cont. from [x]
It had been too much. Just... too much. Rapunzel really enjoyed parties, for the most part: the energy, the music, the lights and colors...
But tonight, for some reason, it was all bombarding on her senses, overwhelming her, and she felt her walls weakening.
Disassociation was threatening. So she slipped away into their bedroom with the lights off and the door closed, Lia at her side.
When Rai came in, she looked right at him, but it was clear that she almost didn't see him. She knew someone was there, but her mind was trying very hard to not identify him.
Still, who else would it be?
"I just... I needed a minute," she murmured, her fingers moving absently in Lia's fur. "Sorry. I didn't want to disappoint you or anyone. I'll try to pull myself together."
As much fun as he was having, circulating around all the guests at the party, laughing and joking and dancing and drinking, he noticed that it'd been a while since he'd seen Rapunzel. They didn't need to be glued to each other's sides, obviously, but he hadn't seen her for... what, at least twenty minutes now? Maybe more.
Rapunzel wasn't outside on the deck, nor was she getting another drink or some food. He found Ana instead, and nudged her in the side, leaning close so she could hear him over the music.
"You seen Punz?" He'd been drinking, enough to feel warm and light, but not enough to slur or confuse his words.
Ana thought for a moment, then nodded. "Pretty sure I saw her go upstairs a while ago."
So off he went, away from the crowd of people and the light and the music. Each step he took upstairs, the music grew a little quieter, a little more muffled. He went straight to their room and - voila.
Straight away, he knew something was off. She had that faraway look she got sometimes. It'd happened less and less the longer he'd known her, but now and then, she seemed to sort of... go somewhere else.
"Why're you apologising?" he asked with a frown, shaking his head. He went over to her and rested a hand gently on her arm. "Hey. Y'need some water or something?"
