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frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers · 6 months

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Elsa losing her powers & Hans' Redemption + backstory | Theory

Cover created by me

Since Frozen 3 has been announced, it's left us questioning; What more could be told of the sisters' story, especially Elsa's story now that after years of searching she finally found herself as the 5th spirit? But has she really found herself? What would she be without her powers? The very thing that defines her to most. How would the world see her? But most of all how would she see herself if she lost them, even if it was temporarily. Who would this time pull her out of this new found identity crisis and who would she then become and stay as?

[Long post alert]

Elsa's losing her powers

I've seen a few posts going around theorising and wanting Elsa to lose her powers by Ahotohallan being destroyed. And reading them and understanding their perspective, I start to love the idea more and more to be honest because I honestly feel Elsa is mostly loved by the audience for her powers or at least some of the people who know her in - universe see her for her powers but what we really need to see is who she really is without it too. I think that could be quite important to see. How would she continue to look out for her family, her people, her kingdom and her forest?

Frozen 3 has been debatable since its announcement because of Frozen 2's ending, also quite controversial. I personally am always generally excited for more movement in the franchise because I'll always love Frozen no matter what. Frozen will always be in my heart, especially the first movie. But yes I am unfortunately on that "disappointing ending for Frozen 2" boat but I also see that Frozen 3 could potentially fix some of things that have been bugging some of us as well as adding and keeping the things we love. Frozen 2 was originally going to be the last film I think given Jen Lee's words in one of the interviews back then but looks like they changed their minds and might possibly be listening to us and this new director of Frozen 3 could do just that. Jennifer has recently said that there's a strategy to 'more Frozen' and that is that if there's more to tell for the story, then more Frozen will happen. So they can't keep the sisters separated for too long and will expand on the characters growth which is a good thing because it gives them the opportunity to fix the things we don't like and add things we do want to see.

Some people don't quite understand Elsa's fifth spirit role, why she had become something so unclear to understand, and made a decision to live in the forest instead. I from a perspective can understand it. Though the podcast is non canon, it's still something Elsa would do and act in on a situation given as so. The spirits are quite mythical and powerful but can easily be in evil or someone who doesn't understand magic's eye's catch and make them rage, as we do see in the podcast with Disa. But at the same time as looking after the forest, she is also concerned about her own kingdom. My explanation includes spoilers from the Frozen Podcast so skip to the 'Reasons for powerless Elsa' part. Queen Disa lives in Arendelle after a flood encounters her kingdom. Anna with open arms accepts Disa and all her people to her kingdom while Elsa had her doubts on Disa over time with her uncertainty yet knowledge for magic but respects Anna's decision of course. But actually it's just Elsa who misses being Queen having her schedule, knowing what decisions to make, but she's not at all saying Anna's a bad Queen, she just missed the role. Weird shaped machines are found in the forest that cause the spirits to act up and Elsa deals with them with Anna's help. Disa eventually admits she put the machines there because she wanted to help Arendelle. When Anna tells Disa of her confession, Elsa still feels no good about Disa despite her good intentions. The point is that Elsa is mainly in the forest to keep it out of harm's way such as we see. Also because of the fifth spirit being the bridge between Arendelle and Northuldra. If you look at the scene where the sisters reunite you could say that Elsa actually means that the bridge, the fifth spirit is both her and Anna. While Anna looks after Arendelle, Elsa looks after the forest. But I do also wish to see Elsa return back to Arendelle permanently at some point. I'll expand more on Elsa's fifth spirit role in another post but what this has to do with powerless Elsa is you first have to understand what she is with those powers now to understand how she'll be once they go.

Reason for powerless Elsa

Elsa has recently got a lot of hate - well actually I really wouldn't say hate but rather less love than she used to get because looking at the franchise as a whole Elsa takes up some of the spotlight and her growth through her powers is evident throughout. Why not really show her development in the character she really is, by making her understand not what they're worth but what she's worth with and without them. She's first seen looking at her powers as a curse and feeling fear of accepting her powers completely and seeing it as a gift that it actually was in reward to Iduna's act of saving Agnarr, her people's enemy. She's always been the most popular between the sisters too within fans and stood out more in merchandise too partly because of these powers. You'd even see kids dress more as Elsa than Anna. And that in her iconic icy blue gown. But while Elsa lost some love, Anna has gotten more love. Throughout the franchise, we see Anna's growth through optimism through all her ups and downs, especially her deepest darkest moment in Frozen 2, given she thought she lost everyone and everything at that point. It's not easy being head steady and strong in such a situation but she really showed us that we can do it.

And no I'm not saying Anna had more character growth than Elsa or vice versa in any way - please don't get me wrong here. I love the sisters both equally - it's true! I'm saying we need to see the natural side of Elsa. We need to get to know her for who she is without them too. Just like how Anna was more than just the spare (as it goes in a deleted song for Frozen) and a few years later she became Queen because she did truly earn the role through everything she endured in that sequel, the same way I want to see Elsa being more than just her powers. And while you're at it let's give her another big solo, with most or all of it being without her powers showing her athletic abilities and strong determination that is already there and is enough to survive whatever situation goes on. That moment in the dark sea when Elsa faces the very sea that killed her parents was one of my if not number one favourite moments in Frozen 2. We got to see Elsa run and jump and dive and literally fight and tame at the same time, a water horse. Elsa had been wondering her whole life about her powers origin and now that she's so close to not only seeking the truth about that but about the past that could somehow destroy the future of Arendelle too. That determination to set things right, to find out who she is is what I want to see but extract the literal magical side of it.

And as far as the theory of Anna getting powers goes, I personally don't approve of it because I think it sends the wrong message if Anna becomes like Elsa. That would make people prefer one or another even more and create the typical 'whose more powerful' argument etc. Anna already has powers. It's love. Yes love. It may not be a literal thing she can shoot out her Hans like Elsa but like hers, it's in a way a true force of nature. It's the strongest power there and Anna shares that power with everyone. So instead of giving a character powers they should strip Elsa of her powers temporarily to get those who see her for just her powers, to see her as so much more than that.

The effect of losing her powers

Elsa losing her powers would make Elsa be in an identity crisis, thinking she's nothing without them. In Frozen, her identity crisis was about how she was with her powers, feeling too dangerous for this world. But she's grown since then and has come to terms with them so now instead of feeling relieved as she would've in the first movie, she feels anxiety of not being enough to protect this world. Everyone has mostly relied on her because of her magic, so she would fear everyone loving her less or thinking herself as useless without them or something along those lines. (In Frozen 2 we literally see her taking requests from a few of the citizens to make ice sculptures). Elsa then finds herself back to square one; Hiding from everyone, wanting to be alone or hating herself. And I'm not saying everyone, in Arendelle and around, love for her for her magic only but Elsa, losing her powers, would think that but now that she's embraced her powers, with Arendelle and Northuldra now looking onto her as their saviour, protector, warrior etc, it's natural for her to think so. I mean think about it - girl has been with these powers since she was born, they're literally a part of her. She hated them for most of her life ever since she first hit Anna with them, then she sees let's go of holding it back to finally seeing the beauty in them and then starts questioning it's purpose and if she was meant for more as she feels them growing so she starts to search for answers in a place where she meets other creatures similar to her feeling like she's not alone with being the only known magical being as a call comes from the North which leads her to finally finding the birthplace of her powers and finally embracing them but then.. they just go. Just like that. That would totally cause major trauma and grief and stress. She's relied on them for so long. She finally embraced them. Finally found out she was with them. They even saved her life multiple times. They were the very first gift. She thinks she's everything she is because of her powers; in Frozen, she thinks she can only harm with them, feeling like a monster and here she thinks she can only save and protect lives with them, feeling like a saviour/ protector. But through a journey she could have with Anna or even solo one similar to the journey to the North mountain (or rather to her building her ice castle) in Frozen or the journey to Ahotohallan in Frozen 2, she starts to see that she's more than just her powers. She learns to love herself for her true self, with or without them. That would mean she would learn to be less reliant on her powers and more of her natural elements. It's what's inside the heart that really matters. With everything she's been through so far she thinks she's finally found herself, finally embraced her magic, in Frozen 2, but no she really hasn't. I know she's the Fifth Spirit/ the Snow Queen and that's what her powers are of and that's what she is and you would think that would be her final destination of her journey of growth but no - fact is she is more than just her powers and she needs to see this.

How would she lose them?

Some of you might be wondering well, how would Elsa lose her powers? It would mean something bad happens to Ahotohallan. But no not necessarily because Ahotohallan could be the one testing her. It did give her the gift in the first place so it's much capable of taking it back too. But you also wonder, she finally finds who she is, what her role in life is, so how can she live up to it and fulfil her duties without her powers? Remember that these were a gift to her as a reward for Iduna saving Agnarr when they were younger. Let's not forget the most important part of it all that, Iduna saved Agnarr without any powers. From what we saw of her flashbacks, she had a close relationship with the spirits so they helped her in saving Agnarr. So Elsa should look back to that moment and believe she can still save the forest and her kingdom from any kinds of threats without her powers too. The spirits will obviously keep their bond with Elsa, if they're around depending on how Elsa loses her powers but she could too, like her mother, use the spirits' help but not for things that would take away the whole point of this test. That's one option to stripping Elsa's powers temporarily, a test from Ahotohallan to see her courage and determination to protect her kingdom and forest as well as those she loves, too see if she will still keep what she has learnt of the lessons she has learnt from last experiences. Another option could be a punishment from Ahotohallan. Perhaps Elsa takes her magic too far and gets carried away with it leading Ahotohallan to see Elsa being ungrateful. I mean she was originally in the concept set to be the villain if it wasn't for "Let it go"'s huge success and other reasons too. It would be interesting to see if Elsa takes a dark turn in believing whatever it is she's doing wrong is for the good. But I think the first option is more likely if Elsa were to lose her powers because it really pushes her limits and her character growth and shows everyone that she can be just as naturally strong like her sister and can depend on her one natural abilities and skills too.

