thearena | We were gods, nobody was above me. [closed]

WHO| Thor, Anna and Starkilly
WHAT| Thor adopts Anna, Starkiller isn't happy.
WHEN| backdated to after Elsa dies, just before Dave dies.
WHERE| in Build-a-Buddy
WARNINGS| Death and mourning

Thor knew it was folly to brush this Arena off as simple. He knew it as soon as it started to take a turn for the worst. The numbers are thinning more rapidly than ever, allies are disappearing and friends are dying before he can so much as greet them. Since his first conversation with Anna, he had hoped to cross paths with Elsa and perhaps find a way to compensate for her kind gestures last Arena, but he begins to worry that he has left it too late. It's hard not to let the bitterness and guilt eat at him when he considers it, people fall every day. People are suffering daily, going through unimaginable lengths of physical and emotional pain for reasons so stupid it infuriates him. It's nothing he could ever stand for, but he's backed into a corner. He's been warned repeatedly of how foolish an outburst would be, how his friends and family would suffer for it, it just makes it all the more painful when he needs to swallow down harsh words and desires to scream in anger.

The only thing that sates that anger even somewhat is his limited ability to help people. Outwardly, it probably looks as if he's gone soft. He hugs people, he offers them food and drink and engages in light-hearted conversation rather than fighting. More than anything it makes him feel good to do some good. Whatever he's capable of, given the situation, eases the guilt enough to keep him going for a future he's sure will be in the favor of everyone here.

In one of his grand gestures of goodness, he's patrolling around the mall, searching for people in need of assistance he hopes he can provide. The plush laden walls draw his attention and he strolls in, glancing around curiously before the sound of crying becomes evident enough for him to seek Anna out.

"Anna?" He begins gently, so as not to startle her when he approaches. "Does something trouble you?" He feels like he may already know, and that guilt is starting to build once again.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Anna's never hurt so much in her life. Not even when she froze to death, her heart never felt so ready to burst as it does now. They'd taken Elsa's body away, and then even Dave's company had felt like too much, so she'd absconded. Wandered blindly through the mall--dangerous, when you're not aware of your surroundings--until she'd found respite in the build-a-buddy shop, and promptly collapsed into a pile of teddy bears, letting grief and shock wash over her in waves. She's not expecting anyone to find her there, squirreled away, but when she hears Thor's voice quite nearby, she jumps, pulling her face away from her hands. Her cheeks are red and tear-stained, eyes swollen and ocean-blue from the salt of her tears. Hiccuping, she lets his appearance distract her.

"Thor....hi." She sounds tired, voice scratchy. "It's...it's Elsa. She's gone." She sounds hollow; she can hardly believe it still.

Thor knows the kind of hurt Anna is feeling. He'd felt it before he'd even arrived here with the loss of Loki and Frigga weighing so heavily on him. It isn't a sadness to be trifled with, nor one to live through over and over again, so he feels a great stirring of sympathy for the once bubbly, young woman and it shows in his expression.

He can't verbalise quite what he wants to say, so in a gesture most gentle for a man his size he brushes the back of his hand over her cheek before letting it rest firmly on his shoulder.

"It is difficult, I know. But she will return." He offers her a small smile for comfort. "Do you travel alone?"

Edited 2014-10-01 12:15 (UTC)

Anna's surprised by just how gentle Thor is; she'd expect someone of his stature to be more ham-fisted, but the brush of his hand over her cheek is comforting to some small degree. She lifts her chin to look up at him properly, nodding.

"I know. You're r-right, I'm sure. I'll see her when I get back to the Capitol." She hiccups softly, rubbing the tears away from her eyes as best she can. And though her face is still somber, and pained, she forces herself to return his smile, watery as it is, and nods.

"Yes, I--I don't know where Dave is, or Kristoff..." She ignores the fact that these names, or at least Kristoff's, mean nothing to Thor. "I'm not sure what I'm gonna do."

