re_alignment | first snowflake ❄ action/video ❄ life's too short

Entry tags:

frozen | elsa

first snowflake ❄ action/video ❄ life's too short

Anna?

[ The first few moments are blurry and dark, barely any light peeking in. The moment Elsa opens her eyes a little wider, fear envelops her. Monsters. Metal monsters, whispering and buzzing, looking at her like she was some sort of alien. She almost screams, crawling off of the berth she'd been placed, the metal and concrete already beginning to hiss with cold and frost. There was a solid, plastic object in her hand, and she gripped it subconsciously. The cold crawled up the walls with her fear of the strange creatures. No one had a chance to tell her anything, not before she scrambled away from them, making a break for the door. The ice that followed her really deterred any pursuers at that point; each footstep she left grew a thin layer of crystals underneath it.

Once outside, out of the grasp of those nightmarish giants, she looked up.

What had she done?

Of course, that's instantly her fear; that she'd frozen over the kingdom, and there was no heat to be found at all. She steps back in awe, small flakes of ice brushing off on her skirt and onto the rocky ground. Pebbles grew little coats of crystals as she shrunk towards a wall, and her question was answered. No, the dark sky was not her doing, this was nothing like home. The pillow of frost grows around her, encasing the surrounding pebbles in ice. Getting a gold of herself, Elsa backs away, trying to stop herself from freezing anything else, but goodness, she was so scared. Where was she? ]

Anna?! Olaf...?

[ She looks around nervously--- ]

Anyone? [ She grips the object in her hand tighter. Elsa steps back, looking for anything, anyone to identify as familiar. ]

Okay, okay. We can do this---I can do this. Conceal. Don't feel, conceal.

[ Conceal, and only then, could she ask someone for help. This could be a while. Finally, a rational thought surfaces. What was this device, this plastic, shiny thing? A crackling and a click of a button ends up turning the feed on, then a sudden crack. It's almost static like, but there's a voice in the distance. She can hear things, voices, people, coming from the strange instrument. Turns out she's dropped it in fear of freezing it solid. What if it was a mirror, a magic one, like in the stories she's read? Monsters and magic, clearly a talking mirror wasn't too far out there to believe. ]

Hello?

Hello, is someone there?

Please, I---if there is, just tell me where I am. What this place is. Has anyone seen my sister?

Please----[ The voice sounds rather upset, regretful, almost. Another few clicks and there's a video, but it's jagged and blocky. Is that ice? ]

No, oh no, is it working? Please, she's only about as tall as me, with reddish blonde hair, in braids. She's loud, and clumsy---please, I need to find her. Her name is Anna.

[ A nervous hand nudges the device, attempting to scrape off some of the ice. She's successful for a moment, just long enough to show her face, before the feed dies. Yep. She froze it. So there she will stand, nervous and alone, looking around defensively to avoid the company of any more giants. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No!

[ Her kneejerk reaction makes the icy communication device only all the more harder to hear her through. Did it get thicker? ]

Oh, no, I--I'm----Sorry. But.

No, I can't---you can't. That'd---that'd only make things worse. It's just---It's just better if you don't. I don't want to hurt anyone.

And how, may I ask, would sitting down and talking to you face to face hurt me, hmm? From the short look I got, you're way too pretty to be a gorgon, so I doubt that you can turn me to stone just by looking me in the eye. And I don't expect that you're some sort of strange snake-person who spits poison whenever she talks, or something.

Unless you just think that I'll make such an ass of myself trying to have a conversation with you that you'll be forced to club me over the head with the nearest blunt object to shut me up? I mean, I know me, so I can understand that particular worry, but I assure you, I'll behave myself.

[Also, brb, trying to see if he can get his communicator to trace your signal, so he can figure out where you are...]

Could you just---

[ Overwhelmed! ]

No! No, I don't think I would, not to you--or anyone, but---

[ Her voice is muffled now, the ice only getting more solid between the queen and the device. ]

I think I'd be better off a strange snake person, trust me. Just---no.

Alright, I'm sorry. Was just kidding. Thought it might lighten the mood a little.

I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you now, though. You're kinda freaking out right now; I get that. It's a perfectly legitimate reaction to waking up in a strange place surrounded by giant robots and other weird shit.

But look.... Haven's not that big. And the badlands surrounding it are... well... bad. Going there is a quick way to get dead if you don't know what you're doing, which you clearly don't. Bottom line, you can't avoid everyone forever. If nothing else, you'll have to come to the Hub's pantry sooner or later; there's no other place around with a supply of food that humans can eat.

Now, ask yourself this. Would you rather run into someone randomly, and possibly have a mutual freak out that would only cause more problems for the both of you, or would you rather meet and have a reasonably friendly talk with someone who at least has some idea what they're getting into and is pretty calm about it?

Because, unless I'm very much mistaken? That ice I saw on the screen before wasn't just from the environment. Am I right in assuming that that's why you don't want me around?

