This Week, Flynn, and Ariel.

Soo.....This week's been interesting.  On Wednesday, Tangled Fan decided to turn her room upside down in an attempt to clean it. 
She thought it was an excellent idea to cram alllll of us on one side of the table. 
All of us. 
Ariel's been constantly trying to get a rise out of me - via insulting me or my children or trying to get Logan's attention by paying attention to Eugene.
I'm pretty sure that yesterday, Eugene was about ready to clock someone upside the head.  He was pretty irritated.  And by someone, I mean Ariel, Logan, or Punzie --Logan because he won't control Ariel. 
(Although, what's he going to do, really??  I don't think she CAN be controlled!)   

Today was probably the worst of things.  Zelia and Ray went for a walk, and Logan and Fitz went elsewhere to talk about girls.  It was just Eugene, Zarina, Belle, Punzie, Piper, Emma, Ariel, and I - and the kiddos, of course; and Merida, who didn't really talk much. 
(You can see the wad of blankets on the one edge there,  it's because it's been SUPER COLD the past few nights.  Ugh...)
Belle and I just talked for a good while, and Zarina hung out with Casey as long as Casey wanted. 
Everything was okay until Ariel walked over to me when Zach started whimpering - just because he was sleepy, mind. 
"He's blind, right?"  Ariel asked. 
I looked up warily at her.  "Yes, why?" 
"I was going to say...no wonder if he cries so much, since you're always holding him.  Even he wouldn't want to see your face.  But then again, since he's blind...no surprise, I guess.  Nothing perfect could--"
I jumped up.  If I wouldn't have had Zachary in my arms, I would have probably done something less-than-nice. 
"You know what, Ariel?  Don't even say it.  He's perfect just as he is.  You can insult and harass me all you want, but don't you DARE say a word about my children.  Got it?" 
She threw her head back to expose her long, pale throat.  Laughing, she shook her head.  "The only way to get to you is through your kids!" 
"Why do you have to torment her in the first place, Ariel?"  Eugene stood up, setting Audrey up with Casey and Zarina.  He put a hand on my shoulder.  "You don't have to, you know.  I know I'd really appreciate it if you'd let her and the kids be." 
She shook her head.  "You are all too sensitive." 
"And you're too INsensitive," I mumbled.  I didn't dare say it too loud. 

This went on almost all day.  She knew now that she could get a brilliant rise out of me if she said something about the kids.  I'm just glad she didn't say or do anything to the kids directly.  That's when I think I'd snap.  I won't bother her if she harasses me about how I'm stupid and not pretty, how I dress 'sloppily', how simple I am...but if she as much as touches a hair on one of the kids' heads....that means war. 

But regardless....as if Ariel wasn't enough (Punzie hasn't been as cruel, surprisingly), Flynn has taken to creating new emails and accounts simply to harass me.  Every time I block him, he emails me from a different, new account.  I'm not even going to post a word of what he's said, but here's the rundown of what he's telling me: 
-I'm an idiot
-I'm an idiot for not deleting my blog after the first time he started emailing me
-Eugene should have left me when he got the chance (when he went missing)
-I'm so bland
So on and so forth, the reason I refuse to post his messages directly on here is because of the content.  Who knew a doll could be so...so...vulgar and crude?  Yikes. 
I hate how between the two of them, they're making me start to think about how truly bland I am compared to, say, Ariel - and even Belle.  They're both pretty (despite Ariel's personality), dress well, (although Ariel's dress is fairly inappropriate) and they aren't insecure or easily upset.  I don't wish I could be like Ariel - no, not at all - but I wish I could be less like myself -- proud of who I am, pleased with how I look, and not boring.  And I'm sure the girls would even be happier if I was more interesting.  Not, like, physical appearances-wise, but...interesting.  Able to tell them amazing stories from my past, or unafraid of letting them do things like leave the table, ride horses, etc.  You know?
I haven't told Eugene about this, of course-- he has enough on his plate, and we don't really have the privacy to talk or anything.  I certainly don't want Ariel to overhear about Flynn - who knows what she'd do or say then. 
Yippee. 

An...Interesting...Day, Plus An Update About Adoption Plans!

~Rapunzel
So today, um....was interesting. 

