List of music:
Cowboys from Hell – Pantera
Chapter 6
If the forest could speak, she would have many stories to tell. But one of the most curious she would have to share would probably be the one about a trio of, very curious, children with a small blond boy, his young reindeer and another child who was mumbling Cowboys from Hell, resisting to a strange weak but real desire to sing in a low voice. He refused to do it because he knew that, if he heard the lyrics, his companions would look at him as to someone escaped from an asylum. But he did not suspect it would have been much worse than that.
Since they left the Valley of the Living Rock, Steven and Kristoff simply discussed, but not so much, because they didn't really know what to say. Especially since the young ice harvester had the feeling that the geek would not talk. He did not know, for now, it was only an impression, that his friend was just not very talkative. Indeed, without knowing it, the boy with the strand enjoyed his company, which quite surprised the geek himself.
Steven even thought, after his recent encounters, it was obviously easier for him to get along with children than persons of his age... and prayed that the police never know he had thought that, fearing of being arrested because of a phenomenal misunderstanding.
While he continued to hum, hands behind his head and staring into space, the teenager with pendants thought about what Grand Pabbie told him. He did not take it all very seriously, since he was still sure he was dreaming. By cons, he thought it would have been an interesting background for a Final Fantasy game, a little classic but effective. He didn't spoke about that to Kristoff because, like with his song, he would have look at him like he became crazy. He had pretended that the troll asked him many things but had no explanation.
Kristoff draw the geek's attention asking, about his song.
"Another song from one of your weird groups?"
The young with pendants paused, then replied with a smile.
"It is not knowing Pantera that is weird."
Kristoff seemed to have accepted that they had 'cultural differences'. And to not focus on it. Also, he simply did an eye contact with Sven and, both, raised their eyes to heaven.
"What was that eyes for?" Steven asked, surprised and rather annoyed.
"Nothing at all." Kindly pretended Kristoff, who laughed a little inside about his reaction.
But Steven didn't like that someone laugh at him, even if he knew it was for fun. So, on a mid-serious mid-playful tone, he stopped walking and said, raising a finger to the heavens, with a falsely outraged air and catching Sven and Kristoff's attention.
"Don't laugh at me! You shouldn't take me lightly! I could be the master of this forest if I wanted to!"
Suddenly, he was a little hurt when an acorn fell on his head.
There, Kristoff and Sven could not hide their amusement.
"Ahahah ... Looks like the forest does not agree." Laughed the ice harvester before continuing his walk.
Steven stood frozen for a moment, with a bewildered air, then sulked. He really didn't like that someone makes fun of him. He saw then, lowering his head, that there were many other acorns on the ground.
Kristoff and his reindeer friend continued walking, without paying attention, when they both received an acorn on the occiput.
They turned at once to see who was watching a Steven (too) innocently in the air, hands in the back. When the look of geek turned to them, and then he jumped exclaimed shocked.
"What? I ain't doing ... I ain't… It's someone ... throwing stuffs."
His misunderstanding air obviously didn't dupe one second the harvester and his reindeer. They looked at each other and exchanged a Machiavellian smile, then picked up a dried fruit, Sven holding it in his mouth.
Steven, who was still playing the cute little boy, didn't notice what they were doing before it was too late and receive two attacks in the face. He ran his hand over his face before discovering that his two attackers were running and hiding among the trees.
The gamer may have to feel upset. At least that's what he believed. But he was exalted. He knew it was to play. He began to smile, without really realizing it, then picked up a handful of acorns before announcing, in a predatory way.
"Oh ... So, you want to play Counter Strike, huh? All right. Let's play Counter Strike!"
The children then began to play throwing acorns to each other. For a long time, losing track or it, they had fun and laughed, hiding among the trees, rocks and bushes, using them as hedges and swaying dried fruit, preparing ambushes and assaults that they launched mercilessly. It was every man for himself. No possible alliance and no holds barred.
The child and reindeer from this country knew very well this forest and how to make use of its secrets. But the boy with wolves on his clothes had so much enthusiasm and cheerfulness that he was quick to react and unpredictable. They could both attacked when one thought the other would flee, than do the opposite. And he was never really exhausted, because their actions were widely separated in time, so they had time to get their breath back.
