thecapitol | (no subject)

Entry tags:

✘ elsa,
✘ hans

(no subject)

Who| Elsa and Hans
What| Elsa visits Hans
Where| Hans' room, then she invites him out
When| Present day
Warnings/Notes| N/A

It's funny, how a little freedom is enough to make you feel better than you have in years. Ever since she'd finally caved and went up to the roof that one night, she'd felt a burning desire to get out and explore. Maybe it was because the world around her was enough to distract her from the upsetting thoughts that plagued her, so she craved it more than she should have. It definitely made her want to avoid people less, and along with that she'd come to realize that at her lowest, she had been rather rude to some people.

Hans is one of them. He's also the source of a lot of conflicting emotions. On one hand, his and Anna's insistence that they are engaged is still something that rubs her the wrong way, if because it had lead to Elsa having to run away after her fight with Anna. But on the other, he had proven invaluable in their time here in this strange new world. She had no choice but to trust him and Anna seemed no less infatuated with him.

After giving it some thought, she figured it's time that she talk to him. He's not going away any time soon and the longer she allows him to protect Anna, the more she knows the two are going to fall in love. It's time to get to know the man who seems so intent on burying himself in their lives. Above that, she feels she owes him an apology, at the very least. She had disregarded him when he had offered help and that wasn't fair.

So, donning a recent purchase, she makes her way to his room. It's weird- she can interact with complete strangers without feeling nervous, but somehow meeting with him is making her feel a little nervous. As she approaches the door, she squares her shoulders and stands up straight. Slowly, she reaches out to his door and knocks a couple of times.

Clearing her throat, she calls out, "Prince Hans-? It's me, Elsa. Are you in today?"

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Given that their previous discussion didn't do Hans many favours, Hans has been happy to give the Queen her space. He's laid the foundations of him being both forgiving and understanding, he'll allow her to make the next move whenever she chooses. He won't garner much positive feeling if all he does is pester her, it's best to leave that to Anna.

Speaking of Anna, it's true that he has proceeded as if they are still engaged. He's also invested more time than he'd really like to in making their relationship seem as charming and genuine as possible. It's exhausting, really. There's truly no rest for the wicked. It had been somewhat bold to act as if they had been permitted to marry at all, but with certain Capitolites and perhaps even fellow tributes becoming a little too attentive he can't help but imagine a committed relationship will ward away unwanted propositions.

With those actions in mind, he'd expected a visit from her eventually. Perhaps something a little more formal, given the circumstances. It's not a discussion he's looking forward to, but at least he's dressed to leave the room. He can't imagine greeting the Queen in the pajamas he's donned as of late. He'd been intending on taking a walk himself, so he's not burdened by the idea of dragging his tired self out.

He won't keep her waiting long, though he won't race toward the door either. "One moment, please!" He calls back, taking the time to check himself in the mirror, fussing with the lapels of his coat before striding over and opening the door. That is a...very short dress for a Queen, though he supposes it isn't a particularly far cry from that ice dress of hers. He's a good enough boy not to stare or raise a brow, at least. "Queen Elsa." He wastes no time dipping into a low bow before up-righting himself to smile invitingly at her. "I wasn't expecting to see you- but I certainly don't mind. Is everything alright?"

Elsa doesn't think her dress is particularly revealing- in her opinion, she's adapting to the setting. Lots of dresses here seem above the knee and she bought it mainly because it reminded her of her ice dress. She really does miss that dress, but oh well. She feels really good in the dress she's chosen.

She isn't sure what she's expecting when Hans opens the door, but his own outfit has her pretty surprised. He looks rather dashing in it, she must admit. After looking him up and down, she remembers her manners and inclines her head a little as a show of respect.

"I should probably have sent notice, but... Well, I was in the area," she says with a small shrug. It's not entirely true, but whatever excuses her lack of manners will have to do. The truth is, this was pretty damn well planned in advanced. "Everything is fine, though, thank you."

Elsa put her hands together in front of her, taking in a small breath as she worked up the courage to do as she had intended. "I was actually wondering if you would accompany me out today," she says after a moment. "I found a nice little coffee shop in the city and they have some amazing drinks there," she continues, putting on a small smile as she remembers the amazing smell of it and how nice the coffee had actually tasted. "Would that be alright with you? If you aren't already busy, that is!"

