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#broken bridge
mothwantstoswim · 4 months
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I’m playing Journey again. I forgot how wonderful it is. It speaks directly to the soul..
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thefandomcassandra · 9 months
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Broken Bridge (3/5): Your Eyes on Mine
They say that grief is a wrecking ball. That grief takes the breath out of your lungs and the strength out of your limbs and the will to live out of your very soul. In that moment, a large piece of Helmut Fullbear dies. With the passing of Bob Zanotto, the only light in Helmut’s life goes out.
(Razputin Aquato enters the mind of Helmut Fullbear to help him process his grief and to get his assistance in helping stop the return of Maligula. It doesn't hurt that his husband isn't...dead, per se. The hard part is convincing him of that fact.)
Helmut knows how this goes. It replays in his dreams every night. He's memorized every line down to the stage directions, the well worn script a hell of his own making.
After all: the man who let his husband die doesn't deserve restful sleep.
Everything about her is different. From how she holds herself to the way the water whips around her—no longer a partner in crime, but a beast that needed to be leashed before it could do anything other than bite the hand that feeds—there isn't a trace of their Lucrecia to be seen. Sharp and cloaked in fine furs, the malignant Maligula is a far cry from the threadbare but beloved Lucrecia they'd last seen. Instead, the Minister of War, the Lapdog for the Maliks, the Deluge of Grulovia, Maligula stands opposite them, her teeth bared in a derisive sneer. She is ready to kill them. She is willing to kill them.
At her side is the little red-eyed Alp. They barely come up to her knee, comically small in comparison. As they look back and forth between her and the rest of them, the Alp seems to remember something.
They reach up and tug on her coat to get her attention. When she bends down to hear them out, they whisper something, mouth and intentions hidden behind their hand. She laughs at whatever they say and waves a hand at them as she straightens back up. A beat later, she turns her full attention back to her foes.
Her grin lights Cheshire against the curtain blue sky, wicked sharp with ill intent. The presence of the Alp does little to change the mood of the scene—dour and tense as sandbag ropes. "Ah, my so-called friends!"
"We are your friends, Lucy!" Ford cries out. Doesn't he know that this is a futile effort? Doesn't he know that he can't save her? Doesn't he know that nothing good will come from him trying to redeem her?
(He's out of line, out of order, but that's become the norm. The little nightmare has forced rewrite after rewrite, each version worse than the last in different, horrifying ways.)
(At least it's something new.)
"Are you truly?" She cocks her head, sharp eyes scanning everyone. Otto, with his deus ex machina, is the only one she lingers on. Maligula eyes him with calculated hunger, as if feeding him and his ideas to her snakes would help her cause.
(Does she know about the Hyperhyglaciator? Is that why she's bothering with Otto this run?)
"Of course!" Ford pleads with her, everyone else only background to his moment. "We've always been your friends! If you would just let us help—"
That was a mistake.
Read the Rest on AO3
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lagroupie · 28 days
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Broken Bridge @ Gaswerk, Winterthur, 23.02.2024
Lots of fun last Friday! My friends from #brokenbridge brought me along with them again for their second show at Gaswerk in Winterthur supporting Däächt and Bikini Beach, and it was so much fun! Here are a few photos I took during the show. Thank you so much Broken Bridge! I shot those photos with my Nikon!
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samaya-samachar · 2 years
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पुल भत्कँदा आवतजावतमा सास्ती
Torture over bridge collapse
अविरल वर्षासँगै आएको बाढीले लुङ्ग्री गाउँपालिकास्थित वोज्याङखोलामा पुल भत्कँदा आवतजावतमा स्थानीयवासीलाई सास्ती भएको छ । लुङ्ग्री–१ र ५ को सिमानामा पर्नेे सो पुल तीन वर्षअघि निर्माण गरिएको थियो । गत मङ्गलबार राति परेको अविलरल वर्षापछि आएको बाढीले पुल बगाएको थियो । अहिलेसम्म पुल मर्मतसम्भार हुन नसक्दा स्थानीयलाई आवतजावतमा सास्ती भएको हो । सोही बाटो हँुदै लुङ्ग्रीका विभिन्न वडा र सदरमुकाम लिवाङ…
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itstacharya · 2 years
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पुल भत्कँदा आवतजावतमा सास्ती
Torture over bridge collapse
अविरल वर्षासँगै आएको बाढीले लुङ्ग्री गाउँपालिकास्थित वोज्याङखोलामा पुल भत्कँदा आवतजावतमा स्थानीयवासीलाई सास्ती भएको छ । लुङ्ग्री–१ र ५ को सिमानामा पर्नेे सो पुल तीन वर्षअघि निर्माण गरिएको थियो । गत मङ्गलबार राति परेको अविलरल वर्षापछि आएको बाढीले पुल बगाएको थियो । अहिलेसम्म पुल मर्मतसम्भार हुन नसक्दा स्थानीयलाई आवतजावतमा सास्ती भएको हो । सोही बाटो हँुदै लुङ्ग्रीका विभिन्न वडा र सदरमुकाम लिवाङ…
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wixhing0nastar · 1 year
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Real talk though? It makes so much sense for Blake to be into Yang’s kinda awkward attempts at flirting.
Cuz like... “You’ve got a really good... brain.” Yes, it’s dorky and not eloquent like... at all, but it’s also sweet and so, so sincere. Yang likes Blake so much she can barely string a sentence together around her when they’re flirting. And when she does you know it’s just the most unfiltered thing ever.