They passed several hours making a nice war on each other that greatly amused them, including the geek, who would have never thought he could spend such a good time outside his home.
At a point, the dreamer with pendants took Kristoff by surprise jumping from behind an old uprooted tree and throw an acorn on his forehead. The action surprised the small harvester as he fell backwards, dropping his ammunition reserve.
Delighted with his action, Steven smiled, raising his fists, in an epic posture, exclaiming.
"Headshot!"
But a moment later, the two children discovered Sven jumping over a little trunk, cheeks inflated, and then the little reindeer spat at them a real rain of dried fruit like a machine-gun.
Trying in vain to protect themselves with their hands, the geek and the little blond fell to the ground under the reindeer's assault. When it finally stopped, the duo was lying on the ground, overwhelmed by their hours of play. Steven growled with the voice of a loser who still had fun.
"Ooooh M-M-Monster Kill ..."
The reindeer then sat near them, quite proud and seemingly expecting some flattery.
Steven and Kristoff eventually sit on the grass and the harvester told to his new friend.
"It was fun."
The Geek thought for a moment. He had to admit that he had a good time too. Like with Anna when he did live action role-playing game with her. This dream was strange, but he loved it more and more.
The trio relaxed for a moment watching the sky, or rather the foliage that was hiding it for the most part. Then the harvester said.
"You know ... I do not play like that frequently."
Steven arched an eyebrow.
"Really?" he said astonished.
"Yeah ..." Kristoff answered smiling, nonetheless. "I spend time with Troll's children of course. But I do not meet many human children. I spend my time with the harvesters to train harvesting ice. Or just to become strong like them. This is my dream. To tear tons of ice from the mountain to let it become something useful or nice ... I really like this. But as a result, I don't have much time to have fun. "
Steven felt some kind of passion when Kristoff was talking about the harvester and the job he wanted to do. It reminded him of how manga heroes describe their dreams, even if his ambition was less titanic than becoming the pirate king. He found himself envying him a little, then admit aloud.
"It must be nice to have a dream."
Kristoff and Sven turned their gaze towards the gamer, intrigued.
"You do not have one?" Asked the little blonde.
Steven thought for a second. Then he asked.
"Is remaining quietly in your room until the end of time a dream for you?"
"Certainly not!" Replied the harvester.
"So, no." Announced the geek. "No dream."
Kristoff seemed disconcerted. He didn't know what to say, except.
"Isn't that kind of life a little ... sad?"
Steven was thinking about it. He never asked himself how he could describe his life. He feared that it would forces him to remember too many unpleasant things. Too be clear, much of his existence. He thought a moment about Kristoff's words, focusing on the most normal and pleasant moments. But the only answer, almost honest, he was able to give was.
"I have nothing to complain about. Food, warm bed, books, games ... It's not that bad."
Neither the reindeer nor the little guide seemed satisfied with this answer. But before that the discussion could ruin the happiness he managed to have, Steven stood up and said to his companions that it was probably time to hit the road.
The guide and his reindeer eventually follow him and walk to the city of Arendelle.
Later, and without having a real discussion again, Steven and his two mountain's guides finally arrived in town. It was late in the afternoon apparently; the sun was about to set. The first thing the geek spotted was the castle. It took him a moment longer than he would have believed. It was the most imposing and beautiful building here and yet it managed to be very discreet.
On the way to the central square, near the docks, Steven smelled a warm, sweet smell, very mouthwatering. He thought with an almost transcendent joy.
'What is this sweet fragrance that reminds me of my best moments watching Fairy Tail?'
He sniffed like a puppy around him and saw the source of it, he knew he had already felt this smell once. It was chocolate.
A shop had small bags with small black, white or light brown ribbons. The wonderful smell was coming from inside the shop, probably a kitchen where pots full of cocoa were warming. Steven then realized he was a little hungry. The conviction of being in a dream, and the apparent absence of the seller, made him take one of them and return near Kristoff, who stopped on seeing the geek back nonchalantly with bag with a brown ribbon. Looking at him with some amazement, Sven not understanding what was going on too, Kristoff asked the stranger with silver chains.
"Uh ... Did you paid for that?"
Steven looked at him like he asked if he was human.
