deconflagration

[ FORCEFULLY OPENS UP THE BOOK TO PAGE ONE OF THE STORY AND STARES DOWN AT IT. At least it has pictures. ]

Rapunzel....

Yes?

[ She squeaks and clamps her hands over her mouth. Duh, he's reading it not calling to her. ]

I was reading the title.

[ Pointing at the title in big bolt. ]

"There... were... once... a man and... a woman who... had long, in... in... in v... vain...? Vain... wished... for a... child. At len..."

[ WHAT IS THIS WORD WITH ITS SILENT G AND T? ]

[ She sits there in silence as she looks over his shoulder at the book. She smiles and squeezes his arm a little. Should she help? Maybe she'll let him try a little more.]

[ An incredibly deep frown is slowly making itself home on his face. His finger is underlining the word as he silently tries to sound it out, but from the frustrated look of his brow, it's not going so well. ]

It sometimes helps when you try to sound it out out-loud. Hearing it helps, at least it helps me anyway.

I don't get it, though. I can't think of a way to pronounce it that doesn't sound like I have a mouthful of rice. Or is that how it's supposed to sound?

That's how it's suppose to sound. [ She smiles and points to the last two letters. ]

That makes a "Thah" sound.

Len-thah?

Close! You're really close! It's pronounced length.

...What's it mean?

[ English. What is it?! ]

Length? It means like [ She holds out her arms as far as they will go. ]

It's like a distance. Like how my hair was? Some would say it was a very long length.

[ It's like his babelfish is broken because he's studying English. It's weird asking for a definition and needing a response like that. ]

I see.... Okay. Length....

[ He says it so slowly and carefully. ]

Um... "At length... it... a... appe...ared? That... God... was a... about... to... grant... their de... des... desire?"

[ He finally finished the paragraph, and while that may be a great accomplishment, he's not really sure -what- he read. ]

[ She nodded her head happily. ]

Hearing you read this is very enjoyable, Zuko. I like listening to your voice. Did you want to take turns?

Are you kidding? That was slow and pathetic.

[ He glances at her, then back at the book. He doesn't answer her, instead choosing to run his finger over the face of the Rapunzel in the book. ]

It wasn't pathetic, Zuko. It's a new book with weird words so it'll be a little hard. The fact that you're doing well proves you're getting better.

[ She leans over to kiss his cheek then her eyes go to the page. What is he doing?]

[ Smiling faintly. ]

Thanks.

[ Then dragging his finger down to the second paragraph. ]

...It might be more fun if we take turns.

[ And faster. ]

Okay! I think you're right. And if you have any questions just ask me!

[ She cozied herself against him more and pulled the book in between them so they could both see it. ]

"These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world."

[ While she's reading her paragraph, she's doing little hand movements. ]

Edited 2012-10-05 01:59 (UTC)

[ He pulls his hands away from the book so they're not obscuring the words. And wow, it's impossible to keep up with her. Even though she's talking at normal speed, he's silent for a moment trying to make sure she left off where he assumed she would. ]

"One day... the woman... was stand...ing... by this... window... and... look...ing... down... into the gar... garden... when she... saw... a bed... which was plan...ted... with the most... b..."

[ He falls silent again. He's seen this word before. More than once. For once, his intense staring seems to pay off, because he suddenly remembers— ]

"—beautiful! Beautiful... ramp...ion... and it... looked... so... fresh and... green... that she lon... longed...? Longed... for it. She... ku... quite... pi... pi... pine... ed... and... began... to look... pale... and mis... mis... er... ra... miser... able."

[ She nodded her head and then put her finger to the book. It wasn't for his sake it was for her own. She read better when she followed along with her finger. ]

" Her husband was alarmed, and asked: 'What... ails you, dear wife?' "

[ Oh look, it was the last part of the page. She moved her hand to the corner of the page. ]

[ New pictures! He glances at them briefly, then reaches to intertwine their fingers. ]

"'Ah,' she re...plied.... 'If I can't... eat... some of the... rampion... which is in... the garden... behind... our... house... I sh... shall... die....'"

[ He's pretty sure he understood -that- sentence, but he's not going to say anything about it. ]

[ She looked down at their hands and smiled, blushing just a little. ]

" The man, who loved her, thought: 'Sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion yourself, let it cost what it will.' "

Um...

[ Giving her hand a squeeze. ]

"At twi... twilight... he... clam... bered... down... over... the wall... into... the garden... of the... en... enchan...tress... hast... hasti...ly...? Clut... clutched a hand...ful... of rampion... and took... it to... his wi... wife.... She at once... made... herself... a sal... salad... of it and ate... it... gree... greedi...ly. It... tasted... so good to... her so... very... good... that the... next... day... she... longed... for it... three... times as... much... as be... before."

So, wait... this is a story called Rapunzel, so shouldn't it be about you and not this "rampion" thing? And why is it so important? She's not really gonna... you know.

[ Die. ]

Edited 2012-10-05 02:45 (UTC)

[ She shakes her head no and smiles, giving his hand another squeeze. ]

Rampion is another named for Rapunzel and it's a type of herb that you put into your cooking. And... I'm pretty sure the wife is being a bit dramatic. She won't actually die, she just wanted to taste the herb so badly.

So the husband stole it just because his wife wanted to eat an herb? And then she got addicted...?

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