Which for Blake has do be so comforting. Like, she spent her preteens/teens being groomed and manipulated by someone who was good with words. Who used them to “get in [her] head and make [her] feel small.” and left her feeling like a hollow shell of a person.
So Yang being super awkward and genuine about her feelings? Her constantly building Blake up through her words and actions even if she’s a huge dork about it cuz she has no idea what she's doing?
How could Blake not be into that?
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papa-evershed · 27 days
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Rob James-Collier as Martin Evershed ACKLEY BRIDGE
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homiu-l · 1 year
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The Broken Bridge
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kiwioala · 4 months
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BAGI SHOWED OFF HER DRILL AND EMPANADA SAID THEY SHOULD DRILL CELLBIT'S BRIDGE LMFAOO
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hauntingblue · 2 years
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On my third watch I realize that this is the same bridge
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thefandomcassandra · 9 months
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Broken Bridge (4/5): Gotta Stay Asleep
They say that grief is a wrecking ball. That grief takes the breath out of your lungs and the strength out of your limbs and the will to live out of your very soul. In that moment, a large piece of Helmut Fullbear dies. With the passing of Bob Zanotto, the only light in Helmut’s life goes out.
(Razputin Aquato enters the mind of Helmut Fullbear to help him process his grief and to get his assistance in helping stop the return of Maligula. It doesn't hurt that his husband isn't...dead, per se. The hard part is convincing him of that fact.)
Helmut knows how this goes. It replays in his dreams every night. After all: the man who let his husband die doesn't deserve restful sleep.
Still, with every perverse iteration—caused by the intrusive Alp pushing further and further in—he is less and less sure that the first script was the best script. Maybe the little nightmare is trying to help with rewrites. Maybe they are also fucking it up as they go, so he shouldn't be so damn hard on them.
(They're intrusive. They aren't wanted. They're hurting Helmut!)
(Not like he wasn't hurting himself.)
Helping Maligula, helping them, standing back and doing nothing, trying to introduce themself as if they were an excited fan, trying to take matters into their own hands. What motivates them? What is their drive? What purpose do they serve? Are they there to make Helmut doubt himself?
Without even being aware of it, moving on autopilot as he acts out every moment of this farcical tragedy, Helmut has managed to connect to everyone without noticing. At the corner of his psychic reach, in his periphery, Otto is taut and tense, high pitched red and yellow caution tape and stop signs. Helmut sends out a probing questioning feeling and Otto just responds with a flat feeling of 'don't bother'.
Not anger but frustration. Worrying but no more or less irritable than Otto usually is. That is, until a stray thought ekes through the line.
I don't know if this will help or not but it can't hurt to try, can it?
Ice rips through Helmut's veins. Irritation and fear chokes his throat. The Alp. What the hell are they doing?
Otto jumps, as if that thought has managed to rip through to him. He looks at Helmut with a furrowed brow and tilts his head. Are you okay Helmut?
Hm? Yes. A lie. Are you?
I will be soon. Bitter, terse, sardonic. Good old Otto.
Read the Rest on AO3
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lagroupie · 1 year
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Broken Bridge @ Rock in Mathod, VD, 12.11.2022
My friends from Broken Bridge brought me along once again, this time to take pictures of their show at the little festival Rock in Mathod! They managed to get the moshpit started, even in this small village! Merci Broken Bridge!
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Chapter 77 - Mari's burden
Links: Chapter overview, Character list, Map, Glossar Rating: M over all Publishing cycle: around every 2-3 weeks
Remarks: all my chapters contain carefully selected music tracks (try to use headphones). It’s your own decision if you want to use them or not while reading. The purpose is to musically support the respective mood of the plot. If you can please use a browser for reading (not the Tumblr app) due to the text formatting and music.
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While Elin was still sleeping soundly in her new cot, holding her doll close to her, Halima and Mattias set off for the orphanage. They had told her the previous evening that they would both be out of the house for about two hours in the morning and then go to school together. At least if Elin finally agreed. But the little girl was overjoyed with her new room and had hugged them both tightly after looking around and curiously touching many of the things here.
          As usual, a few children were playing outside the orphanage when the general entered with his fiancée, who was hitched to him, and headed straight for the matron's office. Liv was sitting at her desk, engrossed in reading some documents.
          Mattias cleared his throat discreetly after they had both stood there waiting for a few seconds. Liv raised her head and smiled at them.
          “Hello, Halima … General Mattias. I wasn't expecting you two today and thought you might be coming to story time with Elin on Friday.”
          “Hello, Liv,” Halima began, “We're here because there's news—,” “—and we want to sign the adoption documents,” Mattias continued. “Good morning, Liv.”
          Liv looked a little surprised at first, but then smiled again, this time beaming with joy.
          “I knew you'd love the little one from the start, but please have a seat.” Liv made an inviting gesture to the two chairs in front of her table. “I'm so glad that you want to adopt her now and, as I've already heard in town, you've become very good new parents for her and Elin feels very comfortable with you.”
          “Yes, indeed she does. Even in the bakery, people ask me about her from time to time and what nice things I'm planning to do with her that day. Mr. Oddvar is always happy to see her when she comes to his library with Olaf.”
          Then Halima began to talk about everything she had already discussed with Mattias and that they were going to visit the school with her today.
