minutes of screen time in her entire film and now we’re 4.5 books into a 6 book series and know little to nothing about what makes elain tick. 12/10 they both deserve better than underwhelming development and fuck bois. 

lucien: hercules (hercules)

while lucien is a lot more clever than the himbo hunkules they both know the pain of feeling like they don’t belong, both have secret daddy reveals, both may not be very smooth but are sweet as fucking pie, and both would go to hell and back for their true loves. 14/10 would fight a hydra for both and that is the gospel truth. 

azriel: elsa (frozen)

both elsa and azriel do not deal with their emotions and instead bottle them up until they explode out in a force of power beyond their control. like elsa, azriel needs to learn to love himself before trying to get with anyone. he needs to deal with his trauma and pain, he needs to heal. 11/10 i’m never letting go

gwyn: rapunzel (tangled)

gwyn and rapunzel both lived very sheltered lives and desire the strength to take those first steps from their confinement and face the world with all it’s unknowns. they both have so much joy and wonder about life. while naïve about some things they have both proven they are determined, brave, and true. 18/10 you are my new dream

mor: mulan (mulan)

mor and mulan and both fierce warriors who struggled to be able to be their authentic selves. they would do anything to protect their loved ones, even if it put themselves in harms way. honorable, kind, and fierce they are the strongest gals i know. 14/10 they are a girl worth fighting for

emerie: moana (moana)

these girls do not need a man to save them. they are strong, fierce, and compassionate women. they didn’t always have strong support systems, but both girls persevered and followed their own path. both moana and emerie are brave and kind and know they do not need to be anything other than themselves to get the job done. 13/10 these girls know the way to my heart

helion: tinkerbell (peter pan)

both the hottest in any room, both full of sass, both full of light and clever plans, and both will die if they don’t get enough attention. 14/10 clap if you want to smash

tamlin: derek (the swan princess)

derek is the OG tool. 2/10 derek walked, so tamlin could run. 

[tangledbea]

Tangled is often praised storytelling-wise because of its perfect tight script, where all the scenes have meaning, are believable, etc., but it has been also pointed out that Gothel's plans could have failed in many different ways, like, what if Eugene doesn't go to give the crown back to the Stabbingtons? What if she goes with him? Do you think she's supposed to be such a mastermind manipulator than she can predict everyone's action, even those men's she barely knew? Is this a mistake to you?

No, Gothel's not a mastermind manipulator to the extent that she can flawlessly predict the actions of strangers. Gothel is a mastermind manipulator who always has contingency plans brewing in her head in case something fails or changes while also being very good at reading people and manipulating them. Look at how quickly she went from 'stab the thief who stole Rapunzel as soon as he comes out of the tree' to 'convince these two muscle-bound brutes to scare Rapunzel into wanting to go home by 'proving' that the world holds nothing but danger and heartbreak for her'.

Using your example, it's not like she's far from the landing point. The Stabbingtons didn't know she was lying in wait to ambush them. While she waited (and even before then), I'm sure she came up with several alternate plans in case the initial one she laid out didn't work. But she accurately predicted that getting back at Flynn Rider was more important to them than keeping the crown for themselves, even before she sweetened the deal by telling them about Rapunzel.

Her one major flaw in planning was that she overestimated her own influence over Rapunzel/underestimated Rapunzel's intelligence. She did not predict that Rapunzel's outing would lead Rapunzel to realize she was the Lost Princess, nor did she anticipate how quickly Rapunzel would turn on her once the truth came out. You can tell this a) by how she freezes when Rapunzel declares herself the Lost Princess, and b) at how she attempts to use the same old tactics to calm Rapunzel down after the fact

And then the series up and made her entire defining characteristics her vanity and her bitchiness.

[hiccanna-tidbits]

The RotBTD+ Gang Plays DnD! (Feat. my ships, sorry not sorry XD)

So highkey I’ve actually been wanting to do a “The Gang Plays DnD” type post for AGES now, but then I saw @hobie-brown and @ohlooksheswriting-wips do DnD AU posts for RotBTD, and then I was like “Ah shit, I really should finish mine, eh?” So thank you to both of you for inspiring me to get off my ass and actually write the post!!!

Hiccup DMs. He comes up with this super complex plot revolving around dragons (because of course) where the party has to dismantle this society ruled by evil knights who want to genocide all of the dragons. Imagine his chagrin when the party wants to do nothing but fuck around in towns and aggravate NPCs 90% of the time.

They usually end up playing at Jack’s apartment, mainly because Hiccup’s dad doesn’t really want a bunch of loud nerds yelling about 20-sided dice in his household while he’s trying to work, if he can at all help it. Jack’s sister regularly barges into their living room and roasts the fuck out of Jack and his friends for being such damn nerds and eats all of their DnD snacks they’ve set out. If they’re in the middle of a combat session, she always gleefully proclaims that they’re all going to die. While Jack is annoyed by this, the rest of the party finds it deeply hilarious.

Jack Overland plays the absolute mayhem warlock Jack Frost, who got his powers through making a deal with the archfey Prince of Frost and has absolutely no qualms about being an evil god’s mortal Sower of Chaos. He spends the vast majority of the campaign doing such useful things as creating ice slicks under annoying NPCs and freezing people’s drinks. He also plays a Tiefling because absolutely no one can talk this boy out of playing the creepy demon race.

Rapunzel plays a woodland nymph druid who is also the party healer (because of course she is). Her name is probably Sunlily or something else suitably hippie-esque. Whenever there’s downtime (or whenever the rest of the party is also dicking around, and she can get away with it), Rapunzel likes to go into the nearest forest and pick the best berries and nuts for the rest of the party. She also loves baking fruit pies and cooking the best nymph food for her companions when given the chance. Definitely the party Cinnamon Roll (every party has one!). She often will turn into cute animals to distract the guards while the party infiltrates a building.

Merida’s character is the party archer and general ranged weapon master, as well as a raging lesbian. Hiccup learns very quickly that any male NPC who tries to flirt with her will very quickly get impaled with an arrow. She can’t ever decide if she wants to be a ranger or a rogue, so she multiclasses in both for flare. She also plays a Tiefling, and continually insists that her character is both scarier and sexier than Jack’s. In combat, she either Leeroy Jenkins her way in with a sword and just starts slashing every which way, or just shoots 90% of the enemies with arrows before the fight even starts. There’s really no in between. She can get away with this because she’s highkey one of the party tanks, and consistently deals a shitton of damage.

