#i will never forgive Anna and Elsa's parents | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lovewillthaw-j · 1 year ago

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I love your analyses and writing style! Most of all, your hunger to scrutinize scene by scene, take screenshots and figure out the locations in the castle in different scenes. I too have treaded this path years ago!

As others have pointed out, little Elsa moved out, not Anna.

Continuity errors are numerous in Frozen!! I remember that bed locations are one big source of non-continuity. To cope with this, I usually identify the sisters' beds by colour and rosemaling pattern as that is consistent. Elsa's is a black bed and Anna's is white.

I'm not sure if you have covered this in your later posts. The size of Elsa's bed is also inconsistent. In F1 it is a single bed with a single pillow.

But in F2 opening scene, in the kids bedroom, the same bed is wide enough for 2 pillows. Oh well, F2 came out 6 years after F1 so we can forgive the continuity error!

And as others pointed out, Elsa moved into the parents' bedroom. In the F2 bedroom scene, we can't be sure if she moved her bed over, but we can see that it's black and has the same rosemaling and can sleep 2 adults. It just looks wider to me. Maybe she had a new bed made.

And a very brief glimpse of the parents' room in F1 (before they left for their voyage) seems to show the same rosemaling but not a purple colour scheme. Non conclusive.

Onto the subject of the rooms, I totally agree with you that the children's room (which becomes Anna's room) is where you stated it is. A gif helps to show the two window tips you referred to.

This is the triangle room at the "front" of the castle, or the East side. (the red arrow) the yellow arrow is the parents' room.

See also my 3D castle gif (from David Womersley's drawings)

As to where little Elsa's new room is, I've never thought about it before! But yes, it has a triangular window and it looks out to some mountains and not the town.

So, yes! It may be opposite of Anna's room ie on the West side of the castle. We don't know for sure where Anna ran to in this scene:

Excited to go through your other posts and cross reference with what I previously researched! Kudos on your labour of love!

I also see that you've alluded to Elsa's telekinesis powers and frosty powers! I have written 3 whole posts on Elsa's powers. I believe Elsa transformed the flowers into fabric onto the dresses! An amazing power.

Lastly, I've analyzed that pic from "All Around Arendelle" before and have been similarly disappointed. It is not meant to be fully accurate, and is also 2D and not 3D, meaning some rooms may be falsely depicted side to side in order to display the contents.

Arendelle Castle Rooms: Part 1

I've been meaning to make clear posts based on the rooms in Arendelle Castle because I love them and the castle and why not. I have tons of references so I'm going to use them to put the pieces together.

Let's begin part 1 with Elsa and Anna's room.

1. Elsa's bedroom

(Ref: Concept art | End of 'Frozen Fever')

Elsa's room used to be both Elsa and Anna's room when they were small but right after the incident that led to their 13 year long distance, Anna was forced to move to a different room. Elsa's room is mainly purple with pink accents. She has a big queen size canopy bed held back around it, on the left side horizontally upon entering her room. She has chairs around the room and a triangular window with a seat in front of it where she can sit and look out of. Next to her bed, in the left hand corner is a big fire place. Below her bed she has a long rectangular rug stretching out to the other side of the room and in front of her fireplace, a circular rug is placed. Anna's room has the exact same layout but in the opposite direction so though we can't see the other side of Elsa's room, we can assume what is there. Along the wall the door is on, there are 2 tables and in the right hand corner is a dressing screen. Opposite the bed is there is a table that has the two pots of flowers.

In Frozen Fever however, when Elsa is seen back in her room when Anna feeds her the cold remedy, it looks like the bed is on the other side, given you can't see the fireplace and the white rectangles on the wall are shown. This could be a continuity error as the headboard too isn't decorated with the designs it would normally have on it. So that would mean Elsa's bed is in the same position as seen in the concept art.

2. Anna's bedroom

(ref: Concept art | Elsa goes to Anna's room in 'Olaf's Frozen Adventure' | Beginning of "Making today a perfect day" in 'Frozen Fever' | 'All around Arendelle' book)

Anna's bedroom is mainly pink and much warmer in terms of colour tone as a contrast to Elsa's cooler purple/ pink tone. Anna's room has the exact same layout as Elsa's as I mentioned above but in opposite directions. So the bed would be on the right hand side, upon entering her room, the dressing screen in the bottom left corner, the fireplace on the top right hand corner, 2 tables alongside the wall the door is on, and the table of flower pots alongside the left wall.

Side fact:

In Frozen Fever one of those flower pots are of sunflowers and the other one of the 6 petal pink flowers that Elsa uses for her dress which are called rain lilies or also known as Zephyranthes or the Cuban Zephyr Lily. When Elsa uses these flowers on her dress, she gives them an icy touch and adds a simple snowflake on top of the flower to freeze them onto her dress. However, Anna's sunflowers that Elsa puts onto her attire and hair don't have that snowflake effect meaning she probably just used her telekinesis (the power of lifting things up) and frosted them onto her attire without changing the colour.

In Olaf's Frozen Adventure we learn that Anna has an attic above her room however it's filled with trunks of Elsa's stuff such as satin gloves and Elsa's crocheted toy penguin. In the room itself, it seems that the room has had a layout change. The bed has moved across the other side of the room and the rectangular rug isn't there. Instead the circular rug has moved down in front of the bed. That would mean the dressing panel and the table of flowers is moved to where the bed was in Frozen Fever. However the long painting or embroidered wall piece has been kept in the same place alongside the dressing tables too. Bearing in mind that Olaf's Frozen Adventure takes place before Frozen Fever, it could be that the bed and rug misplacement is just a continuity error and in fact the bed is just in the same place as in the concept art above.

The book, 'All around Arendelle' shows that the sisters rooms are the side top two panels of the front of the castle, as shown below but that is proven wrong in Frozen 2.

In Frozen 2, as Iduna finished her song, "All is found", she carries young Elsa to the triangular window. As the camera zooms out of the room, we start seeing structure from outside the castle. The structure shows that Anna's room is the top main front triangular window as circled above. There's the same window at the back of the castle suggesting that Elsa's room is directly opposite hers and at the back while Anna's at the front of the castle. The front has two triangular windows on the right while the back has two on the right and Frozen 2 showed the tips of the two windows on the right confirming Anna's room at the front. Remember that Anna and Elsa's shared room is actually Anna's room now and it was Elsa who was forced to move out of their room then.

Part 2 will go into the other rooms of the castle starting with the hallway out of Anna's room.

#frozen #locations #arendelle castle

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the-blue-fairie · 4 years ago

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On the Subject of Aporia

I guess I disagree with the notion that Show Yourself is Let it Go done “the right way.”

Much can be made of the fact that, in Let it Go, Elsa doesn’t truly work through her issues. But the thing is... she doesn’t really work through her issues in Show Yourself either. She doesn’t confront the roots of her trauma. She isn’t able to meditate on the roots of her trauma. She doesn’t get true catharsis and she doesn’t get true relief. In fact, Show Yourself goes some ways to sweep the roots of Elsa’s trauma under the rug.

And here I have to discuss how Frozen 2 frames Agnarr and Iduna. Because Frozen 2 never dwells upon the part Agnarr and Iduna played in Elsa’s trauma. It idealizes them, ignoring the fact that they were the ones to initiate the separation of the sisters in the first place, they were the ones who taught Elsa that she had to hide.

In the past, I’ve seen people put the blame on Elsa for the separation - saying that her fear after the accident instigated it and pointing to the fact that Elsa herself continues the separation after her parents’ death.

This reading is disingenuous, to say the least. While the accident scarred Elsa as a child, the separation (which was instigated by her parents, with the affirmation and complicity of the trolls) was what cemented the self-hatred in her heart. Elsa continued the separation after her parents’ death because she learned it well throughout her childhood.

I don’t like the fact that certain people place the blame for the childhood separation on Elsa, who was a terrified child at the time. A terrified child listening to the adults around her, adults in positions of authority. Adults who chose to close the gates, reduce the staff, limit her contact with people, and keep her powers secret from everyone, including Anna.

You can’t blame a child in an extreme situation the same as you blame an adult - but I’ve seen people in the fandom do it - and it frustrates me.

And again, as I’ve always said, Agnarr and Iduna are in an extreme situation too - and they are working under the guidance of the trolls. Agnarr and Iduna are good people - but their choices still contributed to their daughters’ pain.

And neither the films nor the shorts show the sisters processing their parents’ actions and how those actions hurt them.

Not even Dangerous Secrets does that - because Dangerous Secrets focuses on Iduna’s and Agnarr’s perspective. It’s not about the sisters processing what their parents did to them.

And again, “processing” doesn’t mean “condemnation.” I’m not advocating that the sisters condemn or hate their parents. Processing can also mean realizing that their parents were in a painful situation and forgiving them, accepting what happened.

But neither the films, nor the shorts, nor Dangerous Secrets do any of that. Even though coming to terms with the past is a key theme in Frozen 2 and a theme that centers on Agnarr and Iduna, Frozen 2 ignores their part in the childhood separation altogether.

It could have brought it up and, in bringing it up, it could have beautifully paralleled Iduna having to hide being Northuldra with Elsa having to hide her powers. It could have the sisters, as they are forced to make tough choices, sympathize with the tough choices their parents had to make. It could have truly confronted the roots of Elsa’s trauma by referencing the separation when Elsa meets her mother in Ahtohallan, giving the scene greater emotional weight. Or, the film could have highlighted that the True Evil comes from people like Runeard - whose fear causes him to kill, whereas Iduna and Agnarr’s fear for their children’s safety caused them to try and protect, even in an imperfect way.

The possibilities that present themselves are limitless - but only if Frozen 2 had the courage to address Agnarr’s and Iduna’s part in the childhood separation - and it didn’t. It had multiple opportunities to. It simply made the deliberate choice not to do so - to brush those actions essentially under the rug.

It’s like the movie thinks that, if it references Agnarr and Iduna’s part in the separation, that will make Agnarr and Iduna seem bad. But actually, the opposite would be true. If the film directly addressed Agnarr’s and Iduna’s part in the separation, they would become even more sympathetic because viewers would get a clearer understanding of what they were going through and see clearly how they were good people. On top of that, both Elsa and Anna could get a chance at true closure with them.

But the film goes out of its way not to bring that topic up. Even when Olaf recaps the first film, it’s like this: “[as Elsa] Anna, no too high! Blast! [as Anna] Ohhh! [as Elsa] Mama Papa Help! Slam, doors shutting everywhere, sisters torn apart. Well, at least they have their parents. [beat] Their parents are dead.” “Doors shutting everywhere” and “sisters torn apart” describes the event passively. It’s just “something that happened.” The problem is, within the context of the first film, it’s not just “something that happened.” It’s something that happened as a direct result of the trolls’ choices and Agnarr’s and Iduna’s choices. And I stress their choices over Elsa’s because she was a child in this situation and they are the adults in authority.

Thus, in a film that’s supposedly all about coming to terms with the mistakes of the past, a film where Agnarr and Iduna play a crucial role, this aspect of the past is actively ignored. Even though not ignoring this aspect of the past would enrich both films and clarify things more fully for people who are on the fence about Agnarr and Iduna (also, hopefully it could address the trolls’ part in all this, because no piece of Frozen media even begins to grapple with the trolls’ part in all this.)

And I know you might say, “Well, Dangerous Secrets addresses the parents’ part in the children’s separation!” And that’s good that it does so. But that still doesn’t get to my central point: that no piece of Frozen media shows Elsa and Anna coming to terms with what their parents and the trolls did to them, and how that influenced Elsa’s actions in the future.

Now, some people have argued that the films and shorts do address the sisters coming to terms with what their parents did to them, because through their parents’ portrayal in OFA and F2 it is implicitly suggested that Elsa and Anna have no ill feelings towards their parents.

But I’ve addressed this before in the past:

“Having ‘no ill feelings’ is the culmination of an emotional journey that we don’t get to see. We get to see the sisters dealing with the emotional ramifications of their childhoods and what it means for themselves, yes. We get to see them reconnect during Frozen Fever. But we don’t get to see them processing feelings for their parents (and the trolls) that must be complicated for them.

And saying that emotional journey is implicit or is addressed subtly because we see that the sisters bear their parents no ill will... I’m sorry, but that just isn’t good enough for me. The sisters bearing their parents no ill will is an endpoint. It’s not the emotional journey itself. We don’t get to SEE that journey addressed directly. We just have to be content with... implication.”

And the fact we just have to be content with implication when Frozen 2 is so much about the sisters’ relationship with their parents and Frozen 2 offers every chance to go beyond implication is... troubling to me.

It’s more than just an oversight on F2′s part. It’s a deliberate choice.

And it weakens the emotional impact of Show Yourself.

Show Yourself is framed as Elsa gaining closure regarding her mother, her trauma, her sense of self. But, regardless of that framing, it... doesn’t exactly give Elsa that closure.

Because Frozen media, outside of Dangerous Secrets, seems bent on glossing over the part Elsa’s and Anna’s parents and the trolls had in the sisters’ traumas in childhood. Because Frozen media doesn’t give the sisters a chance to talk together or reflect together on their parents’ and the trolls’ actions and come to terms with them. Even Dangerous Secrets, which does better in exploring the nuances and complexities of Agnarr and Iduna, can’t do that because the book is telling the parents’ story, not Elsa’s and Anna’s.

So parts of Show Yourself feel like... going through the motions of catharsis with no actual catharsis - because there are still open wounds that Show Yourself doesn’t even try to heal because the film won’t openly admit they exist. Because, as with Let it Go before it, there is still work to be done.

But at least Let it Go let Elsa be frustrated with her parents’ poor choices. At least it allowed Elsa to repudiate the strictures placed upon her:

Don't let them in, don't let them see Be the good girl you always have to be Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know Well, now they know

There’s more reflection on her parents’ part in her pain in those few lines than in the whole of Frozen 2 - even though much of Frozen 2 is directly about her parents.

I’ve seen people describe the transition from Let it Go to Show Yourself as a transition from reckless defiance to acceptance and peace... but this framing doesn’t work with the film’s portrayal of Elsa’s relationship with Iduna. Because for that framing to work, we’d actually have to see Elsa’s transition towards acceptance of her mother’s actions. We’d actually have to see the emotional process of Elsa making peace with her parents’ choices.

And we don’t.

And that’s tragic because, especially with the backstory Frozen 2 gives Iduna, there’s so much you could have done with Elsa’s relationship with her mother. So many parallels Elsa herself could have made as we see her truly going through the process of healing.

(Also, this last note isn’t related to Let it Go or Show Yourself, but, How does Anna feel about the trolls modifying her memories in childhood? I’m sure it has come up in the intervening years in-universe, but we’ve never seen it addressed... and that speaks to the larger issue I’ve been discussing.)

EDIT: Kristanna and Greatqueenanna have informed me that Anna’s missing memories are the subject of Memory and Magic, the second book in the Sisterhood is the Strongest Magic series - and, while I’m glad of that, I still am a bit bummed that they are relegated to an obscure book that not everyone will read and may be of dubious canonicity at this point instead of being addressed in the feature film that centers on addressing the past and coming to terms with it. While Dangerous Secrets is much more high-profile, I have similar reservations about it as well - because not as many people are going to find it as find Frozen 2. Moreover, Dangerous Secrets is meant to be a supplement to Frozen 2 and it doesn’t focus on Elsa’s and Anna’s emotional journey regarding their parents. I guess Frozen 2 is supposed to be that emotional journey in a way, but because Frozen 2 refuses to touch the childhood separation and Agnarr’s and Iduna’s accountability for it, that leaves a... gap in the text... so that the emotional journey feels incomplete.

#frozen #frozen 2 #elsa #iduna #agnarr

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elsanna-shenanigans · 3 years ago

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August Contest Submission #10: in my chest, a garden made for you

Words: ca. 6,000 Setting: Canon Divergent Lemon: no CW: Brief mention of blood, angst

—————————————————————

Elsa was three years old when her world changed forever.

It was high summer, and the castle had reached a fever pitch of frenetic activity as the entire kingdom awaited the birth of the queen’s second child. Her labor was longer and more fraught than that of her first child, the crown princess; Elsa was an easy baby from the moment she came into the world as Arendelle’s heir.

