Chapter 11: Looking Your Best
The next day found Elsa wandering the halls of the Arendelle royal castle, a content smile on her face. Rounding a corner, her smile grew as she spotted Anna prancing down the hall towards her, humming happily to herself.
"Good morning, Elsa!" Anna greeted with a sing-song voice.
"And a good morning to you too, Anna," Elsa chuckled, "I see you're feeling well today."
"Very," Anna replied as she came to a stop in front of Elsa before proudly placing her hands on her hips, "I have a date tonight."
"A date?" Elsa questioned with a smirk as she continued down the hall, prompting Anna to fall into step with her, "That's….courting, correct?"
"Yeah, but with less rules," Anna confirmed with a smile.
"I take it this….date is with Kristoff?" Elsa pressed.
"Yep!" Anna answered with a nod, before something seemed to come to mind, "You should come with us!"
"What?" Elsa replied, blinking at her sister in confusion, "Anna, I don't know much about….dating but doesn't that seem rather….intrusive?"
"Don't worry, you won't be a third wheel," Anna assured her.
"A what?" Elsa asked in confusion.
"It's a term for what you're describing," Anna explained, "Luckily for you, we have a fourth."
"You do?" Elsa inquired with a quirked eyebrow.
"Yeah, he's going to show us a really cool place tonight," Anna went on before giving Elsa a pleading look, "Come on, come with us. I promise you'll have fun!"
Looking at Anna's earnest expression, Elsa could only smile and sigh.
"Very well, Anna," Elsa said, "I'll join you and Kristoff on your….date."
"Great!" Anna replied with a giggle as she clapped her hands together excitedly, "I'm sure Ralph will be excited to see you!"
"What." Elsa said as she came to a sudden stop, causing Anna to walk a few paces past her before coming to a halt as well, a look of chagrin passing over her features as she realized what she had said.
"Oops," Anna muttered as she covered her mouth with her hands.
"Anna," Elsa continued, her gaze glued to the back of her sister's head, "What did you just say?"
"Um, nothing?" Anna attempted as she turned back towards Elsa and gave her sister a forced smile.
"Anna," Elsa said sharply, her gaze turning into a glare.
"Okay, yes, Ralph is coming," Anna admitted with a sigh, "He seemed like the best choice for a guide after everything you said about him."
"Oh, don't play the fool with me, Anna!" Elsa said harshly, "I can see exactly what you're doing."
"Well, you said you wanted to talk to him," Anna argued with a helpless shrug.
"I said I would think about talking to him!" Elsa corrected hotly, her hands curling into fists.
"Oh come on, we both know that it never would have moved past thinking," Anna scoffed, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"That doesn't mean you should try and trick me into interacting with him," Elsa replied.
"Fine, maybe, but I'm just trying to break you out of your shell, Elsa," Anna pressed, "Deep down, you know you want to see him again. I'm just providing you that opportunity."
"Anna, you can't just force me to tell Ralph how I feel!" Elsa snapped.
"Of course not!" Anna replied, holding her hands up defensively, "I'm just trying to give you a chance to spend time with him. I'm sure if you two just get to know each other better, you'll get around to admitting your feelings to one another."
"Anna, we've been over this," Elsa replied, crossing her arms with a sigh, "Neither of us has any idea how Ralph feels about me."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Anna replied with a knowing smirk.
"What do you mean?" Elsa asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Well, at first, Ralph wasn't really interested in going out with Kristoff and I," Anna mused with a grin, "Not until I said you might be coming too."
Elsa's eyes went wide at the statement, and Anna noticed some pink seeping into her sister's cheeks.
"Is….Is that true?" Elsa questioned, her voice quiet and, to Anna's surprise, bashful.
"I wouldn't lie to you, Elsa," Anna said with a warm smile, before correcting herself when her sister gave her a look, "Well, not about this."
Elsa fell quiet for a moment, worrying her bottom lip as Anna grinned at her encouragingly, before she took a calming breath and returned her sister's smile with a hesitant one of her own.
