Ninth Flake [text]

[defyingfrigidity]

[This is new: a post from Elsa not in video. Normally she tries to use it as often as she can, since it helps her with talking to people without the intimidation of being face-to-face in person. But she's feeling kind of... not quite upset, but not like herself today. She'd rather not let that bleed into the video and audio, so for now, text it is.]

I just noticed the anniversary of a very important event in my life is almost here. The thing itself wasn't so bad - it was certainly something to celebrate at least - but the events that happened during and after it... they were more than a bit terrible.

[Yeah she's being kind of vague here. But only because she hasn't really told anyone about the whole "Eternal Winter" thing. And she's.... still somewhat afraid to. People know about what happened with Anna, yes, but if they knew she'd almost sentenced her entire kingdom to an eternal winter of suffering... would they act different towards her then?]

Even so, I... look back somewhat fondly on those days, despite the bad things that happened. Because even though bad things happened, a lot of good came out of it in the end.

Still... is that odd?

Comments

[dangerousidol]

[First time responder, but she totally gets what this person is talking about. Very different circumstances, though, and she doubts this person had to deal with a serial killer or being kidnapped into another world.]

Not really. I think everyone has something like that. A really bad time that then turned into something really good.

You gotta take the bad with the good, or what's the point of enjoying the good?
That sounds like something my grandma would tell me.
´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

[defyingfrigidity]

But shouldn't there be a limit to "taking the bad with the good"?

If it was something really bad, that... that would be something that you should hesitate to look back fondly on.

action;

[loveisanopendoor]

[To be fair, in the wake of everything being so busy, Anna had almost forgotten that it was creeping ever-closer to the anniversary of Elsa's coronation; it isn't until she wakes up as she always does (that'd be "with her hair looking like she had just been through a tornado and drool running down the side of her face," for those of you keeping score at home) and she checks the Gear next to her, looking at Elsa's text, when she remembers it, and though she can understand Elsa's slight apprehension towards remembering what happened, Anna, as usual, figures she should weigh in herself. After all, she was the only person here who was there in person, and though it was certainly a weird day, she looks back on it very fondly as well...

So with a spring in her step, the first thing she'll do when she sees her sister this morning...is tickle her sides in a surprise ambush! Sorry, Elsa!]

Gotcha!

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa, of course, has been a bit distracted; not just by her cloudy thoughts on today, but also with tidying up their camp, so that they can get a move on as soon as they eat. So it's no surprise that she doesn't hear Anna getting up and she doesn't notice her sister sneaking up on her until it's too late.

Let it be known that Elsa isn't a very dignified young lady when she's surprised like this, and the shriek she lets out is shrill enough to scare a few pidgeys from the nearby tree.]

A-Anna!! Hey, stop, what-?!

text;

[doitrockapella]

There's a Chinese proverb that states, "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials."

Bad things aren't just a part of life; all too often, they play a significant role in shaping who we are once we're on the other side of them. I don't think it's odd to acknowledge that.

[defyingfrigidity]

In this case, I'm not sure if the gem was polished, so to speak. Cracked might be a better word there.

It wasn't just some unfortunate accident. It was... very bad. Catastrophically bad. It's not something one should look back on with a feeling other than horror or shame, and yet....

[friendyousohard]

There's a bunch of platitudes I could trot out now, about how bad things happen in everyone's life and accepting them is part of learning to appreciate the good, but frankly none of them would help you, partly because you seem to have already learned what they're trying to say.

The simple fact of the matter is that you just have a very good ability to count your blessings, and that's pretty much the opposite of a flaw.

[defyingfrigidity]

... Is it really that simple, though? Just.... focusing on the good instead of the bad, even if what happened hurt other people?

text.

[shatterings]

I don't think it's odd at all.

[ Naminé knows very well this feeling--Castle Oblivion had been mostly bad, but in the end, it had all worked out, hadn't it? She'd made the closest thing she'd ever had to a friend, she'd escaped, she'd set things right... and now she's here.

Thinking about it like that, it's pretty incredible, in spite of all the bad. ]

[defyingfrigidity]

It's just... I should feel guilty, and I do, but at the same time...

It shouldn't be good, feeling thankful for an even that caused many people distress.

[TEXT]

[adai]

[It's taken him over six months, but Rossiu's finally learned how to properly text, so here we go.]

I'm sure you've gotten a good number of responses reassuring you that your reaction is perfectly normal. There can't be good times without the bad and things like that. I do agree with all of that.

But I'm also curious what happened. "Bad things that happened" could refer to almost anything. There are people here from worlds where "bad things" could refer to war and countless deaths while others are from worlds where "bad things" could simply refer to falling ill or breaking a bone.

