***
"Dor? Green or black for the snowman's mittens?"
"Hm...green." Dorothy replied.
"I think so, too," said Bell, as she slipped a large green mitten onto the plastic arm of a smiling snowman. I had formed the snowballs for them, and Dorothy and Bell did the rest together, using clothes from Bell's wardrobe to accessorize him, and pencil graphite to draw on a mouth and eyes. It was a mystery how they were able to find a carrot so small, but it was an even bigger mystery how Sven hadn't attempted to munch on their snowman's nose yet.
I sat on the shelf above the two of them, organizing peppermint candies because it seemed that there was nothing better to do but chill out. Moana was on the shelf with me, playing with her pets, and Magneto, too, who was sniffing hot black coffee from a teacup. Idina sat beside the basket of mints, quietly moping. I wasn't sure why.
"Elsa? Do you think this snowman will come to life?"
"I don't think so." I replied, smiling.
"I hope not. One sentient snowman is enough for us, right, Idina?" Magneto joked.
The itty bitty Elsa doll only looked forlornly at the basket of mints.
"Why so sad, Idina? It's Christmas." I told her.
"Well..." She began.
Magneto gave me a look of warning and I knew too late that I had opened a can of worms.
"Olav and I are suppozed to marry in a week."
Magneto choked on the steam of his coffee, and Pua's oinking went silent. I nearly dropped one of my mints. I can't believe I'd forgotten that Olaf and Idina were getting married on Christmas Eve.
"I mean, like, I know dat plans change. But zhey already did. We were suppozed to get married in da spring, and then dat Caliofrotnia trip happened, and now it will be Christmas Eve very soon. I'm worried everyone haz forgotten."
"No, no, Idina. We didn't forget. We were just waiting for you to say something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Put somebody in charge of organizing everything. I think that's what you do with weddings." Even I wasn't sure, and Steve and I were tying the knot soon, too.
"Will you do it, Elsa?"
"Me? Organize your wedding?"
"I would haf asked Anna, but she's not here. I think you can do a good job."
"I hope that I can, Idina," I dropped the mints in the basket and starting wringing my hands, my mind travelling a million miles a minute. "I've never planned a wedding before."
"It must be perfect, Elsa. You only find your magnet match once in your life."
I laughed nervously. "Right. Yeah. You know what? I'll start the planning now. If you'll excuse me."
I slid off the shelf and landed on the dresser, then jumped down onto the floor. Falling two levels was still a habit I was getting used to.
I found Elphaba and Nessarose quickly, playing around with the other ornaments on Benny's tree. If I knew anything about Nessa, she was happy and willing to do anything to help her friends. I hoped that her energy would rub off on her often sardonic sister. Benny was there, too, of course. I wondered if I could rope him into anything.
"Be extra careful with that one, Nessa," Benny warned. "That's She's baby ornament. It has her birth date on it."
Nessa picked up a two-dimensional golden cherub and frowned. "Aw... the name's rubbed off."
"Sorry to interrupt," I said. "Would any of you three care to do me a favor?"
Nessa volunteered at once.
"Wouldn't you like to know what you're getting into?"
"What am I getting into is the question," said Elphie. "I know I'll be in on this too somehow."
"Um... well... do any of you remember that Olaf and Idina said they would be married on Christmas Eve?"
Everyone's jaw dropped. Okay, good, I wasn't alone.
"That's in less than a week," Benny gasped. "What can we do?"
"I got music selection. I did your engagement party, I can certainly do a wedding." Said Elphie.
"Um... I'll do the outfits," Said Nessa. "Maybe Bell would like to help me. She's always got something fun to wear for every season."
"Napoleon and I can ready the table. I'm sure we'll want to have feast, and you can't just make food and expect it to be served without the proper settings."
"Good idea. Who would want to make the food, do you think?"
The three dolls looked at each-other before saying, "Dorothy."
"Okay, great. Would one of you ask Dorothy and Bell for me? I need to keep going. Are Anelle and Kristoff downstairs?" I didn't wait for a response, I heard their voices and was already heading down the stairs. They were helping the humans by putting forgotten ornaments on the Advent tree.
"Brace yourselves, guys, I've got big news. Idina and Olaf are getting married on Christmas Eve and we've done nothing to prepare."
"Holy crap, I almost forgot." Said Kristoff.
"Yeah. We did, too."
"Is it really that soon?" Asked Anelle.
I nodded. I'm afraid so. We made the arrangements back in July. Remember? They were on the California trip, and they decided on Christmas Eve over the phone."
"Well, dang. What are we supposed to do?" Said Kristoff.
"That's the thing. We don't know. Idina just put me in charge of directing her wedding. I need to assign everyone something to do to help out. So... do you have any ideas for what you could do?"
"We can decorate. Right, Anelle? We're technically doing that already. How hard could it be?"
"Kristoff, it's not just Christmas. It's a wedding and Christmas at the same time. We'd have to go above and beyond with the decorating. And there's only two of us."
"I'm sure I could get somebody else to help you. She has plenty of dolls and we're all invited to the wedding." I added. "This is too much work. I don't see why anyone would want to get married."
Kristoff grumbled.
Anelle pursed her lips. "Don't be lazy, Kristoff. We'd be happy to help you out, Elsa."
"Great, thank you." Now let's see... I had Bell and Nessa on the outfits, Dorothy on refreshments, Elphaba on music, and now Anelle and Kristoff on decorating. What else was there?