The princess sat quietly in her room with a nursemaid while they waited for news. When the king came to get her hours later, Elsa took her father’s hand, a strange premonition building with each step closer to her parents’ room.

Her mother was propped up in bed, looking drained but radiant. Instantly, Elsa’s eyes were riveted to the swaddled bundle in the queen’s arms. Her hand fell from her father’s grip, and she padded up to the bed in hushed anticipation. The bundle was titled towards her so she could see, and a scrunched little face with a head of bright, strawberry blonde hair came into view.

“Her name is Anna. She’s your little sister, Elsa.”

Elsa held out a hand, pushing up on her tiptoes to reach one impossibly small fist, gently running a finger over the baby soft knuckles in awe. She gasped; those miniature digits moved, wrapping themselves around Elsa’s finger and holding tight.

Elsa felt her world shift, and something in her young heart knew in that moment she would never be so taken with another.

—————————————————————

Elsa was nineteen when her world changed forever, again.

Golden summer light streamed through the castle kitchens, adding to the humid warmth from recently used ovens. Lunch was being served upstairs, leaving it perfectly deserted for a pair of princesses who were sneaking off for a secret lunch of their own.

Elsa set aside a couple fastelavnsbolle from one of the dessert platters, hesitating for a moment before plucking out another. Anna’s appetite had always surpassed hers; all of that natural exuberance required more fuel. The cardamon flavored buns were cut in half and filled with whipped cream— one of Anna’s favorites.

She jumped when there came a bang, followed by a muffled ‘ouch’ that echoed from the one of the store rooms. The one where Anna was currently searching for the cook’s private stash of chocolate.

Elsa paused. “Are you alright?” She called softly.

Anna’s head appeared from behind the pantry door. “Yup! Totally fine, nothing to worry about over here!” She eyed something inside— probably whatever had fallen. “Pretty sure those dents will come out,” she muttered under her breath.

An eyebrow inched up Elsa’s forehead and her lips twitched fighting a smirk. “Just try not to make it too obvious we’ve been here, please,” she said, her voice leaking exasperated fondness.

“Don’t worry Elsa, it’ll be like I was never even here. A ghost.” She waved a hand in front of her face, fingers wiggling. “Poof.”

Elsa snorted delicately, more of a forceful exhale through her nose, and gave her sister a pointed look.

Sunlight caught Anna’s face as she smiled back innocently, burnishing her hair and illuminating her freckles, flashing more green than blue in her eyes. She glowed as if the sun had sought her out, or perhaps, and more likely, that radiance simply came from Anna, as she gave Elsa a cheeky salute and ducked back into the pantry.

Elsa shook her head, smiling softly to herself.

She had just finished wrapping the smørbrød with smoked salmon when she felt an odd ache in her chest. Elsa frowned and brought a hand up to rub at her sternum. Brushing it off, she continued packing the rest of their picnic. Not a minute later, an itch sprang to life in the back of her throat. That was Elsa’s only warning before she was coughing roughly into her palm, and pulling something from her mouth.

She looked down and froze.

A petal, blush pink, lay in her palm. Alien and accusatory, it looked like an omen in a language she had never seen before. There was no time to begin questioning how and why; a rustling from Anna’s direction had Elsa snapping her fingers closed, the silken flower petal crumpling in her fist. She slipped it into the folds of her skirt, knowing without knowing how she knew that this was not something she could share. With anyone.

Anna reappeared, concern pinching her face. “You okay Elsa?”

Elsa cleared her throat with a quick smile. “Perfectly.” She uncurled her fingers and let the petal fall to the bottom of her pocket, masking the tremor in her hands by fiddling with the tablecloth in the picnic basket. Tying off the corners over their food, she glanced up at Anna, who still hadn’t moved. “Well?”

Her sister blinked. “Well what?”

“I don’t see any chocolate.”

Anna rolled her eyes with a grin and ducked back inside. “Yeah yeah, hold your horses your highness, I’ll get you your chocolate.”

Elsa chuckled, but the mirth slipped from her face as soon as Anna was out of sight.

She shivered and rubbed at her chest again.

It no longer felt warm in the kitchen.

—————————————————————

It was six months before Elsa found another petal on her tongue.

She was troubled by the occasional tickle in her throat, sometimes a lingering congestion, but for a while everything seemed normal and she could almost forget the strange thing that happened on that summer afternoon in the kitchen.

Elsa’s twentieth birthday came and went, and so too did any illusions that the first petal had been a fluke.

One morning, in early spring, she woke from a dream she couldn’t remember with a petal in her mouth. After that, one appeared every few weeks, until she could no longer deny the truth.

Something was growing in her lungs.

—————————————————————

It was becoming obvious to everyone that something was not right.

The unease in Anna’s eyes deepened every time she had to supply a fresh handkerchief, or ran to fetch a glass of water, or rubbed soothing circles over Elsa’s back.

Their parents had finally summoned the royal physician. He would be there first thing in the morning.

Elsa stared up at the canopy of her bed, heart pulsing with dread.

She thought of her last fit— the one in the library. Curled up on the plush loveseat with Anna tucked into her side, Elsa had been reading from an anthology of old fairytales. Anna had looped an arm through Elsa’s, leaning her head on Elsa’s shoulder with a sleepy sigh. She’d only made it through two pages after that before her lungs seized and Elsa had to excuse herself.

Before that had been during a state dinner. To escape boredom, Anna had resurrected an old game: first one to smile lost. Her tried and (mostly) true method was to make increasingly absurd faces at Elsa when no one was looking. Elsa rarely lost, but that night she’d cracked, fingers shielding her lips to avoid offending the present company with an inappropriate smirk. Except it wasn’t a giggle that came out of her mouth next, but a cough. With a few murmured apologies, Elsa was gone, necessity forcing her to duck into an empty room to clear her lungs.

Elsa worried her lip, trying to remember the last time her lungs had bothered her when her sister wasn’t around. She came up blank.

Could …proximity to Anna be making her worse?

The idea was impossible, absolutely ridiculous, and yet…

Elsa thought of her sister. Anna. Little Sun- the king called her- Arendelle’s summer princess. Full of relentless enthusiasm and joy, who had a kind word for everyone she met and would go out of her way to help anyone who needed it. Any situation was made better, simply for her being there. Anna was loyal and selfless and fierce and sweet.

She thought of the way their hands fit just right, like when Anna reached for Elsa’s because she had something to show her and couldn’t contain her excitement. How she rambled with passion about whatever caught her interest, or stuttered adorably when she was flustered. The way her freckles accentuated the charming slope of her nose, or the appealing silhouette she made in her dresses. The way her lips…

Elsa convulsed, her body curling into a ball as a bright flare of pain twisted in her chest. When it passed, she was left gasping raggedly, clutching a fist full of petals. A flood of horror turned her stomach.

When had she started feeling that way about her own sister?

How could this have happened?

Fingers twisting in the fabric of her nightgown over her heart, Elsa thought suddenly of Icarus. Was there a moment he’d missed, a sign he had ignored that could have stopped the undoing of his ambitious flight? When the sun seared a warning into his skin as the wax began to soften? Or was there no discernible line between safe and deadly, between one moment and the next before he was plummeting towards earth, crashing to the swallowing sea in a blaze of feather and flame?

Plants need the sun to grow.

Like Icarus before her, Elsa had flown too close to her sun.

She turned her face into the pillow, and wept.

—————————————————————

The royal physician pulled the dressing gown closed over Elsa’s chest, a frown tugging at the wrinkles bracketing his mouth. He removed the stethoscope and set it on the bed, where it lay, limp and sinuous as a snake. Rocking back in his seat, he chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, then turned to address the monarchs who stood on the opposite side of the bed.

“There is an… obstruction in her lungs.”

The king and queen shared a look, distress painting their features.

“An obstruction?” Elsa’s mother wrung her hands fretfully. “What does that mean, what kind of obstruction—”

“—can it be removed?” Her father’s deeper baritone interrupted.

“Is it contagious?”

“Is it consumption?”

The physician held up a hand. “Forgive me, your majesties, I wish I had more answers to give but…” he glanced at Elsa. She stared at the patterns in her comforter, spine rigid, hands folded primly in her lap. “At the moment I don’t know more than that. All we can do for now is continue to monitor her, make sure her diet is healthy, and see that she gets fresh air and sunlight.”

Elsa flinched.

“It may go away on its own,” he added.

The look on his face said he doubted that very much.

—————————————————————

Their parents were reluctant at first, but eventually Elsa convinced them that isolation was the safest option for everyone, including Anna. At least, she reasoned, until they could be sure she wasn’t contagious.

For a little while, things seemed to improve. Less coughing, fewer petals. If the staff caught Anna lingering outside her door they were instructed to shoo her along; Elsa tried not to hear the desperate cajoling and entreating as their voices faded down the hallway, leaving behind a cavernous silence and an even larger ache. Breathing marginally easier afterwards was the smallest of comforts.

Most days, it really wasn’t a comfort at all.

It became a concerted effort to keep Anna occupied and away from Elsa, but that didn’t mean there weren’t nights when Anna camped outside her door anyway. In hushed tones she’d tell Elsa about her day, what she thought about her studies, the latest gossip she’d overheard— anything she could think of to draw Elsa into conversation. When those nightly monologues were interrupted by more frequent bouts of coughing, Anna reluctantly conceded her sister wasn’t fit enough for visits.

Letters and notes started appearing under Elsa’s door instead.

Elsa tried to keep herself busy with her own studies, tried to keep thoughts of her sister as far from her conscious mind as possible— when she wasn’t inundated with endearing slips of parchment containing every thought Anna wanted to share.

Dreams however, were out of her control.

The petals she occasionally found on her pillow in the morning made that abundantly clear.

A year went by and still, Elsa tried.

—————————————————————

It’s been such a perfect summer and we’ve had so little rain, I can’t help spending every possible moment outside. But then I remember that you’re in there, sick and miserable, and I feel awful that I’m enjoying things you can’t. Remember when we used to sneak out and have picnics by the fjord? Gosh it really sent Kai and Gerda into fits didn’t it? Don’t think I never noticed how you always packed more dessert for me, or claimed you couldn’t finish so I could have yours.

I’m sure you know mother and father are leaving next week for that coronation down south on the continent. I bet the summers in Corona are even warmer. Maybe when you’re better we can go, just the two of us! You’re twenty one now, plenty old enough for us to travel alone. Apparently the princess is around our age, though I guess she’ll be the queen soon.

I wish I could see you Elsa, I don’t even care that I might get sick. I just miss you.

—————————————————————

Their parents went to sea and never came back.

Anna attended the funeral alone.

Elsa lay in bed, sheets strewn with handkerchiefs and the corollas of a flower she still had no name for. Her tears had been exhausted and she stared listlessly out the window at grey skies heavy with unspent rain. Emptiness carved a cavernous hole inside her, hollowing out all other feeling.

Except, that wasn’t exactly true. Guilt slithered inside her, making its presence felt lest she forget her sickness was adding to Anna’s pain.The one thing that might give them both a measure of comfort— finding solace in one another — Elsa’s curse prevented. The one thing she wanted so badly to do was the one thing she couldn’t, because she wanted it so badly. She couldn’t hold Anna, or dry her tears, or squeeze her hand as they stood at their parents’ empty graves and the last rights were spoken.

She was bound to her bed with a corrupted heart and damaged lungs, useless.

Anna came to her room late that night. She sat with her back to the door, not speaking a word. Frozen between fear and longing, Elsa waited. Eventually, her sister slumped over and fell asleep, right there in the hallway. Elsa stumbled out of bed and sank to the floor, the unforgiving hardwood digging into one hip as she lay facing the gap between them. It was only about an inch, but she could see a swatch of black fabric and the red of Anna’s hair, muted in the darkness. She was still in her mourning dress from the funeral.

Elsa splayed one hand flat on the floor as close to the crack under the door as she dared. Close enough to touch, almost. She watched the rhythm of her sister’s breathing until sleep pulled her under.

When she woke there was an entire flower beside her lips, and Anna was gone.

—————————————————————

For a while, there were no notes or letters.

And so, for the first time in more than a year, Elsa wrote Anna back. It no longer mattered that it cost her more petals and sometimes an entire flower, she just needed Anna know she’d been listening, that she was still there. Regardless of her… illness, Anna deserved more than silence.

It only took a few days for Anna to respond. Soon they were writing nearly every day.

With her letters, Elsa began including flowers. Kai or Gerda were gracious enough to fetch them from the garden, which had been cultivated rather extensively under their mother’s direction. One of the books she’d kept since those first frantic searches in the library was a piece of literature called The Language of Flowers. Elsa had read it so often that she knew the illustrations and their corresponding meanings by heart.

So, when she could, Elsa added an extra sentiment to her letters, a veiled meaning that Anna would never guess at.

That summer she sent honeysuckle often. Devotion and affection.

In the autumn, the pansy. You occupy my thoughts.

For winter, cyclamen. Sincerity and love.

Nearly every morning Elsa tossed handfuls of her own petals and the occasional full bloom into the fire, burning the evidence of her heart’s indiscretion to fragrant ash. If Kai or Gerda noticed a lingering floral scent amongst the metallic tang and wondered at it, they said nothing.

As time passed, Elsa found herself slipping in flowers that were more revealing of her true feelings, things she could not, should not ever say, even if her heart desperately wanted to. Not that Anna would ever know. They were hidden in a language she would never think to learn, and probably wasn’t aware existed.

That next spring her letters were perfumed with orange blossoms. Eternal love.

For summer it was lilac, for first love. In some of her weaker moments, the cornflower. Hope in love.

In fall, the intoxicating scent of jasmine. Romance and sensuality.

Primrose for winter. I can’t live without you. Sometimes, when she was feeling melancholy, a daffodil. Unrequited love.

Now that she was expelling entire flowers, Elsa finally understood what was growing in her lungs.

Camellias.

They meant deep longing.

—————————————————————

I never realized how much you enjoyed flowers. Did we ever spend much time in the gardens? I don’t think we did, at least not together, though I know it was one of mother’s favorite places.

Either way, I love them. Each one is so different and beautiful. But that’s not surprising. I think beautiful people have an eye for beautiful things. Or actually, maybe that’s just you. Being beautiful I mean, not that you only have an eye for— never mind, you know what I mean. It really is just the two of us now, isn’t it? Though, there are some days it feels like it’s just me.

I miss hearing your laugh. I miss seeing that intense face you make when you’re concentrating, or hearing your voice when you read aloud. I miss the way I could talk about anything and you’d listen, even if I went on forever about something silly or stupid. I miss how safe I felt when you were with me, like no matter what happened things would be okay, and you’d catch me. I miss watching your eyes light up when you try to hide a smile.

I miss you.

—————————————————————

Elsa tugged her thick dressing gown more securely around herself. It was only the cusp of winter, but already a permanent chill had seeped into her bones, agitating her lungs. Her strength leeched out of her a little more each day; time that wasn’t devoted to official paperwork or Anna’s letters, was lost to sleep.

Elsa fidgeted with the handkerchief on her desk, folding it into a crisp square. The creases in this one were so deep they had become permanent guides, a map she followed to sooth anxiety and pain. Hand stitched in one corner, the words: To Elsa, love Anna.

I do.

Like a lightning bolt, her lungs rebelled; Elsa’s forehead nearly touched the desk as she bent over, expelling her floral inhabitants into her hand. She scrambled for another handkerchief, fingers reaching blindly across the desk until they encountered cloth, bringing it quickly to her mouth.

Only after she’d caught her breath did she realize, too late, that she’d used Anna’s. She unfolded it, picking out a handful of petals and one full bloom, setting them to the side in a small pile. Elsa stared at the painstakingly stitched cloth, full of slightly crooked flowers and missed stitches. Anna hated embroidery. It required a patience and precision her energetic spirit did not often allow.

This had been pushed under her door in the early hours of her twenty first birthday, wrapped in blue tissue and silver string, along with a letter and a handful of crocuses.

I know you’re going to be queen soon (well, I guess technically you already are) and I thought these were appropriate. Or maybe giving you our national flower was dumb? I don’t know, but Gerda said they mean cheerfulness and hope, and that’s something I think you need right now. Happy birthday Elsa.

The letter was still in Elsa’s bedside drawer, next to every other letter Anna had ever given her. The flowers had been pressed between the pages of her favorite book, and the handkerchief she kept with her always. Though never used— for this very reason; now it was stained in blood that would never come out, not completely. An indelible corruption on something otherwise pure.

