A Frozen December 2016

It was that time of year again: She's annual cookie decorating party, which always took place a few weeks before Christmas. But based on what happened in 2014, with me being accidentally kidnapped, I had decided to avoid the fun. Little did I know, by passing up the opportunity to spy on the humans with the rest of my doll friends, I was getting myself into a much greater adventure. And it all started with Elphaba.

***

"Hey, we're all going to head downstairs to watch the cookie party. Want to come?" Elphaba inquires. She stands below my dresser, She's iPod in hand so the two of us could stay in touch. I'm lounging in my wicker chair with Steve beside me, the both of us without a care in the world.
"Eh, not really," I toy around carelessly with the end of my braid. "I saw what it was like two years ago. I'm just not feeling very adventurous today."
Elphie blows a stream of air through her lips, obviously frustrated with my mood. "Okay, if you say so." She trudges away, then looks behind her shoulder before passing through the door.
Looking back on it, I guess I wasn't really acting myself. But I didn't really feel like myself, either. Recently Nessarose had been spending more time than usual with Elphaba for their upcoming finding days on Christmas, and I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Nessa, an Anna ornament, had an Elsa ornament, Elphie, as a sister, and both dolls had been here for less of a time than I had. Where was my sister? Didn't I deserve one by now?
At least I had a boyfriend that cared just as much. Steve had declined his invitation to spy on the party earlier to spend the day with me. It was a very kind gesture for him to display, but I just didn't feel like doing anything. So the two of us just sat and talked about what was to come until the phone on She's charger chimed.
Towards the end of the party, had Elphie sent me this text as a warning:

She rushed into her room seconds after Steve and I froze into place, throwing a large gift bag onto her bed before running out again and shutting the door. Though it wasn't completely shut, there was a small gap between the door and the frame, just enough to let some light in from the hallway outside. But it still didn't leave the much-needed fresh air for Steve and I. I was feeling a little lightheaded, but that also might not have been from the lack of air. I was incredibly anxious.
"Uh-oh," Steve chuckles nervously beside me. "You know what that means."
"Do I?"
He held my arm to steady me as I leaned far over the dresser to get a good look inside. The gift bag was a cheery cranberry color with shiny gold dots all over, with thin red and white tissue paper poking out the top. A festive bag, no doubt, but would the thing inside it be equally as inviting or something sinister?
"Yes, I think you do," Steve crooned. "Come on, go and check it out! You know you want to."
The package rattled, and I jumped back, Steve catching me before I could run away.
Steve must have noticed my hands glowing blue, or he can just read me really well, because then he asks, "Is everything okay, Elsa?"
I feel like a little kid, pointing to the bag on She's bed like it was a monster in my closet. "There's something unusual about that bag. I haven't decided if I like it or not yet."
Steve pauses for a moment. "Why don't we go find out what's in it, then? That might put your mind at rest."
I wrung my hands, not taking an eye off that bag. "Maybe..."
"Come on, you like adventure. I'm surprised you didn't want to see the annual cookie party today."
I sigh. "I don't know, Steve. I'm just not feeling it today. Sorry I'm being so weird around you," I looked up into his eyes, my tone changing to playful. "And I don't know why you're so eager to see what's in the package, either."
Steve shrugs casually. "What can I say? Maybe a little bit of your attitude rubbed off on me," he grabs onto my hand, steadying my tremor. "But you don't have to go alone. I can be right by your side and we can see whatever's moving in that bag. Then we'll go right back to normal. Okay?"
I couldn't resist him, but I even more so I couldn't resist my curious instinct.
"Okay, you got me. I have to see what's in there."
"That's my girl," Steve smiles. "Let's go storm the castle."
When I gave him a creeped-out look, Steve quickly explained that it was just a figure of speech and that no one was looking to steal my invisible crown.