"Alright," Elsa said with a nod, her tone sounding like she was trying to convince herself, "Yes, alright. I'll do it. I'll go with you tonight."
"Yes!" Anna exclaimed, clenching her hands into fists and shaking them excitedly as she hopped up and down, "Yes! Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I'm almost as excited as I was for your coronation ball!"
"I'm not sure this is something to get that worked up about," Elsa observed, giggling at her sister's enthusiasm.
"I'm pretty sure it is," Anna replied as she grabbed Elsa's arm and began to drag her along, "Come on, we have to go and figure out our outfits."
"Our outfits?" Elsa questioned uncertainly, "What's wrong with what we normally wear?"
"Oh, come on, Elsa!" Anna admonished with a laugh as she pulled her sister down the hall, "We're going on a modern date, and for that, we're going to need to dress like fashionable, modern, young women."
"But you and I don't know anything about modern fashion," Elsa argued doubtfully as Anna led her down a staircase.
"Maybe, but the other princesses told me about a place that I think can help us out," Anna said, leading her sister towards the castle's front door, "And we've got no time to waste."
Meanwhile,
Located in a corner of the Nicelander apartment building was the unit that the superintendent and video game protagonist Fix-It Felix Junior called home. It was a cozy affair, the walls covered with yellow and white wallpaper while the floor was carpeted in plush red. The apartment had only a few rooms, with the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom branching off from the combination living and dining room. Currently, Calhoun was sitting in the middle of the green couch that sat in the center of the living room, polishing a part of her sidearm while the rest of it sat disassembled on the wood and glass coffee table before her. As she worked, Felix wandered out of the kitchen with a plated sandwich in his hands and a smile on his face.
"Here ya go, Tammy," Felix said as he set the sandwich on the table next to her disassembled firearm.
"Hey, thanks, babe," Calhoun stated with a smile, pausing in her work to give Felix a kiss on the cheek.
"Don't mention it," Felix replied with a dismissive wave of his hand as he made his way back into the kitchen, "Bring that plate over when you're done with it, I'm doing dishes."
"Sure thing," Calhoun replied before taking a large bite out of the sandwich as the sound of the sink running emanated out of the kitchen.
A moment later, a knock came from the door.
"I'll get it!" Calhoun called through a mouthful of food, rising from the couch and making her way over to the door with sandwich still in hand, her head nearly touching the apartment's low ceiling. Opening the white door, Calhoun found Ralph standing on the other side, his posture hunched do to the building's enclosed space.
"Morning, Wreck-It," Calhoun greeted, pausing to swallow her food before continuing, "How's it hanging?"
"Uh, pretty good, I guess," Ralph replied, his expression nervous as he looked past Calhoun, "Is Felix here?"
"Sure, he's in the kitchen," Calhoun answered, nodding towards the room with her head while taking another bite of her sandwich, "Come on in."
"Thanks," Ralph said, squeezing his way into the apartment and closing the door behind him as Calhoun made her way back to the couch.
"Felix!" Calhoun called as she settled back onto the couch, "Ralph's here!"
At Calhoun's call, the faucet shut off and a few moments later, Felix wandered into the living room, drying his hands with a dish towel.
"Mornin', Ralph!" Felix greeted as he slung the damp dish towel over his shoulder, "What brings ya by?"
"Well, the thing is, Felix, I was hoping you could, you know, help me with something," Ralph rambled nervously.
The tone of Ralph's voice caused Felix and Calhoun to share questioning looks as the sergeant took another bite of her sandwich.
"You okay, Ralph?" Felix inquired, "Ya seem a bit nervous."
"Yeah, I guess I am," Ralph replied as he scratched the back of his head.
"Come on, Wreck-It, out with it," Calhoun pushed as she gestured at him with her half-eaten sandwich, "We don't have all day."