          “Oh, I'm sure she'll feel very comfortable there soon, you two shouldn't worry about that. But I hope the first impression today will make Elin curious and she'll agree,” Liv replied.
          “We hope so too, but we think this step is simply necessary now and we both, Destin and I, have to work during the day,” Halima explained. “Once she's settled in and maybe even made some new friends, things will be a lot easier for all of us.”
          Liv nodded, “That's true, especially after you two get married. Has the date been set yet?”
          Halima and Mattias looked at each other and he took her hand. “Next year, Liv, after the queen's official wedding. Maybe a week or so after that. We'll see … won't you, darling?”
          “I wish you the best of luck! Now, shall we all get down to business and sign the document?”
~~~
When they both returned to Halima's house, Elin was already awake, sitting outside on the steps to the open front door and taking a hearty bite of a large apple.
          “Hello, Elin, here we are again,” Halima called, waving, and the little girl immediately got up to run towards her.
          “And we have very good news, Elin,” Mattias added as Halima hugged her, waving a sheet of parchment in front of her.
          Elin looked up. “What is it?”
          “We became your new parents this morning when we signed the adoption contract at Liv's earlier,” Mattias replied, “and it's official, little one!”
          Halima knelt down in front of Elin and looked her lovingly in the eyes. “Hello, my dear and clever daughter, you can finally call us Mama and Papa!”
          Elin's face lit up and Halima gave her a kiss on the cheek. When Mattias knelt down and stroked her hair tenderly, the girl hugged them both.
          “I'm so happy…” She looked them both lovingly in the eyes in turn. “… Mama and Papa!”
~~~
On the way to the harbour, Elin ate the rest of the apple and looked at her mother, wondering what she should do with the rest. She didn't dare just throw the apple core on the street, because the little girl hadn't missed the fact that the whole town was always so clean and, apart from horse manure, there was never anything lying around.
          “Give me that, Elin, we can throw the rest of the apple in the grass over there, I'm sure it will rot very quickly. But you took good care, I'm proud of you,” said Halima.
          “Who actually cleans up everything that the horses drop?” asked Elin as she placed the core house in her open hand.
          “There are people whose job it is to keep everything in the city clean,” she replied. “Every morning, these people drive through the streets with a cart and collect these horse apples. That's what the previous king and queen decided back then.”
          “Horses … apples?” Elin asked in astonishment.
          “Agnarr ordered that back then, Halima?” asked Mattias afterwards.
          “The horses' manure is called that, my dear Elin. By the way, even I sometimes collect it from the street as fertiliser for my cold frames in the garden,” she replied, leaning down to Elin with a smile, then turned to Mattias, “I think that was more Queen Iduna's decision, Destin. ”
          They both nodded thoughtfully.
          Then they reached the junction to the school and could already hear the laughter of the children playing on the small arched bridge, trying to catch a fish with a thin rope and a hook. They didn't pay any attention to Elin, they were so busy, but Elin watched the children playing all the more. She looked at them curiously as they walked past until they entered the classroom.
          The teacher was sitting at her desk in front of a large blackboard on the wall behind her and there were low tables with a chair in front of them all around the room. On each one were a few books, sheets of paper and writing utensils. On the walls were colourful drawings and various other illustrations. Elin looked around curiously and leafed through one of these books while her parents went to the teacher and spoke to her.
          “Elin, will you come here? The teacher would like to meet you,” Halima called out after a while.
          Elin closed the book and walked slowly to the front. She and the teacher, who was still quite young and pretty too, as Elin thought, looked at each other curiously until the girl stopped in front of the table.
          “Hello, Elin, I'm Mrs Halverson and I'm the teacher at this school,” she greeted and Elin returned a somewhat shy 'hello'.
          Mrs Halverson smiled and said, “You don't need to be afraid, Elin. Your adoptive parents told me you came from the orphanage and would like to go to school? Well, I'm very happy about that and I'm sure the other children will be too, when they have a new playmate and can learn together with her. At the moment there's a break before lessons start, but of course you don't have to decide straight away. Or you could just sit over there by the window and listen to everything. Well, what do you think?”
          Elin didn't say anything back and instead looked up questioningly at Halima, who put a hand on her shoulder encouragingly. “Answer the teacher yourself, Elin.”
          “Well … I'm curious, but I'd like my parents to stay there too. Is that possible?”
          “Well, normally parents aren't allowed to be here during lessons, Elin. Hmm … Could you leave us alone for a few minutes? You can go outside and watch the other children while we talk, yes?”
          Elin nodded and strolled towards the entrance.
          When she was gone, Mrs Halverson asked about her background, her age and whether she could read and write. Halima and Mattias took it in turns to tell her everything in brief, as they didn't want to keep the little girl waiting too long. Besides, the lesson would start in a quarter of an hour. Mrs Halverson was moved by Elin's story and promised to take good care of her if she became her new pupil.
          Halima then brought the girl back and teacher Halverson suggested that she should sit at the last table by the window. From there, she would certainly get a better impression of everything if she simply pretended to be part of the class. Mrs Halverson would explain it to the students and was very curious to see everyone's reactions.
          When Elin had taken her seat, Halima and Mattias stood next to her for a moment before they were about to leave.