Steve, being a Super-Soldier and therefore much faster than a Snow Queen, made it over to the bed first and pulled up a small box to stand on and get a good view inside the gift bag. I required no assistance to see inside, and unless my mind was playing tricks on me, the tissue paper was still fidgeting. By now there was no doubt inside me. The thing inside was a doll. But friend or foe?
"We made it," said Steve. "Should we pull of the tissue paper?"
I backed away by a little. "No, I think they should be able to do it themselves."
Steve's eyebrows moved downwards along with his blue half-mask. "They?"
Suddenly, a desperate hand burst through a sheet of red paper, surprising the both of us so much that Steve almost fell off his box.

"Mmrph mm!" Came a voice, obviously connected to the arm, from inside the bag.
Steve's panicked look mirrored my own, but he thankfully took charge as I tried to calm my nerves.
"Mmrph mm!" The voice came again.
"Um... hello?" Steve asked.
The movement stopped, as did the voice. Realizing his mistake and who we were dealing with, Steve tried again.
"Don't worry, we're dolls, too. And we're here to help," Steve called, practicing his heroic skills. "Could you please remove the tissue paper from your face so we can see who you are?"
With, I'm assuming the hand not reaching out of the bag, the doll inside peeled the thin layer of red away. From inside the box, I noticed a familiar-looking face half obscured by a layer of red tissue paper. What I could see where a large pair of aqua-green eyes, vivid red hair, and skin maybe a shade darker than mine own with a rosy complexion and freckles.

My face twisted as I struggled to remember why I could recognize this doll so easily. Why had I forgotten such a thing?
"Can you tell us your name, please?" Steve continues.
"I-I'm... Princess Anna of Arendelle. That's my name... if it helps you at all."
Little did this doll know that it helped immensely. I flashed Steve a look and he knew exactly what to ask next.
"How tall are you?" He coughed awkwardly, readying himself to fudge in something last minute so I could find out her height. "So we can figure out the best way to get you out of that bag."
"I think I'm... maybe sixteen inches? It's been so long..."
I didn't have a chance to ask what she meant. So long since what?
"Let's get her out, Steve." I ordered, my emotions taking a backseat to a tactical autopilot I never knew existed within me before. Maybe it only came around in times like these, where something really important was about to happen.
Steve nodded, hoisting me upward so I could hang over the open bag and grasp onto a hand that felt so much like mine own, only much warmer. I tugged upward, and the doll stood. I was speechless as she trusted Steve to take her hand and lift her out of the bag and onto She's bedspread. I refused to let go of her other hand until she stood right in front of me, eyes parallel with each-other's.

"It's you," The 16" singing Anna doll gasped, obviously as shocked as I was. "Right, Elsa?"
I nodded slowly, smiling without a word.
Steve was not so caught up in our emotions. Being a Marvel character, that is. "Is this your sister that you've been waiting for?" he asked me. He had stepped back to allow the two of us some much-needed space. "Is this your Anna?"
I could only ignore him, much too focused on how all other time seemed to stop but ours. "Anna?"
"Well, your human hasn't named me yet, but I'm assuming so." the Anna replied, a smile lighting up her face. I think she had realized what this meant.
"Our human." I corrected, and without so much as a warning, I dove forward and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. Fortunately, she took very kindly to this, and pretty soon neither of us wanted to let go. If dolls could cry, my eyes would be welling up with happy tears.

Finally, I caught Steve's eye and I forced myself to break the bond.
"Is this my new home?" Anna asked, stumbling around on the squishy mattress. "It looks so different from the other one."
"Wait, you've had other homes?" I had never heard such a thing before.
Anna looked beaten down by the world. "I was... found on Ebay. And not in the best condition, either," she lifted one of her fraying braids to demonstrate. "But maybe I can have a better life here."
"Here, sit down," I settled into a sitting position, back leaning against the gift bag Anna had come in. "Tell me everything about you." Never had I wanted to know so much about a doll during first impressions since Steve.
And speaking of Steve, he began to realize that it was his time to go, and he muttered something about going downstairs to join the others in whatever they were doing. Poor guy. I'd have to apologize to him later after I got Anna's entire life story.

