At The Rink (GROUP POST)

[Angela]

The scene takes place in early September, at DeVito Park Figure Skating Club in Southpoint, PA. All skaters, coaches, rink personel etc are welcome to join!

[Angela]

It was a glorious Saturday morning, and Danil Anropov was up bright and early, earlier than anyone else in his house. He showered, and dressed in workout clothes. He turned on the TV and put in a workout DVD. He did this every morning, to condition himself for the morning practice. It was something Parker had had him doing for years. After a half hour, the rest of the house stirred. Peter came into the living room and smiled atDanil, who was doing some Pilates.

"Morning, babe."

Danil paused to take a breath. "Good morning, love."

Peter knelt beside him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep well, hon?"

"Yes. Would you mind making breakfast today?"

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," Peter said with a chuckle, standing up. Danil continued his workout as Peter walked into the kitchen nd began setting things up for cooking.

Fifteen minutes later, Danil was still working out, and the other residents of the house were waking up. Kyo was the first to come into the living room.

(tag Kyo!)

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo stumbled out of his brandy new king-size bed feeling very much like a King. He doubted he had ever slept so well in his entire life, though he was now so in love with the bed it was almost a miracle that he gotten up at all. It was like his dream come true, literally. Kyo wasn't the type of person one shared a bed with. His idea of a good sleep meant lots of rolling around and shifting about to find the perfect, most comfy sleeping position. The result of being an only child.

With one pajama leg bunched up to the knee and strands of thick black hair sticking out every which way, Kyo marched himself into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, his usual morning routine. It was also a more respectful gesture to his hosts to be a little more lively in the morning, even though he forgot to pat his hair down and fix his pajamas pants as he padded barefoot into the living room.

Kyo raked a hand over his tired eyes in an attempt to better wake himself up.
"Good morning, good morning...Whoa!" Kyo's tired eyes suddenly looked wide awake. He watching Danil with fascinated admiration. "You must be a muscle man! Is that how you wake yourself up every morning? I must try it..."


OOC: Gah, do I have to tag someone??? Haha!

[Angela]

Danil was doing some advanced Pilates, and smiled at Kyo as he turned his head. Of course he noticed his appearance, but he'd looked worse before.

"Good morning, Kyo. I'm just getting some exercising done before I head to the rink for practice. I leave in about an hour and a half. You're welcome to join me. You can meet my coah, and some other skaters at the rink. Or if you prefer, you could stay with Peter. He's going to do some shopping." He stopped and got up, put the Pilates machine aside, and got out the 15-pound weights that were on the ouch. He sat down and started doing some curls with them. "Peter's making breakfast, by the way," he added. "Did you sleep well?"

[Kyo Suzuki]

"Good morning, Kyo. I'm just getting some exercising done before I head to the rink for practice. I leave in about an hour and a half. You're welcome to join me. You can meet my coah, and some other skaters at the rink. Or if you prefer, you could stay with Peter. He's going to do some shopping."

Kyo pondered his options silently, watching as Danil progressed from doing pilates to the weights lying on the couch. Kyo could at least recognize those, but he had never seen a pilate machine before. He found himself making his way over to it curiously. He played some sports and knew a little of martial arts, but he wasn't sure he was able to flex the way Danil was. He laughed a little. Danil always had something interesting up his sleeve.

"Peter's making breakfast, by the way," he added. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yum-wa," Kyo replied softly. "I am so hungry. If he needs help I can do that. And yes...I slept too well. Thank you for the great room."

He tapped the pilate machine gently, as if worried that it would come alive and retaliate against him, then turned to Danil, who was now in the process of lifting the weights.
"I would like to join you for skating, if this is okay? I hope Peter does not mind. But I do not know how to skate and it has become popular in Japan. This is a good place to learn...do you mind teaching?"

He paused.

"Oh, and if I go with you...do I need to do this first?" He gestured over to the pilate machine.

