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[coronae]

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[coronae]

Were you training again?

[ she has no idea what korra's other hobbies are so far...but rapunzel flushes a little. ]

Haha...ha. I kind of got carried away? Maybe?

[braavado]

Nah, not this time. I was working on something else.

[She steps aside to let Rapunzel in.]

I can show it to you, actually. It's for you.

[coronae]

For me? [ there's the blank, startled surprise she'd treated hotaru with, when the girl had suggested other people should have been cooking for rapunzel on her birthday. honestly, mother gothel never really did Nice Surprises without being reminded or nagged... ]

Is it for the whole training me thing? [ rapunzel...get off the training topic. ]

[braavado]

[The question makes Korra grin.] Not this time. It's, well...

[Korra picks something up from the floor and holds it behind her back.]

It's probably not as fancy as the ones you're used to, but... it should work. [As she talks, she brings her hands forward to show Rapunzel the lantern she's holding. It's roughly the same shape as the ones Rapunzel described to her, with the sun design that she'd asked for earlier.]

[coronae]

[ she's only ever seen them from a distance, or flynn's descriptions of "lanterns", from drawings. this is the closest she's ever been to an actual lantern, and rapunzel's eyes widen. ]

You...made a lantern? [ she made a lantern. it's not the thousands of lanterns released every year, but it's - she could reach out and touch it? oh my god. ]

[braavado]

Why did you think I kept asking you all those questions?

[Korra smiles, offering the lantern to Rapunzel. She's hoping that her friend's reaction is a good thing.]

[coronae]

[ honestly she'd mistaken it for curiosity, because rapunzel can't help asking questions about everything, but. while she takes the lantern, she immediately takes another step forward to throw her arms around korra in an impromtu hug. ]

Thank you thank you thank you! But, can we - can we go outside? To let it go??

[ can they light it and watch it float??? ]

[braavado]

[Surprise keeps her frozen for a second before she returns the hug with a soft laugh.] I told you I'd make sure you had something to tide you over.

Actually... [She pulls away from the hug just enough to wave a hand at all the snacks Rapunzel's brought.] Let's just take all this up to the island, too. Might as well enjoy the fresh air for a while if we're going to be up there anyway.

[coronae]

Like a picnic?

[ oooh. a night picnic. with a lantern. ]

That'd be great! If you want? I mean, you offered, so you...probably want? We can take those, er, stairs to the island?

[braavado]

Yeah, like a picnic.

[Now that she knows the lantern's been accepted, Korra shoots an easy smile at Rapunzel. She keeps the reply simple.]

Taking the stairs is probably easier. I keep forgetting the thing's even there, and I helped construct the island.

[coronae]

Come on! Oh, wait, do you have, er, a lighting...thing?

[ flame maker of some sort, rapunzel starts making hand gestures that are not entirely. clear. ]

[braavado]

[The charades confuse her at first, but it's fairly obvious when Korra finally gets it; the grin resurfaces, this time just a tad smug.]

Oh, you mean a fire for the lantern? Don't worry. I've got you covered.

[coronae]

[ well, that sounds mysterious. but rapunzel just beams, juggles the stuff she's carrying, and grabs one of korra's hands. ]

All right, then! Let's go? [ she asks, already. dragging her off... ]

[braavado]

I don't think I have a choice here.

[But she's laughing, so she probably doesn't mean it. Korra just holds on tight to Rapunzel's hand and lets herself get dragged toward the exit.]

[coronae]

Oh! Oh, sorry, I - [ well if korra is holding tight rapunzel can't let go although she'd been about to out of apologetic embarrassment but. this is ok? this is probably still okay! ]

Well. Um, I'm excited? I mean, Iiiiiiii've never really done. Much? For my birthday, let alone go outside, so!

[braavado]

Relax. I'm just teasing you.

[Rapunzel's words make her brows draw together in concern. That doesn't sound good.]

Never? I thought your mom was with you in the tower, though.

[coronae]

Oh, she was! But she, you know, left on trips a lot? She brought me back things sometimes.

[ but for the most part it was rapunzel and. herself. until mother gothel needed a rejuvenation spell... ]

She usually was back for my birthday? [ mostly. ] Er, she doesn't really have a good memory for, well, dates. But she tries!

[ no she doesn't... ]

[braavado]

[It's probably better for everyone involved that Korra manages to bite back her first thought. Saying something like "Doesn't sound like she tried that hard" probably wouldn't go over to well, she thinks with an internal sigh.]

We can just make up for the times she's missed. I don't know how much of a party we can throw with the supplies we have, but I'm sure we can figure something out.

[coronae]

Oh, but this is all I really wanted! [ well. honestly. what she really wanted was the thousands of lanterns at corona, watching everyone release them, being there in that moment instead of watching, but -

rapunzel smiles as she leads korra up the stairs. her braid is still long enough to hit her ankles as she walks. ]

I mean, the lanterns, that's been my dream since - well, forever, ever since I first saw them!

[braavado]

So you've never gotten a chance to see them because your mom thought it was safer in the tower?

[It's a guess, but Korra has the feeling she's right, based on everything else Rapunzel's told her so far.]

[coronae]

I - well, yes? I mean, she wants what's best...leaving the tower would be, you know, dangerous.

[ granted she. did it anyway. but she feels terrible and conflicted about it? although so far no one has tried to steal her hair, so that's a plus? and none of the guys had pointy teeth...

except for rin. but he seems ok. ]

Iiiiiii kind of was going to go...anyway. But, well, then I woke up here! So. That plan didn't work out!

[braavado]

It probably would've, if you hadn't woken up here.

[There's a sense of satisfaction, though. In the end, Rapunzel had left her tower, even if she hadn't on planned on doing it permanently.

Korra tugs Rapunzel to a stop with their joined hands.]

Hey. I know it wasn't your intention to end up here. [It wasn't anyone's.] But that doesn't mean you can't have some fun while you're here.

[coronae]

[ it's easy enough to get rapunzel to stop. she turns and raises her eyebrows, listening - but, well. that is a thing isn't it. the blonde goes for a smile, still nervous but genuine as well. ]

I - well, I'm trying to make the best of things. Everyone is so nice, and - and I think sometimes a detour is okay? If you meet the right people. [ but then again she likes. literally everyone she meets, ever. so. ]

[braavado]

Yeah. [Korra smiles, Rapunzel's words reassuring her.]

I know what you mean. Everyone here's so friendly, it makes it way easier to adjust to all of this.

[coronae]

It makes me glad I left! Even if this is...well, like we said, a detour.

[ but at least everyone here is REALLY not at all like her mother had said... ]