For someone so adaptable, Hans is having a harder time getting used to the little things. Short dresses, skirts and revealing outfits in general are on that list, but they aren't really a high enough priority to get him particularly flustered. Not after encountering a small cluster of anonymous people talking about some unsavory things involving himself. There's really a huge amount of compromise to be made in properly adapting here.

"That's hardly surprising, given all tributes live in the center." He lifts a brow at her, but the smile remains. It's coloured with a hint of amusement, though in the back of his mind there's wariness, even when she dismisses his concerns quite eagerly.

Both brows raise in surprise as she asks for his company, but he's very quick to lower them. That voice in the back of his mind tells him this isn't a conversation to be had in public, but he has no choice but to be as compliant as possible. He's sure she wouldn't be so crass as to bring important dealings like this into a coffee shop of all places.. Which would imply that she genuinely wants his company. That honestly surprises after everything that has come to pass, but he's beginning to think he may have made a few scattered misjudgements in the brief time he's known her. She's a little more like Anna than he'd initially noticed, but it seems to shine through in subtle ways.

All he can think to ask is whether she truly wants him to accompany her, because he's terribly curious as to why she would approach him. Instead, he's courteous and smiles wider as he nods. "Of course, I'd love to!" He's just going to ball his own hands up into excited fists before moving to pull his door shut. "No, no. If anything it would be good to get out for a while. I have a feeling someone might want to coerce me into a few hours of training." That someone is one of two people. "Quick, before someone catches us." He's just going to slink past her and jog along a little, casting a glance over his shoulder at her.

Edited 2014-03-03 18:02 (UTC)

Oh curse you, Hans, you've seen through her clever little lie. She gives a small and sheepish smile, shrugging her shoulders. If she says nothing to it then they can just move on and pretend that her little excuse doesn't have a million little holes. Gosh, can't she just invite you out without you questioning it?

But then she's even more embarrassed when he seems so surprised by her invite out. It makes her feel like she must have really come off badly if he's surprised that she wants to spend time with him. She reminds herself that she did have good reason, though she still owes him an apology. She's just trying to formulate it when she's suddenly saying that he would love to, and all thoughts of trying to reply to his surprise are replaced by amusement.

She brings a hand up to her mouth, stifling a giggle. "I never pegged you for a slacker, Prince Hans," she says before she can stop herself, the amusement clear in her voice. She seems to realize how much she's letting her guard down though, and she clears her throat. "But... thank you. I appreciate it." She moves to catch up, forgoing jogging in favor of longer, quicker strides.

"You must be wondering why I asked you," she says, thinking again to his surprise. "It occurred to me how little you and I know each other. Given your-" She pauses, hanging a little on the word, "-relationship with Anna, it might be a good idea to get to know you."

It's the funniest kind of endearing. On the one hand, it probably indicates that she doesn't do this kind of thing often. On the other, it's pretty comforting to know that she's bad at lying for someone who has been concealing a secret her entire life. Perhaps that's born from inexperience with people, but now isn't really an appropriate time to analyse her. Not that it matters, of course. He'd do it whether it's appropriate or not.

He slows a little when she speaks up, casting a put-upon look over his shoulder. "I hardly see the harm in taking it easy now and then when we know what's ahead of us." It's a grim subject to get into though, so he'll shake his head while he waits for her to catch up. "I'm sure I'll make up for it some other time, but I'd much prefer to try whatever it is getting such a positive review from yourself."

There's the barest hint of a sly smile when she promises to clarify, he does his best to keep it fixed on even as she brings up Anna. When he realises it's not quite what he expected, the flood of relief is instantaneous. "I'm happy to be given the opportunity." He admits in an earnest tone, approaching the elevator and feeling terribly clever when he hits the button. "I just hope I don't bore you to death."

Elsa was glad he decided to change the subject and not focus on the grimness that it had been about to turn into. She really didn't want the day to turn bad, she just wanted to get to know Hans and have a little fun. "Well I can promise you, you'll love it."

It was hard not to gush about the place- she'd had coffee there with Joel and the coffee had been delicious and- "The dessert there is wonderful," she says suddenly as she remembers it. "Oh, and don't worry about boring me, Prince Hans." She gives him a smile smile as she falls into step beside him and then stops next to him in the elevator.

