#flew waaaay too close to the sun

[souphamsters]

I've been hopelessly fixated on drawing one (1) sweetheart butchfemme couple ... they're all I think abt ... HELP !!!

(silly lesbian ocs that I love , chae🍓and lucky🍋!!!)

[visage-of-hell]

Okay SO ... apparently I didn't learn anything from the LAST time I was "oh-so-confident" I was gonna get, like ... hella writing done and then the universe imploded, cuz HERE WE ARE AGAIN! XD Sorry, y'all, offline world continues to be nuts in random intervals and I suck at determining how big or small my windows of writing/arting opportunities are and then I get WAY too confident WAY too soon/late. So THIS time ... we're gonna err on the side of HELLA fuckin' cautious and I'mma just say ... EVERY attempt possible will be made to start getting replies and starters out over the next few days. Cuz apparently when we're negative and/or vague, we get shit done, so ... let's put it to the test again! LOL

[galaxymagitech]

hiiii ⭐️ and ❤️ for the “jason writes fic” fic??

Thank you so much for the ask! I am really excited to share stuff about this fic.

Really Cool Ask Game (anyone can ask questions for any fic if you want! or reblog it and then people can ask you questions!) | Jason Todd vs. The AO3 Curse

♡ SMALL THINGS: pick a fic and I’ll tell you my favorite minor detail from it!

I think my favorite minor detail is the fic titles. I didn’t explain them anywhere, so they probably went unnoticed, but I’m very proud of them:

“No Net Ensnares Me” comes from a Jane Eyre quote: “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” I think this quote fits Jason perfectly, from his rejection of his time as Robin to his refusal to be constrained by Bruce’s code to his desire for independence and power over his own story.

“Don’t Fly Too Low” refers to Icarus. Perhaps Jason flew too close to the sun as Robin, but this emphasizes that there was pressure from both ends—I think that Jason firmly believes he would be kicked out if he wasn’t Robin.

The last two titles are lyrics (or modified lyrics) from Poison Idea songs. Jason is canonically a fan—he has a Poison Idea poster in his Crime Alley hideout. I know nothing about Poison Idea, but I looked up some of their songs to find ones that fit.

“started with nothing (ended with less)” — This is from “Feel the Darkness” and I think encapsulates quite a lot of Bruce and Jason’s fraught relationship from an older Jason’s POV. Highlights include “Meet a man who'll make your dreams come true / Your worst nightmare has just begun for you.” Bruce made Jason Robin, gave him a home, gave him magic…but it ended with a nightmarish death. And later “I can't think about running back to (you) / You started with nothing, but you ended up with less.” And this is basically Jason screaming “you’ve lost me” at the top of his lungs. “You’ve lost me, and you’re never getting your son back.” Jason starts this fic while things with Bruce are still good, but it carries him into the darkness and beyond his death.

“Soul of a Washrag” — This one’s from Taken by Surprise. At first glance, the song’s lyrics fit Jason and Bruce again (references to an “imperious aura” and lack of emotion). But I think parts of it also match up really well with “I just wanted to believe we could be family again.” Highlights include: “For a moment, I thought I saw something in your eyes / That's when I was taken by surprise.” Like, Jason genuinely believed for a moment that he and Dick could be Nightwing together, as crazy as it was. “You said, ‘it takes two to start a war.’” This line just kills me. Because Jason is reaching out, but he’s also partially at fault for burning all his bridges, and it’s tragic all around. And “soul of a washrag” refers to just feeling wrung-out, and could refer to any of the three characters.

So yeah I put waaaay too much effort into something with very little chance of being noticed, but I love these details.

✰ NEW SHAPES: send me a fic and I’ll give you an alternate direction the fic could have gone!

Well, to start off, this fic was originally supposed to be a Tumblr post. And then I thought, well, maybe it’ll be multiple Tumblr posts and I’ll make a master list of Jason’s A/Ns. And then I remembered I could do HTML formatting in AP3 to make it actually look vaguely like actual AO3 notes, and my programmer brain was hooked. A couple things I considered as well:

Canon divergence—I was seriously considering having the Batfamily find his author’s notes while he was just starting out as Red Hood and then have the story play out secondhand.

