Love is a slightly jammed door

[hanssome]

Who| Anna, Elsa and Hans
What| Hans and Anna request permission to carry on their engagement
Where| Elsa's favourite cafe
When| backdated by a couple of days, possibly a week.
Warnings/Notes| Hans playing puppet-master, copious amounts of puppy love.

Everything is maintaining a strange sort of peace as of late. The trauma of the Arena is fading from recent memories and the bonds between the Arendelle sisters and their favourite Southern Islander are strengthening with every day they spend together. New experiences and the potential threat of danger looming had fastened them together quicker than an eternal winter could ever hope to. There's damage to repair on all of their behalves, but it seems that now more than ever is a promising time to reiterate a question Elsa had not taken kindly to in the past.

Hans had set everything up to perfection. He's helped and guided Elsa through troubling circumstances and proved himself invaluable to her, he's no longer the stranger trying to weasel his way between the girls to her. He's something much, much more important. He'd managed to set it up in the very cafe she'd recommended to him, somewhere he knew she'd be comfortable and somewhere the three of them could enjoy both food and conversation. It would seem like nothing more than a sweet gesture.

Anna's hand in marriage doesn't have the vast amount of benefit here as it did back home, but it's important that he keeps his ties between the sisters as tight as possible. Power is not so easily claimed here, but acknowledgement and respect are well within reach. If he can endear himself even more with a romance as sweet as the one he's fostered with Anna, he will do quite well for himself.

The two enter the cafe with linked arms, all smiles as they approach Elsa at her usual table. Hans has made his intentions today clear to Anna, but he'd been a little more vague with Elsa. He doesn't intend to spring it on her, that never ends well, he just hadn't wanted there to be such a strong sense of obligation. All that had been made clear was the fact that they really ought to meet and discuss something important.

"Queen Elsa." He addresses her politely, but he's all goofy smiles as he pulls Anna's chair out for her. "You were right, you know. I can't get enough of this place." Once Anna is seated, he'll pull out a chair alongside her and give her a sly smile. "You're going to love it here, your sister has great taste."

Comments

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Elsa would be lying if she said she isn't nervous. But she isn't stupid. Being asked to meet the two of them somewhere isn't a very subtle, not after how she was approached at the party back home. She's honestly been waiting for something like this. Her only consolation is that this time? Hans and Anna have known each other a fair bit longer.

Maybe not enough to get engaged, but still long enough that she doesn't find the idea so horrible.

When the two of them enter the building, they'll find Elsa sipping away at a cup of coffee, trying to look casual. She has a lot on her mind, after all. Ever since she began training with Hans, her mind has been filled with thoughts of the future arena. The idea that she might have to kill people. When she sees Anna, she can't help feel a spike of anxiety every time.

But she pushes away those thoughts, putting on a smile as Hans speaks to her. "Oh, stop," she says, clearing her throat afterwards to put on a more pleasant tone. Hans isn't the only one who can mask their real feelings. Now that she's grown closer to the man, she doesn't feel like he has to know how she's really feeling. No one needs to know how scared she is. "Haven't we talked about flattery before?"

Elsa slides a napkin with a small pile of croissants over to them. "So what is this about?" she asks, straightening up in her chair a little as she looks them over.

omg I'm so sorry this took forever

[ordinaire]

Anna had no question in her mind that they would remain engaged while here... It was more of a surprise that they hadn't really made it 'official' just yet. Still, when you're off in a death arena scrambling for your life, then dealing with the aftermath... Well.

There probably wasn't much time for much of anything really. Unable to really keep from the habit of curtsying to her sister, she smiles brightly back at Hans as he helps her to her seat. There really is no questioning the love and adoration in her eyes. "Oh, she has really great taste in food, so this has to be a good place to eat at..."

But then her attention is pulled back to her sister, eyes still shining with adoration as she turns her gaze to the croissants. Right. What this is all about. "Well, you see," she started off hesitantly, hand immediately seeking Hans's. "I mean, we really wanted to talk to you about something."

[hanssome]

"What can I say, it comes naturally." He chuckles at Elsa, quickly returning Anna's smile. From the way he looks at her, you'd think you couldn't question his own affections for her. Alas, he's always been good at faking expressions. He can thank god for giving him such disarmingly sweet eyes.

"She certainly does, I've tried it myself." He nods along, reflecting on the meal he'd had here last time. It was a strange mix of things he was entirely unfamiliar with and things he knew quite well. The food, in a funny way, is a little bit like the place itself. Concepts he knew and concepts he couldn't wrap his head around, but he'd try,

"We did." He nods, taking on a more formal tone as he gives Anna's hand a squeeze. "Queen Elsa.. we in no way want to make the same mistake of bullying you into a decision again. We simply wondered if you might.. consider blessing our engagement? I understand that the situation isn't ideal for marriage, but we feel that perhaps it might bring a little light into a grim situation." He stops himself from rambling further, watching her with solemn eyes.

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Elsa isn't entirely sure how she feels when it seems like the two of them are trying to butter her up. A part of her wants to say that they really ought to say what they intend to say without dragging it out. By the time Hans starts speaking, she's entirely certain what the two of them want. Again, she doesn't find the idea of the two of them getting married as awful as she had before, but there's still a lot of reservation when it comes to it.

"I appreciate you being straight forward with me instead of dragging it out," she says, closing her eyes as she takes in a breath. "I had the feeling that it would be about this. You two... aren't very subtle."

Elsa forces a laugh to show that she's kidding, to try and keep it light instead of devolving into pain and angst the way it had back at the party in their world. "But what you said is right... it isn't ideal. I understand your motivation, but are you sure it would really help? I...I mean, do you really want your wedding to be tainted by the thought of having to go into an arena soon?"