redacted ★ elsa

[infreefall]

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week 0, sunday.

[infreefall]

[ i don't know where they are, just somewhere in the Realm. maybe they're in the woods or at the river, who knows, but ochako will offer a shaky smile when she sees elsa. it's been a rough weekend for everyone :( ]

Hey, Elsa-san. How are you doing, after...?

[ she... doesn't want to say it. ]

im losing it at the starter image

[showyourself]

[well

ochako is baby

so elsa settles down beside her easily (in, let's say. the woods?) and scoots as close to her as possible.]

About the same as you.

[...]

Do you want a hug?

[infreefall]

...Mm. If you don't mind.

[ maybe it's a little embarrassing, to be a hero, but to still be a young girl who needs that reassurance sometimes. but someone did die today - and yesterday, and the night before that, and... none of that was supposed to happen.

she'll lean into the hug, though, and gently return the gesture. ]

I just wish there was more we could have done. A hero's supposed to be able to help people, but I couldn't do anything for Viridian-san today. None of us could.

[showyourself]

[no. they couldn't. it had been painful to watch. no one had been spared.

she hugs ochako a little tighter, wrapping her arms around her back.]

I think... in a way, we did do something. We witnessed what took place.

Now, it's our job to find a way for that not to happen again, and get out of here with everyone else.

[infreefall]

I guess... I'm just lost about how to do that. If we fall asleep again like we did on Thursday, we won't even have a chance to help. The best we could do is try to make sure no one gets hurt in another trial, but if we have to vote again...

[ ...oh, she's spiraling, isn't she. ochako gives herself a good mental shake, but it doesn't make those thoughts go away as easily as she hoped. ]

...But I'm hoping that, no matter who wins, someone will be able to use their wish to bring those three back, safe and sound. This place works different than our worlds, right? So maybe that's possible here.

[showyourself]

...It's always saying they were "removed from the realm", isn't it.

I wonder, then. If that means something different to... [she hesitates] ...truly passing on.

[hmm.

she tousels Ochako's hair a little, giving her a squeeze.]

We can only do what we can. The next right thing. One step at a time, okay?

[infreefall]

I thought it meant they'd just be taken away, like to a jail or something. I don't know if it would be a good thing if they can't... pass on.

[ those words taste bitter in her mouth. it's not something that ochako can afford to shy away from, though, in her line of work. ]

The next right thing... [ a slow nod. ] Yeah. I guess, for now, that's to keep trying to gather the nova, right?

w1, post-trial

[showyourself]

[well, once kano is finally taken away after an hour, elsa is ready to have a depression nap while everyone else has their lil moments with the soon-to-be-departed—and she's making her way slowly back to the inn.

surprisingly, she looks rather calm—albeit, decidedly aloof. if it wasn't for the pinch in her brow (or the fact that she spent an hour holding kano's arm), it would be hard to discern that she's even bothered at all.]

[infreefall]

[ ochako's limping her way back to the inn when she spots elsa, and immediately changes course. they'd agreed to support each other, right? there's so little that ochako can do to help in these situations, but that one, she can do without fail. ]

Elsa-san... [ her voice is soft, almost like she's afraid that elsa will turn her away. it's very far from her usual, energetic demeanor. ] ...I'm sorry. We failed him, didn't we?

[showyourself]

[at ochako's voice, she turns towards her—and immediately embraces her in a hug.]

No.

Everyone... made their choice. You have nothing to apologize for.

[sigh.]

[infreefall]

[ ochako returns the hug without hesitation, holding on a little tighter than she'd intended. ]

But we knew it wasn't him. He doesn't deserve to - to die just because he was being difficult.

[showyourself]

...I think that, for some people, it gave them the push they needed. As ridiculous as that is.

[she sighs.]

No one wants to feel bad. No one wants to kill anyone. And... no one wants to die.

If we failed Shuuya in any way, it was in that we, as a group, did exactly what he expected us to do.

[infreefall]

[ she goes quiet for a moment, and then: ]

I want to prove him wrong, though. I… I don’t think he’s as bad a person as he wants us to think.

w2, Tuesday sometime?

[showyourself]

[elsa is looking for ochako. dressed in her pirate finery, she is scouring the port—so she's reasonably pleased when it doesn't take too long, and ochako is out there just chillin' on a lil boat.

standing beside it, she crosses her arms over her chest, and smiles when ochako notices her.]

Permission to come aboard, captain?

[infreefall]

[ sometimes you just have to sit and enjoy the sea breeze while you can! staying true to character gets a little laugh of ochako, and she waves elsa in. ]

You'll always be welcome on board my ship, Elsa-san!

[ this is, like, a sloop, it's not even a ship. ]

[showyourself]

[it's fine? a sloop is still a ship you can board? and she does.]

Well, Captain Ochako, are you an expert on the... briny... waters?

[she's trying!!]

[infreefall]

[ she’s laughing. ]

Not really. I just thought it would be a nice place to relax, you know? The way the boat moves is pretty calming.

[showyourself]

Agreed.

You know, Sora just taught me how. We could go out for a spin—if you want.

[infreefall]

Really?

[ she lights up like a shooting star. ]


That sounds amazing!

week 3, thursday.

[infreefall]

[ she just typed "not here" lmao. anyway there has to be someplace in here they can go to talk where the others don't have to hear, so that's where ochako's going to avoid further teasing :(

elsa doesn't have to follow but IF SHE DOES... here we are. ochako just sits in a corner with her cheeks a little puffed out in frustration. ]

[showyourself]

[elsa sits down next to her, and folds her hands in her lap, and remains silent. she'll let ochako take the lead on this, since she's already done enough ribbing.]

[infreefall]

[ well, i mean. to start, she just types:

I really don't think it's worth thinking about with everything else happening. ]

[showyourself]

[elsa leans forward, bringing her knees up to her chest, and tucking them against herself.]

Hmm. I can definitely see why you would think that.

But... do you think you don't deserve to have thoughts like that, just because bad things are happening, too?

[infreefall]

[ what if I don't want to?

she's just being bratty about it. she doesn't want emotions ok. ]

[showyourself]

Well, if you don't want to, you don't want to. I would never push you to something you don't want to do.

[she hums thoughtfully.]

...But can you stop your heart that easily?