We sat together on She's bed, still holding hands as Anna explained to me her past life. I don't think either of us minded nor bothered to let go, because for the both of us it was still so much like a dream. I'm sure we were waiting for our sister equivalent since we were put into packages, and now that we had the other, we had to hold on or else the dream would fade back into reality. It was nice though.
I listened intently as Anna got over her nervous stutters and her words washed over me. She explained that she was first purchased through Ebay, a site much like Amazon, only you would buy used things instead of brand new. Anna had come from a house in a place south to where we are, with a small girl who played a little too roughly. But Anna got her lucky break, because the little girl's Frozen phase had only been for so long. Tired of her merchandise, the parents decided to sell their daughter's collection, consisting of the 16" singing Anna doll and a 12" Mattel Anna doll in a padded envelope. Their rescuer had been MyLittleMegara, who apparently had been seeking to get She a 16" Anna doll for as long as She had me. She was purchased over Thanksgiving and arrived at their house in early December.
Unfortunately, Anna had not been in the most sightly condition. Her packaging smelled of cigarette smoke, so she and the other Anna did, too. MyLittleMegara had to air her out, then spray her clothes and shoes with Fe-breeze. She was then given a bath with a cleaning wipe and her hair brushed and conditioned. Once her hair was toweled and air-dried, it was braided again. It was quite a journey Anna had been on.
"Well, you don't have to worry about anything like that happening here. We're not really playing dolls. In fact, we're more a part of a collection."
Anna's eyebrows pushed together, forming little dimples between them. "You're saying I'm being used."
"No, no! That's not what I meant at all! That may have been what it was like for you before, but not here. She is an awesome owner, and when She isn't around, we can do whatever we like just so long as we don't leave any tracks behind."
"So... no hair cutting?"
"Nope," I tugged on the stray strand of bangs that hung above my eyebrow. "Well... except for this thing. She clipped this a bit when She first got me so it didn't curl around."

"It definitely looks better," Anna agreed. "So... no dress pulling?"
I laughed quietly. "No, none of that, either. She even makes clothes for me. I have a set of pajamas, a summer outfit, and a dress based off of the one my character wears in the Frozen Fever short."
"That does sound nice. But no wearing out my batteries by making me sing my programmed song for hours every day?"
"Goodness, you must have had it terrible!"
Anna averts her eyes from mine own. "It wasn't completely terrible. My previous owner loved me a lot, I'm sure, at least until her obsession wore off. I was just played with a little too roughly for my taste. But a life spent here sounds nice so far. It'll be like doll retirement after my first experience."
"It's nice here, I promise," I touched Anna's arm in a reassuring gesture, then I began to pull her up. "Come on, I'll take you to go meet the others."
Anna's eyes grew even wider. "There are more of you?"
"Not exactly. No doll here is the same as any other. It sometimes feels like a very unusual sort of family, but it's great to know that you're unique and cannot be replaced."
Anna beamed, her face softening in a way that let me know she'd be okay from now on. "Okay. I'm ready!"
"Were you born ready?" I joke.
"You bet!"
Anna was about ready to charge out the door, but I had to stop her. "But first- I want to give you something."
I reach under She's bed and dig out a recycled chocolate box that She uses for the things that were made for me. Inside are all of my other clothes, headbands, and accessories, but on top lays a striped green cape that had never been used, but had been here a while.
"When She first got me, She made me this cape. But I've only worn it once, and after that, I think She forgot about it. So I decided to save it for an Anna doll my size in the future."