Focus on comments—I wanted to have a comment section, which would have involved Tim’s account and eventually other characters as well. But I couldn’t figure out the HTML. I prefer it with just the notes, though, because I like the flow from note to note.

I was originally going to not include half the Red Hood stuff I did and instead focus on Jason’s responses to commenters and random (non-canon) anecdotes. I eventually chose to follow canon pretty closely to make us all “in on the joke.”

[sparkledragons]

May i request some dragon!Taako and Dragon!Kravitz finding Angus as an egg and hatching him and raising him? i know there are some out there like it, but I wanted to read it in your style! thank you for taking the time to read this!

Alright so this isn’t exactly what you asked for and tbh I’m not sure how I feel about how it came out and it also took waaaay too long cause i got this ask when i was going through exam times and also here you go:

Taako’s copper wings skillfully caught the air as he gracefully soared over the hill lands. The harsh heat of the summer sun beat pleasantly against his upper scales as he scanned the grasses below for a meal. Perhaps he’d come across some wild horses. He might get lucky and land himself a griffon or chimera, but for now the only creatures to catch his eye were things like goats and rabbits; not worth his time.The dragon huffed a sigh of boredom. It was a slow day and he’d been hoping to take a trip to the small humanoid village and play some of those money-based games they seemed to care for so much. Taako enjoyed wording his way around their trivial rules, even if he never much desired the meager copper and occasional gold pieces at stake. He did, however, have a rather large collection of shoes by now and many of the townsfolk knew not to play games with the magic-inclined elf he made himself out be. A shame, he rather enjoyed that disguise. If he returned to the layer now maybe Kravitz would be willing to switch off hunting duties for the day. He’d done the last three shifts, one more couldn’t hurt. Taako’d make it up to him next time.As he mulled over the possible excuses he could weave to convince him a traveling caravan caught his attention. Eight carts in total, passing through the thin trails snaking through the hills. Looked like he might get a chance to play today after all.Taako beat his wings in the direction of the humanoids, even from a distance he could hear their shouts of concern as a creature as large as himself approached. Dumbasses. Didn’t they know the difference between a chromatic and a metallic. He wasn’t gonna do anything except maybe making walking a bit more painful for them. Even then they could just ride in the carts anyways.His landing shook the narrow path, sending rocks tumbling down the hillside. The travelers struggled to control their horses, startled by the apex predator suddenly in their midst. Taako chose to take his eleven form, to ease tensions. Most mortals didn’t fancy talking up to a fifteen foot flying reptile if they could help it.“Hail and well met travelers!” Taako greeted, flashing a ever so slightly devious smile. “What brings you to these hills?” He didn’t approach, keeping his distance to gauge their reactions.The caravaners talked nervously amongst each other and Taako did them the courtesy of not trying to listen in. They were mostly human, though he caught sight of a gnome and two elves within the crowd as well. They were all caring some form of weaponry. He liked to see that. These were dangerous hills and he’d watched one too many traveler meet their doom due to lack of defense. Eventually a rough-looking human was pushed forward. He had a scraggly beard and it looked like his cloths had seen better days. It also seemed he could do with a bath. As much as humans smelled this one in particular made Taako’s nose wrinkle even from a distance.“A-apologies m-mighty dragon… sir,” he licked his lips nervously. “We weren’t aware this- uhm.. We weren’t aware this land was your territory.”Taako laughed. He liked how he laughed in this form, high-pitched and light instead of deep and earth-shaking. He also liked when humans thought they had to be all polite and shit. Like, as long as they didn’t insult him or something he was fine with informality. And it wasn’t like he owned this land. He just lived here. Owning shit like that was a chromatic thing.“Cool it, Kimosabi. Just looking for a game. Do you like games?” Taako’s grin widened and he steepled his fingers at an angle. He really hoped they’d say yes. He wanted to quickly trick these people out of their footwear and be on his way. He didn’t need to go through the whole ‘here’s why we should play a game together’ bit.“Y-yes?” The man said, although he didn’t really sound that confident. Ah well, Taako wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.“Wonderful,” Taako lilted and approached, allowing a deck of cards to appear in his hand. “So. What kind of-“ His usually spiel was cut off by a high-pitched whine sounding from somewhere among the caravans. The noise immediately set Taako on edge and he raised his fancy elven ears to search for the source.“Shit,” one of the elves cursed. Di’an go shut that thing up, she hissed to the other in elvish. Now that was insulting. Did they think Taako would take a form he didn’t know the language of? He heard the whine again and felt a snarl building in his throat.“Is there something you wan to tell me?” he practically growled to the travelers, the thieves. “Maybe something concerning a lost hatchling?”

