WELCOME TO DREAMWIDTH, HERO...

[Rapunzel is stretched out on her stomach on her bed, propped up on her elbows with her feet in the air behind her and her hair scattered about her in waves, a large, leather-bound book open on the mattress in front of her, and Pascal dozing next to her.]

[She's turning the pages slowly, and looking more and more confused as she does. Finally she looks at the screen.]

Did you know you can be allergic to crayons?

[She shakes her head.]

Well, I mean it's the dyes in the crayons, really, but still. Crayons! And cats, apparently that one is very common, and most animals, really. Plus flowers. Millions of people are allergic to flowers!

[She says this is if it sounds like one of the most terrible things she can imagine. Which it sort of is.]

I had no idea about any of this. I'm not allergic to anything...well, mother never told me if I was and I've never...[She flips back a few pages.] Never experienced 'swelling, redness, itchiness, dry eyes, hives, sneezing, coughing, and inability to breath.'

Inability to breath.

[She repeats this because WOW.]

I can't believe these are so common, I had no idea! Does everyone have allergies? Do you all have them too?

[The video clicks on to a giant part of white eyes surrounded by green, and then Pascal backs up enough so he's visible in the frame, his odd little mouth curved into a frown. After waving vaguely at the screen for several moments and apparently not being able to get his point across, he runs off camera. The phone appears to be on the floor, pointed at the ceiling...and after a second, it begins to move.]

[It takes a good fifteen seconds for the little chameleon to move the phone where he wants it, and the he tips the camera up to show Rapunzel. She's curled up in the corner of her apartment, on the floor, completely wrapped up in her long hair, just her eyes and a bit of her face poking out. And she's rocking back and forth slightly, as if under all that hair she's curled up in a little ball.]

[She notices the phone and frowns at, and starts to say something before she winces and looks away. Finally she sucks in a breath, and when the words come out she sounds completely lost and heartbroken.]

I don't...I don't know why I was on that bus and I don't know what a space jam is but whatever it is I'm sorry and please make it stop.

[She closes her eyes tightly and her face almost vanishes into her hair.]

Make it stop make it stop make it stop please make it-

[The camera tips back away and Pascal scampers back into view, pointing to where Rapunzel presumably is with a 'Help!' look on his face.]

[Rapunzel is standing in one of the hallways at the MAC, in front of an open apartment door, a slightly concerned frown on her face. She has a plastic box tucked under her arm with a number of paints and paint brushes in it, and is holding a small canvas in her hand.]

Uhm. Has anyone seen Momiji?

[Her head gives a little bob to the side before she starts to explain, looking rather sheepish.]

I haven't been able to reach him in a few days and now he missed our painting session. I'm getting worried.

[Rapunzel is sitting on her couch, her hair draped around, with Pascal on her shoulder and a big book in her lap. The television is on in the background, with the 'Hallmark' channel and all it's christmasy, christmasy movies on it. She smiles brightly at her phone and gives a little finger-wave.]

I had a question. Well, questions. Probably more than I realize, I think. It's all about Christmas. We didn't really have Christmas. Well, I mean, it was a thing that existed, a holiday, but Mother never bothered with it, I only knew about it because of books. [She taps the book.] So I'm not...entirely...sure what I'm supposed to do for it?

Everyone on television buys all these decorations and I am going to do that, it looks like so much fun! But presents. Are there rules for presents? Do you only get certain people presents? These movies all make such a big deal about it but it seems like it would be wonderful to give them to everyone. Although I suppose that would be expensive...But I'm going to try! I think. If I'm supposed to.

It's not rude, is it?

And what's appropriate? Every movie is different and this book talks about giving good cheer and being friendly and I do that anyway and that doesn't seem very...presenty.

I just don't want to get it wrong.

[She seems like she's done, and then after a few seconds she blinks.]

Oh! And where do I get a Christmas...Tree?

[The video clicks on to show a little green face with giant white eyes peering at the camera. Hey look, it's Pascal! He's got a chameleon grin on his face, and he scoots out of the way and points at Rapunzel, who appears to be dancing for joy in the middle of her living room.]

[She's spinning about much like she normally does, but the different from the last few weeks appears to be that her hair is blonde again. Also, it's about five feet long, nearly reaching her feet, and whirls around her like a cape.]

It's growing back it's growing back it's growing back!

[She's actually singing the words to herself, loud and in perfect pitch of course, and when she spots spinning there is a giant grin on her face, though a little puzzled.]

Pascal, what are you...oh!

[She notices the phone is on, her grin gets even wider and she runs over to it, plopping down in front of it.]

Look!

[She gathers up her hair and stretches it out in front of the phone, the ends resting on her palms. In the ten seconds or so the phone is focusing on her hair, it appears to grow about half an inch. She turns the camera back up to her face, and she's nearly beaming.]

