thecapitol | We can build it together

Entry tags:

We can build it together

Who| Elsa and Anna
What| Elsa finds Anna
Where| Anna's room
When| After Anna dies and comes back
Warnings/Notes| SISTER FEELINGS

[Oh, the conflicting feelings. Of course Elsa is used to conflicting feelings, but this goes above and beyond what she's used to. She had been both terribly upset and relieved when Anna hadn't come back. She thought perhaps maybe it just meant she'd been sent home. They no longer wanted her. She could make herself believe Anna was safe, and no longer had to deal with the horror of the Capitol and it's arenas.

So when she finds out Anna is back, it's overwhelming how upset she is and happy she is to see her. She's missed her, more than anything. And now, she has the power to control her ice. She can't hurt Anna anymore. The desire to avoid Anna is gone, replaced by nothing but an intense desire to see her. If she could have volunteered to go back into the arena in place of her at that moment, she could have.

Instead, she can only watch Anna suffer. It's painful, and she normally doesn't like watching the Games. But she does for Anna, just to be with her in spirit. When it finally happens, Elsa cries. It hurts so much to see Elsa suffer, and she can't stop the thoughts coming that she should have done something. Eventually, though. Eventually she reminds herself that it's not her fault, and that she couldn't have done anything. Shepard's helped her get a hold of her emotions- she lets herself feel them, then she takes control. It takes a lot of work for this one, but she does manage to reign it in.

Elsa even pushes them away almost entirely, and with effort she looks on the bright side. She's been through a lot here, she can help Anna. Instead of running away, instead of being afraid, Elsa can finally be Anna's rock. They don't have to avoid each other in the arena, there is no fear of accidentally killing Anna. She can help keep Anna from spiraling into a depression the same was Elsa herself had in the beginning. The realization that she actually has the power to do something in this situation- that she can finally be the big sister she was meant to be- is enough to pick her up, to motivate her to approach Anna, even if there's a part of her that's afraid of what she'll find.

So she sets to work. She gets paper, she gets markers. She's not the best of artists, but she manages to accomplish what she has in mind. When she's finished, she hurries to Anna's room. Once outside, she takes a deep, steadying breath to steal herself. She knows Anna is going to be upset, so she needs to be calm and collected. She lifts her hand to knock.

Do you wanna build a snowman?

Then, she bends down and slides the paper under the door, face up. When Anna approaches the door, she'll see a drawing on the floor of Olaf, happy and waving at her. On the other side of the door, Elsa waits, feeling both eager and horribly nervous.

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[Waking up is difficult.

At first, she just lays there and stares at the ceiling, memories washing over her of the five days she'd spent in the arena. None of it made any sense still; she'd barely had the time to adjust, to understand before she'd been thrown into the arena alone and defenseless, and the days she had spent just trying to survive were now a blur of fear, of hiding and running.

And then there had been the dog, and the man who had found her. He'd tried to save her, even, but it had been far too late. And she understands; she can see why he did what he did, but that didn't make it any less terrifying. The last time she'd been swung at with a blade, magic and sisterly love had saved her. But now that had been long gone, and at least it had ended her suffering. Put her out of her misery.

She mulls this over a lot, laying flat on her back and running her fingers over the place where she'd been mauled, where now there was only a smooth expanse of skin marred only by freckles. She doesn't have to look in a mirror to know that her hair is a wreck, that her eyes are ringed with dark circles. She gets out of bed only minimally, and even then only to eat and use the bathroom.

Until suddenly there comes an all-too-familiar knock at her door, and her heart nearly jumps out of her mouth.]

Wha--? [Suddenly there's a mix of panic and excitement in her stomach as she scrambles out of bed, and when she reaches the door she realizes there's a piece of paper on the floor. When she realizes what it is, her eyes well up in tears, and she's almost afraid to speak. What if this is another cruel trick? What if they're only toying with her?]

...Elsa?

[She presses her cheek to the door, fingers stuttering over the doorknob.]

