#DANCE ALARIK DANCE

[jasdiary]

“They say the most vulnerable piece in chess is the queen…would you like to play a game so I can show you who’s really vulnerable?~”

Full Name : Maria Regina Alarik

Nicknames : Mari, Mary, The Queen, Blood drinker, Reine de sang(Rook), Lamprey(Floyd), Lady of Red/Crimson Lady(Vin @authoruio ), Bloody Annoyance(Vin) Darling/j(Ellis @starry-night-rose )

Jp Va : Rie Tanaka

En Va : Lauren Landa

Age : 19

Height : 6’6 (200 cm) *204 cm with heels*

Homeland : Rose Kingdom

Birthday : November 2 (11/2)

Zodiac sign : Scorpio

Species : Beheaded being

Hair Color : Buttery Blonde (wine red highlights)

Eye Color : Wine red (Black scleras when using magic)

Gender : Female (She/Her)

Sexuality : Bisexual

Family : Amélie Alarik(mother)

Occupation : Student at Night Raven College, Member of Terrovania dorm

Twisted From : Bloody Mary from Identity V

Dorm : Terrovania ( @terrovaniadorm !)

School Year : 3rd Year

Class : 3-C

Best Subject : Poison Making, Conjuration

Worst Class : Animal Languages

Club : Film Studies

Dominant Hand : Ambidextrous

Favorite Food : Roasted Poultry

Least Favorite Food : Vegetables

Likes : Artwork, Fashion designing, Making her own clothes, Drinking, Chess

Dislikes : Her poor handwriting, Overconfident men, Being judged based off her looks

Hobbies : Horseback Riding, Gardening, Decorating random areas

Talents : Harp playing, Dancing, Singing, Speaking multiple languages

Personality :

Maria’s known for being self-confident, mischievous, and even comes off as cocky sometimes. She’s pretty popular and many people know her as she’s a genuinely easy person to talk to if you try! Maria is very much aware of how she looks to people : Intimidating and sly. Maria get’s visibly down and upset when she notices people steer away from her, she tried not to show it or talk about it but it does hurt her. Due to her mothers image and presence, people do tend to have some kind of expectation of her. Overall, Maria can be snarky, lovingly mean and a big tease!

Unique Magic :

Blood Stained Glass

“I’ll call checkmate now, hope that’s fine. Now, feast your eyes upon this Blood Stained Dome of mine!”

The user has the ability to summon a dome of mirrors surrounding them and those around. The user will create an image of themselves and can enter and run through any mirror, mirroring the original user's movements. The user and their image cannot touch, or the image will disappear leaving the user’s original body to travel through the mirrors. When this power reaches its limit, all the mirrors will shatter with blood seeping through the cracks and onto the glass. Drawbacks from this power are blood loss, dizziness and loss of reality.

Backstory :

Maria grew up with a loving and lavish mother. Amélie Alarik was known as one of the greatest magic wielders in the Rose Kingdom, always being rivaled by Iracebeth Rosehearts. Maria’s mother didn't care for rivalries, note the fame she has. She simply cared about providing the best life for her daughter, promising to love her forever.

As Maria grew and went out more, she always wondered why people would avoid her. While her mothers influence had been a reason, her blood is what makes her feared. The Alarik family is made of these supernatural beings , specifically beheaded ones. Once a child in the family reaches a certain age, their head will fall off and get stitches to reattach it. Amélie wanted to avoid telling this to Maria for as long as she could since she was a late bloomer to magic, she also always covered her neck up so her stitches weren’t visible.

Then it happened.

Maria felt sleepy that evening after school when her head started to droop. When she tried to snap awake, it was her head that snapped off. Maria could see her own headless body sitting on the couch, body shaking violently. All she could do was scream and cry.

Her mother ran into the room and regretted her decision to keep this family curse a secret. She did her best to calm Maria down while carefully picking her head back up and placing it on the other half of her neck. Amélie brang out her sewing kit that she kept on hand in case she needed a thread change or if…this happened. As she gently sewed Maria’s head back on securely with thick, crimson red thread, she explained to Maria what was going on and apologized for keeping such a secret.

Maria’s life was flipped upside down, she could barely look at herself in the mirror. Eventually, she grew up and matured. She accepted who she was and her flaws. Maria’s happy with her life, and she couldn’t love herself more. This was only the beginning of the Queen whose hands were stained as red as her lipstick.

Random Trivia!

Maria doesn’t get her height from her family genes, she’s just freakishly tall.

The Magic Mirror said her soul was split between Terrovania and Pomefiore, but ultimately decided on Terrovania.

She drinks non-alcoholic wine due to being under the legal drinking age.

Maria loves picking people up like a long cat. She enjoys watching them shut down.

She originally started making her own clothes because no clothes she liked would fit her tall ass.

She’s called “The Queen” because of how she quickly rose up to fame and power in her first year at NRC.

Maria and Vil are extremely close friends. Maria visits Pomefiore’s dorm on a daily basis just to talk shit with Vil.

She’s slightly protective over Riddle, knowing how his mother is.

Another Alarik family gene is black scleras and stained hands. Using any kind of magic will cause them to appear.

She may seem tall and lanky but she’s actually an undercover beefcake. She can definitely carry two people with each arm.

Maria, Vin and Alice( @starry-night-rose ) are usually all seen together, though the two ladies seem to poke fun at poor Vin all the time…

[frozenprocedural]

Bless this Happiness we’ve Found

My first entry for Elsarik week 2020! Alarik, of course, belongs to @patricia-von-arundel. Neils and Leisel belong to @couragedontdesertme.

A little background- Duluth is where I went to college, and yes, the Blue Heron is real- the University owns it. And if you’ve never seen a 1,000 foot ship go in or out of harbor, you’re missing out. It’s AMAZING.

Anyway, now for the Elsarik!

Bless this Happiness we’ve Found 

Rating: K

Alarik stood on the Blue Heron's stern, watching the twin piers of the harbor grow smaller and smaller until they faded from sight, and he could only see the great expanse of water in all directions. 

The melancholy weight in his chest was new. On previous excursions, he'd either be in the lab, frantically preparing his research, or on the bow of the boat, looking ahead, always ahead. He loved his trips aboard the vessel, reveled in the chance to work in the field, away from the stuffiness of the classroom and lecture hall. Out on the water, setting up equipment, getting samples, gleaning new information- once that had been all he'd wanted. If he could, Alarik would have spent all his days aboard the vessel.

Until Elsa came along.

……….

Alarik looked down at the well-worn duffel, packed neatly and efficiently- the byproducts of his numerous excursions. He played with the stiff leather handles, struggling to tamp down the uneasy burn in his gut. Soft, familiar footsteps brought his attention to the door, where Elsa stood, something clasped in her hands. She gave him her familiar half-smile, one side of her mouth rising higher than the other, before stepping in and handing him the object.

It was a small, framed photograph of the two of them in Enger Tower- Anna had been there that day and captured a cherished moment- Alarik, an arm around Elsa's shoulder, had his head thrown back in laughter. Elsa's hand was covering her mouth, and even with the photograph's small size, Alarik could make out the mirth held on her eyes.

"I had it printed on waterproof paper, and the frame is designed to be shatterproof and leak-resistant. It should do just fine on the trip."

Alarik looked up, meeting Elsa's eyes. "Elsa, I don't have to go, I don't want to go. I've been on plenty of trips, they can go without…"

Elsa closed the distance between them, bringing her lips to his. 

………

Alarik carefully, reverently, lifted the frame from his duffle and tucked it into a small shelf above his bunk. This trip only had two other researchers besides himself- Neils and Leisel- as well as a crew of four, so he did not have to share a bunk with anyone else. 

For that, he was grateful. 

As Alarik continued unpacking his belongings, his fingers brushed against a small, unfamiliar object of hard plastic. Frowning, he pulled it out, revealing a USB drive wrapped in paper. He pulled the paper free to find a note written in familiar handwriting 

Just for those times when you need cheering up. See you in 2 weeks.

-Anna

Intrigued, Alarik pulled out his laptop, and as soon as it booted up, he plugged in the drive, prompting the name "Operation Cheer Alarik" to show up on his screen. The drive contained only one file- a video clip with no thumbnail. He opened it, and laughed when the video began rolling, his memory going back to that day.

……………

Alarik and Elsa strode through the aisles of the grocery store, talking about anything that came to mind, as they were wont to do- a weekly ritual many would find mundane, but they viewed as a chance to simply enjoy one another's presence.

As they stopped to peruse the seafood selection, a familiar pop rhythm began to play through the story's speakers.

"I stay out too late

Got nothing in my brain

That's what people say…"

A slow grin made its way across Alarik’s face, and he lifted an eyebrow at Elsa, wiggling his hips.

"Alarik… what…" Realization dawned on Elsa's face, and she stepped back, shaking her head.

"Alarik Geatland, absolutely not. We. Are. In. Public." 

"But it's Taylor Swift, darling! I just have to! I keep moving, can't stop, won't grooving, it's like I've got this music in my mind saying it's gonna be alright!" He sang, jerking his hips back and forth and shaking his shoulders.

Elsa groaned and swatted at his hand when he extended it to her, pinching the bridge of her nose while he continued to sing and dance around her, paying no mind to the small crowd gathered around them with their phones out until a student called out, "Yeah, shake it, Dr. G!"

"Don't encourage him!" Elsa cried. Alarik put more into his movements, shaking and gyrating with his wide grin, singing with gusto. Several people in the group joined him, belting out the chorus as they clapped and cheered at his performance. Alarik took an opportunity to spin around, shaking his rear at Elsa, who buried her face in her hands with another groan (although he would have sworn he caught her peeking between her fingers). As the song came to an end, Alarik swung around once more and gave an elaborate bow as the crowd broke into applause and whoops. As Alarik straightened back up, Elsa finally pulled her hand away from her face with a sigh, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you quite done?” 

If Alarik didn’t know Elsa any better, he might have thought that Elsa was angry. As it was, the small hint of a smile forming and the twinkle in her eyes told him that despite everything, she’d found his little show amusing. 

She was far less amused when the videos showed up on YouTube the next day.

………

Alarik shut the lid of his laptop and leaned back with a smile. He glanced back at the photograph and brushed a finger over Elsa's image. He still missed her, but the video- bless Anna's heart- had eased some of the ache. 

"Doing alright there, Dr. G?" Leisel leaned against the doorway in her usual easy manner. 

He nodded. "I… I am now. Thanks Leisel."

She jerked her head upwards. "Come on up. Yelena says we're about 5 minutes from the first drop point, and you hate missing those." 

Alarik glanced once more at the photograph, then stood and followed her out.

He would be alright.

………

Two Weeks Later

The Blue Heron’s high-pitched horn sounded- one long, two short, and the lift bridge responded in kind, bringing a smile to Alarik’s face.

Home. They were home.  

As the Blue Heron glided between the two piers, Alarik knew that the museum's loudspeaker giving information on the boat would have drawn at least a small crowd from Canal Park, but he paid them no mind. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on the south pier, nearly empty of pedestrians until…

A flash of blonde hair- there she was. Standing at the foot of the bridge, watching their arrival, one hand lifted in greeting, and if Alarik squinted, he could make out the small, special smile that made his every day. 

Elsa, just as she promised, was seeing him home.

[watercolorfreckles]

Is it okay to request a 2nd part to "Please save me from the monsters"? some fluff maybe? Really REALLY curious to see what the Vampire does :'D

I'm sorry I've taken FOREVERRR to respond to this. I was in the mood for writing something kinda sweet and fluffy so I thought this request would be appropriate. Hope you like it 🤞🏻🤞🏻🥺 Also tumblr ate this draft from me a few days ago, but now it's back, hallelujah.

Part 1 Here

The human girl perched on the edge of the vampire's plush armchair, as if nervous to settle in.

She seemed humorously tiny in its comparison. At odds with the chair legs that stretched into lanky tree roots with a towering back, she was soft edges, slender limbs and feet that barely reached the floor.

She clashed with the entire room; too human, too fragile.

He thought she resembled a little porcelain doll. Delicate features with glassy-velvet skin, a blushy nose, and soft blonde hair. She was annoyingly adorable. If she were to lean back, one might believe the chair would swallow her up.

More than that... She was something alive in a room full of cold, dead, artifice. She was a splash of vibrancy in a wasteland of black and grey. Her veins pulsed with blood and heat.

He could taste the heady rush of it in the air. Electrifying and sweet.

"What's your name?" the vampire asked.

"Um...Amelia." She was shivering.

The vampire was unsure whether it was from the chill in the air or whether she was afraid.

He studied her, noticing the fog of breath around her nose and mouth. Her fingers were bunched up inside the sleeves of her lilac sweater, closing them off from the cold as she hugged herself.

Lousy humans and their embarrassingly fragile internal temperatures...

