6 May 2024
This encounter is a hard one to get pinned down. I’ve been struggling with planning it out for a while. Part of that is I want to show Rapunzel’s social anxiety in a way that is both accurate and respectful —not sure if I succeeded there or not—but it’s also hard to get the balance of Rapunzel’s and Isaac’s dynamic right. Having Phillip around helps; he’s steady enough on his feet he can balance things out. But he’s also not the focus, so I can’t really overmuch on that.
That’s referring to the next few days of posts; this scene has been my focus for most of this week.
It took an eternity for the prince to climb up the window, and still, he arrived far too quickly for Rapunzel’s peace of mind. He extended a hand. “Hi, I’m Isaac. Are you Aurora?”
Even that was enough to send Rapunzel into a panic. What was she supposed to say? Would he get upset if she didn’t follow courtly etiquette? Was their a special way princesses were supposed to accept handshakes? Would it be better if the prince never found out who she was?
By the time Rapunzel had tentatively accepted the handshake, Isaac’s face was beginning to cramp. So as soon as they’d shook once, Rapunzel pulled back into a corner and tried to breathe.
A moment later, the other boy, who was quite solidly built, crawled in from the window. He took one look at the situation and said, “Oi. It’s not even been a minute and you’ve terrified the poor girl.”
Eyes wide, Rapunzel fervently shook her head. “N-no. I… I’m just, not used to people.”
Isaac frowned and glared at the other boy, but he just ignored the prince. “Huh. Well, pleasure to meet you. I’m Phillip.”
“R, Rapunzel.”
At that, Isaac’s face really did fall. He took a deep breath and put on what Rapunzel assumed was a disarming smile. “Sorry about all that. We’re looking for my sister, Aurora. Do you know where she is?”
Rapunzel’s face turned red as she realized she messed up. Or had she? He mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to figure out if it would be better to tell them who she was, knowing she’d die soon, or if it would be better if they just never found her.
While her mind spun, the two boys waited a moment before Phillip shrugged and opened the door. They were already out in the hallway before Rapunzel finally called out, eyes closed,, “I-it’s me!”
The two looked back. Isaac asked, “It’s you? What do you…”
“It’s, it’s me. I’m Aurora.” Rapunzel shrank into herself. “B-but please. Please just call me Rapunzel.”
For a long, long moment, no one said anything. Finally, Phillip asked, “Well. Seems like we’ve got a lot to talk about. Do you have a private room or a table where we could sit and be a bit more comfortable?”