"Oh, by the way, have you guys seen my sister? She's been missing all morning."
"Who's she missing?" Kristoff chortled. "Nah, nevermind. Anna's in the living room with Olaf. I don't know what the heck they're up to. But it's big. Really big."
Fantastic. What was it about the younger sibling being the one that gets into the most trouble? I grabbed my skirts to prevent myself from tripping and ran into the living room. Both Anna and Olaf were there, conversing quietly among various crafting materials. Different colored paper, ribbon, and the doll-sized pair of scissors from the Yoobi Mini Supply Kit Anna and I had reviewed together once.
"Anna, what are you doing?" I asked.
"Planning the wedding," Anna pushed a lock of hair shyly behind her ear. "This is kind of my thing."
"Anna, just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to exhaust yourself doing it," I said, stepping in and taking part of the ribbon. "And you especially don't have to do it alone."
"I've been helping her!" Olaf said enthusiastically.
"You have? That's good, then. And you look awfully handsome, Olaf. Is that what you're wearing when you get married?"
Olaf proudly donned his favorite knit Christmas hat and a smartly tied bow around his neck. "Yeah, I think so. But Idina can't see me in this yet! I want it to be a surprise for her."
"Of course, your secret's safe with me. Now Anna, you didn't do this for him, did you? Because I already have Bell and Nessa dressing the both of them.
"What? Who said?"
"I did. Idina made me director of the wedding. It's my job to assign everybody something to do and make sure they're doing it correctly."
Anna wrinkled her nose. "No offense, Elsa, but... you hate this stuff. Why did Idina make you the director?"
I sighed. "Because She didn't know where you were. I'm stuck with it."
"No, you're not. I'll be your co-director. You can't do this alone, remember?"
"Right. I'm just stressing about everything right now."
"Don't be. It's not your wedding. You can worry about things when your time has come."
"I know but... I want to make it a perfect day for them."
"It will be," Anna then cupped a hand over her mouth to prevent Olaf from hearing anything she said. "If the PSA know what they're doing."
"What about the PSA?"
"I don't know," Anna shook her head. "They're all outside. Nobody's come back. I didn't think one could go out adventuring for so long. Not in this cold."
"Or maybe," I replied. "They're not adventuring at all."
***
Yes, the Pocket-Sized Avengers and I were very well aware that there was a wedding to plan for. And we were doing our part, only we kept our mission on the down-low. We knew that every wedding had to have its flowers, especially the ceremonial bridal bouquet, and Rhodey knew a doll that was well versed in flowers and plants of all sorts. Westley. But when we went to pay him a visit outside the human's pear tree where he was usually placed, he was gone.
Our first stop was by the end of the driveway, with a dollhouse under the pear tree.
Our first stop was by the end of the driveway, with a dollhouse under the pear tree.
"This corner's empty. Over." Said Tony, placing a hand to the earpiece everyone in the PSA wore. Only I was at a disadvantage. After all, Loki's character was never and Avenger, therefore would never have to communicate with one. It made these sorts of missions difficult.
"Roger that," Chris replied, then stifled a laugh. "Get it? Roger. Like Steve Rogers."
Tony was heard cackling from somewhere else.
"We get it," Rhodey muttered. "Remind me why Hawkeye made Chris the second in command and not somebody else."
"Focus, you two," Hawkeye warned. "This isn't the time for jokes. Westley could have been kidnapped for all we know."
"Better wake him up, then. Lazy ass." Tony remarked. It was now Chris's turn to laugh.
Thor descended from another tree with an earth-rumbling bang as his hammer hit the ground. I barely even flinched at the action, I was used to way he did things now. Thor rubbed his hands together and blew air into them, attempting to stir up some warmth on a cold December day.
"It's rather chilly out, isn't it, brother?"
"Not really. Could be a lot worse."
"If I were Westley, I wouldn't want to be out in this weather. Perhaps he's taken shelter somewhere. Somewhere hot and nice."
"Like the tops of a tree?" I asked him.
"Like the tops of a tree?" I asked him.
"I was following Hawkeye's orders. We search everywhere, even in the improbable places. Besides, I'm the only Avenger who can fly without a special suit."
"You sure about that?" Wanda called out ahead of us. She turned around, flashed a smile, and twisted her hands around and around until a hot pink wave of magic lifted her body from the ground, sending her up in the air and back to meet up with Thor and I.
"Wanda and I," Thor muttered. "But here you are, Loki, searching for Westley just as any other doll would. You do have powers of your own, do you not?"
"Of course he does. He's one of us." Said Wanda, tapping my shoulder.
"Yes, but we've not yet seen what he can do."
"Because Wanda was supposed to train me whenever I first joined the Avengers, but all we did during our designated training sessions was walk and talk."
Wanda acted puzzled. "I thought that was okay since the giant blue lady already had trained you."
"Elsa," I said. "But she didn't really know what she was doing at the time. I'm certain I have powers, but they are very finicky and only get triggered by a certain something." I shut my mouth, wishing that I had choked on my own words before they came out. I'd already given away so much.
"Really? Like what?" Wanda asked.
"Um, well, that would be... the odor of paper." I lied.
Thor and Wanda exchanged a look. "That's weird, dude. But whatever works for you, I guess. We're all different in one way or another."
"Maybe you should be carrying scraps of paper around with you in the future." Thor suggested.
