you know it's crazy? we finish each other's sandwiches.
Who: Prince Hans and Princess Anna. Then, later, Lavender Brown. Where: The Square, then the clothing shop When: Backdated to yesterday morning, Sunday August 31 What: Anna arrives in Marrowood and sees Hans. Hijinks ensue. Sorry, Elsa. Status: Complete!
The orange morning sun was peeking its way out, before having been hidden behind clouds that resembled cotton - and Princess Anna of Arendelle was also waking up, in her newfound room, practically being smothered by the opulence of her skirts, the dress she’d been wearing for Elsa’s coronation. With a splutter and a shriek she’d shot up like a cannonball blasted into the sky, distinctly ignored the smartphone nearby (she didn’t know what it was anyway) but instead rushed to the door and down the hall. Her skirts hiked up, clenched in her hands, she was frantic in her searching - and her heart galloped like a runaway horse not wanting to wear a bridle.
“Elsa?!” She called for her sister, also paying no mind to the strange staff - this was some sort of inn, but how had she ended up here? - and running for where she could find fresh air. “Elsa!”
It wasn’t cold outside at all. The weather was actually quite pleasant. And yet everything before her made her feel closed in, horrific, since she’d very obviously been thrown here against her will and it was disorienting. Except for the fact that something smelled...delicious. Like sweets, desserts that she needed to have. Its siren song called to her but she had to find her sister first. And Hans, where was he? He just asked her to marry him! She’d accepted! Elsa was...probably not going to react well, but Anna would worry about that later. When she found her sister and they woke up from this nightmare.
Speaking of her handsome fiance, was that him up ahead? The hair and the pointed nose, she’d spot them anywhere. So yes, it was him! “Hans!” she yelled halfway across the square, the villagers turning to stare, and he may be dressed differently - much differently than how she’d seen him just moments ago, how had he changed so quickly?! - but it was still him. She picked up speed, holding her skirts, and ran at him, the bejeweled cape billowing behind her and when she collided with him she was all heaving bosom in her bodice and strawberry blonde hair halfway out of its barrette. “Oh! Where ...how….what are you wearing?”
Dainty hands traversed the strange blue material, feeling it without acknowledgment that she was groping someone in public. Oops?
Another Monday meant another day at work, another eight hours or so folding clothes over and over again and pretending like he actually cared for the work. Nothing else that was terribly exciting had happened ever since Lavender’s friend had blown off the seat of her pants a few days ago, and he’d forgotten if Lavender herself was actually working that same day, too. At least when she was there, he could entertain himself somewhat by bothering her.
He didn’t know if he was imagining it, though, but he swore he could almost hear his name being called. Maybe he was late after all and Lavender was calling for him to get to the shop? Hans turned his head, looking, before he realized who exactly was yelling.
Was Anna really here? And she looked -- happy to see him, even. It had to be some kind of trick, maybe the town knew that Anna’s image would mess with both him and Queen Elsa’s heads, but Anna of all people couldn’t be here. She was moving quickly though, picking up a burst of energy that couldn’t help but surprise him, and then suddenly she was there feeling his legs and front.
“Anna?” Despite himself, he reached for her forearms, grasping them firmly as though to test whether she was real. “I -- they’re jeans, from work --” And then, remembering how other people had reported being from different points in time, he frowned slightly at her and her breasts. “What do you remember happening last, before today?”
Jeans. How odd! Anna had never heard of such a thing before, but they looked comfortable. Her fingers hooked in the front pockets as Hans took hold of her, like he was surprised to see her (also odd), and she smiled up at him so sweetly the expression might have been enough to inspire cavities. “What sort of work? I just saw you, you asked me to marry you...don’t you remember?”
Maybe he hit his head? Or actually, maybe she hit her head. The klutz she was, it was possible. A hand traveled up to check for any goose eggs on her own self, and she appeared puzzled when she assessed that she was still fine. Wasn’t she? “I...I don’t know how I ended up here, but…” Without much thought, it seemed natural to burst the bubble of admittedly small distance with her affections and wrap her arms around her confusing fiance’s neck, in an embrace that was fond. “That’s alright, as long as Elsa is back with the kingdom, we’ll figure all of this out. It must be some sort of feverish dream, but it feels so real.”
Explaining why he now had a job and was wearing jeans was one thing. Explaining why she still thought she was engaged to him and why Queen Elsa would most certainly not approve, on top of already having to explain that she’d just found herself in utter hell by waking up here, was another thing altogether.