The physical change

Speaking of Iduna, losing her powers would mean all those physical features of hers that show her powers would go making her go brunette like her mother, just like Anna has strawberry blonde hair similar to their father's and grandfather's. Her clothes would perish given they're mostly created with her own magic and so she'd have to rely on earth material clothes. Her skin would turn warmer from being as pale as the skin gets when one's cold. Her attire colour pall would de - transform from a bright and pale cool colour bright palette to a darker, desaturated one, still in cool colours to separate it from Anna's wardrobe but also to show that she still loves her cool colours. Anna has the greens and reds and warm pinks but I think Elsa will be similar to how she was locked up in her room with the dark pale blues and blacks representing the trauma and identity crisis within. It'll be a parallel to her trauma when being locked up. While her role-found gown is white, her no power attire should black. Then as she starts to understand the point of all this, starts to learn the lesson from this, her costumes start having more colour and perhaps when she's finally found herself it'll be blue and white showing the two parts of herself she found while struggling on a journey with her powers inn Frozen and Frozen 2.

Hans' role and redemption

Okay I know the very mentioned of Hans will blow some peoples heads off thinking “He's just a one time villain and joke” or “He tried to kill Elsa! Anna won't ever forgive him” or “Elsa mocked him in Frozen 2! She won't forgive him either” etc etc. But I'm not going to waste my time trying to explain why Hans deserves redemption and that he wasn't really evil or the real villain of the story, when the lovely @a13thprincefora13thprincess has taken hours out of her time to write the most beautifully written 13 part analysis on who Hans really is. It's incredible. It's what got me to really push on the call to Redeem Hans.

So while she breaks down Hans' true intention, I'm going to try and explain his return for redemption and his pivotal role in Elsa's identify crisis.

I think Hans would be quite important here and have a good parallel with Elsa's crisis here. How and what's his role in it? Well let me briefly explain Hans true intention first. Anna hates Hans, and everyone does too really for almost killing Elsa and attempting to overthrow Elsa's newly royal status as monarchy of Arendelle. But really if we look at the situation closely, the entire council including the Duke were begging Hans to kill her because she couldn't end it the winter herself and because they fear Elsa's powers could harm others. They wouldn't get off his back. Hans wasn't listening at first because in almost all the scenes Hans has encountered Elsa he's tried to convince her to not be what “they” [Citizens and the council] (not him) fear she is and try and stop this winter. But the more he saw Elsa controlling her powers by making a huge ice castle, a snow beast, a new attire, hurting Anna (seemingly intentional to him as by Anna's words), breaking out of the handcuffs and the prison cell and finally the blizzard having a sudden stop the moment he told Elsa Anna's dead, the more he saw that Elsa lied to him about not being able to control her powers which led to him eventually agreeing to kill Elsa seeing as innocent lives were in danger given the blizzard. Before the final straw, being the handcuff and prison break, he was gentle and kind, he never said anything mean about the sisters nor did anything against them til. Hans was stressed and put under pressure given the citizens of Arendelle freezing to death, the council begging him to execute Elsa, Anna going missing for days in freezing weather, begging Elsa to end this winter and Anna being the case of Elsa going rouge and freezing the kingdom by causing as scene at the coronation party. It was really a misunderstanding and his behalf. As I'm sure you've heard a few times in Disney media, villains aren't evil, just misunderstood. But really the council are the real villains of Frozen, not Hans. But then again seeing that kind of magic and the way her powers came out, one would feel scared and think she's some kind of Sorceress.

Hans' "villainy" reveal scene

When the kingdom was thawed, and Hans was surprised to see Anna alive, he said to her he thought Elsa froze her heart. I just want to go back to the scene where Hans "villainy" is revealed because I want to explain as briefly, as I can, how him being stressed was the cause of his bad decisions from that point after. Hans is surprised to see Anna alive, when she came to him for the kiss, because when his horse, who Anna rode to find Elsa, ran back to him he thought Anna didn't survive the cold and died. But Anna tells him Elsa froze his heart which genuinely surprises him because Anna before had told him Elsa would never hurt her and with such powers that Elsa had making everyone fear her, Hans genuinely believed Anna with that being said. What makes Hans think Elsa did this deliberately, is her lack of explanation, her precise words to Hans, who says she said herself Elsa wouldn't hurt her, being “Nope. I was wrong”. From this point Hans starts feeling confused as to what Elsa's intention is and realises that he has to kill Elsa before she hurts anyone else. As for Anna he starts thinking she deserved it because all of this was all Anna's fault because if she didn't create a scene at the coronation party, Elsa wouldn't have ran and accidentally cause the Kingdom to freeze and wouldn't have had the repetitive suggestions to kill Elsa and Anna too wouldn't have been hurt and Arendelle would've kept their respect for him. So it makes sense for Hans to burst under stress in anger on Anna leading him to go mad. Imagine it like this: You are put in charge of a kingdom. You have to make sure the citizens are warm and safe, but have to reason with the 'gone rouge' Queen and have to find the missing Princess all the while the Kingdom gets colder and people start to freeze to death. Stressful right? Not just for a ruler but anyone put in charge would feel the same kind of pressure in a situation like that.

Swapped roles and intended plot holes

Originally, Hans was supposed to be a good guy while Elsa was the Villain. The good and evil roles were swapped around after Disney heard "Let it Go". That's why Hans' villain reveal felt so sudden and was unexpected. And that's why Hans' is alongside Elsa, Aan, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf I'm some of the movie posters. That confirms that what we saw of Hans before this villain reveal was indeed genuine. They also wanted Hans falling for Elsa too, which is why they have that chemistry, that dynamic, those scenes that get us, Hesla fans, to ship them. That's why the plot holes such as how Hans brought Elsa to the castle and how and why he gave her the blanket in the dungeon etc exist. And speaking of those specific plot holes [events from Elsa's ice palace to the dungeon], we can almost say for certain that it was Hans who carried her to and on his horse and gave her the blanket in the dungeon. The chains could be Hans or either or the guards, believing that the chains would hold back Elsa's powers. What I say it was Hans is because why would the Weselton guards carry her when they hate her and follow the order to kill her, and why would her one Arendellian guards carry her when they fear her. Hans is probably the only one who doesn't fear her. He's really just shown doing his responsibility as the one in charge.

So really we, who want Hans redeemed, are just trying to make sense of Hans' character rather than accept that he's all of a sudden a villain when before he revealed it, it wasn't really shown, hence the twist of the movie.

Feeling the guilt

Back to the Frozen's real villains, the Duke's punishment was cutting off all trades with Weselton and Hans' punishment was being sent back home. When the guards send both of them in the boat (separately), the Duke tried to resist and get out of it making excuses but Hans didn't. He didn't even say nor do anything to resist being sent back home and leave Arendelle. It's like he was already feeling the heavy guilt and regret. So why is going home a cruel enough punishment for Hans whether or not Arendelle knew Hans' backstory? But more so what is Hans' backstory? Let's find out.

Hans' backstory and intention

Hans is a prince from the Southern Isles, a neighbouring kingdom to Arendelle. His family consists of both his parents, and 13 older brothers. Being the youngest and least important in a large family would be difficult for anyone, royal or not. He is the youngest of 13 brothers. In the book 'A Frozen heart', it's revealed that Hans' father and brothers excluding the third oldest, Lars, treated him harshly and disrespectfully both emotionally and physically because he was the youngest son and last in line throne and hence to their eyes, useless. To add to it, all of his brothers including Lars, are married excluding Hans making him more vulnerable to his father's and brothers despise for him. His mother however, loves Hans' nonetheless just like any mother would love her son. His father had a saying to him that goes something like “The strong should pick on the weak”, which was his excuse of treating Hans like so. Hans wanted to prove to his father and brothers that they are wrong about him, and in fact is capable of ruling a kingdom, of respect, of love. He had to face it; he's never going to get the throne of his own and feel loved, whether his brothers have offspring or not and as much as he tried he just felt neglected, so he decided to squeeze into a throne somewhere else. Lars was the youngest child for a while so he knows somewhat how Hans is feeling. With his help, Hans found out that he could fit into the throne of Arendelle hearing upon Elsa's coronation. While his brothers and father could care less about where or what Hans' was doing, I'm assuming he told his mother that he was going to Arendelle for the coronation as a guest on behalf of his kingdom.

So when he got to Arendelle, after Anna ran off to find Elsa after the incident and the coronation party, she left him in charge and that led the the kingdom and the council to rely on him and that is what made Hans feel important and feel like this is his chance to prove himself worthy of love and respect by giving the same to the people. But being put in charge of the kingdom also came with pressure of holding the responsibility such as making sure the princess and Queen are safe, making sure the people are looked after, etc. Having sent back home, after attempting to kill Elsa, instead of receiving respect and love from his family he originally thought he would do so by gaining or rather stealing the throne and proving his worthiness of love and attention, he instead will be recieving more despise and disappointment from them along with other punishments of their own too like we see in Frozen Fever. And as he faces punishment he would regret more and more giving in to the council's manipulation to attempt to murder Elsa and most of all for letting the people of Arendelle, who looked up to him and relied on him for care and warmth (metaphorically and literally), down. In fact no; the worst of punishments is his mother's disappointment in him. He let his own respect down from the eyes of everyone down.