Edited 2014-06-25 03:57 (UTC)

[When Elsa hears Anna's voice on the other side of the door, all her nerves melt away. Her sister really, truly is on the other side of the door. She steps closer to it, knowing Anna is just inches away on the other side.]

It's me.

[Her voice, while relatively calm, has an almost shakiness to it as she feels the emotions coming. It feels like it's been forever since she saw Anna, or heard her voice. For the first time in her life, she isn't afraid of being around her sister for fear of hurting her.

She can't help but smile at that.]

Are you going to let me in? I think you're long overdue for a hug, if my sisterly intuition is anything to go by.

[Anna could cry in relief at the sound of Elsa's voice, but she's done enough crying these past few days that all she can do is fumble for the knob. Of course, she's so excited, a panicky excitement, that she struggles with it, too jittery to slow down and catch her breath and open the door like a normal human being.]

H-hang on! I just--

[And then she gives it a good proper twist and it's opening and Anna spills out into the corridor and straight into Elsa's arms with a soft, ecstatic cry. After her time in the Arena, wishing that she could see a familiar face, it's all she wants right now to bury her face against Elsa's shoulder, and that's exactly what she does.]

Elsa, please tell me you're real. [She murmurs it with only a small note of panic; Elsa is solid and real and breathing under her cheek, thank God.

Oof-

[Elsa lets out a little gasp as Anna falls into her arms, but she's quick to wrap them around her and pull Anna close. It feels like a hundred years since she's done this, and her resolve to remain calm and like a rock is tested as she feels her eye burning with tears that want to come.

But she fights them, as she tightens her hold on Anna just a little, as if she's afraid Anna might disappear. With how the Capitol operates, it feels like a scary possibility.]

I am, I promise- and I'm not going anywhere.

[She pull back reluctantly, so that she can look Anna over.]

Are you alright? Did they fix you up? You don't hurt anywhere, right?

[Anna forces herself to take a few steadying breaths, trying to keep her emotions from spilling over, and gives Elsa an extra tight squeeze before actually looking up into her face. Her sister actually looks healthy, she's pleased to note--and she isn't looking at her like she's afraid of what she might do, which is a relief. She's still not used to that.]

I'm...fine. [Anna lies, even as her hand goes to the place on her stomach where once there was a hole.]

They fixed me. I'm just fine, Elsa.

[Elsa relaxes a little upon hearing that.]

Good, because... because if they hadn't, then... I would have to make them pay.

[She laughs at that, trying to lighten the mood- but the threat is serious, even though no one in their right mind would actually take her seriously. She's nothing more than a fragile queen, what could she possibly do?]

I... I'm glad you're here, Anna. But I'm so sorry that you are.

[And then she's tugging Anna back in for another hug, because she's missed out on too many of them, she's not going to miss out on any more.]

[Anna's eyes widen at the resolve in her sister's voice, and she doesn't doubt Elsa's seriousness for a moment. After all, she knows more than most people the things her sister is capable of.

She lets herself be pulled in for another hug gratefully, because what she needs most right now is human contact, with someone who loves her. She rests her cheek against Elsa's chest.]

I'm so...so confused, Elsa. I met someone when I was in there, in the--the Arena. He knew my name, he acted like he knew me.

[She doesn't mention for the moment that it was a giant talking turtle. That's not quite relevant.]

[Oh... Elsa hadn't really thought of this until now. It hasn't occurred to her once that this Anna wouldn't remember being here. Now she's curious as to what Anna might or might not know. Is she from the future, like Hans? The past? First thing's first, she must explain things.]

Um, maybe we should go sit down?

[She gestures into Anna's room.]

This is going to be a lot to take in, Anna.

[Anna's brow knits, but she nods. As much as she wishes everything could be normal now that she's found Elsa, there's obviously much to be discussed here, and much that she needs to be informed about.]

Oh--sure.

[She backs into her suite, still a little thrown by how different its opulence is from her own room at home; sleek and modern and just plain weird. She's frightened of most of it; it's a kind of magic, she's pretty sure, but she hasn't ventured to actually try and use any of it yet.

Gingerly, she perches on the edge of her bed.]

Lay it on me.