Rolling his eyes and internally grumbling, the vampire started a fire in the fireplace. The impressive piece of architecture was typically used merely for aesthetic purposes.

Amelia's lips warmed into a soft smile. "Th-Thank you."

"Yeah." The vampire lounged in his seat across from her again, looking the spindly human up and down.

"What is your name?" she asked in return.

"Alarik."

"Alarik," she repeated softly to herself. She let her fingers peak out of her sleeves to hold them out toward the fire.

"Now then," Alarik said, propping an elbow on his armrest. "Tell me, Amelia, why are the werewolves after a harmless human girl such as yourself?"

The warmth of the fire seemed to ease her. She sat back further against the seat and uncurled from herself. Her gaze flicked to him, uncertain.

"They, um... They think I'm a smear to their bloodline."

Alarik blinked, confused. "Their bloodline," he repeated slowly.

Amelia chewed on her bottom lip, tucking her hair behind her ear. The firelight danced in the shine of her golden waves.

"My parents...were halflings."

Alarik's expression must have darkened as he sat up because the girl shrank further into her seat.

"You're part wolf?"

"Only a fourth! I'm not strong or fast, I don't have super senses, I'm practically human. I can only shift on a full moon while full-bloods and halflings can shift whenever they want. They...," her gaze cast downward, "They already killed my parents when they found out what they were. Now they're hunting me down, and I'm so scared."

Alarik studied the human...the not-completely-human girl, sharp red eyes assessing. "So you came to a vampire. You understand how most would regard that as ill-advised," he drawled.

"I-I know the wolves can't step foot in your territory," she said, voice small. "If you just let me stay here, they can't get me."

As if the thought that he could just throw her out beyond the border and leave her to the wolves occurred to her, her hands trembled again, her breath quickening.

She didn't even see Alarik move when he crouched in front of her. She jumped, gripping the armrests with white knuckles.

"I'll pay you more," she breathed, "I don't have any more with me, but I-I can get it, just please let me stay here."

Her eyes were bright and full of worry. He had to urge to smooth his fingers over her skin, so he did. Her cheeks flushed pink under his touch.

Warm, warm, warm.

Alarik sighed. "Alright. You fragile, delicate creature," he purred, "I'll protect you."

A surprised smile bloomed across Amelia's face.

A beautiful thing, that.

She lurched forward to wrap him in a searing hug. She radiated such heat that he hadn't felt for centuries.

"Thank you, Alarik. Thank you." She spoke against his shirt, voice muffled.

He'd deny it, but the ghost of a smile crept across his features.

He'd found it funny, really, that she'd ask him to save her from the monsters, and she didn't mean him. To be seen by a human as anything other than that... How could he ever let that go?

This isn't very good, I'm sorryyy, but it's something so here you gooo. :) I'm just happy I've been able to post multiple times very recently.

General Taglist: @writing-on-the-wahl , @valiantlytransparentwhispers , @distance-does-not-matter , @redbircl , @lilaccatholic , @crazytwentythrees , @thelazywitchphotographer , @deadlygemuwu-writting , @chibicelloking , @lolafaiy , @thinkwrite5 , @putridghost , @tobeornottobeateacher , @sunflower1000 , @bouncyartist , @thanatoastie , @feyriddle , @yet-another-heathen , @silverwhisperer1 , @distractedlydistracted , @pensivespacepirate , @classicplesiosaur

Let me know if you want to be added or removed!

[naturepointstheway]

Frozen - Domestic Assassin (Crack AU) Masterpost

This is a Masterpost of all the fanfiction I’d written (all on Tumblr) based in @ultranos’ Domestic Assassin crack AU which was hilarious for a fairly good-sized group of us! And from what I”ve seen in my notifications, people are still enjoying and finding fics of mine in this AU even to this day, which is great! 

I’ve basically dug into my previous fanfiction pages and pulled them out year by year, so because it’ll be way too much work to try and arrange everything by title, I just went by year. At least Tumblr keeps the links when I copy and paste. 

Since there are so many, you’ll find them under the cut. Enjoy! 

Pre-2016

Air Mattress Prompt  

An exhausted Anna returns home from a hot night with Kristoff only to accidentally make her sister fly off the air mattress when she flops down on it for a sleep.

“Am I supposed to be alarmed by the moon tonight?” prompt 

Elsa is so exhausted she gets confused between the sun and moon apparently.

“Can we please stop fighting and talk about the koala in your room?” 

Elsa adopted a koala, much to Anna’s exasperation.

“Can you pull this fake cobweb across the door?” Halloween prompt 

Anna wants to play a prank on Elsa...

Cell Block Sniper (M - violence and strong language)

Yes. Yes. It’s a crossover. A crossover between “Cell Block Tango” song from Chicago and this AU.

“Do you realise what this means?” “That you’re a really bad shot?” 

Elsa is NOT having the best of time trying to instruct a new trainee.

Domestic Assassin AU prompt: Hans’ POV (pre-reveal) 

Hans has a visit from Elsa when he dumps Anna. 

“Don’t touch that!” (Healthcare writing prompt, Snow Sisters) 

Elsa was bound to fall out of a tree at some point and end up in hospital. Anna takes care of her. 

Elsa and Weselton prompt 

Elsa refuses to let Weselton in the door.

Eyes That Glisten 

Anna knows how to persuade Elsa to do whatever she wants. 

“God you’re such a grumpy bags in the morning aren’t you?” 

Elsa is not a happy camper after a long night where everything just goes wrong. “Holy shit. Most realistic Dementor costume ever.” Halloween prompt 

Turns out, Elsa just looks like that most of the time.

“I can’t help being a geek about my vital signs!” prompt (Elsarik) 

A crossover between another AU (Shardsverse) 

“I don’t think I should tell you what we’re dressed as.” (Halloween Prompt) 

Somebody think of the children! 

“I dropped my cookie :’(” 

Elsa cries when she drops her cookie. 

“I feel like a T-Rex” 

Anna is too lazy to just grab the goddamn stepladder and get the jam herself.

“I wish I could drive you out of my life with a sword!” (Hans and Anna, prompt) 

Anna is NOT a fan of Hans...

“Maybe you should go as an assassin. Oh wait, you already are one.” (Halloween prompt) 

Anna is a sarcastic little sister to Elsa.

“No one unfollows like Gaston!” 

Anna overhears Gaston boasting about how he unfollowed someone because of a disability. She is not happy.

Ruined Dinner Party

After an hour of waiting for her sister to come to the party, Anna finally spots her with “ketchup” all over her top. 

Part 2 of “Ruined Dinner Party”

Of course it wasn’t ketchup. Duh. Anna is NOT HAPPY.

Sleepyhead (drabble, Snow Sisters) 

Elsa, going to the kitchen for midnight munchies, spots Anna sprawled on a couch, textbooks all around her. 

“So. Many. Triangles. Help me here!” 

Anna, not being a maths-y person, gets frustrated with geometry, and Elsa offers to help. 

“So you’re going as yourself for Halloween.” Halloween prompt 

Elsa is not keen on dressing up as Halloween.

“Tell our parents my Tumblr URL and I swear I will make your death look like an accident” prompt. 

Elsa practically threatens Anna when the latter demands to explain her Tumblr URL (of course she quickly forgives her little sis.) 

“That mask is all kinds of creepy. I like it.” Halloween prompt 

Elsa practically shits herself when Anna scares her while wearing a terrifying mask. 

Things you said at 4am prompt 

Anna gets a call at 4am on her phone from Elsa, who accidentally sniped the wrong guy..

Those Poor Birds 

Elsa mistakes a pair of birds’ mating antics as fighting, much to Anna’s amusement.

“Wait, you’re yelling at a movie?” (Snow Sisters, writing prompt) 

Elsa is very confused to find that Anna’s yelling from the lounge is at a movie. Not at an invader.

“Was it really necessary to shoot my pumpkin carving?” (Halloween prompt) 

Anna is NOT happy when Elsa decides to use her pumpkin carving for shooting practice.

“What do you mean it’s a sunset…?” prompt 

Elsa wakes up only to find that it’s already after sunset, not sunrise.

“What the hell? You gave out alcoholic chocolate to trick-or-treating kids?!” (Halloween prompt) 

Anna discovers that her German chocolates had been opened by Elsa, who’d handed them out to kids. 

“Where did you leave the spare copy of that book?” (Elsarik DA!verse, prompt) 

Crossing over with another writer’s AU with her OC, Alarik. Elsa can’t find that one specific book she needs, and she’s sure Alarik has it. 

“You once asked me what I’d do if I had only one day left.” prompt 

Anna will most definitely NOT be spending that final day of her life with Hans.

“You did what?!” prompt (Elsa and Kristoff) 

Elsa does not appreciate Kristoff’s concern over her having WAY too many cats for one house.

“You mean a line segment.” prompt 

Elsa is a huge geometry nerd, even waiting in line for takeaways.

“You should go as an assassin. Oh wait. You already are one.” prompt 

Another one where Anna suggests Elsa goes as an assassin for Halloween, only to be all “oh wait, you are one.” 

2016

Accidental shooting

Elsa accidentally shoots someone she did not mean to shoot in a library’s basement. 

Amuse Me

Elsa’s having one of those blah days and Anna’s there with bad puns all ready to go.

“Bittersweet and Strange” (not based on a prompt)

Elsa explains exactly how she likes her coffee to Anna. Turns out Elsa is also a huge fan of marmite. 

“Can’t I at least take this baby koala home?”

Anna, no, you cannot take a koala home from Australia, no matter how cute it is.

Cat Gallery (not based on a prompt)

Kristoff discovers Elsa’s huge photo album of her cats. 

“Did you lose your main point…”

Anna hears something about money and bills and wait what now.

“Do nurses ever fall asleep on the night shift?”

Anna visits Elsa in hospital and inevitably someone has to wonder this. Elsa’s adorbs when she’s pouty and Anna can’t help but annoy her on this count.

Fight Me

One sister challenges another to a fun boxing game. 

“How did you get these bruises?”

A crossover with another writer’s canon OC, Alarik (”Elsarik”) where he asks how she got some bruises while on the job. 

“How many cats are in bed with you?”

Anna marvels that there are nine cats in bed with Elsa. 

“I don’t think you’re supposed to have the whole packet at once.”

Do not eat a whole bag of coffee. Do not.

I Have Found My People (not based on a prompt)

Elsa has discovered that certain Scandinavian countries drink the most coffee in the world and wants to migrate there right now.

“I know you don’t want this but it’s for your own good…”

Kristoff is rightly concerned when he finds that Elsa had thirty cups of coffee in 48 hours. Do not do this at home.

“I, uh, kinda dropped it in the water.”

Elsa calls Anna to tell her there’s an emergency: she dropped her wallet in the sea and all the fish now have her personal information. 

“I want a Venusian day…”

Elsa tries to explain to Anna why she would not want to live on Venus. Anna doesn’t give a fuck. More hours in the day what’s not to love about that?

Of Cat’s Paws and Adopting Stellar Systems (not based on a prompt)

Elsa is enthralled by a photo of the Cat’s Paw Nebula she has found on the laptop. 

Of Monkeying Around and Going Ape (not based on a prompt)

Anna comes home to discover that Elsa has adopted a monkey that had been neglected by its owner. Even Anna is almost (I said, ALMOST) tempted to keep the monkey but her common sense reigns. 

“Oh so you were in my bed this whole time?” (nsfw)

Dontcha hate when you’re in the middle of coitus and your goddamn cat has to interrupt you? (Elsarik, with another Frozen writer’s (@patricia-von-arandel) OC for Elsa)

“Once we start tickling, we can’t stop!” (nsfw)

Another steamy one with an old abandoned OC of mine (Jannike), where they find themselves having a quickie while the boss is away. 

Rubbish Day (not based on a prompt)

Anna is horrified to find a rubbish bag gone and trails of what suspiciously looks like blood leading outside. Turns out some meat thrown in there leaked inside.

“The best way to get rid of your ex…”

Anna didn’t think that Hans Westerguard would ever end up on Elsa’s targets to “take care of”. Until he does.

The One Time Elsa Caught Anna “Studying” (not based on a prompt)

Anna uses the mirror in the bathroom to practice distinguishing teeth for a medical exam. Elsa suggests alternatives. 

“What is this owl doing in our bathroom?”

Of course Elsa would adopt an owl and want to keep it in the bathroom. Of course.

“Who dances in the rain anyway?”

Elsa comes home to discover Anna dancing in the rain. 

“Why is there an otter in our kitchen?”

Anna comes home to find that Elsa has “adopted” an otter from a “client”. As you do.

“Why would you wish to be at a backpackers?”

Elsa and Alarik (Shards AU, Elsarik) decide to stay at a backpackers together for some private time. 

“Yes, yes the cold doesn’t bother you…”

Anna is not impressed with Elsa standing in the snow when she has a major cold.

2017

The Blood of White Men (not based on a prompt)

As Elsa’s favourite song goes, he had it comin’ all along. 

