The funny thing about meeting someone who changes you is that you don't remember who you were before.
So, naturally Flynn Rider assumed he was still the same awesome guy he'd always known himself to be- or portrayed himself as. He actually didn't know who he really was, but others saw him as this wonderful, hot, kick-ass guy and well, if others saw him saw that, why shouldn't that be who he was? He smirked, biting into the apple that would serve as a midnight-snack. He felt no shame in stealing from the people of Corona. A money-grabbing place in general, they could afford to lose one apple. Well, one apple and the countless things he'd stolen before. Perhaps the man pushing the cart of apples couldn't afford for the apple to be taken and then eaten graciously by Flynn, but he didn't really see a point in caring about the cart owner's feelings towards this particular apple. However, it was a damn good apple.
Flynn finished it, tossing it off the extremely long bridge that separated Corona from the surrounding Forrest. Once it left his hands, he forgot about it. Like a lot of things, his mind didn't like to stray on things that could be used up. Not that a lot of things could be used up per say, but there were a lot of things, and people, that Flynn didn't really think about. Like the apple. And the countless women he could go visit right now if he wanted to. And all the things he'd stolen.
Of course, he couldn't really do very much about the apple now, even if he'd wanted to. Like he couldn't really go return all the things he'd taken or go back to those women and give back all those nights. So he was content with not thinking of the things that weren't really defining to his life. So he didn't think of them.
Flynn sighed, looking across to Corona. There wasn't really much about Corona that interested him, or anyone he figured. He supposed if he'd actually been raised there it might be a bit more exotic each time he walked along the cobbled streets, but most of the time he found himself ducking behind the shops and fountains, trying to avoid being seen by the officers or leaders of the Sun. They constantly wanted him to join, despite them knowing he was a recluse thief. He had none of the patience they so willingly flaunted. Peace. That was their main hook for the suckers they commandeered. Peace and a whole new kind of leadership. Flynn didn't really care how the Sun ran things, though he did care that it seemed he couldn't really get in trouble for anything. The Sun was all about helping the less fortunate, and if that meant he was less in fortune to the rulers of Corona, then he was fine with it. As long as he was still the general not-to-be-messed-with guy everyone thought of, who was he to challenge the Sun's idea of dependant? He was all for free things and no punishment.
But, of course, he could still get arrested only for one or two nights unless a serious crime was commited, which it never was. So he avoided the officers expertly. There were few of them milling about daily, and none of them really took their job seriously- really only in it for the benefits and slightly higher pay raises. And girls, but they left that bragging card at the bars before putting on the uniform. They didn't have very much to do, for Corona was mostly crime-free. Petty theft jobs weren't anything serious, and Flynn really only stole to survive. Not big things- although the job he was planning seemed to be pretty huge. Who knows? The Sun probably wouldn't even notice a missing crown. After all, there wasn't even a princess to own the crown. Corona could still function as a monarch, Flynn supposed. There was still a castle, and the rulers did live there. But the Sun wasn't really just a King and Queen. It was a bunch of people who ruled over Corona and kept order and promised peace to the poor unfortunate souls that needed it. Like Flynn Rider. And the two Stabbington's who were going to help him lift the crown. If they were lucky, which Flynn usually was depending on the situation, and then they'd be able to steal the crown as walk away easily. Maybe even sell it to someplace. Flynn didn't really care what happened after they got the thing anyway. He just wanted to see if he could get away with it.
Flynn sighed, tapping the edge of the bridge with a slow finger, a tune coming to his mind as he did so. He wished that he could remember the words to the song, though, and not just a senseless tune. He shook his head- why was he trying to remember something from Engram? That was so long ago… He smirked and the tapping stopped as he rubbed his eyes. It's not that he was tired or that it was late, he just rubbed them for something to do as he waited.
Footsteps. Light ones across the stones that held the bridge together made him turn. Finally, almost an hour late, he assume-
But wait, this wasn't right. In front of him weren't two bulky red-heads with deadly-looking scars. Scars that Flynn himself had inflicted while the three were at Engram as kids. But no, this small form wasn't the Stabbington's at all- in fact it wasn't even a boy. A small, petite girl with extremely choppy hair that reminded him of a hedgehog.
