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[Cassandra doesn't gesture for Elsa to sit. She can, of course, because Cass does. Memories of a similar situation, in her bedroom, looking at the painted murals, flashed through her mind... She's come a small ways from that.]

When we were both kids... in that crazy forest. I don't know if you remember but I remember... bothering you.

[Okay... okay, if Cassandra's going to sit, so will Elsa, that worried frown still on her face. And when Cassandra speaks.... ah, there's a spark of realization in her eyes, but she's quick to shake her head.]

I remember, but you don't need to worry about that! You... you were helping me. Even if I didn't appreciate it at first... [Ahaha, oh god, how does she even explain what happened. Has she ever talked about her past to anyone here...?] You... saved me, from those creatures that were attacking me. That's the direct opposite of bothering me, wouldn't you agree?

[If Elsa's sitting, then it's a full conversation now. The blackberry pastries will have to go untouched... for now.]

Yeah, you didn't seem to like it when I came busting out of the bushes, screaming my head off and waving a flashlight. [Heh. There's some mirth in her tone, thinking about her own past.] But hey, I used to be a pretty wild kid. I can understand that.

...But then I was trying to lead you somewhere, and... I'm not sure if I hurt you or not - and, if I did, you can just tell me.

I can only imagine...

[The corners of Elsa's mouth twitch upwards into a smile; looking back on all of that now, without the haze of fear and confusion that had addled her younger self so much... Cassandra reminded her of Anna at that age - but worse. The sort of child that has broken at least one limb by that age, who couldn't sit still for more than a minute, who terrorized the castle staff all while laughing like it's the best fun they've ever had.

It's... kind of endearing? At the very least, Elsa has a sort of fondness for that behavior, simply because when Anna acted like that, she knew her sister was having fun. So it's a good thing to her, even if it isn't technically good behavior for a child.]

Unless something happened that neither of us remember, you didn't hurt me at all. In fact... once you saw how scared I was, you calmed down. A little. [A soft laugh.] You made me feel... um. A little safer.

[Oh... oh she can definitely feel her ears heating up at her own words...]

[True, Cassandra had roughed herself up pretty good around that age, either through general mayhem, or picking a fight with others before she learned just when and where to do that. Looking back on it, Cassandra was... well, being ashamed of it was wrong, she was a kid! But she learned eventually, at one of Corona's many beaches, that sort of thing had to be toned down.

But Elsa had been... close to how Cass saw her now. So composed as a child... if as panicked and lost as they all were. When Cassandra offered to protect her, she didn't even know she was a princess.]

Oh-Oh. [Elsa may have the pleasure of a different complexion to hide any blushing, but Cass's complexion was just as pale under her fur as it was back home. And right now her face was heating up just a bit.

She made Elsa feel safe? Well... Yeah, of course.]

Of course, that's what I'm here for, remember? [She scoffed gently, but resumed her slightly down look.] But I remember everything that happened. So, I remember trying to... grab your hand, and you pulled back like you were on fire.

[Ah... so that's what this is about, then. Elsa's not terribly surprised, since some of the things she said as a child were rather suspicious, and she's glad that the one to bring it up is someone she trusts, at least. But... it still makes her nervous, the idea of talking about the bad side to her magic. She hasn't really done that much with anyone other than Anna.]

I... suppose I do owe you an explanation for that. I'm sorry for how I acted, but...

[Deep breaths. It's... it's okay, Elsa. Cassandra is a friend. She won't think you're more of a monster than you already are... right?]

You mentioned once that you've dealt with magic before, back in Corona. Did you... see many different kinds of magic?

Yeah, if you're up for that.

[Some things are suspicious even to a child, and Cassandra was always a perceptive sort. Even right now, she's picked up on the slight change in Elsa's demeanor, the way she seemed almost... anxious about this.

Did she really want to get to the bottom of it? Was figuring this out that worth it?]

You don't have to apologize, I was just wondering.

[She almost wants to reach out and comfort her, but... that wouldn't be right in the moment, would it? But Elsa was her friend...]

Magic? [oh...] I think I can say there were a few; my friend, Rapunzel, she has seventy feet of magic hair, for starters. Then there were magic rocks, ancient magical machines...

[She trails off, gauging Elsa's reaction to that. Corona had become a far more a magical place than she'd ever believed before.]

[There's a hint of... something, in Elsa's eyes at that. Jealousy? No, not quite... but it's a kind of wistful look; sure, she's heard the stories from Corona. Tales about a magic flower that could cure any illness, that was used to heal Queen Arianna when she'd been on the verge of death when giving birth to Rapunzel. But it had always been just that to her - a story. To know that there was some level of truth to it, that there was always some kind of magic in the lands of her allies...

It sort of makes her wonder. Would she really have the problems she had growing up if she'd been born somewhere other than Arendelle?]

I see. So someone possessing magical abilities of their own isn't strange to you?

[Good... good. Elsa's not sure what she'd do if Cassandra looked to her with suspicion or wariness.]

What if I told you... I had magical abilities? From... from home. Not like the ones I have here.