[Angela]

Danil smiled, watching Kyo as he curled the weight in his left hand. "Of course you may help Peter if you like, Kyo. He loves to cook with others helping him." He paused after several curls to rest. He looked at Kyo at the Pilates machine, now standing in the corner of the room beside the couch. He chuckled softly as he wathed Kyo look so curious about it. "That is a Pilates machine," he explained. "It helps with my flexibility. I need that when I skate. It keeps my legs strong." He picked up another weight and started curling it in the opposite hand.

"I would like to join you for skating, if this is okay? I hope Peter does not mind. But I do not know how to skate and it has become popular in Japan. This is a good place to learn...do you mind teaching?"

He paused.

"Oh, and if I go with you...do I need to do this first?" He gestured over to the pilate machine.

Danil laughed. "Of course you don't. You are not an elite skter. You don't need to do this like I do. I will be happy to teach you how to skate, and in fact there is a public group session at noon. We can all have some fun and skate together. I was going to invite Nic as well. But I must warn you, before that, I have to pratice on my own," he pointed out. "I have an hour and a half on the ice, and then an hour in the ballet room. You can watch me on the ice, but I don't think it's really appropriate for you to join me at that time. The ballet room, you may join me if you like. After that we can have some lunch, and then go to the public session. Would you like that, would that be all right?" he asked. "I'm sorry about the practice, but because I am competing, I do need the concentration," he explained.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo drummed his fingers on the pilates machine, watching Danil lift the weights. He noticed his bunched-up pants leg and quickly reached down to adjust it. He hoped he didn't look like too much of a slob. If anything, he hoped Danil would take it as a sign of his deep, beautiful sleep.

"Of course you may help Peter if you like, Kyo. He loves to cook with others helping him. That is a Pilates machine," he explained. "It helps with my flexibility. I need that when I skate. It keeps my legs strong."

"It would be an honor to help out, so I can say I did not be lazy and just sit around and eat everything!" Kyo chuckled. "And as for machine..." He turned around and looked at it again, angling his head. "It is very suspicious looking, I think this is the word...suspicious. I have not seen it before. I think I might hurt someone if I tried to use it..."

Danil laughed. "Of course you don't. You are not an elite skter. You don't need to do this like I do. I will be happy to teach you how to skate, and in fact there is a public group session at noon. We can all have some fun and skate together...

Kyo nodded. "Of course, that sounds like much fun. I do not mind watching you practice. Perhaps I can pick up some tips from watching you. I will go help Peter now so you can continue practicing without my interference. Please excuse me." He bowed low again and headed for where he assumed the kitchen was. He was still a little iffy about where everything was in the house. He was used to a medium-sized, five-room apartment. This house was a lot different.

[Angela]

Danil chukled. "You remind me so much of myself. I felt the same way when I came to America. I wanted to work too. And I still do," he added with a smile. "Peter is in the kitchen." He laughed at Kyo's omment about the Pilates machine. "I will be more than happy to teach you some easy Pilates exerises. It's similar to yoga, if you know yoga it will be very easy for you. If not, that's okay, you can still learn. I will, as I said, be more than happy t teach you. Some Pilates exercises require that machine, but others do not."

"Of course, that sounds like much fun. I do not mind watching you practice. Perhaps I can pick up some tips from watching you. I will go help Peter now so you can continue practicing without my interference. Please excuse me."

Danil bowed to him and smiled. "It will be a pleasure to have you around, Kyo. We leave in about an hour and fifteen minutes. This way I can show you around the rink a little." He paused, and gently pointed out, "That's the dining room. The room to the left of it is the kitchen," he explained gently. "Don't worry, you'll soon know where everything is." He smiled and bowed his head again, and Kyo thanked him and headed to the kitchen.

Peter was frying up some ham, sausage and bacon. The scent could be smelled no doubt through the house. Hearing footsteps, he turned and smiled at Kyo.

