A/N Ta-Da! Updating already. Applause please. In this chapter, Eugene and Rapunzel go dress shopping.
A shout out to Skystorm, a guest who left a lovely long review. Thankyou for your idea on Rapunzel's costume. It's perfect for her :) And also, I plan on going back and adding a chapter or two near the beginning. I agree that it's a bit rushed, thankyou for your feedback and advice.
Tangled belongs to Disney. I own nothing. Enjoy the chapter!
The city was buzzing. Lights glowed, surfaces were covered with posters advertising the masked ball. Shop windows shone with extravagant costumes and jewelled masks. Wherever Eugene went, the cries of salesmen and women rung in his ears.
"Be the belle of the ball!"
"Breathtaking shoes, buy one, get one free!"
"Make you own mask!"
"SALE! SALE! Buy our gowns before they're all gone!"
"Buy now or cry later!"
Eugene walked in silence. His guitar was slung over his back. He was headed for the town square, to do what he did best.
Busking.
When he'd first seen groups of children and youths singing and playing music in the square, he'd wondered what on earth they were doing. It didn't take long for him to notice the people tossing copper coins at their feet. Now he came here every week, to earn money fair and square. The only other way he could get it was by thievery, and he hated the thought of that.
He sat down on a milk crate and sat a tin can on the cobblestones at his feet.
And then he played.
His fingers flew up and down the strings, piecing together a melody. He began to sing, not a pre made song, but just nonsense about passers-by.
That girl in the yellow dress, she looks in a hurry…
Could you spare some change, my very kind sir?
Thankyou m'lady, thankyou m'dear.
Sometimes people spat on the ground before him. Sometimes children kicked over his tin, sending his change flying everywhere. Some people looked right through him, as if he weren't there at all.
But it was always worth it if he could make someone smile, or an old man give a toothless grin, or a young girl laugh. It was the only time where the memories blurred and he felt at peace.
And he had to earn money. Because he had to buy himself a costume. And then he could go to the ball.
He wasn't sure exactly what drew him to the idea of a ball. He'd never been to one before, and socialising made him queasy. But hidden behind a mask, perhaps he could be a different person. A more confident one. And hadn't he always watched the floating lanterns and dreamed of releasing one of his own into the sky? And he wanted to see the palace ballroom. Rumours said that it was bigger on the inside than out, and beautiful beyond imagination.
And there was always the hope that she would be there. As much as he tried pushing it down, hope wouldn't leave him alone.
So he played and sang until the sun went down, and he rattled the change in his tin and decided that he had enough.
The streets were filled with people. They ducked in and out of shops, laughing and clutching handfuls of bags. Eugene steered clear of the most expensive, most extravagant shops. He slipped down a small lane, scanning for something that caught his eye.
There it was. In a shop so tiny he almost missed it, in the dusty window, a display of feathered masks. He pushed opened the door, and a small bell chimed, announcing his entrance.
The shop assistant was old, with lines that made her face look like a crumpled paper bag. But her eyes glowed a warm amber colour, and her lips were painted bright crimson.
"Can I help?" she rasped.
"I just came in to look at your masks." Eugene said softly. She smiled, almost making her eyes disappear in a mass of crinkles. She slipped the tray of masks out of the window and set them on the counter. Eugene counted six.
"We have the bluebird, the peacock, the parrot, the kingfisher, the eagle-"
"What's this one?" Eugene picked up a jet black mask. It was soft to touch, and covered in glossy feathers.
"The black swan." The old woman declared.
"I didn't know there were black swans."
"Yes, not around these parts, but far away. I've seen them. Magnificent creatures."
The mask was meant to be tied to one's face with the ribbons at the side. The woman helped fasten it around the back of his head. She bustled about, finally retrieving a mirror.
"Here." She held it up, and Eugene started. He looked so different. His eyes, shocked and suspicious, stared back at him.
"It's… it's perfect."
And it was.
Not far away, Rapunzel trawled through shop after shop. She was tired of bright faced assistants, frilly dresses, glittery masks.
Nothing struck her as even remotely okay.
She was tired after hitching a bumpy ride into the city on the back of a wagon. She was in shock after what she'd done. Guilt ate at her. She didn't understand her own feelings.
But all of that melted away after she saw it.
It was at the back of an enormous shop, hidden between a hideous pink lacy garment and an even worse yellow suit. She tugged it out, expecting the worst.
It was a burnt orange, almost red, edged with white lace. It was light and floaty, just long enough to brush the floor. She slipped into a changing room and tried it on. It glowed in the light of the dying sun, almost gold.
As if in a trance, she bought the dress, along with a pair of boots. The money had come from unpleasant means, but at least she had it.
She couldn't recall ever going shopping before. It stirred something inside of her, but she couldn't tell if it was good or bad.
In the very next shop, she discovered something even better.
A mask with pointed ears and a little black nose. A fox, it's fur colour uncannily similar to her dress. She tried it on.
She looked sly and cunning, and somehow beautiful.
The chameleon on her shoulder chirped approval.
"Yes," she agreed. "Perfect."
A/N So I know there hasn't been much conflict lately, but it's coming, and soon. Can you guess what Rapunzel feels guilty about? Can you guess where she got the money? You'll have to wait and see. Oh, and if black swans aren't common where you live, go look them up. They're awesome.