"Right, right," Ralph said as he glanced between Calhoun and her husband, "Felix, remember that….thing we talked about the other night?"
"You mean the fact you've got a crush on the Snow Queen?" Calhoun inquired, before rolling her eyes as Ralph looked at her in shock, "Oh come on, Wreck-It, of course Felix told me about this. We're married."
"I guess," Ralph agreed with a sigh, "Anyway, I'm kind of, sort of, seeing her tonight."
"Like on a date?" Calhoun asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Not really?" Ralph answered, sounding unsure, "I mean her sister, Anna, just asked me to show her and this guy she likes around, and she said Elsa would come too."
"Now, I can't say any of this fer certain, Ralph," Felix began hesitantly, "But that sounds a lot like Anna is tryin' to set ya up with Elsa on some kind of double date."
"Wait, really?" Ralph questioned in surprise, causing Calhoun to gently slap her free hand against her face.
"Honestly, Wreck-It, I don't know how you function sometimes," Calhoun commented as she finished her sandwich.
"Hey!" Ralph retorted grumpily.
"Now, now, brother," Felix said nervously as he made a placating gesture with his hands, "Tammy's just havin' fun, is all. Now, what is it that ya thought I could do to help ya with this….maybe date of yers?"
"Well, whether this is a date or not, I figured it would be a good idea if I tried to, I don't know, look nice?" Ralph explained with an uncertain expression.
"Yeah, probably," Calhoun agreed with a nod and a bland expression as she turned back to the coffee table and began assembling her sidearm, "But, she's kind of already seen you as your normal, schlubby self, hasn't she?"
"Yeah," Ralph answered with a sigh of frustration, "But I should still, like, try, right? And I figured Felix might be able to help with that. Because, you've, you know, done stuff with girls, right?"
At this, Felix glanced at Calhoun, who snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, you could say that," Felix's wife confirmed with a smirk.
"So, do you have any tips for me?" Ralph questioned hopefully.
"I suppose so," Felix replied with a nod of his head, "I mean, first of all, ye'll want to clean yourself up in the usual way. You know, shower, brush your hair, maybe shave?"
"Yeah, that makes sense," Ralph replied, absentmindedly rubbing his stubbled chin.
"You'll also probably want to wear some fresh clothes," Calhoun added as she leaned back against the couch and gestured at Ralph's outfit, "I mean, when was the last time you washed those?"
"I guess so," Ralph agreed as he pulled as one of his t-shirt's self-consciously and sighed, "Not sure where I'm going to get new clothes though."
"Look, I get it," Calhoun said sympathetically as she picked up her reassembled sidearm and rose to her feet, "You're a little too big and large for the big and large store."
Walking over to Ralph, Calhoun rubbed her chin as she looked the wrecker over while putting her gun into the holster on her hip.
"You are roughly the same size as my men though," Calhoun observed before placing her hands on her hips and smirking, "I bet they would have something that you could borrow."
"Really? You think?" Ralph questioned before smiling as she nodded at him, "Wow, thanks Calhoun!"
"Don't mention it, Wreck-It," she replied as she reached up and playfully pat Ralph on the cheek, "We'll have you looking like a prince in no time."
Turning away from Ralph, Calhoun made her way towards the door.
"And if we don't, maybe Princess Snowflake as she thing for loveable oafs," Calhoun continued with a shrug, "You can never really tell with people."
"Gee, thanks Calhoun," Ralph grumbled, his smile falling away as he began to trail after her.
Felix, for his part could only chuckle and shake his head in bemusement before tossing the dish rag into the kitchen and following along as well.
Later,
"Are you sure about this, Anna?" Elsa questioned doubtfully as they stood on the sidewalk in Downtown, looking at the building before them.
"Come on, doesn't this look like fun?" Anna questioned with a broad smile.
Before them was a building that was almost hard to look at due to the bright shades of pink, blue and green it had been painted. Frilled awnings striped in the same colors hung above the large, display windows which showed off feminine mannequins showing off what Elsa supposed were the latest styles in women's clothing. Above the green door hung a blue sign, displaying the words "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique" written in looping, sparkling pink letters.
