defyingfrigidity | [ryslig IC Inbox]

I couldn't agree more! I definitely don't believe that needless suffering could have any reason.

You're right! even if it turns out they're just friends :)

[Maya is sure to get this gift to Elsa in time; carefully wrapped cosmetics made of pearl powders and other natural ingredients, in the formulations discussed with Anna before her disappearance. She includes a lot of pearl powder unmixed, as well, designated for Elsa's personal use, and with a note that the powder is indeed safe to eat if she wants to use it culinarily. There are treats as well, daifuku made properly with anko and enough to share with Cass.]

Happy Nattensfest!

Before now, Anna and I discussed using pearl powder in cosmetics. I figure there would be none better than her big sister to receive the fruits of her work.

I hope you and Cass both have a restful holiday.

With love,

Maya

hey Elsa!!! I hope you're doing well

hey would you be able to do like, flower orders for valentine's day?

human florists can't really get me what I'm looking for

hello Maya!
I've been doing well.
I hope you have been too.

... Oh, wow. It really is almost that time again, isn't it?
I completely lost track of the date.

I can certainly do something for you without a problem! What exactly are you looking for?

remember those red hibiscus I asked for a ways back? those are Dandy's favorite!

I was hoping to get some again. i'm still no good with flowers, but having the real thing would get his spirits up for sure!

Oh, I can certainly do that!
Is there any sort of arrangement you have in mind?
I can do just the flowers, or wrap them up in a bouquet. Or I could do a crown or chain or something similar.

Anything you need, I'll do my best to fulfill.

a bouquet for sure! I want him to see them when he comes in to Nai'a!

[she's already decorating the bar with paper flowers and streamers and all that too, so why not go the extra mile?]

it'll be so awesome. you're the best for helping me out with this!

[At some point or other after Peter goes back home to Hill House there's a quiet knock at the doorframe of whatever room Elsa's in at the time.

This, in itself, is an oddity as Madrigals have a tendency to just walk into a room. Blame the sapient house they all grew up in--if someone wanted to be left alone Casita would make sure others knew it. The person doing the knocking turns out to be Bruno, however, so maybe it's not that strange, as he's forever rapping his knuckles on one wooden surface or another.

Once the narration stops rambling he smiles his usual self-effacing smile.]

Señora Elsa, do you have a moment?

[The Madrigals will never have to worry, because Elsa's long since gotten used to the "only remembers to knock AFTER opening the door" habits her darling sister developed after their reunion. It's endearing, if a little exasperating, how quickly Anna shifted from being nervous about knocking on her door to just flat out not doing it. And it's not like she has anything to hide; she changes in her bathroom, and it's usually only until after everyone settles down to sleep that she'll... ah. Enjoy her time with her wife.

Really, it's just the sudden noise of someone stomping through the doorway that gets to her, and since Bruno is, ironically, quiet as a mouse, it doesn't bother her.]

Oh, of course!

[She's just finishing up in the kitchen, washing her hands to scrub away the dirt from working out in the garden for most of the afternoon. Nymph or not, she still has plenty of plant friends to take care of, and she can't start slacking now.

After wiping her hands dry, careful of the scales growing over her webbed fingers in reaction to the water, she fully turns to face Bruno.]

What's on your mind?

[Cassandra didn't want to believe she'd ever forget - she's got a sharp memory for these sorts of things - but this last month was a total blur, and she'd only just started picking up the pieces. Thankfully, there was still enough time to recall that most important day; one of the most important days of her life.

A whole year since she married the love of her life... Where does the time fly?

A year later; some have come and gone, but both of them remained, where they've always been. In some way, Cass found comfort in the monotony of that. Even their extended nap did little to change that.

And, really, what's a little more rest? Snuggled in bed together, wrapped in furs and flannels as they celebrate their anniversary, occasionally broken up by going over the things Cassandra learned a few days back.]

Sorry there isn't more to our first wedding anniversary.

[Ah, to celebrate something after a month of sleep with activities that make her want to just go right back to sleep. It almost seems a little backwards, but... Elsa's just fine with it. She'd say she's feeling better than fine, but - she's been reading the comments to Cassandra's post over her shoulder, and the information coming in is. Well. Worrying, to say the least. She doesn't have much love for the Fourth, even though she's more vocally bitter at the Fog, so this...

Hm.

She's glad for these soft, quiet moments. She needs to cling to them, because there's a good chance they won't have time for these good, quiet moments for a while.]