"Good morning!" he said, and bowed. "Did you sleep well? I'm trying to decide what to make for breakfast. Omlette, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, dipped eggs, eggs Benedict, or no eggs. Pancakes, crepes or blini, French toast, bananas Foster, the possibilities are endless practically. Anything in particular you'd like? I was also thinking of toasting some croissants, with ham and cheese. I could just make some cereal but that's boring!" He laughed.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Danil chukled. "You remind me so much of myself. I felt the same way when I cam.e to America. I wanted to work too. And I still do," he added with a smile.

Kyo's eyes widened. He paused on his way over to the presumed kitchen and turned around to face Danil once more. "Really? That is too kind to say. I am not the Olympic skater, just very normal." He flashed a bright smile. He felt a little proud. His host held considerable fame and position in the world of sports, and he had compared himself to Kyo...Humble. Very humble indeed.

Danil bowed to him and smiled. "It will be a pleasure to have you around, Kyo. We leave in about an hour and fifteen minutes. This way I can show you around the rink a little." He paused, and gently pointed out, "That's the dining room. The room to the left of it is the kitchen," he explained gently. "Don't worry, you'll soon know where everything is." He smiled and bowed his head again, and Kyo thanked him and headed to the kitchen.

Kyo, a bigger smile now brightening up his face, bowed himself all the way out of the room and into the kitchen, where his nose immediately picked up on the scent of a very American breakfast. He wasn't very accustomed to the smell and taste of American food just yet, but the dinner he had had before with his new family had no bad effect on him, and he felt he could get used to the food in no time. He adapted rather well.

Peter seemed to have realized he was in the room.
"Good morning!" he said, and bowed. "Did you sleep well?"

Kyo nodded. "Good morning, very well, thank you!"

"I'm trying to decide what to make for breakfast. Omlette, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, dipped eggs, eggs Benedict, or no eggs. Pancakes, crepes or blini, French toast, bananas Foster, the possibilities are endless practically. Anything in particular you'd like? I was also thinking of toasting some croissants, with ham and cheese. I could just make some cereal but that's boring!" He laughed.

Kyo's eyes got big again. He double-blinked then burst out into laughter. "Peter, I do not know many of those things! All said too quickly, my mind cannot keep up!" Giggling, he approached Peter's side at the stove to see if he could get a better idea of what Peter was talking about. He was here to try new things, so he didn't have much preference anyway. He decided to go on that.
"You can make what you like because I do not mind! I will help as much as I can, but I have made a vow to go with Danil to the ice skating place. I must keep that and get ready before we leave. What can I help you with?

[Angela]

Peter chuckled. "No problem. Would you like some sausage, ham and bacon while I deide what to make?" he asked, slower this time so Kyo could follow along better. He thought for a moment. "Okay. I have an idea. How does strawberry kiwi ginger crepes Suzetee sound? I tell you what you could do for me. Can you open the freezer there, and take out the bag of frozen strawberries? To the left of that there should be some frozen kiwi. In the refrigerator, in the bottom left-hand drawer, there should be some ginger and in the right there should be some oranges. Get those out, please, for me, and wash everything in the sink. Just run some wter over it all. Then, you see this board?" He set down a cutting board. "You can cut the fruit here. Do you know how to peel kiwis and oranges? Once you cut them in half it should be easy. Just cut them into little pieces, and then we'll see what else we can do. Don't throw the orange peels away, because we're gonna need them later." He continued to speak slowly so that Kyo could understand better. He opened a nearby cookbook and pulled out a computer printout. "Oh, in the refrigerator there should be some apricot preserves. Get that out too, if it's not too muh trouble. Now, take your time, and make as many trips as you need, we're not in any hurry," he advised gently. "We'll be done long before you have to go to the rink. I'm glad you're going, by the way," he continued, getting some measuring utensils out.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Peter chuckled. "No problem. Would you like some sausage, ham and bacon while I deide what to make?" he asked, slower this time so Kyo could follow along better.

Kyo looked at the sizzling food and felt his stomach growl, but he politely shook his head. "It is such a kind offer, but I would feel rude to eat without everyone, so I will wait until it is all ready, is this good?"

"Okay. I have an idea. How does strawberry kiwi ginger crepes Suzetee sound?