[Elsa follows her in, trying to figure out how she's going to explain this. It really doesn't feel like there's any easy way to do it. As Anna sits down, Elsa moves to sit beside her.]

Alright. Well... There's no easy way to say this, but you've been here before. And you-

[She stops, as she notices something a little off about Anna in that moment. Her hand comes up to take hold of Anna's braid gently.]

Your streak is gone...

"Oh!" Anna doesn't really register what she's saying at first, but then she screws up her face and shakes her head. "Wait, what? No I--"

She wants to go on and insist that no, no she definitely has NOT been here before, but then Elsa is reaching for her braid, the easiest way she knows to keep her coppery strands from becoming a rat's nest while she's busy being apathetic. But it doesn't make sense that Elsa's surprised by this fact...

"Of course it is, silly. It has been ever since you unfroze me!"

Elsa's eyebrows furrow at that, but she feels a flutter of happiness. Does that mean the incident from back home has a happy ending? That she learns control? It also would mean that Anna is from the future- which is a weird concept, but she's learned that time is strange here. So many people from so many different places and times.

"Really?" she asks, as it finally sinks in. Her eyes widen in wonder, and she moves to stand up, because a sudden rush of energy has her unable to just sit still. She stretches her arms out, a smile spreading over her face before she gives a small spin, coming to a standstill with her gaze locked on Anna. Her hands clasp in front of her and she steps closer. "Do I really learn to control them?" there's hopefulness in her voice- it's true that she's learned how here, but it's so much more... meaningful, back home.

Anna watches her sister react with a mixture of confusion and happiness--because as much as she adores seeing Elsa happy, she's also not quite sure how this is supposed to be news to the elder sister.

"Of course you did, Elsa," Anna insists, fingers fidgeting against the bedspread. "You were there, you learned to do it yourself." She's starting to feel vaguely panicky; how can Elsa not know, not remember this? Something is obviously off here, between this and the way Elsa's trying to tell her that somehow Anna has been here before. It's scary.

Elsa realizes soon after her question is answered that Anna seems off. She's good at reading her sister, and so she feels bad for focusing on her own happiness the way she did. Her expression falls, and she sits back down softly, scooting so she can face Anna.

"I'm sorry, I... I forgot to tell you," she says. "The last thing I remember is seeing you at the ice palace," she says. "You came to try and get me to come back home... but I wouldn't," she explains. "So... I think you're farther ahead in time than I am."

Anna blinks several times as the bed dips again beneath Elsa's weight, and for a moment she looks rather stunned.

"Farther...ahead? But how could I be father ahead? Is it--magic?" Bear with her here, Elsa. She can only handle so many different types of magic, and so many new things in her life at once. This whole time shenanigans thing is really pushing it.

"N- Well..."

How to explain it? Because to them, it might seem like magic at first glance, but after spending months in the Capitol, she's realizing that no, it's not really magic at all. There are machines that can do so many things that seem like fairy tales. "In a sense, yes," she concedes after a moment. "But here, they have machines that are like magic," she continues. "They can do so many wonderful things, and... I guess time travel is one of them."

It feels like a very basic answer, but she doesn't really know how else to put it in Anna terms. She's only just beginning to learn how to do more than press buttons to make things happen- the elevators were scary the first time she went on one.

"Other people come from other points in time, too- there are even people from other planets," and she even still sounds amazed at that. "I still can't believe it sometimes."

Anna listens to all of this with a look of growing incredulity on her face. She believes Elsa, she really does, but it's impossible to wrap her head around any of this, any of it at all. All she can really say as Elsa wraps up her wild sleigh ride of an explanation is, "...Oh. Wow."

She knits her brow. "But, Elsa--aren't you scared? These Hunger Games, they're so..." What's the word she's looking for, here? "Violent."

Elsa has to look away at that. It's not a question she can really answer easily- least of all because the depressing thing is, Anna's death was actually very tame in comparison to what it could have been- what it was, at her own hands in Elsa's very first arena.

The memory makes her stomach churn.