Hans' role in Elsa's identity crisis

So now we can finally answer the question, 'How and what's Hans' role in Elsa's identity crisis?'. Given all that said about Hans' intention, a way for him to seek forgiveness would be doing the exact opposite of what he was going to do, which would be saving Elsa's life. He won't have this idea come to mind when going ot seek forgiveness but a situation may arise in which he does do so and rectifies his past mistake. Now many have theorised and hoped for Elsa's powers to disappear temporally leading Elsa to go on an identity crisis, given she's had her whole life with them, fearing them loving them and for them to go would cause chaos within her as I've explained above. If Hans returns for redemption, he would also be finding himself while trying to seek that forgiveness. Hans will never be king and he may not feel himself worthy to be king anyways after what he's done. He's the spare of all the spares. So what his purpose in life? All he can do to start the road to redemption is ask for forgiveness to Elsa and Anna by helping them somehow perhaps..? So while Hans has his identity crisis (his own redemption arc), Elsa begins hers too. Elsa is now just a regular girl and she would think everyone hates but Hans would tell her that no, she's more than just her powers as he knows what it feels like not being important anymore and feeling like you've let people down, losing everything of which you claimed as your identity. They'd share a moment of heart felt talks and understandings but perhaps before this moment he saves her from doing something that would kill her and he saves her knowing he might die instead because saving Elsa without a risk to himself would make Elsa not buy it as he has saved her once, before he trusted to kill her, which would rectify his crime in attempted murder of Elsa. Why would Hans want to die? Well as I just explained on what I believe Hans backstory to be of, and given the outcome the situation in Frozen, Hans' would have to accept that he will never be loved by anyone. So upon trying to see forgiveness from Elsa (and Anna), he doesn't think they'll accept it and just sarafices himself for Elsa because he now knows Anna can't live without her. He knows that they have a stronger sibling bond than he had with his brothers. But when they're both safe, they sit somewhere and have a conversation in the situation they're in, like mini conversation in the dungeon in Frozen, but more impactful and meaningful. It would make Elsa begin to see that there really is more to Hans than just his mistakes and he starts to grow on her. She has no reason to believe he's still after the throne or any kind of power because she's not Queen anymore and doesn't even have her powers but is instead just a regular girl (and Anna is taken anyways). Their interaction could go something like this: “I'm nothing. I'm not the Queen anymore, I don't been have my powers. I'm just.. a regular girl”/ “A regular girl who is a Princess who gave up her crown to someone who you thought deserved it more because you didn't want to take away the attention of being the 5th spirit and Queen from someone who loved so much, she save your life twice. That's a true nobility of a Queen.”. Those wondering how Hans would know what went down in Frozen 2, well, given that Arendelle has made peace with the Southern Isles (as written in a newsletter in the new Arendelle theme park in Japan), the King and Queen would be talking about it and Hans would know from them. If Elsa was still Queen there would be doubts that he is still after the throne or if Elsa has her powers, some might say he wouldn't love her without them or he's trying to study Elsa's magic etc. We know her own family, Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf would love her with or without powers and I'm sure the people of Arendelle and Northulra do but we need someone who would cause some doubts to people in order for Elsa to find herself. So that's why it's so perfect for Hans to come into the picture when Elsa loses her powers temporarily.

Learning from the situation

After she regains her powers, the lesson she would have learnt is that she is more than just her powers. And Hans would be the king to his Queen and gain his respect and love without actually being the king and having respect through being a monarch. And I think it fits in well with the story, making that part of the reason why Elsa gave up the throne to Anna; So that Hans would love her for who she is, with or without her powers, with or without the crown. Some might say Elsa is better off alone but I think not because one, love can happen to anyone even if they're an independent person, and two, I personally find it necessary for Elsa's partner to be one who loves her with or without the crown and her powers and as I just explained Hans is a perfect example of that. Just because Elsa seems alone doesn't mean she's not interested in men or isn't attracted to anyone. I believe she was just focusing on self discovery through her powers and family through Anna. Now that she's found herself and is assuming that Anna is well and about to enter a new life with marriage to Kristoff, it would be a great time to get Elsa to unintentionally explore romantic love. But anyways I think this theory, of Elsa having a love interest whose no longer after status, would fit in well because Anna deserves the crown for everything she is and has done for others with or without the crown and Elsa would be loved with or without her powers and the crown and by someone too. It would fit in with their individual arcs perfectly! Elsa and Hans need unconditional love from each other. Hans' biological family don't give him enough of that and Elsa needs it from someone other than family.

If Hans returns, which I believe is possible with all the hints lately, and if the writers feel like taking Elsa's powers away for some time, in the movie, then there you have it - my theory comes true.

Plus further reasons why Elsa and Hans are soulmates are these; Elsa is a North girl, while Hans is south. Elsa is born in winter and given Hans' hair colour and some people associate him with fire, but imma take that as an Autumn guy.

But alas until the run up to Frozen 3, updates of it, and/ or until we get further Frozen content with its 10th anniversary coming up in just 17 days, we can only keep hoping and joining the dots for more of a possibility.

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stillness-in-green · 7 months

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On Directionality of Movement in BNHA (and the Neat Reversals)

(Take 2 on this post, which gave me fits trying to post it. Fingers crossed it works this time, and sorry for any vanishing posts, people who reblogged the original.)

This post was initially conceived back in December, when I first saw the home release covers for HeroAca’s Season 6. They look like pretty standard stuff at first glance, but there was something about them that was very, very interesting: the direction the characters were moving.

(Hit the jump for an explanation spiced up with lots and lots of images from first American and then Japanese media.)

So, this is something that’s absolutely ubiquitous in visual media that a reader/viewer is probably never going to consciously register (at least without being told about it, as in, for example, film class or art school) because the emotional cues in play are intrinsically tied to a culture’s written language.[1] To wit, because written English progresses from the left to the right, the subconscious association with rightward movement is forward progress. Thus, in American media, be it stage, screen, or graphic panel when a character is moving from the left to the right, that directionality expresses forward movement, progress, agency, empowerment, righteousness, clear-mindedness, healthy ambition, heroism, and so forth. Progress is towards the unturned page.

[1] The broader term to use to research this further is “linguistic relativity.”

The chase Furiosa initiates in Mad Max Fury Road spends most of the movie heading to the right, before Max convinces Furiosa to return to the Citadel, at which point, naturally enough, the chase reverses directions, spending the rest of the film heading left.

Heroically smashing up cars in a rightward-facing direction, while people with less agency flee leftward.

Elsa spends most of this number moving to the left, the same direction she fled out of Arendelle, but as her resolve grows, the choreography stars reversing, moving her on the z-axis more, and when she declares her resolve to never go back, donning her ice queen dress, her directionality immediately shifts to right-facing. Even her turn at the end of the sequence, as she spins to walk back inside, is to the audience’s right.

Conversely, when a character is moving from the right to the left—against the flow of written English—that expresses return, backsliding, a lack of agency, powerlessness, wickedness, unhealthy ambition, difficulty, turmoil, and a generally dark or conflicted mentality. Regression and turmoil lie in the direction of the page that’s already been turned.

Nina’s grasp on reality is beginning to fracture due to the multifaceted stresses she’s facing.

Jean Grey is classically a heroic character, but you don’t get hero layouts when you’re giving in to dark urges and consuming suns.

Scar will start trending rightward when Be Prepared really gets underway, that song being all about his future plans and proactive evil, but for the introductory bits, he’s firmly left-facing—as is also the case when he hurls Mufasa to his death.

Of course, this doesn’t have to be a huge production! Even something as simple as Charlie Brown walking rightward out to the doghouse to feed Snoopy then leftward to go back inside fits this idea of forward vs. backward motion. (Compare this to, say, Dagwood, who runs leftward out his door to crash into the mailman every time he’s late for work.)

Naturally, you see this idea of directionality in confrontations as well.

In Hamilton, the title character is reflecting back on his past, the loved ones lost, his actions and the sort of legacy he will leave behind; he "throws away his shot" and dies. Burr, conversely, is thinking of his living daughter, of his determination to survive; he fires, bullet moving from left to right, and will go on to survive the duel.

Steven Q. Universe, facing the future despite the embodied wall of stasis and indifference standing in his way.

The Wicked Witch, facing leftward, attempts to scare the Tin Woodsman and Scarecrow from progressing any further with Dorothy towards her destination, which they would do by following the yellow brick road extending rightward off the screen.

You can see the reverse positioning—hero facing left, villain facing right—in cases like this, where the hero is making a dramatic defense against a villain in an attempt to stop their progression.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule, obviously—visual dynamism alone will mean characters move around and change position! It also doesn’t address movement on the y- and z-axes, nor does it necessarily account for e.g. mixed group compositions or romance scenes. Also, more intangible things like power dynamics, command of the scene, and shifting character motivations can change who’s moving/facing what direction. It’s not as basic as good-right, bad-left. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting thing to watch for.

However, all of the above is reversed in Japanese media. Written Japanese moves from the right to the left,[2] and therefore the mental association with forward progress/positivity versus regression/negativity is likewise with leftward versus rightward movement. Following are some obvious examples from works other than BNHA (no live action films because I don’t have the familiarity to be comfortable picking individual shots from them):

[2] In its normal vertical orientation, which is what you’ll find in books and manga. When arranged horizontally, as in scrolling marquees or banners or the like, usually it reads left-to-right, though this was not the case historically.

Anthy leaves her allegorical coffin, Ohtori Academy, in the final episode of Revolutionary Girl Utena.

A twist on Sena’s signature move, the Devil Bat Ghost, in Eyeshield 21. Check any sports manga you read and I would bet you good money that the protagonist team’s goal is on the left in most instances.

Mima, pictured here Really Going Through It. Note that Perfect Blue is the inspiration (to say the least) for Black Swan, above, but the psychological break is facing the other direction.

Cure Dream shows us the mixed feelings of being the leader of the last PreCure team that regularly killed their enemies.

So, that all laid out, let’s talk about how that looks in BNHA!

Like my other examples, the series is chock-full of examples, both of the usual forward-leftward, regression-rightward directionality, as well as a number of interesting plays against type. Below, have a pile of examples!

BNHA, manga and anime both, gets piles of face-off shots like this, and in every one of them that I’ve seen, it’s the same general layout: heroes moving leftward, villains rightward.

Deku attacks towards the turning page, while Muscular attacks against it. Tokoyami, mired in turmoil and a dangerous loss of control over his power, also faces rightward.

The specter of the past and the emblem of the future facing in the expected directions.

Here’s a telling group composition: the Stoplight trio working hard for their futures, ditto the man who moves too fast, while Endeavor and Fuyumi face forward, still somewhat unsure of their current situation, while Natsuo is actively going against the flow.

Of course, it holds in the single character images as well, like so:

Likewise, you can see the contrast even between images, like these two, announcing the anime adaptation of the Joint Training Arc and My Villain Academia, respectively:

Notice Shinsou, who's a major character in the arc but not quite a Hero Course classmate just yet, has his face turned away, back in the rightward direction.