"Yeah. Yeah, I will." I breathed a sigh of relief. I was able to save myself from a lifetime of potential humiliation. If only they knew that my powers were triggered by feelings of love, and not the smell of paper... the PSA would never let me live that down. Luckily I could bring bits of She's poems with me now, and nobody would be the wiser.
"Tony, I want you to use your thermal imaging camera to scan the area for Westley. There are tracks here. Not human or dog tracks, either." Said Hawkeye, kneeling before a patch of disturbed dirt on the ground.
"Got it. Friday, scan for any signs of sentience," Tony hovered over the dirt and held out a hand, where multiple lines of red lasers emitted and brushed back and forth over the ground. The PSA stood quietly with anticipation around Tony and their leader. Tony then cleared his throat and landed, unsure of how to deliver the news. "Um... we've got a doll down there."
"What?" Said Hawkeye.
"It's Westley. He's buried in the dirt here. Dunno why."
"Vision. Is he alive?"
"He is not machine. So I cannot... tell." Vision mumbled in disbelief.
"Let's get him out! Come on, move, move, move!"
All of us fell down and began immediately plowing at the dirt, sometimes one of us would call out an update.
"I see the spade!" Shouted Chris.
"His cap!" Called Rhodey.
"Are those... his eyes?" Wanda stammered.
"They appear to be closed." Vision said.
"Hurry," Hawkeye barked. "That can't be a good sign."
In the final seconds of panic, we managed to uncover all of Westley and stand him up. He appeared to be frozen, with his spade gripped tightly in his hands that otherwise should have been motionless.
"Master Westley?" I asked.
The ninja garden-knome's eyes opened. It was difficult to tell what his expression was then.
"Are you alright?" Vision asked.
Westley looked around, studying the landscape. "This isn't spring."
"No, it is December. You are lucky we found you before the snowfall came." Thor said.
"What year is it then?"
"Two thousand eighteen."
"I've only been underground for two months?"
"Yeah... why were you underground?" Tony questioned.
Westley wrapped his arms around his body, despite the mild temperature. "Back in October, the ice arrived. Here I stood, under this pear tree, waiting for a human to come and bring me inside. I was promised that would happen. I would be kept inside when the weather was nice, and be brought in as soon as the sky turned ugly. But nobody came. Humans never saw me, they never cared. I thought it would stay that way forever. I didn't want to expire, I had to conserve my heat. So I used my shovel, dug a burrow, and slept for what felt like a hundred years," he turned our gaze towards us for the first time. He looked angry, even hostile. "Nobody came to look for me. Nobody. So why are you here now, and not when I needed you?" He eyed Rhodey expectantly.
I felt the need to explain ourselves. "Because we needed you, Westley. You see, our friends Olaf and Idina are having a wedding-"
"Why should I care? They didn't care about me."
"They should now. You see, they are in need of a florist."
Westley fidgeted. I could tell he was interested, but his feeling of betrayal was stronger.
"No. Not after what you all did- or rather- didn't do."
"Okay," Wanda sighed dramatically. "I guess we will have to disappoint the happy couple. I can imagine how much this news is going to break their hearts. They told me explicitly they wanted you to do the flowers... but whatever. You're not up to it. You'd rather stay out here. Alone. In the cold."
"Last time someone said I wouldn't be cold and alone, they lied to me."
Wanda shook her head. "No empty promises this time. If you want to stay out here and freeze, that's fine, but if you came with us..." She slunk her hands behind her back, the joints in her fingers cracking and awakening her magic. "There would be warmth, and friends, and you'd have a job to do. Your favorite job. And you'd be invited to the wedding. And on the inside, we have flowers. Plenty of flowers to chose from, made from all sorts of dyed plastics and fabrics."
"Fake flowers are not as good as real ones." Said Westley, leaning closer as he was enamored in Wanda's story.
"Maybe so, but just think of the opportunity you've been given. Are you really going to waste it?"
"Even if I did want to help, I can't attend a wedding like this. I'm not the doll I used to be."
"She can fix you. Easy."
"Do you promise?"
Wanda smiled. "Of course."
"Okay. Okay! I'll go. I don't want to be out here anymore."
"Great! Come with us. We'll go through the garage. She is right inside, and we'll get you squared away in no time." Wanda ceased her magic and brought her hands forward again, but Westley was already convinced.
The garage door was left ajar to get boxes of Christmas lights from the attic, so it was easy enough for us to enter. As soon as we did so, however, Hawkeye bristled and pushed us into the side wall.
"Dude, what are you doing?" Tony asked.
"There's somebody here. I can feel it." He tentatively reached for one of the arrows from his quiver and loaded it into the bow. I could assume he was trying to step forward quietly, but his boots thud with every step.
"Hands in the air!" A female's voice cried, as she leapt out of the shadows, legs apart and arms raised and ready to shoot the dart of a large harpoon right into Hawkeye's torso.
She had short, wavy, copper-colored hair and large red lips. She wore skintight black with electric blue accents, and she carried two guns both slung around her hips in a utility belt. She looked like the kind of doll who would kick ass and take names, so to speak.
She was Natasha Romanoff.
"You sure about that?" Wanda called out ahead of us. She turned around, flashed a smile, and twisted her hands around and around until a hot pink wave of magic lifted her body from the ground, sending her up in the air and back to meet up with Thor and I.
"Wanda and I," Thor muttered. "But here you are, Loki, searching for Westley just as any other doll would. You do have powers of your own, do you not?"
"Of course he does. He's one of us." Said Wanda, tapping my shoulder.