[ She wants to reply--to interrupt and oh boy if she wasn't overwhelmed before, she is now. He was right on all counts. But that didn't extinguish her irrational fear, nor her now bubbling frustration. ]

You don't know! You have -no idea!

[ Elsa can't remember ever feeling so helpless, and it taps into that well she has of emotion. Her knuckles are white on the other side of the screen, a fierce gust of wind now picking up. ]

No one, no one should ever be subject to this! A-and if that means that I hae to risk my life----

[ She quiets, actually reigning in what she's about to say to this absolute stranger. ]

Then it's just one life.

I don't want to hurt you.

[Part of Axel wants to reply that there are worse things to be subject to than ice and cold, but he's smart enough to know that that's not the thing to say here. But what is...? There's silence from his end of the link for a short time.]

...Alright. I was just trying to help, but if you're bound and determined to go off on your own like that, I can't exactly stop you.

But before you go running off into the badlands never to be heard from again, I thought you might like to know that you're not the only one around here with magic. I've got my own, but it's... rather on the opposite end of the temperature spectrum from what yours seems to be.

My thing is fire. That's why I wasn't worried. Unless you were deliberately trying to hurt me, which is pretty obviously the opposite of what you want, I figure I'd be fine. Haven't met any ice yet that could get the best of me.

Anyway, sorry for freaking you out more. Didn't mean to.

[ Aw son, now you fucked her up. ]

I-I know you're helping, I do---

Wait. What?

[ NOW SHES CONFLICTED. ]

Fire? Can...can you control it?

Given that I'm not currently sitting in the middle of an inferno, I would say yes.

[The tone of the reply is rather flat and dry, as if to say 'well, obviously.']

I take it you're having some problems in that area?

[ She frowns. Don't patronize me sir I will freeze you. ]

Why else wouldn't I want to be around anyone else?

[ Her tone is less flat and dry, more eloquent. Right back at you, spikes. ]

[But snarking is his life.]

I dunno; maybe you're just anti-social?

[He's clearly kidding, though, and when he continues, it's in a more businesslike tone.]

Anyway, yeah, I figured as much. I mean, I didn't think anybody'd ice up their communicator on purpose. This a normal problem for you, or is it a more recent issue? Getting drawn here can sometimes throw people's powers a little out of whack, apparently, so if that's the case, we can probably work something out til you find a way to adapt.

[ Then you're going to be very, very cold. ]

No, I---

[ It's actually kind of surreal, she never thought she'd ever tell someone else with powers just how she felt about them. ]

I've had trouble with them my whole life.

[Well, at least his ice cream won't melt, then.]

Hmm... About how often do you practice? And how? Could be you just need to try a new training method.

[ Nah it'll just be a solid rock. ]

N-Never. I've never been able to. I've always hidden them, that's---

That's what's expected of me.

[There is quiet from the other end of the link for a long moment. Then, if Elsa listens closely, she might hear the soft 'smack' of a face meeting a gloved palm.]

Well there's your problem. No wonder you're having trouble. You can't learn to control magic by suppressing it all the time, any more than you can learn to ride a bike by keeping it locked in a shed.

Who was it that told you hiding it was the way to go?

[Because Axel would kinda like a word with them...]

[ She shrugs, the exasperation in her voice apparent. ]

I understand that, but....

Does the bike get trickier and trickier to ride if you don't practice? That's more like...what's happened.

[ She purses her lips. ]

...I did.

Other---normal people, they...when I was a child, my parents didn't want them to find out and misunderstand.

They couldn't have an eventual queen that was...well, 'cursed'.

And I agreed, after I hurt someone very important to me.

...OK, I admit the bike analogy kinda falls apart there.

But yeah, with magic it does. Especially elemental magic, which is naturally wilder. I mean, I know you and your parents meant well, and thought you were protecting everybody, but you picked exactly the wrong way to go about it.

[Axel's tone there suggests that he has some... personal experience with misguided protectiveness.

There's a brief pause, then, as Axel considers how to explain.]

...OK, think of it this way. Say there's this town built along the banks of a river. People fish in it, swim in it, farmers use it to irrigate their crops and water their animals, everybody's happy. But then one day, after an especially heavy rainstorm, the river overflows its banks and floods part of the town.

The water recedes and the damage is repaired, but the townspeople agree that they need to prevent this from happening again. So they build a dam across the river. No more floods, they've got a nice new lake forming behind the dam, and again, everybody's happy.

For a while, anyway. See, the townspeople didn't know much about dam building, and didn't put in any floodgates to let the water out in a controlled way. And all that water doesn't just go away. It keeps building up back there, until the dam starts to crack. The townspeople repair the dam and reinforce it, but with no outlet, the water just keeps building up. They keep frantically trying to patch it, but eventually, they begin to find that they can't keep up.

Eventually, there comes another heavy rainstorm, and it's too much. The dam finally breaks completely. All that built up water comes rushing out at once and ends up wiping the town off the map.

