[week 1 - post trial. ]

[hairbrain]

[ she's coming for you natsuo --- she's coming with her arms full of blankets, and food, and hot cocoa, and bandages, and, yeah, it's all gonna fall if she doesn't put something down soon. ]

[ but she's coming for him. ]

Natsuo!

[ don't run away, binch. ]

Comments

[randori]

[ It's always a smart idea to run after Natsuo when he's compromised and can't get away. It's the bleeding and the pain associated with it that has him limping along at first, but when he turns and sees who it is— what she's carrying and how all of it threatens to spill out of her arms, he ignores all of that to rush forward to catch the pile and steady it before it collapses. ]

—Careful! I got it!

[hairbrain]

[ just as planned. just kidding, it's really lucky that he does help her because things were about to become a true disaster. ]

--- Thank you!

[ she feels bad that he has to help her when he's injured, but. ]

Oh, I'm sorry, I think... I think I carried a bit too much at once.

[randori]

[ He takes more than half the pile from her arms-- they're going to get a little bloody, but she can't complain, right? ]

It's not all going to disappear if you take it little by little— or ask somebody to help! You don't have to carry all this all by yourself!

[hairbrain]

[ listen it's all for him so!! ]

You're right, Natsuo -- I'm sorry. Can you help me with some of this? Like, the food and hot cocoa?

[randori]

[ I was going to write that he's too busy bleeding to eat, but honestly? He's never too busy for food. He takes the load off Rapunzel's hands, holding it close. ]

Where're you taking all this? One of the common rooms?

[ Blankets, food... sounds like sleepover material ]

[hairbrain]

Your room, actually. But if you want, we can go to a common room instead.

[ her evil plan revealed!!! ]

[randori]

Wait- Why was I getting kicked out of my room? You can't have it.

[ Like she planned to take over just because Dave's gone and that's one less person to elbow out of the way? no ]

[hairbrain]

[ a beat. ]

Natsuo, this is all for you.

[randori]

[ squints suspiciously ]

It's not my birthday.

[hairbrain]

You got hurt and I came to check in on you. Hence all the....

[ she can't full out gesture but she shrugs in direction of everything she's carrying. ]

I was worried about you, Natsuo.

[randori]

[ ohhhhhh no ohno nonononono no
A dawning realization feels exactly how it sounds, slowly creeping up on you and then hitting you in the face like a metric ton of bricks. ]

That makes me incredibly happy, but that's not how it's supposed to go... I don't want to worry people and be a bother.

[hairbrain]

When you're friends, it goes both way, especially with the worrying. And..... I consider you my friend, regardless of.... how you feel about me.

[ since she's super terrifying and whatnot!!! ]

So, you're not being a bother. Why don't we just take care of each other?

[randori]

Because I need to be strong enough on my own.

[ He buries his face in whatever he's carrying so that he doesn't have to look directly at her- not the greatest idea while maneuvering through a castle, but. ]

And... I'm not good with girls, so it's a little scary being with you. I dunno what to say or do, 'cause what if I do something wrong and you hate me?

[hairbrain]

I would never hate you, Natsuo. You're a good, kind, strong person and you're my friend. You don't need to be strong enough on your own, and--

---Watch out!

[ please look when you're going, natsuo. ]

[randori]

[ "Watch out"s are for when you're right about to crash into something so Natsuo sidesteps thinking he's about to do just that, lifting his bundle of whatevers up over his head to protect it.

I had to parent up to see what he's even carrying but ig a mountain full of marshmallow bags go toppling down onto the ground. Hot chocolate... packets? actual hot chocolate in cups or what, idk you get to decide how much of a Mess this is. ]

[hairbrain]

[ i don't even remember........... yeah it's actual hot chocolate, but rapunzel manages to save one -- though it splashes on her hands and she shrieks. ]

Ow!

[ the other mug shatters. what a mess. ]

Oh, no.... maybe I should have carried it all after all.

[randori]

No, it's dangerous, so it's better if I did it!

[ Maybe it's only dangerous if things fall, but... Well, he'll take care of the mess, crouching down and opening up the marshmallows. They get sprinkled over the puddles of hot chocolate like sawdust over a spill, left there to soak up the drink. They also get sprinkled over the broken pieces of the mug, carefully stuck into the jagged edges so that nobody can cut themselves on them.

Danger neutralized! And then. We walk away. ]

[hairbrain]

If you say so, Natsuo...

[ rapunzel is..... not so sure..... but she hands her hands full so she makes a mental note to come back to clean it up properly. but first, she's got to take care of natsuo. he is more dangerous (to himself) than ceramic mugs are to anyone... ]

[randori]

[ He took particular care with that mess rather than stomping on the ceramic shards, have some confidence in him.

It's slightly faster going to the common room now that he's lightened his load, and when he gets there, he goes to flop down on one of the couches, knees bent and hanging over the arm rest. ]

Ugh... it's so hard getting around. You'd think they'd open up the windows by now so we can just hop in and out more easily.

[hairbrain]

[ she'll have confidence when he can go one week without being hurt or killed!!! ]

I don't know if you should be jumping around in your condition. But it is stuffy....

[ she can't help but agree. anyway, she drapes the blanket over him and starts offering him the treats. ]

[randori]

[ It's Wednesday today and he's made it halfway through the week with nothing more than a scalded tongue, this is the best he can do.

He sits up a little straighter- like doing a crunch, except with his stomach the way it is, the searing pain shoots right through him and he flops back down onto his back, questions his life choices for a singular moment, and then moves so that he's sitting properly on the seat instead of sprawling out across the entire length of the couch. ]

Thanks. I just... don't like being inside, you know. Being cooped up all the time, not being able to go outside or even leave my room, that's not something I can agree to.

[hairbrain]

[ one whole week or no confidence, that's the deal natsuo!! anyway, she sits down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady him. ]

Not allowed to leave your room? [ oh man he got grounded! ] No, that's not right. Nobody should try to lock you up, no matter how worried they are. That isn't right.

[ it comes out a little heated, almost like this is personal. ]

[randori]

[ He got grounded!!! It's not fair :( The worst punishment :( :( :( ]

Right?! What's with this place!! The dining halls only work at certain times! We have bedtimes on Thursdays like we're kids! We have a rulebook with stupid rules!! And we're all just following them like we've got no choice!!!!

[ maybe he's getting slightly derailed here, but! let him throw his tantrum, he's been keeping it inside for a while now ]

[hairbrain]

Well, we don't have that much of a choice.... [ she does understand his frustration, though. it really sucks. all of it does. ]

Not to mention all the murder.

[ and trials!!!! this isn't ace attorney, murder castle. ]