          “Elin, we'll stay close by and have a coffee at Oakens near the harbour. Afterwards, we'll pick you up again in an hour or so, all right? You really don't need to be afraid if you're here on your own for a while. I'm sure it will be very interesting and you don't have to take part in the lessons yourself yet, just watch and listen,” said Halima
          “But you have to promise me one thing, my little girl,” Mattias added and laughed. “Try to have fun!”
          Elin nodded several times, said “I will!” and waved to them as they disappeared through the entrance. Shortly afterwards, a bell rang somewhere and one by one many children poured in. They all eyed the new pupil curiously before sitting down at their desks after greeting the teacher and opening the chapter in their books announced by Mrs Halverson. Elin also had one on her table and followed the example of the others.
          And so began Elin's first trial school day.
~~~
Kristoff enjoyed the voyage on the Draba, especially looking after Sven, who was a little nervous about taking a long sea voyage on rough seas for the first time. Kristoff wondered what Anna was doing right now, and he bet that with winter approaching and the annual events in Arendelle at this time of year, she might be planning the upcoming competitions in the capital. He thought back to his ice carving competition with Anna and Elsa, and then a brilliant idea suddenly came to his mind as he remembered his conversation with Anna under the old willow tree before they unleashed their deepest passion.
          She had told him what King Agnarr did to propose to his loved girl, Iduna, presenting her with a self-carved love spoon. Kristoff was a little sad because he had missed the opportunity to do the same for Anna because of the emergency wedding a few days ago. It was a little late, of course, but as a special gift it would still make Anna very happy; he thought, so better late than never. He could carve it now, here on the ship, right now!
          He grinned. All he needed now was a piece of wood and that was certainly available from one of the carpenters here on the ship. He had his jackknife in his boot and two days at sea should be enough to make the spoon. Actually, twice as many days, because the return journey was still ahead of him; he corrected himself.
          “Sven, I'm just going below deck to see one of the carpenters. I've just had a great idea for a present for Anna. I'll be right back.”
          Sven looked after him and then put his head back on his front legs to continue dozing.
          The carpenter was a little taken aback by Kristoff's desire, but he couldn't refuse His Highness such a request. So he sawed off a suitably large piece from one of the spare beams intended for the mizzen boom and handed it to Kristoff.
          Back on deck, Kristoff visualised the shape and immediately began to carve the first rough outlines on the wood. Not so easy when you've never done anything like this before; he mused, but he was confident and preferred to work slowly and accurately.
          Kristoff was so focussed on his work that he didn't even notice the tip of his tongue playing at the corner of his mouth, causing one of the sailors walking past to grin broadly.
~~~
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At the same time, on an Arendelle road …
          Elsa, Anna and Mari were sitting in a royal carriage on the way to the royal Summerhus, where the two sisters had spent many summers with their parents when they were young. It was Anna who had made the suggestion and Elsa had enthusiastically agreed. Mari was to be one of the few people outside the royal family ever to be invited there today and she was very honoured accordingly.
          “We've never picked mushrooms there before, but if my memory serves me right, the woods there were full of them,” Anna said, explaining her choice of picking location.
          “Yes, I think you're right. Mama and Papa have certainly collected mushrooms there too, I'm almost sure of it,” said Elsa, trying to remember how they used to play explorers with Anna in the big forest, at some point convinced they were lost and then climbed a tree to find their bearings. In the end, they saw their parents sitting in the grass of a large meadow just a stone's throw away, having a picnic. Elsa had to giggle as she recalled this scene.
          “What are you laughing about?” asked Anna, “I want to be able to laugh with you.”
          Elsa told her and Anna grinned. “Oh yes, it was funny how surprised we were back then, thinking we'd never find our way back.”
          “I was afraid that our parents would be angry with us if they had to look for us.”
          “Maybe even in the middle of the night,” Anna imagined and Elsa nodded.
          Mari hadn't said much so far and the sisters realised this almost simultaneously. They both looked at her, who was looking out of the carriage window opposite them, but her gaze revealed that she wasn't looking at the passing scenery, but seemed to be somewhere else entirely, thinking about something that was perturbing her a lot.
          “Are you all right, Mari? You look so … I don't know … almost scared?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
          Mari's head jerked to the side and she looked clearly caught off guard.
          Now Elsa was worried too. “You do have something, Mari,” she said with her eyebrows furrowed and leant forward a little. “It's plain to see.”
          Mari looked at them both in turn and then sighed, “Yes, it's true. I'm actually very worried and even very terrified about it.”
          “What is it that worries you so much?” Elsa asked curiously and Anna added, “Is there anything we can do to help?”
          “I don't think so and that really annoys me, because I'm probably all alone with this problem and no one is able to help me out of it. A miracle would have to happen!”
          “So now you've really unsettled us both. Do you want to talk about it or at least hint at what it's all about?” Elsa asked with a worried undertone and gently placed a hand on Mari's knee opposite her.
          She looked at her seriously, determined to help in whatever way she could, because Mari was a good friend to both of them. Anna in particular was very close to her, who now had an equally serious expression on her face and, listening attentively, waited for Mari's explanation.
          “All right … I'll tell you, but please take this seriously, because that's what it is for me and it really isn't a joke.” Mari had to swallow before she continued with quivering lips. “Father wants me to…,” she had to pause for a moment because her emotions were starting to boil up again. She took a deep breath and then spilled the beans. “Father wants to marry me off … to some prince or other profitable suitor.”
          “Wait, what?” Anna blurted out, completely taken aback, and Elsa's mouth fell open.
