#i feel like he COULD fit in Runo's world

[whiplashisthinkingaboutbakugan]

One thing I think sucks is how the Bakugan seem to have less personality as the series goes on. I’m not touching the third reboot with a ten foot poll I’m a full grown adult. I only have the patience for one reboot. I say this to say I can’t speak on that one. But I watched both Battle Brawlers and Battle Planet.

When I got to Mechtanium surge I got sad that they switched Shun and Marucho’s Bakugan again. Marucho hasn’t had a compelling Bakugan since Elphin. And while I like Elphin…Preyas was the best Bakugan personality wise in the whole series. Nobody made you have more fun on screen. Aquamos was fine. He had a distinct personality just less of one? When they actually made him pretty much only say ‘cool is the rule’ I knew it was Jover. Whoever Marucho has now, their entire personality is just being angry and I’m not a fan!!! Don’t give Bakugan just one personality trait. Preyas had it allllll ugh.

Shun and Skyress’ dynamic was special. The way she left the show was special too. She came back on occasion as well which felt more real. I remember Shun having to adjust to Ingram. Hawktor and Ingram were kind of similar to me but also yooo Ingram was transmasc? Real. Whoever Shun is with now is just his personality again which is less interesting. At least Hawktor seemed to have new opinions.

Runo, Alice, and Julie never switched Bakugan but what happened to theirs?? I await Mechtanium Surge to answer. But all of them had banger dynamics with their Bakugan.

Every new important character has some kind of dynamic with their Bakugan. That I can say. The arc with Rubinoid in Gundalian Invadors really got me. Even Anubius has a dynamic with his Bakugan if I recall correctly.

I think instead of swapping out Shun and Marucho’s Bakugan, you either give them multiple Bakugan or just do what every season does; add more characters with new Bakugan.

I liked Battle Planet. S3 or Geogan Rising was rough but I liked the other seasons for the most part. But the only Bakugan I can say that had personalities was Pharol, Nillious, Drago, and Trox on occasion. We’re going to put aside the Bakugan that were villains in the series cause they kind of don’t count for what I’m talking about. Of course Viloch and Tikko have personalities they’re the villains. But I can’t really think of an iconic villain and Bakugan duo. The reboot does a lot more Gus and Vulcan kind of pairings rather than Barodius and Dharak yknow? I can’t really think of what’s unique in the dynamic of Hydrous and reboot Shun. Or if Hydrous really had a personality. Drago in this show seems way more laid back and less…there. In the reboot they brawlers hardly spend time bonding with their Bakugan minus that one season they got new ones, and it was a little disappointing. Drago and Dan’s bond felt right because it’s always Dan and Drago. I do see them have a dynamic sometimes in the reboot but it’s so much less pronounced. Pegatrix and Lia just have the same personality and Trox is usually the same with Winton minus when they disagree. Honestly with Dan’s other friends they don’t really go past “mmm I don’t know about that,” when their Brawlers are being a little silly. I could be wrong as I said I watched it all when each season dropped.

Magnus and Nillious Dynamic is significant because of the whole age thing. Magnus had to push to bond with Nillious to understand him. It was compelling! Pharol’s personality had always been compelling. He’s inquisitive and competitive. He guides Ajit emotionally and Ajit tells him about the world. These two are my favorite reboot characters so I am biased but I think this is at least some of the reason why. They feel like they really fit Bakugan.

The most compelling villain in the reboot that isn’t Magnus was Haavik but Haavik’s Bakugan didn’t have a personality!

The reboot got one thing right, not replacing the cast or brawlers or Bakugan. What they got wrong was not putting depth in their dynamic. I fear the worst of this trend continues.

TLDR never trade out your star of the show (Preyas.)

REAL TLDR: I love these shows most when Brawler and Bakugan share that bond of friendship that the show’s all about. Make sure I can feel it. Dan and Drago changed my life. I wanna make sure that if Bakugan can do that it does with those feelings it gave me.

THATS WHY YOU SHOULDNT TURN THEM INTO BEYBLADES. Goodnight Tri-state area.

[belliesandburps]

Hey, if you’re still open for headcanons, here’s mine:

-Aidan and Kai often like to bathe in hot, boiling lava.

-Mako’s playlist is most likely the “Jaws” theme on endless loop(cliché, I know).

-Loch, Kentaro, Adam, and Koloss get the most enjoyment out of anyone being attracted to their ravenous appetites! Hence why they often allow belly rubs and being fed by willing servants.

-Koloss and Mako tend to bite into steel-hard objects to strengthen their chompers.