The entire caravan was on edge as Taako’s angry gaze slid from person to person. He could practically smell the fear coming off them.“W-we promise we…” the human who addressed him before spoke up. “We promise we just found it. It-it was alone, and-“ another call of the scared wyrmling interrupted him. “Yeeeaaaah,” Taako narrowed his eyes, “that’s not gonna fly.”Taako was back in his dragon form in seconds and spewing gas over the humanoids attempting to draw their weapons. As the vapor entered their lungs and circulatory system Taako could see their movements slowing. The chemicals in his breath were locking up their muscles and sinking into their nervous system. He’d grin and take a moment to appreciate his power if he weren’t currently ripping apart caravans searching for a lost dragon child.He found him in the third cart, curled up in a too-small cage and bound with leather straps. Taako snarled angrily and his tail lashed, sending carts and likely some people over the edge of the trail. Pricks along his back legs alerted him to the humans jabbing at him with their swords. The silver mother they took the hatchling from must have been younger than him to have been defeated by these pathetic creatures. Their attempts were no more than a nuisance and he brought his head around to kill a magic user channeling her spell with a quick snap of his jaws.Anyone smart enough to hang back were now running as fast as their legs could carry them. A few pulled themselves onto horses cut loss in Taako’s raid. He payed them no mind, instead reaching down to rip apart the bars of the cage.The wyrmling whined again, unable to do much else with the fucking bindings holding his wings down and mouth together. Taako reached a paw in and carefully scooped him out. He was too warm for a silver dragon. Admittedly Taako didn’t know much about them, they lived high in the mountains and until now he’d never actually seen one before, but he knew they weren’t supposed to be warm-scaled dragons.Cradling the dragonling close to his chest, shielded as much as he could from the sun’s heat, Taako took flight. The beating of his wings alone knocked another cart down the hill face, but that wasn’t thorough enough. He sucked in a breath and let lose a blast of rock-melting acid, leaving a gaping wound in the side of the landscape. He hoped some of the humanoids was caught in it.He flew to the layer as fast as his wings would carry him. He took the secret entrance a hill or two away from the ruins decorating what Kravitz had made into the leading cave for travelers to wander in. On some days Taako passed his time working his way through his own traps and illusions, improving and altering them to his wishes. He didn’t have time for that now.He slipped through the narrow opening in the cliff-side, still keeping the too-still wyrmling to his chest. Inside was much cooler, the deep earth forever shielded from the sun’s heat.“Kravitz!” he called through the tunnels. He didn’t wait for a response before worming his way through to the main treasure room. He knew he had some enchanted bullshit that made things colder in here somewhere. Coins, trinkets, and gems cascaded from the piles as he dug though them to the best of his ability while cradling a hatchling.“Taako?” Kravitz entered the cavern wearily. The golden serpent tended to spend his days off sleeping if he could. He liked to be alone sometimes and Taako could respect that on most occasions. This was not one such moment. “Taako what are you doing?”Taako paused his search for a brief moment to shove the child in Kravitz’s direction.