Slowly, Elsa folded it back up again, allowing the clean sections of linen to obscure the lurid evidence of her deviant heart, until she could almost pretend it wasn’t there at all.

She picked up a pressed flower from the desk, one for her next letter to Anna, twirling it between thumb and forefinger as she watched the snow drift down.

Purple hyacinth. Forgive me.

—————————————————————

Elsa was losing time.

Dizzy and weak, she’d find herself suddenly in bed, or slumped in a chair. A handful of times she woke with her cheek pressed to the cold floor, body aching all over.

Sometimes she thought she heard Anna’s voice, but the line between reality and dreaming were blurring, and it was impossible to know if her sister was truly there, or figment of the visions that clung to her like cobwebs after waking.

Elsa didn’t write many letters anymore, but the flowers said what she couldn’t.

Pressed gladiolus. You pierce my heart.

Dahlia. One true love.

The red tulip, pressed and preserved. I declare my love for you.

—————————————————————

A knock on the door.

Kai let himself in, calling softly, “Your majesty? You wanted me to deliver Anna’s gift?”

Elsa stirred, rousing from a half sleep. Anna’s gift? Her mind fumbled, trying to understand what he was talking about as a tide of lethargy fought for her consciousness.

It was still December… wasn’t it? It must be Christmas.

“On the desk Kai,” she wheezed. Was that her voice?

“The stack on the corner ma’am?”

“Yes…thank you.” Sleep was dragging her under. “… Merry Christmas Kai.”

She did not hear him leave.

—————————————————————

Elsa was having a rare good day.

They were few and far between, but when she was able to rise in the morning, lucid and aware, that was a special thing. Elsa reclined in bed while nursing a cup of tea, a book of poetry propped against her knees. She couldn’t find her copy of The Language of Flowers, which she’d been in the mood to peruse. It was nearly always on her desk, but it came as no surprise that she seemed to have misplaced it.

Knock knock kn-knock knock

The blooms, the heart in her chest strained towards the sun.

“Elsa?”

Anna’s voice, sweet and painful; ache and salve both. Grey winter light flickered through the gap underneath the door, Anna’s footsteps throwing off distorted shapes. Elsa stared at Anna’s shadow, heart shuddering at her closeness.

After a moment there came a big sigh, and her sister sat down against the door with a thump.

“I hope you’re doing okay in there.”

Elsa slipped out of bed and padded silently over to the door, sitting down against the wall. She tucked her legs under her, arranging the velvet dressing gown over her bare feet.

“I’m here.” Elsa winced. It sounded like she’d swallowed gravel.

There was a sharp intake of breath. Clothes rustling, Anna scooted closer, and her voice sounded from mere inches away. “Hey.”

Elsa could hear the soft smile in her sister’s voice, could picture the charming curl of her mouth. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, savoring the warmth that flooded her chest like a gentle fire, even as it clenched in warning. She couldn’t bring herself to care.

“Hi.” Elsa chuckled, feeling shy and a little giddy. It had been so long since they’d done this, actually talked face to… well, door.

“So…,” Anna said after a beat of silence. “Christmas was nice. We sent out an invitation for an open brunch cause I thought, might as well right? No one’s using the space and we have food to spare. It was nice to see the place so full, but…well, you know. It’s not the same.”

Without you, she didn’t have to say.

Elsa toyed with a lock of her hair, winding it between her fingers. It hung in loose platinum waves to her waist; she hadn’t braided it in days. At least she’d brushed it.

“I’m sorry.” For all of it, she wanted to say. I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through.

“You don’t have to apologize Elsa, it’s not like you can help being sick.”

Couldn’t she though? If Elsa had just tried harder? When had she stopped trying to fall out of love with Anna?

There was a huff of a laugh behind her. “Do you remember that one Christmas when we snuck buckets of snow into the ballroom? We had just enough to make that one lumpy snowman, what was his name again?” Anna snapped her fingers. “That’s right, it was—”

“Olaf!” They said together, dissolving into giggles.

Elsa wiped at her eyes. “They were so furious with us. I’d never heard them run down that staircase so quickly.” She winced as her lungs pinched briefly.

“Honestly I think father was secretly impressed we managed it. Just a shame our little guy melted so fast.”

Elsa hummed in agreement. “It was worth it though.”

“Sure was.”

“You always had a talent for finding fun that involved trouble of some kind.”

Anna laughed. “You loved it. Besides, you were always there to get me out of it.”

“Of course.”

Pain, sharp as a thunderclap burst inside her breast. Elsa’s lips parted in a soundless gasp, her hand flying to her sternum. Her lungs roiled.

Not now. Please not now.

“…Elsa? Are you okay?”

Elsa staggered to her feet with a whimper, camellias already occluding her throat. She suppressed the first few hacking spasms, but this was so much worse than usual. A few steps into the room her knees buckled, as the flowers came and came and came. Her legs gave out and Elsa crumpled to the floor at the foot of her bed, unable to stem the floral tide from her lips. Faintly she registered Anna pounding on the door, calling out, but then it was lost to the darkness.

—————————————————————

Elsa

Elsa!

A voice, calling her from above a dark ocean as she sank. It was so hard to breathe, her limbs weighted with lead and useless while the sea seeped into her mouth. In her darker moments she’d imagined what it would feel like to drown, what it must have felt like when their parents were dying. The pressure, the ache, the burning breathlessness—

But no. It wasn’t water in her lungs.

A living thing clamored in her chest, growing where no living thing should grow. Roots… she was rooted to the earth, not adrift in the ocean. She was being swallowed up in dark soil, a garden ready and waiting to burst from her ribs as soon as her body was finished struggling. Then she would finally be free.

And Anna would be alone.

Anna.

—————————————————————

“No…no, no, no—”

She was being lifted, jostled into someone’s arms. Hands, fluttering and frantic, ghosted over her, soft as butterfly wings, unable to settle. Words filtered in and out. The voice sounded incredibly upset.

“Elsa… oh please, Elsa…”

Confusion snagged thoughts adrift in a heavy fog. That couldn’t be right… Anna wasn’t supposed to be in her room. She was on the wrong side of the door. There was something she wasn’t supposed to know, that Elsa had to make sure she didn’t know.

It drifted away.

—————————————————————

She was in bed.

Elsa felt the familiar weight of her comforter and the pillows at her back. How had she gotten there? How much time had passed, and what had she been…?

Anna.

Her eyes fluttered open with difficulty.

She froze.

Anna was perched on the side of the bed. On her bed. In her room.

“Hey.” Anna’s smile was soft and hesitant, and a little sad.

Elsa pushed herself upright on shaky arms. Reflexively she touched her mouth, but found it free of blood. Anna must have lifted her into bed and cleaned her up. “Hi.” Her voice was a painful croak.

Anna quickly reached for a glass of water on the nightstand, pressing it into Elsa’s hands. Elsa gave her a grateful smile, studying her as she drank.

Anna’s thick russet locks hung free over her shoulders, the hair near her temples braided in a circlet around her head. The dress she wore was deep green with plum embellishments, a matching sash cinched at her waist. A sharply tailored black jacket with their autumn wheat motif embroidered on the shoulders finished the ensemble. She looked older. Beautiful.

Elsa set the glass back on the nightstand. There was too much to say and Elsa had no idea where to begin. She looked at her sister and found herself blurting, “How did you get in?”

Anna gave her an exasperated look. “I learned how to pick locks.”

“Oh.”

“Elsa…what is all this?” She looked confused and unsettled as she gestured to the flowers scattered on Elsa’s floor. In her hand was a camellia, spotted with blood.

Elsa’s throat tightened. She felt suddenly, unbearably naked.

“It’s…” Elsa waved a hand over her chest, feeling small and ashamed. “They’re in my lungs,” she finished in a whisper, shrugging helplessly. It was not even close to the whole truth, but how could she explain the nature of her affliction? How was she supposed to tell Anna that her sickness had manifested as a reflection of her perverse heart?

If she did one thing right in her life, it would be to take this truth with her to the grave. Anna had enough burdens to carry.

Anna gaped at her, then down at the flower nestled in her palm, her brow pulling into a deep frown. “Wait… what? How is that poss— I…I don’t understand.”

The absurdity of it all struck her then, startling a faint laugh out of Elsa that ended in something closer to a sob. She quickly pressed a hand her lips. “Neither do I.”

One of Anna’s hands gripped the comforter, twisting the fabric until her knuckles turned white. She struggled for a moment, and Elsa’s heart squeezed painfully when Anna’s eyes turned glassy. “I… I can’t lose you Elsa, not when I—”

Elsa reached for her, but something behind Anna caught her eye and she stopped.

At the foot of her bed was a bouquet of flowers. Not just any flowers.

“Are those…” They couldn’t be. Elsa was fluent in the language of flowers, but Anna wasn’t. Her sister had no idea what those meant. No idea what they said. If she had, she wouldn’t be giving them to Elsa.

It was a bouquet of Camellias.

Pink and red camellias.

Pink, like hers, for longing and red for—

Desire. Passion.

Romantic love.

A mistake. It was a mistake, there was no other explanation.

“Are those for me?” Elsa rasped, weak with disbelief and a shameful pang of longing that slithered out before she could stop it.

“Yeah Elsa, they are.”

She shook her head in denial, staring at those impossible flowers. “But—”

Fingertips settled against her lips, and Elsa’s heart stopped.

Soft and warm, it was the first skin to skin contact she’d had in longer than she could remember, and it sent shockwaves through Elsa’s body. Suddenly every sense that had been dulled over the years, though intention or neglect, came alive. She had the irresistible urge to press a kiss to those fingers, had only to apply the slightest bit of pressure to do so, but that beautiful teal gaze had turned her to stone.

“Yes Elsa,” Anna said quietly. Unshed tears lingered in her eyes, her expression solemn yet underscored by a quiet resolve that blazed just beneath the surface. So unlike the girl Elsa remembered; a queen in her own right. Seeing it now broke her heart as much as it made her proud. She was meant to protect Anna from that burden. She had failed in so many ways.

Anna’s thumb grazed the corner of her mouth, and Elsa’s breath hitched. “I know what they mean.”

How could you? Elsa’s gaze drifted to her desk and the designated corner where The Language of Flowers always sat, now empty. The last time she’d seen it… was three days ago, when Kai had retrieved Anna’s present. Which had been sitting on top of the book. Elsa’s heart stuttered. Had he…?

Anna reached down and clasped Elsa’s hands. “Every flower you gave me… I finally understand what you’ve been telling me all this time.”

“That wasn’t… that wasn’t my intention, I— ” Elsa stammered. She could hardly breathe, her heart was beating so fast. “You weren’t supposed to know. Ever,” she whispered thickly, too laid bare to even deny it.

Anna’s smile was rueful. “I kinda figured as much when I got my Christmas present and your Language of Flowers was there too, with all your notes and bookmarks.”

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear streaking down her cheek. Shame raged inside her, hot and hungry. She felt lightheaded.

“Hey.” A hand brushed her face, encouraging her to open her eyes. “It’s okay Elsa, I promise.”

Anna reached back, liberating a red camellia from the bouquet. She held it up between them. “It’s okay because… I love you too.” Anna took her hand and closed Elsa’s fingers around the stem. “And when I say ‘love’,” she continued gently, “I mean in love.”

“How… why?” This can’t be what you want. You aren’t broken, like me.

A fond smile curved Anna’s lips. “Because you’re you, Elsa. Beautiful and kind and smart and thoughtful and loving, and so many other things. You’re perfect.”

Elsa most certainly was not, but it was difficult to argue when Anna was looking at her like that. And then she was leaning in, dark pupils fixed on Elsa’s mouth.

“You could get sick,” Elsa hedged weakly.

“I don’t care,” Anna murmured.

She was so close now and Elsa couldn’t think; words deserted her as those flushed pink lips drew her into their orbit.

Anna’s lips brushed hers in a whisper, her kiss ghosting over Elsa’s mouth in a touch so sweet, so unerringly devastating, it shattered the last crumbling walls Elsa had erected around herself. Her foundations fell away beneath her, until the only anchor was that forbidden touch, more perfect than anything she’d experienced. Frisson rippled along every nerve, shivering over her bare skin.

Elsa reached out a hand and found Anna’s neck, the delicate pulse beneath soft skin thrumming in time with her heart, accelerating under Elsa’s touch as she allowed herself to claim Anna’s lips like it was the last thing she’d ever do.

Maybe it was.

A noise, soft and high, caught in Anna’s throat, and her mouth parted to allow Elsa in. Elsa took what she offered, losing herself in the lush warmth of her, caressing Anna with a purpose she never dreamed she’d have the chance, let alone the right to do.

Anna broke away first, her gasps falling heavy against Elsa’s lips, amplified in the quiet room. Elsa cupped her cheek, stroking it with her thumb as she gazed back into eyes heavy lidded and bright.

Anna closed the distance again, her nose brushing along Elsa’s as she brought their foreheads together.

“I love you, Elsa,” she breathed, voice breaking. “I don’t want to lose you. I can’t, not now.”

Elsa opened her mouth to respond and stopped. Something had changed. She’d almost missed it in the overwhelming euphoria of kissing Anna, but now a stunning absence was made plain. The revelation echoed through her like silent thunder.

“You won’t,” she said, her voice possessed by certainty, and filled with awe. Elsa lifted their hands, placing Anna’s flat against her chest. The heartbeat under Anna’s palm was no longer weak and thready, but strong and sure.

Elsa stared at Anna in wonder and inhaled deeply, from lungs that were completely empty for the first time in six years.

#elsanna #submission #august 2021 contest #prompt: flowers #cw: blood #cw: angst

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disneygeeeek · 3 years ago

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My problems with Elsa (Frozen)

I know its been a while since Frozen II came out, but I wanted to talk about it.

This might be seen as controversial

WARNING:

If you are an Elsa fan, you probably don’t want to read this. I understand that she is a role model, comfort character, etc. for other people and I don’t want to ruin/ undermine that. I hate it when people say bad things about my favorite characters too. I just have some things that I want to get off my chest, even if no one agrees with me. And some of my problems actually have to do with me relating to her.

Here are the basic categories, some of which I will admit are shallow and range in importance.

Marketing.

She is SO popular. I just feel like she is given more praise and outshines the other princesses without any real reason. I think her biggest appeal (to kids anyway) is that she’s so *pretty*. She has the sparkly magic powers, the shiny beautiful dresses, and the best songs.

Frozen

Honestly I had a lot of problems- her shutting out Anna and neglecting her, running away from her problems, abandoning her kingdom- but I found those forgivable. That’s not the real issue I had. I only started having real problems with her after “Let It Go”. Because as soon as Anna tells her that she set off an eternal winter in Arendelle her immediate reaction was saying she couldn’t do anything about it because she didn’t now how. She even screamed “I can’t”, but she never even tried. She had just spent an entire song exploring her powers, making a new dress, building an entire ice palace, and then discovers that she can create life when she meets Olaf, but she doesn’t even attempt to see if she can reverse her powers, she just instantly goes back into her state of trying to repress her powers again. If there had been a scene where Anna and Elsa had practiced her trying to bring back summer and she failed, THEN decided that she couldn’t do it, I would’ve been ok with that. Because she would’ve at least tried- and it wouldn’t have worked because she wasn’t using love (or whatever). But that never happened. Instead Anna found out that love is what thaws when she literally gave her life to save Elsa and then managed to unfreeze herself because of her act of true love. I would’ve even settled for Elsa telling Anna about what happened in their childhood which would explain why she was the way she was, and then she would’ve been able to properly reject Anna’s choice to continue to want to help her. She would’nt let Anna help because she didn’t know what happened in their childhood, and therefore couldn’t respect her wanting to help because she didn’t know what she was getting herself into. If she had just been honest then I would’ve been more ok with her, because she would’ve treated Anna more like an adult, but she ended up choosing for Anna instead.