"You'll do well for her, she will be proud to see it." He offers, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. It isn't entirely born out of guilt for not being able to help Elsa, but he's practically already decided to keep Anna close to him. She's a sprightly thing when she isn't upset, she might be good for him and his travel companions.

"And I'm quite certain she wouldn't have me send you off on your own." He gives his shoulders a slight shrug. "Come with me, it would be my pleasure to introduce you to Lady Sif." He doesn't mention Starkiller for the moment simply because he knows she's so enamored with Asgardians.

Anna forces herself to breathe in and out, steadying her breaths. She needs to collect herself. She won't let the whole Capitol see her crying for days. "Really? You'd do that?" The idea of meeting another of the gods she'd read so much about is certainly appealing, after all.

The princess bites her lip, looking hesitant for a moment. "Only if I won't be a bother, or anything. I don't want to hold you back, or be a hindrance."

"Of course." His voice is soft but firm, there's no question to it whatsoever. He watches her for a moment as she catches her breath before he moves in very carefully to circle his arms around her. It helped Bro, it has helped others, he'd not been one to hold others like this unless he knew them but the influence of affection is powerful.

"You will do no such thing. We are all of us warriors, but we can be grim." Yeah you seem real grim, Thor. "We could use a lively spirit amongst us." He gives her back an affectionate rub before pulling back entirely, offering an arm for her to hold onto if she pleases. "Shall we?"

The fact that someone is willing to take her in, make sure she's not alone, is immensely comforting, and Anna sighs in relief as Thor hugs her, leaning her forehead against his massive shoulder for a moment.

"Thank you," she breathes. "In that case, I accept." After all, "lively spirit" is pretty much her middle name. She shifts so she's on her knees, the better to stand, and takes Thor's arm gratefully.

"Sure thing. Let's get out of this place." It's filled with too many bad memories, now. She's not sure she wants to hang around much more.

Thor has been gone long enough that it has Starkiller wondering if something's happened to the other man. He isn't terribly worried, knowing Thor is capable of taking care of himself, but he knows the Asgardians tend to be a bit... confident. Possibly dangerously so, so he can't help but wonder if he managed to get himself into a scrap and gotten injured.

He's just setting off to go check up on him when he sees him returning- and with someone.

Starkiller takes several steps closer, but stops when he sees who it is that's with Thor. The reaction is instantaneous. His lips curl up in anger and his hand reaches for the crowbar at his side. It doesn't even occur that she's with Thor, all that's on his mind is that she's in his general vicinity and he wants to attack her before she can cause harm to anyone.

He's waited for this day. Maybe it's irrational and an overreaction, but after everything he's heard and everything she's done, he just wants to end things.

So he raises the crowbar and takes pointed steps in her direction, the intent obvious.

It would flatter Thor, in a way, to know that Starkiller worries for him even in the slightest. He'd be more pleased to feel competent, but the fact that he worries at all just speaks of how close they have become. Even if he can't talk, he feels he knows Starkiller quite well. They are, in many senses, good friends now.

He doesn't expect anyone should have a problem with Anna, especially not one that warrants such a reaction. He and Anna had been getting along well so far, so he's in good spirits when he approaches their meeting place.

Well, he was. Seeing Starkiller's expression shocks that much out of him and he gives him a bewildered look. It's not hard to see his ire is directed at Anna, so he pulls her a little closer and gives him a Look. The All-Father look. Only he has both eyes so it's more effective.

"Lower your weapon, Starkiller. She is no enemy to you, she is a friend to all of us."

She's cautious enough already, this arena being what it is, but as they draw nearer to a male figure coming straight for them, Anna clings to Thor's side a little. And when that figure takes the form of none other than Hans's cohort Starkiller, raising his weapon toward her menacingly to boot, the princess quails, stopping in her tracks just short behind Thor. She doesn't like that look on his face, and from what he said to her--wordlessly, but still--he bears plenty of ill will toward her.

"I didn't do anything to you," she says to him, from Thor's elbow. "At least, nothing that I remember."

We were gods, nobody was above me. [closed]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject