ELSA

[chanteuser]

Comments

[chanteuser]

[ that does not feel like a "fine". ]

Elsa... [ ... ] There's nothing wrong with asking. If this is about what we were talking about before, I'm the one who should've been more careful about what I was sharing.

I just didn't think, and shared something that wasn't really mine to share. That's my fault, not yours.

[showyourself]

[she's actively moving away from alex, to get out of the emotion sharing space—moving over to a sink in the corner without fully looking at her.]

It's not--Alex, it's fine. Really. [she downs the remains of the cup in a gulp, and starts industriously washing it. if alex gets any closer, and re-enters her emotionshare field (while subsequently trapping her in the kitchen corner), she'll definitely feel that, whatever emotions just got sat on and compressed? are leaking out, just a bit.]

[chanteuser]

[ ... alex lets elsa keep her distance, for... well. it seems like safety, on elsa's end. she doesn't push that. ]

No it's not. [ it's said softly though. ] I'm not going to push you, but... if you're worried you did something wrong, or I'm annoyed, I'm not, and you didn't.

[showyourself]

[elsa gives her a wary look—then looks back down at the mug, washing it... well, it's already clean, probably.

...

it's a long moment before she finally responds.]

Sorry.

I'm not great at...[she shakes her head, and tries again.] I don't... always know what to do when I... mess things up.

[chanteuser]

[ ... ]

[ hm ]

Sometimes I feel like I'm always messing up without even trying. Honestly, I wouldn't say that was a mess up on your part -- I was the one who said something I shouldn't have.

That was all.

[showyourself]

I shouldn't have pressed in the first place. I...

[she sighs.]

I want so badly to do what I can. To try and... get along with everyone. But sometimes, when I stumble, I just... regress.

[chanteuser]

It'd be nice if it was easy to get along and be helpful without bumps in the road. [ she's still keeping her distance, so elsa doesn't feel uncomfortable. ]

And you don't find out things if you don't ask, or be curious. I don't think people can be mad at you for asking things? Or, they shouldn't be.

[showyourself]

[...

she shakes her head again.]

I don't know. Sometimes, I don't worry about it at all. But other times, I can't help but feel... well, lost.

...I guess everyone is feeling that right now, though. I don't really have any reason to complain.

[chanteuser]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with talking about it.

It’s not like we have a measurement system... “you must be this upset to be allowed to complain about it today”, or anything.

This is all a lot, and we’re all equipped to deal with it differently.

[showyourself]

That's true. [she'll concede that much—and then laughs, suddenly, wrly.]

I guess it just comes down to my people skills, then.

[chanteuser]

[ ain't that the truth, elsa. ]

At least that's something you can kinda learn with time. I don't think I'm great at dealing with people a lot of the time myself, but... my job's public facing so that's one way to force me to learn.

[showyourself]

My job used to be... public facing. But now it's more, um.

Remote.

[chanteuser]

Do you prefer it this way?

[showyourself]

[she nods.]

What I do now suits me more—a lot more, I think. I still have people I live among, but... it's a different kind of role.

This whole place has really thrown me for a loop.

[chanteuser]

It has done a great job of jarring us all out of whatever was happening beforehand, huh?

[ ... what was happening before she came here anyway? she'd been in the apartment and then...? ]

[showyourself]

Yeah. One moment, I was riding the Nokk, and the next... [she shrugs, hunching her shoulders up. who! knows!!]

...The fact that we've all adapted so quickly is... well, I guess it's very human, wouldn't you say?

[chanteuser]

The what? [ Nokk? ]

... Well, we have to be good for something, right? We might not be the strongest or smartest, but we adapt well.

[showyourself]

The Nokk. They're the physical embodiment of the elemental spirit of water. [pause;] In the shape of a horse.

...I guess if I can adapt to that, we can adapt to anything...

[chanteuser]

[ ... elsa that sure is a thing you just said. alex just sort of blinds. and nods.

water horse. ]

I'd say so.

[showyourself]

[it's hard to miss alex's expression—and she laughs a little.]

I know, I know. It sounds a little... strange. But it's really nice. [beat;] Once he's calmed down. [and not trying to actively DROWN her]

[chanteuser]

And when he hasn't calmed down...?

[showyourself]

Oh.

Well.

[. . .]

That was just the once, and he had good reason to be upset.

[ELSA?]

[chanteuser]

[ ??? ]

Just the once, huh?

[showyourself]

Yes. Um. He did try to drown me, but I suppose I... helped him to see my point of view.

[chanteuser]

...




...

Can we go back to the bit where a water spirit tried to drown you because that's pretty concerning, Elsa.