"Of course not. Why?" Replied the geek.
"But you'll be in trouble!"
Steven arched an eyebrow, smiling.
"Troubles?" He asked. "No way. You only in trouble if you get caught."
Suddenly a big hand grabbed the arm of the boy with a strand and made him turn.
"Got you!" Said the big man with the angry look that seized him.
"Uh-oh ... I'm on trouble." Steven confessed worried.
"You thought you could steal something from me, you brat?!" Growled the seller.
There, without understanding why, Kristoff intervened.
"No no no. That's not what you think. ... He just wanted to show me the bag, but he forgot to call me before doing so." The little blonde took a coin out of his pocket then gave it to the merchant. "Here. We're sorry."
The Chocolate salesman looked at it, and the two children, and Sven, still pretty angry. He wasn't a fool, but it wasn't such a big problem and it was just kids. So he put the money in his purse and ordered.
"Do not do that again. Just go!"
The trio ran away toward an alley. When they were far enough, they catch their breath and Steven said.
"Phew! That was a close call. Thank you."
Kristoff, however, had a rather disgruntled look.
"What did you have in mind?" He got mad. "To steal is bad!"
Steven looked a little taken aback. He did not seem to have expected such a violent reaction.
"It's ok. It's not THAT bad." Asserted English. "I didn't hurt anybody."
"That's not the problem." Kristoff insisted. "Stealing is wrong and that merchant, I know him, he's not a bad guy. What you did was selfish and unfair."
The young man with pendants did not appreciate that a child, who was at least half his age, lectures him. But, strangely, his words had an impact on him. He had a small weight on his heart. Does he feel guilty? It was the first time it happens to him. He sometimes felt bad to have done a mistake or made a decision that didn't had the desired effect, especially in Dragon Age. But regretting to have taken something he wanted, that was the first time. He had downloaded thousands of hours of anime series unscrupulously. So why does it bother him now? He had no better explanation than admitting Kristoff was right. The geek took a lot of things without paying because he had no consideration for their suppliers. This time, it was what the blond boy described, a simple and honest tradesman who had to prepare himself chocolates. Steven began to feel some guilt that marked his face.
Kristoff realized it and calmed down. He sighed saying.
"Well forget about it. It's in the past now ... A close past but still."
This somehow reassured Steven to see that he wasn't angry with him. Seeing his brown ribbon's bag, the young English felt forced to offer him.
"Uh ... You want some ?"
Sven seemed interested, but Kristoff, not wanting to be linked with a stolen thing, refused as politely as possible.
"No thank you, I'm fine."
The reindeer seemed to see all his sweet dreams collapsed before his eyes. To comfort him, Kristoff patted him on the neck telling him he would have carrots for dinner. The young animal automatically had his joy back.
"So, listen ..." Kristoff hesitated. "It's not that I want to leave you, but I have to go if I want to get home before it becomes dark."
Steven told him he understood. When the little guide asked him what he intended to do, the geek replied, glancing at the castle, that he didn't have to worry about him. The reindeer and the harvester therefore said goodbye and went into the forest, leaving behind them a pretty lost gamer, with a bag of chocolate he didn't want to touch anymore.
The only thought that he was able to form.
'Looks like the point of view that I use with the downloaded things does not really work IRL ...'
He sighed and went to the castle with the bag in one hand, looking so gloomy that even the Aerith theme could not depressed him more.
Before the front door, unfortunately, Steven discovered he was exactly at the same point that when left the city. The large door on the other side of the bridge seemed closed and not ready to open. Between his friends and him was now several meters of cold sea water and a massive stone wall reminding him of Stormwind.
He did not realize that behind him, a stout woman with a very worried air returned to the castle after some shopping. Some people in the castle asked her to take what was necessary to make the princess Anna's favorite meal, to make her forget this strange scream that worried everybody in the royal residence. But, unlike the rest of the few remaining servants, she had seen something that worried her much more.
She was thinking back about the strange child she had seen earlier today, especially the fact that he disappeared before her eyes like by magic. So Gerda walked a bit automatically, a basket filled with food in her hands, with a head marked by anxiety and trouble. To talk about this to the queen had helped her a bit because it seemed to her that the sovereign had listened to her attentively, but that didn't change the fact that she did not understand what she saw. Was there really a ghost in Arendelle?