          “Yes, it's true. As princess, I am the heir to the throne and therefore obliged to act for the good of the kingdom and … its profit,” she spat out the last word, “to take a prince from another kingdom as my husband. Father is firmly convinced that Vesterland needs a male heir to the throne after me. And I … shall bear him.”
          The sisters were too perplexed and shocked to answer immediately. Instead, they could only stare at Mari.
          “Does she really have to, Elsa?” Anna asked, looking helplessly at her sister.
          “I don't know, Anna, I'd say other kingdoms, other rules … maybe.”
          “But that's so unfair,” said Anna, shaking her head in a tone of conviction.
          “Yes, exactly, I think so too, Anna! Just because Father thinks he can decide that just like that … without any warning. We're not living in the days of the founding fathers, are we?” Mari replied, a tear rolling down her cheek.
          Anna immediately sat down next to her, gave her a comforting hug and looked over at Elsa. “There just has to be a solution, doesn't there, sis?”
          “Who does your father have in mind? Which prince from which kingdom?” Elsa asked instead.
          “I don't know his name and I don't know what he looks like. All I know is that it's probably a powerful kingdom and he's one of thirteen heirs,” Mari replied.
          The sisters froze and Mari could feel it clearly in Anna's suddenly tense hand on her shoulder. Mari looked at her shocked face.
          “What…?” she asked.
          “The southern isles … a Westergaard!” Anna then blurted out. “Oh my God!”
          Elsa's features had hardened at Mari's revelation and she pinched her lips together until they were just a line.
          “We will seek and find a solution, Mari, be sure! Having a Westergaard prince in the immediate vicinity of Arendelle as the new king of Vesterland is simply unacceptable! We have a say in that too,” said Elsa quietly, but with deep conviction.
          “If it's Hans, then even more so …,” Anna murmured quietly with her head bowed.
          “Hans? You know one of them, Anna?” Mari asked in astonishment, wiping a tear from her face.
          “Oh yes, Mari, we both know him. Four and a half years ago, he wanted to kill us and take the throne of Arendelle by himself!” Elsa replied angrily.
          “He almost succeeded,” added Anna.
          “Hans was thrown into the brig of the next ship after his failed coup and banished from Arendelle. Since then, we have severed all trade relations with the southern isles. Perhaps I should have let him freeze into a block of ice back then …”
          “But then there would have been war, sis. No matter what he tried to do to us,” Anna replied and Elsa nodded.
          Mari had looked open-mouthed at both of them in turn and was more than just amazed at how much the sisters had to say about it and what a terrible experience they'd had.
          “You can't trust a Westergaard, Mari, and we'll do everything in our power to convince your father and put a little pressure on him if necessary. But either way, I hope there is another way to convince King Jonas not to inflict such a fate on you. I'll look into it and investigate as soon as we get back to the castle tonight. I promise, Mari!”
          “And I'll help you with that, Elsa,” Anna said firmly, planting a fist in her side.
          “Thank you both. But now tell me what happened back then. I want to know everything!” said Mari and grabbed the sisters' hands.
~~~
As promised, Mattias and Halima picked Elin up from school an hour later.
          “So, how was the class, little girl? Did you like it?” asked Mattias, after taking one of Elin's hands and Halima's other to walk the girl home between them.
          “Yes, it was very interesting and I had a lot of fun. The other children have … homework from Miss Halverson and they have to draw a picture at home until next time.”
          “Oh, that makes me very happy, Elin,” Halima said with a smile and gave Mattias a meaningful sideways glance. “What kind of picture do you want it to be?”
          “How we imagine the future. I also got a note for you from the teacher,” Elin replied, briefly letting go of her new dad's hand and pulling a folded piece of paper out of the sleeve of her dress to give to Halima. She then took Mattia's hand again and smiled. “I want you to get me some things.”
          “Wait, does that mean you've decided to go to school now?” he asked in amazement.
          “Yes, I think so. The other children have been friendly to me too and some around me have even whispered curious questions to me during lessons about who I am and stuff.”
          Halima smiled broadly and Mattias nodded in approval. “See, I told you, it's all half as bad. I'm happy for you.”
          “And so am I,” Halima added and they both felt the girl's handshake increase in wordless acknowledgement, while Elin again made little leaps of joy between them.
~~~
Once everyone was home, they explained to the girl that they both had to work now, but would be back in the late afternoon. At least Halima would. Mattias reckoned it would be a longer day, but promised to be back for dinner at the latest.
          Elin had no problem with this and hurried to her room to start on the mentioned painting straight away.
          Halima and Mattias briefly discussed who would get the school supplies on the note and then they said goodbye with a kiss and a happy hug over Elin's decision.
          While Halima made a small diversions to run errands before starting her workday at Hudson's Hearth, Mattias headed to the castle. Today he wanted to organise the arrests of the three war criminals. He hoped that they had not yet suspected anything and that the witness was safe, as Fabian had assured him.
          They'll make eyes at him, he thought to himself as he crossed the castle bridge.
          Shortly afterwards, Captain Einar was briefed and three teams of guards were formed to arrest all three simultaneously if possible. One of them was to find out the whereabouts of each of them unnoticed before they struck.
          It ended up being easier than expected, as all three war criminals were sitting together in a tavern having lunch.
~~~
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“What do you mean it's going to be cramped in the dungeon now?” Mattias asked the captain after his comment. “Surely there's enough room for three people, even if not too much.”