Flynn didn't want to frighten the girl- her head was looking at her feet as she shuffled along slowly. She seemed to be talking to herself about something really important- or maybe not important, maybe just talking. The girl was wearing a cloak which billowed out behind her, it was yellow and extremely long, dragging out behind her purple dress as she moved, the wind blowing it in many directions at once. It still managed to remain somewhat untangled, however. Flynn shrugged, coughing a bit so as not to startle the oblivious girl.
"Hello?" He asked, speaking a bit too loudly. Naturally, the young girl jumped and looked up, pulling her hood up around her head almost as if instinctual. Some else moved on her shoulder, a speck of green that Flynn hadn't noticed before. But it was gone in a moment as he focused on the girl's face. Immediately he noticed her eyes. They were large- the largest he'd ever seen and the brightest color of green. Almost as if there was another layer of green underneath that hadn't existed before it's appeared on her. Small freckles littered her face, almost invisible in the moonlight. She looked at her shoulder for a second a movement that Flynn thought extremely odd, but then she addressed him.
"Hi." Her voice was strong and quiet at the same time. "How are you?"
"What are you doing out here so late?" Flynn asked, ignoring her question and crossing his arms. Why should he care, though? He sounded like a disapproving parent reprimanding his daughter for being out late with a boy. Or perhaps he was the boyfriend, angry with this girl for not being home and safe. But again, why should he care? She could just walk on and he'd never see her again and it wouldn't matter.
"I'm-um…" She stammered, fiddling with the clasp on her cloak. "I'm afraid I'm a bit lost. I'm trying to get to Corona."
Was this girl for real? The Kingdom was right there- in fact it was extremely obvious. Flynn was pretty sure it was miles away from any other kingdom, and it's not like this girl could have walked all the way from another kingdom, not with that huge cloak anyway. He looked at her, cocking his head to one side.
"Um, Corona is right there," he said, gesturing with his thumb to the large village behind him.
"Oh so that's Corona!" The girl said, grinning and looking to her shoulder again. Flynn wondered why she insisted on doing that, was it a defect of hers? No, there was something there. The girl kept muttering excitedly to the little green mound thing, Flynn decided to call it a frog. She bounced a bit, looking from the frog to Corona to Flynn. Flynn was following her gaze and looking at Corona's silhouette, so when she sneezed he complimented her with his usual response.
"I didn't sneeze," She said, which caused him to turn to look at her. "Huh?"
"I introduced myself- I'm Rapunzel. Not achoo." She sounded a bit, hurt, but smiled nonetheless.
"Oh," He said, blinking a bit. That was a strange name, but she was a strange girl so it made sense. "Well, sorry, then I guess." Why was she looking at him like that? Like he was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen, like he was the first person she'd ever had a conversation with. An extremely weird conversation. He sighed, sticking his hand out. "The name's Flynn Rider."
She looked at his hand, frowning a bit. "It's not doing anything."
What was she talking about? He wanted a handshake, not a trick or anything. "No, um I-" He looked at her- no way this was real. "It's a greeting?" He suggested. Yeah, his poorest greeting ever. There was none of the usual charm about it.
The girl, Rapunzel, grinned suddenly, seeming to comprehend it. She stuck her hand out. "The name's Rapunzel!" She said triumphantly looking to her frog thing with a smile.
Flynn chuckled a bit. "Not quite. Here." He took her hand, small and surprisingly soft, and slowly moved it up and down once. He let go quickly, dropping his hand to the side and looking past her as the two Stabbington Brother's came out of the Forrest. Super.
He looked back at Rapunzel, who was staring at her hand as if it was enchanted. "Look kid, you better get going. Corona's right there."
She suddenly seemed afraid of going into the Kingdom shuffling slowly forward. "Um, but where are you going, Flynn?" She asked, looking back at him.
Where was he going? Why should she care? "I've got business to-"Why was he telling this to her? She didn't need to know- they'd just met. So why did care if she knew what he was doing in the middle of the night? "I've gotta go. But go to Corona, or something. Maybe I'll see you around sometime." Maybe? Why would that matter? He never 'maybed' with a girl before. Sure he told them 'maybe next time' or something, but it never meant anything. But something in Rapunzel's expression, like he'd just promised her the world, the way she sort of skipped into Corona, turning back to him as her cloak followed in a billowing wind behind her. The little wave she gave and the smile that reached her ears. All of this made Flynn think…maybe.