Anna plays a human bard, basically having read over the class options and going “Wait, in this one I get to make stylish medieval music??? And wear dramatic and garish outfits and a dumb hat??? And cast wacky illusion spells??? And do silly little magic tricks??? And INSPIRE EVERYONE??? Hell yeah, I’m in!!!” She mostly uses magic attacks in combat (definitely favors Tasha’s Hideous Laughter), but occasionally when she’s out of spell slots she’ll just take to slamming enemies in the face with her lute. She also has WAY too much fun with Vicious Mockery, let’s be real.

Elsa, upon hearing Jack’s character concept, rolls her eyes so far up in her head she can see her damn brain, and vows to play his concept, but serious–solely out of spite. She rolls up a super OP elf Chaos Sorcerer, filled with lots of brooding angst about how uncontrollable her winter powers can get if she isn’t careful. She combines it a bit with Storm Sorcerer so she can create literal blizzards, and Hiccup ends up allowing it just because he thinks it’s cool. Although Elsa’s character is undoubtedly aggravated by the rest of the party’s antics, she starts becoming grudgingly protective of these idiots and can deal some pretty crazy damage when her companions are threatened. She also contains one of the party’s only brain cells.

Eugene of course plays dashing rogue master thief Flynn Rider. Although his high deception and lockpicking skills certainly come in handy, he’s the most chaotic neutral fucker you’ve ever met and will take any excuse to rob NPCs blind or cheat them out of every cent they have in a tavern card game. It’s nigh impossible to get him to cooperate with the rest of the party much of the time, and often Elsa’s character has to either bribe him with some of her family’s gold or threaten to freeze him to stop him backstabbing one or more party members. Eugene’s character forces Hiccup to add in many more heist plotlines than he originally intended. This delights Eugene immensely, and sometimes he goes a bit crazy planning elaborate heists.

Moana plays a sorcerer water genasi. She can control any body of water, but she has a special affinity for controlling saltwater (i.e. the ocean lol). She also requests an animal handling bonus, but only with marine animals, solely because she thought it would be funny. She’s also an ex-pirate who robbed a lot of wealthy merchant ships and freed their slaves back in the day, which Merida thinks is incredibly badass. Moana tends to get bored and unengaged when there are no bodies of water to play around with, so Hiccup ends up having to add a lot more lakes, rivers, and oceans to the campaign than he originally planned on. Moana also takes a sailing skill, and thus the party often ends up traveling by boat. Typically Eugene and Rapunzel will infiltrate and hijack it, and Moana will sail it. Moana probably contains the party’s only other brain cell.

Astrid plays a gigantic berserker orc barbarian who is never without his trusty axe. Astrid is hands down the party’s top tank, and unquestionably deals the most damage every combat session. Much like Merida’s character, Astrid’s character is absolutely a shameless power fantasy. Hiccup pretty easily picks up on this, but is too polite to say anything about it. Jack also picks up on this, but is hardly as courteous as their DM, and teases Astrid mercilessly. Astrid is not amused.

Rapunzel requests that her weapon of choice be a frying pan, her justification being that her character found a discarded one at the edge of a human village outside her woods and mistaked it for a highly-dangerous human weapon. Hiccup is like “…you know what? Fuck it” and rolls up stats for a goddamn frying pan. Jack has nigh-endless admiration for Rapunzel for choosing such a goddamn memey, absurd, yet oddly effective weapon and it definitely makes the poor boy even more smitten with her than he already is.

Eugene and Merida have a bet going on who can sleep with more sexy barmaids. Merida is currently winning, much to Eugene’s chagrin. She’s not even inherently better at seducing NPCs, she and Eugene have the same charisma stat–she just consistently rolls better than Eugene. Eugene is incredibly salty about this.

Anna and Elsa want to be sisters in-game as well, but neither want to change their race–so Anna decides her character was adopted. Hiccup and the rest of the party go along with it, mainly because there’s something deeply hilarious about a regular human bard being adopted and raised by a family of high-powered elf ice mages.

Astrid is absolutely the sort of player who tends to get bored and restless outside of fights, and tends to fidget and twiddle her thumbs waiting for the next combat session. Jack picks up on this, and purposely does more roleplay for longer just to piss her off. He’s also just a very dramatic fucker and highkey loves roleplay.

When she’s not causing mayhem around the town or sleeping with hot women, Merida tries to entertain Astrid between combat sessions by offering to spar with her. Unfortunately, this does not usually end well for poor Merida, as even the most hardcore and badass of tieflings is prone to getting dumpstered by an 8-foot-tall barbarian orc with an axe. Astrid is, nonetheless, grateful to have someone to fight.

Rapunzel, Elsa, and Moana will humor Hiccup and attempt to actually play the main plot. Meanwhile, Jack, Merida, and Eugene are a DM’s worst nightmare. They constantly derail the damn campaign to fuck around, cause mayhem, and do inane shenanigans in every. Damn. Town. They go to. Anna is kind of a wildcard–she’ll typically go with whatever group looks like they’re going to be doing something more interesting. Astrid will go along with whichever group is more likely to get into a fight–which, often as not, is Jack and his posse of terrible Chaotic Neutrals (who have definitely pissed off a number of NPCs into attacking them).

As the campaign goes on, Elsa and Eugene become the beleaguered Party Mom and Dad. Both are quite aggravated by this–especially poor Eugene, who just wanted to play a morally-gray charming rogue who stole everything and got away with it and then accidentally ended up caring about these idiots he got stuck with.

Anna initially joins the campaign because she has a planet-size crush on Hiccup, and inevitably is the one who dragged Elsa into it too. Being the hopeless romantic that she is, Anna writes a love interest into her backstory. Hiccup eventually has the party run into said love interest, and Anna is overjoyed. He starts flirting with her as the love interest, and it’s easily the best 30 minutes of Anna’s life.

Moana and Elsa also give Hiccup pretty detailed backstories, and he works in little subplots for them. Moana gets to bring water back to a dying part of the jungle in the middle of a draught, while Elsa gets to go on a whole sidequest to explore her family history and how they came to be sorcerers.

Jack, Merida, and Eugene also give Hiccup fairly elaborate backstories, but Jack’s and Merida’s are like 99% memes and Dumb Shit. Hiccup tries to give all of them backstory-related plot hooks, but inevitably any hooks he provides are either stabbed, robbed, or frozen. Honestly any plot hook offered to these 3 will be all but spat in the face of and tossed off a cliff.