Zelia popped her head around the divider around 4; she knew the girls would be having their nap.  "Hey, um...come here."
"O-okay?"  I asked, glancing at Eugene before quirking a brow at Zelia. 
He nodded, and I hurried over to see my sister. 
I asked what was up, wondering if there was possibly something she wanted to talk about --specifically, someONE...cough, cough, RAY...whom she has shown a little bit of affection towards as of late (and by that, I mean she isn't badmouthing him for his temper anymore, and he seems to be displaying his temper just a little bit less..maybe it's just me playing matchmaker).  Anyway, but what I saw was the very Merida doll that had been in her box before. 
What?

"Helloo," she chirped, not looking up from her leg joints, which she flexed awkwardly. 
"Um...hi?"  Something about her accent triggered a memory, but...she couldn't walk in the memory. 
"I'm so ex'cited, the girl 'round 'ere, th' heu-man, just fixed up m'ah joints.  That's how I can waalk," she explained.  She tilted her head, finally looking up at me.  "I jus' came 'ere, but I knew my joints were goobered up." 
Oh.  She'd been removed from her box. 
But then... HER HEAD CAME CRASHING DOWN FROM HER NECK. 
I kid you not, the doll's head fell right to the table, red curls flying EVERYWHERE. 
I screamed, horrified at what I had just seen.  What came next was even more horrifying, if that's even possible! 
THE BODY FELT AROUND WITH ITS FEET, BUMPED INTO THE HEAD, BENT, PICKED THE HEAD UP, AND SCREWED THE HEAD BACK ON AGAIN.  
I thought I was going to pass out.
I looked towards Zelia, absolutely HORRIFIED, and she just gave me an amused look. 
"Ah, tha't's bettehr," the Frankenstein girl said, rubbing at her neck. 
"Wh-what the...why...?" 
"OH!  The little arrow joint that keeps yer head on yer neck snapped off inside the other doll's head when she pulled it off.  See, I've got a new body -- a LIV form.  The heu-man made sure I'd stay alive ahfter it falls off, 'cuz ever' time I tilt my head, it falls off," she explained.  It was hard to keep up with her fast, lilting Scottish accent, but I managed.  Managed enough to make my overactive imagination start up, resulting in nausea, rather. 

"...Oh," I coughed.  "Well, ah...good for you.  I'm glad to see you can..can walk,"  Even though you can't keep your head on your shoulders...literally. 
"Thank ye.  Wot's yer name again?  Yer sis told me, but I fergot," she explained. 
"Rapunzel.  And you're..."
"Mer'ida!" she said.  "Nice to meet'cha." 
"N-nice to meet you, too," I choked when she cocked her head again, but managed to grab her head in time, tilting it upright again before it hit the floor.  Oh my gosh. 
She left to go try out her new joints, and I immediately yanked Zelia aside.
"Pretty neat, huh?" 
Why can't Tangled Fan re-body Anna and Elsa?"  I ignored her fascinated expression to ask what I wanted to ask.
"I asked her, 'cause I knew you'd ask.  She said she couldn't because their heads were too small and looked weird, added onto the fact that she didn't have enough bodies.  Plus, she said their skintones are too pale to match.  And alas, they stay," she waved an arm in the air dramatically. 
I sighed.  "Hmmh...I guess it's better, though.  If their heads would roll off...oh, GOSH that's weird!" 
She laughed.  "What you call weird, I call neat."
I shook my head, wide-eyed.  And then Eugene called for me quietly.  "Oh, I better go.  I can't hear any of the kids, though..." I trailed off, curious, and headed for our side of the table.  "I'll see you later!"  I called over my shoulder. 
"Hey...what was going on over there?  I heard screaming," he was standing in the middle of the table, a worried look on his face.  "I didn't want to go over, but I was worried, too..."
"Oh!  Well...uh," I trailed off, quickly trying to find a way to explain Merida.  I gave him the shortened,  and slightly disturbing, story; and he laughed. 
"Well, that's...different.  I'm glad she's able to move around, though -- nobody should have to live in a box." 
I nodded.  "Oh, yeah...I just, um...it was definitely unexpected," I giggled quietly so as to not wake the kids. 

