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

video;

[nostabbing]

I guess maybe the first thing you have to do is figure out if the reason you're celebrating is because of you or because of somebody else.

[...]

Like, are you doing it because you think you should, or because you think somebody else thinks you should, or because you just want to?

[defyingfrigidity]

Because I want to. When I was growing up... celebrating during the holidays was one of the few things I really, really wanted. It was one of the few things I was tempted to argue about with my parents.

[The first few years, at least. As she grew up, and as she convinced herself more and more that she was a monster and didn't deserve to be around other people... the desire to fight disappeared.]

So yes, I'm doing this for me. Partially. But I'm mainly doing it for my sister.

[nostabbing]

Then you should do what's gonna make you happy. Right?

[She kind of tilts her head a little, but her expression is still reasonably gentle; this is the kind of topic she can understand, after all.]

I mean...you're saying "how do I celebrate" like there's a right way to do it. But why does it matter if you're doing it right if the only people who matter are you and your sister?

[...]

I guess it's kind of hard when you're different, and...feel weird about maybe not doing something the way everybody thinks you're supposed to? I used to do that. But it's like giving a present. You're not supposed to think about what everybody says makes something a good present. You're supposed to think about what the person getting it likes.

So...think about celebrating like giving you and your sister a present.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

....Yeah, it makes a lot of sense. It feels really weird, trying to celebrate something I've never celebrated before.

[She'd never celebrated a lot before.]

[defyingfrigidity]

Oh? Do they not have Christmas where you come from, or...?

[VIDEO]

[diamondo]

Actually, I'd say that makes it even more special. You didn't celebrate it for a long time, so now that you've decided to, it's gonna be special no matter what.

[Mondo shrugs at that. He hasn't really experienced this, so take his advice with a grain of salt.]

I'm guessing you're celebrating the holidays for the first time in awhile. I guess it kinda depends on who else is gonna be celebrating with you. If it's just you then obviously you only need to do what'll make you happy, but if you've got other people there who also haven't celebrated in awhile, you've gotta take them into account, which gets tricky.

[defyingfrigidity]

Tricky indeed... [She sighs. I have a sister. One who I only recently began reconnecting with. I'm still... learning how much she's changed. [She thinks she's got it all figured out by now, but sometimes, Anna just manages to surprise her all over again.]

That's what makes it so difficult. She's still mostly the same, but we've both grown up a lot. So I just don't know what to do now.

[red_roses]

Do you mean Christmas? B-Because I'm trying to make that special for someone too....

[defyingfrigidity]

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

video;

[ex_cashcow493]

Sometimes we do not celebrate these things for ourselves, but for those around us. [ Seems a suitable enough answer to give and to be honest, that's the only reason Saber herself celebrates much of anything. ]

Keeping up appearances and fitting in raises less questions than not celebrating at all.

[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...

[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?

[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.

video;

[paopuprincess]

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

[defyingfrigidity]

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

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.

[dreamsofahero]

For yourself, or for someone else?

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

[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.

[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.

[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....

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.

[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.

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]

[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.