She did everything to forget about it as she approached the castle. But when she arrived at the bridge leading to the front door, she froze discovering a little boy with a dress covered with wolves. Paralyzed, she dropped her basket once. The noise made the child turn and face her. Then, one second after, he had a face of surprise and disappeared.
Again.
The housekeeper stood petrified for a moment.
Then she ran away screaming in the streets.
In an instant, Steven was in a corridor he recognized.
When he saw the fat servant outside, he was surprised because he had recognized the woman who had spotted him earlier. By reflex so, he was a little afraid. And that's what caused the sudden and unexpected wish to be elsewhere, transporting him.
When he realized what happened, he felt a bit silly to have been scared, but was extremely happy because he thus entered the impenetrable fortress. He took a moment to compose himself, and noticed that the chocolate bag was still in his hand. This dreamlike characteristic, as he saw it, was quite unsettling. Then he discerned a small voice in the distance, which he also recognized.
He therefore advanced stealthily towards it. He then reached a corner and discovered what he was certain to have recognized. A few feet away was a little redhead princess sitting against Elsa's door, visibly happy to chat with her, or rather to complain about very boring lessons.
He caught her attention with a 'psst!'. She jumped suddenly to discover that her friend had returned. Her face lit up with joy and relief before she rushes on him shouting.
"Steven!"
Before he could ask her to do less noise, the boy with pendants was suddenly pin to the ground and took in the princess arms. And while she was holding him really hard, and that one of her two braids were tickling her nose, the geek began to say, happy to see her.
"Wow! You're as fast as Sonic. Hehe!"
Very happy to see him, Anna paid no attention to his incomprehensible reference. She finally let him go but it was only to get up and pull him very quickly to the door with blue snowflakes.
"Elsa! Steven is back!"
"I heard it." Informed the big sister from her room, with a delighted voice. "Are you fine?" She asked then to the strange little boy.
"Absolutely." Said the English, adding sarcastically. "As long as the voice of this little redhead do not attract all the guards in the area."
'Note to myself ...' he thought. 'Do not EVER let Anna play Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell.'
"Don't worry." Elsa reassured. "Anna told me that our parents brought things back to normal."
"Fortunately!" Complained the little redhead. "It was so boring in my room, with a guard outside. Mom let me goes out but telling me to be careful."
Steven and Elsa sighed and realized that he had indeed done a damn mess here.
"We were worried that something happened to you." Elsa continued. "Where were you?"
"Just outside." Informed nonchalantly the metalhead. "I wandered here and there."
He did not intend to tell them his little adventure. He considered that it was useless to talk about the events of a dream to a character also unreal.
"You have a very beautiful country by the way." Added the geek.
It's the blonde princess who replied.
"Thank you. We only see it through our windows, but it is true that we're quite proud of it."
Steven remembered that the two girls hasn't left the castle for years. He wondered if he did not speak again without thinking. But apparently none of them had been hurt by his words, which reassured him.
"However, I'm happy to see you again." Said Elsa.
Anna then proclaimed.
"Well I'm not happy at all."
The other two children had a particularly surprised air. They absolutely didn't expect that little Anna would say such a thing. She, who seemed happy in any circumstance, had her hands on her hips and seemed really angry.
"I spent half of the day getting bored in my room and being worry about you." Explained the redhead girl. "And when I finally could get out, you were nowhere. You abandoned us."
"Not at all!" Steven defended. "I already told you I cannot control my ... instant travels. And I had no way to return."
"I don't care." Anna said pouting.
Elsa then began to get a little angry against her little sister.
"Anna, do not act like a child!"
Steven then stated, hesitantly.
"But Elsa ... She IS a child."
"She's a Princess." Corrected the blonde girl. "And a princess doesn't behave like this."
"It absolutely doesn't change the fact that she is a little girl." Steven replied.
Elsa understood what he meant, but she still wanted to replicate. Except that she was taken aback by the very subject of the conversation.
"Do not talk about me like I wasn't here!" Anna got mad.
The blonde and Steven were silent for a second, before saying together.
"Sorry ..."