"Yes, but we've not yet seen what he can do."
"Because Wanda was supposed to train me whenever I first joined the Avengers, but all we did during our designated training sessions was walk and talk."
Wanda acted puzzled. "I thought that was okay since the giant blue lady already had trained you."
"Elsa," I said. "But she didn't really know what she was doing at the time. I'm certain I have powers, but they are very finicky and only get triggered by a certain something." I shut my mouth, wishing that I had choked on my own words before they came out. I'd already given away so much.
"Really? Like what?" Wanda asked.
"Um, well, that would be... the odor of paper." I lied.
Thor and Wanda exchanged a look. "That's weird, dude. But whatever works for you, I guess. We're all different in one way or another."
"Maybe you should be carrying scraps of paper around with you in the future." Thor suggested.
"Yeah. Yeah, I will." I breathed a sigh of relief. I was able to save myself from a lifetime of potential humiliation. If only they knew that my powers were triggered by feelings of love, and not the smell of paper... the PSA would never let me live that down. Luckily I could bring bits of She's poems with me now, and nobody would be the wiser.
"Tony, I want you to use your thermal imaging camera to scan the area for Westley. There are tracks here. Not human or dog tracks, either." Said Hawkeye, kneeling before a patch of disturbed dirt on the ground.
"Got it. Friday, scan for any signs of sentience," Tony hovered over the dirt and held out a hand, where multiple lines of red lasers emitted and brushed back and forth over the ground. The PSA stood quietly with anticipation around Tony and their leader. Tony then cleared his throat and landed, unsure of how to deliver the news. "Um... we've got a doll down there."
"What?" Said Hawkeye.
"It's Westley. He's buried in the dirt here. Dunno why."
"Vision. Is he alive?"
"He is not machine. So I cannot... tell." Vision mumbled in disbelief.
"Let's get him out! Come on, move, move, move!"
All of us fell down and began immediately plowing at the dirt, sometimes one of us would call out an update.
"I see the spade!" Shouted Chris.
"His cap!" Called Rhodey.
"Are those... his eyes?" Wanda stammered.
"They appear to be closed." Vision said.
"Hurry," Hawkeye barked. "That can't be a good sign."
In the final seconds of panic, we managed to uncover all of Westley and stand him up. He appeared to be frozen, with his spade gripped tightly in his hands that otherwise should have been motionless.
"Master Westley?" I asked.
The ninja garden-knome's eyes opened. It was difficult to tell what his expression was then.
"Are you alright?" Vision asked.
Westley looked around, studying the landscape. "This isn't spring."
"No, it is December. You are lucky we found you before the snowfall came." Thor said.
"What year is it then?"
"Two thousand eighteen."
"I've only been underground for two months?"
"Yeah... why were you underground?" Tony questioned.
Westley wrapped his arms around his body, despite the mild temperature. "Back in October, the ice arrived. Here I stood, under this pear tree, waiting for a human to come and bring me inside. I was promised that would happen. I would be kept inside when the weather was nice, and be brought in as soon as the sky turned ugly. But nobody came. Humans never saw me, they never cared. I thought it would stay that way forever. I didn't want to expire, I had to conserve my heat. So I used my shovel, dug a burrow, and slept for what felt like a hundred years," he turned our gaze towards us for the first time. He looked angry, even hostile. "Nobody came to look for me. Nobody. So why are you here now, and not when I needed you?" He eyed Rhodey expectantly.
I felt the need to explain ourselves. "Because we needed you, Westley. You see, our friends Olaf and Idina are having a wedding-"
"Why should I care? They didn't care about me."
"They should now. You see, they are in need of a florist."
Westley fidgeted. I could tell he was interested, but his feeling of betrayal was stronger.
"No. Not after what you all did- or rather- didn't do."
"Okay," Wanda sighed dramatically. "I guess we will have to disappoint the happy couple. I can imagine how much this news is going to break their hearts. They told me explicitly they wanted you to do the flowers... but whatever. You're not up to it. You'd rather stay out here. Alone. In the cold."
"Last time someone said I wouldn't be cold and alone, they lied to me."
Wanda shook her head. "No empty promises this time. If you want to stay out here and freeze, that's fine, but if you came with us..." She slunk her hands behind her back, the joints in her fingers cracking and awakening her magic. "There would be warmth, and friends, and you'd have a job to do. Your favorite job. And you'd be invited to the wedding. And on the inside, we have flowers. Plenty of flowers to chose from, made from all sorts of dyed plastics and fabrics."
"Fake flowers are not as good as real ones." Said Westley, leaning closer as he was enamored in Wanda's story.
"Maybe so, but just think of the opportunity you've been given. Are you really going to waste it?"
"Even if I did want to help, I can't attend a wedding like this. I'm not the doll I used to be."
"She can fix you. Easy."
"Do you promise?"
Wanda smiled. "Of course."
"Okay. Okay! I'll go. I don't want to be out here anymore."
"Great! Come with us. We'll go through the garage. She is right inside, and we'll get you squared away in no time." Wanda ceased her magic and brought her hands forward again, but Westley was already convinced.
The garage door was left ajar to get boxes of Christmas lights from the attic, so it was easy enough for us to enter. As soon as we did so, however, Hawkeye bristled and pushed us into the side wall.
"Dude, what are you doing?" Tony asked.
"There's somebody here. I can feel it." He tentatively reached for one of the arrows from his quiver and loaded it into the bow. I could assume he was trying to step forward quietly, but his boots thud with every step.
