[audio]

[tower_bound]

[Did you hear that scream? If not, she's not sure how you missed it while her windows and door were wide open.

Frying pan in hand, she scrambles away from her angry adversary, fumbling to get her phone to call out to her fellow technologically-stunted acquaintance.

There's a terrible noise in the background as she puts out a mass call over the network for a single young man.]

Hiccup! Can you hear me? The sink, it... it's roaring at me-- no, growling! There must be a monster or something terrible living in it, and I don't know what to do, and it won't stop!

[That's right folks, Rapunzel has unfortunately discovered the garbage disposal. And who can be bothered to read the unopened mail on the counter when the sink immediately next to it has "come alive" and is on the offense?]

Comments

[tower_bound]

[Good man, England. The magic hair will be a concern for another day.]

There's more?

[And here she thought that was all there was to the story.]

Of course!

[rule_britannia]

Of course, that's barely the beginning.

[He tells her the rest of the story - the arrival of the prince, how he watched to see how the enchantress entered the tower and mimicked her, and how Rapunzel was so frightened upon seeing him as she'd never seen a man before. The prince and Rapunzel fell in love, and hatched a plan to help her escape from the tower.

Though, before they could carry it out, they were foiled by the wicked enchantress, who cut the girl's hair, cast poor Rapunzel into the desert and used her golden braids to trick the prince into the tower. When she told him that Rapunzel was lost to him forever, such was his grief that he threw himself from the window, surviving the fall but blinding himself in the thorny bushes at the base.

For years he wandered, blind and in misery, until finally he was reunited with Rapunzel and the twin children that she'd conceived with him, knowing her voice when he heard it. When she fell upon his neck and cried, her tears wetted his eyes and they cleared.

The prince led Rapunzel and their two children back to his kingdom where they were joyfully welcomed, and they lived happily to the end of their days.

So, Rapunzel, what do you think?]

[tower_bound]

[She listens in suspense, horror, and wonder, though there is undeniable relief over the similarities to her own story and this one having ended back in his recital of the first half.]

You had me worried there! I thought the ending was going to be bitter. What a cruel string of events, though; I feel terrible for that Rapunzel.

[And all the more grateful that her Mother was nothing like the horrid enchantress.]

[rule_britannia]

A lot of the Grimm brother's fairy tales were like that. I'm certain that I could find you a book of them if you're interested.

[He can guarantee he has one somewhere and if he doesn't, he can find one.]

[tower_bound]

[Gruesome or not...]

I would love to read it.

[Simply, Rapunzel can't pass up the opportunity to read about people and their lives for the first time since leaving her tower, no matter how wrong things go for them.]

[rule_britannia]

Excellent. What would be a good place and time to get it to you?

[tower_bound]

Now that my sink doesn't sound like it's going to eat me and I'm not completely distracted by it, any time! I... really don't have set plans for my days, aside from cleaning every morning.

[rule_britannia]

Ah, well then, I have some time later in the afternoon.. about two hours from now?

[tower_bound]

That would work! I'll just... stick around the house then.

[It's hard to tell the time without being around a wall clock; if she stepped out for the day, she'd completely lose track.]

[rule_britannia]

Oh, don't stay in on my account! Ah.. I may need to know where you are, too.

[Yes, that would help.]

[tower_bound]

Well, I can't exactly take the wall clock with me, so it's easier if I stay put.

I'm in South 202 when you're ready to come over.

[rule_britannia]

Ah, you don't have a-- I suppose not everyone owns a watch. I shan't keep you waiting for too long, in that case, miss.

[tower_bound]

Oh! No, please, there's no rush. The one thing I do have is plenty of time.

[Yanno, like an eternity, literally speaking.]

[rule_britannia]

Well... if you're certain. I have to run a few errands, then I'll be right there.

[tower_bound]

Okay! I'll be here.

[rule_britannia]

[Two hours later, as promised, he'll be tapping on the door with several books tucked under his free arm.]

[tower_bound]

[It takes but a moment for her to open it. As she pulls the door open, she uses her foot to scoot her hair out of the doorway.]

Hello there. Please come in!

[rule_britannia]

Ah, thank-- [Wait.. wait.] --.. you.

[Just staring at all that hair.]

Good lord...

[tower_bound]

[YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH about that.]

O-oh, um... [Just give her a moment to scoop a bundle of it into her arms and completely move it out of the walkway.]

There, that's a bit better.

[rule_britannia]

[He steps in carefully, avoiding treading on any of it, and please don't mind his staring Rapunzel but he's never seen anything like this before.

And that's really saying something.]

Blimey.. it's just like the story.

[tower_bound]

That's... kind of part of why I asked you to tell it to me. But no witches here! I can promise you that much.

[Theoretically, even if Gothel was in the room, Rapunzel would insist on there being absolutely nothing sinister about her home life.]

[rule_britannia]

Ah, I'm not terribly concerned about witches... [That hair, though.]

--Oh, yes, I picked up some books for you.

[tower_bound]

Then you have nothing to worry about.

[BOOKS.]

Thank you so much! [She grins broadly, her face lighting up.] You know, this is going to be the first time I've actually be able to read stories.

[Who can blame her for being so excited to read?]

[rule_britannia]

The first time..? Really, now. I'm happy to facilitate, in that case. Here, let me show you what I have.

[He moves the books in his arms and holds them against one while moving them with his free hand.]

The story that I told you was by the Brothers Grimm, here's a compilation of their work. Ah, I found a book of Hans Christian Andersen's stories and a book of assorted fairy tales. Here.

[tower_bound]

[Nothing short of gleeful, she takes the books from his hands.]

Really, thank you. I can't wait to go through them all!

...Though I'm guessing the Grimm brothers and Anderson are famous authors?