We were silent for a few minutes, but then he cleared his throat.  "So, uh...kids.  You remember the other day how you were talking about us adopting a fourth?" 
"Oh!  Yeah," I said, surprised at the switch in conversation but pleased that it was THIS conversation.
"Are you still thinking about it?  I mean, I have no problem with it if you don't.  I love kids, and of course I'd be all for it.  I just wanted to let you know, just in case you wanted to talk to Tangled Fan sometime soon.   I was going to tell you tonight, but since we're sitting here with nothing better to do, I figured I'd just tell you now."  he explained. 
I sucked in a deep breath. I DID want to adopt another child, but I also wanted to wait...oh, maybe a few weeks.  I wanted to make absolutely sure that we could handle a fourth.  I smiled at him.  "I do want to, but I was thinking if you were with me on this, we could maybe wait a few weeks, y'know...make sure we can keep track of four kids." 
He laughed a bit too loudly, and Jordan jumped.  We both froze, watching her.  Fortunately, she nuzzled her face in her blanket a moment before drifting back to sleep. I smiled at how adorable that had been, watching her sweet little napping self while my hubby answered me.  "Yeah...that'd be great.  And we definitely want to make sure we can handle four!  What age are you thinking?" 
I bit my lip.  "I'd kind of like another baby, but at the same time, another older child would be good, too.  So I guess it doesn't matter to me.  You?" 
"I'm with you.  Babies are a lot less active, but they also need carried around a lot.  But on the plus side, they're not constantly grabbing Pascal's tail, or pulling each other's hair, or, um...biting..." he chuckled.  Audrey and Casey had been pretty mischievous lately, and yes, they had decided that they didn't like sharing Pascal, their bed, or their blankets.  (Even though they each have a blanket.  Audrey is a hoarder, apparently).  THAT was what resulted in Casey biting Audrey's arm the other day...thankfully, no one was hurt, of course. 
"Ugh...yeah," I shook my head with a grin.  I wouldn't trade any of them for the world, even though they really could be terrible at times!  :D  "Just as long as the child we get hasn't had a body transplant." 
He shuddered. "Nope."
I giggled.  "Glad we're on the same page with that!" 

The Frozen Fate...

This morning, I woke up around eight. My face was planted into bed, my arms and legs...and hair...sprawled EVERYWHERE.  When I lifted my head up, Eugene wasn't beside me.  I rolled over onto my back - or at least, I tried to.  I fell off the edge of the bed with a sound THUNK.
A few seconds later, Eugene came hurrying back behind the cutout.  "What was--oh.  Are you alright?" 
I giggled.  "Yeahhh...I fell." 
He held a hand out, and I took it, standing up and thanking him.  He was trying so hard not to smile.
"Oh, stop!"  I laughed.  "I know it's weird that I still fall out of bed, but that's me.  I'm clumsy." 
He chuckled.  "Nah...I'm just glad to have ya back." 
"Alrighty then," I teased, "not sure how you can miss having me back as your wife, but...okay."
He grinned, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling me down onto his lap. 
"So...what does my girl want to do today?" 
"Hmmmh....as little as possible.  I'm still tired from yesterday!  Are the girls up yet?" 
"Nope.  They're tuckered out, too, I guess," he said.  He finally let his adorable smile shine through, which told me just how much he'd missed the girls.  I leaned my head up against his shoulder, admiring that smile until he laced my hairline with kisses. 
We just talked quietly for a little while, until Jordan got up.

And thus started my first day [back] as wife and mom to this awesome guy and adorable little girls! :] 