"You seem quite... charming," she admits, and she's suitably impressed with the way he handles the button there. "I see you've gotten the hang of things here," she observes with some amusement in her tone. "I still have a hard time with some things."

One of the consequences of being here seems to be those unavoidable and awkward conversations dancing on the tips of tongues. It's not something Hans particularly one to discuss, but it seems to crop up regardless of his whims. Seems there's only so long you can run from it, but they have a few miles of conversation left now at least.

"I do like dessert." He muses agreeably, nodding his head as he considers just how hungry he is. "I didn't think you had a sweet tooth, Queen Elsa. I suppose it runs in the family, doesn't it?" He raises a brow as he steps into the elevator, letting out a soft laugh at her flattery.

"I'm fortunate to have befriended some people with a little more finesse than I can boast. You learn a lot from watching people around here." He'll just smile at the compliment, choosing not to indulge his ego and simply vilify her thoughts. "If you're ever at a loss, I'm happy to help."

Elsa chuckles at his statement. To be honest, she hadn't realized she had such a sweet tooth either, but it's hard not to when there's so much to eat! It was only at the coronation party back home that she'd indulged herself in anything sweet, and now that she's here she's doing it all of the time, just because she can.

"You learn new things every day," she says in an almost teasing tone, still trying to keep herself suitably mature and regal- which is broken slightly as the elevator moves and she wobbles a little, still unused to the way it moves them from floor to floor. She regains her footing though and stands a little more rigid.

"I might have to take you up on that," she replies. A moment later, the elevator reaches ground floor and she moves out of it without a second thought once the doors open. "I don't think I'll ever get used to doors opening by themselves," she muses as she leads the way out of the tribute center, her pace quick as she's eager to get to the coffee place.

A thought crosses her mind a moment later, and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling as she looks down at the floor. "It must be frustrating for you, having your job done for you. You seem the chivalrous type, after all."

He'll hover a hand out as she wobbles, not coming anywhere near touching her so much as he's reminding her that he'll be here if she falls. He's a little nervous about the machines himself, but they've never so much as jostled him and he's never heard of anyone dying in one. Yet, anyway. He really doesn't want to consider the possibility of it.

Thankfully, they survive and they're able to leave the tribute center in one piece. A feat few people can boast, he's sure. "I'd love to help! It might even be fun. There are so many things I've never seen or imagined before but they all seem so practical" He nods enthusiastically. "Like fridges, for example. I have no idea how they work, but they're terribly useful." He's sure she'd be interested in the cold thing.

Her observation earns her a spirited laugh and a nod. "At least chairs don't pull themselves out. I suppose I'll have to make sure I always hit the button first at least."

If nothing else, she's grateful for the way he hovers nearby. It's a nice feeling, knowing someone is there looking out for her and could catch her if she falls. For someone who had always been alone, having someone there for her is just... nice. Not that people hadn't been there for her before, of course, but there's something about this that's a little different. Even if wobbling in an elevator isn't that bad of a danger.

There's a certain irony in the way he finds fridges useful and that he would bring them up at all, considering her powers. But it's not a negative feeling. If anything, she's actually rather amused. "I can imagine they would be useful," she says, that amusement in her tone as she walks alongside him. "Not that I've ever had much trouble keeping things cool."

On the streets now, she seems to navigate her way as if she's done this quite a few times- and she has. She's gone to this coffee place a couple of times now. It's obvious though, that she's taking the route with the least amount of people. Little back paths and shortcuts so as to avoid people. It's still a little much for her to walk through the crowds of people, the constant bumping into them makes her a bit nervous.

"And you should know, I'm now expecting you to pull out my chair and hit all of the buttons for me," she says, the amusement still in her tone. "If I ever touch a button in my life, I will blame you, Prince Hans. The penalty will, of course, be severe."

"Now, now! Don't get too cocky! This technology might freeze things faster than even you can." He'll give her a sly look and a friendly nudge so that she knows he's joking. He figures he might test the waters with a joke, wanting her to feel as casual as he is. Of course, he wouldn't be surprised if the Queen of isolation and frigidity didn't appreciate the humor, but he'll never know if he doesn't lay down hints.

