rediscover | IC INBOX | VICTORY ROAD

[A little while after this conversation takes place, Anna is going to receive a message from Elsa.]

Anna!
I've been doing some reading on a Pokemon species known as "Rapidash" and I'm starting to think that we need to look for two of our own.
Isn't it beautiful? I read the fire doesn't hurt you if Rapidash likes you.
I do have ulterior motives, I have to admit. It took a few days for my feet to stop hurting after we got to Cherrygrove. I think a horse Pokemon would help a lot with that.
What are your thoughts? I need to dig a little more to find where it likes to live.

oh WOW
FIRE HORSE!!!!!

lets get some! we'd look so cool riding around on them!!!

Yes, fire horse!!

[It feels weird to use more than one exclamation mark. This isn't proper grammar!!!]

I had a feeling you would be excited about it. Hopefully it won't take us too long to find them.

We will probably find Ponyta first, if we go looking in the wild. I think that's the pre-evolution of Rapidash. Is that the right word? I need to consult my notes.

awwww!! so we could get a fire PONY first! how cute!!

this is a great idea, Elsa! where can we find them????

Let me see...

[It takes Elsa a few moments before she gets back to Anna as she does a little Research, which... kind of makes her deflate a little.]

Oh. So it looks like we can buy them at a place called MooMoo farm, but that's a few towns away from where we are.

[Her feet are cry,]

Otherwise they can be found in the "Safari Zone", wherever that is. I think that's a long way away too.

well...it's better than nothing i suppose!
and at least were getting some exercise until then : )
i'm having so much fun so far, Elsa! but I have to admit it'll be nice to have a lift!

Anna is falling.

First it's through a seemingly endless length of clouds, falling through them and chilling her to the bone with wet mist. Eventually, the cloud layer does finally break, and she's now falling over a world she shouldn't recognize. Fields of green stretch out for miles, little houses that aren't like anything in Arendelle dot the landscape.

But suddenly, something does come up quickly to meet Anna: a well. A well that's so big it looks like it could swallow anything whole, effortlessly.

But there is something in the dark, and it's watching Anna as she falls. And slowly, it comes out of the well, revealing the form of a gigantic, skeletal bird. The monster rears up, opening its beak right as Anna falls in.

And then she wakes up.

It's true she hasn't been sleeping well; her own dreams have been tumultuous and cold, replays of past trauma come back to haunt her night after night. Tonight, the dream almost seems like a nice change, at first, until the clouds soak through her clothes and leave her shivering almost as badly as her other dreams, even worse with the air rushing past her. It would be a relief when she comes through the clouds, except for the fact that she can't find any peace in the scene below her for her fear of hitting the ground. She lets out a piercing scream, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, but then decides that if she's going to hit the ground, she at least wants to know...

And then she sees the well: the dark, empty mouth of it sends shivers down her spine that have nothing to do with the cold, and those shivers only amplify as she sees the creature rising out of it, its jaws stretching open to catch her—

She wakes up in her hotel bed screaming, a cold sweat under her nightgown, breath heaving. She has no idea what that dream was, or where it came from, but she did not like it one bit—and it takes her a long time to convince herself to go back to sleep after that.

hey
where u at

[She asks like they aren't probably staying in the same hotel- she did kind of invite herself along to Goldenrod when she had the opportunity. Just a little extra stoner baggage for the trip.

But like, honestly? She couldn't imagine just. Staying behind when one of the only friends she's made is leaving. She hasn't made a connection with anyone else, not like Anna. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel... something.

Chloe isn't gonna define that something, but it's There. Maybe it's her tendency to latch onto people, or maybe it's a Real Something. Maybe she's even still reeling from the fact hasn't seen Max in so long. Or maybe it's because she's finally...settling down after so much craziness back home and she can sort of return to normal.

When's the last time that was a thing?

TL;DR: she's a big ball of weird feelings. Good, but also weird. It's a lot. Being Chloe Price is a lot right now.]

i got something for you
and im too impatient to wait til tmrw morning

[Anna's not expecting a message quite so late in the evening—not that she's asleep. She's much too excited about the prospect of a visit from Julenissen to pass out this early. Seeing who it's from, though, gives Anna a little thrill of excitement. She's grown pretty attached to her new friend Chloe, which is funny considering the somewhat antagonistic start they'd gotten off to.]

i'm in my hotel room, duh!!

i have something for you too actually...want to meet me somewhere??
ooh how about the pool!

[She likes it in the pool room. It's echo-y and still and a little eerie at night!]

oh snap
did you for real??
u didnt have to

[She's... surprised?

Honestly Chloe had expected it to be a vaguely awkward one-sided thing where she got Anna a present and Anna would be like "oh nooo i didn't get u anything", so this is pretty much the opposite of that.

It warms her blue lil heart.

The pool, on the other hand? Anna has no way of knowing but she's having hella war flashbacks to that night she and Max snuck into the Vortex Club swimming pool. She could say no, but there's a certain... how to put it- thrill, in repeating past mistakes with pretty girls.]

im already halfway there girl

of course i did! i wanted to!!!

[If Anna had any idea the kind of memories being in the pool might bring up for Chloe, she definitely wouldn't have suggested it, but as it is, she has no clue. She's just excited about doing something that might be a little against the rules with her friend.

She gasps, realizing that Chloe is going to beat her there, and scrambles out of the hotel room with a quick word of explanation for Elsa, clutching the ribbon-wrapped tin containing Chloe's gift in her hands as she rushes down to the pool.]

be there soon!!!

[Chloe is definitely already there by the time Anna gets there. On her way, she'd thoughtfully swiped the hotel keys from the front desk when no one was looking- because she's talented like that.