"Hands in the air!" A female's voice cried, as she leapt out of the shadows, legs apart and arms raised and ready to shoot the dart of a large harpoon right into Hawkeye's torso.
She had short, wavy, copper-colored hair and large red lips. She wore skintight black with electric blue accents, and she carried two guns both slung around her hips in a utility belt. She looked like the kind of doll who would kick ass and take names, so to speak.
She was Natasha Romanoff.
***
"That's not a good look, Moana. I'm sorry. But no."
"What? I think this is something a party planner would wear."
I toddled towards Steve, trying to keep all the grands of glimmering beads and garland on my arms and head. Out of all the dolls Idina could have chosen to plan the after party for her wedding, it was me and Steve. It was the best job, but also the least eventful one. We didn't have much to do except mess around and wait for everyone else to get their work done. I just had to hope Elsa wouldn't be mad at us.
"Okay, what if I remove the red one. Is that better?"
"Eh, slightly. Maybe I would be more okay with your costume if we were done with our job, but we haven't even started."
"How's this? We have an air hockey tournament in the basement. That's a lot of fun."
Steve grimaced. "For dolls like you and me... maybe. But Idina's never played a game in her life."
"Well, it is their wedding. A lot is already changing in her life. Maybe Idina has a super competive spirit and she never knew it."
"Hm, maybe. But I think we should stick with simple, romantic things."
I took off all the sets of beads. They were starting to get heavy. "We should think of what you and Elsa want to have for your after-party. Then we can do the same for Olaf and Idina."
"Oh," Steve blushed and tugged on the collar of his super-suit. "Elsa and I didn't really want to have an after-party. We don't want to make a big deal out of our marriage."
I groaned and sat cross-legged on the ground with my elbows on my knees and my head on my fists. "That's no help at all."
"Moana? Steve? Are you in the basement? I need your opinion on something. Okay, a lot of things."
It was Nessa, calling down to us from the top of the stairs.
"Come on down," yelled Steve. "We're not doing anything important."
I was surprised when not only Nessa, but Dorothy, Bell, and Elphaba, too, came down the stairs.
Bell and Nessa wanted feedback on their sketches for Idina and Olaf's waredrobe. Elphaba needed affirmation for her wedding ceremony playlist. And Dorothy had just finished her refreshment table. It seemed everybody had to have our attention at once.
We went up to the kitchen first. Dorothy had prepared three kinds of cookies. One was a flower "spritz" cream cheese cookie, made pink to match the announced color theme of the wedding. The second was a classic chocolate chip cookie, which every doll was sure to like, and finally, mint chocolate stars that reminded me the most of the Christmas season. Each one was great in their own way, and we had to sample a couple of smells before they were packaged away.
Nessa and Bell had collaborated to bring Idina's wedding gown to life, dressing her in pink and blue. Elphaba had the perfect playlist, one which was definitely fit for both Olaf and Idina's tastes. Everyone had done such a good job it was sort of overwhelming.
"Everything's great, makamaka." I told them.
"Almost too good," Steve addded. "Truth is, we don't have a single thing planned out for the after party. Do you have any ideas?"
Nessa was about to speak up, but then we heard footsteps coming down and into the room we were in.
"Why is there an infestation in my kitchen?" She cried out in mock outrage. "Y'all are lucky it's a Thursday."
Thursday was the one day of the week She had the house to herself, with both of the older humans at work and the youngest at school. Now that She was in college, and still living at home, She could spend a lot more time with us. That is, unless she was studying.
"Seriously, though. What are you doing down here? And why does it smell like cookies?"
"Dorothy made them for Ilaf's wedding." Nessa explained.
"Oh yeah, that is next week, isn't it. How are things going?" She asked, refilling her water bottle at the fridge.
"Pretty well, actually! Except for us. Steve and I are in charge of planning the after party and we have nothing done for it yet."
"Maybe I can help. I went to a wedding once. Granted, I was five years old, and I was the flower girl... but hey, there's a lot of stuff you could do for that. A picnic is always a good idea if it's not too cold out. Or watch a movie. Or play some board games. Or host a murder mystery party."
"Oh, we've already done that," Nessa said, looking sheepish. "But I really like that movie night idea. That's how they had their first big date."
Everyone nodded and agreed. A movie was the perfect way to wind down, relax, and yet still have the same atmosphere as a party.
"Thanks for the idea!"
Suddenly, we heard voices shouting, and it sounded like they were coming from behind us.
"Is there someone in the garage?"
"It could be the PSA," said Elsa. She and Anna had run into the kitchen, alarmed by the noise. Dorothy noticed that Olaf wasn't too far behind them and slid the plate of cookies away just in time. "They've been outside for a while now. They might be in trouble."
"Not on my watch," She declared, and bravely slid the flyswatter from the top of the fridge, holding it like a baseball bat. "I'm going out to check on them. You guys stay here."
Then, the door that lead from the garage to the rest of the house opened. I heard two dolls' voices talking to one-another. When they came through the door, I nearly gasped. One of them was War Machine, or "Rhodey", from the Pocket-Sized Avengers, the other, Westley, the ninja garden gnome I met last Christmas. I hadn't seen him in so long.
"Hey, Rhodey. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah... it's all good. Nothing to worry about. Anyways, I have something to tell you."
"Okay... you guys didn't break anything, did you?" She said, putting the flyswatter away.
"No. This is my friend Westley. Remember him?"