He follows hot on her heels as she begins the discreet trail toward the supposed kingdom of coffee. Don't think he isn't taking note of how far removed they are from the possibility of seeing anyone. He's not sure if it's endearing or sad, but Elsa has always been a mix of both.

"I have no choice but to solemnly accept my duty, then." He chuckles, sidestepping her as he sees her acknowledge the cafe a short difference away, for once he can open the door for her. As dramatically as possible, of course, complete with a dip into a bow. "Your majesty."

Elsa can tell he's joking, and she might laugh if she weren't caught off guard by the nudge. She tries not to look too surprised, but she does take a small step away, if only because she doesn't know how to react to it. Close contact is just something she's unused to. But she won't make a big deal out of it, recovering as quickly as possible.

"As a Prince should," she says, trying to put as much humor in her tone to compensate for the little physical contact snafu. When he slips forward to open the door, she gives him a small bow as well. "Thank you very much, Prince Hans," she says, putting on her best queenly tone. With how little their royalty means here, it's becoming increasingly hard to make light jokes about it.

She steps into the coffee shop and breathes in the smell of coffee, letting it out into a content sigh. Coffee smells so lovely and she's already relaxing from the smell of it. "All jokes of chivalry aside, would you allow me to pay for your coffee?" she asks, turning back to face him. She feels it's the least she can do, after what happened in the arena.

Whoops. Perhaps he moved a little too far into the casual direction, perhaps it was just too soon. He won't let it be awkward, though he looks a little surprised at first. He's Hans, he's accepting of her flaws and her fears, it wouldn't be gentlemanly of him to hold something so subtle against her.

"Well, I do have a lot of time on my hands now. There aren't nearly so many royals to dote on." He gives her a sly smile so she knows he's totally joking and not at all sincere. Though truthfully he has been winning the hearts of commoners all over by keeping his manners in check. Any one of them could be a sponsor or someone liable to come at him in the arena.

Hans lets his eyes trail over the coffee shop curiously. It doesn't look nearly as lavish and high-class as some of the places he'd seen, but he can't be surprised that Elsa is the humble sort. His eyes linger on the sweets in the cabinet before he turns his attention back to her, sighing dramatically. "If you insist. I'm sure I couldn't stop you if I tried." He lets out a small laugh, looking up to the board before back down to her. "A white chocolate mocha, if you'd be so kind."

"I can imagine so," she says, raising her eyebrows. She's found she has nothing but time here, which is pretty nice- or rather, she's been used to having time, but nothing to fill it with. Here, she has so many things to fill it with, which means she's never bored. It's good for keeping her thoughts distracted from all of the horrible things she could be thinking about.

Elsa's expression brightens at his agreement. She always expects people to argue, so when they agree to let her buy, she's always happy. So she nods at his request. "Of course," she says with a nod. "Please, feel free to go sit down." She gestures to her usual table, before approaching the counter to make their orders.

She'll approach said table a few moments later, harrying their two coffees in one arm and a plate of croissants and other various coffee shop treats in the other. She can't resist indulging in the sweets here, after all. She sits across from him, setting the plate in the middle of the table before sliding his coffee towards him.

"I wasn't sure what you might like," she says. "So I got a variety. Feel free to have whatever you want."

When someone makes an offer like that, you are presented with the path of making them feel awkward with bickering about whether or not they ought to pay that can get exhausting. You can either continue that for god knows how long or you can graciously accept the offer and the awkwardness and get the whole thing over with. Hans is glad to do so and he barely feels awkward for it.

With that aside, he'll make his way to the table she gestures to and takes a seat. Idly letting his eyes trail over the menu as he waits, watching her from the corner of his eye. He feels he ought to help her when he realises she intends to carry it by herself, but she's already at the table by the time his chair scrapes backward.

"Goodness! This all looks amazing." His eyes are lighting up like it's christmas and he's careful to pick his first treat, a chocolate filled croissant, and returns his gaze to her. "Never in my whole life would I have imagined I'd be on an outing with the Queen of Arendelle." He lets out a soft chuckle, giving her a sly smile.