The one relevant part of Eugene’s backstory is that he and Rapunzel decide they used to be partners in crime before the campaign started. Rapunzel would infiltrate and scout out places he wanted to rob as small, unobtrusive animals (her preferred Wild Shape is a chameleon) and later distract the guards as a bunny or kitten while he went in and took every gold coin in sight. In return, Flynn Rider would bribe builders to not develop into Sunlily’s forest. Rapunzel and Eugene partly came up with this For Funsies, but also it was Rapunzel’s sneaky way of tricking Eugene into having prior connections in the party so he’d be less likely to betray them. It works pretty well–although the entire party is protective of Cinnamon Roll Sunlily, Flynn is certainly especially protective of her.

Astrid does the absolute bare minimum as far as backstories go. She is literally just here to smash stuff, slice people, and beat some fuckers up.

Rapunzel has a backstory, but she’s typically so invested in the main plot and the other party members that Hiccup rarely needs to bring it in to keep her engaged. She’s highkey the party emotional rock, and probably the only one keeping them all together.

On that note, Rapunzel’s character is the ONLY one who can get Jack’s character to take the plot even REMOTELY seriously. Like he’ll be dicking around in the nearest tavern challenging the nearest orc to a drinking game, and Rapunzel will come in and ask him to help them on a Main Plot Quest. And he’ll be like “come onnnnn I’m having funnn” and she’ll be like “Jack pleeeeeease?” and you just. Can’t resist Sunlily’s puppy dog eyes. At all. Also, whenever Sunlily is genuinely threatened, any silliness immediately goes out the window and Jack Frost is OUT FOR BLOOD.

For better or for worse, Rapunzel is not immune to being looped into Jack’s shenanigans. Occasionally if either Merida or Eugene have a particularly hare-brained scheme she’ll go along with it, but by and large Jack is the most successful in convincing her to temporarily abandon the plot and cause mild mischief with him. They once wasted half a session creating an elaborate “ice theme park” for some squirrels in the forest.

Hiccup tries to get Merida to play the main plot by eventually having there be no more sexy female NPCs to seduce in the towns they go to. Unfortunately, this backfires–Merida just hooks up with Moana’s character instead. When asked to roll for how good the lay is, Merida gets a nat 20–and thus her character and Moana’s character end up hooking up regularly throughout the rest of the campaign.

Hiccup introduces a few Wise Old Mentor-type NPCs to guide the party throughout the campaign. While Rapunzel, Elsa, Moana, and Anna actually try to listen to them and take their advice, Merida, Jack, and Eugene absolutely refuse to take them seriously and mercilessly play pranks on them.

At one point, Hiccup gives the party the option to attempt to tame a group of wild dragons and use them as mounts. They all have to make animal handling checks. Anna, Rapunzel, Elsa, and Moana pass. The rest of the party fails, with Jack and Eugene crit-failing. Hilarity ensues.

Hiccup ends up bringing back Anna’s backstory love interest as an NPC regular. Anna thinks he’s just being a good friend and a good DM and trying to incorporate her backstory as much as he can, but really, he just wants an excuse to regularly flirt with her. He hardly has the balls to out-of-game.

Merida comes out as gay toward the end of the campaign. Everyone in the group is extremely supportive, of course, but everyone is also like “Merida…with the amount of barmaids you’ve banged…and the amount of times you and Moana’s character hooked up…this isn’t exactly surprising.”

Hiccup actually finds a way to use Jack and Elsa’s same-concept-opposite-execution characters to the plot’s advantage. He decides one of the main villains will have a prophecy saying he’ll be taken down by a powerful ice mage. The party manages to fool this guy into thinking this ice mage is Jack, and sends Jack to fight him. As soon as the villain sees Jack, he’s like “WHAT??? THIS clown???” (word has absolutely spread throughout the land of Jack not using his ice powers for anything besides mildly annoying trolling). Naturally, the bad guy lets his guard down after thinking he’s going to fight this literal joke, and then Elsa crashes in from the side and absolutely dumpsters him.

Jack tries to defeat the final boss by just annoying him so much that he leaves. Unfortunately, he just annoys him so much that he attacks Rapunzel’s character. Jack’s just like “oh HELL no” and attacks with absolutely nothing held back. Turns out he’s pretty terrifying when he’s not using his magic for Dumb Antics.

During the final boss of the campaign, the Big Bad tries to one-shot Moana’s character, and Merida’s character super theatrically jumps in front of her to take the blow instead. Rapunzel just barely manages to heal Merida’s character, but it’s a really close call. During all this, Merida is like “ah shit...maybe I’m NOT just in this to get fantasy-laid.” After the fight’s over, her and Moana’s characters have a big dramatic love confession and share a Big Damn Kiss in front of everyone. It’s pretty epic.

After the final session of the campaign, Merida drags Moana outside Jack’s apartment and sputters and trips over her words for a solid minute before she finally gets out that through all this nonsense...well...maybe it’s not just in the game that she thinks Moana is hot. Moana just gets this HUGE grin on her face and says “c’mere, Leeroy Jenkins” and just pulls Merida in and kisses her. Cue the rest of the party barging in on them. Merida and Moana freeze, and there’s a moment of terrified silence...and then the entire party starts cheering them on like “took you long enough!”

The entire rest of the party could detect the sexual tension. Literally all of them.

But Eugene is like “HA, THIS MEANS IF WE DO A SEQUEL CAMPAIGN I’M WINNING THAT BET! BECAUSE YOU’RE GONNA BE DATING MO’S CHAR AND THUS NOT ABLE TO SLEEP WITH ANY MORE BARMAIDS!”

By the epilogue session, Jack and Rapunzel are dating. Merida and Moana are also dating. Hiccup and Anna STILL haven’t figured out why they’re so prone to spending half the session flirting when Anna’s love interest shows up, and Hiccup STILL hasn’t figured out why he likes to have Anna’s love interest show up so often. Bless their souls. Maybe they’ll figure it out next campaign...?

Damn I actually really like this...maybe if people like it I’ll do some incorrect quotes or a drabble or something??? Or maybe some HCs from next campaign???

[nccaus]

AU List Masterpost

so I make a lot of au's for some reason so here's the list, more will be added as they are made and specific post about some of the bigger au's with stories will be link as they are created.