You can see it more generally in the action itself, as well, not just the promo art. Think of moments like Shigaraki emerging from the warp at USJ, the race during the Sports Festival, the direction of All Might’s final punch—as well as Shouto’s later victory over Dabi—at Kamino, the direction Gentle Criminal (and thus Deku following him) is heading when trying to reach UA, and so forth.

And then there are the interesting subversions.

Usually, in the days of their most pitched rivalry, the forward-moving Deku is moving left, while the tumultuous, stuck in the past Bakugou is moving right, but he drifts more leftward-facing as he gradually begins to get his head on straight, as in their fight post-Kamino.

Shigaraki would be on the left if he were facing down Deku, but against All Might? Not so much. That makes this less a good versus evil stare-down and more a past versus future one.

This incredibly fucking telling composition, which I’ll let speak for itself:

Shigaraki, having the protagonist slot on loan for the duration of My Villain Academia, spends most of the Deika fight facing in the direction of the future, though Re-Destro interrupts this to take the left-facing when he’s challenging Shigaraki about having no vision. Shigaraki’s pseudo-apotheosis has his facing right as he destroys everything around him (Re-Destro facing left as he sees his future rewritten and his burden removed), but by the time we come to the aftermath in the crater, Shigaraki is moving forward again.

Interestingly, that does not necessarily follow for the rest of the League! Dabi and Geten trade off facings through the whole arc, while Toga is mostly rightward facing against Curious, only getting the leftward advancement at the very tail end, once she transforms into Uraraka. Twice’s doubles are often fairly leftward-aimed, as they’re driving the action forward, but Jin himself spends his big confrontation mostly facing outward, towards the reader, only getting much leftward-facing when he’s helping the unconscious Toga afterward. Mr. Compress, not having a dedicated match-up, is all over the place.

Spinner, though? Spinner is following Shigaraki both literally and in the sense that he spends the arc coming into his own. Thus, even when Shigaraki’s gotten ahead of him, Spinner maintains the leftward aim.

This can get more complicated than simple inversion, too!

For example, Gigantomachia is leftward moving in, really, virtually every scene he’s in. It really adds to how much he feels like a complete force of nature that, all throughout his earliest introduction, Kirishima’s flashback, MVA, and both war arcs, there are literally two (2) sequences in which he’s anything other than leftward-oriented for the bulk of his appearances, and both of them occur when he’s significantly struggling to make forward progress.

The first comes when he’s trying to leave the Gunga Villa and facing steep resistance; this conveniently lets the kids facing him (+Mount Lady, when she can get out ahead of him) heroically face left, like they usually do. Once Machia clears the Villa battleground, however, the rest of his route to Jakku is smooth, even sailing, and shows him returned to his usual leftward orientation.

The second is once he’s actually reached Jakku and the sedative has started kicking in. While he still gets a good number of leftward orientations, he’s tied down in a lot of them, and they’re mixed with more rightward and a considerable number of outward facings.

And that’s it, really. Even escaping from the holding facility built around him and confronting AFO, he gets leftward facing, with that only reversing in the moment AFO strikes him down.

Unlike Machia, Deku facing stiff opposition gets to keep a leftward progression when he comes up against heroic opposition in his fight against his classmates.

Shigaraki and Overhaul, appropriately for their vying for control of the villainous future, are constantly vying for the leftward facing position in their scenes/art spreads.

And then there’s the example that prompted this whole post—the home release covers of Season 6:

In other circumstances, I might chalk this up to the heroes being in the defending position—like Gandalf against the Balrog—but BNHA has not tended to do much with that visual; the heroes usually get to keep their heroic leftward facing even when they’re on the defense, as indeed is the case for all of Jakku that comes to mind! Yet just this once, for the anime art, we can see the futility the heroes are up against, trying to stop, as Dabi so aptly put it, the future coming down the pipeline, where all the heroes’ lip service will be blown away by chaos.

Thanks for reading through this, all, and my apologies if I mixed up my right and my left anywhere! I hope you enjoyed the pictures, and that you have fun spotting the patterns in your future media intake!

#bnha #my writing #image heavy #what makes them heroes and villains #going to become a villain if this doesn't post correctly

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princesssarisa · 6 months

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What are the favorite hobbies of the Disney Princesses?

Some of these are canon, others are headcanons. I won't bother to list "singing," because that's a given for most of them.

Snow White: Cooking. The one good thing to come out the Queen's reducing her to a scullery maid is that she discovered her talent in the kitchen.

Cinderella: Sewing. She makes clothes for the mice and birds, she planned to fix up her mother's dress herself, and even as a princess, she'll probably be known for her excellent needlework.

Aurora: Dancing. She does it in the woods with her animal friends and later with Phillip, and despite presumably having no formal lessons, she's the epitome of natural grace.

Ariel: Exploring and collecting things.

Belle: What else? Reading.

Jasmine: Studying politics. While I still haven't seen the live-action remake, I do like the idea of a political Jasmine who not only wants freedom, but who wants to use her royal status to help her people, not just be a powerless "lady."

Pocahontas: Canoeing, swimming, and exploring the woods.

Mulan: Horseback riding, and inventing things, like the bone-on-a-string-device she used to get Little Brother to feed the chickens. If she didn't have to be either a lady or a soldier, she could be an excellent inventor.

Tiana: Cooking, which is also her professional skill, and later dancing, thanks to Naveen's influence.

Rapunzel: She has many hobbies (she needed them to pass the time in the tower), but her favorite is painting.

Merida: Horseback riding and archery.

Anna: Bike riding, playing games, and doing fun activities with Elsa.

Elsa: Creating art and architecture with her ice powers. Also, geometry (as per the book A Sister More Like Me), which helps her design her creations.

Moana: Sailing.

#disney #disney princesses #hobbies #headcanon

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lelitachay · 5 months

Text

Frozen fanfiction: Søsken

Summary: An accident in the North Mountain forces Elsa to spend several weeks in her brother’s apartment under Anna's care. During that time, Anna realises there is more to Elsa than meets the eye. The truth about Elsa’s past comes to light after an unexpected family reunion, and both girls’ lives begin to fall apart when they realise Elsa wasn’t the only one with a big secret and a turbulent past.

Anna/Kristoff - Elsa - Family - Family drama - hurt/comfort - Modern AU - Elsa & Kristoff are adoptive brother and sister - Ice bros - Found family - Serious injuries - Mental health issues - Health issues - Frohana

Links:

Fanfiction.net - HERE

AO3 - HERE

Tumblr - Chapters 1 to 10 - Here Chapters 11 to 20 - Here Chapters 21 to 30 - Here Chapters 31 to 40 - Here Chapter 41 - Here Chapter 42 - Here Chapter 43 - Here Chapter 44 - Here Chapter 45 - Here Chapter 46 - Here

With the dawn, what comes then?

The moment Kristoff had told her Elsa was in the ICU, she knew things were most certainly serious, but not once had she imagined her sister’s health would be so seriously compromised.

As soon as Anna had walked into the director's office, where Kai and Gerda had already been waiting for them, she knew they were bound to get bad news. She wasn’t naive and knew exactly what the downcast looks meant. The atmosphere was gloomy and the way Gerda averted her eyes when they entered told Anna everything she needed to know.

To make matters worse, Nielsen had taken upon himself to explain the situation the very moment they sat down. Asking for them to listen, not even giving Kristoff a second to address his parents or gather himself. The doctor, being a lot more serious than he had been in the evening, when Anna had met him, explained to them everything that was going on. And with every new piece of information given, Anna had felt her stomach tightening and her heart thumping more and more loudly.

Elsa’s health was steadily deteriorating. She was struggling to overcome what her own body was causing. Within a matter of hours, her body had begun developing an immune reaction that was now turning against herself. The fever had not only spiked to dangerous levels, she had also had trouble breathing and her blood pressure had dropped so low they feared she could go into shock at any given minute. And in order to prevent it, the doctors had been forced to start an IV treatment on her, sedating and intubating her to make sure her oxygen levels remained stable — Anna hadn’t been entirely sure what it all meant, but the look Gerda sent their way did nothing to appease her.

Throughout the explanation, Anna had been able to keep herself in check. She had focused on the hard data, trying to detach the person from the information given, forcing herself to forget for a moment the patient they were talking about was her sister. But as soon as Nielsen was over and Kai and Kristoff began asking questions, she found herself powerless in holding back the tears. No matter the words Nielsen tried to use, she knew deep down that everything they were discussing meant there could be dire consequences for Elsa in the future if things didn't improve. And while Kai had tried to remain more optimistic, asking about the recovery process and what to expect from it — a process that seemed arduous even for someone who didn’t have deep revulsion for hospitals like Elsa did — Kristoff had been more blunt, asking exactly what they were all thinking:

Will she be okay?

It seemed like a logical thing to ask, the most important, even; but Anna knew Kai had refrained from asking it himself in fear of what Nielsen could say.

She’s receiving the care she needs; but sadly, the mortality rate is up to 40%.

Nothing had helped lessen the blow then. A moment after hearing his answer, Kristoff had excused himself, leaving the office before Anna or Kai could stop him. Anna had tried to follow him, but Gerda had put a hand on her arm stopping her. The old woman murmured something about giving him a minute or two on his own, and she also requested Anna to stay so one of them knew what they had agreed to do about Elsa's powers. Not wanting to go against her mother-in-law’s suggestion, and unsure of what else to do, Anna had stayed. Frozen in her seat, she had listened to the rest of the conversation in silence.

Deep down, Anna felt it was a bit cruel on Nielsen and the director’s part to force the old couple to discuss the details on how to tell the staff about Elsa’s powers at that moment. It was clear Kai and Gerda were trying to stay focused on the conversation, even though their sad looks told a different story. However, she refrained from arguing or stopping the conversation, thinking that perhaps focusing on their next tasks helped them cope with the situation a lot better.

The discussion dragged well into the night, as names and names of medical staff available to look after Elsa had been mentioned and considered. Finally, after what seemed to be the longest meeting Anna had ever been part of, the parts reached an agreement when the clock on the wall had struck the witching hour. And before Anna had time to see what was going on, she found herself standing in a cold and empty hall with Gerda standing by her side.