Frozen II

In Frozen II Elsa is even worse I would say. She doesn’t have the reason to push Anna away like she did in Frozen (trying to protect her sister from herself). Instead she thinks it *might* be dangerous and doesn’t tell Anna what’s going on, and constantly leaves her in the dark. Again, I would’ve found that forgivable- but what really angered me was when she sent Anna away after they found out about their parents. They had promised each other that they would do this together and have each other’s backs. Instead Elsa decides that it is too dangerous for Anna to continue on this journey because it *might* be bad. If they had gotten to the ocean and realized that there was no way for Anna to get across the ocean and mutually decided that they needed to separate, I would’ve understood that. I also would’ve loved it if they had a duet together like Issac Carlton described in his video “Why Elsa is a Bad Sister to Anna in Frozen II” (link down below) But Elsa once again decides for Anna and doesn’t treat her like an equal. And then at the end of the movie she never apologizes to Anna for pushing her away and making her suffer. And everyone seems to be ok with this because Elsa was right about Anna not being able to get to Atohollen

Anna

This is one of (if not the) biggest reasons I have problems with Elsa.

I. ADORE. Anna. But I feel as though she’ been neglected in favor of Elsa. Anna is the type of person I aspire to be- brave, positive, and always loving. But no one gives her any attention. It even got to the point that some people will undermine her and put all the blame on her in order to lift Elsa up. In the first movie people blamed Anna for Elsa’s trauma because she didn’t listen to Elsa to stop jumping when they were playing, leading her to get hurt. (which is ridiculous because she was a CHILD, and wasn’t ignoring Elsa but instead couldn’t hear her.) They also blame Anna for pushing Elsa into revealing her powers at the ball- sure, maybe she didn’t handle it properly, but 1. She had been feeling this way her whole life and Elsa REFUSED to ever listen to her, and 2. The secret would’ve come out sooner or later, it was just a matter of time. In the second movie people get mad at Anna for being too clingy to Elsa and not letting her pursue her own path. What people forget is that Elsa was keeping secrets from her, Grandpappi told her that if Elsa wasn’t careful she would be consumed by magic, the lullaby said that it Elsa “went too far she would be drowned”, and Elsa was constantly sidelining her. Of course she was going to freak out! Her sister was putting herself in danger and refusing to let Anna help. And for those who say Anna wouldn’t let Elsa pursue her path, she SAID that she didn’t want to prevent her from being who she was meant to be, she just didn’t want her to die. That’s pretty valid. Also, in both movies people tend to undermine what Anna goes through by saying it’s not as bad as what Elsa had to go through, or that she did it to herself, which makes me mad.

As for people neglecting Anna, even the people who worked on the film pushed her to the side in favor of Elsa. In the first Frozen movie Anna doesn’t even get an entire song to herself, as “For The First Time In Forever” ends up being sort of a duet. And when you compare the musical score and lyrics to Elsa’s “Let it Go” there is no comparison.

This was even worse in Frozen II. The story didn’t have to do much with her at all, as it all was mostly focused on what Elsa was going through. I understand that Elsa was the main character in this film- which I am ok with. But Anna was ignored to the point where it even kind of interfered with the plot of the movie (in my opinion). She was supposed to be one half of the fifth spirit, but we didn’t get any semblance of that until the end when Elsa said “Actually a bridge has two sides, and mother had two daughters.” I also wish that they had put more time into showing that Anna was always meant to be Queen of Arendelle. Instead it just felt like she took over the role because Elsa chose to leave, not because it was her destiny or that she was better suited for the job (which I think she was, in my own personal opinion). The very least they could do was show her being a great queen at the end, but she just….. unveils a statue?

My feelings of her rejection only grew when I watched “Into The Unknown”, a documentary on making Frozen II. The mini series consisted of 6 episodes, and out of all that time only twenty minutes AT MOST was spent talking about Anna. The rest was about Elsa. I would even go as far to say that it went as far as impacting the effort put into Anna’s story, songs, and costumes. Elsa gets two songs that we saw a lot of effort put into, especially “Show Yourself” which the entire story sort of revolved around. When you compare it to “The Next Right Thing” ( a song that I adore and relate to) it seems somewhat lackluster.

As far as the actual movies go, I have problems with Elsa in regards to Anna as well. (This kind of repeats some points I already made, but oh well.)

Elsa neglects and mistreats her in both movies. Granted, the first one I understand her- she’s just trying to protect Anna, but she went about it the wrong way. I’m fine with that. What I’m not fine with is how she treats Anna after “Let It Go”. Elsa continues to push her away after Anna traveled through dangerous situations and rocky terrain to get to her. Not only that, as soon as she finds out that she buried Arendelle in snow, she jumps back into pushing Anna away and doesn’t even respect her as an adult or listen to her. Like I said before, Elsa decides for Anna instead of informing her or even hearing her out, instead insists that Anna needs to leave despite knowing Anna desperately wants to reconnect with her and the fact that she traveled really far to find her. She then hurts Anna (by accident, I’m not going to hold that against her) but instead of trying to help she creates a snow best that LITERALLY THROWS ANNA OUT. Elsa only reciprocates Anna’s affection when she dies to protect her. In the end, Elsa learns to control her powers and the sisters are reunited- but because of Anna. Elsa did nothing to actually contribute to a solution. She only realized that love would help her control her powers because Anna’s act of love melted her own frozen heart.

Then the second movie. If I thought I had problems with Elsa before, it was nothing compared to this. The movie starts with Elsa not telling Anna what is going on, then deciding that Anna shouldn’t even join her- not because Arendelle needs a leader while she’s gone, but because it’s too dangerous for Anna because she doesn’t have powers. Once they get into the forest Elsa starts to sideline Anna and refuses to let her help because she deems it too dangerous. She even is about to go chase a rock giant by herself without telling anyone- the only reason she didn’t is because Anna caught her. Of course my biggest problem is when Elsa sends her away- she broke her promise, didn’t respect Anna’s wishes, chose for her AGAIN, and honestly treated her like she was incapable. And at the end of the day Elsa never apologizes for any of it- not breaking her promise, not sending her away, not for her and Olaf dying, not for having her make a tough decision on her own, not for making her suffer. Nothing. Even though Anna ended up being RIGHT the whole time. Without Anna by her side, Elsa did end up going too far into Athollen and even dying. But everyone acts like Elsa was right because she ended up coming back to life, so no harm done right? WRONG. While Elsa got to have a lovely song, a new dress, find out who she truly was, and see her mother again (something Anna deserved too), Anna mourned the death of her best friend and her sister all alone in a dark cave- but still decided to do what was right despite the amount of emotional pain she was in. That type of trauma didn’t just go away because Olaf and Elsa came back. And then I had mixed feelings about Elsa not being at Anna’s coronation, but at that point I don’t care. I was more upset that the movie ended on just Elsa instead of both of them. My ideal end would’ve been Elsa reaching Arendelle and them seeing each other.

One side note before the last point-

As for the whole Kristoff dilemma, Anna constantly is bombarded with hate because she ignored him throughout the film, but honestly it’s not just her fault. It’s Elsa’s and Kristoff’s too. Like I said before, Elsa was giving Anna PLENTY of reasons to worry about her. And not only that, but there was a scene where Elsa insisted that the group needed to leave the camp even though Kristoff wasn’t there. That leaves Anna in a tough spot; go find her boyfriend who left without saying anything and let her sister leave? Or follow her sister who might get herself killed? I would also like to point out that him leaving without telling her hurt Anna as well- we all know he had a good reason but she didn’t. As for Kristoff, I know he was just trying to do something sweet, and try to propose to the woman he loved- but his timing was terrible. Not only were they off on some grand quest, but Anna was very obviously worried about Elsa and needed someone to lean on- not that he wasn’t being that person, but he did have his mind elsewhere. I just feel like he should’ve waited until it was over? Idk. And I know Anna kept misinterpreting what he was saying, which isn’t his fault. I just think maybe he should’ve waited. But in the end of it all, Anna still apologized to him, because even though it wasn’t entirely her fault/ she had good reasons, she recognized that she hurt him. Which is something Elsa never does.

What could’ve been

The other big point. This is one that also hurts me in a way- because honestly I wanted to like Elsa. I relate to her so much- someone who is introverted and suffering with their mental health and doesn’t feel like she really belongs. I understand her, which is what makes it so heartbreaking for me, because she ruined it with those two pivotal moments in both movies. (Not trying to fix summer/ telling Anna the truth in Frozen, and then sending Anna away/ not apologizing in Frozen II). I love her songs, I love her costume, I love her journey, I love the movies (even though the second one had problems). She was someone that I could see myself in. But then she went and ruined it. Even if she had just apologized I think I would’ve liked her, but she never did. Now I have all these songs, these experiences, and two movies that I want to love and connect with, but just can’t because I’m constantly reminded of how much she’s hurt Anna, and how she never had to really had to face any consequences for her actions. And despite these huge faults she has (for lack of a better word), she is still adored and preferred over Anna to the point where she is neglected and tossed aside. I would give anything to have an Anna in my life, and Elsa just mistreated her.

Honestly what does it for me is 1. How it affects Anna and 2. These terrible decisions that she makes that are honestly somewhat selfish and makes me not be able to stand her.

I never wanted to hate Elsa. I’d love to sing “Let it Go” and have it clear away my worries about what other feel about me, I want desperately to sing “Into the Unknown” because I too long for adventure and want to find my place in the world, and I wish I could sing “Show Yourself” with the hope that someday I too will find myself. I want to watch Frozen and Frozen II, I want to wear her dresses, I want to enjoy the world that she is a part of. I want to be able to enjoy Anna, one of my top two favorite Disney characters. But I can’t. Because she ruins it all for me- I can’t enjoy any of it anymore. And because of that, now I hate Frozen, and it makes me sad.

https://youtu.be/qEOBBqNenbU

#frozen #frozen ii #disney elsa #disney #elsa of arendelle #queen anna #anna frozen #confession

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hafanforever · 5 years ago

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Split Decision

So I think what happens at the end of this particular scene in Frozen II has caused some controversy about Elsa’s actions. I’ve seen fans here on Tumblr displaying anger towards her because they believe that she was only hugging Anna, and then had Olaf join them, in an act of trickery to lure them closer to her so she would make sure that her ice boat creation would surround and hold them before she sent them away.

However, while I agree that Elsa’s move was a bit sneaky and deceptive, I understand why she did it and why she felt it was her only choice, even though she knew Anna would consequently be furious with her over it. And now that I think about it, I look at Elsa’s hug from another perspective and believe that it wasn’t merely a trick to lure Anna and Olaf into her boat trap, but her own way (though a rather forceful and indirect one) of saying goodbye to them.

Before this happens, Elsa has decided to venture to Ahtohallan alone, without Anna, saying that crossing the Dark Sea to reach Ahtohallan would be too dangerous of a trek for both of them to make. Yet Anna adamantly insists on coming to prevent anything from happening to Elsa, which she had earlier promised to Pabbie.

The thing here is, Elsa turns out to be completely right about the Dark Sea. When she tries to cross it, she gets knocked down twice by the waves, struggles to swim in the deep, choppy waters, and has to use her powers to try to overcome the obstacles to get further out and closer to Ahtohallan. Things get more complicated for Elsa when the Nokk appears; several times, it aggressively attacks her and attempts to drown her, forcing her to fight back with all of her might until she finally makes it settle down.

This whole scene reminds me of the earlier scene when Elsa decides to go to the forest and tries to discourage Anna from coming, saying that she (Elsa) has her powers to protect her, while Anna does not. But Anna stubbornly refuses to take no for an answer, given what dangerous feats she overcame on their previous adventure without the use of magical powers.

The entire scene of Elsa against the Dark Sea proves her point about her powers’ use in protecting her perfectly. She would not have been able to take care of herself by working to get past the big waves and fighting the Nokk if she had to do it with Anna, too. Maybe this sounds a little biased, and I don’t mean for it to sound that way, but it’s true that only Elsa could successfully face off against the Nokk since they are both magical beings (and as it turns out, Elsa is an elemental spirit just like it). Okay, yes, we’ve seen how Anna can do a damn great job of taking care of herself in tough situations, and I give her credit for it. I am not at all dismissing her as a weak, inept, incompetent, helpless damsel in distress, because I KNOW she isn’t. She’s tough, plucky, spunky, brave, and fearless. But Anna DOES have her limitations, and I think she sometimes overlooks or underestimates that about herself. Successfully crossing the Dark Sea and taking on the Nokk is NOT something she would have been able to do at all.

Getting back to Elsa’s reasoning that she had to go to Ahtohallan by herself, like I said, the scene of her doing so proves that she was right. Now she probably didn’t anticipate on encountering the Nokk, but I bet Elsa did think that there might be risks about which she didn’t know yet while crossing the Dark Sea, which is another reason why she refused to let Anna come along.

Another thing here that catches my attention is how Anna doesn't seem to heed Elsa’s words about the sea being too dangerous if they both tried to go, since she immediately responds to Elsa’s statement with, “No, no. We do this together. Remember the song? ‘Go too far and you’ll be drowned’.” It is crystal clear from these words, and from her earlier scenes where she never wanted to leave her sister’s side, that Anna had a desperate desire to protect Elsa during this journey.

When she adds, "Who will stop you from going too far?", it sounds like Anna isn’t thoroughly considering that the chances of Elsa dying was much greater, and for herself as well, if they tried to pass the Dark Sea together. Anna wanted to ensure that Elsa didn’t head too far into Ahtohallan’s depths and dying, but they wouldn't have even made it to Ahtohallan without crossing the sea first. They both could have perished before getting there, and then their mission would remain incomplete. Then again, perhaps Anna did realize the possibility of them both not being able to make it across the sea, but she just didn’t want to accept or even think about it because she was far more afraid of losing her sister if Elsa went all alone.

Obviously, the fact that the two discovered moments earlier that their parents had died trying to reach Ahtohallan in search of answers to her powers is what made Elsa decide that Anna could not go with her. She guiltily felt responsible for Agnarr and Iduna’s deaths, and she didn't want to carry extra weight on her shoulders by feeling responsible for Anna’s safety and taking the chance of her dying if they went together. Since Anna is the only blood family Elsa has left, she refused to risk losing her, too.

I mean, remember: Elsa briefly lost Anna once before, and at her own hands, so she was determined not to let it happen again. Any chance of losing Anna again on this journey would no doubt be permanent, and Elsa would never forgive herself if that happened. 😔

Like the earlier scene, Anna stubbornly refuses to take no for an answer to Elsa’s decision to go to Ahtohallan alone. While she understands Anna’s fear of the chance that she (Elsa) may die on her trek, Elsa knows that she may have to take that risk just to do what is right for Arendelle and the forest. But successfully crossing the sea is something that is far beyond Anna’s control.

So having made up her mind that crossing the sea would be more dangerous if they both go, Elsa puts her foot down (by LITERALLY doing so when she creates the ice path 😆) with utmost and firm determination that Anna cannot continue the journey by coming to Ahtohallan with her.

When Anna says that she wants to come because she can’t bear to lose Elsa, Elsa says she can’t lose Anna, either, and pulls her sister in for a hug. Like I said above, I see her hugging Anna, and Olaf, not just as a ruse to ensure that she could send them off to be safe, but to say goodbye. If Elsa thinks that she may die and thus never see them again, then she wanted to embrace them now since it may be for the last time. Despite Anna’s insistence and voicing her fear of losing Elsa, Elsa feels that her fear of losing Anna is even greater since Anna would be in much greater danger with trying to cross the sea. So she resorts to forcing her sister not to accompany her by making the ice boat and sending Anna and Olaf away to make sure that they wouldn’t and couldn’t follow her. Elsa also creates the ice path on which for the boat to slide to ensure that the two would be sent too far away for them to easily follow and catch up with her.

Additionally, I have been wondering if Elsa's desire to journey to Ahtohallan on her own wasn't just for the safety measures of her sister, but also because of her introverted nature, because of her independence and desire to do certain things alone (which she clearly demonstrated when she made up her mind to travel to the Enchanted Forest). Additionally, the fact that Elsa is another elemental spirit of the forest, the fifth spirit, means that she had to go to Ahtohallan by herself, as part of her destiny to learn her true identity. She had to be independent, as she likes to be, and discover the whole truth for herself, on her own.