WordGirl

-Ghost au: Becky is able to see ghost not that anyone believes her. all the villains are now ghost from various time periods, Becky is less so trying to sot their crimes and more like trying to help them move on.

-Tangled au: Disney's Tangled but with Becky as Rapunzel and Tobey as Flynn Rider.

-Diamond Castle au: co-created by @elsa12tmnt it's Barbie and the Diamond Castle recasted with WordGirl characters, yes it is gay have you seen that film?

-Avatar au: yeah this is what you think it is, everyone can bend elements now, I don't think about this one much it's just kinda there

-Apocalypses au. so it's the end of the world and a cure to the virus has been created but it leaves the recipient with odd abilities.

-Steven Universe au (also a future one): Becky is in the role of Steven Universe along with many other s now in the roles, how could this go wrong? (you can also call this the "Charlie can't be nice to Becky for 5 minutes can they? au/j)

-Illegal Alien au (or Area 51 au): taking place during two different points, Huggy crashed the ship in Nevada and he and Becky were taken to area 51, several years later Becky escapes and is smuggled to Massachusetts by Violet, Scoops, and Tobey. the second part takes place several more years into the future, a now 18 year old Becky is taken by the government and broken back out by the same three that found them in the first place, plus TJ is there and Rex has joined the party, the crew travels around just trying to avoid the government. - detailed explanation

Event Horizon: this is just my take on Villain!WordGirl, fic is in the works

Normal Humans AU: just like it says, everyone is a normal human being, Becky is a human girl, the villains are normal people, there's no powers, WordGirl still exist, but she's a hero that Beck made up when playing pretend that she and Violet decided to make a comic based on.

Adventure Time AU: yep more recast, Tobey and Scoops switch back and forth between Finn and Jake based on episode, Becky is Marceline because Two-Brains is obviously the Ice-King (minus the kidnapping princesses, he still just takes cheese) I mean come on those two were obvious, and Violet is Princess Bubblegum because I needed someone ok.

WordGirl and Gravity Falls crossover: this one has a story but is also random chaos, Becky made a deal with Bill not knowing that that would entail, Dipper and Mable help her get her body back and stop Bill , and ho heck is Fair City weird, might be worth staying a little longer.

Steven Universe

WordGirl au: yes I made a reverse of my Becky as Steven au, now Steven is in Becky's place, that's it, that's the au (yes it's a more joke au but I still kinda like it)

Amphibia

Backrooms au: just what is sounds like, instead of going to Amphibia the calamity trio lands in the backrooms (this au includes a TW)

Goosebumps

modern au: exactly what it sounds like

Group Therapy au: basically the kids find out about each other and tell their stories and become friends cause it's fun and wholesome and why not

[californiannostalgia]

Tangled the Series Character Analysis: Childhood Trauma POV

I can't believe Tangled the Series really created two incredible antivillains and threw them in direct contrast with the pre-existing golden couple. I love what the showrunners did with the main quartet, so I made a very subjective analysis post about it from a Childhood Trauma POV. (Spoilers, obviously.)

The Boys

The series' focus is on Rapunzel, and by association her direct opposite, Cassandra, so the boys get comparatively less screen time. But it doesn't take long to figure out that Varian is meant to be a parallel for Eugene—these are two people dealing with the absence of parental guardians, struggling to reconcile the lives they previously had with their changing ideals in relation to a less-than-perfect Father Figure.

They both respond to the helpless state of being young, alone, and powerless by trying to take back power in any way they can. Eugene reinvented himself and buried his desires for a family. Varian throws in everything he has into recovering what he lost, because he's a child and the best solution he can think of is to return to the familiar safety of his father's presence. A significant portion of his desperation is fueled by fear of his father’s disapproval, because as much as Quirin loves Varian, he wasn’t the dependable voice of support. Varian needs approval from outside sources, which was also Flynn Rider’s purpose in life, once upon a time. (Again, parallels.) 

Throughout the series, the boys' relationship with each other transforms from exasperated incomprehension to easy understanding. The process is hastened as Eugene lets himself realize he cares a lot about troubled kids who remind him of himself. He becomes aware that children should not be required to survive on their own like he and Lance had. Spurred on by his significant other's love and encouragement, Eugene is able to acknowledge the adverse affects of his childhood on his life and start moving on. His extending a ready hand to Varian is his process of healing. Though Eugene's first priority will always be Rapunzel, he truly wants to save Varian from the uncontrollable volatility of risky decisions because he knows that downward spiral intimately.

Of course, there is a difference between thieving from the rich and planning the destruction of a kingdom. We'll get to that later.

The Girls

Rapunzel and Cassandra are the biggest driving forces of narrative power in the show, and they are survivors of child abuse. Every one of the main quartet has Parent Issues, but Rapunzel takes the crown (figuratively speaking) with this one. She was kidnapped and groomed into a life-giving doll, and she was only able to escape her abusive adoptive mother through incredibly traumatizing means. For Cassandra, it was neglect, and even her loving adoptive father couldn't leviate the scars left on her childhood mind.

They're a classic case of Golden Child vs. Scapegoat, which is a common case seen in siblings raised by Narcissistic parents. When one child is "favored" more than the other, the kids experience vastly different childhoods, resulting in resentment that stems from their inability to understand each other. Rapunzel and Cassandra are both jealous of what the other had—Rapunzel wants Cassandra's casual, practiced ease with freedom and personal agency, while Cassandra wants the attention and respect that Rapunzel is given by the status of her birth. Because they're unwilling to speak candidly about the unique hardships of their childhood, what results is a series of miscommunications that put a strain on their friendship.

Cassandra and Rapunzel both want the other in their lives, but how they attempt to make that connection is very different. Cassandra wants to be a helpful, essential force in Rapunzel's life. Unfortunately, Rapunzel has been raised on the idea that when push comes to shove, no one will help her survive. Cassandra interprets Rapunzel's desire for independence as Rapunzel scorning the connection that Cassandra is attempting to create. Add in some manipulation from an ancient evil, and Cassandra decides she is done exhausting her emotions for Rapunzel.

Rapunzel, on the other hand, wants absolute honesty in her relationships. Gothel raised her on lies, so she spurns deception. But Cassandra knows the merits of protecting herself by holding her opinions in, which is where the misunderstandings occur. Rapunzel cannot trust someone who isn't completely forthright with her. She's tired of dealing with liars, and she grows afraid that Cassandra will cause her the same pain as Gothel did. But the thing is, Cassandra is not Gothel, and Rapunzel loved Gothel. She couldn't save Gothel, but maybe she can save Cassandra. It's not too late.