"Anna... I-I don't know," she says after a long moment, thinking it best not to tell Anna about how tame her death was. "I guess the longer you spend here the more... you don't really think about it so much... Or at least, not in a way that it stops you from living. It's scary, yes, but... What can you do?"

Anna nods, her gaze dropping to her lap. It's just so supremely unfair, after everything they've been through together, that they have to be stuck here now. It's not right.

But she lifts her chin at Elsa's question. "I guess...that makes sense," she begins slowly, before burying her face in her sister's shoulder to hide how frightened she feels suddenly. "I guess, if I have to be here, I'm glad that it's with you."

Elsa's arm goes around her immediately, and for a long moment she's content to just hold Anna and comfort her. She's afraid, too. It's hard not to think of the future, when they're both going to be in an arena together. She knows without even having to know, that if it comes down to it, she will without hesitation die to keep Anna safe.

It's not negotiable, so she doesn't say anything.

After a while, she murmurs quietly, "Me too."

But she doesn't want the mood to stay so somber, so she untangles herself from Anna and stands up. "I want to show you something- you stay right there." Elsa turns and moves over to a panel on the wall. All of the suites have these little room service panels, and luckily Elsa has managed to figure them out.

She presses a few buttons, and a few seconds later, she turns around holding a plate full of chocolates in various sizes and flavors. "Ta-da!"

Anna blinks, surprised at Elsa's sudden determination to show her things. She almost protests, but her curiosity gets the better of her, and Anna watches wide-eyed as Elsa presses buttons on the wall and turns with a plate full of--

Anna squeals. "Chocolate! It's--it's real?" She peeks her head around Elsa's back. "It's real and it came out of the wall?" She gets to her feet enthusiastically and plucks one of the chocolates off the plate, inspecting it, sniffing it--and popping it in her mouth. Instantly, Anna moans happily as the rich flavor hits her tastebuds. "Mmmf, sooo gmmmd."

"Of course it's real!" She doesn't want to think of what it might be otherwise. What's tiny and brown? We have no idea.

She gives Anna a large grin as she finally plucks a piece of chocolate off the place, and she's glad to see Anna enjoys it so much. Right now, she doesn't quite have the stomach for chocolate, but she's glad Anna's enjoying it. The truth is, she knows there's a lot more to talk about and that this is only a short delay.

Because Hans is here, and there's a part of her that's afraid to bring him up. Her feelings on Anna and Hans being together are... complicated, with feelings she doesn't really want to explore in regards to it. So with Anna not bringing him up, she's torn on bringing him up herself or just... letting it be for now.

Why are feelings so strange and confusing?

"I'm glad you like it," she says quietly, holding out the plate for Anna to take. "Eat up, it's all yours."

Anna polishes off four more chocolates before finally slowing down, but when she finishes swallowing that fifth one, it's clear her mood has improved. She's always been spectacularly easy to cheer up, and Elsa knows just how to do it.

"Thank you," she beams, taking the rest of the chocolates and setting them on her nightstand. "It sounds silly, but I feel a lot better already." Maybe the sweets just reminded her of home; it's a comfort food for her. Actually, it's a miracle she hasn't gotten fat.

"I'm happy to hear that!" she says, and she means it. It's nice to know what she's helped Anna feel better, because she knows how rough it is the first little while here. "I mean, I'm your big sister. It's my job to make things better, right?" She laughs lightly. "One of these days, I'll have to teach you how to get your own chocolate though- you won't need me then, I'm sure."

She winks, just to show she's joking.

Anna giggles. "Oh, definitely not. I've always thought of you as strictly a chocolate resource, you know." But she quiets again as something else occurs to her.

"Wait, wait, so where are you staying? Another one of these snazzy rooms?"

"Oh, Anna, I'm hurt. I thought I meant more to you than that!" Elsa shakes her head gently, slowly feeling all of the weight coming off of her shoulders as the two of them joke.

At the question, she gives her a nod. "We're in different districts," she says. "I'm in 9. I'm... not sure if we're allowed to sleep in other people's rooms." There's a small pause, "But I don't really care about that. If you want me to stay here with you tonight, I can."