While Elsa is the introvert between the two sisters, Anna is the extrovert, and with this kind of nature, I don't think she truly understands the ways of introverts. It is with this scene, and even in Frozen, when she insists to Kristoff that "nobody wants to be alone, except maybe you" as a response to him saying “Most people who disappear into the mountains want to be alone” that shows that she doesn’t entirely comprehend their ways. Maybe after three years, Anna understands Elsa and Kristoff’s introverted behaviors a little more. But when considering the big picture, I think she still believes no one ever really wants to be alone, or even do things alone, just because she doesn't want to. After all, Anna spent nearly all of those 13 years alone and isolated from the outside world, and she wants to make sure she never goes back to that life. And yet despite her tragic childhood and adolescence, Anna grew up to be kind, sweet, loving, and good-hearted, and never hesitates to help others and do what was right. However, it also seems to have made her a bit delusional and unrealistic by thinking everyone else wants to be around people like she does, or that they always need help for every situation. Anna doesn’t appear to fully understand that some people like to be independent and have to do things on their own, nor does she seem willing to accept the fact that she can’t help everyone with everything, especially Elsa. She has to learn that she can’t be by Elsa’s side all the time just to stop every bad thing that might happen. She has to learn to accept and respect the fact that Elsa feels comfortable taking on some challenges all by herself and doesn’t always need help. In the first movie, Anna’s ignorance of Elsa’s secret is part of why she didn’t understand why her sister was so distant and closed in. But even after discovering it, she still disbelieved that Elsa wanted to be alone and that it was a major reason why she ran away. And while she was right in the long run, Anna sometimes seemed to go too far with her optimism since she didn’t really listen to Elsa’s concerns that she couldn’t remove the winter curse. Likewise, when she first met Kristoff, Anna didn't understand his grumpy, rude, unfriendly behavior towards her and Oaken, or his contemptuous attitude towards people and society.

So now in this scene, Anna seems to be unable, or perhaps just far too stubborn, to comprehend the fact that Elsa MUST do this on her own as part of her destiny, and that her powers could help her through this, while the same could not be said for her (Anna). Again, the tasks of making it across the Dark Sea and simultaneously taming the Nokk are beyond Anna’s control. It would have been far more treacherous than climbing the North Mountain, surviving a frozen heart, and saving Elsa from her ex-boyfriend without powers to aid her. 😉

Moving on, when Anna and Olaf are finally out of sight, the last shot of Elsa in the scene shows her holding herself and looking unhappy at what she did. As I said in “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”, Elsa does feel guilty and unhappy over sending Anna away the way she did, knowing full well that having done so has made her sister angry at her. But right now, Elsa is far more concerned about Anna’s safety than her happiness, and she would rather send her away to be safe than let her come along for the rest of the journey just so Anna can be happy that they are still together.

So again, Anna could not come with Elsa to Ahtohallan because the perils of the Dark Sea could have killed them both. If it didn’t kill both of them, Anna would have been the more susceptible victim because she possesses no magical powers to help her, especially in dealing with the Nokk. With even one of them dead, Elsa and Anna’s mission would never be finished; as I explained in “Girls in the Mist”, they HAD to do it together.

Elsa’s decision to split her and Anna up in this scene means that for now, she has broken her promise that she and Anna would do their mission together. But when Elsa temporarily freezes to death upon going into the most dangerous part of Ahtohallan, Anna manages to lift the mist and free the forest by provoking the Giants into destroying the dam.

Because she was alive and safe like her sister wanted her to be, Anna was able to successfully finish the work Elsa started. So even though they weren’t physically together the whole time, they STILL did it together, meaning that in the end, Elsa kept her promise to Anna. 😁😄😊

#Frozen 2 analyses #Frozen analyses #Disney #Disney Frozen 2 #Disney Frozen #Frozen 2 #Frozen #Elsa #Anna #Dark Sea #Ahtohallan #decision #separation #1K #my stuff #mine

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shythalia · 4 years ago

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Remember years ago when people theorized & believed that Tarzan's parents were Elsa & Anna's parents just based off their colorless photo?

Yeah. CLEARLY, they never watched the very beginning of Tarzan. Glad Disney made Frozen 2.

Dec. 2021 EDIT: Ok, I heard that the theory was a half-joke. So I guess I can forgive it a little.

#random post #disney #tarzan #disney fan theory #disney theory #disney tarzan #frozen #shitty theory

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annaofthenorthernlights · 4 years ago

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It´s your life

Chapter 3

New world

Kristanna Modern AU

Rating: G

Word counting: 2228

Previous chapters (on AO3)

Note:

I´ve been to Disneyland Paris (Europe) before. Please forgive if there are inadequacies about the resort in CA.

Along this chapter I figured this fanfic takes place around spring 2014. Why? You´ll see…😊

Another note at the end of the chapter.

“You didn´t!”

Anna shrieked with excitement when they turned around the corner, entering the Western-Town-Alley. The imitation of the pioneer-aera town would catapult their guests into the time of cowboys and saloon girls roaming the street. So, the saloon would make the breakfast room, while bank building contained the tourist-information, informing all guests about major events, tickets selling of all sorts and providing material for the trip along the parc. Along the alley there stood little buildings as accommodations from single up to family rooms. At the end of the road there was the “great Casino”, the dining hall. That´s where they would eat shortly, so there was not that much time of wandering about.

The room was clearly expanding the feeling of being thrown back in time. It was situated further down the “towns street”, which was great. Because then one would need to walk all the way along the buildings and exploring the “western flair”.

Anna gnawed on her lower lip as she plunged herself on the wood framed bed, bouncing on the mattress to check its sound and feeling. Okay, it was sturdy, because there was no sound of a squeaky slatted frame.

Kristoff had put down their bags and looked at her amused, sitting down next to her. “You like it?”

“Are you kidding me? I love it. This is so great. Thank you so much considering this type of accommodation.” With that, she perked a kiss to his cheek, laughing and glancing around their nest. It was a simple room, but with a lovely charm to the details of interior and decoration. Nothing fancy, all wooden furniture and a woolen knotted carpet in front of the bed. Not much more. Th bathroom was modern of course, but simple in style, too.

“Glad you do.” Kristoff smiled and lay back for a moment. “I´m still sorry, I can´t give you the exquisite room in the princess hotel… But to be honest, I like it in here quite the more…”

“Stop that!” Anna scolded. “It´s really great, I love it. And I love it even the more, because you do this all for me.” She leaned over and cuddled against his side. Then, she pushed up on her elbow, looking around one more time.

“You know what? This reminds me so much of a story I have recently read on an internet blog site. It´s not a real story, well you know it´s a so-called fanfiction – a story about a story…Never mind, it´s called “Where the world is in the making”, taking place about 150 years ago, pioneer-aera. A young girl from the east coast travels west to marry a young homesteader by advertisement. It´s a hard life but they gradually and slowly start falling in love with each other, without realizing it of course… It´s so romantic and tragic all in one.” Anna laid back into her man´s embrace and sighed. It was good to know, they wouldn´t have to go over to some creek to get some washing…

Kristoff had listened. He was not the reader, but he liked listening to her story telling. He had heard of it before, of women traveling far to get married to some advertising men in the west. That was so crazy. But it was a different time and apparently it had worked. Somehow. Maybe. Who really knew today what they had lived like?

*******

Their table at the Casino restaurant was situated by the window and they had the perfect view onto the street. Anna sat beaming, and glancing around the place in disbelief. She could hardly take it all in, the moment was to blissful to her. She pulled up her shoulders and pressed her lips together.

“I can´t believe we´re sitting here. This is… wonderful. Thank you so much!” She reached over and Kristoff responded by squeezing her hand, smiling. “You´re welcome. Glad you enjoy yourself so immensely.”

A young woman stepped up to their table and pulled them out of their stare. She smiled so naturally and handed the menu. “Hi. I´m Honeymaren and I will be your server tonight. What can I bring you for drinks?”

When the server had left with their orders, Anna leaned back in her chair and tilted her head in thought.

“A penny for your mind.” Kristoff leaned back himself.

“Hm. I was thinking.” Anna fiddled with her fingers. “About that story, that I´ve told you just before. Those times must have been harsh and dangerous, too. I wonder how brave people back then must have been. I mean, they have left their former homes, pursuing a dream to find a golden future in the western realms. They have built new homes, towns, and established communities. Okay I´m not going into the dark chapter of forcing whole folks to move and leaving their land of ancestors. That was the bad history… But they had literally formed a “new world”. Like in that story I read, it was in the making. Are we still “in the making”, or is it all done and settled?”

“That´s a good question. I think we should never be “done” and stop dreaming of a better world. Otherwise, we get lazy and inattentive. That´s dangerous.”

That moment, Honeymaren appeared with their drinks and was ready to get their meal order taken. While Kristoff and Anna still take a quick moment to gaze into their menu cards, the young woman looks back and forth between them, curling her lips. When she´d taken their wishes, she smiled, thanked, and disappeared. Once behind the bar, she hurried to the phone and started to dial a number. “Mathias! Hi. Honeymaren here…”

“I hope Elsa is alright.” Anna bites her lips and looks genuinely concerned. “I mean, it was not nice of me to cut her off like that. It´s not her fault, our family is in that business. Now, she had to deal with excusing me in some way. But then, the time would never be right for this, no?”

“No. It´s not. Whenever you would want to decide for yourself, you´d be the “troublemaker”. But Anna. Again, no matter what happens, I will be there for you. Not telling you what to do, but to support you. Okay?”

Now, her smile was back. “Yes, I know. Thank you. It´s just… Well, I guess that I will get to hear my lot. And I´m sure grandpa won´t put up with my “rebellion” and support me in this. So, I was wondering if I might be even able to finish my exams in the first place. I will have to take it step by step once back home. But that´s okay. I have time, don´t I? Otherwise, I will change plans and do something else. Something useful, that I know I will be good at, somehow. Around normal people, in a normal world.”

“Yes, you will!” Kristoff smiled at her reassuringly.

***

Kristoff held the little gift in his hand, unsure to give it Anna yet… When he had picked her up today, he had not expected the call Anna would get from Elsa. For some reason it had hit him in a spot, he had not realised before. Kristoff loved Anna for so many reasons. Maybe the greatest one was the fact that she loved him so naturally, so unconditionally, even though she was raised in such high standard surroundings.

But then, she had suffered this ugly betrayal, painfully facing the smirked mask of greed, when Hans had dropped her like a cheap cloth to the ground. She had been nothing more than a good trespass into the Rendelle business. Once his chances of career at the well named establishment got shrinking, she had been of no interest or rather use to him anymore. He was gone, faster than he had shown up. She´d been so embarrassed and devastated.

So, when Kristoff had first met her, it had been merely per accident. They had bumped practically into each other on a birthday party, neither of them had been eager to attend. That friend of hers from Senior High had moved on ever since. Kristoff had been invited by Sven, who had been invited by the birthday girl´s boyfriend. Sometimes the world was just small indeed.

Kristoff smiled at the memory of that first so dreadful evening, that at the end turned out to be so warm and wonderful. They had – by fate? – landed sitting next to each other, both kind of uninterested in great talk, while Anna was the one starting the conversation. First on a more polite basis, where at the end, they found themselves wound up discussing all sorts of things, from music, movies, food tastes, cars (well that was more his part, but she had listened and shown great interest best she managed), up to holiday spots worth dreaming about. And when he told her about his passion of working with wood and tools of all kinds, her eyes sparkled with pure and honest interest. He was bewildered at this recognition and asked her about this affection. Anna had smiled and explained, that she loved it when people were excited about what they did or loved. She didn´t know that much about passionate work or hobbies because all she was ever taught was to work hard for the family name and focus on that career. There was not much space left for anything else.

And when he had invited her to come and look at some of his and Sven´s projects, she had eagerly agreed and had never failed to show her pure interest.

Kristoff was positive that Anna would make her way and do a great job, no matter what she would do. If it were to help with guests and provide breakfast for them at his parents boarding house. She would do it enthusiastically and passionately. If she would defend some kid from being accused of robbery or any other unproved mischief, and then getting the best deal sorted out at court – she would be great. He was sure.

But now, he was wondering if his plans would fit her upcoming life. Just today, she had taken the courage to step away from an old life that had kept her in its forceps for so long. Was it fair if he asked her into his world like that? Binding her to him in this way, that maybe meant that she would be kept captive again? She deserved all freedom to herself now.

Kristoff sat on the edge of the bed, turning the little giftbox in his hands, waiting for Anna to emerge from the bathroom. When he heard the shower being turned off, he quickly stored the little box off into the nightstand drawer.

***

A desperate yell from the bathroom, followed by a shower of swearing from Anna´s exaggerated and clearly annoyed and shocked voice startled the young man to jump and hurry over to the bathroom door, just to push it open.

“Goodness, Anna! Are you alright?”

She stood wrapped in the towel, fumbling within her toilet bag, all the while stamping her foot, frowning, and swearing to the bag. Then she looked up, a miserable expression on her face, close to tears.

Kristoff stepped closer, worried she was hurt or in pain or whatsoever. “Hey, honey, what´s the matter?” He didn´t dare touch her while she looked so furious in a way.

Anna let out a heavy sigh, shrugged helplessly, and then held up the accusing delict.

Kristoff studied the little white cotton thing that was swinging in front of his nose and once recognising what it was, he grimaced and withheld the laugh.

Anna blurted out in a wild explosion, “I´m so sorry! It´s terrible, I had forgotten completely about this. It started just this evening. I´m so sorry….” She pleaded frustrated… At some point she had lowered her hand, fumbling with the tampon, annoyed...

Kristoff couldn´t help but laugh inwardly. Yep, that was bad timing, but for sure not her fault. So, he wouldn´t blame her or anything. That was after all a nature´s circle and part of the game.

He shrugged, scratched at the back of his head and sighed.

“Well, that´s too bad, isn´t it. I mean, think of it. Every princess of this resort and her catch ´might have sex tonight, except for us. Not think of what Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be up to…?” He grinned.

Anna stared at him. He was the best. Surely, he would be upset. But then, he was always so considerate when it came to her various conditions. By now, she shook her head in amusement and punched a fist to his upper arm.

“You pervert!” Then, she laughed and gnawed her lower lip. “Dam it! Now, I can´t get the picture out of my head!”

“We can change that.” Kristoff remarked, and pulled her close to him, “I´m sure we figure out some other ways of cherishing our time together.”

Anna frowned again and sighed, “but…!” She gestured to the room. “But… This is sooo amazing, and I screw it up!”

“No. You don´t! This not your fault and it isn´t like we wouldn´t get some other chance, wouldn´t we? Still… I do envy Mr. Cotton a bit, you know.”

That was it. Anna shoved him out of the bathroom playfully scolding him along the way.

*********

Note: The idea of mentioning another fanfic within the fanfic was very spontaneous – including the authors´ consent (WTWIITM – thanks to @upthenorthmountain and @karis-the-fangirl) 😊

#Fanfiction #Frozen fanfic #Kristanna fanfic #Modern AU #mine #fanfic within the fanfic surprise #Anna #Kristoff

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gryfon-spanish-werewolf · 4 years ago

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Spirit

@jabs-wocks made a comment about being in the mood for some angst and @justlookatthosesausages was talking about some post F2 ending/altered canon stuff the other day so I was inspired. I also wanted to make it October prompt-esque, so this one was about the word ‘Spirit’, which eventually just became the title

Edit: Also tumblr mobile? Hate you my guy, you literally deleted the entire text as I posted it, I saw you do it, so I’m here on my desktop. [Sigh] So here’s take 2.

-----

Perhaps life would never go back to normal in Arendelle. Though, how could it? The discovery of a decades long secret? The realization that the country they loved so dearly was capable of cruelty? And what to do with the Northuldra? Unite in shared blood despite history? Make reparations but go separate ways?

These are the questions that loom over Elsa and Anna in the weeks after their adventure to the Enchanted Forest.

Despite requests to stay, Elsa did return to Arendelle. Considering the circumstances, the Northuldra didn’t take offense, and welcomed her whenever she could take time away to visit and learn. But Anna sees how the days wore on her sister, rushing this way and that, rarely ever pausing to rest.

Which isn’t new, Anna sighs, watching as Elsa sets down her quill and leaves the office, closing the door behind her. A small squeak comes from the floor and Anna sees poor Bruni plop back down after launching himself towards the gap in the doorway. He’d been a second too late.

“Aww, are you okay?” Anna kneels down to check on him. “You’ll have to forgive her, she’s got a lot on her mind.”