-Umbark and his monster bros secretly know about Plague monster’s little “attraction” and likes to tease him every chance they get.

-Mauler acts like a puppy dog most of the time and Mako will most likely take advantage of this. Playing fetch, doing tricks. etc.

-Nara is secretly more girly than she comes out to be. She doesn’t admit it to a lot of people(other than Hakari) because she thinks it shows weakness.

Hey there! Thanks for this one, this was a lotta fun to read! I always love seeing how my OC's are interpreted by others, and these were all a blast!

Here's my general canonical thoughts on each one below, which you can skip if you'd rather I not spoil the magic. :P

Believe it or not, of the two, only Kai is physically strong enough to bathe in lava, which he DOES 100% do. He basks in lava like a spa because of the power he now possesses. Aidan can tolerate lava for a while, but it's one of the few things that can actually burn him over time. In his case, he still prefers hot springs, like the hottest springs. And as you can guess, he enjoys 'em completely in the nude. ;)

Kentaro and especially Adam are definitely the most 'flaunt-y' about their appetites. And will be the most seductive about it. Koloss loves belly rubs, but he's a bit pickier, and mostly, it's either rub his belly or ENTER it...

Loche, if I ever end up doing anything with him, actually doesn't like most people touching him. He's not a very sociable bounty hunter. He's more a blunt, no-nonsense brute...BUT, if he finds he enjoys having his blubbery gut tended to, he won't object...if a complete stranger starts rubbing his belly though...? Well, we've all seen what Marvin Martian's atomizer does...

I think Umbrak definitely is at least SOMEWHAT aware of Claudius' kinks, and even if he finds it weird, he can't resist watching the manic lil nerd get all jittery and flustered. Plus, it means he gets a good meal AND some amazing belly rubs in the process!

Mauler is as much a puppy dog as I am a reincarnated ostrich demon. If anything, MAKO'S the puppy dog, with how much of a complete doofus he is. Mauler is just way more single-minded. He IS a bit canine-like, in that he's always thinking of food, and is incredibly loyal to Mako, always by his companion's side no matter what. But throw a ball his way, and he'll just sniff it, chomp it into oblivion, then spit it out mildly annoyed that it's not an egg. :P

Nara's about as girly as I am the reincarnation of Mitch Hedberg. Through and through, she is a tomboy and lover of all things that go boom...BUT, interestingly enough, there IS a bit more vulnerability than she lets on, which she 100% refuses to show because she runs Cerberus and is less afraid of feeling weak and more just wanting to give her gang a strong anchor they can always rely on. A hint of why is inside the closed locket she keeps behind the dogtags around her neck.

Thank you again for these! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on my OC's a great deal! :)

[trashpocket]

Okay so I got this headcanon that Lalli is actually a really good singer when he wants to be. (like, he's a mage so he must be good as singing runos...) Anyways how about : Emil hears Lalli sing and falls in love with it... OR maybe Lalli singing lullabies to Emil in Finnish? Idk, feel free to play around with that if you want ^^

Sleep, sleep meadow bird,

Tired, tired, wagtail.

Sleep well in the grass,

Drift into the white land.

- Sleep, sleep Meadow Bird

Emil’s mind was a mess of hallways, and rooms, where many served no purpose, and led to dead ends. There were many corners and spaces where one could hide, and many nooks and crannies where things lay, untouched and out of place. As if it was left there, after being forgotten, afraid to be picked up once more in order to return it (as if there was no other place where it could return to). 

Lalli knew how dreamscapes functioned. They were basically an extension of one’s mind and soul, materialized into an ideal place that fit the person the most. That told the most. If you were like Onni, whose space was dominated by a lake in the center, that stayed in perpetual twilight, with a guard of trees, so thick and wide, the rocky terrains were nothing but just the beginning. Then, one would know you hid a sadness at the core of you, guarded well by walls of fear and concern, shutting anyone out from accessing the sadness that ran deep in your bones.

 And if you were like Emil, who resided in an endless maze, with every window and door shut, every drawer and cupboard filled, and everything sealed so tight, that it offered no leverage (but kept one away from the fire, away from the burning), then one would know that you were good at hiding things. 

At burying them deep.

That’s why, when Lalli witnessed Emil silently cry through a nightmare, without making a sound (as if the action was so practiced, and pressed deep into his bones, that it hurt for Lalli to even think about it), he was surprised that Emil had been hiding his tears and cries so well. Just when Lalli thought he knew Emil, who seemed like an open book, and wore his very heart on his sleeve, there Emil was, shattering his beliefs by taking him into a dreamscape that wasn’t meant to be possible. There he was, acting so unlike himself in his arms. There was he, destroying the belief that Lalli ever knew him at all. 