Rapunzel doesn't know when to give up on Cassandra because she is aware that she and Cassandra are similar people. Giving up on Cassandra would feel too much like giving up on her own hopes for a happy life. Rapunzel can't let Cassandra be unhappy. This princess cares too much, loves too hard. She never learned how to write people off because you can't survive a childhood like hers with that much cheer if you don't hang onto your optimism like a goddamn lifeline.

This is Rapunzel’s method of taking back power for herself: saving others. Rapunzel could have been Cassandra. Rapunzel is trying to believe she herself is worth saving—therefore, Cassandra must be worth saving as well. Rapunzel's significant other is giving her a stable source of love and support, but without a proper resolution to Cassandra's struggles—a final proof that despite Gothel's influence, they can both be happy—Rapunzel would feel incomplete.

The Golden Couple

At the end of the day, Rapunzel and Eugene are fundamentally good people. If it comes down to it, they would be unable to sacrifice the world for their own desires. (Eugene's thievery doesn't count as an expression of true desire because it was literally his method of survival. An expression of true, selfish desire for him might've been something like manipulation and abduction for the purposes of making people stay, but Eugene is not Gothel and he would never do that to anyone in a million years.) (On a side note, Rapunzel's selfish desire might've manifested in the abandonment of all duties and personal connections in favor of eternal exploration, or revenge towards a kingdom that failed to save her, or a thorough destruction of authority figures—but she loves people too much and would never be able to forsake her family.)

Life threw a lot of rocks at them, but these two came through it marginally well-adjusted. They affirmed their love for each other in a violent, unforgettable manner, which makes it easier for them to trust in each other's affection. Eugene would've been okay with never finding his biological father, just as Rapunzel had been okay with her biological parents' inability to protect her. They have no wish to punish the world for what they suffered. They’re content with who they are. They're just glad they made it, that they're finally allowed to love someone without being afraid. They're each other's saving grace.

The Antivillains

This is the difference between Hero and Antivillain: Cassandra and Varian are willing to punish the world for what happened to them. There’s a very faint line between justified retaliation and venting. In their desperation and anger, they cross the line, and they’re unable to stop themselves once they get going. Unlike the Golden Couple, Cassandra and Varian refuse to settle. They want what is owed. 

Also, they really, really hate themselves. (This is important.)

Varian believes Quirin is the ultimate source of affirmation. The fact that he lost his father by way of his own dangerous experiment, coupled with the fact that no one prioritizes his call for help in the face of national disaster, is enough to make him feel isolated from the world. Though he is burdened with a growing sense of remorse for his deeds, he doesn’t stop resorting to drastic, harmful measures to get his father back until he is forcefully stopped by betrayal from his allies. He finally makes the full transition from “antagonist” to “protagonist” when Rapunzel risks herself to save Quirin from the rocks. If Quirin could not be saved, there’s a possibility Varian might have stayed an antagonist, unenthusiastic though he may have been in his villainous role. As long as Quirin is trapped in those rocks, Varian remains the villain who put him there.

With Quirin safe, Varian allows himself to take huge steps in healing. He slowly rediscovers his self-worth, one that is separate from Quirin’s approval. Rapunzel—and by extension, Eugene—play the friendly, supportive role to Varian’s ingenuity, helping him along in his quest for self-acceptance. Varian still has trouble working through the heavily ingrained self-hatred, but he recovers enough confidence in his own judgment that he takes Eugene’s warning to heart and is able to install a safety device in his father’s helmet, just in case.

This is the Varian who meets Cassandra in the Tower that once belonged to Gothel. At this point in time, Cassandra has been manipulated into thinking of herself as weak and unimportant in comparison to Rapunzel. Her adoptive father, much like Quirin, was too gruff to be vocal with approvals. Her efforts have not been met with successes. She feels like a failure, and she hates feeling like a failure. This is Cassandra’s method of taking back power: by turning herself into someone unforgettable. If she can make something of herself, she’ll finally be able to prove Gothel wrong. She can be just as special as Rapunzel, if she’s given the chance. She wants that chance.

Similar to Varian, Cassandra doesn’t stop her downward spiral until her supposed ally and mentor betrays her and forcefully takes her power away. Only when there are no options left does she allow herself to admit that she was wrong. She is then rewarded for her honesty with Rapunzel’s love and trust. Armed with a new confidence, the sisters vanquish the evil together in an epic showdown that will long be remembered. Cassandra finally gets her dramatic hero’s tale.

Rapunzel and Eugene have an internal compass that lets them make snap decisions. They don’t have the healthiest self-esteem, but they can at least stand by what they think is right. Comparatively speaking, Cassandra and Varian have terrible self-esteem. They don’t trust their own judgment and are heavily influenced by outside forces. Without the constant barrage of trust and affection from Rapunzel, who is akin to a blazing sun when it comes to personal loyalty, these antivillains might never have reached their redemptive ending. They wouldn’t have been able to let go of their twisted priorities without outside influence. Can’t blame them for it, though.

It’s no surprise that Cassandra and Varian are relatable to many people. Who wouldn’t want to reclaim what was taken from them during childhood? (Of course, the problem occurs when you start hurting others to reclaim what you lost.) Their journey is a different kind of vulnerable from Rapunzel and Eugene’s journey, and it’s extraordinary in its detail. This show is essentially a long exploration of the various ways a parent can mess you up and the coping methods of kids who want to become more than their past, which is totally up my alley of expertise. I’m grateful I got to watch them grow taller than their trauma.

Finally, here’s a parting gif of Lance, because I love him and he’s a well-adjusted ray of sunshine. We all wish we could be as mentally stable as Lance—the main quartet included.

[roseworth]

Risk It All (cause i’ll catch you if you fall)

word count: 4430

description: Rapunzel's memories since she left the tower are completely wiped. She doesn't recognize her friends (besides Eugene) and Eugene needs to keep her calm and secure until they can find a way to regain her memories. At the same time, Rapunzel starts connecting some dots as to what really happened to her. (takes place during Season 2)

(title inspired by If My Heart Was a House by Owl City)

for New Dream Appreciation Week Day 7- Memories @autumn-ravenclaw @gleamful-lanterns

AO3

“Eugene, if you don’t stop that pacing, I’m going to break your legs,” Cass growled.