"Yeah... I haven't seen him in a hot minute. Where were you, Westley?"
Rhodey and Westley both went quiet.
"You were looking for me?" Westley asked quietly.
"Yeah. Ever since, like Halloween, maybe? I noticed it was getting cold out and thought to bring you inside. But I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought it was because you were a ninja, and you know... sneaky? So I just kind of... gave up after a couple days."
"I was still outside."
"I can see that. You look terrible," She went over to Westley, dirty and weary, and picked him up. "Let me fix you."
While Westley was getting rinsed off in the kitchen sink, Olaf went to find Idina, so we were able to plan out the rest of the wedding. She said that there was some online test to make anybody an ordained minister, so if She took it, She could legally marry Olaf and Idina. It wouldn't be a traditional wedding for sure, but it would work for them. And now that we had Westley, he could be their florist, and make Idina's bouquet.
Everything was coming together very nicely. I don't know why I had ever felt doubtful before.
"What? I think this is something a party planner would wear."
I toddled towards Steve, trying to keep all the grands of glimmering beads and garland on my arms and head. Out of all the dolls Idina could have chosen to plan the after party for her wedding, it was me and Steve. It was the best job, but also the least eventful one. We didn't have much to do except mess around and wait for everyone else to get their work done. I just had to hope Elsa wouldn't be mad at us.
"Okay, what if I remove the red one. Is that better?"
"Eh, slightly. Maybe I would be more okay with your costume if we were done with our job, but we haven't even started."
"How's this? We have an air hockey tournament in the basement. That's a lot of fun."
Steve grimaced. "For dolls like you and me... maybe. But Idina's never played a game in her life."
"Well, it is their wedding. A lot is already changing in her life. Maybe Idina has a super competive spirit and she never knew it."
"Hm, maybe. But I think we should stick with simple, romantic things."
I took off all the sets of beads. They were starting to get heavy. "We should think of what you and Elsa want to have for your after-party. Then we can do the same for Olaf and Idina."
"Oh," Steve blushed and tugged on the collar of his super-suit. "Elsa and I didn't really want to have an after-party. We don't want to make a big deal out of our marriage."
I groaned and sat cross-legged on the ground with my elbows on my knees and my head on my fists. "That's no help at all."
"Moana? Steve? Are you in the basement? I need your opinion on something. Okay, a lot of things."
It was Nessa, calling down to us from the top of the stairs.
"Come on down," yelled Steve. "We're not doing anything important."
I was surprised when not only Nessa, but Dorothy, Bell, and Elphaba, too, came down the stairs.
Bell and Nessa wanted feedback on their sketches for Idina and Olaf's waredrobe. Elphaba needed affirmation for her wedding ceremony playlist. And Dorothy had just finished her refreshment table. It seemed everybody had to have our attention at once.
We went up to the kitchen first. Dorothy had prepared three kinds of cookies. One was a flower "spritz" cream cheese cookie, made pink to match the announced color theme of the wedding. The second was a classic chocolate chip cookie, which every doll was sure to like, and finally, mint chocolate stars that reminded me the most of the Christmas season. Each one was great in their own way, and we had to sample a couple of smells before they were packaged away.
Nessa and Bell had collaborated to bring Idina's wedding gown to life, dressing her in pink and blue. Elphaba had the perfect playlist, one which was definitely fit for both Olaf and Idina's tastes. Everyone had done such a good job it was sort of overwhelming.
"Everything's great, makamaka." I told them.
"Almost too good," Steve addded. "Truth is, we don't have a single thing planned out for the after party. Do you have any ideas?"
Nessa was about to speak up, but then we heard footsteps coming down and into the room we were in.
"Why is there an infestation in my kitchen?" She cried out in mock outrage. "Y'all are lucky it's a Thursday."
Thursday was the one day of the week She had the house to herself, with both of the older humans at work and the youngest at school. Now that She was in college, and still living at home, She could spend a lot more time with us. That is, unless she was studying.
"Seriously, though. What are you doing down here? And why does it smell like cookies?"
"Dorothy made them for Ilaf's wedding." Nessa explained.
"Oh yeah, that is next week, isn't it. How are things going?" She asked, refilling her water bottle at the fridge.
"Pretty well, actually! Except for us. Steve and I are in charge of planning the after party and we have nothing done for it yet."
"Maybe I can help. I went to a wedding once. Granted, I was five years old, and I was the flower girl... but hey, there's a lot of stuff you could do for that. A picnic is always a good idea if it's not too cold out. Or watch a movie. Or play some board games. Or host a murder mystery party."
"Oh, we've already done that," Nessa said, looking sheepish. "But I really like that movie night idea. That's how they had their first big date."
Everyone nodded and agreed. A movie was the perfect way to wind down, relax, and yet still have the same atmosphere as a party.
"Thanks for the idea!"
Suddenly, we heard voices shouting, and it sounded like they were coming from behind us.
"Is there someone in the garage?"
"It could be the PSA," said Elsa. She and Anna had run into the kitchen, alarmed by the noise. Dorothy noticed that Olaf wasn't too far behind them and slid the plate of cookies away just in time. "They've been outside for a while now. They might be in trouble."
"Not on my watch," She declared, and bravely slid the flyswatter from the top of the fridge, holding it like a baseball bat. "I'm going out to check on them. You guys stay here."