Kyo stood silent. He had caught every word of Peter's this time round, but he had no idea what a strawberry kiwi ginger crepes Suzetee was. Maybe something French...It sounded French anyway.

"I tell you what you could do for me. Can you open the freezer there, and take out the bag of frozen strawberries? To the left of that there should be some frozen kiwi. In the refrigerator, in the bottom left-hand drawer, there should be some ginger and in the right there should be some oranges. Get those out, please, for me, and wash everything in the sink. Just run some wter over it all. Then, you see this board?"

Kyo followed Peter's gestures carefully, suddenly feeling like a very important trainee in a professional chef's kitchen. He nodded as Peter set the board down in front of him. He wasn't entirely kitchen tool knowledge deficient.

"You can cut the fruit here. Do you know how to peel kiwis and oranges? Once you cut them in half it should be easy. Just cut them into little pieces, and then we'll see what else we can do. Don't throw the orange peels away, because we're gonna need them later." He continued to speak slowly so that Kyo could understand better. He opened a nearby cookbook and pulled out a computer printout.

"Oh, in the refrigerator there should be some apricot preserves. Get that out too, if it's not too muh trouble. Now, take your time, and make as many trips as you need, we're not in any hurry," he advised gently. "We'll be done long before you have to go to the rink. I'm glad you're going, by the way," he continued, getting some measuring utensils out.

Kyo figured he had better get started. He was already forgetting some of the directions Peter had given him. He wasn't exactly the most suave person around, and for being so young, he didn't have the best memory either. As he headed over to the refrigerator, he tried to remember what he was getting.
Strawberries, kiwis...oranges...what was the other one, again? Ginger? Yeah, had to be. He was very familiar with ginger anyway. He opened the refrigerator, was greeted with a blast of refreshingly cold air, and searched around the space avidly and rapidly. He had to be quick if he wanted to be ready to go with them to the rink on time.

Strawberries, check. Kiwis, check. He hoisted the frozen food into one arm, closed the freezer door, then went to the main part of the fridge, where he managed to swiftly and safely dig out the oranges and ginger. He made several trips to the sink, washing each item carefully, then finally came to a stop at the cutting board, sighing. At least he was awake now. But suddenly the ham and bacon was starting to look and smell undeniably amazing.

Well, he had refused it earlier, so no point in begging for it now. Kyo looked around for some kind of knife or peeler to cut or skin the fruit with and suddenly found himself on another scavenger hunt around the kitchen for the tools.
He caught sight of a small knife rack, pulled out a medium sized knife, set it aside on the table, then went back to searching various kitchen drawers for the peeler. He went through a drawer of eating utensils, closed it, sneezed when he opened another of spices and the like, then finally felt victorious at the sight of a peeler.
"Yes, found you, found you!"

It didn't take too long for Kyo to skin the kiwis and peel the oranges (which he ended up doing with his own hands, due to his inability to do it with the knife). He was in fact quite proud of his work. He was doing this all on his own, making a real American, or wait...French recipe, he thought. He had helped his mom in the kitchen plenty of times, but voila! He came to America and did this stuff on his own!

Kyo tossed away the kiwi skins, set aside the orange peels, and folded his arms proudly.
"Finished!" He confidently called out.

He looked at the cutting board, then realized something was missing.

"Aiya! Apricots! I forgot the apricots!"

[Angela]

Peter grinned proudly. "You're doing very well, Kyo! Nicely done." He had been making the crepe batter the whole time Kyo was working with the fruits. He was glad that Kyo remembered to wash his hands at the sink before retriving the items. "No problem," he said, when he mentioned the apricot preserves. "I'll get t, if you do me a favor, and watch this pan for me." He gestured to a pan he had just filled with crepe batter. He went over to the fridge, got out the jar of Smucker's Apricot Preserves, and then got two mediumsized oranges. Kyo could have gotten them, but Peter did not tell him to. "Here we go," he said, setting the jar down. "Do you know how to juice oranges?" he asked. "Cut these in half, then you see this thing?" He pulled a juicer from the back of the wall. "You just push the orange half here, and the juice will come out. If it seems like it will overflow, just pour it in this bowl-" he said, putting a bowl beside him. "Just juice those two oranges. Oh, and the strawberries, an you cut those in half twice?" He demonstrated, taking the knife Kyo was using, and cut one of the strawberries in half one way, and then anoher. "Just do that, okay?" He blanched and hurried over to his pan, loosened the crepe and flipped it to the side. "Wow, that was lucky!" he said with a relieved sigh as he saw that the crepe had almost started to burn. "These burn so easily." He grabbed four of the largest strawberies and proceeded to mash them. "I need these for the cream," he eplained as Kyo looked at him confused. "And this-" He took some of the kiwi pieces and cut them even more fine, mincing them. "We need this for the sauce, as with the ginger." He paused, and looked at the crepe. He walked over and slid it onto a serving dish, then set the empty pan down. Returning to Kyo, he minced some ginger. Then he took some of the orange peel and minced it. "Okay, you can throw the rest of those peelsaway," he told him, and went to put another crepe on. "Come over here, please, Kyo. You see this pan?" he asked, gesturing to an empty saucepan. "I measured out some butter, sugar, and salt. Put that in there, please, and put the kiwi I chopped, and the ginger, and the orange peel I chopped, while I get some of the preserves." He smiled at him. "You're a great helper, Kyo. You should be very proud. It's very kind of you to offer to help. Now when that's all dissolved, you add the orange juice, okay? And turn this knob to where it says Off."

[Kyo Suzuki]

"No problem," he said, when he mentioned the apricot preserves. "I'll get t, if you do me a favor, and watch this pan for me."

Kyo watched somewhat sadly as Peter put aside the batter he had been making to get the apricot reserves he had forgotten. So much for being the professional chef's trainee. Ah, well, he had plenty of time to learn. This was his first time working in Peter's kitchen. He would be here a lot longer to make up for any mishaps. At least he hadn't broken anything, as he had secretly been expecting he would.
Kyo kept an eye on the pan Peter had been working with. The batter inside looked quite good. This dish definitely had to be French. If that batter wasn't for crepes, than he wasn't a Japanese exchange student.

Peter brought the jar of preserves and more oranges back over to Kyo.
"Here we go," he said, setting the jar down. "Do you know how to juice oranges?" he asked.
Kyo shook his head.
"Cut these in half, then you see this thing?" He pulled a juicer from the back of the wall. "You just push the orange half here, and the juice will come out. If it seems like it will overflow, just pour it in this bowl-" he said, putting a bowl beside him. "Just juice those two oranges. Oh, and the strawberries, an you cut those in half twice?"

Kyo watched Peter's demonstration and wiped an arm over his brow. Kitchen work was pretty heavy, at least, in the morning it seemed to be. He laughed to himself. He wasn't cut out for it, obviously. It made him appreciate his mom's ability to get up early every morning to do it for him and his dad.

"Just do that, okay?"

Kyo nodded, looked at the juicing machine like he was challenging it, then began cutting the oranges in half. He stuck one half at a time into the juicer, shielding his face behind his hand as flecks of orange went flying every which way. He wasn't entirely sure that was the way it worked, but there was certainly a finished product of orange juice coming out. He emptied the contents into the bowl whenever it was near to overflowing.

Peter continued working on the entire dish, showing Kyo all the different steps he would go through to get the finished product. Everything was looking rather spectacularly delicious, Kyo had to admit. He was sure he would at least be proud of the finished product, since he had helped, however little.

"Okay, you can throw the rest of those peelsaway," he told him, and went to put another crepe on.

Kyo saluted, "Yes, sir!", scooped up the peels, and did as he was told.

"Come over here, please, Kyo. You see this pan?" he asked, gesturing to an empty saucepan. "I measured out some butter, sugar, and salt. Put that in there, please, and put the kiwi I chopped, and the ginger, and the orange peel I chopped, while I get some of the preserves." He smiled at him. "You're a great helper, Kyo. You should be very proud. It's very kind of you to offer to help. Now when that's all dissolved, you add the orange juice, okay? And turn this knob to where it says Off."

Kyo's eyes widened like they always did whenever he was in some state of surprise. He did another double-blink, silent for a moment, then tried to replay all of Peter's words over in his head. He found himself reciting the recipe out loud.
"Butter, sugar, salt in the pan...." He put all of the food items in the pan as he said them, eager on finishing the dish to perfection and being as good a worker as Peter apparently thought he was. He was undoubtedly awake at this point.

"Dissolved-ah..." Kyo looked at the contents of the sauce pan. It looked like a big mess to him...He wondered if he was doing everything right. He didn't know the word dissolved. He wasn't sure he had heard it before, but he didn't want to bother Peter asking what it meant. The man was obviously very busy. Kyo frowned and watched the saucepan carefully, as if it would tell him what exactly dissolved meant.
He sighed, took a deep breath, and when he thought he saw some change in the substance's form, reached out for the orange juice and poured it in.

[Angela]

Peter watched as Kyo looked at the sauce, inwardly kicking himself for not handing the young man a spoon and instructinghim to stir. Only a little of the juice was poured in when Peter stopped him. "Just a second, Kyo. Let's stir this up a little, see if we can make it better." He took a spoon and started stirring vigorously, the juice didn't hurt the mixture even though the recipe said to only pour it in after everything was dissolved. But that was okay, Peter noticed as he quickly got everything to mix well. "Okay," he said, "now you may pour that in." He smiled and patted Kyo gently on the back. "In the meantime-" He took out a third crepe from the pan, and got out some heavy cream from the refrigerator. He whisked some of the strawberries into the cream, and some powdered sugar. When he was finished, he set the cream aside, and looked at the fourth crepe that was in the pan. He turned it over, noticing it was done perfectly on the one side, and waited for a few seconds before he took the crepe off. Two for each person should be more than enough, he thought, pouring batter for another crepe into the pan. "Now, Kyo, I'm going to give you the most important job of all. Take those crepes, spread some of that cream on them, then put some fruit, then some cream, and roll them up, nice and thin, nice and small, okay?" He showed him the picture. "Like that."

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo's face flushed as Peter approached him. He quickly stopped pouring the orange juice into the pan. "Dissolved-ah?"

"Just a second, Kyo. Let's stir this up a little, see if we can make it better."
Kyo watched Peter work, he stared intently at the mixture in the pan to see if anything would change, but he noticed nothing. He shook his head. "Perhaps I am not the cook..."

"Okay," he said, "now you may pour that in."
Kyo half-heartedly poured the orange juice in, beginning to get a little flustered with his incompetence. He wondered why he had volunteered to help out. He was a wretch in the kitchen. He seemed to suddenly recall his mother telling him that, though playfully. She had been right, anyway.

Kyo felt a supportive thump on his back from Peter and was brought back to the reality of a rich-smelling kitchen.

"In the meantime-"
Kyo looked up in time to see Peter work on yet another step of the recipe--goodness, Kyo thought, French food was complicated!--then hesitated as Peter addressed him for yet another part of the meal.

"I am ready," Kyo said determinedly, though he wasn't feeling very confident at all. "Hit me with what you have got!"

"Now, Kyo, I'm going to give you the most important job of all. Take those crepes, spread some of that cream on them, then put some fruit, then some cream, and roll them up, nice and thin, nice and small, okay?" He showed him the picture. "Like that."
Kyo looked at the picture.

He paused.

A picture. Right in front of him, a picture of what it should look like. Could he do it?
Why not? At least he could see what it looked like. Now he just had to remember the steps again.
"Hai, hai, I will make them look just like that!"

Kyo set to work making the crepes to perfection--he definitely liked this part better, the part where he didn't have to splatter his pajamas with orange pieces or destroy a perfectly good sauce mix because he didn't know the English around it. He did exactly as Peter told him and as the book showed him, placed all the delicate treats in an orderly manner, then stepped back to admire his handiwork.
"Hai! It looks yum-wah, sir!"