It's growing back! I don't know why, I mean...hair doesn't grow like this right? Mine never grew anywhere near this fast! But it's growing back!!!

[The extra exclamation points are almost audible.]

[Rapunzel is singing to herself and wandering around her apartment when the phone clicks on. She's still riding the high from the musical number yesterday, it seems, and she's been walking on clouds ever since, really. She grins at the phone and waves, twirling around to send the screen into a blurry mess before she stops and collapses into a chair, her hair scattered about like a cape.]

I missed dancing! That was such fun! We should all do it again, we really should.

[Her eyes flick away for a moment, apparently very easily distract in this state, and she actually starts to get up before she seemingly remembers why she turned on her phone and looks back.]

Oh, right! What's a 'prom?' I saw someone mention it was a dance...is it like a ball? I've read about balls but I've never gone to one. I didn't really think about it much but after yesterday I would so love to dance some more.

Is it private? Would I be able to go and dance? Do I need an escort?"

[Yes she is all happy sunshine questions. She's practically bubbling up with happiness. Sorry network.]

[Rapunzel waves at the screen. She's spent the last couple days sorting out some emotional issues from being a tiny girl again with all the various issues she had from that age. But now she was back, smiling happily.]

So! That was...interesting, right? Reconnecting with, you know, being tiny and little and...all of that. Seeing the world from, uh...a couple feet down?

[She wilts a little.]

It was pretty awful, wasn't it? But it's over now, and we're all still...you know, normal again. I hope. Is everyone back to normal?

[She shuffles about a bit after she asks, looking at some papers on her table with notes on them. Mostly just killing time.]

A-anyway. Momiji, if you still want to learn how to make paints I've gotten everything ready. And Giselle! When would you like to go out to that statue?

[The video clicks on to show Rapunzel sitting on the floor of her MAC apartment, her back against the door, looking exceedingly disheveled. Her dress has scratches and tears in it, as does her face and arms, and her hair looks as haystackish as 70 feet of hair really can. She's got a pile of it in her lap and the rest is scattered around her. Her eyes are as wide as dinner plates, and she looks absolutely panicked. Pascal is on her shoulder, his little eyes wide, half-hiding himself in her hair.]

I don't...I don't understand, I just...I just wanted to go to the store and then there were all these birds and rats and they were everywhere and they attacked me and were clawing at me and biting and they were in my hair! There were so many, I can't, they all just...

[She freezes as a section of her hair moves near her feet, something comically shuffling around under it for several feet before a little rat head pokes up out of it, staring at her with beady red eyes.]

No! Get out get out!

[She grabs the poor thing by the face and twists around, yanking her door open and hurling it out into the hallway. Then she twists back around and slams the door closed, pressing her arms and back against it as if to make sure it's secure. Her finger is bleeding now where it bit her hand as she grabbed it, but she ignores the pain, staring at her phone on the floor.]

What is going on?!

[Rapunzel is sitting by her window. Or at least, it's probably Rapunzel, judging by the bright, someone confused eyes peering out from behind an absolute sea of hair. Aside from the seventy feet of hair hanging down behind her head, there is now about seven feet of golden beard hanging off the front of her face. She looks...bewildered. She also looks like she really could hide behind all this.]

...Uhm. I know that I'm not really very familiar with...most things but...girls aren't supposed to wake up with beards, right? Because I...did. And it won't come off and it's Itchy.

[When the screen clicks on it is covered by a small, pale thumb, with only bits of the Porter room visible around the edges of the digit. The bits appear to be moving though as the phone is swung about.]

That voice said people will talk to me through this, Pascal. Do you think Eugene will? Or maybe Mother? Although she's already mad at me and getting sent somewhere even further from home is just going to make her more angry...

[After a few seconds the phone is placed on a surface and the thumb disappears, only to be replaced by a featureless wall. For ten seconds there is nothing.]

...Nothing's happening. Do you think...

[A few seconds later the screen whirls as the phone is turned around, revealing the long haired Rapunzel with a tiny green chameleon on her shoulder. Rapunzel is bent over slightly, her hair tumbling down off the side of her head in waves, and the phone must be propped up on a desk. Girl and Chameleon both look very expectant, eager even, their eyes wide and hopeful, faces maybe two feet from the phone. And nothing happens, of course. Eventually Rapunzel frowns.]

Maybe I'm supposed to say something?

[This is whispered in an aside to the Chameleon, who just shrugs at her, and she turns back to the screen and holds up a hand, giving a little wave of her fingers.]

Hello? I'm Rapunzel. I just woke up here, but I don't know how. Or why. The voice in the ceiling was not very helpful. Uhm. Eugene, if you can hear this I didn't mean to leave the boat, and Mother if you can hear this...I don't know...I'm sorry? [And then in another aside to the chameleon.] Do you think that's enough?