Then, the door that lead from the garage to the rest of the house opened. I heard two dolls' voices talking to one-another. When they came through the door, I nearly gasped. One of them was War Machine, or "Rhodey", from the Pocket-Sized Avengers, the other, Westley, the ninja garden gnome I met last Christmas. I hadn't seen him in so long.
"Hey, Rhodey. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah... it's all good. Nothing to worry about. Anyways, I have something to tell you."
"Okay... you guys didn't break anything, did you?" She said, putting the flyswatter away.
"No. This is my friend Westley. Remember him?"
"Yeah... I haven't seen him in a hot minute. Where were you, Westley?"
Rhodey and Westley both went quiet.
"You were looking for me?" Westley asked quietly.
"Yeah. Ever since, like Halloween, maybe? I noticed it was getting cold out and thought to bring you inside. But I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought it was because you were a ninja, and you know... sneaky? So I just kind of... gave up after a couple days."
"I was still outside."
"I can see that. You look terrible," She went over to Westley, dirty and weary, and picked him up. "Let me fix you."
While Westley was getting rinsed off in the kitchen sink, Olaf went to find Idina, so we were able to plan out the rest of the wedding. She said that there was some online test to make anybody an ordained minister, so if She took it, She could legally marry Olaf and Idina. It wouldn't be a traditional wedding for sure, but it would work for them. And now that we had Westley, he could be their florist, and make Idina's bouquet.
Everything was coming together very nicely. I don't know why I had ever felt doubtful before.
***
Hawkeye, stunned, immediately dropped his bow. "Nat?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Said the doll, her stance unwavering.
"Nat, it's me. Clint. From the warehouse?"
"A lot of us came from a warehouse."
"Please, Nat, just put the weapon down, come on," Hawkeye laughed, but it was strained and confused. "Is that any way to greet your magnet mate?"
"You're confused, Clint. I'm not your mate."
"But we have matching tattoos. Don't you? The Avengers logo on your right wrist?" Hawkeye unfastened his wrist bracers and confronted the Black Widow Legends figure, no longer minding the harpoon. He revealed the underside of his wrist, and marked onto the tan paint of his flesh was a capital A with an arrow through it, done amateurly in black pen.
Natasha didn't blink, nor did she look, as she rolled up her right sleeve and showed a smooth canvas. No tattoo in sight. "I'm not the Nat you think I am."
"You're sure?" Even with the glasses covering his eyes, Hawkeye looked desperate and beaten. "You could have covered it up. Or you could have amnesia, or something. Right, guys? Right?"
Hawkeye gestured to the rest of us behind him, but none of us had a clue. We'd never met a Black Widow figure. She wasn't in our make, either, but Hawkeye's.
"Hawkeye. She's not your Nat." Wanda whispered solemnly. Maybe she had read his mind, but with the bond they had, I wouldn't be surprised if Hawkeye had told Wanda his backstory himself.
"But I thought..." He looked wistfully at the new doll, who raised her eyebrows. She wasn't about to change her mind, nor her identity, for anyone. "Nat, you and I... well... I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry. I once knew someone like you a long time ago. That's all."
"Understood," Nat's eyes flicked to the group, her expression unchanging. "So is this your team?"
"Yeah, uh... the gang's all here! Vision and Scarlet Witch and Thor and... where is Rhodey and Westley?"
"War Machine and a ninja garden gnome?" Natasha pointed a thumb at the door behind her. "Inside."
"Okay. Well, uh... yeah. The gang's all here. Mostly."
"Hm. What about the one in the green cape?"
My shoulders tensed. Here we go again.
"He's with us. He's a pain in the ass sometimes, but he's with us," Hawkeye peered over his shoulder. "Right, Loki?"
I didn't know what to say, so I only nodded, looking pointedly at Natasha.
"If you insist. I'm Nat. But you knew that already. I'd be happy to join, but I'm not allowed."
"Why not?"
"I am a Christmas present for one of your humans. I'm hiding out in the garage until someone gets around to wrapping me in my box again."
"You mean you escaped your box without assistance?"
Nat brushed it off like it was nothing. "Yeah. You didn't?" She smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm assuming you want me as a part of your team?"
"Yeah. That'd be great, actually," Hawkeye breathed. "We're going to go inside. We'll see you at Christmas?"
"Mm," Nat responded. Already she had taken a running leap and jumped gracefully onto the edge of a tote about five times her height. She smirked, either impressed with her own talents, or happy to have an audience with which to show off to. She hopped into the tote, and there was the crackle of plastic beneath her. "Won't be long."
He watched and listened as Natasha tucked herself back into her packaging. We could tell she was the kind of doll who could wind the wires around her limbs herself, something we originally thought no doll could do alone.
"Yeah, she's something else," Tony commented. "Can't say I'm not excited to see her again. I always liked Black Widows."
Hawkeye sneered to himself and pushed the group on, acting as if nothing had happened and we hadn't seen a more sensitive, human side to his normally grim-faced exterior. Normally I consider myself a fairly restrained kind of doll. I don't like getting involved with other people's lives too much. But this was one story whose ending I wanted to know.
Fast forward to a couple of days later, and it was the weekend before the wedding. Christmas Eve was a Monday, so She was able to stick around for Saturday and Sunday to help us dolls with the last-minute preparations. That is, unless she was rehearsing her lines. She had been put into the role of the "ordained minister" by a free online quiz, and She spent most of her free time at the desk in her bedroom, murmuring to herself as She wrote and rewrote the classic marriage vows. I tried not to watch her too much, and think about what She might be writing, and instead busied myself with other things. Luckily, there were a lot of things to be busy about.