In fact, Lalli barely knew anything, if he thought about it. 

When he found Emil crying, he was woken to the scent of salt.

He hated the smell of it.

It reminded him of wet sand (sinking him to his knees), of grief and mourning (when he screamed till there was nothing to scream about but the deafness in his ears) and Tuuri (who had been swallowed by the waves and whose body he had lost to the sea).

Lalli had long know that the world was cruel and merciless; was harsh, and unkind. He knew it firsthand in Saimaa, witnessed it once more in Denmark.

And here? — it just hurt to watch someone he had thought were ignorant and blind, and protected from grief, be silently inflicted with it all along. Lalli was supposed to notice things. Was supposed to be perceptive.

And yes, he was.

It's just — Emil was just better at hiding some parts of him that he didn't want Lalli to see.

And though Lalli wasn't happy with the fact that there were still many things he didn't know about Emil, he pushed those worries aside. In due time, they would, but right now, he had someone who needed him.

He reached over and tentatively smoothed out Emil's hair from his wet cheeks. He continued doing so, until Emil himself woke up, eyes hazy and clouded with confusion.

"Lalli?" his voice was gravelly with the sound of sleep and breathlessness; there was a tremble in there that he also caught. Lalli didn't know what to say. Everything will be fine? He was here? Don't worry? No words seemed appropriate for Lalli to say, when they were out in the wilderness, searching for his stupid cousin, as trolls and beasts wandered about, ready to murder them if they so much as squaked at the wrong moment.

Lalli didn't know what he was trying to do, but he sat up, and his body language must've signalled comfort, because Emil allowed himself to hug Lalli around his midriff, burying his face into his belly. Lalli found it almost surreal that he was the one cradling Emil this time. It had always been Lalli who was held first.

But Emil was releasing shuddering breaths against him, trusting Lalli to muffle and take away that noise, the pain. Lalli's heart twinged strangely at that, and he carefully cradled Emil to him, content with the trust Emil thrusted upon him.

It was only natural for Lalli to sing a spell under his breath. Enough only for Emil to hear.

"Nuku, nuku nurmilintu,

Väsy, väsy, västäräkki.

Nuku nurmelle hyvälle,

Vaivu maalle valkialle."

He brushed the golden strands of Emil's hair, content to hold him there.

"Lintu tuopi liinahapaijan,

Haapana hyvän hamehen.

Kaskeloinen korvatyynyn,

Pääskynen peäalusen."

Emil had softened his grip around Lalli's waist, as he burrowed his face into Lalli's stomach. Lalli allowed him, more happy with Emil staying than pulling away. It was his fault, after all. Tearing a hole into the mind of a godless heathen? Leaving their dreamscape open and vulnerable? No wonder Emil's nightmares were terrible.

"Nuku, nuku nurmilintu,

Väsy, väsy, västäräkki.

Nuku nurmelle hyvälle,

Vaivu maalle valkialle."

But, maybe this was what Onni felt like, when he held Tuuri and him after the fall of Saimaa. Maybe this was what Onni felt, when he would sing the same spell to Lalli, on the nights where memories and terror combined so well, to reign in his nights the hardest. Maybe this was what Onni felt like, when the pressure became too much at sixteen, when he found himself alone in the world, with two of his family left, with no one to properly care for him in return.

Maybe this was what Onni felt like, when he had someone to protect.

And now, Lalli understood why Onni would run into danger, when one of the people he loved the most was taken from him.

(Still didn't excuse him, though.)

Emil looked up at Lalli, the vestiges of sleep almost engulfing his eyes. But not before Emil smiled softly, reaching up to brush Lalli's hair from his forehead, trying to comfort Lalli's worried brow.

Lalli snorted at his hand, rolling his eyes. He was comforting you, stupid, not the other way around!

But Emil didn't care, settling his cheek on Lalli's chest like an anchor, and breathing out his last words of the night before his nightmares were chased away.

"Thank you, Lalli."

That's why Lalli won't give up. If he won't give up on Emil, then he won't give up on stupid Onni, either. He had people to protect; to bring home, to talk to, and to live with.

He won't give up, not like this, when he could chase their nightmares away.

Besides, there was comfort in knowing that there was someone out there that Lalli could at least protect, and he was there, pressed close to his heart, offering a comfort Lalli hadn't thought he could ever afford.

_____________

(So, I was planning for this to be fluff, until my hands took control and now this happened but, nvm that. I wanted this small piece to emulate a dream, and im sad i didnt have enough time to fully render it :'D but i hope you enjoyed it anyway. I also didnt know if u wanted a small fic, or just a piece, so i thought, why not both?

I wanted to explore Emil's dreamscape a bit, and just think about the repurcussions of a heathen having a dreamscape that held no protection or any control for his dream environment. Would nightmares become more vivid? Would memories come out easier than before? Would Emil be even able to protect himself against any foreign entity who wished to enter his mind? Anyways, the lullaby is Nuku, nuku, Nurmilintu. Hope yall liked it!❤)

[thelittlehansy]

Prince Thimothee of the southern isles.

Some random part of that tv show idea i ve got in my description in fanfic style not script  that i m procrastinatating to wrote since 5 years  😂this is like episode 2 or 3 lottie meet one of the prince of the southern isles and suddenly...well its love at first sight. writing is also a way to improve my english so well thanks to anyone who may read this and sorry for the painful grammar XD

A place amoung others in the hotel was a restaurant that was not indifferent to lottie. 

Not only Tiana had take an opportunity to work here as a way to cope with the strange curse that had send them here but there was also a part of the restaurant that was mean for  musician group that lottie was liking a lot.

This evening was particulary enjoyable for lottie. The music was sounding great she was chatting happy with Tiana and Aurora when suddenly something had crossed her heart at the minute she saw the new singer who was making the show. 

Curly auburn hair , mysterious chocolate eyes , this man was strange. He was mysterious but at the same time lottie could tell from his face that he seems to be kind. She must have been too much concentrated on that guy for she hear tiana and Aurora laughed amused.

« Lottie... » she heard  Tiana chuckled.

«  i think she is having a crush on prince thimothee » Aurora added in a whisper.

« Prince ? He is a prince ? » lottie asked at the same time shocked and euphoric this man who was singing in front on her ,this stunning god was a prince ? She looked a little better at the man. His pants was not the same as his shirt. When the shirt was definitely an outfit he buy like everyone else here to fit with this world clothes brand. the pants was more fitting the brand of the southern part of the first continent of their  world. Finally she catch it the Symbol of the southern isles royalty on the top of the pants. She laughed.

«  oh my god this is one of the princes of the southern isles !!!! » she claimed. As aurora and Tiana laughed with her.  

Her  best friend added «  sorry lottie he is 11th in line ». Lottie  burst out laughing ,  her dream and fantasm of marring a prince and be a princess was something that she made public knowledge amoung her friends and if she had to be honest she liked playing the role of the superficial girl that had  always dream to marry a prince. it was funny and her friend were knowing perfectly who she was. Yes she was blond ,she was rich , and she was having strange dreams but Tiana her best friend and her others friend were knowing perfectly that she was a very faithful friend who was kind and gentle. she was interrupted again in her  daydream by Tiana

« Lottie you are literally watching him since 2 minutes » she laughed

«  well when I see a goergous piece of art how can I not look at what I see » they both burst out laughing with aurora who finally added a little more information.

« I m sorry lottie but all the princes of the southern isles are married with children except for prince Runo prince Rudi wich is engagment was call off and Prince Hans » the news hit lottie pretty hard for she makes a face that makes her friend laugh even more. Upset she added :

«  so I only have a choice between the ones surround by negative gossip  and....Prince hans » she makes a grimace. Hans even though was 13th  in line had makes himself very popular for his crimes in arendelle. he was a selfish entitled murderous asshole. 

it was not a surprise him and his twins brothers are not married. In fact the contrary would  have be extremely shocking and surprising. She wished for one second no any women will have the misfortune te to be married to such men. Prince hans at least , they still didn’t knew if Rudi and runo were as horrible as the gossip about them. 

Generally rumors twist reality , at least with Hans the existence of fact where proving how an horrible human being he was.  He had left his  fiance to died , laugh at her misery trying to murder for power. This quote he said to her also “ oh anna if only there was someone out there who loved you” has spread very fast in the continent. all of these was only showing the cruelty of the character of his royal highness Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern isles.

 She was going to serve herself an other glass of this very tasteful juice when a   hand touch accidently her   

«   I m sorry » the person said.  She raise her head and suddenly noticed prince thimothee ! 

Prince timothee was the one who touched  her hand  ? not wanted to sound like a fan girl she nervously brushed her hair ,  when  a magnicent smile with dimple crossed his royal highness goergous face.   Her heart melt a little more « it’s alright » she said with a huge smile.