“Sorry,” he said, opting to sit down in a nearby chair instead, but he couldn’t stop his leg from bouncing nervously.

A merchant in town had been showing off her potions, and one of them had rendered Rapunzel unconscious. The merchant swore to them that she would wake up naturally, but that honestly hadn’t calmed Eugene down at all. He had made a mental note of her face so he could find her and kill her if Rapunzel didn’t wake up.

Eugene, Cassandra, and Lance had brought Rapunzel to lie in a bed in the caravan as they watched over her. She had been unconscious for a while, with no clear sign that she was going to wake up, which was driving him crazy.

He leaned over and checked her pulse for the 50th time in the past hour. It was still normal, which only made him feel slightly better for about 10 seconds.

“How long has she been out?” he asked.

“About 5 minutes longer than the last time you asked,” Cass mumbled. She was stressed too, but was clearly dealing with it very differently than him. He had been full of nervous energy ever since she went down, while Cassandra had just slowly gotten increasingly aggressive.

“Eugene, buddy, why don’t you go take a walk to clear your-” Lance started to suggest.

“No, I’m staying here,” he interrupted. He glanced at Rapunzel, still out cold. He internally cursed himself for not doing more to keep her safe. He should have steered them all away from the merchant as soon as she started dealing with her weird magic stuff. He should have made sure she never got hurt.

As he mentally berated himself, he realized she was starting to stir. His heartbeat quickened as she took a breath and slowly started to lift herself up.

“Wha-”

“Blondie!” he exclaimed, engulfing her in a hug. He squeezed her tightly, relief washing over him. She’s okay, nothing happened, it’s fine, he told himself as he held his love.

“Flynn… what’s going on?” she asked, slightly struggling away from him.

Everything froze for a moment. Did she just call me…

He let her go and pulled away to look at her confused face, then glanced over to Cassandra and Lance. They looked as shocked and scared as he was feeling. “What did you say?”

“I asked what’s going on,” she answered, straightening her back. She looked over to the others. “And who are they?”

Cass’s eyes widened as she tried to understand what her friend was saying. “Rapunzel, what’s the last thing you remember before you woke up?” she asked, as calmly as she could.

Rapunzel’s brow furrowed. “Um… Flynn and I were just about to leave my home to go to the kingdom,” she answered, unsure of whether or not she should be telling them.

Eugene’s stomach twisted. She hadn't called him "Flynn" since he first told her his real name. Hearing her use that name felt like nails on a chalkboard. He had been Flynn for almost half his life, but Rapunzel calling him Flynn again put a bitter taste in his mouth.

The potion must have erased all her memories since leaving the tower. That was almost a year and a half of memories. She didn’t remember him or her friends or her parents or anything. His thoughts started to spiral. Would they be able to restore her memories? Could she really just forget everything that has happened? Would she have to relearn everything after she had spent so long getting used to the world?

“Flynn, can we talk?” Cass said, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him outside. “You too, Lance.”

When the three of them had left the caravan, Eugene automatically started pacing nervously again. “What are we gonna do? Are her memories going to be gone forever?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way to get them back. I’ll bet that merchant has some kind of reverse potion we can get,” Lance reassured him, not entirely believing his own words.

“What if she won’t give it to us?” he asked, speeding up his pacing back and forth.

“I have multiple weapons on me, I think I can persuade her,” Cass said shortly. “Lance and I will go find the merchant. In the meantime, you watch Rapunzel and keep her out of trouble.”

“Why me?”

“She knows you, and at least kind of trusts you. And we can’t just leave fresh-out-of-the-tower Rapunzel on her own.”

Eugene scoffed. “You’re really not giving her enough credit. Even right out of the tower, she was pretty capable of handling herself.”

Cass raised an eyebrow. “She told me she nearly had a heart attack over a bunny in a bush.”

“That’s… out of context. But fine, I’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt,” he agreed. “But be quick finding the antidote.”

“Great, we’ll be back as soon as possible,” she said. “Also, make sure not to tell her too much.”

Eugene looked at her like she had just told him to cut both his arms off. “Are you serious? Why?”

“First of all, we don’t know if whatever antidote we find will regenerate her memories correctly if we tell her everything. Second, a lot has happened over the past year. It would scare her.”

He wanted to argue more, but instead just sighed. The longer they had this conversation, the longer Rapunzel had to stay without her memories. “Fine, fine, I’ll keep details to a minimum.”

“Good luck,” Lance chimed in, patting his friend’s shoulder in an effort to comfort him. “We’ll go as fast as we can.”

Eugene smiled in thanks as the two of them walked away. He sighed, getting ready to go back inside to talk to Rapunzel. He took a deep breath, trying to quell his nerves. Cass and Lance are getting a cure, it’s gonna be okay. She’ll be okay. There’s absolutely no reason to be nervous. He pushed open the door to see Rapunzel still sitting up on the bed they had left her in, her knees tucked to her chest.

“Where’d your friends go?” she asked.

“Theyyyyy..., well, see, you, uh… you kind of lost some of your memories. They’re trying to see if they can find a way to get them back,” he explained. Way to act natural, Fitzherbert.

The look on her face made Eugene understand why Cass said that too much information would be an overload. She looked shocked just knowing she had lost memories in the first place, he couldn’t imagine how she would feel knowing all the memories she had lost.

“I lost my memories? How long has it been?”

He cringed a little bit. There was no way he could lie to her, but he didn’t know how she would react to finding out just how much she had forgotten.

“A little over a year,” he told her. Her eyes widened even more.

“A year? And I’ve forgotten all of it? What happened?”

“We’re not entirely sure, but like I said, my friends are working on getting them back,” he insisted, trying to reassure not just her, but himself too. He stuck out a thumbs up for good measure, which didn’t seem to convince her very much. “So I guess we just... wait for them to come back.”

She nodded as they fell into silence. He sat down to keep himself from pacing again. He didn’t want her to see that he was nervous or she would get nervous, and he was trying to keep her as steady as he could. She must already be on edge from finding out about her lost memories, plus she didn’t really know him. Not like she should.

He wanted to scream thinking about what she must think of him right now. She only knew Flynn Rider. The guy that had only agreed to help her after she forced him to. The guy that was trying to trick her into giving him the crown back. Great.

He looked over at her, watching her brush her fingers through her hair awkwardly from where she was seated. For the first time ever, he had no idea how to talk to her. He wasn’t sure he could hold a whole conversation with her without either revealing everything or lying, and both of those options weren’t exactly ideal.