My good mood was severely marred this afternoon when Zelia poked her head over to our side of the table.
"Did you know that the Frozen bunch was being put back in their boxes?"
"What?!"  I gasped, standing abruptly.  The older girls were taking their 4-o-clock nap, and Eugene was holding Jordan, so all I had was Pascal on my shoulder.  I rushed over to talk with my sister. 
"Yeah...Tangled Fan just did.  Look," she pointed up, and I saw Anna, Elsa, Hans, and Kristoff in their boxes on the bench.  They had blank stares on their faces, and I gasped, horrified. 
"Wh-why do they look like that?" 
"Dolls are alive when they are put in boxes in the warehouse -- Disney makes sure that they do, because it gives them extra character, and kids will want them-- but if they're put back in their box...they're no longer living.  They're not dead-dead, but they're just...like that.  Frozen in time.  When or if they're removed once more, it's like they're starting their life all over again.  Merida over there has been taken out of her box and put back in repeatedly for rearranging purposes.  It's kind of amusing to play with their heads."
I was horrified....and even more appalled by Zelia's reaction to the repeated removal of Merida. 
"That's HORRIBLE, Zelia!  How awful of you to say--"
"I was trying to joke.  Quit looking like you've seen a ghost!"  she huffed.
I shook my head slowly.  "I-I feel like I HAVE seen a ghost...they're just ghosts of their formal selves!  This is AWFUL!"  I sobbed.  "A-Anna...did they know?  Why?  Did anyone tell you why?"
"They told me this morning before she came to put them in their boxes.  Anna said that she didn't want you to know until after they were taken care of.  She told me to explain everything to you:  she and Elsa knew that one day, their joints would grow weaker and weaker until Tangled Fan would have to put them in their boxes -- that's why Merida is in hers.  It's a defect in the 2012 articulation; the leg joints are placed incorrectly, and they can't hold up as long as our legs can.  They knew it would happen someday, and it's been getting worse...it's kind of like some degenerative illness in humans.  She said that's why they wanted to go on a week-long expedition of the house, but she insisted you couldn't go.  She knew that their secret would be revealed...anyway, she went on to say that she was a fool for being so horrible to you, and mostly because of the things she'd done before you, you know..had your accident; but at the time, she was bitter with the fact that this would happen someday, and she wouldn't be able to have a family.  She said she was happy that she got to see you guys back together again yesterday; that's why everyone stayed for so long...this explains everything.  Or, it should.  Elsa said that she was sorry she couldn't say goodbye, but it was for the best, and she never liked goodbyes anyway." 
I was crying.  Everyone was solemn on that side of the table, even Punzie.  I dropped to my knees, burying my face in my hands.  "I-I...I can't believe this...they're...they're GONE!" 
Zelia sat beside me.  "Hey.  Don't cry.  They're not in pain anymore -- and they were in plenty before."
Well, thanks, sister-mine.  That makes me feel LOADS better!
I tried to compose myself, and a thought occurred to me.  "Wh-...why are Kristoff and Hans in their boxes, too?" 
"They didn't want to spend their days looking up to see the blank faces of their wives, so they elected to have the same fate as the girls."
I thought I was going to throw up.  "...Oh....did they know it would happen someday?"
"Yes...they were the only ones who did, up until this morning."
I gulped a few deep breaths, which only made me feel sicker.  "Oh..." I heard Eugene ask where I'd disappeared to, and stumbled to my feet.  "I--I need to go..." Before my sister could say anything else, I was gone.
I rushed over to the other side of the table, and ran headfirst into Eugene, who must've gotten Jordan to sleep.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
I mumbled what had happened to the Frozen bunch, and he shook his head, obviously saddened by it.
We talked about it quietly for a little while, but then the girls woke up, and we put on cheery faces so as to not worry them.

Casey saw something was wrong, though.  We had a chat before bedtime, --Eugene said we always had before.
"What's wrong?  I know something is.  Are you upset about us being here so soon?" Casey asked, rolling her big green eyes up at me.
I cuddled her close.  "No, definitely not, baby girl,  It's just...still all sinking in for me.  Finding out I was married to your daddy and I was the mom to you three sweethearts was a big surprise, albeit a happy one," I said.  It WAS true...I was still processing all that, too.  
And on top of that all, I had thought of something absolutely terrifying.
Eugene had joint problems because of whatever had happened to him.
What if Tangled Fan put him in his box??  What would happen with the girls?  The mere thought terrified me.

Back to Casey, though, she gave me a relieved smile, yawning.
"Ready for bed?" I asked.
"Huh-uh..."
Said the little girl who was having a hard time keeping her eyes from crossing.  They had played ALLLLL day long, stopping only to nap at 4.
I shook my head, grinning to myself, but I held her until she fell asleep, which didn't take long.  When she had, I put her in bed with Audrey, and watched Eugene carefully spread a blanket over Jordan, who was sleeping already.
When he turned around, I gave him a small smile.  "They tuckered themselves out, didn't they?"
"They tuckered ME out, too!" he chuckled.  "They're happy to be home and have their momma again...I am, too."
He winked, but I didn't blush or giggle like I normally would.  What would I do if he was put back inside that plastic prison?