 Confident , she finally decided to talk to him «  you have an amazing voice your highness you makes a great show I m sure a lot of person here enjoy it a lot » she smile her confidence disappearing  suddenly he was royalty maybe he was finding her a bit too familiar.

«  really ? » thimothee said «  thanks you thanks you so much generally I m all the time compared to my triplet brother » he laughed not convinced of her compliment. “ your triplet brothers” lottie replied surprise. “ yes we are triplet that dont look like each others like our twin brothers” she notices the two men on stage who must be his brothers. There were Indeed not looking exactly like each other’s but we still could tell there were brothers.

She smiled happy to chat with him “ its true Rudi and Runo have nothing at all in common physically !”

«  I m sure you have our own skills and talent that cannot be compare to your brothers » she reasured him.

« Thanks thanks you so much what your name ? »

« Charlotte labouff ! I m from the second continent new Orleans ! She said happy to present herself to the prince and way too much excited.

«  it’s a pleasure prince thimothee of the southern isles » he Bowned and paused a kiss on her hand. «  to another time miss labouff »  on these words the prince left her.

She heard aurora and Tiana not convinced by the prince charm «  what he didn’t said to you is that he has a wife” 

“he has a wife !” lottie repeat  finally sad. 

“I m sure he is the kind to flirt around even when married » Tiana said 

«  oh that will be so sad I hear he got 3 kids ? »  Aurora said 

«  yes naveen told me two babies and one who is 4 years old »  speicfied tiana.

Lottie looked a little better at the direction the prince took there was indeed a little kid next to thimothee

 « the question I asked myself is why  they take some of their kids at this ball now look at the disaster only 2 princess of the southern isles went to the ball and now several of these poor kid are away from their mothers » aurora said. 

Finally she saw a man tooking the small child  with him approaching  from lottie Aurora and tiana table. She smiled to who must be prince thimothee kid. The boy replied with a little malicous smile. she looked at him again the poor little boy was so lost and tired from all these mess. he must be terribly miss his mommy she thought.

«  if you want to babysit him I will not said no ! When you are having more than 10 nephews and nieces and most of their mother are missing this is a hard time »  she heard the man visibly piss off  told her. The men was the uncle of the boy ?  a prince of the southern isles ? 

He replied to her internal monologue  «  prince klaus of the southern isles...”  bitter , cynical and unfriendly withtout any smile prince klaus said : “  Not hans brother , neither number 6 please »

She offered the prince an other  smile and bow the best she can. Lottie  was sure he was the kind of royalty to claim everything as a disrespect again his own person. This one was also very handsome not as much as prince thimothee but still pretty good looking. What struck her the most was how much cold and arrogant he sounded. 

. « He must missing so much his mother » lottie said sad for the little boy  and his cousins who went at the ball.   « His father too must miss her terribly... » she added thinking about his wife  putting to the side her little crush on prince thimothee she did not realize the horror its must be for the princes to be away from their love one.

Lottie was missing a lot her father and there were there only since nearly one week.  the prince of the southern isles them were having a enormous family and more people to missed terribly.

The prince chuckled «  no I can tell you my brother prince thimothee does not miss his wife neither my sisters in law”

“ love does  not exist in the southern isles »  he added while drinking bitter his glass.

«  really ? » aurora lottie and Tiana asked shocked by the prince declaration. The 6th prince of the southern isles  « my sisters in law...they must be throwing a big party in our castle right now  ! this is only politic for my father ! 

In one instant after the prince left  ,  lottie went back to her intial very exited mood  that  Tiana , with rationality interrupted : 

«  lottie.  please i got the feeling prince thimothee is not as charming as he may seems to be ». «  maybe he is » she said a huge smile on her face. When aurora finally left  Tiana paused a very friendly hand on her shoulder «  I m here for you and I will always be here to help you achieve your dream just like you were there for me  !  just take me aware so I know if have to protect my best friend » she laughed and hug lottie very tight. 

 small tears fell on lottie face that crossed the smile she was having as hugging her best friend. «  tia you think we are gonna go home ? I miss daddy and Eudora and this is still only one week  we are here » 

«  I m sure  , aurora  told the fairies are working days and days they are gonna find a curse to make us go back home » finally Tiana  leave busy to take care of the closure of the restaurant. 