She figures Anna would find it impressive that she mysteriously has keys, and it beats trying to pick the lock.]

Took ya long enough.

[She's dangling the keys in one hand and holding a very poorly wrapped lump in her other arm.]

[She skids to a stop in front of the door to the pool, letting out a startled laugh when she sees that Chloe's actually swiped the keys to the door.]

Woah. I'm going to pretend you asked for those nicely. Anyway, leave me alone, I had to come all the way from the fourth floor!

Yeah, I totally waltzed up like "hey can I grab your keys?" and they just. Let me.

[Sure. Whatever floats your boat, princess. She gives Anna a wink and sets about unlocking the door.]

I'll forgive you, this time. [Hacker voice: they're in. Chloe pushes the door open and gestures for Anna to go ahead.] Royalty first.

[Giggling, Anna shakes her head.] Yeah, I'm super sure that's exactly what happened!

[She gets a weird feeling in her stomach, seeing the way Chloe winks at her; she guesses the other girl is just so cool and funny, and Anna isn't used to that just yet. That's probably it. She stifles more giggles with her hand and goes through the door to the pool ahead of Chloe.

Inside, it's dark, and still, and echoey, and the lights from the pool reflect off the windows and the ceiling, making it feel like a mermaid's grotto or something.]

This is amazing!

[The hair on the back of Chloe's neck stands up a little as the two of them step into the pool room. Chloe locks the door behind them, before stepping further in. She's having hella flashbacks now, it's a little intense. It's like she stepped back into the past, but instead of Max it's Anna.

It's funny how life repeats itself. But at the same time, there's a strange rush to this, a sense of adrenaline that makes her want to see where this goes. She felt it with Rachel, she felt it with Max. Now it's Anna.

Chloe chews on her bottom lip as she steps up beside Anna.]

Right? Good gift giving atmosphere.

[She nudges Anna with her elbow and sort of thrusts the lumpy present her way, as if suddenly feeling awkward about it.]

Here you go, loser. Merry Christmas.

[Anna, for her part, is completely oblivious to any weird vibes Chloe might be getting. She stares around in wonder until she feels an elbow nudging into her, and then suddenly she's got her arms full of something...misshapen. She giggles.]

What is it? Oh, geez, here, take this.

[She holds out the tin toward Chloe; it's got a red ribbon and a little sprig of holly tied around it.]

Should...should I open it?

[Chloe wants to say yes to that, to kind of get it over with so that she doesn't have to over think it, but she's masochistic.

She realizes she wants this to go on for a little longer. If they just give each other the gifts, then it'll be over. So she's gottaaaa. Delay it.]

Wait, why don't we go for a swim first? I mean, we might as well. I heard it's heated.

[Man this really is turning into That Night all over again. Maybe she's subconsciously trying to make it into that. Blatant wish fulfillment, way to go Chloe.

Without waiting for a reply, Chloe sets the tin down gently and then steps over to the edge of the pool.]

[Anna pauses; she'd been all ready to tear into that package, but when Chloe suggests they go for a swim, she's not sure whether or not that's a joke.]

Wait, wait, seriously?

[Anna sets down her own package and scurries over to join Chloe by the edge of the pool.]

It would be fun...but I'm in my nightgown!

[Chloe lets out a laugh at that, as if it's a flimsy excuse. In truth, she'd heard a similar one from Max and they'd still ended up in the pool. She's riding the thrill of this encounter, so she's a little more daring than she ought to be.]

Yeah, but are you gonna let that stop you?

[Chloe turns her back to Anna and starts to lift up her shirt, before glancing over her shoulder.]

I assume you've got something on underneath.

[With that she finishes peeling off her shirt and tosses it aside, then the pants follow.

Chloe is impressed at her own bravery, honestly. What is even happening.]

[That sounds suspiciously like a dare, and Anna is almost physically unable to resist a dare. Plus...

...Well, it'll be fun, she tells herself. That's that. How often do you get a chance to do something like this? Definitely not often in Arendelle, that's for sure. And she wants Chloe to like her.]

..Well, yeah, okay. I'll do it. Just...don't look.

[She's still shy, especially around someone so cool, and she turns her back as she starts to pull her nightgown over her head. Here goes nothing!]

[And this is the moment in the game where everything pauses and you press A to look or B to not look.

If you think Chloe isn't pressing A, you're wrong. She hesitates, but- finally, she risks a little peek Anna's way. God. Gay.

She's so gay.

Chloe coughs and turns away, suddenly feeling all kinds of hot. Honestly if she knew Anna thought she was cool, she'd be both flattered and wonder how the hell she thinks that. Sometimes she feels like a total goober.

At least she's good at pretending??]

I hope they lied when they said this thing was heated, cuz it sure is hot in here.

[Is that an attempt at flirting? Is it her being awkward? We just don't know.]

[Anna's thankfully oblivious to any peeking; she's too busy staring straight in the other direction. She's suddenly gripped by a weird fear that if she looks at Chloe and sees her in her underwear, something will be...different. She might feel different.

She's shaken out of her worries by Chloe's words, and she blinks, turning over her shoulder to glance at the other girl.]

You think so?

[Waaaaay over her head.]

[There are sometimes when things go over Anna's head and it's funny, then there are others, when she's trying to be flirty or drop certain hints, that it's not funny at all. This is the latter.

When it seems like Anna is finally finished taking her night gown off, Chloe decides to just turn around like it's No Big Deal.

Her eyes move over Anna, and yep-]

Definitely hot in here.

[She's gonnaaaa. Just go and jump into the pool now.

Sploosh.]

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