“What is… Fuck is that a silver wyrmling!?” Kravitz started, taking the small form from Taako’s hold. “Where did you find him? The nearest silver territory is miles from our boarder.” The quite snaps of breaking leather told Taako Kravitz was snapping the bindings. Good. He hadn’t had time in his rush.Ah! A glint of enchanted blue satin caught Taako’s eye and he reached through to grab the blanket of ice. This thing was meant to keep stuff cold instead of warm. A curious object to be sure. The things mortals came up with.He turned to drape the fabric over the panting little dragon and immediately watched him relax, letting out a sigh of contentment. His scales looks so dull and his now released wings hung loose at his sides, too exhausted to bother tucking them in.“Taako where did you find a wyrmling?” Kravitz repeated, settling the silver dragon into a pile of coin.“A caravan train. Had him locked up in there and thought I wouldn’t notice.” Taako sniffed at the sickly hatchling.A concerned rumble made it’s way up from Kravitz’s throat. He reached a claw forward to lightly nudge the young dragon. The wyrmling was looking up at them intently despite his bleary eyes.“Do-uh… Do you have name?” Kravitz asked and yeah that’d probably be better than continuing to refer to him as ‘the wyrmling’ or ‘the hatchling.’“Angus,” the wyrmling, er, Angus replied, scratchy voice barely over a whisper. Taako had to strain to hear it.“What happened to yah, Ango?” Crisis seemingly averted, Taako climbed up on the pile of treasures to lie down. He’d probably have to go out again later since he hadn’t actually caught anything but that was a problem for future Taako.Angus curled in on himself. It was at least a minute before he said anything. “It was an ambush, sir. Mother didn’t see it coming. I don’t think they expected to find me afterwards.”Kravitz hissed through gritted teeth and and glared at the wall. “Some mortals are… especially vile.” “Thank you for helping me. I’ll get out of your scales as soon as I’m well enough.”Taako studied Angus for a brief moment. He was already looking better but certainly wasn’t in any shape to be on his own. The bindings had left some nasty wounds along his wings and snout. Bahamut above, he did not feel like looking after a wyrmling; but even without the heat sickness Angus was probably too young to be on his own.“Yeah that’s bullshit,” Taako rolled his eyes.“Taako, language” Kravitz scolded, gesturing towards Angus.“It’s ok you can curse in front of me,” Angus quickly interjected.“Cool. That’s bullshit and we’re not gonna kick you out.”Angus sheepishly pulled his head in towards his body and said, “O-oh. I don’t want to be a bother. Really. I can-““Angus,” Kravitz interrupted, “it’s a mute point until your healthy anyways. At least agree to stay until then?”“I-“ Angus started, about to protest.Taako make a short humming sound in the back of his throat and stared pointedly at Angus once he had his attention.“Alright. I’ll stay until I’m healthy.”Taako nodded ever so slightly and set his head back down to the pile. There was no fucking way he was letting this kid leave even once he was healthy, but they’d get to that another day. For now he’d rest and heal.A soft nudge in his side prompted Taako to irritably open his eyes again. Kravitz was looking down at him expectingly.“Can I help you?” Taako smugly grinned.“Hunting?”The smile quickly fell from Taako’s face. “Shit…”