Alone on her chair she realized , her belly , it was as it it was full of buterfly prince thimothee has make a big impression on her. lottie was feeling it , her intuition was screaming at her that he was ineed a true good man. and now what does she hear ? his wife must be very happy to be away from him right now ? that they only married for political reasons ? Suddently it was like her hopes and dream could be real. Maybe she could have a love story with prince thimothee ? He seems to have like her when they very briefly meet ! or maybe she could even achieve her big dream she had hope since little be a princess ? she laughed she was defintly too much crazy this will never happened. 

She was also not in any way a gold digger no ? she genuinly  wanted to know better  that 11th prince of the southern isles. He seems so nice and kind lottie thought. 

finally her hapiness disapeared  the prince were not making a lot of appeareance since there were there.  they were mainly in their part reserved for the southern isles big family in the hotel. she also didnt wanted to pass for some crazy annoying fans of the princes of the southern isles.

no she needed someone to present her to the prince.

Someone that was also way more approchable ,  than was each days at the bar of the restaurent unlike his brothers.

Someone who  in those bunch of handsome fella was willing do to the worst stuff if it means gain what he wants. she needed to promise him something that was interesting him and what everyone was missing there was money. Prince Henry who had been assigned the role of the leader of the hotel by the curse had already  give  her some part of money. After all she was having food and a bed here ? she could give  him the money and  instead he could makes her meet prince thimothee and assure the communication between them. 

she smirked when she saw her prey  from the distance , His Royal Highness Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern isles.

[the-sky-is-awake]

Hm, I’m behind again. I blame the busy time of year. But I’m closing in on the current chapter!

Ten favorite bits from this chapter:

She heard the click of a crossbow engaging, and left her heart behind as she leaped to her feet. "No!"

Her eyes fell on a man so massive she nearly mistook him for a bear. His crossbow was almost half Anna's height, yet it looked like a mere toy nestled in his spade-like hands.

"Don't," she added breathlessly.

The attacker arched a bushy eyebrow. It was all she could make out of his face; his shaven head almost perfectly blotted out the fiery sun, throwing shadows across his features like a summit shrouded in clouds. "Touching concern for a moose," he said roughly.

 What a great initial description of Runo—not just the size similes (which are great), but his other defining characteristic, his aristocratic air (upper-class diction, fake-intellectual sarcasm, etc.). He’s a thug, but just smart enough to make his curiosity about Anna’s motives realistic.

 This was all Anna's fault. Trust her to save his life by pushing him towards certain death.

"I said—" Oskar swiped for the reins. "—stop!"

He pulled backwards with all his might. And remembered too late that he had done the same thing last week. Oskar had a flash of lying flat on his back while Anna's disembodied voice sheepishly said, 'Oops. Did I forget to tell you that could happen?' Then Miska reared.

 I could have made this excerpt a lot longer (originally it was a lot longer), as it’s one of the most adrenaline-soaked parts of a very exciting chapter, but this is the part that stuck in my mind the most. It just works really well to pair Miska’s running off with Oskar’s internal crisis and decision to return and fight Runo. (And Mattias’s knife was important after all!)

 The knife flew out of the woman's hand. Everyone heard the deceivingly delicate tink as it struck the flagpole. Everyone saw the metal shatter on impact, watched the ornate handle fall harmlessly to the ground.

Everyone understood that it meant ice.

They all looked back at Elsa. The blatant horror on their faces terrified her (conceal, don't feel, don't let it show)—until she realised they weren't gawking at her; they were staring at the hand she had thrown out. At the blood dripping from her palm and down her wrist.

"Look at this… look at this." The woman pointed a bony finger at Elsa—the ice hadn't harmed her, thank goodness. "I told the king this would happen. My Hakon predicted it. Magic? Peace? We gave them a gift, and they've sent us back a witch."

 This whole scene is puzzling in that it’s hard to guess where it’s going (maybe toward a revisiting of themes from the first movie, about Arendellians fearing Elsa with terrible consequences?)… but no matter where it’s headed, it’s an amazing culmination of previous scenes that included either the Nattura siblings or Freya. Who knew they’d be so explosive together? (Hakon and his mother are both wild cards, aren’t they?)

 Yet the more bodies that had surfaced on the dock—the longer her little sister remained in the waves, out of her reach, her protection—hadn't Elsa's world so readily, unapologetically, narrowed down to 'Save her'?

Humans made mistakes. But Elsa was different. When she bled, nature flinched. When she chose poorly, the balance trembled.

When the Nokk vanished, she wondered how much of it was her fault.

