#anna01

@annaqueenofarendelle​ liked for a starter

The sunrise had finally broke through the canopied trees of the park, and Zuko inhaled slowly as he felt warmth filling his lungs. When he exhaled, small gusts of purple flames escaped through his nostrils and his pupils dilated as he felt himself calming down.

Slowly he raised his arms into the air, gently moving through his exercises and poses. He watched as controlled jets of purple flames shot from his fists, and the flames became more erratic as he quickened his movements. Circling flames surrounded him as he continued his morning routine. But when he felt a presence behind him, his muscles tensed and his hand tugged downward. Flames connected to the grass and his eyes widened before he quickly stomped on the now-scorched ground.

               The dining hall was all but silent, save for the hum of appliances originating from the kitchen. Ines lived for these quiet moments, when they could simply slip away into the recesses of their mind and think about something other than the task immediately at hand. The day had been a long and arduous one, filled with traversing the grounds, identifying repairs to do in the wake of the high winds, and budgeting time and resources. They had barely slept since the storm began, and now they were too preoccupied with the immediacy of projects they would be undertaking over the following days to rest.

Sat at the table with a fresh cup of tea ⏤ their second since they’d relocated out of the lab for a change in scenery ⏤ Ines began to type up a precursory ‘to do’ list for Julian, for the morning. The pilot meant well, and he was a quick study in finding his way around blueprints, which made him an ideal student. Assistant was the word that came to mind as they scanned through their own list of objectives, though Ines knew it didn’t feel right. It felt dismissive, in a way. Minimizing. They weren’t one to overlook the contributions of those around them, but there were matters of greater importance to tend to at the moment. And so they paused for a sip of tea to reset their line of thinking, lest they find yet another benign issue to be consumed with, and returned to the documents filling up the screen of their tablet.

Ines was scanning through the digital blueprints to earmark those of their next repair project when footfalls sounded at the entrance of the large room. They glanced up to see the captain standing there and their expression softened. “Anna.” There had been little conversation between the pair since the first post-storm debriefing; the day had been busy with tending to the primary needs of the camp. “I was going to make another cup. Would you like one?”

Lady Douglas had seen nearly all there was to see in Scotland; both at her father and the king's sides, each castle had been explored, each wood has been hunted, each stream had been forded. Yet, with all of the strife facing her country throughout her life, Isobel had never been granted the opportunity to travel abroad. This summit was not only an important even for the future of her homeland, but also for a young woman taking her first steps into all that the world had to offer.

She had made sure to study as much as she could before their departure, and silently thanked here parents for providing her with the same education afforded to her brothers. There was word that monarchs from as far away as China would be in attendance, and Isobel made it her mission to learn as much about each of them ahead of time as possible. The French were of particular interest, as alliance with Charles could greatly influence the outcome of any attack James might launch on the English. She only hoped that Charles was more decisive in politics than he was in marriage.

The newest French queen could very well be the loveliest yet - this Isobel heard in whispers but could confirm now as she laid eyes upon Anna for the first time. "Your Grace, it is an honor to make your acquaintance," Isobel greeted the queen with a smile and a curtsy befitting the other woman's status. "I must thank you and the king for the invitation; the Scottish court is delighted to be here." Isobel's power paled in comparison to most of the attendees, but that did not mean she could not hold her wits about her. "I hope that Scotland and France may foster a great friendship that will last for generations to come."

At first, you pay the brunette in the same aisle as you no attention, until something about her makes you think home so insistently that you have to look closer. What could this woman have to do with Aselia? 

But the closer you look, the more certain you are you know—

“Anna,” you breathe on accident, and there’s no way she didn’t hear you. Mentally berating yourself, you make peace with the fact that you’ve just opened the door for a strange and perhaps uncomfortable conversation.

You know Anna. You know what happens to Anna.

Anna doesn’t know you.

Almost. 

Iruka unconsciously taps his fingers against the new scarring on his chest and wonders too if Konoha is beginning to feel this put together again. If he’ll ever return to find out. But, with long years of practice, he forces his darker thoughts far into the back of his mind; dwelling never yielded anything productive, and he needs to present a stable and reassuring front to the children anyway

So he stops lingering outside and returns to familiar hallways and familiar voices, smiling in spite of his earlier melancholy. By the time he reaches the kitchens, Iruka feels himself responding to the positive energy around him, and the worst of the tension he’d been holding in his muscles drains away. 

Of course, when he spots a certain coworker and friend, Iruka’s expression shifts into an actual grin. “Good morning, Anna,” he greets, leaning back against a counter. “Ready to get back to the normal kinds of chaos we deal with?”

Silver is the pocket watch that flips open and shut slowly, time ticking by in the usual manner. His brother is off: on the train that will soon pull back into the station from the steady loop around the island. For now, he waits on the platform as per usual, smile wide and silver eyes running over those few who wait for their transport to Paralia. Some are familiar, some are not, but that’s simply how things go.

Greetings are exchanged, but little holds his attention for long until his gaze catches onto somebody small and familiar who clambers onto the platform. That is a face he knows very well from numerous trips and talks, her presence a common one at the station due to the many visits she makes to the quieter part of the island. With a wide, stiff stride, he quickly cuts the distance between them, stopping abruptly in front of her and crouching down with an Emmet-esque beaming look of excitement.

❝ Annaaaaa!