          “Four, General, we've already had a suspect in there for five days who is under interrogation on suspicion of aiding and abetting treason.”
          “Another one? Why don't I know anything about this? Who is it?”
          Einar explained to him and also that unfortunately nothing could be proven against him so far. “I want to soften him up and put him under pressure,” he added. “I have strong doubts about his excuses so far and he's very cunning in proclaiming his innocence.”
          “I see,” Mattias mused. “Perhaps that will help when Monrad's brother Albert realises what company he suddenly finds himself in in the small cell. An innocent man would protest and want out immediately. But if he is guilty and the accusations against him are correct, then perhaps he will chat, because he is likely to feel quite uncomfortable in the presence of three soldiers of the Crown. They are facing trial and have nothing to lose now. For their loyalty to the royal house, the three of them even walked over a dead body by executing the enemy in the most brutal manner.”
          “Perhaps the guard who brings Albert his food every day should drop a note to that effect,” mused Einar.
          “Excellent idea and definitely worth a try, Captain Einar. That's how we do it.”
~~~
“Lunch, prisoner!” said one of the two guards to Monrad's brother after the other had loudly unlocked the door to the cell and was now holding it wide open for him.
          He placed the tray next to the prisoner on the cot and Albert once again wrinkled his nose at the sight. The food wasn't bad, but it was very simple and lovelessly prepared. He knew Olina's cooking skills from his visits during the wine delivery and the tasting by Kai. But the dish on the tray had definitely been prepared by someone else and was not at all to Albert's discerning palate.
          “You'll have high-ranking company today, Albert, and you'll have to make some room, because there are three soldiers of the crown and even a veteran officer among them,” the guard remarked, grinning mischievously.
          “What are they being accused of?” Albert asked, seemingly calmly and with an inconspicuous expression on his face, but a slight panic rose up inside him. Was this a dirty trick by Einar? For the life of him, Albert couldn't imagine why these three and an officer among them would end up with him in the dungeon.
          “What are they accused of? Phew … they're here for a war crime. They allegedly brutally tortured an enemy at the Misty Pass and then hung him from a tree until he was dead. They're not to be trifled with if that's true, that's for sure. You'd better eat up quickly, because they're about to be brought down.”
          The guard made room for a third guard, who manoeuvred another cot in, then loudly slammed it on the floor and kicked it against the wall before leaving the cell again with an annoyed look on his face. Albert swallowed and could only stare in bewilderment.
          “Have fun,” the guard said with a grin as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.
          He was now alone again, but he had lost his appetite after this announcement. If this guy told the three new arrivals that he was here on suspicion of aiding and abetting treason, then his worries were justified. The colour slowly drained from his face.
~~~
Kristoff's stomach rebelled when, unexpectedly for him, the Draba ran into rapidly increasing, heavy swells near the dark sea. The ship swayed and plunged in and out of wave troughs at steep angles. Spray splashed over the railing, submerging the entire deck in a matter of seconds. It wasn't a real thunderstorm, but the wind and the whipped-up waves were still strong enough to frighten an inexperienced passenger.
          The sailors had their hands full lashing the equipment to the deck, adjusting the rigging to the weather conditions and holding on tight so that they weren't washed overboard. It was enough to make you sick just watching.
          Normally Kristoff had no problems travelling by ship, but this was a voyage on the high seas and in notoriously treacherous waters. Sven was just as bad, if not worse, than Kristoff felt at the moment, as he could clearly see. He had stowed his carving under his gakti and was now helping Sven to his feet. Then he called for help to get the reindeer to safety below deck. He couldn't do it alone and twice it threw them both off their feet.
          “You shouldn't have waited so long to go below deck, Your Highness. The weather can change extremely quickly on the high seas,” said a sailor who rushed to help and now called for more sailors. Sven vomited with a heart-rending, wailing sound and Kristoff unfortunately couldn't do much to help him. It literally tore at his heart to see Sven like this. Kristoff therefore wrapped his arms around the reindeer's neck and tried to calm him down somehow.
          Luckily for Kristoff and Sven, the companionway below deck was only a few steps away and after a few minutes of joint effort, five of them got Sven down to safety.
          Of course, the ups and downs were just as noticeable below deck, only here you didn't get a constant shower of salt water. Nevertheless, the water dripped and sloshed in near the stairs. In contrast to the massive figure of the reindeer, Kristoff could at least climb into a hammock, which made the rocking a little more comfortable. However, Sven slid back and forth on the planks with every violent movement of the ship and of course couldn't hold on to anything like a human, and it was just as impossible for him to climb into one of those hanging mats. But Kristoff wouldn't be Kristoff if he cared more about his friend than himself.
          So he got some ropes from the end of the sleeping deck as quickly as possible and secured Sven as best he could. He then lay down next to him and talked him through it.
          Sven looked at him pitifully but also gratefully, because Kristoff wasn't leaving him alone right now.
          Kristoff hoped it would all be over soon and his whole body shivered from the cold of the icy water that had soaked him on the unprotected deck. He grabbed a couple of blankets from two hammocks nearby, rubbed Sven dry as best he could and then undressed himself to wrap himself in the dry, warm fabric. Kristoff was used to the cold in the mountains, especially when harvesting ice, but icy cold water that seemed to penetrate to the bone was new to him and made his teeth chatter.