I help Anna pull the cape over her shoulders and fasten the button at her collar. "Why did you save it when you'd been here for two years and nobody like me ever show up?"
"Because I knew you would one day."
"Well, I guess you were right. I'm here," Anna wrapped the cape around her like a fabric hug. "And it's a lovely cape. Thank you."
"No problem. I'm just happy you're wearing it," I held onto her arm again. "Ready to go?"
Anna nods enthusiastically and she begins to follow my lead through She's door and out into the upstairs hallway. I hear voices, and it appears that all the other dolls are chattering downstairs.
"You've already met Steve."
"Yes, I have. Wait- who was that?"
"Steve Rodgers. He's a Captain America doll from the Marvel Universe. And..." I felt my cheeks beginning to grow hot, either with excitement or the pleasure of having bragging rights. "He's also my boyfriend."
"What? For how long?"
"His finding day is close to yours two years ago in 2014, but he was accidentally put in the human's attic until around Christmastime in 2015. So I would say about a year now." I felt a sudden wave of emotion. Had it really been a year since I pulled Steve back out of that cardboard box? Was this our anniversary?
Anna looks like she's having some trouble processing this. "Man, even you have a boyfriend. Where can I get one of those?"
I laughed. "Who knows? Maybe She will get another male doll for Christmas this year."
"Let's hope it's a Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed.
"Until then, you have us. And there's a lot of us, so hopefully that will make up for your lack of a boyfriend."
We finish the last step on the staircase and round the corner to the living room. Anna is clutching onto me for dear life, but she is also jittering with anticipation. When she sees the other twelve dolls standing about in the room, the air stops in her throat with a choking sound.
"You weren't kidding about the 'there's a lot of us part', were you, Elsa?"
"No, I really wasn't," I turn to the unresponsive group and whistle to call their attention. Eventually the conversation died away and eventually I got everyone's head to look our way. Sort of.

"Guys, this is my new sister Anna. She just arrived today as a Christmas present for She from MyLittleMegara."
Some of the dolls nodded in recognition of the name, but just like I had been, were unable to speak.
"She's here to join our family. So go ahead, Anna. Tell us a little about yourself."
I gave her a gentle nudge forward from the back, and Anna echoed a few words I had heard from her before.
"Well, my full name is Princess Anna of Arendelle. I'm from the Disney movie Frozen..." she blinked at the crowd. "But I guess most of you are."
We heard a few snickers, and that seemed to make Anna more comfortable about public speaking.
"I was purchased on Ebay by MyLittleMegara and given to the human that lives here as a Christmas present. I've heard She is what you call her. I'm sixteen inches like Elsa, and I'm a singing doll as well."
"Ooh!" Idina interrupted, batting her eyelashes. "Can you sing for us?"
Anna and I exchanged glances. "Can you sing?" I asked her.
"Of course," Anna replied. "I just need to turn on my switch. It's just..." she looked a little embarrassed. "My heart glows when I sing. A really bright blue glow."
"There's no reason to be ashamed. My hands glow blue the same way."
Anna noticed that our audience was waiting, so with a quick breath, we flicked the switch at our hips simultaneously and busted out into two different tunes. For Anna, the a version of "First Time in Forever" that was cut out of the original song. For me, "Let It Go". Obviously.

(My right arm lacked a glow since I hadn't really used my switch in a while. I just hope She will notice and replace my batteries soon.)
The other dolls clapped respectfully, but most of them looked bored. I couldn't exactly blame them, either. I thought it was best if we moved on and had each one of them meet Anna one-on-one.
"Napoleon? Benny? Why don't you introduce yourselves?" I called them out.
Like a face character at Disneyworld/land, Anna curtsied and stood patiently as the nutcracker brothers came forward. Benny offered his hand out for a formal shake, but Napoleon launched right into how Scandinavian immigrants impacted America. It was all rather... interesting. Anna tried her best not to yawn in front of him.

Eventually I came to her rescue and pushed them away to welcome Steve next. It was a bit of an awkward re-introduction, since Steve had essentially saved her from her gift bag some odd minutes ago, but I think the two will learn to become great friends through me.

Next came a unit consisting of Idina, Dorothy and Bell (in her Christmas outfit). They said a few kind words about how nice it was to meet her and welcoming her into She's doll family. Due to her height, Anna had to kneel down to properly get acquainted with them, and remained kneeling for her next two visitors.

Olaf (with his Christmas hat) was getting impatient and refused to wait for his turn any longer. He ran straight into Anna and hugged her immediately, and fortunately Anna is good at those, or at least tolerates them long enough to make the other person happy. Olaf exclaimed how happy he was to see that I had a sister like me, and I think that comment just might have brightened Anna's entire day, had it not been that way already.

Sven saw his opportune moment after Olaf, another character from our movie, saw Anna, so he went up next without so much as a warning to Magneto, who was using his keychain clasp to hang from Sven's right ear.
"Aw, well aren't you a sweetie!" Anna cooed, rubbing Sven's head while letting him sniff her other hand. Despite Anna's checkered past, he didn't find her a threat and actually proceeded to lick her arms.

