First Flake [action/backdated to the 14th]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Good morning, Paradisa! I hope those of you who reside on Floor Four don't mind a sudden drop in temperature, because it is cold today. And not just the sort of cold that comes from one too many people leaving their windows open. No, this cold -a harsh cold that usually comes with the promise of snow - seems to be coming from inside the castle, strangely enough. But what's even more strange is the ice. Ice creeping along the walls, floor, and ceiling, small tendrils snaking up and around like ivy. Follow it and one might see that it all leads to one point: the door to Room 419.

The door is closed. Locked. No amount of knocking will get a response. But if one were to press their ear to the door, if one had a fairly good sense of hearing... they might be able to pick up on the sound of breathing. The slow yet panicked breathing of someone desperately trying to calm themslves down from a possible panic attack. After some time, though, a voice can be heard from inside. The voice of a young woman, it seems.]

Calm down. Calm down... this isn't real. It's just a dream...

[And later on in the day, the ice thaws, shattering harmlessly and only leaving slightly damp walls and floors and ceilings in its wake. This is around the time the resident of Room 419 finally emerges. A young woman clad in an elegant blue dress, platinum-blonde hair tied back in a long braid, nervously looks around as she steps out into the hall, wringing her hands.]

Kai? Gerda? [The surroundings are so unfamiliar, she isn't really expecting to see her servants anywhere. But she still tries. More importantly, though, is a certain other girl's whereabouts....]

... Anna?

Comments

[lupinotuum]

[ Remus was just making his way up to his room in order to go lay down when he comes across a strange sight on the fourth floor. He pauses, pulling out his wand, before he steps out onto the hallway to investigate. Tendrils of melting ice line the walls and floor, like vines of ivy. It couldn't have been the Castle's doing, Remus was sure. A resident had to be the cause.

He steps back in surprise when the ice simply shatters suddenly, leaving the walls and floor damp in its wake. Remus reaches out to touch the wall gingerly. It had to be some sort of spell, that much was certain.

He turns when he hears the voice of a young woman only moments later, calling out to someone. Gripping his wand, he turns fully, catching a glimpse of Elsa leaving her room. She looks frightened, what with the way she wrings her hands; a gesture Remus is familiar with, surely. He calls out to her gently, not wanting to frighten her more.
(Though he'll have tough luck with that. If the bright red, jagged scars on his face from the last full moon have anything to say about it.) ]

Hello?

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa turns at the voice, and indeed, she jumps a bit in surprise at Remus's appearance. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to frighten her any more than she already seems to be, but it definitely stops the gentle tone of his voice from calming her at all.]

Who are you? [There's a slight waver to her voice as she speaks.] Are you the one that brought me here?

[lupinotuum]

[ Remus blinks and shakes his head, a soft, reassuring smile. She was obviously very new here, and still very scared. He'll keep his distance and allow her to approach on her own terms. ]

No, no. The Castle itself brought you here.
I'm Remus Lupin. Who are you?

[defyingfrigidity]

[She may be confused, uneasy, and still a bit frightened over her current situation, but all of that can't undo an entire lifetime of etiquette training. So when Remus introduces himself, Elsa inclines her back in a small bow in return.]

Queen Elsa, of Arendelle. [Her brows furrow.] I'm sorry, I think I've misheard you... don't you mean the master of this castle?

[cant_breathe_no_heir]

[Though he was not from the forth floor, Equius has still felt the disturbance in the castle. The colder drafts, the leaks from the ceiling. Something had to be the cause of it.

So the Troll made his way up the floors, glancing confusedly at the ice that had spread all over the walls. This entire place was a mess, he had to know who was responsible for it.]

You there. [He pointed a finger at Elsa, noticing as she stepped out into the hall.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa visibly jumps at the voice, turning-- and letting out a yelp of surprise, taking a few steps back. That boy's appearance...!]

Wh... what are you?!

[cant_breathe_no_heir]

[Equius frowns at the surprised woman. Had she any kind of decency? Or did people just express their surprise or fear freely where she was from? Well, she was a human.]

Hmph. Such shock. I shall have you know that I am a Troll. A Troll of noble bloodrank, thank you very much.