Is the Earth Broken? (not based on a prompt)

Elsa is confused about why the day she thought it was today...actually isn’t. She convinces herself the Earth has somehow broked. 

“It won’t be high tide you said…”

Elsa needs to learn that reading yesterday’s newspaper’s high tide times is not helpful. 

Kittens on Saturn (not based on a prompt)

Elsa hopes there’s actual giant kittens on Saturn after seeing a graphic manipulation on an astronomy news site.

Of Singing Humpback Whales and Rock Trolls

Kristoff visits Elsa in hospital while Anna’s busy with other things. It...does not go as expected. Poor Kristoff. 

“Proboscis Monkeys look ridiculous…”

Anna’s exasperation at Elsa rescuing a Proboscis monkey is still not so great that she can’t help but wonder what would happen if you honked their nose. Anna NO. 

“She’s going to kill you.”

Kristoff knows his days are numbered when he spills carrot juice all over Elsa’s brand new rifle. Uh oh.

“There’s a perfectly good reason for all these kittens.”

Turns out Elsa decided to adopt some kittens left on the side of the road when they’re already over-run with cats.

“This is extreme, even for you.”

Elsa is so addicted to her coffee she’s begun pouring them into wine bottles, as you do.

2018

Elsa brings home a parrot 

Anna discovers that Elsa has “rescued” a very large, very loud parrot from one of her, ahem, “clients”.

Elsa’s Back Up Cat, Mushu 

Anna discovers one of the cats apparently reading a book, and much to her consternation, Elsa explains he’s for back up.

“Oh what a circus!” photo prompt 

Anna takes her still-bewildered-after-five-coffees sister to the circus. This may or may not turn out to be a great idea.

[warlock-enthusiast]

Toss a coin to your Blood Hunter

the ever generous @kasiael bought far too many coffees on ko-fi :P and will receive some stories during this year and probably the next.

She asked for the first meeting of two D&D npcs!

Fandom: Dungeons&Dragons homebrew campaign / Hella x Zaos

Rating: M (light gore, strong language)

------

She was in deep shit.

Really, really deep, supernatural shit.

Hella hid behind some debris, hoping that the ghouls wouldn’t catch her scent.

Why had she managed to maneuver herself into such a tight corner? She should’ve waited for reinforcements. Some more members of their Blood Hunter order, ready to fight at her side. 

Of course, she was young, barely 20, and a bit too arrogant, and she knew about that, but she also showed remarkable skills and control of her growing powers, so this should have been a standard job. 

Her mentor Alarik surely would yell at her for acting brash and without thinking and make her read through volumes of monster lore with the idea of boring her to death.

Well, if she survived.

Death by ghouls or by books. Well, tough choice. 

Right now the group of ghouls had followed her scent through some old, elven ruins. Lush and overgrown with greenery and flowers it seemed like a relic of better times. Nowadays frost covered most of her homeland. Was this place an old temple? Hella had sketched some of the runes and statues earlier, hoping that a wiser Bloodhunter could make sense of them. 

All Hella understood were words about a forgotten, smaller deity granting blessings for a good hunt.

How ironic.

But some rich merchant had paid them a handsome sum to keep his business routes safe. Hella guessed that that guy wasn’t the brightest or most experienced. Dertona itself offered less safety and more snow, ice and gruesome nature combined with ancient monstrosities. Any merchant would be advised to settle down in the south, maybe near Ebrus. 

Dertona never rewarded the soft or weak.

A ghoul growled and grunted right next to her. 

“Fuck.” 

Hella closed her eyes, wondering if she should let go and unleash her inner beast. Trust her inner monster to defeat other monsters. She’d been bitten two years ago and still faced problems controlling herself in wolf form, indulging a lust for blood and flesh. If everything went wrong, she’d slaughter the nearby village men by men. 

She couldn’t risk hurting innocent people.

No. Hella pressed her lips together, suppressing another memory of slain people. 

“Concentrate, breathe.”

Fleeing didn’t appear to be an option, neither did wolfing out. That left some bottles of alchemistic fire and her trusty swords. 

Better fight them then. Night would soon cover everything in darkness, which only granted them more of an advantage. 

“Need help?” A smooth voice cut through her thoughts and Hella flinched, cursing herself for not monitoring her surroundings. Quickly, she drew one of her swords and craned her neck to find an … elf?

Standing just above her, seemingly not a care in the world, features handsome and delicate. “What? Who… what?” “Just a simple elf, wandering around and helping ladies in dire need.” He inched closer and Hella smelled herbs and salt on his clothing and skin. Elves were known for their sneaking skills, though it still amazed Hella how he’d manage to get close to her without alarming some ghouls. 

Hella threw a bottle of holy water into his general direction.

It exploded against his chest, covering him in pieces of glass.

“Eh?” “Just making sure you’re not one of them.”

He had the audacity to smile. “I’m not.”

“Fantastic. Then help me please.”

The strange elf nodded and grabbed her hand. He seemed stronger than his lithe build implied and pulled her to her feet. Never say no to a potential ally, as Alarik would say. Not to mention her own desperation at her less than stellar prospects. 

Their combined motions attracted their enemies. A whole pack of fleshy, undead beasts, ready to tore their throats out and to eat their guts. 

“Here they come.” Hella raised her swords, closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her heartbeat slow and steady. Every mistake meant certain death and failure. 

And she wasn’t born for failure. 

The first attacker died quickly, sliced in half by her blade.

Her new ally preferred using a bow and killed the second with two arrows. He showed fantastic marksmanship and took position on some old stones. His steady aim helped keep some of the ghouls at a distance. 

Hella never lost footing but pushed and sliced and relied on her years of training. Blood soaked the ground. 

With him at her back, Hella found new confidence, a new focus flowing through her veins. Almost as if magic surrounded them both, vanquishing all her tiredness and somber thoughts. 

She caught the elf’s gaze. “Only a few left.”

“After you!”

Hella used her own blood to further strengthen her strikes, cutting her skin above her wrists. Drops of blood danced on her swords as she killed another one. 

One of them broke through. He collided with Hella, sending her straight on her backside, while moving far too close to the elf. Claws cut through leather and skin and the elf used a hidden knife to push it through its skull.

He patted the dead ghoul’s head. “Ouch. Not nice.”

“You’re okay?” “I think so. Just a nasty scratch.”

“And your back?” “It’s fine.”

The elf raised the corners of his mouth and inspected their fallen attackers. Some of his arrows seemed to be intact and he started to collect them. 

With their enemies dead, Hella took a moment to inspect her unlikely saviour. Tall and slender with dark, longish hair and very grey eyes he looked so out of place and more suited to the crystal city down south. Not to mention that his tan skin spoke of other regions too. 

Hella coughed to hide her staring and offered him a handshake. “Ah, thank the Gods. What is your name?” “Zaos.” Unfathed by her inspection, he nodded and took her hand in his. 

“Glad to have met you.”

Zaos laughed and it echoed through the ruins. “I’m sure it’s a pleasure.” 

What an arrogant prick. Hella moved a few steps away to clean her swords, trying to sound casual, while also luring him into sharing information. “And you from around here?” “Yeah, here and there. I don’t exactly have a home?” His eyes wandered to the sky. “Not any more, so I prefer the road to actually settling down. I keep meeting interesting people.” “I see.” Hella furrowed her brow. “A mystery then.”

Zaos smiled, eyes too bright. “A riddle, if you will.”

So, he wouldn’t share his story yet. Maybe he belonged to the forest and was a hidden beast as well? Or a part of the Feywild, which bled into her world from time to time. 

Would alcohol loosen his tongue? Trying to get more information couldn’t hurt and he wasn’t hard to look at, which came as a bonus.  

Hella patted his shoulder. “Care for some wine?” “Is this an invitation?” “Yes, follow me to my camp and have some wine with me. I can take a look at that scratch mark and hopefully you won’t murder me in my sleep.”

“I’d be grateful and don’t worry. In general, I don’t murder people in their sleep. I wait for them to wake up.”

Hella snorted. “Haha.” “Lead the way.” Zaos bowed and something in his eyes reminded her of a wolf. 

[wolfalarik]

Everyone had their secrets. Things they didn’t tell the others on the ship, hoping that it never came out into the light about who they were, what they did in their pasts. Alarik had plenty of those secrets, ones he kept close to his chest planning to take them to the grave if he got his way. Though he had no plans to die, the ring on his finger helped calm him of these nerves when he lied awake at night fearing of what came next after this life. It didn’t keep him from dying but it did keep him from aging along with his werewolf blood and for Alarik that was enough to keep his peace of mind. It was that very ring that was catching the lights of the festivities as he exposed one of his secrets to the festival goers and such. Fiddle in hand, he laughed as he played along with the musicians actually enjoying himself. He wasn’t as good as Lyra or the other musicians he had joined but he had enough talent to make it sound not like a dying cat. He could remember his father teaching him at a young age before they moved from Germany to their small little island where the pack now dwelled. His smiles and laughs seemed to stay on his face as the song ended and before they could start another he found a familiar face and waved to them. “Come! Join us!” Even if they couldn’t play along they could dance at least, right? 

[propertyofnikkisthighs]

Afraid Ch 8

Warnings: Mild smut. A smidgen if you will

The smell of blueberry pancakes permeated my nose and I rolled awake to Nikki, still naked like always, flipping through channels with the tray from room service next to him. God I love him so much, I thought fondly, but then another smell hit my nose. Bacon. And my stomach turned. Bolting out of the bed I ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of my stomach right into the toilet. The Jack must have affected me worse that I had previously thought, but I felt better after getting it out.

“Uh what was that?” Nikki asked from the doorway to the bathroom.

“The Jack last night made me feel a little sick and I think it just hit me again. I feel fine now I just need to wash my mouth out.” I shrugged going to the sink.

“Are you sure? You don’t feel like you’re running a fever or anything?” He asked pressing a hand to my forehead.

“You’re sweet babe, but I feel perfectly fine now. Just not the drinker I used to be you know.” His concern reminded me of why I was so enamoured with him in the first place.

We sat on the bed eating our breakfast and watching the news despite me being bored by it. Nikki liked keeping up to date now that he ‘wasn’t clouded by the fog of heroin’ so the news in the mornings became a new routine. Nikki luckily ate his bacon first so the urge to vomit subsided quickly. I had just phoned the desk for new towels when there was a knock on our room door.

“That’s weird. Maybe it’s Tommy?” I pondered outloud. There’s no way the towels were being brought to the room already.

Nikki opened the door with a loud groan and soon Doc was walking into the room.

“We’re going back to LA for a few days.” He wasted no time getting to the point of his visit.

“What? Why?” I asked. We still had a lot to do with the album as the boys were still working out kinks with a few songs.

“Well we need the boys to do a few more interviews and I have to have a meeting with the record company” Nikki rolled his eyes and Doc continued. “We leave late tonight so get your shit together” With that he was out of the room.

“I hate interviews” Nikki groaned flopping on the bed on his back.

“I’m sorry you are going to have to do a few interviews.” I chuckled and he rolled over to lay his head into my chest.

“It’s just hardly ever about the music and mostly about the rumors or gossip. Not to mention that I feel like I always end up doing the talking for the band. I don’t want it to seem like I’m the leader when we’re a family, but they just don’t really talk.”

“I miss Alarik so I kind of am excited to get back.” I laughed and Nikki sighed.

“I can’t believe I’m going to have to be okay with having a fucking cat around Whiskey”

“Has he ever even been around a cat?” I forgot Nikki had a dog.

“No, but he has been to a few obedience classes so he’s really good.” Nikki tightened his hold on me. “Every time I have to leave like on tour or rehab he goes to training.”

“Wait.” I realized we were talking as if our animals would meet any time soon. “We’re speaking as if this is a near future. We just made things official.”

“Oh I….yeah you’re right.” Nikki kissed the spot on my sternum. “I just got ahead of myself.”

“I just don’t want to rush anything yet you know? I love how things are right now between us.” I lazily dragged my fingers through his hair.

“I get that” Nikki sat up and connected our lips in a soft kiss.

I never got tired of kissing Nikki. Every touch of our lips together sparked something inside of me that caused my heart to beat at lightning speed. I quickly flipped us so I was straddling him.

“We still have a bit of time to kill before we need to actually start getting things together.” Nikki cooed trailing his hand down my body before his thumb landed on my clit and began making tiny circles.

“I think maybe we can think of a few things to do to kill the time.” I said between moans bucking my hips against his hand.

“I can definitely think of a few things to do before we absolutely need to get ready” Nikki smirked sinking two fingers inside of me.

“Oh fuck” I gasped.

“Not yet, but we’ll get there.” Nikki chuckled.

“Shut up and finger me Nikki”

     The jet ride was as I had pictured it would be in all honesty. The boys were all being shit heads and despite me trying to distract myself with a book it wasn’t working.