 A nice description of Elsa’s role as Fifth Spirit/The Bridge… poetic, yet vague enough to fit with what we’re shown in canon. (As for how much of the Nokk’s predicament is her fault, I’m starting think it’s even more than she realizes, since she missed that pretty obvious clue in her dream a few chapters ago…)

 Anna drew out the dagger she had slipped from Mattias's belt and pressed its tip to her chest. "If you wanted me dead, you would have taken that first shot at me. Right?"

The man narrowed his hooded eyes. "You're threatening to slit your throat over an old soldier and a moose," he clarified flatly.

"Maybe. Is it working?"

 Anna’s line here is a perfect mingling of her proclivities for quick thinking, selfless courage, and adorable awkwardness. J

 The man's snort jostled her. "What difference does it make? She'll come for you no matter where you end up."

'Whoever comes, whatever reason they have, wherever I run… I'll never be able to stay away from Arendelle. Because if trouble can't find me, it will go looking for you, Anna.'

It was a sloppy kick, but it still rewarded her with a grunt of pain. Then the man dropped her, and vertigo overtook satisfaction.

Anna's head exploded as she crashed onto her side. She couldn't even nurse it because her arms were tied behind her back. The ropes cut into her wrists, but the burn was offset by a calming coolness.

The bracelet. It would break if she smashed it hard enough against the ground. Then Elsa would come for her. But that was the problem, wasn't it?

Anna coughed up the dust she had inhaled. "You leave… my sister… alone."

 I remember this being a particularly evocative passage—the moment when Anna stops sacrificing herself and starts fighting back (almost at the exact moment she fully grasps her situation, which is pretty impressive considering her head wound!).

Then there’s the reminder of Elsa’s promise, and Anna’s response to it as yet another danger to her sister—which she tries to protect her from even while injured and held captive.

Actually, it’s an amazing moment in several ways.

 "So." Runo's tone shifted into something Oskar didn't like. "Where's Sofia? Was my aim too good that night?"

Time slowed.

"What did you say?" Oskar asked numbly. "Your… aim?"

"You heard me. If I'd been there from the start, not a single one of you would have made it onto those boats."

Anna had gone pale again, this time with horror. "Oskar," she whispered.

He was already moving.

He heard the crossbow, but knew that no archer could pin him down. He was too fast. Too small. It didn't give him an advantage against Runo, though. Runo had watched him grow up, seen his training.

But it was only thanks to Runo that Oskar had nothing left to lose.

 One more Oskar moment, one that cements Runo as a villain nasty enough to murder a near relative and brag about it. L I particularly like that tiny but telling moment between Oskar and Anna just before he attacks.

 "That," he replied, "was very stupid."

She read it in his eyes: he no longer cared about keeping her alive.

Oskar clambered onto Runo's back and leveraged his entire body to wrestle back Runo's sword arm, locking the elbow. His face was red with effort. "Don't just stand there!" he shouted at Anna. "Run!"

Run. It struck Anna that she might well be hearing that word for the rest of her life. How many more people would throw themselves into danger for her, all because she was the queen? Would saving herself make her a wiser leader? If she fought alongside them, would that make her a better person? A foolish queen? What was the right thing to do? Was there a right thing? Who got to decide that?

Anna made her choice.

She swung the crossbow at Runo's bloodied left leg.

 One more brave choice from Anna—the one that ends up sealing Runo’s fate, even if that wasn’t what she intended to do. Oskar’s part is pretty awesome too, as is the description of the fight. (The technique of using Anna’s moment of intropection to slow down the action and emphasize the importance of the moment works really well here.)

 Anna blinked. She had just blinked, right? She didn't remember laying her head down on the wolf. Now even more fur had been stained, and it was a different red to the time Olaf poured pink lemonade down his throat and ended up looking like a snow cone.

Another blink. She wasn't resting on the wolf anymore. There was something blissfully cold pressed to her skull. And someone had gathered her in their arms. Anna knew that cold, and the warmth that accompanied it. She knew the voice desperately whispering, "Please, no... please..."

 First off, Elsa’s snow wolf is awfully cool (and it’s even better that she created it entirely by instinct, which seems to be the way with all her best creations). Also the nod to “At Home with Olaf,” even if I’ll never be able to watch the pink lemonade segment again without seeing Anna’s blood on the snow.

I love how you’ve made the jumps in Anna’s POV serve a dual purpose—showing the seriousness of her head injury (which is great because head injuries often aren’t given a realistic depiction) and surprising the audience with the awesome moment of her reunion with Elsa. (Poor Elsa—I can’t help picturing the moment when she finds Anna bleeding on the ground…) It’s the crowning moment of my favorite chapter of the story so far.