"Excuse me!" Magneto yelled, trying to call attention to himself as Sven's head swung back and forward with pleasure.
"Oh, Anna, this is Magneto. He's a keychain. And..."He's pleased to meet you."
Sven tossed his antlers as pre-punishment to whatever bitter comeback Magneto was preparing.
Dizzy, but not wanting to forgo his own brilliance, Magneto muttered, "Welcome to the madhouse."

When Sven trotted away, I whispered to Anna, "You have to warm up to him."
"It seems like he has to warm up to everyone else!"
I giggled in agreement. "Yes, he does. But he's really a good person at heart."
Loki, who normally doesn't like talking to new people unless he helps them out of a box and they have special ice powers, kept his welcome speech short and sweet, and told Anna she could borrow Sven for his animal companionship anytime she liked. She said she was consider the offer of stealing his pet occasionally, and that was that.

I'm pretty sure Nessa and Elphaba tactically placed themselves last in line. Not that they weren't looking forward to meeting their new friend or anything, but more so that they wanted to be remembered the most. Elphie flocked quietly to my side, but Nessa marched herself right up to Anna's feet as if running a parade.

"Hi! I'm Nessarose. I love your cape!"
"Thank you...?" Anna looked around, confused as to where the voice came from.
"I'm down here. You might have to kneel again."
Anna peered over to meet eyes with Nessa. "Your cape is lovely, too!"
"I'm glad you're here. Elsa's been waiting for someone like you longer than I've been around, that's for sure. It's almost like one Anna doll wasn't good enough for her or something."
A hand flew to my mouth. "I never said that!"
Nessa brushed it off. "I'm just teasing. I have a sister like me, too. Her name's Elphaba, and she's over there hiding."
"I'm not hiding," Elphie bristled, stepping out from the shadows to join Nessa at the front. "Nice to meet you."
Anna went right back to talking to Nessa after Elphie spoke. "This may sound kind of like a weird question, but could I pick you up?"
Nessa's eyebrows knit together, but she said yes, albeit with a waver in her voice.

Anna held fast to Nessa's ornament string and commented on how they were twins, and Nessa was Anna's mini-me. I had never thought of Elphaba as my smaller counterpart as those two did, but now I couldn't resist picking Elphie up and doing the same thing.

Don't worry, we made sure to set them down carefully afterwards.
I'm sure Nessa and Anna could have talked and complimented each-other for hours, but I saw Benny grimace at the analog clock on the wall. "The humans will probably we home soon. We need to get back to our places and get Anna back in her bag until She unwraps her."
As cliche as it sounds, I didn't want the moment to end. I held up She's camera, which I had been using to take pictures of the scene as Anna met each doll. "Um, I thought we could maybe get a group picture under the tree? Or something?"
Loki didn't get the message. "But we don't send out Christmas cards."
"It's for her blog, Reindeer King." Nessa scolded.
Anna turned to me. "You have a blog? I thought only humans did those."
Magneto's mouth turned up in a wicked sort of smile. "Well, only humans are supposed to have them, but our Elsa here is somehow the exception."
I gave him a nasty glare. "Yes, I've had a blog ever since I've learned how to operate She's laptop. You wouldn't mind being on it, would you?"
Anna shrugged. I don't think she cared too much either way. "I'm here. If being a part of this family means ending up on a blog, then that's okay with me."
Despite a few feigned smiles and excuses of claustrophobia, I managed to organize the dolls in such a way that made of think of a traditional Christmas card. I placed Anna in the front, since she was the newest addition, and made everyone circle around her by height. Using a stack of various household items as a tripod, I sneaked into the shot the last minute, and I think the photo turned out pretty good. I would have used it for my December header, but I was unsure whether or not we'd be expecting another doll come Christmas morning. Who knew what was in store for us now?

People are right in saying that Christmas brings good news. Because now we all had a new room mate, a new family member, and a new best friend. And I finally had a sister.

Greetings from our newest member,

Princess Anna and Queen Elsa