paradisalogs | It's time to see what I can do

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elsa

It's time to see what I can do

Who: Elsa & YOU
What: Elsa is tired of wandering around the castle with only one arm. She's going to attempt to fix this. (also, Frozen spoilers towards the end, so be warned!)
When: Friday the 21st
Where: The Four Seasons Room (currently in winter mode!
Rating: G

[Even after living her whole life with her strange magical abilities, there were still so many things Elsa hasn't thought to do with them. To believe she knew the full extent of her power was laughable, really; she didn't even know she could make sentient snow creatures until she accidentally created Olaf. So if she could give life to snow... what she had planned now shouldn't be a problem, right?

The idea hadn't originally been hers, to be honest. In the week or so after her horrible injury at the hand of that strange beast, she had reluctantly resigned herself to living the rest of her life without her left arm. Then the fretting had started. God, what would she say if they ever made it back to Arendelle? What would her people think of her then? They accepted her powers, but would they really think a crippled young woman could be the pillar of strength they could all look to? Those thoughts had kept her up for longer than she cared to admit, and she'd be lying if she said they didn't haunt her during the day.

But then she had made that entry in the journal, and one response had stuck out to her. Someone had mentioned making an arm. Other people could make one for her. So... that meant that other people had magical abilities that recreate human limbs. If their magic could do that.... could hers?

And that's why she was here today. One of the reasons she picked the Four Seasons room was that today, it was set to her chosen element; being natural snow helped her clear her head. There was something wonderful about being surrounded by the clear chilly air of a winter that wasn't her own making, so she took a few moments to just stand in the middle of the room, taking in a few deep breaths and watching them cloud in front of her as she exhaled. When she had completely calmed all of her wandering thougts, she began to focus, guiding her magic towards her damaged shoulder. The pain is long gone by now, though there is an occasional ache every once in a while, so hopefully she won't be hurting herself by doing this.

Slowly, carefully, ice begins forming around her shoulder, moving down, down, forming a slim limb mirroring her remaining arm. It isn't too difficult to make it, honestly, and it looks exactly like the arm she lost once did, save for the fact that it was made of solid blue ice. It wasn't moving, though, and Elsa frowns. Did she do something wrong?

... Staring down at her new arm, though, is beginning to stir up some unpleasant memories. Memories of that cold, frigid summer day out on the frozen fjord. Memories of looking up, still caught in the grips of despair and seeing the motionless, iced-over form of her sister - as icy blue as her replacement limb is - hovering over her protectively.

With a sharp shake of her head, Elsa attempts to banish those thoughts, and in the process, the magical replacement arm shatters into tiny shards.]

Get it together... she's okay now. You don't have to think about that anymore.

[... For now, she can. But that unpleasant flashback now means that her mind is too clouded to focus on what she was trying to do. So with a defeated sigh, Elsa decides to quit for now. She doesn't leave just yet, though, and remains in the Four Seasons room for a while longer. Taking a seat close to the frozen lake, Elsa decides to slowly pass her time idly twirling her hand and causing the snow flurries to twist and turn about her. Occasionally they'll form shapes; animals and flowers, mostly, but they don't hold their form too long, and dissolve back into snow shortly after.]

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[Cass watches the flower fall apart with a bit of a frown, sad to see it go. It was so pretty, too.]

I'm sorry. Couldn't help seeing you, before. It's just... it was beautiful, what you were doing. Shouldn't give up yet.

[Elsa can't stop the barest hint of a blush crossing her cheeks at the compliment. Oh, sure, she was used to the looks of wonder and joy on her peoples' faces when she used her magic, and Anna was never shy when it came to gushing about it. But it was... still very nice, having a complete stranger compliment her like that.]

Thank you, I appreciate the compliment. [And any worry over the girl seeing her failure is gone, for the most part.] But I had my reasons for stopping.

[Pretty and cute when she blushes. With a small smile of her own, Cass sits right down in the snow beside where Elsa had been seated, looking up at her and clearly expecting her to sit down, too.]

You'll try again, won't you?

[Well... okay then. Taking the hint, Elsa sinks to the ground again, this time kneeling and tucking the folds of her dress under her. Very proper.]

Possibly. I'd like to, I just... don't think that now is the right time.

[Considering she still has nightmares about that day out on the fjord, it might take a while.]