The right thing to do was say, first off, that they weren’t engaged. But was that really the right thing? Wasn’t the prospect of imminent death more important? Hans returned the hug as best as he could, moving his arms around her waist briefly and finding the gesture more comforting than expected, before he stepped back in order to try and have a proper conversation with her. “I’m sure you’ve figured it out already, but this isn’t home. This is Marrowood, and it’s very dangerous. Elsa’s here, too.”
And suddenly the world grew quite bleak, Anna's vision along with it - like the grey of prison bars, the colors all muted. Yet, she managed to remain upright and on her feet.
Hans was here. So was Elsa.
Hans was wearing bizarre clothes and said he got them from work but what kind of work did he do that required jeans?
As was her nature, Anna didn't want to consider dire things. So after the surprised noise swiftly escaped through her lips, she patted her hair to attempt to smooth it and fix it with shaky fingers, in the barrette that had become unclasped. "Oh..." was all she could say for a moment, but how was Elsa here? She'd just been at her sister's coronation!
"How is it dangerous?" she asked Hans, her sky blue eyes widening with concern. "Or actually, that's probably a complicated question. You must have been on your way to...wherever you were going."
The (dead?) passersby eyed her in her intricate gown, and Anna flushed bright pink, the color blooming in her cheeks. She bounced a little on her toes, in her black ballet flats, hopefully asking, "Do you know where Elsa is?"
Hans was quiet for a moment, watching her face as she thought through what she’d just been told. Of course she was more preoccupied with her sister instead of learning how to save herself from certain doom and, probably, multiple deaths. Why did this surprise him?
He knew that once she saw Elsa, any good feelings Anna had about him would be gone for good. While he hadn’t really loved her at all, that much had been very true, it was almost sad to realize that once Anna changed her mind about him, she wouldn’t feel the same way she did right now. Hans couldn’t think of a time in which he’d been greeted like that in God knew how long. And in Marrowood, all he had were people like him, people he couldn’t trust. It was a strange realization to have.
“I don’t know where she is,” he said truthfully. “But I know she’s here. I don’t think it’s safe for you to go wandering around right away, by yourself; what if you come with me to work and then we can find her together?” Elsa would probably kill him upon seeing him with Anna, but at least Anna would make it to her alive.
Anna was tired, her head pounding and throbbing from waking up here and not really understanding how or why, and her temples rattled something awful from it. But if Elsa was safe too, then that was what mattered. Of course, thoughts of who was running the kingdom began to trickle in, but perhaps her sister would have more answers about that. She really hoped so.
And she felt safe with Hans. He said he'd bring her to Elsa, so she believed him. There was no reason not to. "Alright, but are you sure I won't be in the way? Hans, I can't believe you're working, this is..."
She giggled, not at him, but he was a Prince - and it was adorable to see him in what looked like a marketplace, earning money by working in some sort of shop. The ocean of his arms was a welcoming place for her, and she fell into it again, fingers curling around the collar of his shirt and - rather boldly, with that flush to her - she kissed him, all sweet candy and fairycakes.
"I'll wait for you. Or I can help you!" She found his hand and weaved their fingers so he could show her where he needed to go. "Whatever's easier. I'm so curious about what you've been doing."
“No, you won’t be in the way.” Better that she go with him, now that he thought about it a little more after offering in the first place, so he could at least keep an eye on Anna. If Elsa found out that her sister was there for a moment and that he’d let her get injured or killed, Marrowood resurrections or not, he’d probably be dying himself.
Hans was about to lead her over to the shop, which really wasn’t all that far away, when suddenly they were kissing. His eyes widened for a moment before he returned it briefly, figuring he might as well get the most out of this while he could. He couldn’t quite help but smile as she pulled back and took his hand. Really, this wasn’t a bad way to spend his last few moments before he met an icy death.
“I guess there won’t be too much for you to do at the shop, but there isn’t really much for me to do either.” A few minutes and they were there, Hans gesturing to the counter. “Over here is good, I think? I can explain more about this place, too.”
It was quite obvious that Anna’s life had unraveled, and she could not uncover how or why - at least not right now. And while it brought about certain feelings of disdain, and sought to wolfishly tear at the fabric of her fun-loving nature, she chose to focus on what was good. That helped. And there were some good things, because Hans and Elsa were here, and she didn’t have to be alone, and it smelled like chocolates somewhere and this shop Hans worked in was very interesting! Yes, she’d focus on this instead.