[Action]

[schrodingersghost]

[Most people would have bundled up little by now. Even with the ice thawed, it was still more than a little chilly on the fourth floor.

But Danny hadn't felt the cold in a long time. Not even the Far Frozen felt cold to him anymore. No, he had been perfectly comfortable all morning wandering around with no more protection than his usual short sleeved t-shirt and jeans.

That didn't mean he wasn't highly curious over the source of the new ice. He was almost entirely certain the sudden dip in temperature wasn't his fault this time.

And so when he spots the girl coming out of a room that he was mostly certain had been empty up to now? He waves at her and walks over.]

Hi there! You're new around here, right?

[defyingfrigidity]

[She can do this. She can definitely do this. Elsa has gotten herself under control, and it is a control she will keep an iron grip on no matter what.

So she still looks a bit shaken when she turns to face this strangely-dressed boy, but much less panicky than she was before.]

Where exactly is "here"?

[schrodingersghost]

Paradisa. That's the name of this castle.

[Danny shrugs.]

We're all stuck here.

Action

[sugarwaffo]

[The cold doesn't bother Sugar. While other season fairies might feel uncomfortable with the sudden chill, she was a snow fairy. She's been around snow her whole life.

The ice though does catch her interest. Was an ice fairy nearby? It might not be a snow fairy but it's been been so long since she's seen a season fairy that Sugar doesn't care. She flies quickly, following the trail of ice. The tiny fairy reaches the door just as a woman walks through it and the ice goes away. She slows down, coming to a stop in front of Elsa]

Hello! You wouldn't happen to have seen an ice fairy, would you?

[defyingfrigidity]

[Today certainly seems to be a day of shock and surprise. It's definitely taking its toll on poor Elsa's mind - she's doing all that's in her power to keep her magic at bay, and after her brief outburst earlier, it's been working. Even when this tiny being flies up to her, she just barely manages to keep herself in check.

But... the shock fades now. The surprise is still there, yes, but there's something... curious in the young woman's expression.]

A fairy? [She could lie. That would explain the ice. But she can't just make something like that up.] Um... no, I haven't.

[Her head tilts to the side a bit, and she takes a cautious step forward, a hint of a smile on her face. She's read about fairies. She still holds those memories so close to her heart; memories of reading stories about brave heroes and fantastical creatures from a large, leather-bound book, Anna tucked against her side or sprawled in her lap.] Is that what you are?

[sugarwaffo]

[Sugar has largely gotten used to the surprised expressions people seem to get around her. It seems to be the drawback to having so many humans see her. But she doesn't mind! Really she hardly notices.]

Aww... Really? [Her hat seems to droop a little. Even if they weren't close, Cinnamon would have been nice to have around. Her disappointment doesn't last long though, as she is distracted by questions to answer.]

Me? No, I'm a snow fairy!

[fuckelves]

[Thorin Oakenshield is clad in thick furs, on his way outside anyway. But even so, he feels the frigid chill brought on within the castle's walls. His brow furrows in curiosity. Cold comes from the wind outside, typically - and he's never known the castle to be so cold inside.]

[He spots the woman, who looks rather frightened. Thorin knows that look - he wore it not too long ago himself. Slowly he approaches her, hands up in an almost calming gesture.]

Are you well, lass? I do not recall seeing you before...I trust you are new to the castle?

[defyingfrigidity]

[All the others got reactions of shock, and even fear with a few of them... but now? Aside from the general unease of being in an unfamiliar place, and a brief raise of her eyebrows at the man's height... Elsa actually seems to relax the tiniest bit. Perhaps it was his manner of dress - the others she had run into were clad in such bizarre garments, but this man in his cloak and furs... he reminded her of some of the ice harvesters she would see in the markets. It was a familiar sight, and she was incredibly happy to see something familiar amidst all this strangeness.]

I... yes. I suppose so? I suddenly woke up here this morning...

[fuckelves]

[Thorin smiles softly, trying to keep her calm.]

You're not alone. We all started that way - you're in the Castle Paradisa, m'lady.

[He gestures to himself, massive fist pressing to broad, strong chest.]

I am Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain. Might I ask your name, m'lady?