Anything for Anna.

It feels so good to joke with Elsa again. Even after their ordeal had concluded, even when things were good with her again, Anna was always nervous that she'd ruin it all, that their mended relationship might fall apart again. And even though this Elsa hasn't seen some of the things Anna has, it's wonderful that she's still so amiable, that their relationship is still natural.

She looks hopeful at the suggestion that Elsa could stay with her. "Please, Elsa. That would...it'd help a lot." She doesn't mention it, but she's hopeful that Elsa's presence will ease the nightmares she's been having.

If Elsa knew that Anna was having nightmares, she would have marched her down to the kitchen and made her some of the special tea they have. It's done wonders for Elsa and her nightmares. Either way, Elsa gives her a nod. "Of course, I'll stay as long as you need me to."

But she would also, finally, indulge in a little bit of chocolate, reaching carefully over to the plate and nipping a piece off. Ever the one with manners, she eats it daintily and is careful not to let any of it get on her face. It's only the sigh of happiness as she chews it that shows off how much she really enjoys it.

"You know, that's the one good thing about this place," she says when she's swallowed it. "The food... the food never stops being perfect."

Anna's grin is wider than it's been since she got here; just being near Elsa is enough to convince her that things are going to be okay. "Thank you." Anna giggles as Elsa goes ahead and eats a piece of her chocolate. It's nice to see that her sister is human, after all the time she spent half-afraid of her.

"Good to know! I don't know if you know this about me, Elsa, but I have a very healthy appetite."

It's officially the understatement of the century.

That's always going to be one of Elsa's biggest regrets; Anna being afraid of her. Elsa's always been afraid of herself enough for the both of them, to be honest. But now more than ever, she wants Anna to be able to trust her and to protect her, so she'll do whatever she can to make that happen.

"Oh really?" Elsa fakes a look of surprise. "I had no idea, I... Who are you, what have you done with my sister?"

More giggling. Anna's in high spirits, now, recent death or no.

"Don't worry. She's right here. I'm right here." Mostly, she's trying to reassure herself. Ground herself, keep herself from flying off the handle. There's still a lot of emotion brewing close beneath the surface, but now at least Anna feels like she's equipped to handle it.

"Good," she says, her voice vibrating with a chuckle. Elsa leans against Anna for a moment, before sitting upright again. "I love you, you know," she says quietly. For all she hates the Capitol, she's at least grateful that she and Anna are together. Given how arenas tend to change people, she suddenly feels the need to let Anna know how she feels. "Please, no matter what happens here, never forget that."

You know, in case she ever kills you, or hurts you, or anything of that nature.

Anna goes quiet, eyes going wide and perhaps a touch fearful, because she can't help but think of all the terrible things that could possibly happen to either of them--the scope of which she hasn't even seen yet.

"I love you too, Els." And maybe that's all she needs to get by, here--to know that someone here cares for her and is looking out for her.

Elsa gives her a small nod, before nodding towards the bed. "Good... now, you should try and get some sleep." Elsa herself wasn't quite tired enough to sleep, but she imagined Anna must be exhausted. "I'll watch over you, alright?"

Now that she mentions it, Anna realizes how tired she really is. Sleep will be good, and for once it might actually be restful, with Elsa nearby. Anna nods.

"That sounds heavenly, actually." She crawls towards the head of the bed and lets herself slide beneath the blankets, pulling them up to her chin and curling into a little ball.

"Will you get the light?"

Elsa knows how that feels, not realizing how tired you are until you think about it. It's rough, especially when sleep is hard to get on occasion. She'll have to remember to introduce Anna to the tea one of these days.

"Of course," she says, moving to stand up. "I might pop back to my room and change into pajamas later, so if you wake up and I'm not here that would be why," she adds as she heads over to the light switch and turns it off, throwing the room into darkness. "Good night, Anna."

Anna snuggles up under her blankets happily, letting her eyes drift shut as her room is thrown into darkness. "Duly noted." A wide yawn, and then silence as her poor exhausted body drifts off into slumber.

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We can build it together

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