[kristannafever]

Bad Dream - Part 4

Kristanna Canon au Rated: M WC: 3495

FLUFF!  Waaaay too much of it.  And heavy on dialogue… so I feel it’s kind of boring, but had to get it out of the way before what happens next….(Cue ominous music)

Chapter Index

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Kristoff woke slowly.  He could feel Anna still pressed up against him as he became more aware, gradually opened his eyes and realizing that he had slept the entire night without dreams.  Actually, he felt rested for the first time in what seemed like a very long time.  He thanked the Gods for it and hoped Anna’s sleep went dreamless as well. 

She was breathing slowly and softly under his arm, still in a deep sleep.  He dared not move so as not to disturb her.  He desperately wanted her to catch up on her rest, to be able to sleep without the fear of being haunted by the things that had happened.  

The room was filled with a flat light.  Kristoff knew without looking that clouds were obscuring the sun and that rain would soon start to fall.  Autumn would be coming early this year.  It was Kristoff’s favorite time of the year - the morning air was crisp but the days still warm, the trees changing their colors and losing their leaves, the extra comfort of a warm fire at night and the pumpkins and winter squash that were available in the markets to make fine stews. 

But he also knew with every early fall the mountains brought, they would follow with a dreadfully long and brutal winter.  He’d never been in Arendelle over the course of an entire winter and he wondered what he would do to bide his time.

Anna stirred under his arm as Kristoff was lost in thought.  She gradually woke, snuggling herself again his body, hummin with satisfaction.

“Did you dream?” Kristoff whispered in her ear.

She smiled but did not open her eyes. “Only of you.” 

“Pleasant dreams I hope?” he fished.

She laughed.  “Oh my yes, very pleasant.  Very intima…”  Her eyes flew open and the smile fell from her face.  “Very nice, yes,” she covered quickly.

Kristoff laughed in spite of himself.  He was glad to have a sleepless night but was a little envious that he did not have an intimate dream about Anna the way she had clearly had about him.  He rolled away to his side of the bed and got up, stretching out his body.  He could feel Anna’s eyes on him as his back was to her.

A knock at the door startled them both.  He whipped around and looked at Anna, her eyes as wide as his. 

“Kristoff?” said Elsa’s muffled voice.  “Is Anna in there?  Can I come in?” 

Anna shook her head violently at Kristoff.  She scrambled off the bed and clumsily gathering her dress and undergarments in her arms. 

“Uhhhh,” Kristoff stammered.  “Just a second.  I’m not… uh… decent.” 

He quickly grabbed a shirt lying on the ground and yanked it over his head.  As he was shoving his arms into the sleeves Anna mouthed words at him, ‘I’m not here.’

“Kristoff?” Elsa said again with impatience in her voice.

He looked back at Anna who was ducking behind the far side of the bed with no where else in the room to hide.  He inhaled deeply, smoothed out his shirt and opened the door.

“Is Anna in here?  She’s not in her room.”  Her voice was sharp.

“Uh, no, not here.  Maybe she uh, woke early and went for a walk?” Kristoff chided himself for stammering.

“Her bed has not been slept in,” Elsa said accusingly.

Kristoff knew that Anna had not wanted her sister to know she had spent the night with him and he had to admit that he didn’t either.  He knew the implications of the lie they were telling and he knew he would have to act concerned given the current situation they were all in. 

“Okay then, I’m worried.  Let’s go find her,” he said as he entered the hallway and closed the door behind him.

*****

Anna immediately scrambled to put on her clothes.  She fumbled so much with her undergarments that she began to panic causing her to take a second to calm herself before she could continue.  With shaking hands, she re-did all the buttons on her dress and pulled it over her head.  She ignored pain as she contorted her arms to get the dress on.

She dashed from Kristoff’s room in the opposite direction she had heard Kristoff and Elsa go, hoping that she would not meet anyone in the halls.  She went to the closest logical place she could have spent the night, shutting the door behind her.  No sooner had she grabbed a book off the shelf and laid down on the couch closing her eyes then Elsa strode into the room. 

“Anna!” 

Elsa’s voice was so heavy with relief that the startle Anna knew she had to fake upon being woken up, felt very genuine.  She felt the sharpness of guilt poke at her, knowing that Elsa had been worried.

Anna scrambled to her feet as Elsa pulled her into an embrace.  “Oh Anna, I went to wake you and when you weren’t in your room and your bed was still made…” she trailed off hugging Anna tight.

Anna looked at Kristoff over her sister’s shoulder.  She could see the guilt he harbored in his eyes as well before he averted them to the floor.  “I’m sorry, Elsa.  I wasn’t tired so I came here to read and I fell asleep,” she lied.