Action forever I TOLD YOU I'D DO IT

[indirectcause]

[Ben steps out into his hallway, mostly to try and find out exactly why there are icicles starting to form at the bottom of his door. What he finds is what looks to be a highly elaborate prank]

What the fuck? It's making it snow indoors now?

[And out he steps, his foot going out from under him on the sleek ice of the floor. Shrieking, he careens into Elsa's door. That would be a loud THUD on the other side, girl]

Ow.

AHAHA WONDERFUL

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa lets out a yelp of surprise at the sudden THUD. Luckily that managed to snap her out of her inner turmoil, so the flakes that had been falling inside of her room quickly stopped. She makes her way to the door quickly, opening it and-- oh geez, no.]

Oh...! [She crouches down, reaching out but not quite touching the strangely-dressed boy's shoulder.] Are you all right?

[indirectcause]

[Ben pulls himself up with a groan, feet slipping a few more times before he finds the traction to at least sit down]

I'll live, just whacked my head is all. [He'll offer her a small smile, he doesn't recognise her, but he's not exactly the most sociable person ever] Wasn't expecting all the ice. Guess the castle's up to some weird shit again.

[fantasies]

[Henry doesn't spend a lot of time in his room; he hasn't actually slept there in over a year. But sometimes he keeps things there, or takes Bandit there to play, so it's a coincidence that he'd stopped by that morning.

The swath of ice directly across the hall catches him off guard, and his shoes squeak and slide on the ground as he hurries out the door.]

Whoa!

[He slips, arms windmilling, and falls hard on his butt on the ground. Bandit starts to bark, noisy and aggressive, nosing around Henry's shoulders and bouncing near the door.]

Hey, hey, hey! It's okay, I'm okay. Shhh, Bandit!

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa isn't so lost in getting a grip on herself that she's tuned everything else out, so she doesn't miss the sound of a young boy falling and a dog barking. The door opens, and Elsa looks out, immediately noticing Henry. She approaches, but slowly, to not try and spook the dog.]

Hey... do you need help?

[fantasies]

[Henry wobbles to his feet, wincing and rubbing his lower back a little.]

No, I'm okay. He just freaks out sometimes. [He reaches out to stroke Bandit's head, while the wolfhound steps around him protectively.] Hey, see, it's fine.

[Then he looks up to smile at Elsa.]

Sorry. It did this last year. [He gestures at the ice around his feet.] I didn't think it'd do it again.

afternoon action of the late

[wishmadeinfire]

<sub>[ It was the last name he heard, coming up the hall, and the tone within it. Either someone was missing, or someone was new.

He turned towards it, walking down the hall in long robes of red, white, and gold, stitched with sun rays and some sort of flower. It might be winter, but Ashura enjoyed summer more than anything, so every now and then he put on winter robes made to encourage that particular season its hasty return. Black hair was bound him behind his head and pinned with rubies carved like little flames.

Seeing Elsa, he smiled softly with golden eyes, looking down a bit from his six foot height. ]</sub>

Are you looking for someone, miss?

[defyingfrigidity]

[If Elsa had been in a more calm state of mind, she might have laughed at the harsh contrast between her and this new person approaching her. Elsa, in pale blues and white and snowflakes, and this unknown person, with reds and oranges and flames. But she's still too focused on more important matters to pick up on it.]

Yes, I... [She doesn't even know if Anna is here or not. A part of her wishes she was, because then she wouldn't be alone. But the more reasonable (and thankfully louder) part of her hopes that she isn't. Not just for Anna's sake, but... for Arendelle's too. What would happen to her kingdom if it lost its Queen and Princess?]

Have you seen a girl with red hair and freckles anywhere within this castle? She has blue eyes, and goes by the name Anna.

[wishmadeinfire]

_{[ He listened quietly as she described the girl, his brow puckering as he tried to recall those he had met, even in passing. He knew some red heads here, some better than others, but not one named Anna. He shook his head sadly, ears glittering as rubies and gold flashed on the long organs. ]}

Sadly, no, I have not seen her or anyone to that description. Was she with you just now?

_{[ It was not uncommon for the disappearances to occur suddenly and with no warning, and for appearances to be just the same… ]}