You don't have to apologize. [She laughs softly, reaching up to gently flick Cass's forehead.] It's not like either of us planned to fall asleep for a whole month. That would shake up anyone's plans.

[She smiles broadly, arms comes to wrap around Elsa's midsection, just to keep her close.]

No, but... it would've been nice to plan something. It's important, right?

[It's the principal of the thing! They deserved to have some nice things in this godsforsaken world. Especially since these nice things may become fewer and far-inbetween now that the latest news has broke.]

Then again, I guess we wouldn't have had the chance, if we ended up in Felfri with everyone else.

Honestly? Something like this is all I need.

[It might be a bit silly for her to say such a thing, considering she was once a queen. Even taking her thirteen years of isolation into account, she's well accustomed to extravagant parties and celebrations; not just for birthdays or other memorable dates, but to celebrate political alliances and other such things.

But in the years since coming to Ryslig, and the years since dreaming of her true future... she's accepted that those sorts of parties just aren't for her. She'd rather enjoy something soft and personal, rather than anything big and extravagant.

... Ah. But the mention of Felfri casts a shadow over Elsa's green face, and she lets out a soft sigh.]

And with everything that happened over there... it would feel a little wrong. To have some kind of big celebration in the aftermath of all of that.

Yeah... I know.

[Almost immeidately, she regrets bringing up Felfri. The gloom it hangs over both their heads easily kills whatever mood Cassandra is in. Of course, it should. There's no decent way to take the sort of news you get after waking up after a full month.

She reaches out, the back of her furry hand running up Elsa's cheek to brush leafy hair from her face.]

Sorry. I've been thinking about it, a lot. And... about other things.

It's okay. It's... hard not to think about it, all things considered.

[Felfri's always been sort of a... hard subject for Elsa. She was there the first time they'd all been dragged there; back when it seemed relatively normal. A place where she could feel human again, away from the stifling fog and the hunger that still eats away at her after five years. She remembers the horror of the Fog's priest slaughtering a hundred innocent humans to end their time there, and how her anger and grief over that blinded her to the little things that had been wrong, even back then.

And things kept getting worse and worse. The stories they heard coming out of Felfri now... it makes her feel guilty, for ever once enjoying that place.]

... Other things?

[The guilt has already settled in for Cassandra. How was she to take Felfri - that technological marvel - now? That place they once had fun in? Where she went on a date with Elsa, and pulled Javert out of the gutter. The trappings of something dark had always been there, but now...

...And, oh. Here it comes. Cass settles herself in. Her gaze slipping towards the ceiling.]

All of this... strife. It doesn't change. It just moves back and forth - or, there's some stupid third thing. It's like there's no end.

... Yeah, you're right.

[Elsa's lucky. Even with her... unique circumstances, she grew up in a kingdom that was free from any serious kind of strife. They had knights and soldiers, but prior to the spirits reawakening, they never had to deal with anything worse than bands of thieves harassing travelers and ice harvesters. So it was... eye-opening, to say the least, when she first started adapting to Ryslig.]

... Is it even worth it, to try to find a way to make it all stop? After so many years, it's just the same fighting and horrors over and over again... it doesn't matter which side has an advantage or not. Innocent people just keep getting hurt.

Isn't it worth it to keep trying because innocent people keep getting hurt?

[Cassandra didn't have the life Elsa had. The protection... if not from herself, then from others. Her dream for the longest time had been to join the royal guard, and she was wholly aware of the risks of that position.]

I... can't sit by, as much as I want to. If we have to live in this world, I want to make it safer.

[She finds Elsa's hand. Fingers, rough and clawed, sliding in between smooth nymph digits.]

Especially for you.

[Elsa pales a little at Cass's words. Oh - god, that really did come out in the worst way, didn't it?]

Oh, I- of course I want to do what I can to help the innocent people here!

[That hand grips Cass's hard. God... how cold did her words seem just now?]

But at this point it feels like the only way to make sure this world is safe for everyone is to make all the nonsense involving the gods stop. And there's more than just the Fog and the Fourth, all the other entities that show their faces from time to time... [Elsa shudders. She still remembers being used as a sacrifice for that ancient tree god.] It's... it's a tall order.

[They weren't cold. They were... tired. How could Cass feel what Elsa felt, having been here so much longer?]

It is. It- I know it's probably near-impossible. You and I, we've been here this long, and we've seen so much...

