Elsanna Week - Charmed

Part of this series, Day 3

Try to guess which movie this was taken from :)

“Two pairs,” declared Tiana, lying her cards down with a smile.

“Oh, well,” Anna said teasingly. “I got three shy little sevens.” She relished the abrupt change from her fellow player’s smile to a dismayed frown. Her eyes turned to Kristoff as he peered at his cards.

“Er,” he said, “Nervous straight?”

Anna joined in the choir of groans as Kristoff wiped his hesitant expression clean off his face and gathered his winnings with relish. “Now, look at this, six thousand five hundred?” he said. “Not bad, not bad. About ten bucks back home?”

As the dealer gathered the cards, Kristoff said, “One more round and I’m going to throw you guys right out in the snow.”

Most of the players began to protest. “I got to get up early,” explained Kristoff. “Date with Her Majesty who will graciously pose for some pictures.”

“What do you mean, early?” Anna interjected. “My personal invitation says eleven forty-five.”

Tiana smirked and said, “Couldn’t possibly be anything to do with the fact that you’re ahead?”

Kristoff returned her smirk. “It could.”

“Well, it works out just fine for me,” Anna said. “This is my last five thousand and you hyenas aren’t gonna get it.” She slipped her money into her coat pocket before patting Kristoff on the back as she got up. “Thanks a lot, Kristoff. See you at Elsa’s little party in the morning.”

“Ciao, Anna,” he said.

She bid her farewells to both Kristoff and the other players and walked out of the building. She was crossing the street when she notices a woman lying on top of a park bench. She was dressed in simple but very fine clothes and had very beautiful blonde hair that shone in the dark. That alone would have seized Anna’s interest but then the woman started talking. Or more accurately, mumbling in a slurred fashion. Sighing, Anna pondered on her next action when the woman began to stir and roll. She rushed to grab her and stop her from falling on top of her face.

“Hey!” she said, “Hey, wake up!”

“Thank you very much, delighted,” the woman mumbled deliriously.

“Wake up,” Anna repeated.

“No, thank you.” The woman raised a gloved hand to her and said, “Charmed.”

Anna’s eyes flickered from the hand to the woman and back to the hand before shaking it. “Charmed, too,” she said back. “You better sit up, far too young to get picked up by the police.” And beautiful, but Anna didn’t mention that bit. Instead she helped the woman sit up and while she did remain upright, she was still wavering.

“You know, people who can’t handle liquor shouldn’t drink it,” Anna admonished in the gentlest voice she had.

Instead of a reply or even a protest, the woman recited, “If I were dead and buried and heard your voice beneath the sod my heart of dust would still rejoice.” She blinked at her and asked, “Do you know that poem?”

“Huh, what do you know?” Anna said, sitting down next to her. “Well-read, well-dressed, yet you’re snoozing way in a public street. Heh, would you care to make a statement?” She uttered the joke before realising that a, the woman had no idea she was a reporter and b, she probably was in no capacity to get it.

Still the woman said, “What the world needs is a return to sweetness and generosity in the souls of its people” before promptly letting her head fall on top of Anna’s shoulder.

“Normally I couldn’t agree with you more, but,” Anna began when she saw a yellow car approach them. She got up and whistled for it. Thankfully it stopped just a few paces away from them. Yet somehow, in the time it took for Anna to go to the cab and open the door, the woman had laid down on the bench.

Sighing, Anna went back to the woman and shook her shoulder. “Hey, why don’t you take the cab?” she asked.

The only reply she got was a drowsy mumble. Anna looked at the taxi driver who was having none of it. Sighing again, she draped the woman’s arm over her neck. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get into the cab and go home.”

The woman continued to mumble vaguely as Anna carried her to the cab. Honestly she didn’t know why she bothered. Granted, she couldn’t just leave the poor woman by herself snoozing on a bench to be picked up by the cops or worse. But there were probably an easier way of handling this situation than…this. Still she managed to get the woman comfortably into the cab and tumbled inside with her.

As Anna closed the door, the taxi driver asked “Where are we going?”

Anna turned to the woman and asked, “Where do you live?”

“Mmmm?” the woman replied. “Coliseum.”

Anna nearly put her palm over her face. “Oh come on, you’re not that drunk,” she said.

The woman giggled and said, “You’re so smart, I’m not drunk at all. I’m just being…verrryyy…happpyyy…” And before Anna knew it, her head was resting against her shoulder again.

“Where are we going?” the cab driver asked again.

Anna wanted to tell him that he wasn’t exactly being helpful but she buttoned up. For now. Instead she turned her attentions to the woman and tried to rouse her again but it was no use. Aside from the mumbling, it was obvious that Anna wasn’t going to get anything from her. She had to make a decision and make it fast.

“Villa Marguta, fifty-one,” Anna said. She might as well go home. Maybe by the time they got there, the woman would wake up.

Of course, when they arrived, the woman was still fast asleep inside. Anna gave the last remaining note she had to the cab driver and received her change before looking back at the woman. Sighing once again, she got out of the car and reached in to carry the woman out. With a grateful wave, she bade the cab driver farewell as he drove off into the night. Somehow the two of them managed to get into her apartment without either of them getting hurt and the worst that happened was the woman almost roused the poor family who lived next door.

Anna felt a flood of relief flow through when they entered in. She definitely needed a drink after handling this woman. Still she was a proper woman so while the woman stood trying to steady herself on the headboard of the bed, Anna fetched some pyjamas from her wardrobe.

“I think we’re of similar size so hopefully these will work for you,” she said, holding them out for her.

“Pyjamas!” the woman exclaimed delightedly. She took them and Anna turned her back towards to give her some amount of privacy. However the woman asked, “Will you help me get undressed, please?”

Anna whirled around and just stared at the blonde. “Eh, well, eh,” she said. “Okay.” As she gently undid the woman’s necktie and unbuttoned her shirt, she averted her eyes as far as she could but she couldn’t stop herself from taking the occasional glance. And what those glances gave her a faint warmth in her cheeks. Fortunately, the woman did not require assistance to remove her skirt nor to dress herself and Anna was allowed to step back and give her some privacy. She was just considering getting herself a drink when from the corner of the eye, she saw the blonde preparing to fall onto the bed.

“Ahh ah ah ah,” she said, rushing over to catch her before she fell. “No, you’re on this one.” She pointed at the ottoman nearby.

“How terribly nice,” she said. Anna had no idea if it was meant to be genuine or a sarcastic barb. Nevertheless she fetched a pillow from her bed and a few blankets and made the couch up for her. With a pleased sigh, the woman laid down on it and wrapped herself up in the blanket, quietly reciting a poem to herself. Despite herself, despite all the trouble the woman had put her through, she felt oddly attached to this strange woman. Anna leaned over her and whispered, “Good night.”

And to her absolute delight, Anna saw the woman smile brightly. She then stood up straight and sighed. She was going to get herself a drink before bed. After all she had that big day with the Queen tomorrow.