We went to bed, but I couldn't close my eyes and sleep.  Every time I shut my eyes, I saw one of their frozen faces...and that made me worry even more about Eugene.
I squirmed a bit closer to my husband, and he slid his hand up and down my forearm, half asleep.
"Can't sleep?" he asked tiredly.  I didn't want to disturb him, but it slipped out.
"I'm scared," I whispered.
Plenty awake now, he cleared his throat and stroked my hair.  "Why?  The Frozen bunch?"
"Kind of...every time I close my eyes, I see their faces.  Oh, Eugene, it was awful...a-and then it scares me because...what if the same happens to us?  What would the girls do?"
"You don't have to worry, hon...you didn't come with your original box," he reassured me.
I sat up.  "I don't care what happens to me...I'm worried about YOU," I got choked up on the last part.
"Why?"
"Y-your joints!  I don't know what we'd do...I don't know what would happen to the girls, and that scares me...and I don't know what I'd do without you..." I trailed off, knowing that if I looked up into those warm brown eyes...see that soft expression of concern on his face...I'd lose it for sure.
But he sat up and tilted my chin up to look me in the eye.  "I promise you it won't happen.  My joints are different than theirs.  Mine only hurt temporarily,  and I know how to control it.  Theirs is a factory defect.  So don't worry about me, okay, sweet girl?"
I took in a deep, shuddering breath, relieved to have been told this.  "Okay...just me being silly, as always.  How did...how did you fall, anyway?  I can't remember."
He stiffened.  "That's one thing I'm glad you forgot...I'd prefer to keep it that way..."
What?  What on earth had happened??
"What happened?  You've peaked my interest, so you HAVE to tell me, now...please?" I coaxed.
He sighed, but he gave in.  "We got into a fight with Anna and Kristoff. You were trying to defend Elsa from her sister's rudeness, and it set them both off.  Kristoff approached you, and I stepped in front of you.  He punched me and knocked me out, and from what you told me, we both fell down off of the dresser.  You managed to grab a dresser handle and tried to keep me from falling, but you couldn't, of course, and I fell and messed up my hip joints.".
I put a hand to my mouth.  "So it was my fault..I'm so--"
He shook his head.  "Don't say it...we went through this six months ago when it actually happened.  Okay?"
I sighed, pulling my knees to my chest and sneaking a glance at him.  "You've done so much for me, I mean really.  I don't know how I can ever repay you,"
He was quiet for a second before grinning, smoothing the hair from my face.  "You could...give me that pretty smile of yours that I love so much," he teased, stroking my cheek with the pad of his thumb.  I couldn't NOT grin, and he chuckled.  "C'mere."
I leaned up against him, and he wrapped me in his arms, asking if I felt better.
"I do for sure, knowing that you aren't in danger of being put in your box, but I still feel horrible for everyone that WAS.  If you had seen their faces...it was just awful."
"I'm sorry you saw it...that's like the equivalent of a human seeing a dead body.  I guess, anyway," he pulled me a little closer, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, wishing the images would go away.
And to think that just yesterday, I was thinking that Elsa and Kris would be starting a family soon...it's amazing how things can change in the blink of an eye.  I guess it wasn't a blink for them, but it was for the rest of us.  It made me want to cherish every moment with my girls and my husband even more.

Casey, Part 1

Sooo.  Tangled Fan moved us around again.  (I snitched this pic she took - that's why everyone's posed xD)
Everyone except for us and Zelia are on the dresser again, even Merida. 
I did notice that Tangled Fan left a couple of spaces empty (it's hard to see in this picture, though) so I'm wondering if she's planning on getting MORE to add to her collection?  Good grief.  But regardless....

This is what we were met with.  Zelia isn't on the shelf with us, but instead she's up and over one shelf; so she'll still be able to visit often. We're directly above our old shelf (the shelf Eugene used to live in when we first met.) 
Thanks to Tangled Fan, she did all this right before she had to leave -- something about horse related chores-- and then she tossed our belongings up on the shelf and left. 

Zelia decided to take the girls with her for a walk  for the day, keeping them out of the way while we worked to get things set up.  Thank goodness. 

This is how we'll sleep.  (Plus blankets and everything.) 

