Sixth Flake [video]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa looks a lot more subdued than usual - especially compared to her last video - when she begins recording, staring out the window of the little apartment she and Anna had begun renting for their stay in Goldenrod. It's snowing, this time with no help from her, and she's just watching the flakes drift lazily past.]

I know this may sound like an odd question, but... how do you go about celebrating things you haven't really acknowledged in a very long time? Birthdays, holidays, things like that... It feels strange to just go ahead and do it and act like the lack of celebrations in years past never happened. Wrong, almost, to completely dismiss such a long amount of time like that.

It seems rather difficult to make a special event even more special. Does that make sense at all?

[She's not even thinking about her own upcoming birthday (on the 21st!) at all. But Christmas is coming up... the first Christmas in thirteen years that the sisters will be spending together. She wants Anna's first real Christmas since she was five to be perfect, or at least as perfect as Elsa can make it. She just... has no idea how to do that.]

Comments

[defyingfrigidity]

That's... very good advice, thank you. As much as I'd really love to surprise her with something... you're right in that we're more or less complete opposites. I didn't really think of how that could affect celebrations like this.

[Boy that could've been awkward...!]

... I'll still keep the presents a secret, though. No matter what, there's no way I'll spoil that surprise.

[defyingfrigidity]

I do! Who are you hoping to do something special for, Ib?

[defyingfrigidity]

Exactly. After so long, I think I'd be just fine if I never celebrated holidays on my own... but with Anna here, I have to do something. For both of us.

[Elsa laughs, but it sounds just a little awkward.] Well, I wouldn't mind the questions. There is a good explanation as to why I haven't celebrated things like this in a long time, after all...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Uh, I think it's a Jewish holiday. It's celebrated because...[She frowns. It was pretty obvious that she was confused about it herself.]

I'm sorry, but I don't really know either. I never stuck around in one place long enough to learn about them. I always had other work to do.

[defyingfrigidity]

Oh... that's a shame. Being able to travel all over the world, yet unable to stay and take in the different festivities...

Was it always like that, for you? Or were you able to take your time in some places?

[Video]

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath still hasn't... quite gotten the hang of video. Or the 'Gear in general. But he's not pressing dozens of buttons, at least! He's still pretty much obscuring most of the screen with his horrible mane of hair, though.]}

What's a holly-day?

Is it for plants?

video;

[paopuprincess]

That just means you have to party even harder to make up for the ones you missed!

voice;

[scratchitti]

Well, first off don't push it. If you keep trying to make this one holiday make up for all the ones you missed the stress will kill any fun you might have had.

Just relax, first off.

[defyingfrigidity]

Oh, I know I can't fit thirteen years worth of missed holidays into one. That's impossible... but that doesn't mean I can't try to do my best to make this a very good celebration.

[defyingfrigidity]

Well, that's the problem. I don't know how to, er... "party harder".

[defyingfrigidity]

[man you have not seen "horrible mane of hair" until you've seen Anna with bedhead. Wrath's hair is nothing compared to that.]

Oh, um... [Odd. She's never talked to anyone who didn't know what a holiday was...] No. It's a day, or sometimes several days, where people celebrate certain events happening. Christmas, the one coming up at the end of this month, is a holiday where people give gifts to each other and celebrate joy and coming together as family or friends.

It's also religious, for many people, but I'd rather focus on the other things.

[scratchitti]

Well yeah, but that's still a lot of pressure. I'm sure it'll be great just because you're celebrating at all.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

....It's okay. I had work that needed to be done, so I'm not very sad that I missed it.

[She got the feeling that she probably should be though.]

Sometimes I got the chance to relax. My father thought it would be good for me if we had a vacation every now and then.

[While running from yakuza.]

[paopuprincess]

Well, uh... you know.

[She doesn't really know how to put it into words.]

You just need to stop worrying about everything and just enjoy the moment!

[ex_cashcow493]

If you wish to speak your mind, you only need do so. [ Saber wouldn't know where to begin with questions. There's too many reasons one might not celebrate, she's realized from the moment she watched Ilyasviel sing. ]

There are parties often held here. Surely by now you have been invited to one? It would be easier to attend that sort of thing with someone to ease back into tradition.

[dreamsofahero]

For yourself, or for someone else?

*it's an important distinction, in his mind at least!*

[islandshore]

Hmm... I'd say just do the best you can do. The thing about holidays is that they aren't really about the fancy lights, big feasts, and expensive gifts. As long as you're with the people you care about, I'd say that's enough.

[He chuckles, a small smile lining his lips.]

Not that anyone's stopping you from going above and beyond. I just wouldn't stress over it.

[red_roses]

[She turns a bit red.] G-Garry....

video;

[ossifragant]

[It's something he's been giving a lot of thought to, actually.

Maybe that's why Greed decides to respond.]

I never had a reason to celebrate holidays before now. I don't think I could name most of them where I'm from.

It doesn't matter what your reason for not celebrating it is, the important part is being able to celebrate it now. I don't think there's any rule saying how a person needs to celebrate a holiday, you know?

Having a private celebration might even be preferable. I'm the kind of guy to go all out, but if that's not your thing, you shouldn't have a big party.

action;

[loveisanopendoor]

[Looks like Elsa might be victim to a hug from behind! Not too long after Elsa wraps up her post on this snowy evening, Anna will rest her head on her shoulder in the living room of their apartment and wrap her arms around her tightly. She, of course, has been wanting to make sure that everything would be perfect, too, and Elsa's absolutely right; there's no way to just kind of act like all of those lonely birthdays and holidays didn't happen. But, if anything, the goal is to make them even more special now because they haven't had a chance to celebrate them in so long, and if anyone can pull off a super-amazing birthday/Christmas celebration, it's Anna.]

Just leave it to me, Elsa! Ace holiday planner Anna is on the case!

[She's been looking forward to celebrating Elsa's birthday and Christmas all month, really, to the point where they even got a place to stay here just so they could have a good place to settle down for a little while...and, of course, Anna took the liberty of decorating it as well!]

[defyingfrigidity]

[She knows Anna would be fine with just that, so that should be a comforting thought. But... it's not! She wants to go all-out! Except...

She lets out a somewhat frustrated sigh.]

It would be so much easier to go "above and beyond" if I still had my magic....

[defyingfrigidity]

Normally, I would agree with you when you said that it doesn't matter what the reason for not celebrating holidays was. But... [How to say this without dumping too much personal stuff on a complete stranger...]

The reason why I haven't celebrated any holidays for most of my life was... bad. And I hurt people in the process of ignoring everything. So... I have to find a way to make up for that. Somehow.

[defyingfrigidity]

A bit of both. Mostly for my sister, but I wouldn't be lying if I said I wanted to do something special in celebration of finally being able to indulge in Christmas festivities.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Whoa hey Anna, hope you enjoy watching Elsa nearly jump out of her skin with a rather undignified squeak. GOSH, SHE'S STILL NOT USED TO ANNA JUST SNEAKING UP ON HER LIKE THAT.]

A-Anna! [Way to nearly give her a heart attack!!!] Hold on, wait. I can't let you do that! This is a way I can begin to make up for all the years we spent apart... let me handle it.

[dreamsofahero]

Well, then you need to consider both what she would enjoy, as well as what you would. For example, would you prefer a large gathering of many friends, or something smaller with only a few people? And so on.