Still holding his hand, she meant to go to the counter like he indicated but was distracted by everything available. “Oh, look - “ A delighted gasp, and she let go of Hans to go and bury herself in the selection of clothes. So many choices and colors! Her fingers tenderly stroked something made of polyester...it felt strange. “There are so many things.” Certainly, there weren’t as many at the Trading Post in Arendelle. Not that Anna had much experience. Being locked away in a castle for most of her youth meant she just didn’t have much experience with anything at all.
Right, the counter. She scurried back over toward it and leaned against it, attempting to look serious with a touch of provocativeness - of course, she really didn’t know anything about that either. Her elbow knocked against a stapler, which clattered to the floor and she jumped a bit, rustling around in her large skirts to pick it up - whatever it was - and then bang, her head and its lone white streak that ran from top to bottom clashed against the bottom of the counter. That really wasn’t helping the ache. Goodness!
Clearing her throat, she smoothed the front of her skirt and collected herself. “So tell me more about this place, then. You and Elsa are in danger? What can I do?” Her tone held a tinge of protectiveness and conviction; she was a lioness who raised her chin. The cherry on top of her usual sweet ice cream. “The people here look so...odd.”
God, he’d forgotten how hyper she was. Even in a place like Marrowood, she was all energy and bounciness and smiling. And truthfully, it was an enormous breath of fresh air compared to life here; Hans found himself smiling as she started to move around the shop, disobeying his orders but doing so in a way that was inherently cute. It was obnoxious, but adorable nonetheless.
“A lot of things, yeah.” They had a decent amount of things, not that Hans could really judge the quality… just the sheer quantity. He bent down, wanting to pick up the stapler, but then she went for it and hit her head in the process and Hans just stood up, hands out, waiting for her to just stop moving. “This place is relatively safe. At least, nothing’s happened here just yet.”
And where even to begin, explaining Marrowood? “You didn’t read the note, I take it?” So like Anna to completely disregard the welcome note. Or, if she’d read it, lack all comprehension. “I don’t understand where Marrowood is, or when in time it is. But you, me, Queen Elsa, everyone else besides the shadowy, ghostly people, we’ve all been brought here against our will. There’s no escape yet. At least, nothing that we’ve found.”
Hans paused, not knowing how else to put the rest of it. “And every so often, something happens. Threats appear, clues… Things happen and people die. But a few days later, they come back. You never really know what’s going to happen next.”
When he held his hands out, Anna took them, because Hans was like an anchor - now, he steadied her so she wasn’t so uncertain. Kept her rooted in this spot so she wouldn’t get lost in her thoughts or somewhere else by herself. And also so she didn’t knock over anything else in his place of employment. “I didn’t read the note, I just headed for the door,” she said, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. Of course she did. Self-preservation wasn’t one of Anna’s strong suits. She put everyone else first, especially Elsa. She’d die for her sister, and later on, almost had - though of course she didn’t know that yet. “That all sounds…”
It sounded horrible, but she didn’t want to balk at the information. Anna was forced to take it all in though, to swallow it, more unpleasant than large horse pills and nasty cough syrup. “Well, it’ll be alright. We’ll get out of here. And I want to help…” She squeezed his hands, releasing to place hers on his waist, the cotton of his shirt pleasant under her touch when she scrunched it. “Should I just blend in like you do? I don’t want you to die, Hans, even if you...come back.” That was also bizarre to consider. “You’re not by yourself all the time, are you? We should stick together.” Maybe Anna wasn’t much to look at in terms of physical strength - her and her tiny arms and womanly curves - but she would beat the hell out of whatever threatened her loved ones with whatever was available, and go down kicking and screaming to save them.
Hans nearly -- just nearly! -- scoffed at her. Of course she just left, without even bothering to think that hey, maybe waking up in a strange place could be dangerous. Of course. Hans squeezed her hands, perhaps a bit harder than was really necessary, trying to distract himself from the complete idiocy of the situation. Just the way she talked about it made it all too clear that this wasn’t the Anna he remembered, the one who’d done incredible things to try to save her insufferable sister. It was an Anna who was still capable of all of that, certainly, but she hadn’t had reason to do so yet.