Elsa held her at arms length.  “I’m just glad you’re okay.”  Her eyes suddenly became accusing.  “And I’m sure Kristoff is too.”  She turned from Anna to look at him standing in the doorway. 

Anna’s breath caught in her throat and she could see the look of panic blaze across Kristoff’s eyes.  She had said that so pointedly that they both knew in an instant that Elsa had figured out their lies, but was choosing not to acknowledge out loud what she had learned. 

“Well then, why don’t you two head for breakfast.  I have things to do,” Elsa said.  

Anna began to follow Kristoff as he disappeared into the hall when a sharp tug at her sleeve stopped her. 

Elsa’s eyes were filled with warning. “We will talk about his later.”

Anna gave a sheepish nod and sprinted quickly after Kristoff, away from Elsa’s scrutiny. 

*****

The day went by at a snail’s pace.  Anna was too distracted to do anything besides follow Kristoff around as he did chores.  He had been told of course, when he was given his room in the castle that he would have no such obligations, but she knew that he was uncomfortable with not using his hands for work.  Being idle did not suit him anyway.

As it was getting late in the day, Anna lazily brushed Sven’s fur as Kristoff mucked out the stall.  She was half mesmerized by his body moving under his shirt, remembering back to the morning as she watched his muscles ripple across his back like waves while he had stretched out the nights sleep.   She was pulled from her happy observations upon hearing her name.

“Princess Anna.”  A castle aide stood at the entrance to the stables.  “Queen Elsa has requested a word.  She is in her study.”

Anna gulped and looked at Kristoff who had stopped his work.  He slowly turned to her with a question she knew in his eyes.  She could only shrug, her lips pulled into a thin line.  She didn’t know what the answer would be. 

*****

Kristoff watched Anna walk towards the castle with a nervous sadness.  He suspected that she would be told to stop the impropriety of sleeping in a man’s bed while she remained unwed.  He felt in his heart that it completely harmless, but he knew it was viewed as wildly inappropriate.

As he busied himself back at work, a light ran finally began to fall from the clouds that had been hanging low over Arendelle all day, which to Kristoff, seemed ironically fitting.  He thought again over what he had been mulling over in his mind all day, that the nights sleep, so deep and free of nightmares, had formed a deep bond between them that there was no turning back from it.  Despite his previous reservations about her feelings, he knew this time that Anna had felt the connection as well, just as he knew it would now be impossible for them to not to sleep in the same bed if they were under the same roof.

He knew what he needed – wanted - to do to make the situation right, but he worried that their time being holed up in the castle with the threats looming beyond its walls would make it difficult to acquire what he needed.  He also knew who he had to talk to, but he was terrified of the conversation he would have to have.

*****

Anna entered Elsa’s study slowly as her sister’s muffled come in came through the door.  She was sitting behind her big desk with her hands folded neatly on top of it, eyeing Anna in a way she was unfamiliar with.  Was it disappointment she saw in her sister’s gaze?  Mere disapproval?  Perhaps anger?  Things had been so happy amongst them as of late that the expression her sister wore was foreign to her.  She was at least glad that doors now opened when she knocked. 

“Please sit.”  

Elsa gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the desk.  The formality in which her sister was treating her made her even more uneasy.  She sat as commanded, watching Elsa regard her a moment before speaking. 

“Anna, I thought we agreed that we would no longer have secrets between us.”

Anna opened her mouth but Elsa’s raised her palm to quiet her.

“I understand that is very hypocritical coming from me, but after everything that happened and we have talked for the first time in…”  she paused, pain flashing in her eyes.  “… a long time, we agreed that there would never ever be secrets between us again.”

There was a silence as Anna contemplated the weight of her sister’s words.  They had indeed promised each other that.  She twisted the fabric of her skirt nervously in her hands as she grasped to find the right way to tell her, knowing there would be no more lies from her mouth.  

