[voice]

[70ftandcounting]

[Rapunzel's voice comes across the journals, fairly cheerful but just as last time, there's hints of maturity and somberness mixed in.]

Tammy, I've got everything ready that I need to paint your room. Is there a good time that you'd like me to come?

[A pause.]

I extend the offer to anyone else, as well. I'm...pretty good at painting, so if anyone would like their room brightened up a bit, please -- let me know. I'd be more than happy to help. Just let me know what you'd like, and I will do the best I can to make sure that it's what you want.

Comments

[yolonceler]

[Wow. You know what, they'll cover that some other time.]

I don't think I ever got your name?

[70ftandcounting]

Oh, it's -- Rapunzel. I'm sorry, that was awfully rude of me not even to introduce myself.

[BLUSH.]

[yolonceler]

[Adjhfgkd she is adorable. Now he feels like a huge dick leaving all this smoke around. More of a dick, that is.]

What? No, it's fine. I'm the Once-ler. [Pause. He seems to be doing this a lot.] That's my name.

[70ftandcounting]

The Once-ler?

[She blinks, but smiles anyway, even if she's unsure.]

Well. It's very nice to meet you, The um...Once-Ler.

[yolonceler]

It works like a title. So, Once-ler. Or Oncie, if you prefer. Hey, how about that painting?

[He scoops up some papers from his nightstand and flips through them to find a rather detailed drawing of truffula valley - or, what he remembers.]

Do you think you can paint this?

[70ftandcounting]

[...Okay, she might be giggling a little now.]

Once-ler. Oncie. Got it.

[She leans to look at the paper, eyes widening a little.]

That's so pretty! Yes, yes of course I can!

[yolonceler]

Great!

[Real enthusiasm. That's new. The Once-ler has been putting up with bogus movie magic since the moment he arrived - but painting isn't something you can fake. Oncie figures that if it's definitely real, he's allowed to feel genuine emotions.]

How many brushes did you bring? And colors?

[70ftandcounting]

Oh! Yes, here!

[She pushes forward the small chest she had brought; brushes and paints and random assortment of artistry tools littered the inside of it, though they were all neatly arranged and in their assigned spots.]

I was given a lovely set of paints by the Lady of the castle...they're not all gone, so we can use some of that, too!

[yolonceler]

Cool, awesome!

[The Once-ler makes a careful selection of yellow, pink and orange. The truffula trees only come in those colors (and he has found that they don't dye well). Oh, good, that's the perfect blue for the sky! The green is a little light, but it'll have to do.]

Gonna say right now that quality is really important, so put everything you've got into this, alright? I'm going to be staring at this every day, after all.

[70ftandcounting]

[She watches him, and nods before selecting a brush.]

You got it. [She's totally got this. It'll be the best I've painted yet!

[yolonceler]

That's the spirit!

[What is this enthusiasm? Even if he's trapped in a magic castle with crazy people, fun is fun (though at the moment he hasn't considered the repercussions of looking at truffula valley all day and night), so he might as well enjoy it. He picks a pretty big brush. Should he start with the sky?]

Thanks for this. Thanks a lot. Do you, uh, want... anything? In return, I mean. I've got a lot of skills. [If he does say so himself.] Sewing and building and junk like that.

[70ftandcounting]

Oh, no -- that's quite all right! I just want to see you smile.

[She gets to her feet and starts in on the landscape itself, wide, sweeping arcs of color splash the wall and slowly transform into the plethora of colored trees he had shown her.]

[yolonceler]

Ah, uh, well, I am all about smiling.

[She just wants to see him smile. No way. This girl has to have some hidden agenda. People aren't nice like that. They don't do things for free. The Once-ler eyes her with a bit of suspicion, but nonetheless starts painting the sky.]

But, really, are you sure? Don't you need anything?

[REVEAL YOUR TRUE COLORS]

[70ftandcounting]

[She thinks about it, then shakes her head.]

No. I don't! Thank you, though.

[She just smiles at him, swipes a strand of brown hair behind her ear, successfully streaking her face with paint.]

[yolonceler]

[This is going to come back to haunt him, he just knows it. Some day she's going to bring this back, and he will have to repay his debt. That's totally going to happen, because people aren't nice where the Once-ler comes from, and -

- God that is adorable.]

You've got... [He gestures vaguely to his face.] You got some paint on your face.

[70ftandcounting]

I do?

[She tries to peer at her nose, lifting a hand to smudge at the paint, but really -- she's just getting it everywhere.]

...Did that get it?

[yolonceler]

Um, no, now you're a self portrait.

[He's going to get cavities. Dozens of them.

The Once-ler looks around. Does he have anything to offer her? Scraps of cloth, rags, anything? Nobody is cute enough for the Once-ler to dirty his suit. Instead, he peels off his gloves. Hands are cleanable.]

I can get it, if you want.

[70ftandcounting]

[Rapunzel is good for your SOUL ALWAYS. ALWAYS AND FOREVER.]

Well -- sure. Since...I can't see.

[Blush blush blush.]

[yolonceler]

[The Once-ler hesitates at first. This is kind of personal, isn't it? Face-touching. The Once-ler does not like to get close to people. He just met this girl and, ugh, god - get it over with. He gently as hell brushes the paint off of Rapunzel's face until he's done all he can. It's not until he's finished that he realizes he'd been holding his breath. What, why, was he nervous? Leave it to him to think he'd fuck up something like this.]

All better. Clean canvas.

[70ftandcounting]

[As he's lifting a hand to do it, she realizes that -- yes. This is fairly personal and very few people at the keep have actually touched her face, but--

Too late. He's already done it, and she's smiling maybe a little guiltily up at him.]

...Thank you.

[yolonceler]

Don'tmentionit hey, how about that painting?

[The Once-ler fumbles his paint brush and ends up smacking it against the wall. What a lovely splatter of blue. Come on, Oncie, calm down.]

Better go fast, I want this done by nightfall.

[70ftandcounting]

Um...of course.

[Blushing furiously, she starts back up, working quickly and quietly for a while.]

...It's starting to look really pretty.

[yolonceler]

[The Once-ler pauses in his painting to step back and survey their work. It really is looking nice. He can picture truffula valley in his mind perfectly. No painting could do it justice, but this thing comes close.

His tone sounds a little distant.]

Yeah. It is.

[70ftandcounting]

[She pauses in her own painting and glances over at him, curious.]

Are...you all right?

[yolonceler]

What, yes, I'm fine.

[He quickly gets back to his painting. No need to vomit emotion everywhere.]

It just looks really good is all.