[Unfortunately, tales of magic hadn't reached Corona's shores from other kingdoms in some time. Sure, the one odd rumor about trolls living under bridges or being made of stone were fine, but actual magic was.... well, some people in Corona even disbelieved in the Sunflower.

But not Cassandra. After all, how could the princess look so pretty otherwise? The events over the last year with Raps had been even more of an eye-opener.]

Oh, it's strange... but I'm used to it by now.

[There's no suspicion, no sort of worry. After all, Elsa had been nothing but kind to her. What did she have to fear? Even when Elsa laid the truth out on the table between them, all it received was a pair of raised brows. She blinked, eyes.... curious.]

Wait, you had magic too? Back in Arendelle?

[Part of Elsa is jealous, honestly. Being able to roll with the punches life throws at you like that, to be able to get up when you stumble... Elsa's always wanted to be like that. Sure, it says a lot that she's still here and (relatively?) sane, but Cassandra seems to have just... been able to stand more firmly than her. She took it in stride.

Shaking her head to stop her thoughts from derailing, she notices the curious look in the other woman's eyes, and her gaze immediately drops down to her hands, pressing them together before curling her fingers. A little gesture to comfort herself, that she picked up long ago.]

I did, yes. For as long as I can remember... since I was born, my parents told me, I could create and control ice and snow, without limit.

[You start to roll with things, once a harmless night outside the kingdom turns into a national secret, with indestructible black rocks, demonic disciples, and murderous teenagers start to come into your life because of the princess you were chosen to help. Cassandra is..... fine. She's fine. It hasn't broken her, yet.]

For as long as you can remember, huh? [That's... just curious enough....

Okay, well, it peaks Cassandra's interest enough that she's leaned forward in her seat, tone turning conspiratory... despite the fact that the cafe was empty, save for them.]

This might sound crazy, but... did your hair ever glow when you sing?

[... Okay yeah, Elsa looks. More than a bit confused. Her hair...?]

N.. No? I don't pay much attention to myself when I sing, but I never noticed any... um. Glowing.

Well, there goes me trying to put together a connection. [She sat back again, looking curious at something in front of here, or nothing at all.]

Rapunzel's hair used to glow when she sang a special incantation. It doesn't do that anymore, but now it just glows for a lot of other reasons.

[...] Ice magic, though! That's pretty interesting.

[... Huh. That's... fascinating, really. In all the stories Elsa used to read as a child, nothing ever mentioned magic glowing hair. Maybe one day she'll ask Cassandra more about this.]

Interesting... yeah. [She... doesn't look to proud of that.] For as long as I can remember, I had those abilities. My parents told me when I cried as a baby, my tears froze. That's how they found out.

[It seemed so... tame. So simple, compared to what she could do now.]

It... I suppose you could say it was channeled through my hands? That's why they're... um. A bit sensitive.

[That's pretty much the most delicate way she can put it without telling Cassandra about the... well. Bad things that happened.]

[It's a long and beautiful story about one girl who longed for freedom. Although... she might not be able to tell it all at once.]

For as long as you can remember, huh? Sounds pretty similar to Raps; she was born with magical powers. Of course, it was all in her hair, not her ha-

[Hands. Magic hands.

The hands Cass has touched, several times. There was a joke to be made here, somewhere, but that was lost under the realization currently slapping her in the mouth.]

Oooh. I, uh... that explains... [cough] I had no idea.

[Elsa lets out a somewhat nervous laugh.]

It's fine. I can't expect anyone to know - I don't talk about my magic a lot. [... Has she talked about it with most of her friends, even? Hm...] And it wasn't something anyone outside of the castle knew about until very recently in Arendelle.

[Her hands are fidgeting together nervously, twisting over and over in a very easy tell.]

When I was younger, it was... a bit difficult to fully control it the way I can now. [Most of the time.] That's why I was a little, ah... jumpy.

[It's not the full story, but hopefully it'll do for now. Just until she's comfortable enough to tell Cassandra the full story.]

It feels like you don't mention it at all. [A simple observation she thought aloud. It wasn't meant to sound so stark, but... that was Cassandra. She cleared her throat.] That sounds like a difficult secret to keep, especially from an entire kingdom.

[the secret of Rapunzel's hair had barely lasted a day, though the fact that she snuck Rapunzel out for the night had lasted a bit longer.]

I... understand. [As much as she can. Her eyes glance down to Elsa's hands, obviously a sign of anxiety. Even speaking about this must've been strange, a far stretch from just how comfortably Rapunzel handled her hair.]

Okay, I don't blame you for being jumpy. So, uh... I'll be sure to keep it in mind before I do anything you might not like, okay?

[The days since Rapunzel's return to Ryslig have been busy... to say the least. Cassandra's mind had switched to focusing mainly on making sure her princess was safe, at least settling into Solsikke had been easy enough. Now, there was just the matter of dealing with everything else as it came... feelings included.

Feelings like... things she'd forgotten. Duties that had gotten sidetracked. Messages she had to send. Today, she had time for that, finally.]

Hey. I was wondering if you had time today for some sword training.
You know, if you're up for that.

[Ever since Rapunzel showed up, her daily interactions with Elsa had been... Not bad, exactly. But "awkward" had been a good descriptor. She wondered why.]

