No internet for TWO WHOLE DAYS.

[conuly]

It was agony. We're just replacing this modem, which hopefully should do the trick - but juuuuuust in case, we also booked a visit, if it doesn't.

Meanwhile, a new Frozen question has appeared in my mind.

What was Elsa doing while her sister was trudging up the mountain? She threw a tantrum, she tried on a new mask of "I don't need anybody and I don't care" which doesn't fit her much better than the old mask of "I am perfectly poised and in control at all times", and she settled down for a good sulk. Great, there's no shame in it, we've all done it - but I have to say, for me, half an hour into a sulk I start to feel bored and a little silly. Elsa is used to a lot more alone time than most of us, but she doesn't even have any books to read. She could've passed the time by making ever-more-elaborate sculptures, but it doesn't look like she did that either or else Anna would've tripped on them... so what was she doing? Are we supposed to believe she just sat there perfectly still and didn't do anything at all, just waited for the plot to arrive?

Sheesh. You know, she didn't even bring any food or, as near as I can tell, build herself any toilets. Anna didn't have to hike up that mountain, she could've just waited at the bottom for her sister to calm down and come home.

Comments

[hudebnik]

Yes, I was wondering about the utter lack of food. Not to mention books, or a change of clothes.

Not the toilets so much -- one can easily imagine toilets being included somewhere in an unseen corner of all those castle towers. And I presume Ilsa won't be bothered by putting her princess bum on a seat of ice, although the guests might.

There is, of course, the question of what happens to the excreta if everything is at sub-freezing temperatures: it's not likely to just flow away downhill. But then, if you don't have any food you're not likely to produce a lot of excreta.

[conuly]

Food or clothes would imply that she really had a plan.

[silveradept]

It's possible that after doing all that great and wonderful ice work, Elsa had a nap, because using powers that much and that big was exhausting.

Or she had a nap of "oh, finally I don't have to pretend any more."

But yes, Anna probably could have waited for Elsa to come back down the mountain, although the longer the sulk went on, the higher likelihood someone would have frozen and that could have created other problems about coming back.

[conuly]

Or she had a nap of "oh, finally I don't have to pretend any more."

She was definitely still pretending. Just, instead of pretending she didn't have powers and she was fine and everything was fine and it was all under control, now she was pretending she was happy alone and everything was fine and she had great control over her powers.

That's about the only explanation I can find for her ridiculous performative smirking. Who're you trying to kid, Elsa? You're all alone on a mountain! There's nobody around to fool except yourself!

[silveradept]

That makes sense, too. Now I'm envisioning Elsa up in a treehouse, refusing to come down or out and thinking she's going to be fine. At least until dinner. I guess at that point we find out whether the snow queen can subsist on snow and ice?

[mme-n-b.livejournal.com]

She built a snow guardian for her castle and trained it. Presumably she also furnished the castle, including kitchens and toilets which were not shown because they did not advance the plot.

[conuly]

She didn't build the snow guardian until Anna showed up - and if Olaf is any indication, her creatures don't really need training. They're just imbued with knowledge, intelligence, and a degree of autonomy from the get-go. (She is massively overpowered.)

As for kitchens and toilets, those are no good without a. food b. a heat source c. plumbing, none of which are easy to do with ice.

[mme-n-b.livejournal.com]

I thought the guardian met Anna before Elsa even knew about her arrival?
Toilets work perfectly fine without plumbing, you effete American you :) Have for millennia. All you need is an ice throne with an opening, a hook for your train, a conveniently wide and smooth icicle for hygiene, and an icy slope down to the bottom of the mountain.
Kitchens are harder, but maybe she made sherbet?

[conuly]

Kitchens are harder, but maybe she made sherbet?

Maybe she sat and didn't eat anything.

[mme-n-b.livejournal.com]

Which would nicely decrease the need for toilets ;)
We know that she entertained ambassadors in the ice castle, but the food was brought from town (I believe) and was entirely cold, so there probably aren't any kitchens and you're right. I'm sure, however, the ambassadors would've noticed it if there weren't any bathrooms, and so would Anna and the servants, so I stand by my vision of an icy outhouse.