Her parents-in-law then discussed a few more details with each other, away from the director’s earshot; and when they both reached an agreement of their own, Kai disappeared into the office once again. She knew the situation was delicate and it was important to be sure the people they selected were to trust, but still there was a part of Anna that couldn’t comprehend the amount of tiny things to consider.

A moment after Kai had left them on their own, Gerda put a comforting hand around Anna’s arm and she had led her down the hall into a small room not far from the ICU. Kristoff had been waiting there, sitting in one of the small chairs all by himself, arms resting on his knees and his head hanging low.

Anna had tried talking to him, giving him a dose of that overoptimistic side of hers, when she noticed his red eyes, but she hadn’t found anything worth saying. After trying — and failing — to find the right words, she had sat down by his side in complete silence. Gerda had stayed as well, sitting next to her son, keeping a comforting hand on his back, trying to offer them some comfort, even when she couldn’t find solace herself.

---

Numb. That was the only way Anna could describe the way she felt. The news about Elsa’s condition had felt like a blow. It had come unexpectedly and with such a strong force that left her feeling dazed and disoriented. Sitting in the cold room with Kristoff and Gerda felt wrong and useless. And no matter how much she wanted to help, she couldn’t come up with anything. Making her head feel even more muddled.

After what seemed to be hours, the glass door that led into the room opened and Nielsen came in, followed by Kai. They were still talking to one another and the doctor was carrying a binder under his arm.

“Gerda,” Nielsen said, calling the woman’s attention as soon as the door closed behind Kai. “Given your experience and knowledge, the clinic has granted you the possibility to stay by Elsa’s side. You have no say in the treatment or the medical practices since you’re too attached to her, but you can help whenever you’re needed. Once inside, you answer to the staff’s orders. Is that clear?”

She seemed to listen to him, but it was obvious she couldn’t find the strength to raise her eyes and meet his. Anna’s heart broke for her mother-in-law at that moment. No matter what blood said, Elsa was her daughter. Despite the heartbreaking news, she was Elsa’s most trusted carer, forcing her to be up to anything at any given time, even when she couldn’t hold her head up.

Nielsen, used to dealing with similar situations and ignoring the obvious sorrow in her eyes, handed the old woman some files for her to sign. Gerda took a moment to read them before she signed them and handed them back as she stood up, ready to go to her daughter’s side.

When Nielsen and Gerda were about to leave the room, Kristoff rose from his seat and asked, “Can I see her?” It was the first time he spoke since he had left the director’s office and Anna noticed he still had a lump in his throat.

Gerda offered him a sad smile and caressed his cheek before she answered. “Not now, dear. They’re about to move her to a private room. Once she’s stable we may talk about it.”

“And even then,” Nielsen interrupted. “We can’t promise frequent visits. It’ll all depend on her recovery. You’ll have to wait.”

“What if she doesn’t recover?” Kristoff asked, surprising everyone in the room.

“Kristoff, please,” Gerda murmured, finding the thought unsettling.

“I need to know.” Kristoff said, looking at Gerda with pleading eyes before he turned to Nielsen. “I’d like to see her at least once.”

“You’ll see your sister again,” Nielsen said, holding Kristoff’s gaze. “That I promise.” The doctor then looked at Gerda again and insisted it was best for them to go into the ICU.

She nodded, but before she followed Nielsen out of the room, she turned to Kristoff and whispered something Anna couldn’t hear.

When they were out of the room, Kai took Gerda’s place standing in front of his son and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Things will be okay, son. Now come on,” he said “We’ve got to go.”

“Go?”

“I need you to take me home.”

“You’re leaving?” Kristoff said, baffled.

“I haven’t got my car here,” he explained. “I’d like to go get it and then go to the police station.”

Anna noticed the way Kristoff’s fists tightened, hands slightly shaking. He was quick to force them to stop, pretending nothing was wrong, but Anna knew he was feeling incredibly powerless under so much stress. She wished he’d allow himself to cry or curse or yell for a moment, finally letting go of all the pent up sadness and tension. She didn't think it could be healthy to keep everything inside. Though, to her disappointment, he only straightened his back and paid attention to his father.

“Take me home,” Kai requested. “Then go home and get some sleep. At least a short nap in a proper bed.”

A faint smile drew in Anna’s face at the small, protective squeeze Kai gave Kristoff’s shoulder as he spoke. No matter how serious and unaffected Kai seemed to be, Anna knew that deep down he was only pretending to stay strong for his family.

“What about Elsa?” Kristoff asked, looking over his father's shoulder at the door where Gerda and Nielsen had disappeared.

“Your mother will stay with her, of course.” Kai smiled sadly as he looked in the same direction. “No one’s moving Gerda from her side.”

Anna understood perfectly what he meant. After having heard the stories Elsa shared with her, after long hours studying together, she knew how much love the old woman had for her adoptive daughter. She couldn’t phantom the idea of Gerda leaving Elsa on her own now that she’d been allowed to stay by her side.

“And don't worry about your mother,” Kai continued, knowing well Kristoff would continue disagreeing. “I'll go talk to the chief, fill out some forms, and ask for a few days off. I'll be back in an hour or two.”

“That's too long.” Kristoff insisted, unsure about leaving. “Take a cab. I'll stay.”

“There's nothing you can do here,” Kai said with a sigh, as if he knew this was going to happen from the very beginning. “Only Gerda is allowed in Elsa's room. And your mother has Nielsen. He might seem too harsh at times, but they’ve been friends for years. He will help her and Elsa with anything they need.”

Kristoff looked at the glass door once again and then he turned to Anna, hoping she’d have something to say in the matter. But once again, Anna had no idea what to say. She couldn’t help but feeling whatever she said would be the wrong thing at that moment.

“I don't know… I feel awful leaving,” He finally said, when he realised Anna wouldn’t pick sides.

Tightening his hold on his son’s shoulder, Kai insisted, “You need to take a shower and rest…” He pointed to his son’s work clothes, as if it was all the proof he needed. “Not to mention go to work in only a couple of hours.”

Looking down, Kristoff sighed and admitted, "I don't think I can go to work anytime soon.”

Surprising both Kristoff and Anna, Kai smiled and pulled Kristoff into his arms into a tight embrace. "I can't blame you," the old man whispered. "But we might need your help in the near future. Someone to help us take care of Elsa. I don't want you to have problems at work when the time comes.”

Anna's eyes brimmed with tears at the peculiar love display from her father-in-law. It only served to prove how serious the situation was, and how much the stoic man needed some comfort as well.

"But—"

"Let's go, Kristoff, please." Kai begged, finally letting go of his son, but keeping both hands on his shoulders so he’d look at him. "We can argue all you want on the way home, but I need to stop at the police station before meeting some nurses in a couple of hours."

Sighing deeply, Kristoff combed back his hair with his hands, trying to release some stress. “I guess there is no reason to stay in these awful plastic chairs,” he finally accepted. Turning to Anna, he offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. “Come on. Let's go.”

She stood up, unsure of what else to do but follow them. Facing Kai, she dared speak for the first time. Hoping it wasn’t too late to show Kristoff she had his back. “Are you sure Gerda will be okay on her own?”

Kai nodded with a small smile. “I'll be before she knows I’m gone. Don't worry.” He then watched them for a moment, before calling their attention one last time.

---

As they left the hospital, Anna took some distance from the men in front of her, walking a few steps behind Kai and Kristoff, absorbed in her own thoughts. Her mind kept going back to Elsa and how sick she had seemed to be in the early evening when she left the Bjorgman’s house. She felt like an idiot for wasting minutes, sitting by Elsa’s side before she went to look for Gerda. She felt useless for it, though deep down she knew she couldn’t place the blame on herself. No one could. They all had tried to help Elsa the best way they could, trying in the process to keep Elsa’s wishes in mind.

When they left the wards, Anna suddenly remembered about Marshall and his worried look as he was left in the waiting room on his own. Looking around, she hoped she could see him, let him know what was going on, even if she was certain the news was going to crush him.

To her disappointment, the mountaineer wasn’t there. And she couldn’t blame him for leaving; after all, he had been forced to stay outside for hours. Being kept in the dark of what was going on, and unsure of when he’d get some news. When she peeked at the clock, she was surprised to see it was already half past five, proving his decision was only logical. Anyone would have gotten sick of the uncertainty and the waiting at some point.

She exited the building and began walking towards the car park, still lost in her own thoughts, when she heard Kai call the mountaineer’s name.

“Hålkesen, you’re still here,” he exclaimed, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. “I was certain you had left hours ago.”

Looking up, Anna hurried to Kristoff’s side who was only a few steps behind his father. That’s when she saw Marshall. He was sitting in the hood of his old truck, arms resting on his knees, and his head hanging low. He barely raised his head at the mention of his name, but he made sure to look at Kai as he spoke. Anna also noticed he tried, and failed, to hide a brown bottle in between his knees.

“Thank you for your help tonight,” Kai said, barely stopping in front of him. “My son will take me home now.”

“Yes, sir,” Marshall murmured with a nod of his head.

He was trying to be as respectful as ever, but Anna knew there was some resentment behind his words.

“You should go home and rest.” Kai finally said, not giving him a second glance, as he began walking towards Kristoff’s truck on the other side of the car park.

Anna stopped in front of Marshall, offering him a small smile. She looked at Kristoff, hoping he’d be the one to deliver the news to him; but, to her displeasure, Kristoff only followed his father in silence, too lost in his own thoughts to even address the man who had been helping his family all evening. Feeling bad for Marshall, Anna stayed, wondering how exactly she could tell him what they had been told. She could understand the annoyed glance Marshall sent Kristoff and Kai, but she wished he wouldn’t let his anger on her. After all, she agreed with him. It was unfair to leave him off after everything he had done. For some reason, it didn’t seem to be enough for Kai to stop and talk to him for at least two minutes.

“Anna, you coming?”

She heard Kristoff call her name in the distance, and for a short moment she almost followed him. But then she remembered her mother’s car was parked only a few metres away from where she was standing. “Mum’s car is over here. I'll see you in a couple of hours, okay? Try to get some sleep, honey.”