“All I know is when we get back I’m asking Doc to give me a new room at the other end of the hall from you idiots” Mick huffed.

“What do you mean Mick? I thought you liked rooming next to me?” I asked a little hurt.

“That was before you and Nikki started going at it like rabbits.” Mick rolled his eyes and continued tuning his guitar. “If I wanted to listen to other people have sex all the time I would watch the porn channels”

“Well at least you know I’m actually getting off” I shrugged and returned to my book.

“Wait what do you mean? Those girls are getting off.” Tommy asked suddenly interested at the mention of porn.

“No way. They’re clearly faking.” I laughed. “No girl sounds like that when they actually get off.”

“The sounds they make are too loud to be fake.” Vince scoffed.

“Nikki” I hollered getting the distracted bassists attention.

“Huh?” He looked up from his notebook.

“Have I ever sounded like how girls do in porn?” I asked to prove a point.

“Once. When I gave you that really awesome orgasm.” He smirked. “You remember, we were having a quickie at the studio and I told you that we don’t finish until you finish and then you… wait.” The pieces connected in his mind as I watched.

“I needed to get back to work” I shrugged.

“So you faked it?!” Nikki exclaimed suddenly standing.

“I had to we needed to get back to work.” Next thing I knew Nikki was dragging me into the bathroom. “What are you doing?”

“I got off that day and you didn’t” Nikki said matter of factly.

“Yes I just said that.” Nikki picked me up and set me on the counter of the sink before dropping to his knees.

“I’m going to rectify that.” And rectify he did.

     My whole body ached, I had a runny nose, and I was nauseous. It was safe to say I was sick as a dog. Nikki had offered to stay with me and skip his MTV recording with Vince, but I wouldn’t let him do that. I took a bit more cold medicine and made my way back to my VCR to put in Dirty Dancing when there was a knock at my door. Sam and Nikki had a key to get in so if it were either of them I would think they would just walk in, I thought as I looked through the peep hole and caught a glimpse of Tommy.

“Tommy? What are you doing here?” I asked opening the door.

“Heather is out of town for filming something and Nikki is doing the MTV thing and said you were sick so I figured you would be home.” He waltzed right in and to my cabinets as if he owned the place.

“How did you get my address?” I made myself comfortable on the couch again.

“Oh, Tom.” He whirled around in my kitchen. “You don’t have anything in this place.”

“I’ve been in Canada with you guys. I haven’t had a need to buy groceries.” 

“Okay you wait here I’ll be back” I wanted to ask what that meant, but he was gone before I could form the words. Oh well, I’ll watch my movie then. About a half an hour later Tommy was walking into my apartment with a few bags hanging off his arms.

“Woah what is all this?” I asked my curiosity peaked.

“Well I know Heather likes some certain stuff when she’s sick so I figured you would probably like the same kind of stuff” He acted as if the gesture was no big deal. I checked the bags over and saw there was soup, chocolate, and The Lost Boys on VHS.

“Oh Tommy you didn’t have to do this for me.” I was on the verge of tears.

“It’s no biggie.” Tommy shrugged grabbing a beer from the six pack he was putting in my fridge and sat on the couch. I was making my way back to the couch with the chocolate in hand when there was another knock on my door. Confused again I looked through the peep hole and saw Sharise.

“Sharise what are you doing here?” I flung the door open startling her.

“Oh Sharise what’s up?” Tommy waved.

“Vince said Nikki told him you were sick and I thought you would like a little company.” Sharise made her way into the apartment and plopped on the couch next to Tommy.

“Did Nikki make it sound like I was dying or something?” I joked joining them.

   “Honey I’m home” Nikki called out in a funny voice walking through the door, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Tommy, Sharise, and I giggling on the couch. “I was just thinking it smells like T-Bone has been here”

“Hey babe” I spoke around giggles “T-Bone let me have a few puffs of his joint to help my nausea”

“It worked” Tommy smiled proudly.

“Well if Nikki is back that means Vince will be home soon so I better head out. Feel better hun.” Sharise hugged Nikki and headed out the door warning him to take good care of me.

“Yeah I’ll head home too so Nikki can give you his own dose of medicine.” Tommy winked sticking his tongue out earning himself a small flick on the nose from Nikki. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow T-Bone.” Nikki sat down on the couch and motioned for me to climb in his lap.

“I missed you all day” I nuzzled my face into his neck.

“Remember when you couldn’t stand me?” He chuckled pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

“You made a horrible first impression.” my voice muffled into his skin.

“Ya got me there. How about breakfast for dinner? I could make blueberry pancakes?” My stomach growled at the mention of food. “I’ll take that as a yes”

I watched fondly from the couch as Nikki began to prepare our breakfast for dinner. He was much more caring than I would have ever given him credit for in the past. He hummed a melody I didn’t recognize to himself as he worked. 

“Almost done babe, I just need to prepare my bacon” He flashed a smile at me getting the bacon in the pan. Then the smell hit me. I ran to the bathroom just barely making it to the toilet. I had never been a big fan of bacon, but the smell never made me sick before now. That’s when it hit me.

“Babe are you okay?” Nikki’s worried voice came from behind me.

“Nikki what day is it?” I asked trying not to panic.

“The seventeenth why?” the confusion evident in his voice.

Slowly I lifted my head from the toilet.

“I’m late.”

“Late for what?”

“No Nikki. I’m late, late.” I tried again.

“I still don’t- oh. OH. Oh fuck.” The pieces finally clicking.

“Yeah. Fuck”

[bepoets]

WHAT SONG WOULD YOU PLAY AT ELSA AND ALARIK'S WEDDING. BETTER YET, PLS MAKE THEIR PLAYLIST (which one is the first dance, which one is playing during the video, what are the other songs, whats the last song, etc)

This is SUCH a great song and so I’m going to make a whole ass elsarik playlist but it’s gonna take me some time but until then you need to know that I am legally not allowed to make a romantic playlist without including “can’t help falling in love with you” so that will be on there FOR SURE

[dalathin]

The potential start to a little series of drabble-ish things. -- For @ingxni

Ma Vhenan,

You must forgive me for my excitable opening, but what an adventure this is turning out to be! It has only been three weeks, but the things we have seen! Now that we finally have some peace, I know that all these new commissions demand your attention. But oh, my love, I wish you could have joined me for this.

The beauty that peace has brought is astounding, breathtaking - it can't help but inspire! We have seen celebration after celebration, from dancing in the streets to grand banquets steeped in decadence. Even my own people have joined in the revelry, with a nearby clan inviting us to a bonfire! I know that there is still so much left to do and that the danger hasn’t fully passed us yet. But all these smiling faces, the sincerity of the happiness and relief I have seen... It makes me feel as though everything we did, all the blood and sweat and tears we endured was worth it. It's been amazing, Vhenan.

I want you to experience it, even if only as a memory. I have been trying to memorize every detail, every emotion, so we can Dream together when I return. I have so much to show you, Alarik. I think it will inspire you, too!

This trip is in its infancy, and we have much more land and many more engagements to cover. I know it will not all be this joyous. The Game still needs to be played, and battles fought. I have hope, though, that it's a feeling that will remain with us overall. That alone is beyond gratifying.

Not quite gratifying enough to stop me from missing you, of course. But I think that goes without saying. Even if I said it, anyway.

I wish I could go further into detail about our experiences so far, but it seems I have to wrap up. Cassandra has been giving me a look for a while now, and I really can't blame her. The schedule for these next few months will be very tight. A little exhausting just thinking about it, if I'm being honest, though Vivienne has said I remain an 'endless fountain of energy' regardless. I suppose I have that advantage over the others. It's easier to maintain a smile while looking forward when I know that at the end of all this I have you to come home to.

I can't say I'll be home soon, but I can say this: I love you, ma'sal'shiral. I love you; I love you; I love you. Once for each week I've been away, and an extra just in case. Know that I closed this letter with a kiss.

Yours, always, Séaghdha

P.S. - I really kissed the parchment. Didn't taste very good. Probably should have done it before I perfumed it, huh?

[keriganstark]

Vampire Diaries Characters as Hogwarts Houses

Elena Gilbert: Gryffindor. "You want a love that consumes you, passion, adventure, and maybe a little danger". Though Elena is often characterized by her empathy and loyalty to others, I think her true core is her sense of adventure, her need to do the right thing and her bravery to take on whatever comes next.

Stefan Salvatore: Hufflepuff. Stefan is a born hard worker, always trying to be his best self. He's a truly good, nice person at his core and is undyingly loyal even to those that have hurt him.

Damon Salvatore: Slytherin. While also characterized by his loyalty, he is always willing to do what is necessary over what is nice. He is ambitious as hell, the whole world told him he'd never get Elena but that boy just never quit. For a 100 years he tried to find a way to free Katherine. Loyal to his own and cunning enough to save them at all costs.

Caroline Forbes: Ravenclaw. Caroline is intellegent, she always has to know all the information that there is to be had, she always has to be prepared and organized and does a damn good job doing it. She loves her immortality but not because it gives her power or status, but because it allows her to live every life she's ever wanted, to explore art and music and life. Witty, quirky, and creative enough to organize every school event in the book.

Bonnie Bennet: Hufflepuff. While Bonnie is beyond brave and wildly intellegent, it's her loyalty to her friends and family that truly define her. She seeks justice and works hard at everything she's ever done. All her powers were aquired from her own patience and hard working skills.

Jeremy Gilbert: I think Gryffindor runs in the family. While he is extremely creative and loyal, it's his bravery that truly defines him. Jeremy will charge into a room full of vampires with only a cross bow and literally not give a shit. When given the choice between going to school, learning, and pursuing an art career he decides vampire hunting is where it's at. He's a brave boy who craves the adventure.

Matt Donovan: Gryffindor/Hufflepuff. While he is very loyal to his own, he moves between being loyal to them no matter what and betraying them for what is right. He stopped his own sister from coming back to life because she might hurt others. Matt is unfathomingly brave as a mortal dancing with vampires and witches on the daily. Also likely to run into a room of vampires no sweat.

Tyler Lockwood: I had a tough time with Tyler but landed on Slytherin. Tyler is resourceful, he may not face every situation with Jeremy's bravery but he can take whatever is thrown at him. Triggered his werewolf gene? He's got it. Died and made a hybrid sired to someone else? He'll turn a hundred times just to break it. He's a born leader who even tries to free other hybrids like himself from Klaus (does not end well but... doesn't end well for many people who take on Klaus he gave it his best shot.) Willing to give up his relationship with other people for his ambition.

Alarik Saltzman: I'm going with Ravenclaw. A dedicated historian, Alarik is a teacher, he has that fundemental love for learning. He's creative and smart, when shot into the world of vampires he's making stake shooters and vervain grenades right off of the bat. Even in the midst of all the monsters and chaos, what Alarik sees as the best way to help is to educate so he starts a school. Knowledge is power when it comes to Alarik.

[amaranthine-inscriptions]

11/11/11 Tag Game

I was tagged by @thewordreaper, @aslanwrites, @graceomeallain, and @elizabethsyson to do this! All questions and answers will be beneath the cut! Sorry for taking so long! <3

Tagging: @metaphors-and-melodrama, @mvcreates, @isanyonetoknow, @whywritewhenyoucansleep, @kaatiba, @rainy-rose, @radley-writes, @nectareouswrites, and anyone else who would like to join! :D

My Questions:

1. Explain the title of your WIP. 

2. Based on the title of your WIP, what category or genre do you think it fits into?

3. Which character did you like most?

4. Which character did you like least?

5. Summarize your WIP in one written sentence or a one minute speech.

6. Is your WIP a one-shot or do you have sequels/prequels planned?

7. Which character do you relate to the most?

8. Which character is least like you?

9. Are there any lessons/morals in your WIP?

10. Besides your main WIP, how many other ideas do you have floating around? Tell me about them!

11. Where do you find your inspiration?

@thewordreaper‘s questions!

1. What colours do you associate with your WIP? The Vennadore Volumes (Already Introduced and In Progress) - Blues, Greens, and Purples in general. Just depends on what volume we are speaking about. Blues and greens for the first volume for sure because of the the whole pirate thing. :) The Aeonian Chronicles (coming soon) - Black, White, and Gold. It captures the aesthetic of the gods I have in my head and they play a huge part in this upcoming series.  Untitled Series Name (Coming Soon) - Soft Pink and Navy Blue. This is solely based on another dream I had. Just like the one above except WAY different. 

2. Summarise the beginning of your WIP in three to five words I’ll be answering this for the WIP that I’ve actually started writing for lmao: Farmer’s daughter living provincial life. 

3. What character do you like writing about the most ? Adelaide... OR Octavia. I haven’t gotten the hang of writing Eponia or any of her companions just yet. I’ve had Adelaide and Octavia for a WHILE which is why it’s easier and why I enjoy them a lot more. 