You don't need to tell me about your situation if you don't want to, but I do think you should try looking at it from an outsider's perspective. Is what happened really as bad as you think it is?

[You're not helping at all, Rossiu.]

[defyingfrigidity]

I put my entire kingdom in danger, all because I selfishly ran away from my problems.

[Yeah, Elsa isn't being too kind to herself right now.]

[text]

[awesmazings]

Naah, I don't think so. The bad times help you appreciate the good times, yeah? And everybody has bad times every once and a while. I think the important thing is to remember that the bad times aren't gonna last forever. You'll be able to look back on them later and see how the bad times ended up becoming good, like you're doing now!

[defyingfrigidity]

But do other people have "bad times" that wind up hurting other people?

[text]

[no_ufo_ending]

I don't think that's odd at all.

[defyingfrigidity]

They weren't just terrible things for me, though. They were bad for other people, as well.

[envy_the_sinners]

Terrible things can yield positive results. I have yet to decide for myself if it is wrong to take joy in them, or if I even do at all. Such things cannot be simply put on a scale and measured.

[defyingfrigidity]

[... Somehow, it's comforting to know that someone else isn't really sure about all of this either.]

I understand that. I think the main reason why I'm confused over all this is that I hurt people during this whole mess. That... that changes things, doesn't it?

[anexcitableboy]

I think that's just life. Nothing's really all good or all bad, it's just a mix of both. You gotta take both. My ma always said every disaster was just an opportunity in bad wrapping paper. It's probably better to focus on the good things, instead of ignoring them all and getting hung up on the bad.

[defyingfrigidity]

That's... a very good way of putting it. Your mother certainly had an interesting way of looking at things.

I've been trying to get better at not getting "hung up" about bad things, and for the most part, I think I am, but...

Some things are just. Very bad. And it doesn't feel right looking at a silver lining in a bad event where many people could have gotten hurt, or worse.

[stonebones]

[He'd discovered the text-to-speech (and vice versa) function through his experimentation, but hadn't quite had the chance to test it out yet...

Oh. What's this...?]

I don't think it's that odd. There are a lot of things like that in life you know?

[defyingfrigidity]

I know, yes. But... it seems a bit cruel, to take joy in something that others might have found to be horrible.

[islandshore]

I don't think it's that bad. I know I'd rather focus on the good, even if it's tough sometimes.

Without knowing all the details, I can't say for sure, but I doubt anyone's gonna judge you for it. If they think you're weird, that's their problem.

[defyingfrigidity]

Focusing on the good is preferable, yes, but looking past the bad, when it really was a horrible chain of events... I just don't know if that's preferable.

[Text]

[grapeeater]

I don't think so. As long as things turned out all right in the end, it's not so bad, is it?

[Text]

[defyingfrigidity]

I suppose not, but...

I'm sure there were people who were hurt during the whole fiasco. It's not really fair to them that I think back fondly on it, is it?

[nullorvoid]

I think the more important question here is whether you think it was worth it or not.

I get that that probably sounds cold or like an asshole thing to say, and who knows, maybe I'm jerk of the week for saying it, it wouldn't be the first time that I have been. But if you're looking back on it and calling it good, you think whatever good things happened were worth the bad, yeah?

[defyingfrigidity]

Well... yes. I repaired my relationship with the only family I have left, and I was able to start accepting myself and seeing my powers as just... a part of me instead of a curse.

What happened did a lot of good. But fixing my personal problems doesn't mean I should just ignore that some people very likely suffered during the events that transpired this time last year.]

[silentscales]

It is good you can see the good that comes out of the bad. Not many people can do that; I can't, says Gaskell.

[defyingfrigidity]

You... can't? Why not?

[Ohhh she hopes she's not prodding too much here...]

[soundmind]

My best friend nearly died and still has a massive scar on his chest because of my mistakes.

I don't like to talk about it, I don't even like to look at it.

But it happened, and that ended up being necessary to teach us how to work together more effectively...and to be better friends.

I don't see bad things happening as the worst thing that can ever be, those things just end up being part of you and changing you little by little. I don't know what happened to you, Miss, and I won't tell you how to process it just because I think of it this way, but you came out of it a stronger person I'm guessing, and closer to your loved ones.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Gee, that... sure sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it...]

Sometimes I wonder, though. If I really did grow from it.

Things changed, yes, and many of them for the better, but... that I still have to question matter such as this makes me feel like I didn't grow much at all.

text;

[ladywithnovoice]

No, that's normal. I mean, it's easy to let bad events bleed into good events even if they're only vaguely related. But sometimes... You just have to find the good and focus on that.

It's how a lot of people keep going.