After which the redhead princess began to sit back and sulk. By observing her, the geek hesitated between considering it sad or ... cute. Her pouting cheeks all round made her look like a hamster, and strangely highlighted her white strand that Steven had, hitherto, not really noticed.
The first time he met her, it was night. He hadn't seen it. And today, everything happened pretty fast, he did not really had time to pay attention to her hairstyle. But now that he had seen it, he thought she would have a huge success in a Metal concert.
Steven then realized that he couldn't convince her to be reasonable, which was quite annoying. But he felt strangely saddened to see the upset girl mad with him. He had to do something to change that. He really wanted to. He was ashamed for having given her the impression that he had abandoned them. He knew how much this impression was horrible.
His eyes then fell on the brown ribbon bag he was holding. It is with a shameful hesitation that he tried, sincerely, handing the candies.
"Anna ... I'm sorry." She did not even turn her eyes on him. "All I have to apologize are... these chocolates ..."
The look of the girl changed in a second.
"I forgive you!" She said, smiling and taking quickly the package.
Steven was completely taken aback by this sudden change of attitude. The princess now seemed to be on heaven, as if nothing of what had annoyed her today had happened. The gamer remained like a statue while Elsa, who had heard and understood what was happening, was laughing.
Seeing Anna stroking the bag with her cheerful face, like a kitten with her new best friend, Steven finally smile again.
'It seems that I found Dark Anna's Kryptonite.' Thought geek.
He then saw her undoing the brown ribbon to open the bag. It was filled with light brown chocolate, milky visibly, looking like fishes. The ribbon color was therefore indicating the type of candy inside. The red-haired princess grabbed a small brown animal and prepared to eat it.
Having apparently heard the sound of the bag's opening, Elsa asked with a gentle authority that froze her little sister.
"Annaaaa ... It's almost dinner time. You're not even thinking about eating chocolate now, isn't it?"
The redhead had big eyes, looked a little panicked and the chocolate two millimeters from his mouth.
"... No."
She bit in the candy.
"I heeeeard iiiit." Informed the blonde.
Because of that, Anna looked a little panicked and ran away in the corridors, under the dumbfounded and mid amused look of Steven.
"She ran away." Informed the gamer, laughing, indirectly asking Elsa Where and Why she was gone.
"When it's about chocolate, Anna is on cloud nine." She replied amused. "She must be hiding in her room to eat the entire bag now."
"Without even proposing to share out?" Steven falsely took offense.
The snow princess reminded him.
"You gave her them to apologize. You remember?"
"... True."
Elsa laughs suddenly, with her childish and crystalline voice. Steven sighed, relieved that their reunion has finished well in the end. Then he began facing the white door with blue snowflakes and told to the person on the other side.
"She's gone. Could you let me in please?"
A silence fell upon them. The Geek worried. He feared that he embarrassed her. But Elsa was very worried indeed. She does not let anyone come usually, except her parents and a few servants, and even then, when she was not here. But right now, for the first time in many years, she found no reason to not open. Certainly, Steven was a stranger, and a very strange one, but he was not bad as it seemed.
Her parents told her to not rely on strangers ... But her powers prevented her to meet anyone precisely. She didn't really come out of the castle, including before Anna's incident. They had explained to her a long time ago that some would not react like them discovering what she could do, they would be worried, would look at her with reluctance, or fear. The same fear she felt about herself.
Steven, however, already came in her room, although she did not know how, and had seen her powers, without being frightened at all. He didn't look at her like a circus freak. He actually seemed... amazed. Which, in hindsight, amused Elsa. It reminded her a little the good days when she played with Anna. And when he had realized that he had scared her that night, he felt ashamed and sincerely apologized. She clearly realized it.
Steven was the first person from the outside she met her entire life. And, despite her powers, he had treated her was perfectly ... humane.
It was a very nice feeling. A real relief. And despite what her parents told her, she wanted to spend some time with him. Her reason told her to not let him in, that it was a bad idea. But inside of her, Elsa wanted her solitude to end, only for a moment.
That, finally, led her to unlock and open the door slowly.
The young Englishman sighed in relief and smiled at the icy blue eyes of the princess in the opening. She stepped aside to let him in. He did it, closing slowly behind him. Then his eyes turned to the little blonde girl, discovering her clearly for the first time, like Anna. Because it was night when they first met.
