First Date

[skybluejeep]

Characters: Stiles and Rapunzel | Closed
Date: October 1
Location: Wood, and then Earth Sector
Situation: Stiles has asked Rapunzel out on something resembling a date. Asti and the rest of Keelai is about to keel over from shock.
Warnings/Rating: Probably none. Rapunzel's a Disney princess, after all. I think there are laws against that kind of thing.

***

Stiles knocks on the door to Rapunzel's suite for the second time in as many weeks. Only this time, he's there to ostensibly take her out to dinner. This is honestly the first time he's asked a girl out for dinner and had her say "YES" so it's a huge, world-shaking deal for him.

He's wearing his jeans, and a Keelai-style shirt in green, with a Mandarin collar. It doesn't suit him, but it's better than the same plaid shirt he's been wearing since he got here, right?

Oh god, please let this go well...

Comments

[watcheslanterns]

"That's fine. It doesn't have to be perfect." She beamed at him as she handed the carrots, onions, and peppers over to him. Carefully, she slid a knife and cutting board across the table so he could start. She meanwhile, began cutting the beef into smaller pieces for the stew.

"Did you have a good day today?"

[skybluejeep]

Okay, Stilinski. Careful with the knife now. If you cut yourself and bleed all over Rapunzel's kitchen, you're officially a total loser. So it's a very careful Stiles that picks up the knife and starts working at the onion. It's certainly not fast, but it's deliberate.

"Yeah! I had an earlier shift today at work, I switched so I could come over tonight. How about you? Anything fun and exciting?"

[watcheslanterns]

"I think I may be starting a job?" She sounded unsure and it came out more of a question than a sentence. "There's a shop that designs and makes clothes for people here, in styles like their homes. The owner asked if I wanted to come work there."

She was still nervous about starting a job; having to work in close proximity with other people, but the idea was exciting at the same time. Making clothes, especially as a comfort to people who were strangers to this place, was appealing. And Rapunzel didn't want to live off of other people's charity forever.

[skybluejeep]

"Hey!"

He stops what he's doing for a second and turns to her fully, a giant grin on his face.

"That's awesome! Congrats. You're gonna do a great job, I know it."

Knife back down on the board, and he crosses to her to give her a congratulatory hug.

[watcheslanterns]

She stiffens slightly as Stiles first hugs her, but relaxes quickly. She took a moment to appreciate just how different a hug from a boy was from hugging her mother.

"Oh, um, thank you." Her voice came out more flustered than she would have liked. "I'm really looking forward to it."

[skybluejeep]

He's a little flustered too, his face going a little red as he blushes. But then he steps back, and gets back to chopping onions for her.

"Did they say how much they were gonna pay you?"

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel cleared her throat and began to move the stew meat into a large cast-iron pot where it sizzled and popped over the heat.

"Not yet. We haven't talked about the details yet. DO you think there's a certain amount I should ask for?"

[skybluejeep]

"Well, it depends."

He slides a pile of sliced onion toward her, knowing it was best if they went in with the meat. He'd watched his mom cook enough to know that, at least.

"I think you should set a base rate, for simple stuff like what I wear. Jeans, t-shirts, that kind of thing. And then you should charge more the more ornate it gets. Especially if you have to weave the fabric first. I mean, I've despaired of finding a plaid print here."

[watcheslanterns]

Suddenly, Rapunzel was rather curious about what exactly plaid looked like, and how to make it. She dumped the onions into the pot. The smell of the cooking food quickly filled the kitchen.

"That makes sense," she agreed. "The more work that gets done, the more money it should cost, right?"

[skybluejeep]

Stiles and his plaid shirts are just...necessary. The mandarin collar thing just doesn't work for him.

"Exactly. But you should never be without a base hourly wage, either. So...maybe two juulan an hour, since that's about ten dollars back home. And then up from there depending on how complicated the outfit is."

[watcheslanterns]

She nodded as she moved the food around in the pot. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind, then. How are the other vegetables coming along?"