[Cass watches all of that with interest, from the way she sits and arranges her dress to the little bit of fear that's still there, carefully kept under wraps. The thing she was doing, the snow magic, maybe it's a thing that can only be done when her mind is in a certain state. Makes sense, she supposes.]

Can close my eyes, if that will help.

[She's still smiling when she says that, inviting Elsa to share her little joke. Mood lightening attempts are go.]

[Elsa shakes her head, a small frown crossing her face.]

No, it's not that. I... I don't want to have to hide my magic anymore. [She decided on her first day here that she wouldn't. It was the only way to get better.]

It may not make sense, but there are just... bad memories. Things that I began thinking of that I don't like thinking about.

It's good... you're not hiding it. It's part of you, something to be proud of.

[Maybe that's a little out of nowhere, but it's something that Cass thinks this girl needs to hear. In front of her, Cass starts to gather up some snow into a little pile, just something to do with her hands while she considers what Elsa is saying.]

Does that always happen? The... magic messes up, when you're upset?

[A somewhat sad smile crosses Elsa's face as the other girl says that. Boy, she certainly knows how to hit the nail right on the head, huh...?]

I wish someone had told me that when I was a child. [She'll never stop wondering what her life could've been like if she'd been allowed to be open with her magic.] I was so afraid of hurting people that I hid my power for most of my life.

[She hesitates, then, because... should she really talk about how she doesn't have perfect control over her magic? Would the other people here fear her then? She had kept her control pretty well so far, outside of a small outburst when she first showed up and her magic going haywire just after her arm had been ripped off...

But everyone deserved to know. Even if she was still utterly terrified of rejection, she had to inform people. Just in case. Who knew what terrible things might be in store for the future, and who might get caught with her next time something bad happens? So she takes a shaky breath, eyes focused on the snow beneath them as she traces small swirling patterns into it, and nods.]

Yes. I've been able to gain a much greater control over my power, but... I can't always control it. When I'm very angry, or upset, or scared, it just... acts on its own.

[As Elsa speaks, Cass watches her from the corner of her eye and really isn't surprised by what she sees or hears. It's something she's familiar with, the fear of rejection for something that's just a part of you, something you can't turn off or ever hope to stop.

And really, it's something neither of them should want to stop.]

The good thing... about this place? Everyone's used to different things. People from all kinds... of different worlds, all in one place. And learning something new, it takes time. Practice. You were doing well.

[And since Elsa is sharing, Cass will too. It's easier to decide to give out information when it will help someone, when they can form a bond over being similar.]

I can't read, but I've been... trying to learn. I get frustrated, annoyed I'm not... good at it, yet. We both just need... to practice, more. I can help you, if you want.

[Elsa... can't quite keep the look of surprise off her face.]

Really? You're willing to help someone you just met?

[She doesn't like that question, not at all. It tells her that this girl isn't used to support, the idea that anyone would ever help her, and Cass hates that that's just the nature of most people.

But she isn't most people, she's Batgirl. She reaches out, intending to take Elsa's hand so she can squeeze it reassuringly.]

Yes, I am. Promise to help you... however I can. [And then, because she remembers now that she never got to this part-] My name's Cassandra.

[It's instinct more than anything that causes Elsa to pull her hand back when Cass reaches out to her. Her trust in herself around strangers is better than it used to be, yet it's still a bit shaky.

But... she feels bad now. So after only a brief moment of hesitation, she reaches her hand back out, hoping to shake Cass's.]

... Thank you, Cassandra. I'm Elsa. [No "Queen Elsa of Arendelle". No titles at all. She... rather likes being treated as a normal person, so she'll leave that bit out for now.] If there's any way I can help you in return... please, don't hesitate to let me know.

[She shakes Elsa's hand instead of doing her usual fist-into-palm thing, because it doesn't fit here. Her grip is gentle and she doesn't let go right away.]

Wouldn't mind seeing... more of your magic. I'd never seen snow, before Paradisa. I like it.

[... Huh. Well, Elsa knows that's not that bizarre; she's met plenty of ambassadors who came from the warmer climates to the south. This isn't the first time she's heard of someone who's never seen snow.

But... if she can help with that...]

... If that's what you want... I can show you more.