So they sat in silence.

~

The silence was killing her. She could tell there was something Flynn wasn’t telling her, but she couldn’t figure out what it could be. She had lost over a year of her memories. She didn’t know where she was, or who those people in the room when she woke up were. She didn’t even recognize the dress she was wearing.

Not to mention, Flynn was acting strange. From the short interaction she had had with him before (well, that she remembered, that is), she knew that he was very outspoken. Now, he was acting nervous and quiet, fidgeting uncomfortably from across the room.

“So, Flynn,” she piped up. “Did we get to see the lanterns?”

She noticed the way he smiled a bit as he answered, “Yeah. Trust me, it was just as magical as you dreamed.”

“So why are you still with me?”

His head shot up, his face filled with a mix of shock and concern. “What?”

She shrugged. “I was going to keep up my end of the deal and give your satchel back once we saw the lanterns. Why didn’t you leave after you got it back?”

He hesitated, then smiled again and answered, “I found something worth a lot more to me than that crown.”

She waited for him to continue, but it was clear that he wasn’t going to explain further. That was… cryptic, she thought. She didn’t know how much that crown was worth, but given how badly he wanted it, it was probably a lot. What did he find that was worth more than that?

She still needed answers to what was going on. A lot must have changed in the past year. “Does Mother know where I am?” That question had been in the back of her head since Flynn told her that she lost a year of memories, but she was almost scared of the answer. Surely Mother would be worried that she wasn’t in her tower. Or maybe Mother had found out that she had left, and saw that Rapunzel really was ready for the world. That must be it, right?

“Your Mother isn’t really concerned about where you are anymore,” Flynn said quietly.

Rapunzel was conflicted with this answer. That must mean that Mother had let her out to see the world! And the scary girl and tall man that had been in the room when she woke up were her new friends!

But why wouldn’t he tell her that? What was he hiding?

The most concerning part of his answer was the fact that he had added “anymore” onto the end. Did he say that because something had happened to Mother? Was she hurt?

And why isn’t he giving me any straight answers?

Something was clearly wrong. Flynn was watching over her instead of leaving like he had been trying to before. And he wouldn’t tell her anything about what was really going on.

Slowly, the pieces started to fall into place.

He had done something to Mother. He must have hurt her to keep her away. Mother would never leave Rapunzel on her own in the world, she was always concerned with her safety. Plus, Flynn said he found something worth more than the crown. He must have found out about her hair, and wanted to keep it for himself.

Mother had always told her that people would only want her for her hair, and she was right. Flynn was trying to use her hair for himself, and his ruffian friends, too.

One thing was clear. She had to get out and get away from him. Maybe she could find Mother, and heal her from whatever Flynn did to her.

She started to hatch a plan. She couldn’t just run away now, or else he’d be able to catch her before she got far enough. He might hurt her and Mother even more than he already must have.

She had to find a way to get out of this room so she could find a way away from him. Sometimes she could get what she wanted from Mother when she tried to gain sympathy, so she could try it on Flynn, too. Maybe she could find some kindness from him if he didn’t suspect anything?

~

“I guess I don’t have any memories of being outside the tower,” Rapunzel said. “What’s it like?” Eugene felt his heart sink. Not only was he giving incredibly vague responses whenever she tried to talk to him, he was actively keeping her trapped in this room.

He really wasn’t any better than Gothel.

She couldn’t remember any of the world. She loved the world, even if she didn’t know it at the moment. And now he was the one keeping her away from it.

So, screw what CassANdra would say, he was going to help Rapunzel experience the world for the first time again. “You know what, Blondie, maybe we should get some fresh air.”

Her face lit up in the way that always made his heart melt. Knowing she didn’t remember their relationship at all was eating him up inside, since all he wanted to do was sweep her up in his arms and kiss her.

He’d make sure to do that once Cass and Lance found a way to restore her memories.

~

The first part of her plan had worked. He had agreed to let her go outside. She was coming up with her plan on the fly, but she was confident that she could figure it out. All she had to do was find a way to get away from Flynn. From there, she just needed to find out how far she was from the Tower, and figure out how to get back. Once the sun went down, she might be able to use the stars to find her way.

Right now, though, she had to focus on getting Flynn off her trail. Which would be hard, since he was right next to her, watching as she was leaving the caravan.

As she took her first step outside the door, she realized this really would be her first memory of being outside. The last thing she remembered was right before her foot hit the grass, so she had no recollection of how it felt.

Forgetting the situation at hand for just a moment, she couldn’t help but smile as she looked around, feeling the soft ground beneath her feet and the light breeze on her face. She shuffled her feet as the grass brushed against her skin. The sun looked different from on the ground, too. Somehow, it looked much brighter and happier. She ran her hand over a tree next to her, feeling how rough the bark was. Despite her fears, she laughed brightly. Maybe Mother really was wrong about the world, she couldn’t understand how anything this beautiful could be as terrible as Mother said.

Mother. Right, she needed to get away from Flynn and find Mother. She looked around, looking for some kind of escape. She knew that Flynn was watching her. She wasn’t sure how she could get away. From what Mother told her, she was weak and slow compared to the people out in the world, which probably meant that he could catch her and overpower her if she tried to get away.

But she didn’t exactly have another option, she just hoped she would have an advantage since he didn’t know she was trying to get away.

So she sprinted away as fast as her legs would take her.

~

In hindsight, Eugene should have seen this coming.

Gothel had told her not to trust anyone, and he was definitely not acting trustworthy. If he had been thinking at all, he would’ve been prepared for this.

Before he could fully process what he was doing, he took off after her, trying to make sure she didn’t leave his sight. In all honesty, he wasn’t really sure what he would do once he caught up to her. It’s not like he was going to tackle her or physically stop her, so he wasn’t really sure if he had a plan at all. He would just figure it out as he went along. Maybe eventually she’d just get tired and stop running.

Yeah, that wasn’t exactly a promising plan.

~

Flynn was getting closer. She desperately searched for the next step of her getaway plan, but was coming up empty. He was about to catch up to her, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to fight him off. If only she had looked for a frying pan to defend herself before running away, then she might have a chance.

But the fastest her legs could take her wasn’t proving to be fast enough, not to mention she had no idea where she was going. Flynn probably knows these woods better than her, so maybe she wouldn’t have even been able to get away in the first place.