 "Sven. Take Mattias and go." Anna's voice was so soft she barely heard it over the clamour of her heartbeat.

Sven let out an unhappy whine. Anna saw his lowered antlers, glanced back at the man with his crossbow and sword at his waist, and discreetly shook her head. It got her a reluctant snuff. Sven bowed his head and trotted towards Mattias, out of Anna's sight.

She didn't dare take her eyes off the enemy. Her kidnapper.

It didn't deter him from making sudden moves, though. "Wait." He strode towards Sven, who froze with Mattias draped across his back.

Sven snorted in displeasure. But he stood still as the man drew a note from his burgundy coat, which he tucked into Mattias's trouser pocket.

Once Sven was out of sight, the man stormed back to Anna. It took only five strides for him to reach her.

She didn't know what to do with the knife anymore, so she looked up at him and asked, "What was written on the—"

The crossbow stock slammed into her head.

 ...surpassed only by this one!

Why does it get the top spot? Mainly because, in a chapter the consists almost entirely of one WOW moment after another, this is the one that wowed me hardest of all. As the end of a major action scene that was thick with fancy descriptions and moments like the one above, where Anna’s thoughts are allowed to slow the action, the sudden crashing halt is shatteringly, jaw-dropping effective. 

(I also love how Anna is not yet quite on top of things, as shown by “She didn’t know what to do with the knife anymore”--it never even enters her mind to try and defend herself with it!)

And I have to say how glad I was that this isn’t the end of the chapter as well; it would have been torture waiting for a new chapter to see what happened next!

In which the drama part of the drama/family genre finally kicks in big time 😰

This chapter was fun to write but also a massive pain. Timing, pacing, logistics - god, trying to figure out the logistics of scenes I thought would ‘just make sense’ when I got to them. Spoiler alert: did not work out that way.

Very glad the chapter is done and dusted though! I think this is the new halfway point of the fic if I can stick to the plan

Thank you so much for reading!

—

Spoiler-free snippet

The cut was so deep it took several seconds for the first drop of blood to well up. Then it started gushing. Bruni’s skin glowed violet in alarm. Gale zipped back from gallivanting over the fjord to circle anxiously above the stall.

“I’m okay,” Elsa said hastily, setting down the carving knife. Seeing Honeymaren serving a customer, she tapped Ryder on the shoulder. He was counting money and dividing them into denominations, as she had taught him. “Ryder, would you happen to have—”

He took one look at her, and coins rolled across the mat they shared. “Almighty Ahtohallan! What did you do?”

“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt—”

“You can’t feel anything? Oh no, why did I get you into this? Maren!”

“No, no, it’s okay. Really, it’s just a scratch.” Elsa tried to grab him before he lunged for his sister. Too slow.

“I’m so sorry, please keep browsing while I speak with my brother…” Honeymaren flashed the customer a winning smile, which vanished as soon as she turned around. “Ryder, can’t you behave yourself for one… oh, spirits above. What happened, Elsa?”

All she could offer was an abashed smile. “My hand slipped while carving.”

“Anna’s going to kill us,” moaned Ryder.

“She’s going to kill you.” Honeymaren pulled a handkerchief from her sash and pressed it gently but firmly to Elsa’s wound. “Sorry if this hurts.”

“It’s okay. Thank you. And please don’t blame Ryder; it’s my fault for being distracted.”

“He’s the lazy one who roped you into helping him. He had two weeks to finish these carving commissions, and what did he spend all that time doing instead? ‘Catching’ stars.”

“Hey, I figured it out in the end! All I needed was a bucket of water. And I’ll have you know I didn’t ask Elsa to help me because I’m lazy—it’s because she’s amazing. Look at this!” Ryder picked up Elsa’s block of wood, whittled down to the rough shape of a wolf. “Do you see the detail in the fur? She can do this without magic. Can you believe it?”

“Of course I can, moron. This is Elsa we’re talking about. What I can’t believe is that you thought it would be a good idea to put a knife in her hand.”

“What’s wrong with that? She’s a capable adult.”

They both looked at Elsa. She blinked back.

Ryder grimaced. “Okay, you’re right. I should have known better. How bad is it? Do we need Bruni to cauterise the wound?”

At the sound of his name, Bruni scampered down from Elsa’s shoulder to her wrist, his large eyes fixed on Honeymaren’s bandaging.

“He’s joking, Bruni,” Elsa said quickly.

“Am not!”