And this is how we'll set up for the day.  Why does this shelf seem so roomy?  I still haven't quite figured it out yet...

 

And another small, yet EXTREMELY BIG tidbit that Tangled Fan told us earlier today, before she left? 

She found a little girl doll, by the name of Casey, who needs a family.  Now, at first I figured she just wanted her out of her bins, but she explained further that she had a very hard time fitting in well with families, as she'd been tossed around and neglected before, back when Tangled Fan had her ginormous Barbie collection, which was several years ago (they're all off in new homes, I've heard, except for a few child-sized dolls, of course).  Of course, now you're probably thinking 'but dolls can't be neglected!'  Right?  Well, their doll families can not pay attention to them, they can just completely ignore them and not do anything with them, and they can put them down verbally as well.  Casey had fallen victim to all of these scenarios.  Tangled Fan had mentioned that she had planned on waiting until Anna and Hans or Elsa and Kris were ready to adopt, but had realized that she wouldn't fit well with either family, and also preferred that we take her, since we had more 'parenting experience'. 

A month. 
We've been parents for a little over a month. 
Alrighty then. We're experienced parents, alright!  But regardless.   

Being the suckers that we are, we agreed on the spot to meet her tomorrow.  We planned on talking to Audrey when she got home, if she wasn't so tired she couldn't understand a thing. 

 

So once we got done rearranging our shelf, Eugene plopped down on his wicker chair, and I commenced brushing my hair, which of course, was a horrible mess. 
When I was done, I turned to see how terribly pale and worried my husband looked. 

Promptly moving to his side, I asked what was wrong. 
"Eh.  Nothing, just tired." 
"Hmm...how am I not buying that?  I think you're nervous or excited for tomorrow," I told him. 

When he sighed, I knew I'd hit the nail on the head, so I pulled up my box (Oh, how I'd missed my box...) and sat beside him, scooping Pascal up onto my lap. 
And then I waited him out.

 

It didn't take too long for him to finally open up. 
"I'm nervous, yes.  And excited, of course...but I'm...worried, mostly." 

"Why?"  I was nervous, yeah, but I didn't see why he was worried!  I was sure that Audrey would handle the situation okay. 

"I'm just worried that I won't be a good enough father for Casey."  It came out in almost a whisper, and he avoided my eyes.
Of all the absurd things!  HIM?  Not good enough?! 

I jumped up and grabbed his hand in both of mine, surprised by his confession.  Pascal, disgusted with me, retired to sit beside Eugene on the chair. 
"Eugene, you know you'll be a perfect father.  You already are a great dad!  Just look at Audrey.  She absolutely adores you!  And you're sooo good with Jordan.  Casey won't be any different; she'll love you, I'm sure.  You'll bring her right outta her shell, and everything will be grand." 
"Will it?  I just...she's got such a complex background that I'm afraid I'll accidentally trigger some memory, and she'll be scared of me for life." 
"You won't.  Ignoring or yelling at her would probably trigger something, and I have never known you to yell -- the only time I ever heard you raise your voice was when we hit that rough patch before we got engaged.  And you'd never ignore her.  I know you, and you wouldn't.  If you didn't ignore me ever, you won't ever ignore Casey.  You'll do fine, I know it.   So don't be worried, 'kay, hon?" 

He nodded slowly, before finally meeting my eyes.  I gave him a small smile, which he returned.  He was silent for a few minutes, and I could tell he was processing everything carefully before he opened his mouth. 
"You're right - as always.  Thanks," he added a wink, and I laughed. 
"Sure thing." 
We both sat in silence for a few minutes, and I could tell the nervousness was seeping back in the shelf, so I tried to think of something to do. 
"Why don't we go through some of the songs on the iPod?  I'm pretty sure there are some new songs on it," I suggested. 
His whole entire face lit up.  "I'm game." 
Soo then I hopped down to the deck, grabbed the iPod, and crawled back up, and we sat and listened to (and discussed our favorite) songs for the rest of the afternoon, waiting until Zelia came back with Audrey and Jordan. 

 

Soo...I'll let you know what tomorrow brings!  I'm still pretty nervous and excited, and we also probably will get absolutely no sleep tonight due to our (unnecessary) nervousness, soo...we'll just have to see!  xD 

A New Guest...And Tensions Intensify.