Magic is a lot like that. Suppressing it doesn't make it go away, and all that power has to go somewhere eventually. Keep tamping it down for long enough and it'll start trying to burst out through every proverbial crack, til eventually it just breaks loose and runs amok.

Using it and practicing with it give it an outlet- makes sure your dam has floodgates, to continue the analogy. And working with it eventually makes controlling it almost second nature, to the point where you don't even have to think about it; you just do it.

Right now, you only know two options; all or nothing. Suppression or explosion. Neither one is a good option. You need to learn to balance things out, and for that, you need practice.

And in the interests of both you and everyone else here, I'm willing to give you a hand in that area, if you'll let me. I mean, who better to counter an ice-user than a fire-user in case something goes amiss, right?

[ She retreats into herself, the mention of a dam and floodgates---the town being wiped off of the map. Her face scrunches, actual fear enveloping her; that's exactly what was happening.

Elsa's quiet, for a long moment. A really long moment. She has to clench her jaw, her fists, something, to make the idea of a desolate Arendelle leave her mind.

She has to force herself to speak; sounding strained and struggling for any kind of tone. ]

Right, you're absolutely right.

[Axel waits quietly, with only the faintest sound of static over the line letting him know it hasn't disconnected yet. When Elsa finally does speak again, the tone, or lack thereof, almost reminds him of something. Though he can't recall what, or why, it stirs a bit of real sadness in what there is of his slowly forming heart.]

Hey... um... sorry if I scared you with how I put that metaphor. I just really didn't know how else to explain it.

But you know what? It'll be OK. There's lots of good people here who're used to dealing with lots of different brands of weirdness. And if I can't help you figure this out, in the end, I'm sure one of them'll step in to help.

Especially guys like Sora and Ventus, though I don't know if you've talked to either of them yet. They both sort of live for the whole 'helping people and making friends' thing.

[ It's difficult to keep her tears in, her voice still straining. Conceal. Don't feel.

....Right? She thought terribly of herself now that she'd gone to her mantra; like it was wrong of her now that she knew that was the problem. Still, her problem now was just making sure she didn't cry, not in front of anyone. ]

It's fine. You hit a little close to home, that's all. I'll be fine.

[ I'll be fine, that's a new one. ]

When do you think you could help me? I---

[ I'll be fine, I'll be fine. ]

It's already happened once; I just don't want to freeze over my new home either.

[You do do not sound fine, good lady. But he doesn't call you on it.]

Alright. Though if I do it again? You can totally feel free to hit me with a snowball in retaliation. A big, slushy one too.

[He knows you can't see it, but he does his best to project a charming smirky-smile though his tone of voice. C'mon, doesn't the mental image of a wise-ass like him getting a well deserved face-full of slush cheer you up a little?

Back to business, though.]

Whenever you want, really? My schedule's pretty flexible.

As for potential training locations, there's an arena near Megatronus' temple that we could probly use; he normally uses it for combat training, but he's out of town at the moment. Don't figure he'd mind us using it. Or of course there's plenty of random open areas without much to damage besides rocks. Up to you, really.

Though before we get down to training, you'll probly at least want to get settled in first. Get something to eat, find a place to sleep, probly actually get some sleep, and all that. Since calling this a crazy day for you would probably be the understatement of the century, and it's best to go into something like this relatively clear-headed.

[ It doesn't, not really. But the big breath she's held in lets out, and she replies mid sigh. ]

Thank you. No, don't---don't worry about it.

I think it's safe for me to say I won't be getting any sleep. Not soon, anyways. I'd try, but...

My time is better used learning how to control.

[Well, at least she sounds calmer now. That's good.]

You might think differently after we've been training for awhile; it can be tiring work, especially if you're not used to it. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Food's still a good idea, though, so I'll probly bring some when I come meet you.

And speaking of which, about where are you, if you know? Did you catch the name of the temple you woke up in?

[Axel's willing to be she hasn't ventured too far from where she'd awoken, despite her stated desire to distance herself from the world.]

Prima.

[ At least, that's what she heard whispered. ]

I'm outside Prima's. I don't---

[ She's still quite nervous about meeting someone in person. ]

You're sure? About this? About helping me?

Prima. Got it. [Why do so many of his friends- current and potential- wind up in the opposite temple to him?] That's actually not too far from where I am, relatively speaking. [Which means he'll be able to walk there and avoid scaring her by appearing in a puff of Darkness.]

And if I wasn't sure, do you think I'd have been so insistent? I'll stop by the pantry and grab us something, then come meet you outside Prima's temple. Shouldn't be too long.

[ That puts her at ease; she wasn't an inconvenience. ]

I---alright.

[ She wrings her hands, still nervous. ]

Thank you, I---

I didn't get your name.

first snowflake ❄ action/video ❄ life's too short

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[audio] forever later im so sorry i thought i tagged this

[audio] Quite alright! I'm just glad to see you're still interested! :)

[audio] oh lord yes these two ; u;

IKR? Such emotionally confused babbies... :'3

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lol wow elsa way to be polite

And on to the log! :)