Bruni chirps again, giving Anna a smile and an excited pitter-patter of feet. “Oh, of course,” Anna nods, “I should have known you’d already forgiven her. A wise and powerful spirit.”

The little salamander sparks magenta flame at the praise and darts away, wiggling himself under the door and scampering after Elsa.

Though the Enchanted Forest was many miles away, the spirits are often around, and have complete freedom to roam Arendelle castle. When they visit they spend the most time around the two Fifth Spirits, acknowledging Anna as one of their own. Some are more confined than others however: the Nokk could not leave the water without Elsa’s help, but it was a pleasant enough companion to sit with by the fjord.

Anna finds the Nokk there now, observing the ships coming and going.

“It’s nice isn’t it?” Anna asks. The Nokk turns it’s watery head her way, snorting a greeting. “I used to watch them from my window all the time.” Anna takes a seat next to the horse who is lounging on the sand, where the surf laps at the shore. “I’ll bet you used to watch ships come and go near Ahtohallan, before the Forest closed up.” She brings her chin to her knees. The sea washes against the spirit’s body, absorbed at regular intervals to swirl around it’s flank and belly. “Maybe without the Mist you would have seen my parents’.”

The Nokk glances up at her, attentive. Anna gazes back, trying to find answers in it’s bright blue eyes. “Would you have saved them?” The Nokk’s ear flicks but it’s expression doesn’t change. Anna chuckles to herself. “From the stories Elsa told, perhaps you wouldn’t have. You were trapped and angry and scared in the Forest. Maybe you would have seen them as just one more threat.”

A whiny is her reply, and while Anna may still be learning about the Nokk, she’s been around flesh and blood horses enough to know that the creature in front of her does look a little remorseful.

“It’s alright, I don’t blame you.” Anna leans back and looks skyward, at the clouds racing overhead. “And I know that you would now, even if we’re both uncertain of back then. Elsa may have been at the reins, but from what I heard, it was you that sped faster than a tidal wave to make it back here before Arendelle was destroyed. And your power that helped her hold the water back. I will always be grateful to you for saving my… our home.”

The Nokk lowers it’s head and rests it near her knee, letting out a long sigh that sends ripples across the shallow waves and scatters sand towards her hands. This time, it’s eyes search hers.

Anna takes pity on the spirit. “It’s okay. You couldn’t be in two places at once. Besides,” she emphasized, “you hadn’t met me yet and the dam was in the opposite direction of Arendelle. How were you to know?”

A raising of voices sounds over the wall, a commotion in the courtyard.

“Kristoff must be back,” Anna says, rising. “I should make sure everything’s alright.” The Nokk blinks slowly in farewell and dissolves back into the sea.

She was right - Kristoff had returned. As Anna enters the gates she spies Sven already being fed and watered by an enthusiastic Olaf. The reindeer looks tired, no doubt riding hard to get back before sundown. Even the proximity of Olaf’s carrot nose doesn’t seem to perk him up.

And though it was Sven who’d done all the running, Kristoff is the one who looks the most weary. He and Elsa are deep in conversation as Anna approaches, and while she’s not yet close enough to hear, she can see by the slump in his shoulders that he’s not happy.

Ever since they returned from the Forest, Kristoff has volunteered his time connecting with the Northuldra, helping them however they needed as they adjusted to life free of the Mist. Additionally, he began serving as Arendelle’s unofficial ambassador when Elsa couldn’t be around herself. At first Elsa had tried to dissuade him, saying he needed to recover from his own experiences in the Forest, that he didn’t need to serve Arendelle in a capacity he wasn’t comfortable with. He just laughed and tugged on his sash, saying, “Well you never know, Elsa. They might just be my family too.”

The travels were clearly wearing on him, but Kristoff seemed to want to keep moving, keep occupied, always doing something with his feet and his hands.

But Anna doesn’t miss the way he sinks gratefully into Elsa’s warm embrace. Doesn’t miss the way they hug tight. How Elsa disappears behind his broad shoulder, taking a moment to hide in it’s shadow. How Kristoff’s hands pull her close, as though to remind him of something.

“It will be dark soon,” Anna hears Kristoff say as they separate. Elsa turns her head to the west, then up into the hills.

“I’ll be back before dinner,” Elsa says without looking back. Kristoff nods and steps back.

A horse, already prepared, is brought to Elsa which she mounts and steers towards the gates. She’s about to leave when Kristoff calls her name softly from the ground. “Elsa?” Anna is nearly level with them now, but pauses at his tone. “It’s okay if you’re late. We… we understand. Just,” he shuffles on his feet before laying a hand on the horse’s side and meeting her eye. “Take care of yourself, promise?”

Elsa’s eyes glisten for a moment before she nods. “I’ve made a lot of promises recently,” she replies, her voice strained. “But I’ll keep this one.”

She flicks the reins and departs. Kristoff doesn’t linger either, heading back into the castle with Olaf and Sven.

Anna looks between the two groups: at the rapidly disappearing back of her sister and at the somber march of the three heading home. She puts her hands on her hips.

“Honestly,” she huffs, “no one around here knows how to take a break!”

She hears a chittering whistle above her head. Laughter, strange for certain, but a sound Anna has come to love.

“Glad you agree, Gale,” Anna smiles as Gale weaves around her clothes in greeting. Another glance tells Anna that Kristoff and the others were nearly inside. Elsa on the other hand had vanished as soon as she left town. Anna bites her lip as Gale swirls pensively around her. “I know I should probably check on Kristoff but… he does have Sven and Olaf. He- he’ll be alright, for now.” She points a finger at Gale, “But remind me, okay? If I forget that’s on you.”

Gale titters in a way that can only be sarcastic, but it only makes Anna grin wider. “Sure, sure, if I really do forget then I’ll let you toss me up and down in a whirlwind until I remember. But I think you forget that I’ve gotten pretty good at coasting your wind. It won’t be like the first time.”

At this Gale slows, almost bashful, and presses into Anna’s cheek like a cat. “It’s alright! You were just being cautious! Protecting the Forest and all. Geez,” she blew a little air of her own at the wind spirit, making it chitter that laugh again. “What’s with you spirits? So sentimental.”

She sizes up the rest of the courtyard. The horsekeeper is heading in now that his job is over, and the rest of the animals were locked away. Gale races forward, toying with a latch to one of the horse stables.

“No!” Anna reprimands. “I don’t need to take a horse. And especially since-,” she falters. “Just… walk with me? It’ll be good to have someone to talk to.”

Gale floats for a moment, then heads back to tug on Anna’s sleeve, urging her forward. “Alright, alright!” Anna laughs breathlessly, letting herself be led. “I’m coming! Aren’t I the one who invited you?”

They don’t have to travel far, Anna knows where Elsa was heading.

The sun is a golden wedge on the mountain’s rocky sides, sending deep purple shadows towards the east. There’s a clearing in the forest up ahead, one Anna knows well. She passes Elsa’s horse, giving it a wide berth so as not to spook the timid creature.

She hears the sobs she expected, but the sound still cuts her, deeper than any sword.

Elsa is on her knees before the towering headstones of their parents. She hunches over herself, arms crossed against her chest, trying to contain, still, after all these years, the grief and sorrow that live inside her ribs. Her pale hair hangs over her face, which is only a few inches from the ground.

Today has been hard.

Anna knows that Elsa had likely started standing, likely started with talking. Talking until the emotions welled up like the tide, sloshing back and forth and knocking her off balance until something tipped and it all spilled out, scattering her words and knocking her legs out from underneath her.

Anna knows because she’s seen it before: the first, second, and third time Anna took Elsa to see their parent’s grave after the Thaw.

But Anna also knows that that isn’t why Elsa is here this time.

Anna approaches and gazes at the earth before her. It’s been well kept, but of course it has. Just enough time has passed for new grass to grow, despite the soft nip of winter at the end of the night. Gifts and decorations still adorn the site, fresh flowers, a stuffed reindeer, a whittled sunflower, and many, many Arendelle flags.

A sound comes Elsa then. Raw. Agonized. Keening.

Inhuman.

Inhuman in that no human being should ever sound like the weight of their despair is crushing them, breaking them, hollowing them out.

Anna is at her side immediately, and she knows, she knows what will happen but she can’t stop herself. The sight of her sister’s suffering sends trills through her very soul, un-ignorable.

She places a hand on Elsa’s shoulder, in comfort, and watches it go right through. Ethereal. Translucent.

Ghostly.

Elsa grieves in front of a third headstone in the clearing, one that bears Anna’s name, and continues to weep.

Anna finds no purchase on her sister’s form. She hasn’t since the first day she got back from the Forest. She walked those miles by herself, alone, the spirits gone or busy with the living. When she finally returned to Arendelle --after the damn, after the flood, after… the dark, dark waters-- she saw Elsa and Kristoff and ran forward. Forgetting herself, wanting only to greet them and love them.

They walked right through her embrace, like she wasn’t even there.

Because she wasn’t.

Bruni found her two days later, on the roof above Elsa’s room. Unwilling to stay too close but unable to tear herself away from her friends, her family.

Her life.

That the spirits could see her was a small comfort. Very, very small. But at least she wasn’t alone anymore. She’d had plenty of that.

Anna recoils as Elsa shudders through an exhale, her next breath wet and clogged and shallow. Snowflakes start to fall from the sky though there are no clouds, swirling and sticking to grass and fallen leaves. Elsa’s control is slipping, and Anna can’t take it anymore.

“Gale-,” Anna’s voice breaks. “Please...”

The wind spirit knows what she is asking.

It takes a few seconds, but soon leaves and soft grass stems swirl gently around Elsa’s body, dancing in air, pressing gently against her hands to coax them free of their white knuckled grieving. “Gale?” Elsa asks breathlessly, and Anna feels the need to cry herself. Her sister’s voice is hoarse and fragile. Weak like a fractured eggshell. Flower petals wipe away the tears that soak Elsa’s cheeks. Gale tips Elsa’s head up as more objects join the bobbing air current, drawn from the forest and hills beyond.

“What are you...?” Elsa begins, but as a shape takes form she gasps, fresh tears brimming in her eyes.

A simple crown weaves itself into creation before her. Sunflower petals interlace with stalks of wheat and flashes of red maple leaves, bound together with precision and care. The purple head of a crocus flower, the last of the year, or perhaps the first of the new, is the final piece added before the adornment floats toward Elsa’s head and settles atop her hair, as gentle as a mother’s hand.

Or a sister’s.

Recognition widens Elsa’s eyes and she whirls around, staggering upright on unsteady feet.

“Anna!?”

The desperation, the hope, rings out like glass on the brink of shattering. Anna feels her breath catch in her throat as her sister looks at her for the first time since the ice boat ferried her away down the side of a cliff. She reaches out like she did before, even takes a step forward.

Until she realizes Elsa’s eyes are still searching. Looking past her.

After a few moments where Elsa’s heart hammers in her chest and Anna’s tries to recall what that might be like, Elsa’s shoulders drop and it’s a folding, a shrinking, an inward sinking. She is smaller than Anna has ever seen her.

But...

Elsa takes the crocus flower from the crown, plucks a sunflower petal and a soft head of wheat, and with a careful weaving of her own she protects them in ice. Smaller, but no less special than the frozen star atop the Christmas tree years ago, and cradled with just as much care.

Elsa holds the creation to her chest and Anna feels Gale nestle around her shoulders.

Both sisters speak at the same time.

“Thank you. I love you. I miss you.”

#October Story Haul #guess that's what I'm calling it now #I want to do more of these so feel free to drop me a prompt: a word a lyric a sentence etc etc #anyway the idea kept me up the other night and I don't usually write angst so hopefully it pushes the right buttons #(and as you can see I couldn't even commit to 100% full on angst I had to make it at least a LITTLE hopeful xD)#I TRIED but... then I got too sad so y'know #anyway #jabs-wocks #I hope this fills whatever need you had xD #justlookatthosesausages #your posts are always so funny and when it's fandom-related it usually makes me think too xD #so here's to you two for no additional reason other than I really wanted to write something and you both gave me an excuse #cheers #Anna #Elsa #Kristoff #Sven #Olaf #Bruni #Nokk #Gale #tw: death #mourning #alternate F2 ending #alternate ending #Post Frozen 2 #Frozen 2 canon divergent #ghost #burying this in the tags so y'all can't spoil yourselves but so that people who have tags can still filter #my writing

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magentacravat · 4 years ago

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Reading on @lolhahahano Descendant Helsa AU, i remember i have a similar headcanon with this AU too! Despite i've never watch Descendant, bruh 🤪

This is the post :

Forgive me for some mistakes xD So in mine is that, Hans and Elsa had secret relationship that got Elsa pregnant. No one knows about her relationship. Well.... Maybe the exception for Anna and Kristoff. She then gave birth to twins, boy and girl.

Then the villains must be sent to the Isle of the Lost, despite Hans already trying to be much better human being, he still considered a villain, and so he "kidnapped" one of his children, the girl, to the isles and be a single dad to her, away from his own corrupted parents and brothers and other villains too, to a more secluded area. He didn't do evil anymore (only of necessary), thus make the other villains often mocking him. Broken hearted by the rules and hurted because he think would never meet Elsa anymore, he never told his daughter about her mother or her sibling AT ALL. Only one brother that knows about this and that is Lars.

While for Elsa, she never really hid anything to her son, she never really talk much about it too because it's pained her much for losing both her partner and her daughter at the same time. She only said to him that he should have a sibling but she lost her and for some reason their parents can't be together.

One day they entered Auradon, i don't know which Descendant it is, but the girl eventuallyentered Auradon, it's after the original gangs entered but before the barrier got taken down. While the girl must adapting herself with the treatment she got because she is a descendant of a villain despite she was raised good by her father not like the other villains's descendant, the boy was into frustration because he doesn't inherit his mother's power for ice and snow, he really wish that since that's what makes Elsa known and consodered "worth". All the same, they both want to prove to everyone that they are worth it in the society's eyes. In there the twins finally meet! But they got in a quarrel together but after that, they realised they have a lot similarities together.

In Auradon, turns out the girl inherited the power of snow and ice from her mother that she never know and she was so shocked. The power was surpressed all this time due to magic was prohibited in the Isle. The boy and everyone who knows was shocked too since they don't know anyone have such power except Elsa. The boy was shocked and suspicious too, but envy and sad for it too because he think "Why not me?".

The boy and his cousins, Anna and Kristoff's child (haven't decide boy or girl or both), ended up helping her to control her power and make her accepted in society.

Then the Descendant 3 event happen and somehow, the boy ended up meet Hans and vice versa with Elsa and her daughter. They got suspicious when they meet their other child, but didn't really think much about it. Or somehow they got into some event and they fight along together.

In the end, after the barrier is made, the girl raced to her father and hugged him. While in the opposite, Elsa watch them with shock. And after a moment, Hans notice her with shock too. They have each other kids and they finally reunited.

This is a little sjetch i did on thid AU. Iswear their hairstyle, i didn't meant to make it similar to Agnaar and Iduna in the first place! I realized when i made the last piece 🙃

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greenjacketwhitehatdocmui · 3 years ago

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Frozen: Random AU Thought

Okay, here’s a crazy thought: What if, before the separation, Agnarr and Iduna had been having random flash-forwards in their dreams? By that, I mean, what if they’d been dreaming about Anna and Elsa being alone, separated and miserable? Oh, and they’re older.

The parents realize that they’re having the same dreams. And this is no coincidence: Someone is sending them these dreams.

Anna’s accident happens. Careless, harsh words almost slip out of Agnarr’s mouth until he sees how frightened Elsa is. And the parents realize that, despite how dire the situation is, despite their fatigue, this moment is crucial.

Agnarr: “Elsa, look at me. I know you’re scared, but we will find a way to make this right. I just need you to be brave.”

Elsa: “But it’s my fault!”

Iduna: “It was an accident, Elsa. You would never, ever hurt Anna.”

The journey to the troll valley is tense. Every chance the parents get, they squeeze Elsa’s hand or give her a reassuring look. They do their best to tell Elsa that this isn’t her fault, to prevent the self-destructive cycle from starting.

Agnarr phrases his request carefully. He asks what Pabbie what can be done.

Pabbie: “I can remove the magic from her head. To be safe, I should remove all memories of magic as well.”

Agnarr: “No.”

Pabbie: “What?”