Kristoff smiled at her in the distance and promised to do so, before he finally got in the driver seat of his truck. Anna watched them leave and only then she turned to Marshall once again.

“I didn’t know you were out here,” she said, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Marshall raised his head, finally looking back at her. His grey eyes looked a lot darker in the dim light of dawn; yet, she could still see that what she thought to be anger and resentment was mostly sadness.

“I couldn’t stand the ticking of the clock,” he said in a low voice. “It was driving me insane.”

Anna nodded, even though she wasn’t sure which clock he was talking about. “May I?” she said, pointing to the empty space on the hood by his side.

Marshall nodded and moved slightly to the left, to make sure they both could sit. Not caring about her presence, he then raised the bottle to his lips and took a long sip from whatever it was he was drinking.

“Did you get to see her?” he asked when she made herself as comfortable as possible in the cold metal hood next to him. The smell of his breath confirmed what she already suspected: it wasn’t the first bottle of the night.

“No,” she answered, trying to ignore the unhealthy coping mechanism. “Only Gerda is allowed in her room.”

“Is there a diagnosis?” He wasn’t slurring in his speech and he was asking coherent things, to which Anna was thankful, at least he was not drunk.

“No test results yet,” she made sure to clarify. “But Nielsen said it's most certainly sepsis. I suppose you know what it is…” She hoped he did since she had no idea how to explain the things Nielsen had told them in a matter of minutes.

His deep long sigh told Anna he knew exactly what she was talking about, and his discouraged reaction did nothing to help Anna stay any positive.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, he turned to look at her with sad eyes. “How is she?”

For a moment Anna thought about lying, making him believe things were not as bad as Nielsen had said. But there was no reason to. With his experience, he’d be a lot more ready to face the truth than they were, even when he looked as if he was about to crumble. She looked down, wishing he didn't, and said the only thing that came to mind. “Not good.” Not good didn’t even begin to explain what was going on, but she had no idea what else to say.

“Her vitals aren’t stable yet…” It wasn't a question. He already knew. But Anna understood he was looking for confirmation of some kind.

“No,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “They're quite concerned about her oxygen levels.”

“Fuck.” he muttered as he ran his hand through his hair and let it rest on the back of his neck, as he hand his head low once again.

She could hear the worry in his voice even though he had muttered the word so low she almost didn't hear him. Anna looked up at the changing colours of the sky as she tried to give themselves a moment to gather their thoughts.

After a couple of minutes, in which none said a word, Anna turned to him, wanting to ask him about something Nielsen had said and she hadn’t truly understood. “Nielsen said something about people going into septic shock when they can’t help patients soon enough…”

Alarmed at what she had just said, Marshall left the bottle behind them and grabbed Anna’s shoulder so she’d look at him. “She hasn’t gone into septic shock, has she?”

Taken aback by his sudden reaction, Anna took a few deep breaths to calm her own racing heart. “No. Not yet, at least. He said they’re doing everything in their powers to avoid it. I know it’s stupid to ask but… It isn't good, is it?”

Sighing in relief, he let go of her shoulder and leaned forwards, resting his arms on his knees once again. “No. Even if she pulls through, it can cause some serious permanent damage.”

Anna felt her chest tightening once again. The idea of Elsa not making it was enough to make her want to crawl in bed and cry her heart out. But now that Marshall was confirming she could end up living the rest of her life with serious physical or mental damage, she couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t selfish to wish she made it out at all costs. The mere thought of her sister having to endure any of those things, made it impossible for Anna to hold back the tears at that moment. And before she knew it, the dam broke.

Hiding her face in her hands, she allowed herself to cry out all the sadness and worry of the last few hours. She was relieved to know she didn't need to be strong in front of Marshall as she needed to be in front of Kristoff. She didn't care if she made the mountaineer uncomfortable, or her cries made him worry even more. What was going on felt like too much to even pretend she could bear it.

“She was okay a few hours ago,” she tried to say I'm between sobs. “I mean, she clearly wasn't okay but—” Taking in a deep breath, she tried to order her words. “It was just a fever. I never thought… Life's not fair.”

Moving closer, Marshall put his arm around Anna's shoulder, giving her an awkward side hug. “I'm so sorry, Anna.” She felt him tightening his grip in an attempt to soothe her pain. “I should've done something sooner.”

“This isn't your fault,” Anna managed to say.

“Not my fault?” Marshall exclaimed, as if he was offended she didn’t think so. “I knew she needed proper medical care when she first got injured and I didn’t help her. I let her powers distract me from what was truly important.”

The scowl on his face was enough to tell Anna he truly believed he was the one to blame, and she couldn't accept it. No matter what had happened, Anna knew Marshall was not guilty. He was incapable of hurting Elsa; just a glance told her he'd change places with her at that very moment if he only could. But she also knew he was a stubborn man who wouldn't accept otherwise unless he was proven wrong.

“Those bandages are from that night, aren't they?” Anna pointed out when she calmed her breathing. “Elsa told me she hurt you.”

“Huh?” Looking down, he paid attention to his bandages for the first time that day. “Yes, her ice burnt my skin. But she didn't hurt me. Not on purpose.”

“You had more than one reason to lose focus, Marshall.” After drying a couple more tears, Anna cleared her throat. She wanted him to listen to her and trust what she was saying. “You can't blame yourself.”

“What about the other day?” He asked, now looking back at her. “I knew she had a high fever yet I didn't help her until it was too late.”

“Too late?”

“I gave the infection a head start,” he admitted. “I should’ve checked her hand in the morning, as soon as she woke up. It was obvious she was feeling sick and I just suggested she sleep it off.”

“Marshall—”

“I was selfish…” he said, letting go of her. “I wanted her to stay with me a bit longer.”

Even if it was the closest he had ever come to admitting loving Elsa, Anna couldn't rejoice at it. It was bittersweet at most. Anna felt it was incredibly unfair for him to be blaming himself just because he had wanted to spend some more time with her. Anna wasn’t sure if Elsa and Marshall had spent the night together or not, but something had clearly changed between them that night, and now Marshall couldn't look back at that moment without feeling extremely guilty. And Anna hated it.

“Elsa made her own choices, Marshall.” She knew it was useless to argue, but she had to try. “Running away from you, lying to Kai and Gerda about what really happened, even hiding her pain… Those were her choices.”

“Two nights ago, when we talked,” he clarified. “She looked exhausted.” He was angry now, and Anna understood there weren't many things she could say to change his mind. “I should've known something wasn't right.”

“You had no way of knowing. You can't blame yourself.”

He didn't answer and he didn't look at her either. He simply stayed silent, head hanging low. Anna didn't know him as well as Elsa did, and half the things she believed to be true about the man were her own conjectures, but she knew she couldn't let him believe he was to blame for the way things had turned. If something were to happen to her sister, it'd be too much for him to bear.

“Elsa loves you.” Perhaps she was crossing a line. And perhaps she was getting his hopes up. But as long as it helped him find some peace of mind, then she'd rather do it. “She may not show it. She may not know it, actually… but I know she does.” Anna had his attention, even when he wasn't looking at her. “And I know she wouldn't let anyone blame you for what happened. What makes you think she'd let you blame yourself?”

To Anna’s surprise, Marshall didn’t answer. He only hid his face in his hands and drew in a shaky breath. She knew he was trying to process everything that was going on in just a few minutes and she felt it was best to give him a moment. No matter how close they had strangely become lately, Anna knew he was still a reserved man, who probably needed time to think before he did.

Putting her hands behind her, Anna rested her weight on her arms in an attempt to look at the sky while she gave him some time to get himself together. And in doing so, she knocked down the bottle he had placed behind them. The drink spilled and she was quick to pick it up, avoiding a bigger mess.

She looked at the label and then at Marshall. The drink wasn’t strong. Just a light beer. But still, the fact he had chosen to drink his worry away didn’t set well with Anna. If not for the mountaineer’s health, for her own sister’s happiness. Deep down Anna wanted to believe they were a perfect match for each other, but she wouldn’t root for a person who could end up hurting her sister in the long run.

Not holding herself back, she leaned forward to meet his eyes. “And she wouldn't like to see you drinking over this.”

Marshall sighed once more, and finally let go of his face. Looking at Anna, he took the bottle from her hand. “I know.” He looked at the liquid inside for a short moment and then decided to pour it on the ground. “She's the only person who has ever kept count of how many beers I drink whenever we hang out.” Leaning back, he rested his weight on his elbows and looked up at the sky. “I don't know why she does it, but she always gives me a warning when I drink more than two.”

“Because she cares,” Anna said matter-of-factly. Looking around, she tried to see if there were any other bottles lying at the side of the truck. “How many have you drunk?”

“This was the third one.”

“So… you've had more than two.”

Marshall smiled, thankful for what she was doing and Anna felt relieved he didn’t mind she was taking up her sister’s role at that moment. Anna smiled back before she said, “Do you have a place to stay? I don't think you should go back to the mountain after—”

“I'm not drunk, Anna.” Marshall stopped her, dropping his smile. “I just had a long night.”

“We all did.”

The two of them looked at each other, daring the other to contradict them. And to Anna’s surprise, he was the first to relent.

“I was planning on staying at my mother’s for a day or two,” he said with a tired sigh. “She lives close by.”

“Okay, that’s good.” She wouldn’t admit how thankful she was at not having to convince him. Jumping off the hood, she began walking towards her mother's car before she turned around and said, “Let's go.”

“What?”

“I'm taking you home. Come on.”

Sitting up straighter, he exclaimed, “I’m sitting on my truck. There's no need to drive me anywhere.”

“I won't let you drive like this. Besides, I'll feel more useful taking you home than sitting here until you sober up.”

He smiled again when he had finally understood she was only trying to return the favour of the night before.

---

After dropping Marshall off, and promising to call him as soon as she got some news, Anna drove back home. The city was already awake by the time she finally arrived, so she wasn’t surprised to find both her parents awake. What did shock her was to find them arguing so early in the day.

Even if fights between her parents had been rare when she was growing up, she now was becoming accustomed to them. The truth about Elsa coming to light had broken something in her family, and no matter how hard Idunn and Agdar had tried to pretend they could overcome any storm together, Anna knew they were drifting apart as the months went by.