4. Did your plot ever make any major deviations from what you originally planned ? Well... I did have a completely different idea for where I wanted to go with Eponia’s story, but she decided she didn’t like that and took a life of her own and ran in a completely different direction, which is why I’m re-plotting her story. (Thank god I haven’t written too many scenes that would pertain to the previous plot idea)

5. Do you listen to music while writing? If you do, what kind? I DO. I listen to anything honestly. Right now I’m listening to my playlist titled “Got the runs?” and it’s full of energetic music that would help with cardio. And it hypes me up to write more. ^__^

6. Favourite animals of your main characters ! .... I don’t have any pets or animals planned out D: They’ll probably will be written in but I’m just so focused on making sure that the characters get to where I want them. And then maybe fluff it up a bit and include some animal companions or familiars. 

7. What was the inspiration behind your current WIP? For the Vennadore Volumes, I did HELLA world building because it was originally for text-based roleplay for friends and other members of a dying community. And one of my friends said that I should make it into a series and include the storylines that happen within this world that I created. That’s when I was inspired to start on this WIP. And start with a story that hasn’t been RPed out yet. And then start with separate stories that all tie in together somehow. 

8. Which author would you compare your writing style to? Uhhhhhh.... I’m not exactly sure and I’m afraid to answer this question cos I’m not sure what my style is like compared to a published author. 👀👀👀 Cos I am but a worm. 

9. Is there a new form of writing that you plan on attempting in the future? I’m not sure if there are new forms??? If there are, please tell me cos I really enjoy learning new things <3

10. What instruments do your main characters play/ play want to play ? If singing counts, then Finnick can sing and his voice is like an angel’s and might be the reason why Eponia likes him A LOT. (And cos he’s unusually attractive for a pirate lol) 11. Are there any of your characters you would love to meet IRL? ISOLAH. I love my gay baby and happy that she’s got such a supportive wife. <3 The other’s could probably get fucked lol (I love them all but I just love the captain of the Temptress)

†††

@aslanwrites‘s questions!

1. What are some influences for your WIP? For world building: definitely Tolkien and GRRM. Kinda a mash of the two with my own twist to it all. Which is why Vennadore is so massive. But for writing, I’m not sure.  2. Is there a writer or someone you would like to collab with? Or maybe even do a crossover with? Not off the top of my head, no. But I’m pretty solitary when it comes to writing. And I’m terrified of sharing my ideas with another person if I do have to collab with them. 

But I really do enjoy Libba Bray since I’ve read her Gemma Doyle trilogy at least five times, so I wouldn’t mind collabing with her.  3. What are some facts about the world you’ve created that you’d like to share but can’t seem to quite fit into the story yet? Lore stories about the races of Vennadore. Mostly because I haven’t gotten there yet. I don’t know if there aren’t any facts I haven’t shared on my world page.

4. What are you most excited about sharing with your WIP? Anything Adelaide related. She’s my baby and I can’t wait to write more on her story. 

5. What are your OCs favorite genres of music? Eponia: Either something soft with a soprano voice or an energetic dance instrumental Finnick and Isolah: Sea Shanties Solandis: Anything with piano or harpsichord Alarik: Unsure. He’s very difficult to place. But if it were modern: metal for sure. He’s a very angry person.  6. How good is your main character at cooking? Not very well since she refused to pay attention to any lessons in becoming a better lady that her step-mother forced her to go through.  7. What kind of comics would your OCs like? Cos I don’t know much about comics, I wouldn’t know what they would like. 

8. What inspired you to write your WIP? “For the Vennadore Volumes, I did HELLA world building because it was originally for text-based roleplay for friends and other members of a dying community. And one of my friends said that I should make it into a series and include the storylines that happen within this world that I created. That’s when I was inspired to start on this WIP. And start with a story that hasn’t been RPed out yet. And then start with separate stories that all tie in together somehow. ” Same answer from a previous question, but I love it any way c:  9. What other stories do you have in mind? OH BOY. I have a lot of ideas.. This is what I have listed in my notepad so far:

Hide and Seek (Supernatural) Characters: Jensen Hyde and Amelia Siek (OTP)

Supernova (Sci-Fi? Fantasy?) Characters: Caelestis

The Above (Post-apocalyptic) Characters: suspicious gays

Aeonian Chronicles (fantasy; it's about time) Characters: A golden goddess and her high priestess (otp)

Allure at Eventide, Beneath a Starless Sky, Below the Sun, Dreams, Painted Skies, and [character name] (fantasy) Characters: English lovers that started off as friends then enemies then to lovers. Man conveys his feelings all wrong and thinks the woman knows what he means.

10. Oh no! Your main character has been kidnapped! Who goes to find them? Who says “let it be”? Who forms a search party? And what does your main character do in this event? Finnick would go find Eponia cos REASONS. Alarik says “let it be”. Isolah and Solandis would probs get the crew together and form a search party while Solandis informs Ep’s family that she has been kidnapped but they are going to find her. Eponia is like “Uggggh, not again.” and makes plans to escape and go back to her original “captors” or her family back home if given the chance. 

11. What is your favorite kind of ice cream? MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP. 

†††

@graceomeallain‘s questions!

1. What’s the age gap between your oldest and youngest OC? If you count the upcoming addition to the Alilart family (Emric and Lysandra’s baby c:), 0 years to 60s (I haven’t decided because they’re a minor character. Like hella minor.)

2. If your MC was dropped in a high school setting, which clique would they fit in with? Eponia wouldn’t fit in anywhere, so she would be considered the outsider. So the outsider clique. Or the new-kid club. But she tries to be nice to everyone, despite her attitude problem. 

3. Which of your OCs is the funniest? Mmmmm... No one has told a joke yet and none of them are keen to tell me. So I’m going to say Alarik because he’s pretty crude. So I would imagine his jokes would just as bad, but somehow funny???

4. Who’s an early riser, and who sleeps in? The early riser would be Isolah. She is the captain of course. Eponia however despises waking up, she loves sleep too much. 

5. Which draft of your WIP are you on? Planning/First Draft :)

6. How many main characters do you have in your WIP? Depends on which volume but the first one has six. c: 

7. Which of your OCs is the best looking? FINNICK. Hot damn. 

8. What do your OCs do at Christmas? If nothing, why not? They share stories of their lives before becoming pirates, maybe make little gifts out of things they find laying around the ship. 

9. Do your OCs have any piercings? Not that I know of, but I am their mother and I’m sure they’re scared of telling me that they went and got a piercing at their best friend’s house. (So maybe lol)

10. What are their favourite foods and why? I honestly haven’t thought about their favourite foods D:

11. If your WIP has any couples, which is your favourite? It’s between Finnick and Eponia (an eventual couple), and Isolah and Solandis <3

†††

@elizabethsyson‘s questions! Round 1!

1. what’s a trope you hate? I feel like I don’t know enough about tropes to know which one I would hate. 

2. what’s a trope you love? I feel like I don’t know enough about tropes to know which one I would love. 

3. what’s your main character’s aesthetic? Eponia’s is hard to place. I would think her colour would be between light purple and a dark pink. Lots of books. Sleeping in. And that’s what I have so far. 

4. describe your wip using only verbs Oh dayum. This is hard.... Fighting, Loving, Escaping, Conspiring, Worshiping and maybe some other verbs as the volumes grow. 

5. how significantly does time feature in your plot? There’s a whole different time system for Vennadore that somewhat resembles our own, and also has it’s own history that could repeat itself. And to show how time progresses, it is shown and explained (hopefully well by me lmao). 

6. how many settings does your wip have? So far in the first volume, three. Home, Markets, Ship. And since Vennadore is massive, there is LOADS more to come. 

7. do your characters travel during the plot? Yes, most of them are on a ship. What are they doing on the ship.... That I cannot tell. 

8. which of your characters is most likely to die young? ... How young? Cos I could say Alarik or Isolah; they’re in their 20s and 30s respectively.

9. which of your characters trust vs. mistrust authority? Alarik? Since he is a criminal. And is now a slave under the captain and crew of the Temptress. 

10. what’s one theme of your wip? The first volume covers the MC discovering herself while in this strange, new place. 

11. would your story be better portrayed in animation or live action? Live action. 

†††

@elizabethsyson‘s questions! Round 2!

1. what’s a story you read as a child that sticks with you? The fourth harry potter book. That was my favourite growing up. :)

2. what’s your approach to diversity in your writing? I kinda just.... put it in there. I don’t know how else to put it lol

3. what’s your favourite online resource for writers? Since I’m obsessed with having a great name, the fantasy name generator site is amazing. <3

4. what programme do you write in? A journal ^^; But if I type it up, I use google docs cos word slows my computer down wayyyy too much. 

5. how do you backup your writing? I normally write in journals, but if I type it up in google docs, I normally would store it in my portable hard drive :)

6. do you print your stuff once you’ve finished it? Not right now since I share a house with other people (besides my partner) who need to print things off and printer paper isn’t exactly the cheapest thing in the world right now. 

7. do you post entire wips, chapters, just snippets, or nothing? Maybe a line or two since I’m on my first draft and everything is kinda a mush of clay. 

8. tag some writers whose wips you follow on tumblr and tell me why you follow them :c I feel bad cos I don’t really follow any specific WIPs. I do try to share others’ work to make sure my followers get to see that person’s hard work. I just feel too spazztic and out of focus to find WIPs. I just want to share others’ work ^^; 

9. favourite medium for sharing your stuff? Word of mouth? I don’t really have any thing to share my work on like wattpad or ao3 and I’m not sure which would be best since Venn could contain some adult themes and I want to make sure that it wouldn’t be removed because it violated rules. 

10. do you create art of any kind? talk about it a little I’m terrible at art, but I do have a sketch pad because I enjoy doodling a little. I just don’t do it too often because I feel like I can’t compare to the amazing artists out there. 

11. what’s your favourite non-writing/reading/story-related hobby? Singing or practicing an instrument (I have a clarinet, keyboard, guitar, and ukulele)

†††

@elizabethsyson‘s questions! Round 3! 

1. What’s the first book you remember reading? Do you know about the Mary-Kate and Ashley mystery books???? I remember those. And Goosebumps. Hell yeah. 

2. Have you ever invented a language for a piece of writing? YES. It’s the Untouchable Language or the mother-tongue of the Rah’al people. I only have some specific words but that’s it so far. 

3. Describe your approach to worldbuilding. When I was building Vennadore, I looked up questions to answer when building a fantasy world, that got me started. General stuff like population and different sections of the world. Then delved into specifics like races and their customs. 

4. Do you write in multiple genres? Which? Fantasy, Fiction, and maybe Sci-fi.

5. What type of villain do you most hate? A villain that gives you no reason to hate them. I feel like there needs to be a reason to hate them. Like how I hate Joffrey in GoT (cos he’s a punk). 

6. Do you prefer to type or write longhand or something else? I prefer to write longhand, otherwise I wouldn’t know what I was trying to say when I revisit my journal. 

7. How do you motivate yourself? I put on some hype music and do a little dance while I write. It helps since I spend a lot of time just sitting there thinking. 

8. Opinion on nanowrimo? I’ve never tried, and I’m honestly terrified cos I feel like I wouldn’t make the goal I would set for myself. But I’m happy that it works well for other writers. 

9. Top 3 songs on your writing playlist? I don’t really have a writing playlist, just whichever playlist I decide to write to whether it’s “Mood,” “Got the Runs,” or “Chill.” 

10. How do you come up with your characters’ appearances? I search for face claims eternally on pinterest until something screams at me that has that character’s vibe. 

11. Do you write your scenes chronologically? Never. My thoughts are way too scattered to make them do the chronological thing. 

[frozenprocedural]

TDOE 9/10- Workplace AU/Musical AU

I decided to combine days 9 and 10, since I didn’t have a separate idea for both of them, and this worked as a combination. I’m keeping the medical details vague- I don’t claim to know much.

Alarik belongs to @patricia-von-arundel

Something Wicked this way Comes

Rating: K

"Elsa, I really think you should take this one off. Please. There's more than enough time to get Aly prepped."

Elsa was slumped in the chair facing her mirror, rubbing her side and looking tired. Even with her green makeup, her face looked drawn. She'd taken pain medication, but it didn't seem to have done much. Still, her stubborn streak reared its head.

"I'll be fine Alarik. Besides, it's a Sunday show. I'll have all week to rest." When she saw his look, she added, "Look, I promise I'll sit here until it's time for me to go on, okay? Now go, you have to prep."

Alarik hesitated, but she was right. His crew knew what to do, but he was in charge. With a worried sigh he didn't try to hide, Alarik leaned forward and kissed the top of the blue crouched cap Elsa wore- he didn't want to mess with her makeup. "Right here?" 

She took his hand and squeezed it. "Right here."

"Rest darling. Call if you need anything." Alarik started off, then stuck his head back in. "And don't you dare get up before you're on, or I'm bringing Anna in!" He ducked back just in time to miss a flying makeup brush. 