Agnarr: “Just the magic. Please leave the memories as they are.”

Pabbie: “But there is always the chance--”

Agnarr: “I’m willing to take that chance. Better that than what we’ve seen. I will not condemn one daughter to a life of fear and the other to a life of ignorance.”

Pabbie does as requested. Then he listens to Agnarr and Iduna’s explanation of their dreams. The troll nods thoughtfully as he explains why Elsa must learn to control her powers. But this time, Iduna pins him down on what kind of fear will be Elsa’s enemy.

When they get home, both parents promise Elsa that they will all work together on this. And when Anna wakes up, they explain things as truthfully and gently as they can. Anna forgives Elsa. Besides, the white streak in her hair is kind of neat.

The next few years are rough. Despite every instinct telling him otherwise, Agnarr keeps the kingdom open. Elsa has the support of her entire family as she learns to control her powers. The flare-ups decrease dramatically when Anna tells Elsa to just think “warm thoughts.” Anna’s the one who’s constantly pushing Elsa to get out and just mingle with the people. And both parents take great pains to let their daughters know that they both have equal value in their eyes, even if they have different personalities.

The parents continue their research into the origin of Elsa’s powers. Ahtohallan seems to be their best bet, but they’re not sure. They ask Elsa if she’s curious, if they should make the voyage.

Elsa: “I think...knowing where my powers are from isn’t as important as how I use them. I’ll always wonder, but...no, not right now.”

Three years later, at a diplomatic meeting, Elsa’s control slips. Annoyed, she unwittingly buries the Duke of Weselton to his neck in snow--and just the Duke. Anna turns the situation around, and the entire court has an impossible snowball fight in the middle of July. The sheer whimsical nature of the reveal effectively defuses any hotheads. Elsa becomes known as the “snow princess” with Anna being the “sun princess.”

Three years after that, Elsa hears the call of Ahtohallan. The town and castle are evacuated. Agnarr reluctantly stays behind while Iduna, Elsa and Anna head to the Enchanted Forest.

Now, the question is this: What do you think happens after that?

--Doc

#frozen #elsa #anna #agnarr #iduna

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non-sequitura · 4 years ago

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Non-sequitura Disney in-depth analysis (after making a tier list)

Warning: SUPER longform. If you don’t know a movie well, you should skip the summary. I tried to be light on spoilers, but they’re there.

I went chronologically from favorite to least favorite. So S tier is, in order from fave to least fave, The Incredibles, WALL-E, then Zootopia.

S tier (Something I consider high quality AND a movie I greatly enjoy. I would love more Disney movies be like this.)

The Incredibles - one of my favorite movies of all time, possibly THE favorite. Rockin social commentary, epic action scenes, memorable characters, not a minute of screentime wasted, great take on the Fantastic Four, hilarious parts for both adults and children, an interesting villain, etc.

WALL-E - I love how social commentary was done here. Also skies above, what a beautiful love story. Really blazed a trail in non-verbal storytelling (especially given it was an animated kids film!) Robot animations are particularly delightful.

Zootopia - another social message delivered excellently and entertainingly. I love Judy and her persistence, I love the expressiveness of the faces and the epic city setting. I love Judy and Nick's banter. This movie deserves to be remembered longer than it has been so far. Admittedly, not one of my fave villains, which makes it my least favorite of the Ss.

A tier (either super high quality or something I greatly enjoy and deem of at least reasonably good quality)

Mulan - this movie did everything right. Truly feminist protagonist, an icon for strong Asian women, fairly culturally accurate (tho Mushu confuses me), GORGEOUS and iconic music. Lets a relatively natural romance develop. I frickin love the action scenes, I love the emporer. Sadly, this movie just didn't lodge its way in my heart as well as Pixar did. Pixar just has some magic, yo.

Cinderella - my gosh what an underrated protagonist. Her family straight-up abuses her and she never loses sight of her goals for a better life. Iconic visuals helped bring Disney out of bankruptcy. A gorgeous alto singing voice.

Wreck-it Ralph - alright alright ppl don’t crucify me for this. I honestly can’t think of much wrong with this movie. Vanellope and Ralph’s vitriolic best buds relationship is adorable, her forgiveness of him is heartwarming and (relatively) deserved, rockin’ Owl City song, epic visuals that mix together bc of all the different games. ALSO ONE OF THE BEST DISNEY VILLAINS NO CAP. One of the only twist villains I like. And we stan the romantic pairing.

Tangled - I’ve talked about this a lot, but Rapunzel deserved the whole world after what she’s gone through. That being said, Gothel is not some shallow monster she needs to escape from, but an intelligent, well-defined monster with backstory. I could totally see this story happening if the world of Tangled existed. Epic love story, hilarious dialogue. Music is… good but much of it is less memorable to me. Visuals are good but not quite at the level/creativity of many other disney films.

The Lion King - they really put Hamlet in Africa and pulled it off lol. But in all seriousness, no one took the premise of this film seriously at the time and it became sooo iconic. I love Scar and his eventual downfall, I love how Simba grows emotionally, I love the sad moments that don’t overpower the overall feeling of light goofiness. And music so memorable it was one of the first Disney musicals.

Coco - not a super unique story premise. But an incredible culture to explore with such creativity and sensitivity. I love the themes of death not being the worst and music being so central to the story. Twist/twist villain was memorable and not expected. And yeah, it did make me cry, so props there.

Ratatouille - the most recently watched of these films for me. This movie is soooo unique! Back when Pixar was truly super out there with their concepts. Super Parisian visuals and soundtrack. It somehow starts goofy (THE OLD LADY TRIES TO KILL REMY WITH A SHOTGUN WHILE WEARING A GAS MASK) but really drives home the message that you can truly do what you want regardless of who you are. Colette can get it. And the monologue by Ego at the end is one of my favorites in film.

Frozen - Anna is one of my favorite Disney protagonists. She’s so resilient and loyal. Elsa ain’t bad either but she experiences… less character development. The film is a tad too pleased with its own self-awareness for my taste, but there’s no denying how iconic the music and visuals were.

Inside Out - Alright, this movie hits home for me bc I tried to run away after moving. A super thoughtful, heartfelt depiction of (potentially depression? imo) with great moments of humor. Riley’s inner world is so creative and lovely. Also realistic depictions of Minnesota/California culture.

Tarzan - Jane! is! smart! and! adorable! Her scientific curiosity makes her very endearing. it’s so cute to see her and Tarzan learn from each other. Also Tarzan’s “found mother” is epic. Solid score. Solid film all around. To quote Lily Orchard, “This film is what Pocahontas tried to be.”

B tier (one of my favorites but has a few significant flaws that bring it down (or not quite as memorable to me, but consider good quality))

Peter Pan - Haven’t seen it in a hot sec, but I remember being super charmed by this as a kid. Just going out, having incredible adventures, and returning to a warm home at the end of the day. Tinker Bell is hilarious and beautifully drawn. Gets major negative points for the depiction of Native Americans tho.

Big Hero 6 - I was super charmed by the protagonist, his family/friends, and the setting. The plot/villain’s motivations are a bit of a mess, though.

Princess and the Frog - This movie has so much flavor to it! The visuals/music are lovely and unique. Tiana is incredible but it’s kinda annoying how EVERYONE keeps trying to shoehorn her into romance. The thing is, her goals are entirely reasonable. Focus on her restaurant, then look to settle down. But they’re like “nooo you’re ignoring the important things in life” smh. Also, epic villain, woohoo! The movie dragged significantly for me when they were in the bayou. Charlotte is delightful.

Winnie the Pooh - don’t remember it super well, but I think it was charming and occasionally dark, which is an addictive concoction.

The Little Mermaid - MAN ppl roast Ariel way more than she deserves. Visually, it was… fine. idk. This movie is good. I don’t have much else to say about it.

Snow White - the one that started it all. Visually, super impressive. Musically, lovely. I find the romance a bit… off. Well, more than a bit. What is it with Disney and kissing sleeping people?

Alice in Wonderland - a nerdy acid trip. Right up my alley! I also like films where ppl go on incredible adventures and return to the status quo, but THEY changed bc of it. Epic. SUUUUPER creative visual interpretation of Carroll’s book. Brave - gosh I loooove films where a parent and child learn to understand each other. Never got why ppl hated this movie so much. The Scottish flavor is present and fun. Merida made one mistake and made it up. The arrow scene is iconic.

Cars - a fun ride! (hahaha puns.) We love seeing Paul Newman as a car.

B-minus tier? (same as B, but problematic, or weaker story-wise.)

Hunchback - man… settings-wise, this film might be my favorite. I also love Esmeralda and Quasimodo as characters and as a duo (though the sexualized depiction of Romani ppl is not epic.) I also don’t find the discrimination against Esmeralda/Quasimodo jarring bc it matches the time period. Frollo is super interesting as a villain. The gargoyles are… def not necessary. Basically, this film doesn’t know what it’s doing with tone.

Sleeping Beauty - Aurora was my favorite when I was younger because I thought she was the prettiest, and that still defines how i feel about this, basically. Visually lovely - everything is kind of elongated and gothic. Maleficent is spiteful and epic. I have no issue with the fluffier parts of the movie, like the music or the fairies. RIP for lack of consent being a plot point, though.

Hercules - Megara is incredible. one of the only Disney “princesses” who acts like an adult and has cynicism as a major part of her personality. I love her and Herc’s progression where she learns to trust him (yes, he is genuinely that sincere, it’s not a front.) Muses are unique, whoever came up with them was high on something and I’m living for it. I just think the plot itself was somewhat unrealistic/ weirdly-paced. There are some memorable songs, some less-than-memorable songs. Art style is cool but I’m personally not a fan. EXTREMELY inaccurate depictions of the original Greek gods.

C tier (entertaining, but I don't consider it a great movie)

Bolt - I watched this like 11 years ago. It was fun! A cool concept about those put on a pedestal learning their worth even without celebrity boosting them up. Animation was… fine I think. not super memorable to me.

Frozen 2 - They really took any scrap of character development Elsa had in the first movie, threw it in the garbage and set it on fire. Anna deserved so much better. Songs are bombastic and impressive, have the occasional interesting lyric, but are really weirdly placed and none are quite as iconic as the first movie’s (except Aurora, she does great work here. Also the song Anna sings after she thinks Elsa died.)

Not a big fan of the vaguely homeopathic theme. Not a big fan of Olaf’s WEIRD character development. Not a big fan of the suuuuuper awkward dialogue and the animations that imply not only that Kristoff is into his reindeer but that Elsa and Anna are into each other (if you’re questioning if they did that, yes, they did, I can find screenshots of some really weird expressions/moments. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO PANDER TO YOUR WEIRD FANS, DISNEY.)

The voice actors did great work, the animators did great work (look at the details on their clothes! Look at how Elsa’s posture changes to be more confident! look at how they're animated while they're singing!) Some weird costume/makeup choices that make Elsa look like an aging starlet, but she also has some gorgeous moments so eh. It’s a wash for me.

They really did not know what to do with Kristoff this movie, huh. The only thing that happened to him was singing a cheesy 90s ballad and marrying Anna, both of which were admittedly epic. Also, the trolls got 0 appearances despite being literally psychic. Probably could have helped with a lot. I'm not a huge fan of lore/worldbuilding, and thee was a lot of it here. Overall neutral on it.

Also a big theme in this movie I don’t love - **** TANGIBLE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR ACTIONS!!! The danger is Elsa’s death, the elements, colonialism, and Arendelle literally being destroyed. None of those end up playing out, so I was left at the end going “this film had literally no stakes.”

Monsters U - same as above - entertaining at the time! Not super memorable. The ppl we were supposed to dislike kept switching. Doesn’t really match the canon of Monsters Inc (I thought they were supposed to have known each other since childhood so why did they meet in college?)

Cars 3 - so apparently, everyone HATED this movie! Fun! I never watched Cars 2 (yes watched Cars 1 if you haven’t been paying attention to this list), but I didn’t think this movie was bad at all. Well-acted, some fun chase scenes, the scene where Lightning fails at driving in the simulation is genuinely hilarious, and some interesting perspectives on teachers getting the spotlight for their skills for once.

Incredibles 2 - I liked this film at first, but then it was… just okay in retrospect. I love me some good family dynamics. The plot here makes not a lot of sense. THEY BUILT UP THE UNDERMINER FOR NOTHING AND THEN FORGOT ABOUT HIM. I was surprised by the villain swap, but it happened so last minute I never really understood their motivations even after they explained them. Tried to tackle waaaay too many messages.

D tier (I didn't enjoy these or consider them mediocre)

Finding Dory - Maybe I should have put this higher? Like C tier at least. Ah well. Wasn’t a huge fan of the body/physical comedy (not my thing), but it was entertaining and awww finding family is heartwarming.

Finding Nemo - I remember nothing about this movie.

E tier (this film has significant problems)

Beauty and the Beast - *sigh*… I want to love this movie. The score is gorgeous. Visually, they could have made it more distinctly Rococo-era France but didn’t (why?) The voice actors did good work and I think Paige O’Hara is SUPER underrated here.

The Beast is emotionally manipulative with an awful temper that (for MOST of the movie. He doesn’t change.) That’s the main reason this is in E tier. This movie shaped so many generations of people thinking they can change the behavior of someone who treats them badly through the power of love. But you can’t. She learns to “love” the beast under coercion. It’s not Stockholm syndrome - it’s a trashy romance novel. Big fan of Gaston as a villain. He’s an archetype ppl can recognize and it’s so satisfying to hate him.

F tier (I think this film actively harms the industry and would rather it not have been made. Both the one in E tier could be considered harmful to the industry, but I think they had significant enough artistic accomplishments to scrape above that. I'm also generally a fan of "lack of censorship bc it's better to teach what not to do.")

Pocahontas - this movie took real historical events and romanticized them AND sexualized one of the only Native princesses they’ve had. Boo. Nothing wrong with animation!Pocahontas as a character, it’s just people put her in a story that doesn’t represent history well at all (and these historical events, unlike those in say, 14th-century Germany, had super relevant effects on people alive today.) And they portrayed the Native Americans and colonial settlers as equally in the wrong. (though I like Governor Radcliffe as a potential villain and love the line “see how I glitter.” I can’t NOT laugh when I hear it.) Lovely music, though. Nice animation, but the colors are weirdly… muted?

Bad Garbage (I don't wish this film had never been made, but I wish I never had to see it.)

Planes - this movie was ridiculous. I remember not much about it except that I kinda hated it and that it was super cheesy with tension one could see right through that immediately resolved itself via one twist or another.

Haven’t seen tier: Recess, A Bug’s Life, A Goofy Movie, DuckTakes Movie, Lilo and Stitch, Pinocchio (actually i have seen this but I remember nothing about it), The Nightmare before Christmas, Toy Stories 1, 2, and 3, Up, 101 Dalmatians, The Great Mouse Detective, Cars 2, Moana, The Good Dinosaur, Pete’s Dragon, Fantasia, Peter Pan Return to Neverland, Fantasia 2000, The Black Cauldron (read the book, though!), Bambi (or I did and remember nothing about it), The Rescuersm, The Rescuers Down Under, Planes Fire and Rescue, Bambi 2, The Fox & the Found, Oliver and Company, Atlantis, Treasure Planet (I want to, though), Piglet’s Big Movie, The Jungle Book, the Emporer’s New Groove, The Jungle Book 2, Chicken Little, Brother Bear, The Three Caballeros, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, Dumbo, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Aladdin (seen parts but never the whole thing), Strange Magic, The Sword in the Stone, James and the Giant Peach, Frankenweenie, Lady and the Tramp, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Doug’s 1st Movie, Monsters Inc. (want to, though), Meet the Robinsons, Dinosaur, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Tigger Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that pooh movie at the end without the title on it

-11/21/20

#blog #non-sequitura-blog #11/21/20 #november #2020 #longform #analysis #disney

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calenheniel · 4 years ago

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Queen of the Ashes, a frozen fanfic | Part X

Frozen | Alternate Universe | Hans x Elsa | Romance, Drama | T+

They meet as children, each with a secret. Plagued by tragedy, their paths cross again many years later, and their secrets are unraveled.

Follow updates: #QueenoftheAshesFrozen

Read below, or find links to AO3/FF.Net/Wattpad on my Tumblr.