~~~
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The sisters hadn't been back to their parents' Summerhus for what felt like an eternity. Too much had happened in recent years and they hadn't had time to look after it and reminisce about old memories. At least a trusted person from the nearby small village came around a few times a month, kept the house clean and tidy and stoked the stove in winter so that everything didn't freeze. There was also always a forester nearby who acted as a guard and regularly patrolled the neighbourhood.
          While Elsa and Anna recounted their tiresome experiences with one of the Westergaards royals to Mari, who was very curious for good reason, the carriage bumped along winding forest paths, not far from the capital, past tall conifers and increasingly mountain spruce as the terrain became higher. The unmistakable scent of scattered cedars wafted in through the window and Elsa remembered very well that her mother loved that smell as she inhaled deeply and smiled.
          At some point they passed through a tiny village, drove past a small, traditionally built stave church onto the market square and shortly afterwards over bumpy cobblestones that wound their way up to the Summerhus. The coachman drove in a semi-circle up to the entrance and shouted a loud “Brr” as a command for the horses to stop. They gave a grateful snort as the carriage came to a halt.
          “We're here,” Elsa announced, still smiling.
          “Here again at last,” Anna added, “after so many years.” She looked cheerfully at her sister and Elsa nodded knowingly.
          They heard the coachman jump off the trestle, then the sound of him folding down the side steps and finally he opened the door for his royal passengers to alight.
          “Our honoured guest first, please,” Elsa said to Mari and pointed outside with an inviting gesture.
          Mari nodded curtly and got out first.
          The sight was not quite what she had expected, for the Summerhus was a log cabin built entirely of sturdy wooden beams, with bright red decorations and a roof completely covered in sod, leaving only the brick chimney protruding.
          All around stood squat spruce trees and in front of the entrance was a mown meadow where they now stood. But the fact that this was the royal summer residence was unmistakable. The front door was adorned with a relief of Arendelle's emblem and the crocus symbol was emblazoned on a wooden semicircle directly above it. The Summerhus looked very cosy and rustic with its mullioned windows and the flower boxes in front of it. Mari couldn't help but smile.
          “I like your Summerhus,” she said as the sisters stood next to her and the coachman audibly closed the door behind them. “It looks so …”
          “… cosy?” Anna added with a grin and Mari nodded.
          “Yes, it does indeed. It's a lovely refuge.”
          “Well, let's go inside and make ourselves comfortable before we go into the forest to collect,” said Elsa, who was already holding the front door key in her hands.
          At that moment, an elderly man came out of the forest, who turned out to be the forester who regularly passed by the house.
          He greeted everyone in a friendly manner and gave the sisters a brief report of what had happened so far. But there was nothing serious to report, because apart from a few animals sneaking around the house in search of food, only two travellers had passed by a few weeks ago and peered curiously through the windows. However, he kindly asked them to move on. After his report, he said goodbye again and disappeared into the forest.
          Elsa unlocked the entrance and pushed the heavy door inwards. When she touched it, another memory immediately flashed through Elsa's mind: when she and Anna were little, they always had to push this thick door open in pairs because it was too heavy for one girl alone. She paused for a moment and felt Anna's hand on her shoulder. Elsa looked at her smiling face.
          “I've just remembered that too, Elsa. There are a lot of memories waiting for us in there.”
          Inside, everything was dark and only the light from the entrance illuminated the living room with its central table. The sisters first opened the windows to fold the shutters outwards and let in a little more light. Elsa then lit the oil lamps and Anna took care of the large fireplace. There was still plenty of wood and so it only took a few minutes for her to get the fire going. A cosy warmth immediately spread through the cold room and it instantly became more comfortable.
          Everything looked just as the sisters remembered it, nothing seemed to be missing or had been rearranged. It was as if they had left the house only yesterday and just as clean, only many, many years had passed. They looked at each other meaningfully and while Mari looked around curiously, Elsa and Anna did what they always did first back then. They each lit a candle by the fire and hurried upstairs to their child's room under the gable.
          Here, too, everything was just as they had left it. With a tiny difference. Their two favourite dolls, which were usually in the little toy chest next to Elsa's bed, were now lying on the pillows of their beds. They both put their candles in the holders on the little table next to them and lifted their dolls up.
          “Oh, Elsa, if only Mama and Papa were here now,” Anna said quietly and tears began to gather in her eyes as she held her stuffed double to her chest.
          Elsa went to her and took her in her arms.
          “I miss her so much too, Anna,” she said softly in her ear and the image of the figure from the shipwreck stole into her mind, but she immediately suppressed it with narrowed eyes and focussed on her younger sister's feelings again.
          “I remember that time so well and somehow it feels like Mama is downstairs in the kitchen right now, making tea for us and about to call upstairs 'Tea's ready, are you two coming?'. She tried to imitate Iduna's voice and Elsa laughed softly.
          “Yes, that's right … that's exactly what she used to call out, just like that.”
          Then Anna could no longer hold back and she sobbed unrestrainedly into Elsa's shoulder. Her body shook and Elsa held her a little tighter, stroked her hair and whispered, “It's all right, Anna, it's all right. Let it all out … just let go.”
~~~
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In the meantime, Mari looked at the oil paintings on the wall, which depicted some of Anna's and Elsa's ancestors, and occasionally picked up a beautiful gem from the shelf to take a closer look. A handsome collection of valuable plates were lined up on a high shelf and a handful of violins hung ready to play in holders on the wall. Books and family games were stacked in the corners. Mari could well imagine how the sisters had played together with their parents at this table when they were children and were happy.