"I really have no idea," Elsa admitted as she glanced uncertainly at her sister.
"Well, the other princesses say this place is great," Anna stated before taking Elsa's arm and dragging her up to the front door, "So, we're going in."
A small bell jingled as the door opened and the sisters stepped inside. Beyond, Elsa could see that the store had been divided into three sections. The first, near the front of the store, was carpeted in green, and contained various racks and displays showing off more clothes. Beyond, the carpet ended and was replaced with a blue and pink tiled floor. On one side, the tiled area was occupied by shelves and cabinets that housed cosmetics and perfumes, with a few chairs set up here and there. The other side was dominated by a number of uniform vanities set up along the pink wall, with an adjustable cushioned chair sitting in front of each. Along with them were a few sinks as well as some chairs with strange devices that appeared to cover the head of whoever sat in them.
"Oh goodness, customers!" a voice rang out from within the store, "Come along, girls, there's work to be done!"
A moment later, three orbs of light, colored red, blue and green respectively, zipped into view. Coming to a stop in front of Anna and Elsa, the lights dissipated, revealing a trio of diminutive women floating before them, held aloft by buzzing, glimmering wings. Each of them appeared middle-aged, with grey, brown, and black hair respectively. They were dressed in medieval-style dresses, colored red, blue, and green in addition to matching, pointed hats held in place by colored veils wrapped around their chins.
"Good morning!" the one in red greeted, "Welcome to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. How can we help you today?"
"Are you….are you guys fairies?" Anna questioned, her voice low and conspiratorial.
"Indeed we are, dear," the one in red answered, "My name is Flora. These are my sisters, Fauna in green and Merryweather in blue."
"Wait, I know you two," Merryweather said as she pointed at the sisters, "You're the new princesses, aren't you?"
"Yes, though actually, my sister here is a queen," Anna explained as she placed her hand on Elsa's shoulder.
"Oh, please excuse my sister," Flora apologized, before leaning in to whisper conspiratorially with the Elsa and Anna, "She can be a bit of a dolt at times."
"What did you just say!?" Merryweather demanded as she glared at Flora, who crossed her arms and met her sister's gaze evenly.
"So, your Highnesses," Fauna said as she smoothly inserted herself between Flora and Merryweather before things could escalate further, "What can we help you with today?"
"Well, we're new here in the Magic Kingdom," Elsa explained, "And as you can imagine, we are unfamiliar with the local fashions."
"So you were looking to update our looks and wardrobes," Fauna surmised with a knowing nod, "I could have guessed. We almost always get someone new in here after a period piece comes out."
"Yeah, the other princesses said this was the place to come if we wanted a modern look," Anna said.
"Well, it just warms my heart to hear our previous customers recommending us," Flora replied as she touched one had to her chest.
"So, are you ladies looking for the whole package?" Merryweather inquired.
"The whole package?" Elsa repeated with an arched eyebrow.
"Fauna here is our clothing expert," Flora said while indicating towards her green clad sister, "She'll be the one who'll help update your wardrobe."
"Merryweather is our hairstylist," Flora went on while motioning towards her other sister, "She'll work on giving you new hairstyles."
"Meanwhile, I am the cosmetologist," Flora finished, "Which means I handle things like makeup and nail polish."
"Oh wow," Anna observed with an awed smile, "Yeah, I think we're both here for the whole package."
"Excellent" Flora stated as she clapped her hands and the three fariries drew closer to the sisters, "So, how shall we begin?"
A short time later, Elsa found herself sitting in one of the black chairs near the back of the store, a black apron covering her from the neck down and her platinum blonde hair hanging loose. Merryweather fluttered in the air behind her, brushing the hair that she had just washed and dried.
"So, what sort of style were you thinking?" Merryweather inquired.