Author’s Note: The End... or is it? (It's not.) I debated whether or not to write more, and decided to leave it short and sweet, in the end. Quality over quantity. Thanks all for the reviews and support, as always.

»»————-　❈　————-««

The prince paused. “That was the start of it all. The breaking point.” He looked down at his hands. “I had spent so many years learning to control it, and then hiding it, that I almost forgot about it, after a while. Until that dinner.”

The room was silent but for the queen’s deep, shuddering breaths, the fireworks long since having ended outside.

“And so you plotted to kill them, one by one. Is that it?”

“Not exactly,” he replied. “The first time was—well, there was some planning involved, yes. I sensed that I wouldn’t be able to control my powers for much longer, unless I did something. So I waited until the evening that I set sail for Hungary, right before New Year’s Eve. I started a few small flames in the corners of my father’s, Frederik’s, Antoni’s, and Harald’s residences, and by the time I was gone, they had consumed the rooms.”

His eyes moved up to meet hers. “After that, as you might have guessed, my other brothers and their families immediately suspected me of the murders. They wouldn’t accuse me publicly for lack of evidence, but the rumors they started were enough to poison my name in the Isles.”

“…because they didn’t know about your powers,” the queen murmured. “That was why you didn’t kill them with the others.”

“Yes,” he nodded, “not at first, anyway. But once I was back home, I knew I would be a hunted man. Guilty or not, they blamed me for their deaths, so I—”

“Had to protect yourself,” she finished, her tone dull.

He suppressed a frown. “Yes. Though it did little to quell the rumors, I was at least able to foil several active plots against my life.” He sighed. “Those were the first three fires, the details of which I’ll spare you. The last one that took Karl and Jesper, I had nothing to do with. Just bad luck.”

“Bad luck,” she echoed drolly, her lips pressed in a thin line.

“Forgive me for not eulogizing, Elsa,” said the prince. “Even if I never intended them to come to harm, they certainly weren’t innocent, either.”

He was quiet for a time, and his arms relaxed at his sides. “You probably understand, now, that I lied to you when we spoke that first night about where I was during the fires,” he said, “and more than likely many of the reports you received from the Isles were fabricated as well. I kept a close eye on correspondence to the palace, and in the disarray following each fire, I managed to forge more than a few letters favoring my version of events. Not that any evidence contradicted what I wrote, of course.”

“So you did reply to mine,” the queen said, her eyes drifting up to his.

He bowed his head. “In a way, yes. But not as I should have. And for that, I am still sorry.”

The clouds parted for a brief moment, allowing the crescent moon in the window behind the prince to cast a wan, ghostly glow across the queen’s features.

When it passed, she looked down, her blonde hair hanging loosely around her face.

“What is it that you want me to say, Hans?”

He blinked. “I didn’t expect you to say anything in particular, really,” he answered as his shoulders sank with fatigue. “I just wanted you to hear me out.”

“And so I have,” she replied, her gaze tightening. “But I fail to see how you are not still a danger to me or Anna, or to Arendelle.”

“Because there is nothing that either of you could do that would move me to use my powers in that way ever again,” he countered, taking a cautious step closer to her. “You are the only other person I’ve ever met with powers that are anything like my own, who understands what it’s like to live with them—to be in fear and awe of them at all times.”

The queen swallowed with discomfort, encouraging the prince to drive his point home.

“I would not – nor could not – ever use mine against you, knowing that.��

“There’s no way you can promise something like that,” she pressed, her look distrustful. “Not with powers like these.”

“Perhaps,” he conceded, taking another step forward, “but even if something were to happen, we would be able to stop it, for we are each other’s equal.”

“You don’t know that,” she snapped, stepping back. A tepid flurry of snow drifted over her.

“I don’t,” the prince acknowledged, watching as a single snowflake landed on her exposed collar. “Since I arrived, I’ve noticed how unpredictable your powers can be, much as my own were when I was a boy. But I can help you with that.”

“Help me?” the queen scoffed, her eyes widening. “After everything you’ve just told me?” She shook her head. “I don’t want that kind of ‘help,’ Hans.”

“It’s not like that,” he protested, restraining himself from inching closer as he held his arms at his sides. “I can help you control it better, without using that chant your father taught you. I can help you so that you don’t feel like you have to run off after the trolls, or lock yourself in your room for days on end, just to keep yourself from hurting others.”

He shot her a long, meaningful look. “I know the ending of my story troubles you, as it would anyone who heard it. But it doesn’t erase the years I spent training the fire and taking care to conceal it from others, all while in the public eye. And I know those are the same things you want to be able to do with your ice.”

She scowled. “So that’s it, Hans? You’ll ‘help’ me by continuing to keep everything a secret?” The queen emitted a short and harsh laugh, taking the prince by surprise. “Weren’t you the one who told me that my powers were special—something to be celebrated? To be proud of?”

“Yes, I did,” he agreed, not missing a beat, “because they are special, and you should be proud. But you know as well as I do that others won’t see it that way.”

“You mean that they won’t see your powers that way,” she hissed. “It’d be easy enough for everyone to connect the dots, if they knew.”

“And what makes you think that yours would be treated any differently?” the prince rejoined. “What do you imagine Anna would say, if she found out what happened to her as a child? Or your gentle, simple citizens—do you suppose they would take kindly to a queen who can conjure ice and snow at will?”

Her defiant look faltered at the mention of the princess, and his voice grew quieter. “Just look at our parents, Elsa: people fear what they do not understand. And that fear can turn to hate, easily enough.”

The prince’s eyes, darkened by passing clouds, resembled burnished emeralds.

“All we can do is learn to control it, and harness its potential for good in whatever ways we can. But we can never expect them to understand it, to accept it – nor us – as we are.”

The queen said nothing for a time, and then closed her eyes, lines of pain cracking at their edges.

“Even if I agreed with you, and want what you’re offering,” she said at length, “it comes at too high a price.”

The prince’s expression fell. “Elsa…”

She raised her hand to quiet him. “I don’t deny that everything you’ve told me is anything less than horrifying, if true. And a part of me wants to believe you, because I’ve felt echoes of it in my own life—as I’m sure you guessed well before you came back to Arendelle.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “But that’s the thing, Hans: I can’t stop thinking about all the times you told me you wanted to ‘earn’ my trust, or asked if we could ‘rely’ on each other, or tried to push me into admitting the sins of my parents. And all the while you were so careful in the information you gave me in return, making sure that every story you told left out the most critical detail: that you were the boy who could make fire.”

The queen’s eyes glistened with fresh tears, though she blinked them back. “I imagined you as that boy, you know, after you left,” she murmured. “I wanted it to be you, because you were the only other person who knew. But now…”

She turned around to face the door, pressing shaking fingers to her brow. “I want you to leave tomorrow, with the other guests,” she said in just above a whisper. “I don’t care where you go—just as long as you’re far away from here.”

The room went still, and her breath caught in her throat as she waited for his reply.

The prince’s voice was soft and plaintive.

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

The queen’s brow wilted, and she swallowed a sigh.

“Goodbye, Hans,” she said, and left the room.

»» —— ««

Her retreat back to her bedroom passed in silence, with only the eyes of her guards daring to follow her down the long hallways.

The guests had turned in for the night some time before – hours before, perhaps – and so she was granted a rare moment of privacy as she opened her door, promptly sliding down to the floor in a shaking, weary heap once she was alone again.

Elsa…

The queen buried her face in her knees as the sound of the prince’s voice lingered in the air, filling her senses.

We are each other’s equal.

She unraveled herself in order to crawl to her bed but could not summon the strength to rise, clinging to the footboard.

I can help you.

She bit her lip to keep from vomiting, and rested her head against the mattress.

Above her, snow trickled down from the ceiling, slowly enveloping her in a blanket of white.

»» —— ««

“Elsa!”

She awoke to the sound of her sister violently banging on her door the next morning, the younger woman’s voice calling out her name in distress.

Disoriented, she shook off snow from her body, wincing as she struggled to stand. “Anna?”

“What did you say to him, Elsa?”

The question made the already sallow queen’s face pale further.

She swallowed. “Anna, I—”

“You know what? It doesn’t matter,” the princess interrupted through the door. “I should’ve known you would send him away, just like you do to everyone else.”

The queen paused halfway to the door, shutting her eyes. A cold breeze wound through the room and blew under the door, making the princess release a startled gasp as she stepped back on the other side of it.

“It’s not like that, Anna,” she pleaded, hugging her arms against her chest. “Please, let me explain…”

“No, Elsa,” the princess replied. “There’s nothing left to say.”

The queen heard her sister walk away – just as she had many times before – and the breeze was replaced by harried gales of snow that encircled her in an endless vortex, throwing hairbrushes and jewelry and sheets from her vanity and bed around the room indiscriminately.

We can never expect them to understand it, to accept it – nor us – as we are.

Chilled to her bones, she did not move a muscle, her hands pulsing as she fought to control the wind from blowing her doors open.

»» —— ««

She did not know how much time had passed before the steward came to the door next. His knock was gentler than the princess’s, but his request was delivered with the same insistence.

“Your Majesty? Our guests are on their way to the docks. Perhaps you might come out to bid them farewell?”

The queen breathed shakily. “No, Kai,” she ground out. “I’m still feeling ill. Please have Anna offer my regards.”

The older man paused. “Very well, Your Majesty,” he said, not hiding the disappointment in his voice.

She waited until he was out of earshot to finally take one step, and then another, in the direction of her washbasin. With each movement, the wind followed her, a hot, pricking sensation traveling down from the back of her neck to the base of her spine.

She gripped the sides of the basin once there, managing to splash her face with water only once or twice before it all froze over.

Don’t you ever think they might have left you with your powers, and your memories, for a reason?

“Stop it,” she whispered, pressing her palm to her sweating forehead. “Enough.”

Even if it somehow all worked, don’t you understand what it would mean?

She pressed her eyes shut again, her forehead wrinkling from the effort of keeping them closed. Ice slipped out from the hand still gripping the basin, freezing the bowl and stand beneath it.

You’d be just like everyone else.

Her lip trembled as she pried her eyes open, and her heart raced when she saw trails of ice glittering and spidering out along the carpeted floors, leading to the window.

She followed them, spellbound, until she was looking outside at the procession of dignitaries as they left the castle, making their way to join their crews and porters at the docks.

She clasped her window frame as she leaned forward, her eyes darting through the crowds. At length, she spotted her sister at the end of the promenade, bathed in sunlight, the steward, head maidservant, and several guardsmen accompanying her. The younger woman curtsied perfunctorily at each guest and their party as they came and went, no doubt exchanging pleasantries and farewells.

You don’t have to keep your distance anymore.

The queen wore a guilty look at the sight. Though she did not hear the sighs and complaints about her absence from the lips of those departing, she was sure they were being expressed.

Her sister bore the weight of that alone, smiling through it all.

He’s not the reason I’m here, Anna.

Isn’t he, though?

The memory of their conversation from the morning before – a lifetime before, it seemed to the queen – percolated in her mind with renewed fervor in the context of her last conversation with the prince.

She tried to convince herself that she could still smell traces of fire and smoke clinging to her dress, unchanged from the night previous—that there were holes in the hem and sleeves from his flames licking them, and sweat still dripping from her body in the hot room.

Instead, when she looked down, there was only her snow and ice surrounding her, freezing the fringes of her clothes and painting her skin a white-blue color.

Why is it so hard for you to believe that I could be right?

The queen’s eyes lifted to gaze upon her reflection in the window, at which she gasped. Fractal ice patterns crawled up her collarbone, neck, and finally began to spread over her pallid cheeks.

As her breathing quickened, her reflection grew blurrier, and she groaned with helplessness.

I should’ve known you would send him away, just like you do to everyone else—

The faint, drowsy sound of the chapel bell tolling in the background gradually broke through her bout of panic, steadying her heart, and she blinked as the room came back into focus. Pressing her hand to the window, she peered through it again, expecting to see her skin burnt with frostbite.

Instead, her reflection was invisible under the sunbeams pouring through the glass, the bright light revealing only the outside world.

Squinting against the sun, she found her sister once more… along with a familiar head of red hair bowing before her.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the pair, watching as the princess’s head drooped forward, the young woman putting her face in her hands. The prince reached towards her sister as if to comfort her, but in the presence of the parties surrounding them, he pulled back—only for the princess to grab both of his hands without reservation, pulling him in just short of a hug.

I’m not asking you to be responsible for him or his feelings.

The queen could not make out their expressions from her vantage point, but the scene caused a flutter of warmth to spark at the bottom of her belly, and her lips gently parted.

I’m just asking you to consider what it would be like if you listened to your own, for once.

She stepped back from the window, the heat from her belly rushing into her chest and face, and the ice retreated from all around her until it became nothing more than a distant memory.

Her fingers vibrated with warmth as she raised them to eye level, staring with wonder at the vibrant, pink color that had returned to her skin. Bringing them to her cheeks and neck, she noticed the same sensation, and she leapt over to her mirror at the other side of the room in disbelief.

The reflection confirmed what she had felt: her face was flush and alive, and even the room had returned to its original state – the furniture arranged in its usual manner, not a single thread of carpet or drapery out of place – and all completely dry, without a hint of ever having been kissed by snow.

Dumbfounded by the sight, she pressed herself against her bedpost, her eyes wide.

“It’s him,” she said. “It’s because of him.”

She looked at her bare hands with childlike wonder, and then again at her reflection in the mirror, undistorted by magic.

What’s stopping you, Elsa?

Whipping around, she barreled through the doors, not sparing a glance at her baffled guardsmen as she sprinted through the halls, down the stairs, and finally out the front doors, ignoring the gasps and mutters of surprise from the last few groups of guests and their coteries when she pushed past them.

When others still on their way to the gates heard the commotion behind them, they parted in waves for the queen, watching in a collective stupor as she ran, her long, golden hair rippling behind her, unfettered.

She did not pause even as she stepped foot outside the gates for the first time in over thirteen years, her feet carrying her ever forward, as if possessed, towards the docks.

With every stride, she attracted more and more spectators from the groups of departing dignitaries and townspeople nearby, who stared and chattered at increasing volume; to the queen, their voices, like their faces, blurred together into an unrecognizable mass as she shot through them.

She stopped only when she was within a few feet of the gangplanks leading to the ships, bending over to collect herself, her breathing stilted and ragged. Above her, storm clouds began to gather, the sun fading behind them.

“Elsa!”

It was the princess’s voice that seemed to call her name, just as she it had that same morning, doleful and distraught. It was soon joined by others – the steward, the maidservant, and the guards, all pleading for their queen to stop, and to listen – but none were paid any heed as she craned her neck up, searching the gangplanks with a fierce purpose behind her eyes.

Thunder boomed suddenly, causing the crowds to gasp; a spate of rain followed soon after, though it was light and gentle, pattering quietly against the cobblestones.

It obscured the queen’s vision for a moment, and she squinted hard, shivering as the rain soaked through her dress.

This is me saying that I trust you.

A bolt of lightning shot out from the dark skies, and in the same moment she alighted upon the prince, her hand dropping to her side.

A hush fell on the crowds as she stood stock-still, staring at him.

Do you trust me?

He was halfway up a splintered plank with his luggage at the end of the dock, making his way onto a lonely, battered old merchant vessel. It was a far cry from the grand passenger ships whose colorful banners waved proudly in the air to signal their country of origin, and it reminded her of the story the prince had told her about the dilapidated frigate he had served on, back in the Isles.

She dashed towards it without hesitation, pausing at the foot of the walkway to exhale, her lips trembling.

The prince dropped his bags at his sides, his mouth agape as he turned to look at her.

“Elsa? What—”

She used the last of her strength to bound up the gangplank and throw herself into his arms, tears flowing freely down her cheeks and into the crook of his neck.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured through sobs, “for everything. You’ve been trying to help me this whole time, and I just—I didn’t want to accept it. But now…”

She clutched the back of his jacket in balled-up fists, her face burrowed so deeply against him that she could feel the outline of his scar through his shirt.

“Please don’t leave me, Hans. Please.”

Unable to go on, she continued to weep, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

“It’s all right, Elsa,” he whispered into her frayed hair, and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll take care of you.”

She shuddered as his body enfolded her, and succumbed to the cold sweat of his embrace.

#QueenoftheAshesFrozen #frozen #frozen fanfiction #helsa

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