[A nervous smile crosses her face. It feels like that day again, after she thawed Arendelle and created the ice rink for her visitors; the lingering fear of using her power in public, mixed with the happiness of knowing that her audience won't be scared off. It's... a strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one.]

Edited 2014-03-05 04:18 (UTC)

[It's now that Cass takes her hand back, shifting so that she's facing Elsa more, so she can see better. She's sitting up straighter, looking eager to see what might come next.]

Can you make anything, out of snow?

[It feels weird, being unable to clasp her hands together in her familiar nervous habit. So instead, as Cass settles herself in, Elsa curls her remaining hand tightly in the icy fabric of her skirt.]

More or less. From what I've been able to understand, my only limit is my imagination.

[Now that she knows she can ask for anything, there really is only one thing she can possible ask for.]

Can you do a bat?

... I think so. I've only seen pictures of bats in books, but...

[But she can still make one... right? She didn't need to study any sort of movements when she made Olaf or Marshmallow, so this shouldn't be a problem.

She closes her eyes, concentrating as she brings her hand up, palm facing down. Snow and ice swirl around it as her magic takes shape, and when she lets a slow breath out, she wills it into the quickly-forming sculpture on her hand, until...

A small bat - as icy-blue as the arm Elsa had been attempting to make earlier - hangs upside-down from her finger. It doesn't move, but after a brief pause, it stretches its thin, transparent wings, and takes flight, circling around the two before flying away.]

[And Cass watches in silence, not wanting to interrupt and cause things to go wrong, but once the bat is flapping through the air and flying off she has to applaud. It had been great, from the spectacle right down to the actual bat itself.]

Yep, beautiful. Can you do bigger? Like a horse?

[The applause brings that now-familiar blushing warmth to her cheeks again, but... it also warms her heart a bit as well. Because this just reminds her of the years before she locked herself away, when her baby sister would relentlessly beg her to show off. If she can make someone else happy in the same way she made Anna happy all those years ago... Elsa definitely doesn't mind humoring her.]

That I can definitely do. I may not have ridden a horse in years, but at least I've seen one in person.

[So shaping the ice into the form of a horse is no problem. In a shorter time than when it took to make the bat, a beautiful, crystal-blue horse with snow for a mane and tail materializes in front of them. It, too, is unmoving at first, but with a light push of her magic, Elsa was able to breathe life into it, a pleased smile crossing her face as she watches the beast snort and paw at the ground.]

This is... interesting practice for me. Thank you.

[That's exactly what she was going for, happy feelings and pride, good things to associate to the magic instead of frustration, fear. This time Cass talks quietly as Elsa works, because she's feeling more confident now. It's a very nice thing to see.]

We can go, some day. There's horses here, a whole stable.

[Not that riding an ice horse isn't a totally viable thing... Cass gets up now, brushing the snow off her butt before going to approach the horse. It seems funny to hold her hand out for it to smell, but she does it anyway.]

If I get on, will it break?

... I'm not sure if riding an actual horse would be a good idea.

[Elsa doesn't look... nervous, exactly. Just unsure. She hasn't ridden since before Anna's accident. Animals, horses especially, could spook easily, and Elsa was afraid of slipping up and causing a panic. Even now, when she had a much better grip on her power... she's not sure if the animals would be able to sense it or not.]

And to answer your question, no. You'll be just fine. My ice isn't as fragile as it looks.

[And it seems pretty calm, too. As Cass reaches out to it, it snorts softly, nudging its nose against her outstretched palm.]

[Well then.]

We'll ride together, you'll be okay.

[She gives the ice horse a final pat and then moves around to its side, jumping easily up onto it and settling there before leaning towards Elsa, hand extended.]

Come on, we'll practice.

It's not exactly a fear of riding that's stopped me from doing it. [Elsa gives a short, nervous laugh.] I was more afraid of hurting or spooking the horse.

[... But that shouldn't be a problem now, with the horse being one of her own creations. Still... she's never ridden with anyone before, not counting the frantic ride to the trolls' valley the night she nearly killed her sister. Having someone that far into her personal space wasn't something Elsa thought she was ready for just yet, so after glancing down at Cass's hand, she shook her head, an apologetic look in her eye as her hand curls into a tight fist at her side.]

I... no, I'm sorry, but I think I'll pass today.

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It's time to see what I can do

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