She let out a yelp as something pulled her back. She lost her footing and fell face first onto the ground. At first, she thought he had grabbed her, but as she looked behind her she realized that her hair got caught on a tree branch. Oh no. She desperately tried to yank it away, but it was stuck.

She watched him draw near, and she couldn’t help but realize that Mother had been right all along.

The world is dark and cruel, and she hadn’t been ready for it.

~

He let out a sigh of relief after seeing that she had stopped running, making it easier for him to get to her.

“Rapunzel,” he breathed out, stopping in front of her. He almost smiled as he tried to catch his breath. It was still hard keeping up with her when she was out in the world (but the fact that she was trying to get away from him honestly kind of put a damper on the feeling).

“Get away,” she demanded, her voice small. She was slightly trembling, trying to back away from him. She had tripped and was lying on the ground, her hair stuck on a stray branch.

That was when he realized how threatening he must seem. She was told her whole life that everyone was out to hurt her, and he had just chased her down until she couldn't get away. And now he was towering over her in a place she didn’t recognize. 

He cursed at himself under his breath, then knelt down at a safe distance from her so she wouldn’t feel intimidated. “Blondie, I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But trust me, I would never want to do anything to harm you.”

“Why won’t you explain what’s going on?”

He sighed. “Rapunzel, a lot has happened since you left your tower for the first time. After we saw the lanterns, you found out you were the Lost Princess, and your Mother was lying to you your whole life. Once your hair was cut, you went to the castle to be with your real parents. And you met Cass and Lance, who are the people you saw earlier. And you touched a black rock that made you grow all your hair back, and now we’re following the trail that these rocks are making.”

Talk about an information overload. He really should have been easing her into all that information instead of spewing everything at her all at once, but it’s too late now.

Her expression had gone from terrified to confused, like she was trying to decide whether or not to believe him. A flurry of emotions flickered across her face as she tried to process everything.

“But you didn’t explain why you’re here,” she said after a beat of silence. “What was worth more to you than the crown?”

“You are! You are worth more to me than any crown ever could be,” he exclaimed. “I fell in love with you, Rapunzel. I fell in love with you the minute I saw you for the first time, and I fell in love with you again at the campfire, then again when we watched the lantern festival together. I fall in love with you again and again every day, and there is nothing worth more to me than you. That’s why I’m here. Because I love you.”

If he hadn’t already scared her, he definitely had now. Eugene wanted to kick himself for confessing his undying love while she barely remembered him at all, but it all just came pouring out. He had to pretend to not be in love with her for only an hour and it was too much for him. He hoped she wasn’t completely scared of him, though he figured he had probably already freaked her out.

Her eyes widened as she thought about everything he said. At least it seemed like she knew he was telling the truth. He was about to apologize for dumping all that on her at once when started to move towards him.

“Eugene?”

His heart fluttered as he looked into her eyes. He hadn’t told her his name. She knew him, at least a little bit. A soft smile broke out across his face. “Hey Sunshine.”

Before he knew what was happening, she ran up to him and pressed their lips together.

~

As she kissed Eugene, all her memories slowly made their way back. She was starting to see clear pictures of everything she had forgotten. The lanterns, of course, were sticking out in the front of her mind. That moment meant everything to her, and all her memories truly center around it.

She wrapped her arms around Eugene’s neck and pulled him closer, deeper into their kiss. Memories continued to pop up. Her family, her friends, her kingdom. She had only been without those memories for a short amount of time, but gaining them back was so relieving.

“Well, I was going to come back with bad news, but it looks like you’ve got it handled.”

They broke apart to see Cass and Lance standing a few meters back. “Hey, Cass,” Rapunzel greeted brightly. “No antidote?”

“No, but I did make sure to turn that merchant in for drugging you.”

Lance ran up to her and scooped her up into a hug. “Aw, I’m so glad you’re okay, Princess!” he gushed. She giggled and returned his embrace.

“I’m glad to be back,” she responded.

“Alright, sorry for interrupting the moment, you two go ahead and go back to making out,” Lance declared as he set Rapunzel down. She felt her face warm and she glanced over to Eugene, who rolled his eyes.

“Well, when you set the mood like that,” Eugene snorted. He grabbed Rapunzel’s hand and grinned at her. “Y’know, I’d hate to inflate my own ego, but it is a fact that our kiss was so spectacular it brought all your memories back.”

Cass groaned in annoyance. Rapunzel laughed and lifted herself onto her toes to kiss his cheek. “It was pretty magical,” she agreed between giggles.

~

That night, Rapunzel had insisted on sleeping in the same bed as Eugene, saying that being with him was helping her memories. He knew that was true, although he was pretty sure she mostly just wanted to spend the night with him. Not that he was complaining about it.

“Are you doing alright?” he asked.

She nodded. “I think almost all my memories are back now.”

“How are you feeling, though?”

She paused for a few seconds before answering. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “It was… strange to go back to thinking the world was out to get me. And I was so worried about Moth- about Gothel and what she would think. I guess sometimes I still think about what Gothel would think of me now.”

Eugene grabbed her hand and gently brought it to his lips. He knew that she still thought about Gothel. That wasn’t her fault, that woman had raised her for 18 years, and manipulated her every thought all the while. But it still hurt that she felt like that (and it made him a little upset that the frog was the one that got to trip that witch out of the window and not him).

“I’m sorry for running away from you,” she said as she turned to face him.

“You don’t need to apologize for that, I should have been telling you the truth from the beginning. You had every right to run away from the creepy guy that refused to give an actual answer.”

She smiled softly and rested her forehead against his. “Also, thank you for helping me discover the world again. There’s no one else I’d rather have by my side when I see the world for the first time for the second time.”

He laughed. “That was all you, both times. All I did was stand aside so you could be a part of the world like you were meant to.”

Her eyelids started to droop as she snuggled up closer to him. He smiled as her eyes drifted shut, and he assumed she had fallen asleep until she spoke up once last time.

“I feel the same way about you, you know. What you said about falling in love every day. I do, too, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she mumbled.

He was almost glad her eyes were shut, otherwise she would have seen the way he smiled like an idiot hearing her say that. He knew she loved him, but it still caught him a bit off guard every time he heard her say it.

He kissed her forehead and rested his head down on her pillow. “I love you, Sunshine.”

He only received a snore in response, but he didn’t mind. Getting to hold her in his arms was more than enough as he drifted off to sleep himself, replaying all his memories with her in his head, and thinking about all the new memories they would make.