There were days she wished things would’ve stayed the same, at least to find some comfort whenever she came home. But deep down, she felt it was only fair they had to endure some consequences for their actions all those years ago.

Walking into the dining room, she threw her keys onto the table and sat down with a heavy sigh. Idunn and Agdar, still unaware of her presence, kept arguing in the kitchen, and she tried to listen to the things they were saying. Wondering if intervening was worth it, Anna pushed the idea aside after a minute. She couldn’t focus on them at that moment. Her head was pounding and the only thing she could think about was her sister. Her conversation with Marshall on the way to his mother’s house had helped them find some much distraction; but now that she was alone, she felt the worry and fear for her sister’s health returning.

Even if things began to improve in the next few hours, there were no guarantees Elsa wouldn't end up with severe health problems. And the more she thought about it, the more Anna felt like crying. Her sister had gone through so much in her life at a young age, and apparently it hadn't been enough. Making Anna think that whatever Elsa had done in a previous life had to be terrible enough to justify even half of the things she had to go through in this one.

She wasn’t sure how much time went by until she heard the argument in the other room come to a stop, and a few seconds later she saw her mother walking into the dining room where she was still sitting.

“Anna!” Idunn exclaimed, when she finally noticed she had returned. “Dear, when did you come back? How’s your sister?”

“Could you two stop arguing for a moment?” Anna said, trying not to show how incredibly close she was from breaking down.

Clearly uncomfortable at having been heard, Idunn turned her face to the kitchen and then to her once again, unsure of what to say.

“The day hasn't started,” Anna continued. “Yet you're doing your absolute best to irritate each other.”

“Anna…”

“We were not fighting,” Agdar, who had just entered the room, said suddenly, interrupting Idunn before she got the chance to speak.

“Sure.” Anna wasn’t often sarcastic around Agdar, but she couldn’t stand it when he tried to downplay the things going on around them. “And things haven't been uncomfortably tense between you two for days either.”

“Dear, there are some things that—”

“I don't want to know what happened.” Anna stopped her before she said too much. She had to deal with too much crap and bad news already, the last thing she needed was to get involved in their problems. “I just want to have one less thing to worry about. Stop arguing.”

“Well, this is our house. And we've got the right to—” Agdar tried to say, clearly bothered by Anna’s tone, but before he could say anything else, Anna interrupted.

“Yes, you do.” She said, her eyes filling up with tears. “All I'm saying is your problems are not the only ones that matter. So, excuse me for feeling like shit already and not wanting to hear you two going at each other as soon as I come back home from the hospital!”

“Hospital?” Dropping his defensive mood, Agdar lowered his voice and asked, “What do you mean hospital? What happened?”

“How's Elsa?” Idunn asked in a low voice, her concern for her eldest daughter returning.

“Elsa?” Agdar looked at his wife and then at Anna once again. “What happened to her?”

“An infection got out of control. She's unconscious and they don't know if she'll make it.” Anna answered, avoiding her parents' eyes. She tried to talk fast and give all the information to her parents before she broke down, but she couldn’t really keep the tears at bay.

Anna felt terrible, not only for Elsa but for her mother as well. No matter how mad she was at her parents for all the things they had done and continue doing, Anna was certain the love Idunn had for Elsa was real, and she wasn’t strong enough to watch her heart break over the news.

No one said anything for over a minute and Anna felt it was necessary to raise her head and make sure they understood what she had just said. And when she did, she noticed Idunn was frozen in place, her tear-filled eyes looking straight back at her.

“Not make it?” Agdar asked when Anna turned to look at him. “Anna, do you mean…” He didn’t find the courage to ask what he wanted and Anna couldn’t blame him.

---

For the next hour, Anna tried her best to fill her parents in on what had happened. It had proven to be a difficult task, since she had to go back several days to let them make sense of everything that was going on. More than once she noticed they had been about to ask questions about Elsa and how she was feeling, but Anna had kept on talking, knowing the most important thing at that moment was Elsa’s health.

When she finished speaking, the only thing that could be heard in the house were Idunn’s failed attempts to stop herself from crying. As soon as Anna had explained in detail Elsa’s diagnosis — and the things Nielsen had said — her mother had broken down in tears, and there seemed to be nothing that could make her stop.

“How didn't she notice?” Agdar was the first to talk, when after some minutes of Anna trying to calm her mother down had seemed to work. “Her hand must have been hurting a lot…”

Anna caressed her mother’s hand with her thumb once more before she looked at her father. “She hasn't been in a good place lately.” She felt strange finally sharing the things that had been worrying her about Elsa, but she couldn’t find a good way to explain the situation without sharing more of Elsa’s life with them. “The night she cut her hand open, she lost control of her powers and hurt someone she loves by mistake. She came to town to get away from him and hide, but there are things she could not escape. She ignored her wound until it was already infected, too concerned about other things at the time. To make matters worse, the infection developed fast.” She remembered Nielsen admitting he was disconcerted about how fast it all had happened. “It’s not uncommon, but they'll still try to find a reason. See if her immune system is impaired in some way.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Agdar asked in a low voice, lost at how to help in such a delicate situation.

“There isn't much to do but wait…” Anna sighed, as she looked at her mother once again. It broke her heart to see her inconsolable. But no matter what Anna said, she knew it was going to be a lie. The truth was there wasn’t much to do but wait and hope things turned up for the best. She could only expect the new day would bring something to look forward to.

---

First of all, I want to apologise for the long wait. I truly wanted to publish this during October but life has been hectic lately. I haven’t had a weekend for myself in over a month, except for a few hours here or there. Work, friends’ visits, helping other friends move house, being a presiding officer twice in the last month (general elections and the subsequent ballotage)... I’m exhausted, really. And I still need to face the end of the year and the piles and piles of exams to correct. These things have consumed too much time leaving little to no time to sit and write. I kept writing here or there whenever I could, but when I sat down to check what I had written I felt like it was garbish and I started again. So, that’s that. The good thing is I’m doing good and it’s just lack of time and not lack of inspiration that's stopping me. I’m all the time plotting and writing down ideas, and that’s good for the story.

Now, about the chapter, I know some of you may feel like time stood still in this chapter but I wanted to take the time and see what went through Anna’s head during the night. Even though Elsa is the person who connects everybody in this story, I think Anna is the bridge between the two sides (or three if you consider Marshall to be on an entirely different side of things.) And well, I wanted to see how she dealt with everything that’s going on.

I hope you have enjoyed the chapter, regardless of what you expected to read in it. But rest assured that I’ll tackle all — or at least most — of the details I’ve left open in the story so far, and that you’ve been mentioning in the comments. As always, thank you for commenting about those things and leaving such amazing messages and analyses. I’m surprised at how many of you are health professionals, and even more surprised to see that you have taken the time to leave a diagnosis or shown concern about Elsa’s health! It warms my heart the attention to detail you guys show me, truly. I hope my story keeps you company during long shifts at work or when you come home tired. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to help people! Thank you as well to all the other readers who haven’t commented but always show their love through kudos or shares. When I first started this story, I made it clear that I was going to finish it because I was writing it for myself, and it was a personal challenge, but now I feel like this story wouldn’t have come this far without you. So, thank you!

Feel free to leave a comment sharing what you think of the chapter or pointing out anything that seems amiss. Everything helps me in the process.

PS - I owe many many answers and reviews to you guys. I promise I’ll do it as soon as possible. In the meantime, enjoy!

Read you soon!

--- Do you guys still want to be tagged? Let me know, please. I don't want to bother people who are no longer following the story. Also, do tags even work?

@swimmingnewsie @melody-fox @kristoffxannafanatic @kristannafictionals @neptrabbit @skneez @ellacarter13 @wondering-in-life @who-i-am-8 @fanfictionrecommendations-com @815-allisnotlost @khartxo @joannevixxon @betweenthedreams @burbobah @rileysfs @earlvessalius @blood-jewel @snowycrocus @the-sky-is-awake @disneyfan103 @anamaria8garcia @welovefrozenfanfiction @bigfrozenfan @bigfrozenfan-archive @frozenartscapes @deisymendoza @zackhaikal123 @cornstarch @roostercrowedatmidnight @showurselfelsa @when-dawn-arrives @tare-disney @wabitham @just-your-local-history-nerd @dontrunintofirexoxo @daphmckinnon @poketin @luna-and-mars @shimmeringsunsets @aries1708 @wabitham @agentphilindaisy @spkfrozenkindikids123 @jimmi-arts @snowmanmelting @loonysama @hiptoff @loonysama @tare-disney @frozenwolftemplar @true–north @holycolordreamertree @bigfrozensix

#Søsken #sosken #elsa #anna #kristoff #modern AU #kristanna #found family #chapter 47 #health problems #health issues #angst #hurt comfort

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suffarustuffaru · 4 months

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what are your thoughts on elsa/reinhard? I feel like they’d be a fun pairing.