…………..

Of course, Anna found Alarik right away. Like Elsa, she was done up in her costume and makeup, her red hair hidden beneath a bald cap and blonde wig. 

"Is Elsa alright? I haven't seen her yet."

Alarik hesitated, knowing Anna's propensity for rushing to her sister when she believed something was wrong. But not telling Anna would be worse. At least, he could tell her an edited version. 

"Elsa wasn't feeling well. She's resting in her dressing room as long as she can."

Anna narrowed her eyes at him- she knew there was more that wasn't being said- but before she could do anything, one of the cast members tapped her shoulder, and one of Alarik's crew members called for him. Anna mouthed "later" to him before leaving.

The show started well enough. Eventually Elsa did appear at her scheduled time, smiling and waving him away as she waited for her cue. Alarik knew something was still off, however- the way she stood, the waver in her smile- all told him she still was in pain. But he could do nothing more than watch as she stepped onstage, masking everything in her performance. And for a while, she seemed alright, possibly recovering. 

But slowly, it got worse. Not enough that the audience might notice, but Alarik knew every step, every part. He could see the slightest misteps in her dancing, hear the occasional hitch in her breath as she sang. Every part of him wanted to call the show- draw the curtains, pull her off. But he couldn't. And she wouldn't let him.

Anna noticed, of course. She caught his eye during a costume change, looking back towards the stage where Elsa sang and shaking her head. Alarik raised his hands, trying to convey his helplessness, and Anna nodded. 

By the "Defying Gravity," it was all Alarik could do not to run onstage and yank Elsa off. She was swaying while standing, and he could see sweat beading her brow from where he stood- far heavier than the stage lights would explain. Thankfully the stage managers had noticed, and Aly, Elsa's standby, was prepping to go on. 

I just hope Elsa won't put up too much of a fight. 

She never had a chance.

The song was finishing up, Elsa lifting into the air with her broom flung overhead. She came to the last note, and, despite everything, threw her voice into it, hitting the high pitch she was famous for. But as the chorus came in, her voice cut with a choked sound, and she dropped the broom.

"Get her down, get her down, NOW!" Alarik roared into his mic. He was already running, heedless of whether or not the audience could see him. The curtains were snapping shut, and Elsa's platform was lowering, but far too slowly. Alarik forced himself to go faster as his wife flopped forward, held in place by the bar at her hip. Anna was there, reaching up to grab her sister. As soon as the platform hit the ground, he and Anna both grabbed her, pushing the release button and grunting when she all but fell into their arms. They helped her to the ground, pulling away what they could of her costume. 

"Alarik… it hurts." Elsa spoke with a weak, raspy voice, and her breathing was labored. One hand drifted to her side. "It hurts so much."

"I've got you, darling, I've got you. Help is on the way." He could hear someone talking to what he assumed was a dispatcher. Anna had Elsa's free hand, and was wiping her brow. "I've got you."

"Sorry," she murmured, her eyelids fluttering. 

"Shhhh, none of that, okay? Just hang in there and we'll get you to the hospital." 

Minutes later, it was a scene of chaos as paramedics surrounded Elsa, their voices little more than background noise to Alarik. He'd been led aside, next to Anna, as they worked, and she held his hand firmly as Elsa was placed on the gurney and wheeled out. He followed them, begging to be allowed to go with her. The medics shook their heads, telling him they needed the space to work. He bristled, ready to argue, when Anna's hand gripped his once again.

"Alarik." Her voice was steady, despite the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Let them do their job." Before he could argue, she turned to one of them and asked where they were taking Elsa.

"HCMC."

"Alright, we'll follow. Alarik, we'll follow." She threw up an arm to keep him back. "Kristoff's already here in the car. We can't do anything more from here." He looked over at her, and for the first time realized Anna had taken off her wig and bald cap, but was still in her bright yellow dress from the show.

"Your costume…" He wasn't sure in that moment why it seemed important.

"Kristoff has a change of clothes. I'll get a dress bag on the way. Let's go."

Alarik allowed himself to be led away, sending one last glance over his shoulder at the retreating forms of the paramedics as they wheeled his wife away.

………

Kristoff got them to the hospital far earlier than the GPS indicated, but Alarik was just glad they didn't run into any police on the way. They dropped him off at the doors to the emergency room, promising to meet him once they'd parked. He rushed inside, focused on the triage desk. After a rushed exhalation of his name and Elsa's name, the nurse informed him she was in surgery for a ruptured appendix, but he would have to wait for the surgeon to provide more information.

Minutes later, he passed the information on to Anna and Kristoff when they came in. Anna's face went pale, but she grabbed Alarik's hand and tried to smile. It came out as more of a forced grimace. 

"They can fix that, Alarik. You'll see."

Alarik didn't have the energy to respond. He could only give Anna's hand a light squeeze before gazing off. 

Hours passed, and finally a scrub-clad doctor called for them. After introducing herself as Dr. Leisel Norberg, she pulled over a chair. She explained what had happened- Elsa's appendix had burst, leading to emergency surgery to remove it and clean the surrounding area. 

"Her recovery outlook is good," Dr. Norberg explained, "But she'll need to be on antibiotics and rest for a while. Right now she's in post-op, so a nurse will bring you to her recovery room once she's in there."

After answering a few questions, the doctor left, and Anna grinned at Alarik, though it was still somewhat forced. 

"See? Just like I said. She'll be fine. But I do have a few… words for her when we see her."

………….

An hour later they were led to Elsa's room. Alarik was the first in the door, and his breath caught as soon as he laid eyes on her. She was pale, far more pale than she usually was, but her eyes were open, and she gave him a tiny smile when she saw him.

"Elsa." He breathed. He was at her side in two strides, grabbing the nearest chair and sitting as close to her as he possibly could. He gathered her hand in both of his, pressing it to his lips. Although it looked as if someone had tried to clean it off, she still had remnants of green makeup. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Anna's arrival. 

"ELSA ARENDELLE-GEATLAND, JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

"Anna, we're in a hospital!" Alarik chided. 

Anna shot him a dirty look, and plopped herself into the recliner, folding her arms and glaring at her sister. Kristoff stood next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Elsa dropped her gaze.

"I wasn't. And for what it's worth, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to disappoint the audience, and I thought I could make it through. It was a stupid decision, and I should have listened to you before the show, Alarik." 

He could see a tear rolling down Elsa's cheek and grabbed a tissue to dab it away. 

"Elsa," he murmured, "what happened is done. Right now all I care about is that you're here, you're awake, and you're going to recover." He cupped her cheek.

Anna sighed, then leaned over to give Elsa a careful hug. "I know you're sorry. It's just… you scared me. Please don't ever do that to yourself again. The audience will be fine. Jen and Aly are incredible standbys- this is what they do. You need to put yourself first, alright?"

"Alright." Elsa managed a one-armed hug in return. Alarik could see that she was struggling to stay awake. He pulled the blanket up, tucking it around her. 

"Elsa, get some sleep. We'll be right here."

[patricia-von-arundel]

The Boarding House AU: Elsa & Romance Novels (I)

Rating: T

Summary: Shardsverse AU. After escaping a death sentence, and forced to come to terms with the idea that she can never return to Arendelle nor see Anna again, Elsa finds herself in the unexpected position of sharing a room with a poverty-stricken young scholar of magic…