"Oh, I can't even imagine what hairstyles look like in this age," Elsa replied, looking at Merryweather in the mirror before her, "What do you recommend?"
"Well, I don't think you want to do anything too drastic for your first time," Merryweather thought aloud, a pensive expression on her face, "Hmm, maybe something simple?"
"Simple?" Elsa parroted.
"Well, a high class lady like yourself is used to having your hair braided in all sorts of complicated ways," Merryweather explained as she continued brushing Elsa's hair, "So, for a modern twist, why don't we try an easy-to-do hairstyle. Maybe just a loose ponytail or something?"
"Ponytail?" Elsa questioned.
"Oh, I have so much to teach you, dear," Merryweather muttered as she continued to work, "So, why the makeover today?"
"Well, Anna and I are….we're going out tonight," Elsa explained.
"Going out?" Merryweather inquired.
"Well, Anna and a friend of ours are going on a….well I suppose date is the term," Elsa answered, "And I'm accompanying them."
"Isn't that a little weird?" Merryweather asked, her gaze focused on Elsa's hair.
"I suppose it would be, normally," Elsa replied, "But we're going to be joined by another friend of ours."
Merryweather paused in her work and lifted her gaze to meet Elsa's in the mirror's reflection.
"This friend a guy?" Merryweather asked.
"Um, yes, actually," Elsa answered as she looked away from Merryweather uncomfortably.
"Double date, got you," Merryweather stated with a nod as she resumed her work.
"A-A what?" Elsa asked in surprise, returning her gaze to Merryweather as her cheeks turned pink.
"Double date," Merryweather repeated nonchalantly, "Two couples, one date."
"W-We'll I must clarify that he and I are not a couple," Elsa stated as she fought to control her composure, "So….so this is most certainly not a double date."
"You going out on the town with this guy?" Merryweather inquired, seemingly unaffected by Elsa's denial.
"Well, yes, but it's with-" Elsa began to explain.
"You like him?" Merryweather interrupted.
"I must say that I don't really see-" Elsa started to reply with a tone of indignation.
"It's a date," Merryweather cut her off firmly, "Don't worry, sweetheart, We'll make you look your best."
Elsa didn't know how to respond to this, so she kept quiet as Merryweather continued to brush her hair, the queen's cheeks glowing a rosy pink.
"Elsa!" Anna called, stirring her sister out of her thoughts, "How do I look?"
Looking at her sister in the reflection, Elsa was shocked by the outfit her sister was wearing. Currently, Anna wore a red tube top and denim cutoffs that were so short the pockets peaked out from the legs with a pair of white sneakers completing the look. Fauna fluttered nearby, glancing nervously between the two sisters.
"A-Anna!" Elsa sputtered, "What-What are you wearing!?"
"My new outfit!" Anna replied excitedly as she pirouetted, "Do you think Kristoff will like it?"
"I would think so, you're practically naked!" Elsa snapped as she began to rise from the chair, only to be stopped as Merryweather laid her hand on the queen's shoulder, "Go put on something not so….risque."
"Oh, come on," Anna sighed as she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "I've seen other women wearing stuff like this around the Magic Kingdom."
"Change, Anna," Elsa said in a tone that brokered no argument, "Now."
"Fine," Anna groaned as she turned away from her sister and made her way back towards the clothing area.
"I warned you that most people in your situation don't react to such a drastic change well," Fauna said as she followed after Anna, "You have to ease into it."
"I suppose," Anna agreed with a tone of disappointment before whispering, "Do you think you can still hide these with whatever other clothes I get?"
"Oh certainly, I do it all the time," Fauna agreed with a smile, "Now, come along. I'm sure we can find something both you and your sister can agree on."
"Keep an eye out for anything you think Elsa might like as well," Anna requested with a grin, "After all, she has to look her best tonight."
A/N: So, I had so much fun with the last chapter that I decided to quickly push this one out. Really enjoyed writing the interactions in this one. Hope you guys liked it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!