He had to admit that she was an adorable girl, with her blond braid, the ribbon in her hairs and her dark blue dress. But more than that, by her smile and her little hands folded before her, the child seemed to already have the grace and the manners that were expected from a princess, and the Queen she obviously would become. He could not help but note that she was wearing the same white gloves she had three days ago... or a week ago according to Anna.
Wishing to discuss, Steven tried something he usually did not: a small voluntary joke.
"Glad to see your favorite intruder?"
Elsa laughed a little, slightly raising her hand to the lips, as her mother taught her. Then she replied.
"I am especially glad that thou were not caught."
The gamer rubbed his neck, chuckling. He was actually lucky to not have been caught earlier. Who knows what could have happened? He remembered suddenly the whole scene that caused this terror.
The little boy with a strand had then a rather austere face, marked more by disappointment than anger as he crossed his arms, looking at the little girl in the eye. He then announced sternly.
"Elsa ... We need to talk."
The girl did not seem to understand instantly. Then she suddenly worried. She understood what he wanted to discuss about. It was about the fact that she didn't opened her door when the king was going to find him. The princess looked down, looking sad. All she managed to say, with shame, was.
"... I'm sorry ... for what happened."
"You can be." Steven said, a tone higher. "Do you have any idea what your father would have done to me if he had caught me? Especially thinking he looks more protective than a Big Daddy with his little sister, or even the Songbird. It would have been a miracle that I can see daylight again. "
Elsa was too overwhelmed to note his references. She knew he was in danger. And she knew she had abandoned him shamefully. She hugged her own arms, closing her sad eyes. She could no longer watch the young stranger in the face, which itself foolishly put salt on the wound.
"You preferred seeing me in jail rather than in your room or what? I already have one with these ninja-idiots."
Elsa felt bad. She was thinking that the boy with pendants was angry against her, and he had good reasons to be. Did it mean that she was already losing the only person in her life that was, even a little bit, keeping her company? She could just repeat, in a low and tearful voice.
"Sorry ... Sorry ..."
Steven lost his displeases air for one of incomprehension when he realized the face the princess had. She was literally in tears. It was not at all what he wanted. He tried, stammering and uncrossing his arms.
"H ... Hey ... you don't need to be like this ... I just want to... Understand why you didn't open the door ..."
The princess didn't seem to calm down, not at all. She was so tensed that she began to lose control of her powers again. She was already imagining him hating her, rejecting her and ready to go forever, leaving her alone again. The temperature of the room decreased, and some frost formations appeared around the feet of the girl. All she managed, with difficulty, to pronounce was.
"... Anna ..."
The young man didn't directly understand. So, he tried to put himself in his place, and then compared with the stories he read or saw before, as he usually did. And then his eyes widened, understanding everything.
He was again overwhelmed by guilt, even more than earlier. And even more than when he had intimidated her the first time they met. Steven looked down and took a step back. He spoke softly, with a voice full of remorse.
"I'm sorry ..."
Suddenly, Elsa's eyes widened, looking shocked. The ice stopped to spread. Did he said excuse me? Him? To her? She thought she had misheard. Why would he have said those words? How was that possible?
She looked up and saw a figure she had already seen before. It was the same sincerely sorry face that Steven had when he realized how much he had frightened her that famous night. He had regrets. He felt guilty. But why? She didn't understand.
The little boy with the Vessalius strand, looking shameful, rubbed his neck and weakly explained.
"I didn't want you to think I'm angry. But it's true that I spoke without thinking. Now that I think about it, I realize that it wasn't an easy moment for you. I asked you to help me, and probably you wanted to, but you didn't want your sister to come, fearing that she would discover again your powers. It was like choosing between helping a very bizarre stranger and protecting your sister..."
Elsa was breath-taken.
The Geek thought.
'It must have been worse than a moral choice in Telltale's Walking Dead.'
Then he continued, looking up at the Snow Princess.
"I understand the choice you made. Between your little sister and a strange intruder ... it's actually quite logical."
Elsa should have felt a little bad for him, hearing him speaking of him in that way, but she was too stunned for that.