[skybluejeep]

"Uh! Carrots are happening?"

He shows her the big chunks of carrot he's been slicing up, careful of his fingertips and thumbs.

"And I have no clue how to cut peppers though."

[watcheslanterns]

"I can do those, then," she told him.

Stepping away from the oven, Rapunzel took another knife and expertly cut the peppers in half, carving out the seeds and white bits inside before slice strips and chopping those into smaller pieces.

[skybluejeep]

He watches her in awe, and how just...overall competent she is. He's always respected that kind of thing, being good at what you do.

"Wow. Go, girl. It smells really good already, you know."

[watcheslanterns]

She blushes at the compliment before going to drop the peppers in to join the rest of the food.

"Thanks. I've had a lot of practice."

[skybluejeep]

"Practice makes perfect. And you're pretty close."

Oh, god. That is probably one of the cheesiest lines he's ever uttered. Why is it he can be clever and awesome and witty around Scott? But around girls he turns into a total flailing moron?

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel does laugh a bit, though not at him. She genuinely found him charming, cheesiness and all. She was quiet for a minute as she began adding some spices and broth to the pot. As she did, for the millionth time since it had happened, Rapunzel thought back on her conversation with Korra.

She was confused about what that meant for her and Stiles, not to mention Eugene back home. She had been thinking that maybe he had liked her, and she had liked him, but now she was thinking the same thing about Stiles. She thought maybe talking about it might help her clear things up, but how was she even supposed to start that conversation?

"So I met this girl named Korra the other day. She had this great big animal with her. A polar bear dog, I think she said."

[skybluejeep]

"Oh! You know Korra? She's awesome, she's getting me free martial arts lessons. I haven't met her polar bear dog. That's the one named Naga, right?"

He's retreating to her fridge, hunting up some ice for the drinks he brought. They're slightly fizzy ginger ales, a drink he figured she'd like.

[watcheslanterns]

"Yeah," Rapunzel replied. "She's really sweet. Naga, that is. Oh, but Korra is really nice too!"

Using a spoon she began stirring the ingredients in the pot and turned down the temperature to let it simmer.

"What are martial arts?"

[skybluejeep]

Pouring out the drinks, he wonders how to answer that question. Because...well, she'd probably be horrified if he was learning how to deliberately fight.

"Self-defense," he answers after a moment of fizz. "Making sure I can take of myself and other people if somebody bad comes along. Balance, meditation, mental and physical health. Good stuff."

[watcheslanterns]

She walked over to the drinks and took a glass for herself.

"Oh, I see." She doesn't look all that upset by the concept, either. Instead she shrugs. "I wonder if I should learn something like that. Until now I've just used my hair. And a frying pan."

[skybluejeep]

"And I bet you're wicked with a frying pan at fifteen paces," he agrees with a grin, taking the other glass for himself.

"One of those cast-iron deals? Ow. Remind me to never piss you off. Although I'm now seriously curious as to how you use your hair as a weapon."

[watcheslanterns]

Before even taking a sip of her drink she places the glass back down. She picks up a portion of her hair and loops loosely around her arm. When she has a decent amount hanging there she prepares, and whips it towards one of the kitchen chairs. It falls to the floor with a loud clatter between the two of them.

"Mostly some variations on that."

[skybluejeep]

His eyes pop wide, and he almost spits out his ginger ale.

"Holy crap that was so cool."

Grinning at her, he goes and rights the chair, careful not to step on her hair as he moves.

"Again. Remind me to never piss you off, or I might be found hanging in a tree, by my feet, bound up by your hair. What a way to go, though."

[watcheslanterns]

She smiled broadly as she collected her hair back and neatly put it behind her. "I don't think you have to worry about."

Just be thankful you weren't the first guy she met.

She picked up her glass again and took a sip. She let out a surprised giggle as the bubbles tickled at her lips. "Oh! Wow! That's so strange." She looked closely and examine the glass.