[Terrible things, that have happened to them both. All for the sake of trying to survive. She wants to believe an answer lies out there. Something that could lay all of this to rest. But that doesn't mean she wants Elsa to feel awful for her own reasons.]

...It just makes me restless, Elsa.

Edited 2022-12-05 00:41 (UTC)

Ho ho ho! Your Secret Santa giftee is CHIE SATONAKA, imaginatively called "DeadlyDragon" on the network. You two can bond over your naming scheme!

Buy or make Chie a gift by December 26, or Santa will come down your chimney and box your ears.

If you need more information, contact me C/O Hawkeye Pierce at Crowe Clinic, and I'll delegate him to tell you to do your own research.

[ In the early afternoon, a harpy with faintly glowing demonic eyes enters Hyacinth House Cafe, his hands hidden in the pockets of his coat. Despite the coat (which somehow manages to work around his huge wings) and despite it being December in not!Sweden, he is not wearing a shirt. Just a large gaudy amulet, whose dangling prongs strongly resemble his golden talons. He looks over the cafe in idle curiosity for a moment, then moves to examine the displayed pastries for a bit.

The Ring-Spirit does genuinely want to see what they have for sale; it's a bakery, he might as well get something for Ryou if he's going to be here anyway. He'll ask someone about this "Elsa" who owns the place if he's approached or whenever he finally notices a fellow monster inside. ]

Edited 2022-12-12 10:25 (UTC)

[There are some advantages to having been in Ryslig for years, now. In terms of the appearances of her fellow monsters, nothing really makes her double-take; as long as they aren't making a mess with shedding fur or molting feathers or skins or flashing the other customers, Elsa doesn't mind at all! She has no right to judge what people feel most comfortable in.

He only has to mill about for a few minutes before Elsa pops out of the kitchen. There's a tired look in her eyes - darn the seasonal lethargy that saps her plant body of all its energy - but her smile is warm as she wipes bits of flour off her hands. ]

Sorry, I hope you weren't waiting for long! Is there anything that catches your eye?

[With her hands clean, she reaches up to fix the loose ponytail she's tied her leafy white hair back into, brushing some stray vines away from what seem to be glowing blue freckles dotting across her cheeks and nose. Tucking her hair behind her ears also reveals that one of them seems like a large chunk is missing - the entire top half, to be precise.]

["Package for miss Elsa?"

Not everyday that something is delivered to Hyacinth House. But when the postman in line approaches the counter, he's not here for a hot chocolate... even though he does order one after the delivery, he's digging into his parcel bag.

For a gift; wrapped in green and red paper, topped with a bow. A tag hangs from it, reading simply: "To Elsa, from Cassandra".

"Happy Nattensfest." He gives a tip of his hat and makes his exit, leaving the cafe owner to open the gift herself, if she so chooses.

Packed away inside is... a cassette player, one of the new ones Elsa may have spotted in recent holiday ads. It comes with a set of headphones, and a fresh cassette of music has been added! There's even a note, written in a slow, careful hand;

I was told this was a pretty good gift when it comes to helping someone through their day. Hope it does.

Happy birthday.

Love, Cassandra.]

[ A while after a fairly bland conversation with a harpy who eventually left again with a box of pastres - and yes he did pay for them - Elsa receives a small package! Like, very small. Inside will find a necklace - a golden chain shaped like interlinking ivy vines. There's a note that simply reads: happy nattenfest! -santa

Um? Wasn't there a price limit on that secret santa?? Surely an intricate gold necklace exceeded it by a lot? No no, it was free, totally within budget. Don't worry about it~! ...That said, the previous owner is totally still alive, and if Elsa wears this thing in public she does bear a small risk of eventually having some human be like "hey that's mine 8U"...

(The Ring-Spirit blanked on what to get and found something shiny but plant-inspired that he'd previously dedicated to his family's mortuary shrine - he's sure they won't mind, they were all thieves too, this is just family tradition,) ]

[ryslig IC Inbox]

<summerbloom>

pretend this was christmas and i am not late,

<psydekick> | Feb 9

<queenoficeolation>

<psydekick>

<queenoficeolation>

<psydekick>

action

no subject

[action > backdated to the 7th]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

<KrisKringle>

> action; forward-dating to Dec-13

no subject

<action> December 21st

backdated to between their chat and christmas eVE THIS ISN'T LATE,,,

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)