Steven then ended with a slight smile.
"But everything was fine in the end. So, nothing to worry, okay?"
Elsa could not believe it. She seemed to have turned into a statue as she was in shock. She only was able to formulate a question.
"You ... don't blame me?"
Steven took a moment to think a few seconds, to be as honest as possible. He wondered if he was really forgiving her. He watched the blonde girl in the eyes, smiled, and his answer was as fast as sincere.
"Not at all."
The princess remained completely speechless. He forgave her? Like this? So easily? While he almost gets arrested because of her? She could not believe it.
Her immobility began to slightly worried Steven, who feared a little to have said something stupid. He hesitated, asking her.
"Uh ... Elsa ? ... You Okay ? Did I say something -"
He was suddenly interrupted by the girl who, to his surprise, hugged him strongly.
It was his turn to be tensed. He was both embarrassed and confused. He felt her trembling and heard that she was holding her tears. The gamer didn't understand anymore what was going on. But he thought he heard her murmuring, between sobs, with a deeply grateful voice.
"Thank you… Thank you ..."
She was relieved. She had been so afraid of being alone again. This stranger was a bizarre and mysterious person, but he was friendly. She never realized how much loneliness weighed upon her until she met him.
Steven patted her gently on the back, trying to calm her.
"It's okay, little girl. Everything's fine."
Elsa then chuckled and moved away from him, rubbing an eye, telling him.
"Little? Hehe ... You're exaggerating don't you think? We are the same age."
Steven remembered that he was still in a younger body, which corresponded approximately to when he was ten years old, more or less, which seemed the same age, in fact, that seemed to have Elsa. He didn't want to think about this. It was not, for him, an interesting thing to understand in a dream. And certainly not to explain to Elsa, especially as it did not seem so important actually.
"Yeah… sure." Accepted the geek.
The Londoner felt better now that the princess was smiling again. But silence felt. He and Elsa did not know what to say. Steven therefore tried to break the ice, metaphorically, observing the room of the princess and declaring cheerfully.
"So, this is your room? It was dark when we met so I could not see well." He looked across the room. "But now I must say it is very ... Empty ... Colorful but empty."
Elsa seemed a little surprised. She examined in her turn the room where she was spending her entire time. She never really paid attention to the decoration actually. She had other things on her mind, things she considered more important. But, on second thought, she had to admit.
"It's true that there's a lot of space ..."
"And purple." Steven added. "Not forgetting the mauve."
"You don't like it?" asked the girl, simply curious.
"Oh, I like it, really." Reassured geek. "By the way, if we think about the symbolism of colors, it's perfect for you."
Elsa did not seem to understand what he meant, but she was still smiling. Steven guessed her confusion and explained.
"Each color has some symbolism. And if I remember correctly, it was a long time ago, purple represents seriousness, gentleness and magic. So I think this environment suits you."
"Really?" Wondered the princess.
Steven confirmed nonchalantly.
"Yes ... Or fear and melancholy. It depends."
Elsa lowered her face again and seemed slightly sad. Understanding what he had said, Steven thought.
'Aaaaand I messed up ... Damn it, I have a biggest mouth than a Hydralisk!'
He tried to redeem himself, adding eagerly.
"But it's the positive aspects that suits you I think."
Elsa smiled again, but her eyes show she was still pained. She was not annoyed with Steven. She knew he didn't say this to hurt her intentionally, she was the one who was doing some kind of fixation. But he felt responsible. He tried to quickly find a way to cheer her up. But he didn't yet know her passions. Then, suddenly, he remembered a time when she had seemed very joyful: The one where he told her the beginning of Bilbo the Hobbit.
He then asked, smiling at the Snow Princess, amused and happy.
"Do you want to hear a story?"
The girl seemed surprised, then really enthusiast, which reassured the geek.
He thought that this evening was going to be very nice.
While it absolutely wasn't the case for a big man in costar watching them, the children unable to know it.
List of references:
Final Fantasy, The emperor's new groove, Counter Strike, One Piece, Fairy Tail, Aladdin, Dragon Age, Final Fantasy VII, World of Warcraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, Superman, Bioshock, Bioshock Infinite, The Walking Dead (Telltale games), Starcraft