 

So....first off, on Saturday, Tangled Fan put Pascal in one of her drawers to keep him safe from falling off of the dresser.  I asked her to let me keep him with us, but she refused....so we've been going on plenty of walks, in order to visit him.  He's been taking it well, but I haven't been!  xD But regardless....at least it's a good excuse to get away from the sisterly tensions. 

Today, Tangled Fan set another doll up on the dresser, and then simply left her room again. 
Alrighty then. 
I clung to Eugene's side, shyness getting the better of me for awhile.  I get the feeling that Eugene was feeling just as shy. 
By the looks of her crazy locks and mischievous smirk, she was probably Merida from "Brave".  Though I've never seen her movie, I'd heard about her. 
When she seated herself on the edge of the shelf, looking uncomfortable, and kept to herself, I decided I'd be nice and go talk to her.  Plus, I was dying to know how long she'd been here.  Punzie and Zelia didn't give her a hard time, so I figured maybe she wasn't new. 
"Eugene.  C'mon, let's go talk to her," I whispered to my husband.  He gave me a panicked look. 
"Y-you can go.  She might not be comfortable a-around me," he told me, and I chuckled quietly. 
"It's not like she's a maneating...villain!" It took me a couple of minutes to find the right word. :D
"How do you know?"  Eugene asked, and I started to answer, but then really...I didn't know that, either! 
I just rolled my eyes and left to talk.  I knew how I felt when I first came here, and you never know - maybe she could use a friend. 

I sat beside her, saying hello.  She gave me a guarded, yet kind of friendly, expression, before returning the salutation.
"So...you're Merida?  From Brave?"  I asked. 
"Aye," she said.  "Annd...you're Rapunzel, from..."
"Tangled," I finished for her, hoping that's what she'd meant.  Her Scottish accent was sooo thick, and while I liked it, I could hardly understand her! 

We talked for awhile, getting to know each other.  Apparently, Merida had been here since December of 2012, but she'd been kept in her box or on a seperate shelf most of the time, because of faulty leg joints.  Because of the Disney Store apparently having a whoopsie with the new leg joints they'd tried in 2012, she (and many others, from what I've read online) ended up with joints that ended up incredibly loose, randomly giving out at any time.  She was also incredibly bow-legged.  And she wasn't going to be here for much longer - Tangled Fan was planning on putting her back in her box, because she can't be displayed (she has a hard time even SITTING, her hip joints are so wonky! :\ )  It made me purely thankful that both Eugene and I had functional legs.  I couldn't even imagine what life would be like if either one of us had goobered-up legs...!   

And then Anna started another fight with Elsa.  Basically, if Elsa as much as opens her mouth, Anna finds something offensive and has a hissy fit over it...yeah. 
Merida motioned towards me, so I scooted closer.  Whispering, she asked, "What's the deal between those two?  They fight like cats and dogs!"
I tried my best to explain - over the argument - and she gave me a confused look, so I shrugged. 
"Anna sounds like she just likes to fight!"

"Well...she wasn't always this way.  It's complicated," I laughed, and she nodded. 
"I had that one figured out!"  She exclaimed. 

After a few moments of silence (and discreetly watching the spat...) I turned towards Eugene and gave him a grin.  He was looking quite uncomfortable - stuck between a rock and two hard spots.  He was at the corner of the dresser, with Merida and I on one side of him; Elsa and Anna on the other. 

I patted a spot beside me, and he gave me a horrified expression...but then he glanced towards the two sisters.  He promptly strode over to sit beside me. 
I laughed.  "Nice of you to join us.  Merida, this is my...shy... hubby, Eugene.  Eugene, this is Merida." 
"N-nice to meet you," he told her, glancing past me to see her. 
"Likewise!"  Merida said...and then we all grimaced as Anna stomped right past us.  Awwkwarrd....

We all chatted for awhile, but then Eugene asked if I wanted to go check up on Pascal.   I quickly agreed, and Merida seemed content to have some peace and quiet...I just hope I didn't annoy her! 

When we got to the floor, I immediately (and dramatically) leaned up against my husband, groaning. 
"Ughhh....those two sisters...."
He chuckled, planting a kiss on my forehead.  "I know.  Something's gotta give...and soon."
"I hope so!"  I exclaimed, straightening so we could start our walk to the drawer.