“It might be a good idea to get some different clothes, yeah.” He wouldn’t mind looking at her in the things they sold at the shop, honestly, but it was also a matter of comfort and practicality. If she needed to run, she would probably want fewer skirts. “I live in the hotel, same as you. I… think Elsa lives in it too.” He paused, wondering how best to phrase the situation without explicitly alluding to it, then added, “I think she’d rather you stick by her.”
“Don’t be silly, Hans,” Anna did scoff at him, because what was he thinking? “We’ll all stick together. Elsa too.” She wasn’t going to leave either of them to be snatched up by dangerous things in this place. They were all she had in the world, and that meant a lot. It meant she would protect them at any cost.
She studied him, the deliberate way he clenched her hands in his made her think something was amiss, and she attempted to suss it out with a sweep of baby blues over his face. But that was all. Then she simply placed a hand on his cheek, thumb rubbing over the bone in a gentle caress before both hands fell to her sides. “You’ll help me find something to wear right now?”
That was his job, helping people find clothes? Well. That was quaint. She was proud of him for expanding his horizons! “Is there...I don’t even know where to start. These - “ Fingers hooked in the belt loop of his jeans, and she yanked on his torso. “Are nice.”
“Queen Elsa and I don’t really see eye to eye.” He’d learned to drop his title, but it was still a habit to use hers. And it was only a matter of moments until Anna learned about what had happened and decided she was better off without him. Really, it was for the best for them both, even if the way she was stroking his face sort of made him think, only very briefly, that he could get used to this.
“Yes, sure. My co-worker, Lavender, would probably be better at this, but we can at least get you some pants.” Hans wondered idly if Princess Anna had ever worn pants before as he glanced down, noticing her hands on his jeans, and smirked. Well, if he only had a few more moments before this came to a halt, he may as well make the most of them while he still could.
“You like them?” he asked, his hands finding her waist and running them up and down, lightly. “Because… I’m sure we could make sure you get some too.”
Hans may have thought that his tenacious princess was a young lady who had her head filled with visions of ballgowns and plates of cream ice but not entirely so. She knew her sister, and if he and Elsa weren't seeing eye to eye then something was horribly wrong. But now wasn't the time nor the place to ask, because he obviously didn't want to tell her and was deliberately avoiding it so that it would rest upon Elsa to reveal the truth. For whatever reason. So be it, then. She'd get all pieces of the puzzle and then go from there.
"I don't have any money, obviously," she apologized, her eyes springtime sincerity. "But I can pay you back?" Bopping up on her toes, she brushed her lips over a spot on his jaw, lighter than gossamer wings, then went to go see what she could find.
Her grin would have rivaled the brightness of the moon at night as she rummaged, not really knowing what she was looking for because, no, Anna had never worn slacks before. But she managed to find something in the women's section. And a blouse, it was a sweater that looked comfortable - because she couldn't just wear these jean things with nothing over it. Before she shuffled over to the curtain to try them on, she gave Hans her back.
"You'll have to loosen the ribbons." You know, on her bodice. Normally she had an attendant for such things, but she didn't think he'd mind. Neither would she, as long as he didn't get too frisky, because inappropriate. Nevermind that she'd already planned to read every piece of bawdy literature there was to prepare for her wedding night, and subsequently never let him leave the room until she had likely rendered him comatose. She thought about these things, sometimes, on a whim. Er.
He followed her over, hands in his pockets as he watched Anna go through the things on display. "Yes, I can cover it." It was the least he could do. Once she got into something she could run in, she'd have a slightly better chance of surviving in Marrowood until someone found a way out. And in a weird way, it was sort of an opportunity for Hans to apologize for the whole 'leaving Anna for dead' thing. Maybe not really the best way to make up for it, buying some clothes, but it was... better than nothing.
Really, it was irritating that in the space of -- maybe twenty minutes? Maybe less, maybe more? -- Princess Anna had become almost endearing. It was easier to justify everything, not that Hans realized he was doing it, if he focused on how meaningless she was. He was sure that it was likely just the thrill of seeing someone from home, even if it was someone who, in his timeline, detested him. That was the only real explanation for why he grinned as he ran his fingertips over her back until he found the ribbons, loosening them just enough for her to get it off herself.
"After you try those on, I'll show you how to use the Network device. I don't know where Queen Elsa is right now, but you can use it to get into contact with her." Hans paused, wondering how much to give away, then added, "Make sure you mention that I helped you get acquainted here and that you're fine, all right? And that I didn't do anything wrong?" The last thing he wanted was an icy panic attack. Literally.