Part I: Elsa & Alarik | Part II: Elsa & Christmas

Elsa tried to enjoy the book Alarik had given her for Christmas. She tried very hard, particularly as she appreciated the distraction both the book and the effort gave to her. She read the whole thing, in the days following the holiday, when he returned to work at the university, leaving her alone - to stew, or to wander, or to read. He did make it clear - again - that he didn’t want her to feel trapped there, a prisoner still, her whole world within four walls. “Just say on the busier streets, and keep any money close. Down here… well, it’s not as if people can send their servants to do the shopping. There will be other people like… like you.” Would there be? She was afraid, yes, but not so overcome by it that she was oblivious to his own rather obvious fear and uncertainty. She did wonder, more than once, if he regretted agreeing to let her come here, but how could she ask if that was the case? She couldn’t, of course. He had mentioned once speaking to friends about finding a better place for her, but nothing further had been said. Was that to be the rest of her life, then? Forever moved from place to place, like a pawn on a chessboard, forever hiding, forever in exile? She didn’t know. She didn’t know anything - not anymore. Less than half a year since a crown had been placed on her head, and she was in the slums of a foreign city without a skilling to her name. In such a life, how could anyone claim to know anything? Alarik seemed almost relieved to be going back to the university, and she couldn’t blame him - she couldn’t possibly be good company. Still, he promised to be back as early as he could, and she was free to leave, and he had a few skillings, in the box under the window, if she wanted to get something eat or leaves for tea or - “It’s fine,” Elsa said - words that had become almost like a mantra, attempting to reassure herself as much as him. Nothing was fine. She watched from the window as he walked away down the cobbled street, bent against the wind, hands buried deep in the pockets of his worn coat, his too-long hair flopping against the crown of his head. She could feel, clearly, the snow promised by day’s end, the heaviness in the air, filling her, lungs and heart and veins, speaking to its kin within her. At least he didn’t have to worry about her needing to keep a fire going all day, she thought. More light might have been nice, but she didn’t want to use the very limited supply of oil for the lamp, either. She would make do with the dreary sun that made it in through the thick, dusty panes of the window. She stared out, long after he had disappeared - there was something soothing about watching the world out there, safely removed from it but a spectator nonetheless. People passed occasionally - women with folded sacks or baskets, heading to the marketplace; two scrawny boys leading an even scrawnier goat by a fraying length of rope. The snow began to fall mid-morning, and after, the streets were all but empty. With snow, and the tiny room empty and silent around her, she couldn’t prevent her thoughts returning to Arendelle - to all the things she had tried so hard not to dwell on, these last few days. How long had it been? How long since she left Anna? She couldn’t remember. Anna was alone - married and safe, yes, but was that enough to see to her happiness? What would happen if anyone - Princes Hans - found out that she had helped Elsa escape? For that matter, what had happened after her escape? She didn’t know. She had been too focused on herself to find out. Anna might be executed in her place - conspiracy, treason, any number of charges brought against her by those seeking improving in their own fortunes. Who would defend her? To whom could she turn, with her only living family fled? Elsa had just left her - selfish, heartless creature that she was. She looked away from the window - and realized snow was now falling inside as well as out. She pushed up from the bed - quick, furtive movement; backed to the corner, drawing her hands up to her chest. “No.” Her breath coming in rapid, frantic bursts. “No, no, no…” Her father’s voice: “Conceal it, Elsa.” “Don’t feel.” Tucking her hands away, bending over them, desperate. “Don’t feel.” This wasn’t her place. This was Alarik’s place - everything he had in the world. She had to go. Get herself under control. She fled - all but blind to the hallway, the rickety steps, the icy cobbles and their thin coating of snow. How far she ran, she did not know; she ran until, still malnourished and weak from months in a dungeon cell, she tripped over a board hidden by the snow and fell hard to the street, gasping at the pain that reverberated up through her knees, the skinned palms of her hands. And there she remained, trembling and gulping for breath, for another uncertain, indefinite time. She didn’t think she had enough strength left to stand, much less continue to run. She did what Alarik had done, to help calm her that first day she had arrived: she took deep, audible breaths, focusing on the movement of her chest, the pleasant chill of the air as she drew it deep within her. Gradually, her heart slowed, the terrific panic abated, and she could push herself to a sit, her back against the anonymous brick wall behind her, hugging her knees to her chest. She felt dizzy and weak - but once more in control of her own faculties. There was someone else, across the street, huddled, much as she was, but within the confines of a ragged blanket, watching her with dark, wary eyes - and she suddenly realized how vulnerable she truly was here. This wasn’t the wilds of Arendelle, and she had far more to fear from people than from anything in the forest. The last few months in a cell had shown her that truth. She got to her feet, trying not to look as unsteady as she felt. She held her head high - and her arms crossed tightly across her chest. One of her gloves had torn as she fell. Her dress had not; Alarik had been right that the tougher cloth of cheap fabric was a good idea. Her first few steps were wobbly, but she managed to stay up, though her head was swimming and spots danced before her eyes. She had no idea how to get back to Alarik’s boarding house - or even to the market square, from which she might be able to retrace the way they had gone before. She knew she hadn’t gone far - she was still surrounded by ancient, crumbling, looming buildings - but that was little help when she nonetheless could not remember the way “not far” had taken her. “Don’t panic,” she whispered. “Do not panic.” Slightly reassuring - so she tried to convince herself - was the lightness of the snow, the brisk breeze that was nonetheless far from a frigid gale. She had kept a measure of control - that, or her overall weakness impacted her powers as well. Would Alarik know? She knew what he studied - but he had never mentioned her magic, nor asked her any questions. Would he mind if she asked him questions? She had to find her way back to him, first. At the corner, she stopped and tried to get her bearings, some part of her hoping her mind would magically have taken note of where her panicked flight had taken her. But all she saw was dirty stone, grey sky, unbroken scrim of fresh-fallen snow. She tucked her hands more deeply under her arms, and looked back the way she had come, where her footprints were already filling in white. Should she go on, risk getting even more lost while seeking something familiar? Or should she knock on a door and ask for help - was it permissible to knock on a stranger’s door? She didn’t know. Nor did she know how long she stood there on the corner, hunched and uncertain. She couldn’t stay there forever - but how could she know where to go? Her heart was speeding up again, deep breaths becoming more difficult, and though it had not yet escaped, she could feel the cold pulsing just beneath the thin veneer of her skin. “Madame?” A deep, commanding voice, with just a trace of an unfamiliar accent. “Are you in need of assistance?” Elsa whirled, already sinking back against the rough wall behind her, breath hitching. The man was as large as his voice, and made even larger by the layers he wore, the outer of which was a coat that made him look rather like a clean-shaven bear, with matching fuzzy hat. But his eyes, when she found them, were deep and brown and kind. There was such genuine concern in them that her breath caught once more. She remained in her defensive hunch - but the fear that she would have to flee again was already fading. “Has someone hurt you?” the man asked - and now she could find kindness there, too, among the pleasant tone of the accent, still impossible to place. “I- no. Why…?” He smiled. “You have no coat. Though you do not appear cold - I envy you, I confess. I fear I find it cold here even in the midst of summer, though I have been here 15 years now.” She didn’t know what to say - it was like all the well-rehearsed rules of polite conversation had abandoned her when she left her throne in Arendelle. She just nodded. “Still,” the man said, as if she had responded in some normal fashion, “and I do not mean to pry, but you seem… burdened?” Elsa bit her lip. “I.. I’m… lost. I don’t know how to get ho-… to where I’m staying.” “You are new to the city?” There was no judgement in his voice, only compassion, and she felt it wash over her: relief, and comfort, and… trust? “Yes. I’m… I’m staying with… a friend. Dr. Alarik Geatland.” In this city of thousands, how would he know the name? But it didn’t matter - it was all she had. The man’s brow drew down in clear dismay. “We are not acquainted, I’m afraid. Do you perhaps have an address for his residence?” How could she not know that? His address? She was a fool. “I’m… I haven’t been here long, and…” She trailed off, embarrassed, but the man just nodded. He seemed to think hard. “A doctor - at the hospital?” “Oh - no. He’s a scholar. At the… the university.” The man grinned now, wide and triumphant. “Ah! A scholar.” He nodded again. “Yes - I know the university!” Elsa almost cried, relief so great struck her then. “Can you tell me the way?” “Better - I’ll show you!” “Oh, no, you don’t-” But he had already turned. “It’s this way, not far. But be careful, the road is very slippery.” “I… I will be.” She followed him - because what choice did she have? She could think of no other way, short of her earlier thoughts of wandering or knocking on a stranger’s door. This way was far easier, though she felt very awkward, following along behind this large, friendly man like a duckling. “My brother went to a university,” the man said, “but I chose adventure. I took a place on a trading ship, and five years later, I was captain of my own! But once on a visit to my family, I met Lilah, the most beautiful, wonderful woman on all the earth. But she is wise and practical - she would not marry me until I could provide for her, on land. So I came here, and set up my business, and now, Lilah has given me five children, as beautiful as she is.” He didn’t not look to Elsa for responses, and for that, she was grateful. He prattled on as they walked, apparently intending to share as much of his life story as the journey allowed. She didn’t even know his name. She half-listened, but mostly focused on trying to pay attention, now, to the way they went. She had never considered how similar streets could look to one another. Aside from her time spent here, she had gone into the city in Arendelle… maybe twice a year, until she was eight? Certainly not often, and never by herself. The streets had grown finer - they were walking now among large, clean, free-standing residences, many with small gardens or orchards, and bristly fences and gates protecting them. Elsa couldn’t help but imagine what was inside: solid walls, and clean floors, and dustless surfaces, and the smells of fresh linen and dry air from large, open windows and high ceilings. And a place to be alone, and protected. But she reminded herself, forcefully, of the dungeon cell beneath the castle, and the sick dread of no escape. “This is better,” she muttered. “Did you speak, madame?” “Oh - no. I’m sorry.” “We are almost there, and-” “Elsa?” Alarik’s voice - he was across the street and so far away she could only recognize him by the brightness of his hair, but as soon as she looked up, he started running. “This is your doctor?” her guide asked as Alarik reached them, red-faced and gasping for breath. “Yes,” Elsa said, “and I-” But the man bowed deeply then, even doffing his hat, and for a moment, she found herself confused about both who and where she was. “Then I leave you to him with good wishes. I have left my eldest daughter in charge of my wares, and I cannot allow this for too long, or people will know how unnecessary I am in the face of her brilliance.” He straightened, smiling broadly. “But perhaps we shall meet again? Until then, alas, I must bid you a good day, madame.” And before she could even say thank you, he turned and was gone as quickly as he seemed to have appeared. Alarik, finally catching his breath sufficiently to speak, said, “Who was that?” “I don’t know.” A pause - and she looked at him, and was surprised to see what looked like anger in his eyes. “You don’t know? Elsa you can’t just… trust people. People you know nothing about!” She stared at him - for perhaps longer than was necessary - eyebrows raised and lips tight. “Like you?” He looked appropriately abashed - his cheeks flushing even brighter, and his mouth opening and closing several times before he was finally able to speak. “Not like me. I’m not… You know my name, if someone asks! You’ll get hurt, Elsa, you can’t-” The irritation flared to anger. “I can’t?” He sighed. “You shouldn’t.” She said nothing. She just stared at him. And finally, he huffed another sigh, raised gloved hands and let them fall at his sides. “Fine. Just… remember you can’t trust everybody.” “That’s easy enough.” She tucked her own hands back under her arms - last time she’d gotten angry, only a lucky accident had prevented her striking Anna, once again, with magic. “Considering that I don’t trust anybody.” “Not even me?” She didn’t know what to say. She looked away, down at the layer of unbroken snow, marred only by the remains of their footsteps - no more was falling, but the day was still grey and overcast and cold. His third sigh was of resigned acceptance. “Let’s go home?” She nodded. She still couldn’t meet his gaze, but she felt it upon her. They walked most of the way back in silence. She couldn’t decide how she was feeling - recalcitrant? Misunderstood? - but it was uncomfortable, whatever it was, and so she kept her arms tightly crossed, her eyes cast down, following him and very aware, once more, of just how far she was from home. More people were out, now that the snow had stopped, and she was sure they were all staring at her - the strange, hunched young woman wandering streets not her own, no coat or scarf or hat, an anomaly… or a monster? Conceal, don’t feel. “Were you trying to find me?” Alarik finally asked. She risked a glance up, but he was looking pointedly ahead. They had to be nearing his home - the streets had again narrowed to caverns beneath crumbling, leaning buildings. She could smell midden and waste - human and otherwise - even in the frigid air, and could hear chickens down one of the narrow alleys, behind the rows of houses. “Yes,” she said quickly. “I… lost my way.” “You went out?” “I…” She wasn’t sure, at that moment, if she wanted to tell him the truth of what had happened. “I was… worried about Anna.” “You were…” And now he did look at her, as it hit: “Oh. Oh. Of course… oh god, I’m an idiot - I meant to tell you. Anna’s fine. I saw the newspapers, just a couple of days before you arrived. She’s been crowned. Her husband has been named prince consort.” The relief that washed over her was breathtaking - she released a hand to press it hard against her chest, over her pounding heart. “Elsa?” “I’m fine. It’s… I’m fine.” She didn’t have to work as hard to make herself smile as she might have anticipated. But she had to put a hand to the decaying wall as they climbed the stairs to his room, afraid she would not be able to keep her balance. Anna was safe. That was all that mattered, all that would ever matter. Her ebullience lasted until he opened the door to his room, and she saw the snow - not a lot, but enough, and mostly unmelted; the room was hardly warmer than it was outside. Elsa stopped dead - then, when she saw Alarik’s shoulders slump, had to resist mightily the urge, again, to run. She twisted her hands together. The gloves were on, Anna was safe. She could control it. He turned to her, clearly dismayed, and she recoiled. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I-” “I shouldn’t have left you,” he said. Her mouth closed. She folded her arms once more. She did not speak - she had no idea what to say. He pushed his hair, damp and limp with melted snow, out of his eyes, looking down, defeated. “My apologies. Elsa. I shouldn’t have gone so soon.” She looked, again, at the mess she had made - and felt a wave of homesickness wash over her. How many tens, hundreds of times had this happened in her childhood? With the reduced staff, it was usually Gerda - who had always known Elsa’s secret - who came to clean up the mess. She came with rags and bucket and broom - but also hot chocolate. She always brought Elsa hot chocolate, but would never explain why she thought Elsa deserved it, despite her shameful behavior. She never let Elsa help, either, telling her there was a rigorous training required to work in the castle, and Elsa would have to ask her father if she could join the staff. That sometimes - not always, but sometimes - made Elsa smile. “I’ll clean it up,” she said. “No,” Alarik said quickly. “I can do it, it’s fine.” Her words reflected back at her. Was it fine? She didn’t know. He was on his knees, towels in hand, and she stood in the doorway, uncertain and out of place once more. He was shivering, despite the exertion. She wondered if the university had fireplaces. “Wait.” The thought had suddenly hit her. “Are you supposed to be at the university?” He paused momentarily, but didn’t look up. “I’m going back. I was worried you wouldn’t go out to get lunch, so I thought I’d come back. Just to make sure… you were all right.” “Oh. Thank you.” He gave a sort of embarrassed half-nod, still not looking at her. “I don’t want you to worry about me,” she finally said. “I’m not sure I have any choice.” The tone was gentle, but still the words stung. He hadn’t asked for this, any more than she had. So all she said was, “I know.” He had brought things to eat from the university - “They sometimes bring in food around holidays” - and they had open-faced sandwiches in relative silence, sitting, as always, on the floor. Alarik looked broody and displeased, and Elsa didn’t want to make it any worse - worse than she already had. She wanted to tell him two meals a day would be fine, but what if he then felt like he had to skip meals, too? “I’m sorry,” she finally said - an apology for today, and for everything. He smiled - and she didn’t think it was entirely forced. “You’re better company than I’d have in the hall.” She tried her best to smile back. And after he left - promising to bring home dinner, and apologies if he was late - she picked up the book he had given her for Christmas, determined to keep herself occupied. She shouldn’t create more fuss than she already had. She sat on the bed, where she could see out the window - and where there was, perhaps, just a little more light. She crossed her legs, opening the book across them, so that it rested comfortably across her skirt. Then, she read. It was an absolutely absurd story, all about a beautiful young woman who had been caught up, alongside her husband, in the French Revolution. After the war was over, Napoleon now ruling France, they decided to travel - for reasons unclear to Elsa - to England, where the beautiful young woman, wandering through the ruins of a castle, inexplicably found herself sent back in time to the Hundred Years’ War, where of course the English thought she was a French spy. She there got to know a handsome young outlaw, hoping to clear his name fighting for the king. By the time she reached the contrived, inevitable marriage between the beautiful young woman and the handsome young outlaw, she was hardly aware of her own derisory snort - because equally, her mind was absorbed.

[netherwar-rpg-blog]

Welcome to the Wardens, Art! Your application for a RANGER OC has been accepted with a Joe Dempsie FC.

This was a really exciting application to read through because the character is quite different from the rest of the Wardens and he is certainly going to create a lot of tension! Where most Wardens know that their duties are essential to save Eldris, Támhas doesn’t believe they will achieve victory and it will only create more destruction for the north! How awesome! It’s endearing to see how his devotion for his friend has led him to the same destiny and path he is so passionately against. Plus, it will be really interesting to see when that gryphon egg decides to hatch and what happens - they are a proud and massive mount in times of war and it’ll help the Wardens have an advantage in the air if Tám ever feels compelled to fight with them. Can’t wait to see what he chooses to do!

The application can be found under the cut. You have 48 hours to create a roleplay account (cannot be a sideblog) for your character and we will be updating our opening date soon!

O O C - I N F O

Name: Arthur/Art

Age: 22

Timezone:  GMT-8, PST

Activity Level: I do have a full time job that requires me to be up at the crack of dawn (or earlier, some days), but I’ll be able to at the very least be on for plotting every day after work, and I’ll be able to get to replies at least every other day.

Extra:  I got nothing other than pure excitement.