          Mari suddenly realised what a great favour the sisters had done her with this invitation, what great trust they had placed in her to share these highly personal memories with her. She wondered who had played these instruments on the wall for them and guessed their father. A very personal insight into the life of a king! She looked around again. Everything here radiated love! The love of the regents of Arendelle for their children, who presumably left their duties behind for several weeks a year just to spend time together with their daughters, completely undisturbed. Here in this lovingly furnished house, which served only one purpose … to be together as a family.
          “Well, this is what it looks like in our cosy Summerhus. Living room, kitchen and two bedrooms upstairs. Nothing special really, but every square centimeter here is full of memories, Mari,” Elsa explained behind her as she returned quietly and unnoticed.
          Mari flinched a little, startled, and let out a sharp cry when the large grandfather clock suddenly struck loudly.
          “Oh my goodness!” Mari exclaimed with one hand pressed to her heart and Elsa giggled.
          “Sorry, I should have warned you. But strange, someone from the cleaning staff must have wound it up regularly. That wasn't their job at all, I don't think.”
      ��   “That's all right, I should have guessed, after all, you can't miss the clock. Is Anna still upstairs? I heard a staircase creak earlier.”
          “No, she's in the kitchen preparing tea for us, I'm sure she'll be here soon.”
          What Elsa didn't tell her was that her sister also wanted to clean her face because she had been crying and didn't want Mari to see it. Elsa fetched cups and saucers and a warmer from the shelf and prepared the table.
          Two minutes later, Anna came in with a teapot and a small kettle, which she hung on a hook by the fireplace and swivelled over the flames. She then placed the pot on the warmer and sat down. The room was now cosy and warm and she leaned back comfortably on the high, upholstered chair.
          “It's so nice and quiet and cosy here. I can well imagine how you can hear the birds chirping here in summer when the windows are open. A place to relax, to get away from the daily hustle and bustle and worries,” Mari realised and also sat down at the table.
          “And the summer meadow behind the trees in the clearing is lovely when the weather is nice, ideal for a picnic on the grass, with all the wildflowers and even a field of sunflowers further down,” Anna enthused.
          ”Her favourite flower,” Elsa added with a grin as she also sat down and Anna nodded thoughtfully.
          “Can't wait to go outside later and pick mushrooms in our adventure forest. I've found a few baskets in the kitchen and have already prepared them for us with three small knives and some cloths,” said Anna, smiling in anticipation and crossing her arms behind her head.
          Anna behaved almost as if she was still young and looking forward to reliving the old days, Elsa mused with a small smile. But Elsa allowed her these thoughts and also to completely forget for a day that she was now the Queen of Arendelle. Anna deserved to have some fun and feel young again.
          “But first, let's have a nice cup of tea. Then in the afternoon we can warm up here again and maybe even play one of the old board games,” Elsa suggested, casting a sideways glance into one of the corners of the room with its many games.
          “I'd rather just chat with you two,” Mari replied, “now that I have a lot of time for you and no one will miss me for the next few days.”
          “You're right, Mari. Let's not waste the day playing games and instead share our thoughts, that's more important now,” Elsa said and fetched the kettle to pour the tea.
          Anna looked at Mari and nodded in understanding. Just chatting to each other didn't have to mean that they couldn't have fun together.
~~~
They set off about an hour later. Elsa put a few wood logs on the fire and Anna fetched the baskets from the kitchen.
          They walked northwards to where the forest was thicker and simply followed their noses. As they walked comfortably side by side in no great hurry, soaking up the smells of the forest and listening to the birds twittering in the treetops above them, they told each other stories and their experiences over the last few months since Mari's last visit to the city. But they all kept their eyes open and looked behind every large tree on their way so as not to miss any edible mushrooms. Anna was the first to spot a promising patch near a clearing ahead and quickly ran to it, eventually shouting back that she had found lots of mushrooms. Elsa and Mari followed her and then spread out among the trees around this small clearing. Everyone was now fully occupied with collecting and it didn't take very long before everyone had an almost full basket. Afterwards, they made their way back to the Summerhus.
          “I'm already looking forward to Olina's mushroom soup tonight,” said Anna, licking her lips in anticipation.
          “But there are far too many for the three of us,” said Elsa, “you should take a basket full home with you, Mari, and treat your father to something tasty too. I can well imagine that he doesn't come to pick mushrooms himself or think about sending someone else out to do it. I'm sure he'll be delighted with your find, and who knows, maybe it'll be a good opportunity to talk to him in peace about your future as you imagine it. I hope that we will have found a solution for you by then and that he will at least seriously reconsider his plans for you.”
          Mari looked very sceptical, but replied, “I hope so.”
~~~
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Remark: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment if you liked the story, I would be pleased to read your opinions, even criticisms. If you want to be tagged as soon I publish the next chapter please let me know, except you are already tagged :-)
Tagging: @true--north @annaofthenorthernlights @dronning-formynder05
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tbos-main · 2 months
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achilles come down as a rin song
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knightsickness · 7 months
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total drama being officially against homophobia now is cool but the early seasons are so forged in the fires of the late 2000s when it was gay for a guy to wash his face it’s inextricable. thinking specifically about the world tour sweden episode where alejandro says a normal sentence and duncan says to owen wow that was metrosexual and european. we should kill him
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