“Where did you really sleep last night?” Elsa prodded.  Rain began to tap lightly on the window of the study.

“In Kristoff’s bed,” Anna answered, casting her eyes downward, unable to watch her sister’s expressions as she confessed to her. “I really didn’t want to be alone last night.  I was scared, I guess… and lonely.”

Elsa said nothing.

“It was the best sleep I have had since what happened,” she told her sister, eyes still down at her hands.  “I slept soundly in a way I was used to when we were young… when we were close as kids… before you shut me out.”

She knew her words had hurt Elsa without having to look up.  A sharp inhale told her that her sister understood what she was saying, which gave Anna a conflicted feeling of sorrow and justification.  She hadn’t wanted to dwell on it, to bring it up, but it was hard to forget all those lonely years so quickly.

It was a while before Anna raised her gaze to see a glimmer of tears in Elsa’s eyes and she immediately regretted what she had said.  But at the same time a piece of her felt happy that Elsa was finally understanding how after all those years of solitude, it would be natural of her to seek solace, to seek comfort.  Had the past events not taught her that?

“Anna…” Elsa’s voice was weary.  “I am so sorry.  I know there are not enough times in this life I could say that, but we have to move forward from this.  You know I have suffered in those years too.  I’ve spent just as many lonely nights in our past as you.  You understand that, don’t you?”

Elsa’s words cut her back and she began to cry.  She cried over the past, brought so freshly up in her mind.  She cried for the present, of their fear of retaliation from a problem they thought was solved.  She cried for the future that she has a hard time imagining at the moment whereas a week ago she knew that everything to come would be happy and wonderful.

She felt Elsa pull her from her seat into an embrace and her sister’s body cry in tandem with hers, but Anna could not offer any sort of comfort.  The wounds that were so deep have been opened and she could not help the flood of emotion that rolled out of her. 

It is some time before the sisters calmed their demeanor and held each other at arms length.  Finally, Elsa broke the silence in a way that surprised Anna. 

“I guess I should get used to the fact that you are truly a woman now.”

Anna wasn’t sure if it was the wording or her sister’s tone that made her realize exactly what Elsa had thought spending the night with Kristoff had meant. 

“Elsa, you don’t understand,” Anna said quickly.  “I only sought his comfort and that is all he wanted in return.  Nothing… happened.”

Elsa’s eyes scanned her face. “So… you still have your…?”

“Of course!” Anna said loudly to imply the obviousness of it.  “You don’t think Kristoff would be the kind of man to take that from me right now… do you?” 

Elsa shook her head quickly she but Anna didn’t miss the relief in her face.  “Of course not, he is very honorable.  I am truly sorry I have misjudged you… both of you.”

Anna could understand her sister not fully grasping the situation.  She had been so afraid to open up to people for so long that a relationship such as the one Kristoff and Anna shared must seem almost impossible to her.  She felt a sudden pang of sadness for her sister and she hoped one day that she would work her way to open up to someone and find her own true love.

“As long as you are discreet, I will have nothing else to comment on the matter,” Elsa said.  “But should you cross that line into womanhood, I hope that you would at least tell me.” 

The look on her face was more of a protective parent than a sister at that moment, and it drove home to Anna a small piece of what her sister must have been going through since their parents had died. 

“Can I ask,” Anna said bluntly. “Did you know when you knocked on Kristoff’s door that I was there?” 

“No,” Elsa said slowly.  “I was genuinely worried, but Kristoff is terrible at feigning emotions.”  She laughed.  “If you really were missing, he would have been a hurricane going through this castle to find you instead of following me around looking in rooms.”

Anna laughed in spite of herself.  She did indeed know that to be the truth.

She left Elsa’s study to seek out Kristoff.  He was surely done the mucking of the stalls and he would be somewhere inside since the rain had become heavier.  She could not help but feel excited at the prospect of her future nights in the bed of the man she loved.  So warm and so comforted and so safe, she didn’t even realize her stride quickened at the thought of it. 