C H A R A C T E R - I N F O

T H E - B A S I C S

Name: Tàmhas Cathán Caibre

Nickname:  Tàm

Gender:  Cisgender male

Age:  26

Class: Ranger

Faceclaim:  Joe Dempsie

C H A R A C T E R - D E T A I L S

Nationality:  Crywrenian

Appearance:

Tàmhas Cathán Caibre is a brooding sort of man, more the sort to frown than to smile.  Dark blue eyes and even darker hair lend him a seriousness that extends far beyond his 26 years.  Unlike his father, who prefers to keep his hair long and tie it back while at work in the forge, Tàm keeps his hair short and unruly.  Stern brows and a strong jaw complete his face.  His serious look only softens on the rare occasions he smiles, eyes wrinkling; though when he does smile, it’s a completely genuine one.  

Years of smithing and sparring with his father have strengthened his broad shoulders, lending him an extremely fit profile, but years of hunting in the nearby woods have lent him a much lighter step than most would expect.  

Personality:

{ + } Loyal, Compassionate, Hard-working

{ - } Brash, Moody, Combative

C H A R A C T E R - B A C K G R O U N D

History:

Tàmhas Cathán Caibre was not born under any significant circumstances.  His mother was a seamstress, and his father was the village blacksmith. They made sure their wee babe wanted for nothing, but they also gave him a strong moral compass and values.  They taught him right from wrong, and taught him to speak up if he disagreed with someone - though, they did begin to regret it when he learned how to speak.

He met Aneirin - Eirin, since he couldn’t pronounce the other’s name - when he was only a year old, and the other was just a babe with big ears and even bigger blue eyes.  From the moment he saw him, Tàm knew he wanted to protect the young boy.  He stuck by Eirin as they grew up, protecting him from all the teasing from the older village boys, always a dark, brooding figure looming at the boy’s side.  

He was there when Eirin’s father was executed.  He was there when Eirin broke free from Tàm’s father’s arms and ran into the flames, heedless of Tàm’s cries and Eirin’s mother’s screams.  He was there when the flames died down to glowing embers, revealing the twig of a boy with eyes on fire.  He was there when the elders took Eirin away.

Never one to just let someone take his closest friend away, Tàm went to his father and begged him to convince the elders to let him see Eirin - surely his friend must be scared and upset, and Tàm needed to comfort him.  Be there for him.  And after a week of continued begging on Tàm’s part, and pleading on his father’s - and Eirin���s uncle’s - part, he was finally allowed to visit Eirin.  Soon enough, he was the only person allowed to visit him in his cage.  And, seeing how they treated his friend - as if he was a precious, fragile thing never to be let out of their sight - Tàm became disillusioned with the people who followed the Fenarious faith.  What faith would let them treat a child like they treated Eirin?

Alongside his visits with his best friend, Tàm’s father began teaching him how to smith.  Tàm spent his days in the forge, learning how to shape and strengthen the iron and steel needed for horseshoes and swords. Sometimes - well, most times - when it got slow, his father would even teach him how to fight with a sword.  Usually, Tàm’s mother would bring them lunch and find them dancing back and forth across the forge, trading blows.  As Tàm grew older and stronger, the sparring matches grew more and more energetic, until Tàm’s mother began just leaving their lunches at the door to avoid flying blades.  

His father also taught him how to hunt for his food using a bow and arrow, and soon enough Tàm was almost a perfect shot.  He taught himself some trick shots to keep himself entertained - and, quite frankly, to screw around with the boys who’d bullied Eirin.  

So, when he went to the elders after a long hunting trip, only to find Eirin had run away with nothing but the clothes on his back and his father’s dagger, Tàm decided to go after him.  The elders blessed him, gifting him a large gryphon egg they’d found in an abandoned nest, and sent him to the south to bring their Dragonborn back home.  

Reason for joining the Wardens:

Tàm does not believe in the Wardens.  Knowing what happened during the last Rifting, and how it affected Crywren, he doesn’t believe that they’ll be able to find someone like the High Lord Alarik and stop the Netherworld from leaking into their world irreversibly.  What he does believe in is the need to make sure his closest friend is safe.  He’s not joining the Wardens to save the world.  He’s joining the Wardens to save his friend.  

Desired Connections:

THE DRAGONBORN - Tàm grew up with THE DRAGONBORN and fought to stay by his side when THE DRAGONBORN was taken under the elders’ wings.  He will do anything to protect the other man, up to and including laying down his life to ensure THE DRAGONBORN’s safety.

[alarikisms]

hello hello !! it’s kylen with another muse to bring to the party !! alright. so this is alarik & tbh you’re either going to love him or hate him cause he’s SUPER finicky 

okay so alarik is jewish & german & to get away from his parents’ parents hate they moved to seattle washington when he was like five. cause you know..... yEAH.

every since he was young alarik was kinda like a fame chaser ? he kinda would just go looking for any & all opportunities to be on tv & whatnot. like as a child he entered like.. two beauty pageants with a wig & all. ( no he did not win ) 

other than that his parents were really proud of how hard he was trying to put himself out there. even when he was going into middle school & what not alarik was trying his hardest. 

by the time he hit highschool his determination was still hella high & his parents had been saving up money to surprise him with a manager for modeling for when he turned seventeen. 

he didn’t really go anywhere for a few months. it was around the year mark when he got a little publicity for something really dumb ( aka dancing on a longboard down a street in seattle ) & people seemed to be really interested in him ?

add on the fact that he already had a manager & life was good for him. he slowly got popular & yeah. 

the reason he was online though was because he did want thew lavish lifestyle of being popular & shit but he also wanted to be able to have a connection to being a normal guy. which is why he turned to the internet early on & what not.

anyways, if you wanna plot with this boy just hmu ! he’s super relaxed & only a brat like.... 78% of the time.

[frozenprocedural]

Elsarik week, day 2!

Here's my submission for day 2! I wanted to create some sort of story behind this artwork I commissioned from @comickergirl.

Acquaintances

“Any success on the song?”

Elsa let out a sigh at Anna's question and rubbed her eyes, the mostly-blank staves of her sheet music seemingly burned into her retinas. She’d been fighting the song for weeks now- while the lyrics had practically written themselves, the tune continued to evade her.

"Nothing so far. I don't understand. I just can't hear a tune. I can't…" Something prickly and hot rose in her throat. Elsa threw the pencil aside and grabbed the paper, crumpling it and tossing it into the waste bin.

Anna stopped her when she reached for the lyric sheet. "Hey, no, leave that Els. It's been hard since Kai had to leave. Give it some time- it'll come to you."

The burning increased in her gut, and Elsa had to turn away. Kai had been with them for well over a decade. Beyond their accompanying pianist, he'd been a dear friend, helping both of them through the difficulties of establishing themselves as singers and songwriters. But with his wife falling ill, and his own age making it difficult to keep up with the job, he'd made the reluctant decision to retire.

And ever since then, Elsa had been stuck. The song lyrics had come easily enough, though she still had yet to choose a title, but nothing she tried seemed to work. Anna had helped, but both of them were quick to realize how much they'd relied on Kai and his inventive playing to create new works.

"I may have some good news. Kai was able to track down the guy he mentored… Hold on, I have his name somewhere…" Anna scrolled through her phone for several seconds, "Ah! Alarik! Alarik Geatland, that's his name. He'd been travelling, but he's interested in trying out."

Elsa shrugged. "It's worth a try, I suppose." She attempted to hide the disinterest in her voice. It wasn't that she was unaware they needed a new pianist, or how hard Anna was trying. But Elsa had always been withdrawn and slow to trust, and fitting new people into her life, even in what might only be a professional capacity, was difficult.

Anna's sad look was all she needed to know she'd been unsuccssful in keeping her tone neutral. Elsa forced herself to smile back, if only a little bit.

"I'm sorry, Anna, I know you're trying hard to make this happen. I'll keep an open mind, alright? When can he meet with us?"

"How does this afternoon sound?"

Too soon, Elsa wanted to say, but she nodded nonetheless.

………………

He was late.

Elsa was surprised to find she felt irritated at Alarik's tardiness, given how little she'd wanted the meeting. Nonetheless, she found herself tapping the edge of the chair and shifting in her seat.

Just as she was about to suggest they leave, the door to the studio burst open, admitting a tall lean man with a head of red curls flopping into his face. He was drenched, and Elsa realized it was pouring outside.

"I am so sorry!" he gasped, pushing his hair aside to reveal a sharp-featured face and bright green eyes. "I got a flat tire a few blocks from here, and had to run the rest of the way. If you are still willing to give me a chance to do so, I would still like to audition."

Anna was already standing, her smile wide. "Alarik, of course we will hear your audition. I'm sorry to hear you had trouble on the way, but you're here now, and that's what matters. I'm Anna, and that's my sister Elsa. Why don't you go ahead and play something for us?"

Elsa nodded, surprised to find herself almost… amused. Alarik's whole face lit up at Anna's words, with a wide grin that made him look boyish and young.

Alarik set aside his soaked jacket and went to the piano, lifting the key cover and sitting down. He closed his eyes, resting his hands on the keys for a moment, then began.

It was an old seafaring tune Elsa recognized from her childhood, simple enough in nature, but somehow, Alarik made it...more. He skillfully wove new harmonies and rhythms to create a masterful rendition that had Elsa tapping her foot and humming along, completely lost in the music. When he came to the last notes, she found herself wishing there was more.

Anna gave her a look, an eyebrow raised in question. Elsa nodded and stood, walking over to Alarik and offering her hand.

"Welcome to our group, Alarik."

Somehow, his smile was even wider than before.

…………

Despite their positive first meeting, it took Elsa time to become accustomed to Alarik's being there. To his credit, he gave her the space she needed, didn't try to engage her beyond what the job entailed. He and Anna got along almost right away, often laughing and joking. Even Kristoff, when he came in, tolerated Alarik's presence, although they spoke less to one another than Elsa spoke to Alarik.

And still, Elsa's song continued to evade her. With the upcoming tour looming, her frustration grew. She desperately wanted to perform it, but with each passing day, she was forced to accept it would not come to be.

It was after one particularly tough day, hot and muggy, with the air conditioning doing little to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere. With multiple failed attempts to gain traction with the tune, Elsa, fighting a growing headache, finally crumpled the paper and hurled it to the side with a growled “I can’t!”. Ignoring Anna’s outstretched hand and Alarik’s concerned look, Elsa found an empty room and entered, pressing her palms to her throbbing head.

She could just hear the murmured conversation between Alarik and Anna, although she couldn’t make out anything distinct. She heard retreating footsteps, then silence.

As she focused on her breathing, eyes closed, she heard a few tentative notes begin. Slow, spread out, the notes being teased out. Silence again, and then a lilting line began to play, a few notes standing out from the repeating pattern. Elsa listened, something hopeful growing in her chest. She stood, returning to the practice room to find her crumpled paper resting on the music shelf. Alarik was bent over the keys, and even without seeing his face, Elsa knew his eyes were closed. His head swayed back and forth, his fingers flying over the keyboard. The song had changed, sped up, the fingers of his left hand rolling over and over, invoking a feeling of running, of freedom.

“That’s it.” Elsa didn’t realize she’d spoken so loudly until Alarik stopped, turning to look at her with wide eyes. She shook her head, instinctively taking a step back. “I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“No, wait, please.” Alarik held his hand out. “Anna… Anna said you’d been working on this song. I’m sorry if I overstepped, but I wanted to try to see if I could tease something out. If you don’t want me to, I’ll stop.”

Elsa stopped, then stepped up to the piano, resting a hand on the edge. “Could… could you play the beginning again?”

Alarik grinned. “Of course.” He began to play once more, and it was Elsa’s turn to close her eyes, listening to the flow of the tune. With each rolling note, a melody began to form. She hummed it at first, then let the lyrics flow.

Every inch of me is trembling

But not from the cold….

…………….

No matter how many times she performed, Elsa always experienced a rush of nerves before stepping on stage. This time was no different, and she found herself nervously plucking at the fabric of her white dress. It was the final song of the night, after Anna and Kristoff’s duet.

“Hey,” She jumped, then turned to see Alarik. He wore a dark suit over a deep green shirt, his normally messy curls oiled and combed back. “Are you alright?”

“A bit nervous, that’s all.” He nodded.

“For what it’s worth, I know you’ll be fine. You’re amazing at this.” He flushed, looking away, but Elsa found herself smiling.

“So are you.” It was her turn to blush, but before she could say anything more, she heard their names being called, and the stage manager motioned them on. Before they stepped into the light, Alarik took her hand and squeezed it.

Elsa greeted the crowd, as she had done numerous times, and then nodded to Alarik, who was at the piano bench. He nodded back, then began.

The notes all but danced about her, and as she began to sing, Alarik’s playing wove masterfully around her, bolstering her sound without being overpowering, swelling as the bridge and final chorus echoed through the hall. As the final notes echoed throughout the hall, the audience surged to their feet, their applause thunderous. As they stepped back and made one final bow, Elsa glanced sideways at Alarik, surprised to feel a warmth growing within as she watched him, curls flopping in front of his face.

She found herself eager to see what more they would accomplish...together.