Elsa finds his reaction pleasing, as well as his choice of croissant. She enjoys chocolate quite a lot, so she's glad she got more than one of the croissant he chose. She herself will pick up one of the same ones and take a bite, carefully hiding her mouth behind her hand as she chews.

Once she's swallowed, she gives him an amused chuckle. "Well, we're even," she says. "Because I never expected to find myself on an outing with a Prince from the Southern Isles, either."

A small sip of coffee, before she continues. "Did you enjoy Arendelle?" she asks, "I mean, before... You know. Everything." She sounds a little apologetic. "I can imagine the snow made it a little hard to get comfortable."

A little like Anna, Hans doesn’t seem to have many qualms with how quickly he hoes into the pastry. He generally tries to mirror whoever he’s with, but it’s important that Elsa gets the ever increasing feeling that he and Anna are made for one another. It’s the little things that give the bigger impression, so he takes care to express it when he’s able.

“I’m sure there’s a lot about this we’d never expected to happen.” Some for the better, some not so much, but it goes without saying he’s sure. At the question, he’s at his leisure to nod enthusiastically. He has no reason to hide his enthusiasm for the place, even if he’d wanted to take it for his own.

“Absolutely!” His smile doesn’t fade as she dwells on the more awkward parts of his vacation. “You’re blessed with such friendly, hard-working people. They truly adore both you and Anna, it was wonderful to witness.”

Hans is extremely good at giving that impression. With each passing day, she can truly see why the two of them clicked so well. She still doesn't approve of the spontaneous engagement on their first meeting, but given a little development, she might easily approve of their relationship. The two are so similar, it's almost unfortunate that they hadn't met before.

"I know," she says with a nod, smiling fondly. "They've always been so kind to us. I'm glad they were welcoming to you, too."

She let a small silence fall as she focused on eating for a moment, before clearing her throat. "So... tell me more about where you come from?" she asked, leaning in a little curiously. "What made you decide to come to Arendelle?"

"To be fair, Anna did leave the kingdom in my hands when you both.. had business to attend to." He gives her a wry smile, knowing damn well it was a little reckless of Anna. It shows in his face, too. A resigned fondness for the silly girl. "I took good care of it while I could. I can't help worrying for it now." He gives his shoulders a small shrug, trying to focus on the new topic.

"The Southern Isles? Well. It's not much more different. We're coastal as well, fishing is very popular. We have a lot of fairy tales about mermaids." He lets out a soft laugh. "Our festivals are very fun. If we ever make it back, I'd love for you and Anna to visit during one. There's always a lot of dancing and a lot of food." He crinkles his nose in a cheeky smile. "As for why I came? Well, with twelve older brothers it's not often I get to travel alone! Everyone had prior arrangements and, to be honest, I was very curious to see the mysterious Queen." He gives her a sly smile, raising his mug to his lips to draw a long sip from it.

Elsa notes that look in his face as he speaks of Anna. It's a look she knows pretty well- she imagines if she had been around Anna throughout their life, it would be a look she used often. As it is, she can't help closing her eyes as she sighs, remembering full well the consequences of Anna chasing after her. She won't say anything, except in regards to Arendelle. "I'm sure it will pull through," she says, trying to sound hopeful. "It's gone through worse." She means losing the King and Queen. After all, things were fine up to her coronation.

For now, she rather focus on hearing about the Southern Isles, so she listens to everything he has to say, clearly interested- especially when he gets to the mermaids. But she doesn't interrupt, allowing him to get it all out. She's about to bring up the mermaids when he says the last part, and the words are replaced by a small laugh. "Oh- well, I imagine the mystique behind it all was much more fun," she says. "Anyway!" she continues, not wanting the conversation to dwell on her. "Do you believe in mermaids yourself?"

"Most kingdoms have, I think. This one seems to have been through its own issues, too." He observes, as if that weren't already obvious. "Fortunately, the Southern Isles has about a dozen spares for such a situation. We like to plan ahead." He gives her a grin, just so she knows he's kidding around.

"You're right. It is. The mysterious is always the more interesting." He gives her a barely noticeable, knowing look. Is he talking about her? Who knows. He's moving onto the next question already. "Well, I used to be far more skeptical, but recently it's been hard to believe they couldn't exist with everything that does." Is he talking about her or here? He isn't saying! Unless she asks, of course.

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