*****

Kristoff sought out Elsa that night while Anna took a bath.  He found her in the hall outside her room - the one her parents had once slept in - looking fixedly out the window through the rain that surely obscured her view.  She didn’t even acknowledge that he was standing there until he gently cleared his throat, yet she looked his way slowly as if she was indeed aware that he was standing there and had been choosing to ignore him.

“Uh, Elsa… Queen Elsa…” he stammered nervously until a slight pull at the corner of Elsa’s mouth told him that she wasn’t as furious with him as he imagined she was, and probably should have been.  

“I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt Anna…in any sort of way,” he continued walking closer, looking her intently in the eyes as he towered above her so that she would understand the weight of his words.  “I know that I am not worthy of her.  I have no noble lineage and nothing to offer her other than my undying love, my loyalty and my protection, such as it is.”

Elsa still said nothing.

Kristoff continued, “I want you to know that I have forfeit my life to her.” 

Elsa’s eyes widened and brows raised ever so slightly at that comment. 

Good, he thought, she is listening. “I have nothing yet to present to her, but I want to ask you, when the time is right of course, for your permission to offer her my hand… if she’ll have it.”

“Oh Kristoff,” Elsa said. “I know that you love her, and I know that she loves you back, so very much.  While I may not agree with what you’ve decided as your sleeping arrangements, I understand the want and need of it and I am happy that you and Anna both look so well rested today.”

Elsa surprised him by grabbing up his hand and squeezing it tightly between hers. 

“You don’t know in what high regard I hold you, do you?” 

Kristoff could only shake his head. 

“You risked your life to help Anna.  You saved her so that she could save me and herself, and neither of us will be able to properly repay you for that.  You are courageous and honest and act more of a gentleman than most of the noble people that have visited here.  You are worthy of her, and she of you, so put those thoughts from your mind.”  She dropped his hand.  “And of course, you have my permission to ask Anna to marry you.  But don’t think she needs to be given a shiny trinket.  She would wear a piece of string as long as it was from you.”

Waves of relief rolled through Kristoff’s mind and body like a tidal wave, making his heart swell for the beautiful sisters even more.  He felt happy tears prick at his eyes which he could see did not unnoticed by Elsa.  

Her eyes narrow in thought for a moment and she said, “I love you, Kristoff… because Anna loves you and because I love her, so very much.  You fit in so well with us and I welcome you to our family.”   

Kristoff hugged her tightly and quickly, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat.  “Thank you,” he said thickly, then he bid her a quick goodnight and turned before she could see the tears of gratitude escape his eyes.

*****

Anna came to his room that night and automatically grabbed one of his shirts.  He knew by the zealous way in which she moved that it matched the smile which he could not seem to wipe from his face.  No words were spoken as they resumed the same position from the previous evening.  Hans was all but a distant memory as they prepared to share a bed once more.  Sleep came swift to them both. 

That night Kristoff woke by the sound of rain pounding on the glass of his window.  It hadn’t yet stopped since the sprinkling had started that afternoon, and from the sounds of it, would not let up any time soon.  Thunder rolled softly in the distance. 

Kristoff dozed off again, wondering somewhere in the back of his mind if the rain was somehow foreboding. 

*****

The sea-weathered captain regarded his shipmates with careful eyes.  Had he not been offered so much money, he would have told the young man with a hooded face and his dirty old friend with a twisted cane, to find some other passage to Arendelle.  But the lure of gold had been too much and he ignored his gut telling him that these two were trouble.  Even his crew had given him questioning glances as the passengers came aboard.

The anger he saw in the young mans eyes made him especially uneasy.  More uneasy than the fact that he was sure the dirty old codger was a warlock.  The two did not speak while he was in their presence, and that suited him just fine. 

“How long until we reach Arendelle?” asked the hooded figure in a very low and menacing voice, startling the captain.

“’’Bout two days,” said the captain, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.  He wished again he had turned down their offer.

The hooded man nodded slightly and said nothing more.

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