OH ABSOLUTELY theyd be fun!! im really really open to most ships (yeah, even the toxic ones, even the problematic ones, etc etc, its fiction, rezero is ripe with a Ton of complicated character dynamics, i'll find the relationship interesting if theres narrative depth/potential behind it - just to make that clear :o !! i obviously do not condone that irl of course).

but yeah anyway!! yes definitely i think elsa/reinhard would be fun. you could explore it in all sorts of ways - i mean, elsa's the vampire here, reinhard's a monster for. various reasons. theres also other details like how. um. well reinhard's Immortal, so that means Infinite Guts for elsa!! and i think reinhard would be happy to at least make Someone happy T^TT he'd be like "i can just give the bowel hunter my guts over and over again and she'll be nice to me and not kill anyone else also unless theyre very very bad people? good deal :) new friend!!" or something LMAO. dudes starved for company and uh you could interpret elsas reaction in different ways. i feel like i dont know her that much atm though but i think she'd be amused yeah. i mean. infinite guts.... she gets the sword saint..... they can fight each other whenever also :)... and also meili likes the guy (she literally has a sword saint doll) so. its win win. elsa could be going "i could make him A Bit worse :)" and reinhard could be going "i could fix her :) ooh new little sister too!!" or something lajdflsjf. sorry im mentioning meili a lot when this is an elsa/reinhard ask but shes important okay. elsa-meili are a package deal and meili would have an Interesting dynamic with reinhard.

on a more serious note though... reinhard is also the best person to have if you want capella/"mother" to be destroyed. which probably factors into meili's fixation on reinhard. and also all three of them have this shared motif in their lives of Lack of Control. between elsa's backstory, meili's backstory, reinhard's backstory, it's. Something. alright. a lot of trauma to go around!! they can bond over that T^T and i think elsa and meili would have. Interesting Reactions with reinhard... the pristine powerful hero is actually powerless? thats. sad. and pathetic. and sad. but hey..... he can join the dark side too. and help us maybe... if that makes sense hah. im just spitballing ideas here pfft.

but yeah in all seriousness itd be interesting T^T maybe they could make their own weird uncanny dysfunctional trio together hah. they all got. Weird Stuff going on because they all have issues with intimacy also for Various Reasons and in Various Different Ways, so thatd be interesting to explore too!! i think theyd make each other simultaneously better and worse!! and also reinhard is. 1000% giving up those guts to elsa i dont see any other way this is going. depending on where you wanna take this though she might want like. New Guts if she gets tired of reinhard's aljdflsadjf. or maybe she likes it because she gets to see his body healing itself again and again and shes like woagh. whole new guts. :) meili can get like a little special function on her reinhard doll where his guts can fall out!!! elsa and reinhard made sure to help with the finishing touches of course <3

yeah so thats what i think!! elsa/reinhard would be very horribly funny i absolutely support this ship. <3 ty for the ask :D

#rezero #re:zero #elsa granhiert #reinhard van astrea #meili #i fucking forgot how to spell meilis last name so i wont try that rn aljdsflsdjf #ask #*reinhard voice* i think that maybe you should both be focused less on bloodshed and guts. .....it makes you happy? and you like me? hm.#well. as long as you only do stuff to me or evil bad guys :) will you be my friends then? :O

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hafanforever · 2 years

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Royals’ Battle

Before I read the new post-Frozen II novel, Polar Nights, I was hoping that it would especially feature some new information about Runeard and Rita, and much to my delight, it did, and they played HUGE roles in the flow of the story, even as posthumous characters! 😁😁😁

In the book, Anna and Elsa learn from Kristoff the story of Princesses Sissel and her younger sister, Inger, who were from the neighboring kingdom of Vesterland. He says that the sisters hated each other and Inger wanted the crown for herself. About fifty years ago, the two sisters were visiting Arendelle regarding their kingdom being asked to contribute in funding the building of the dam in the Enchanted Forest. At one point, when Sissel and Inger were alone together near a rushing river, Inger pushed her sister into the river and Sissel eventually drowned when she went over a waterfall. A witness reported the murder to King Runeard, who banished Inger from Arendelle (and Vesterland) and put her on a prison ship, which went down in the sea, causing Inger to die by drowning, too. And despite her death, Sissel came back from the dead as a creature called a draugr, seeking revenge on those who wronged her.

Naturally, Anna and Elsa are shocked by the story, particularly by how their grandfather had done something good and just...

...but as the novel unfolds, the sisters discovers that the entire story surrounding Sissel’s death and Inger being accused of murder was a lie.

Halfway into the book, after the sisters have had several encounters with the draugr and deduced it is actually Sissel, Elsa conjures up the memory of what really happened on the day of Sissel’s death using traces of water that have remained in a locket that Sissel was wearing the day she died (brought to Elsa by the draugr itself). Elsa and Anna discover that, not only were Sissel and Inger very close and that Inger was more interested in science and the environment (and thus did not want to be queen nor aimed to steal the throne from her sister), but Inger had figured out that the dam would cut off the water flow and cause other environmental devastations to the forest. It would also affect Vesterland by depleting animals that the citizens hunt for food. She was arguing with Sissel over this matter by the river, and while Sissel understood what Inger was saying, she felt they would be powerless to stop Runeard since he would not listen to them and did not care that his desired project would negatively affect the Northuldra and Vesterland. Sissel was also terrified of Runeard so much that she feared standing up to him, as she believed arguing with him over the matter would only lead to him punishing Vesterland by cutting off their trading partnership with Arendelle, since Arendelle controls the port that allows food, medicine, and other goods to come in from other kingdoms and travel to Vesterland. But due to Inger’s persistence about how harmful the dam would also be to their kingdom, Sissel finally relented and decided to request another audience in Arendelle to tell Runeard that Vesterland would not help to fund the dam.

However, no sooner than the sisters were feeling better about the matter that a flash flood occurred. Inger got in the way of the rushing water as it headed down the river, and when SIssel pushed her out of the way to escape harm, she tripped on a tree root and fell into the rushing water. As she was pulled downstream, Sissel struggled against the strong current and tried to grab something to help her get back to shore. She yelled for her sister to help her, and Inger chased after Sissel on the river bank. When Sissel managed to grab on to a branch near the shore, the witness from Kristoff’s story, a shepherd boy named Stig Petter, raced to help Sissel. Sadly, with the branch breaking as she held on, Sissel accepted her fate to die. Before she let go and went over the falls, she told Inger that she loved her and was proud of her. As a distraught Inger mourned the loss of her sister, Stig vowed to help Inger.

Following the end of the memory, Anna and Elsa realize that the draugr of Sissel was never trying to harm them or anyone else, but rather has been trying to clear her sister’s name and has removed some memories of the Arendellians so that they don’t remember the false story regarding her death. Elsa and Anna search through Arendelle’s court records to find more information, discovering that Stig lied and said that Inger had murdered Sissel by pushing her into the river, and the court believed Stig instead of Inger. Upon finding and meeting the elderly Stig to get the entire truth, Anna and Elsa further learn that Stig was actually blackmailed by Runeard to lie and say that Inger murdered her sister. The former king of Arendelle told Stig that he had to lie or he (Runeard) would tell everyone that Stig helped Inger murder Sissel and he’d have him imprisoned, too (or possibly executed). This was because Runeard (presumably) learned that the sisters were planning to voice their opposition of the dam and would not let their kingdom help fund its construction. In doing so, they would have also told other kingdoms that the dam would actually harm, not help, the forest and convince these kingdoms not to help with building it, either.

Without enough funds needed to construct the dam, the project would never get off the ground, and Runeard could have been exposed as a liar and traitor. Even with Sissel dead, Inger would have never stopped fighting to make sure Runeard could not build the dam. But being the stubborn, xenophobic tyrant who was ruthlessly obsessed with protecting his power and set on destroying the threat he believed the Northuldra posed to him, Runeard refused to let his plan be ruined at any cost, even if that meant lying and causing harm to innocent people who got in his way. So even with a witness present to the real account of Sissel’s death, the king took advantage of the situation by framing Inger for murder and put her on a ship to get rid of her for good, eliminating the sole opposition to his goal.

Yet while Inger couldn’t save her sister or stop Runeard from building the dam, she did manage to escape the terrible fate that almost befell her. Having gotten to know both sisters during their visit, and knowing what a cruel man her husband was, Queen Rita was the only one (besides Stig) who believed in Inger’s innocence. Though she tried to defend Inger in the court, Runeard adamantly refused to let her speak and banished her to her chambers. Not wanting an innocent woman to be condemned for a crime she never committed, Rita secretly helped Inger escape the prison ship (and Arendelle) before it set sail (which was seen by Stig). She paid several men to take Inger off the ship and gave her safe passage to another. Inger was also warned by Rita to never return to Arendelle since she would surely be recaptured and put to death if she did.

All that being said, what this book revealed about Runeard and Rita’s relationship further reinforces what I have believed about them from Dangerous Secrets, but most especially the former in what kind of man he really was: a cold-hearted, selfish, bigoted, power-hungry scoundrel who never cared about anyone or anything other than his kingship and the power and authority that came with it. Runeard’s position as king made him believe that he could do whatever he wanted, that he was always in the right to do so, that he was never wrong, and he didn’t care how his actions could affect others unless they could still benefit himself. But most of all, as I’ve said before many times, Runeard arrogantly believed being a king meant that he was better and smarter than everyone else since he was in the highest place in society. He discriminated all other people as being beneath him, especially peasants (like the Northuldra and shepherds like Stig), and refused to treat them fairly or equally.

Such views are backed up perfectly by the fact that he laughed in scorn when Stig said he would tell others about Runeard’s threats. Runeard also said that no one would ever believe him because he is a poor shepherd, meaning that (to him, at least) no one would ever believe the word of a lowly shepherd over the mighty king of Arendelle.

But most importantly of all, Runeard’s behavior towards Rita completely support what I have said in “There Goes the Bride”. Being the king, it’s crystal clear that Runeard felt that HE had more power and authority than everyone, even more than Rita, the queen and his own wife. Therefore, only HE had first and final say in EVERY decision made, and that the opinions of others, including his wife and the people he ruled, were never important. The fact that Rita tried to voice her belief that Inger was innocent, but Runeard harshly silenced her and sent her out of the royal court (he probably even locked her in her chambers so she couldn’t interfere) reinforces what I believed in him trying to control her and having seen her as his inferior, not his equal partner.

Ultimately, Polar Nights helped prove that Runeard was so hellbent on creating the dam just to bring down the Northuldra that he sought to keep even Rita out of his way when she became a liability to his scheme. 😠😡

But since Inger managed to escape with Rita’s help, she managed to live a long life (though she never became the ruler of Vesterland) and had a family (including a granddaughter named after her deceased great-aunt). And in the end of the book, Inger returns to Arendelle and manages to reunite with the spirit of Sissel after the draugr sheds her form following the truth being revealed about her death. 🥲😭

Second image here is a fan art of Queen Rita, made by my dear friend @greatqueenanna.

#Frozen 2 analyses #Frozen analyses #Disney #Disney Frozen 2 #Disney Frozen #Frozen 2 #Frozen #King Runeard #Queen Rita #Inger #Sissel #Elsa #Anna #Polar Nights #my stuff #mine

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