Olaf had selected his groomsmen: Arthur, Steve, Time, David, Heimdall, Iron Man, Blake, Magneto, and all the males of the Pocket-Sized Avengers. And Idina, her bridesmaids: Elsa, Anna, Wanda, Nessa, Elphaba, Dorothy, and Moana. Bell was to be the flower girl, and Kristoff was to be the ring-bearer. We all had our own roles to play, but arguably the ones that were most important, aside from the bride and groom, were the maid of honor and best man. Anelle was chosen for the maid of honor, but Olaf picked me for his best man.
I have to say I was very honored to hear this. I had known Olaf from my very first day in the Room She Lives In, and we'd been through many good and bad times throughout the four years we've lived here together. But how to put that feeling of friendship into words? I like to think I've improved in my writing since taking part in this blog, but I consider it to be more of a log of everyday life and not a heart-warming true story. I had to make sure I was doing my very best for Olaf. After all, we are dolls. You only have one magnet mate, and you're lucky to be married even once.
For a while, all marriage activity had been separated into three realms: those focused on Olaf, Idina, and on the wedding itself. Since the PSA was busy practicing their magic show, I decided to take a break from them and wander around, searching for inspiration for my "best man" speech.
Nessa and Bell were on the bed with Idina, assisting her with her wedding day look by using a whole arsenal of products, almost two of each, as if that were necessary. Beside the bed, She sat at her desk, muttering the vows to herself over a sheet of paper. A few others were crinkled into bundles and scattered around the desk.
"Um, She? Could I join you?"
"Sorry, Loki. Not right now. I need to concentrate."
"What if I were to ask you a question, and then leave?"
She sighed and lowered her hand onto the floor to pick me up. "I guess that's fine." She set me on the desk next to her paper, which had all sorts of markings on it. Carrots, underlining, and scratch-outs everywhere.
"Seems like you could use a bit of help, too."
"Yeah. It's the wedding speech. I keep thinking to myself, I'm a college student. I get surprised when someone my age gets married, and here I am, the quote unquote 'ordained minister'. I don't know if I'm the right person for the job."
"Sure you are. You write poetry. This can't be much of a difference."
"Oh really?" She leaned back in her chair. "And how's your writing coming, best man?"
I explained to her that I hadn't even begun. I didn't know where or how to start. She laughed.
"Come on, Loki. You write blog posts. This can't be much of a difference."
"Har, har," I replied. "Listen, I want Olaf and Idina to have the magical wedding that they've always dreamed of. You can't get that with any mediocre speeches."
She leaned forward again, her ribs knocking into the surface of the desk. A couple of the balled-up papers fell off. "Here's an idea. Why don't we ask Olaf and Idina what they want to hear? That's the best way to make them happy."
"Oh, why not," I hopped from the desk and onto the bed. Idina was busy getting her bangs curled through the pressure of a hot iron minus the heat. "Want me to be a spy for you?"
She hesitated, but I could tell she was interested. "Won't Idina start to lose her trust in you?"
"I can stay on her good side as long as I'm careful."
"Alright, I'll allow it, but be careful," She turned back to her writing. "You can't have your cake and eat it, too, you know."
"Don't worry." I responded mindlessly, before choking on the last of my own words. Cake. We'd forgotten the wedding cake.
Nessa and Bell were on the bed with Idina, assisting her with her wedding day look by using a whole arsenal of products, almost two of each, as if that were necessary. Beside the bed, She sat at her desk, muttering the vows to herself over a sheet of paper. A few others were crinkled into bundles and scattered around the desk.
"Um, She? Could I join you?"
"Sorry, Loki. Not right now. I need to concentrate."
"What if I were to ask you a question, and then leave?"
She sighed and lowered her hand onto the floor to pick me up. "I guess that's fine." She set me on the desk next to her paper, which had all sorts of markings on it. Carrots, underlining, and scratch-outs everywhere.
"Seems like you could use a bit of help, too."
"Yeah. It's the wedding speech. I keep thinking to myself, I'm a college student. I get surprised when someone my age gets married, and here I am, the quote unquote 'ordained minister'. I don't know if I'm the right person for the job."
"Sure you are. You write poetry. This can't be much of a difference."
"Oh really?" She leaned back in her chair. "And how's your writing coming, best man?"
I explained to her that I hadn't even begun. I didn't know where or how to start. She laughed.
"Come on, Loki. You write blog posts. This can't be much of a difference."
"Har, har," I replied. "Listen, I want Olaf and Idina to have the magical wedding that they've always dreamed of. You can't get that with any mediocre speeches."
She leaned forward again, her ribs knocking into the surface of the desk. A couple of the balled-up papers fell off. "Here's an idea. Why don't we ask Olaf and Idina what they want to hear? That's the best way to make them happy."
"Oh, why not," I hopped from the desk and onto the bed. Idina was busy getting her bangs curled through the pressure of a hot iron minus the heat. "Want me to be a spy for you?"
She hesitated, but I could tell she was interested. "Won't Idina start to lose her trust in you?"
"I can stay on her good side as long as I'm careful."
"Alright, I'll allow it, but be careful," She turned back to her writing. "You can't have your cake and eat it, too, you know."
"Don't worry." I responded mindlessly, before choking on the last of my own words. Cake. We'd forgotten the wedding cake.
To be continued in part three,
Queen Elsa, Loki, and Moana of Motunui