[Awkward... that was certainly a word for it. For as much as Elsa wanted to make sure that their interactions were the same as they always were, there was a sort of... tension to her words and actions that she hadn't felt in some time. The careful reminders to keep her distance, to watch her words and think carefully before she spoke were familiar paces she put herself through, with an added weight in her chest.

It was familiar, but... she hated feeling like this. She didn't want to feel like this. But she had to; with Rapunzel here, Elsa needed to step back, to let things between her and Cassandra play out how they wanted. All while she acted as if nothing was wrong and her chest wasn't feeling like it was going to collapse in on itself.]

I have some spare time today.
Whenever you'd like, I'll meet you out in the yard.

[Acting as if nothing wrong meant going about her day as she would normally, so... she can't really say no to the offer, can she?]

Edited 2019-11-10 04:02 (UTC)

Same time as usual works for me.

[The afternoons made for a perfect time to train, although now, with the weather changing from longer, hotter days to cooler ones, that may need to change. But the air was still crisp, and the sun was out. Cassandra was perfectly content in her casual clothes (and bear fur) as she set things up for Elsa. And herself, of course.

It's busy work, and that relaxes her, in a way. Keeping her mind off her worries, and the tightness in her chest while she focused on figuring out which sword would be light enough for the lesson today. By the time Elsa arrives in the yard, Cass has it figured out. The sword matter, that is.

The feelings that fluttered inside Cassandra's chest once she saw Elsa were a reminder for her to breath. She had to be careful and calm her nerves, and try to hide the smile she had when the nymph got closer.]

Right. [She breathed out.] Hope you're ready for today.

[With the weather changing, it's getting a bit harder for Elsa to keep to their usual training schedule. Normally she found herself rising easily with the sun, but as the days begin to grow shorter, and the chill of autumn begins creeping in, there's a sort of... tiredness sinking into her limbs. A tiredness that isn't helped at all by the defeated, heavy feeling in her chest. But she's used to that feeling - or feelings similar to it, at least - so she can easily push it down as she heads outside to their little training yard, not quite bundled up, but opting instead for something with longer sleeves than her usual light blouses.

The smile she flashes Cassandra is light as always, giving away no hint to Elsa's inner turmoil beginning to bubble as she approaches the other woman.]

I... can't say that I'm ready for something like that, but we can proceed nonetheless. [She raises an eyebrow.] So we're upgrading to swords now?

[Ordinarily, Cassandra found working in the winter no more difficult than the summertime, but that seemed to be changing after her time in Ryslig. As the amount of daylight grew shorter and shorter, rising out of bed was proving to be... a challenge, for Cass. Mornings were slower, taking longer for her to fully wake up, but it was something she could shrug off, with time.

At least her fur continued to keep out the chill. For what they were about to do, Cassandra didn't need, or want, to dress too heavily.]

Yup. Today's the day. [She holds out the sword that was in her hands. She had chosen a sabre of course, they were lightweight, though this one was without the curved blade some types had, giving it a plain look. But the blade itself still shined in the sunlight.] We've been training for a while, and I think it's time to give it a try.

Edited (words don't feel....... right) 2019-11-15 01:21 (UTC)

[Poor Elsa doesn't have the luxury of nice fur insulation. She'd had it once, as a werewolf over a year ago, and right around now she's starting to miss that heavy fox fur that covered her shoulders and arms. Ohhhh how useful it'd be...]

Oh... and here I thought you'd start me right off with some kind of greatsword. [Elsa laughs. This is... good. Talk about menial things, joking around... anything to shift her focus from the awkward knot in her chest.] Well, it looks light enough... though I can't guarantee I'll be able to swing it around nearly as well as you can swing your swords.

[As far as fur coats went, Cass was starting to prefer this one over the hooded jacket she wore last winter in Corona. The fur on her arms and around her neck was a bit shorter in the middle, but grew out at the ends, leaving her cooler than she looked on warmer days.

Too bad about all the extra shampoo she went through. Now she felt like she couldn't judge Eugene for all of his skin care regimes.]

That's the point. Starting out with a lighter sword is better than a heavier one, swinging a lighter sword means you can build your skill more easily. [Cassandra smiled with a cocked brow. This sort of casual conversation... was good.] If you want, I can bring out one of my greatswords for you to try, buuut I thought this might be safer as a start.

Edited 2019-11-16 03:33 (UTC)

I think I'll pass.

[Elsa shakes her head, laughing a little as she reaches out to take the sword from Cassandra. Really, a greatsword? She could see Anna wielding one, perhaps but herself? Goodness, no!]

I'd like to spare a bit of my dignity. If you gave me one of those, I doubt I could even lift it!

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11/09

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, QUEENOFICEOLATION. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 013.11.221.20 * QUEENOFICEOLATION has joined 013.11.221.20 <QUEENOFICEOLATION> I think I've finally gotten the hang of these devices. <QUEENOFICEOLATION> So! <QUEENOFICEOLATION> There's no harm in setting up one of these, yes? <QUEENOFICEOLATION>** (Thanks to those of you who helped me do so and I'm sorry if I frustrated anyone)