[Angela]

Peter laughed. "Call me Peter, for heaven's sake, Kyo, you're family!" He patted his back one more. "They do look delicious. You did a great job, Kyo." He set another empty crepe down for Kyo and poured a fifth into the pan. Then when that was done, he set the empty crepe where the other had been. Kyo had already filled it perfectly. "One more to go, and that makes two for each of us," he said as he made another crepe in the pan, using the last of the batter. "Okay!" he said when that was done. "Now for the finishing touch," he said, after Kyo had filled the last crepes. He took the saucepan and poured the sauce over all of the crepes.

He set the platter on the table, which had already been set for three. Nicholas was already at work, so there was no need to set the table for him. Peter put the meat on another platter and set it ibeside the crepes. "Now, I just have to make something very quickly," he said.

He went to the refrigerator, got out some more ginger, and two limes, some ginger ale, and some more kiwi. He went to the freezer and pulled out three frosted glasses, and a tray of ice cubes.

"This sounds so good," he said as he proceeded to work with the ginger, rubbing it along the mouth of the glasses. He put a piece of ginger in each glass, then put ice in them. In a pitcher, he made some sugar syrup, and mixed it with a pinch of salt. Then he quickly diced some kiwi. "Can you juice these two limes for me, Kyo?" he asked. "But only juice three halves, okay? Don't juice the fourth half." He minced some ginger, and placed it in the pitcher. As Kyo juiced the limes, he set aside three pieces of kiwi so they could be used as garnishes, mixed the rest of the diced kiwi in the mixture, and poured ginger ale into the glasses. "Nicely done, Kyo," he praised as he took the lime juice from him and poured it into the pitcher. He stirred it, mixing it well, then poured it into the glasses, then stirred the drinks up. He took the leftover lime half and cut it in half, then cut one half into thirds, one piece for each glass to garnish along with the kiwi. The rest of the lime he put in a plastic bag and placed back in the refrigerator.

"There," he said. "Doesn't that look nice? Danil! Breakfast!"

In a minute Danil came in, looking even more energetic. "Well, well, well! What's all this?" he asked.

"I decided to try tomsething new. Strawberry kiwi ginger crepes Suzettes. And, a nice, tart kiwi-lime-ginger cocktail. Kyo did all the important stuff," he added, patting his back. "There's also ham, bacon, sausage."

Danil felt his stomah rumble. "My goodness! It looks delicious, my compliments to the chefs!" he praised as he sat down.

Peter saw Kyo reach for his fork and cut into the crepes. "Kyo, would you mind if Danil said a prayer before we eat?" he asked gently, not wanting to be rude.

[Kyo Suzuki]

"There," he said. "Doesn't that look nice? Danil! Breakfast!"

And it did look quite nice. Kyo admired his host's handiwork with a smile. It had been a lot of work...He could finally understand why chefs were called artists. This kind of cooking was art, in its own way, if only for the fact that it was so painstaking. Anyway, Kyo was just happy that the food was ready to go. His stomach rumbled its agreement.

He sighed in relief. He was famished.

In a minute Danil came in, looking even more energetic. "Well, well, well! What's all this?" he asked.


Kyo looked up at Danil proudly. Judging by his reaction, he was pretty pleased with what he saw.

"I decided to try tomsething new. Strawberry kiwi ginger crepes Suzettes. And, a nice, tart kiwi-lime-ginger cocktail. Kyo did all the important stuff," he added, patting his back. "There's also ham, bacon, sausage."

Danil felt his stomah rumble. "My goodness! It looks delicious, my compliments to the chefs!" he praised as he sat down.

Kyo waved a modest hand again. "He is being too nice a one...I only crushed a few of the oranges and things like-ah that." He looked down at his orange-juice-speckled pajamas and laughed. "See this, it is proof!"
Kyo waited for his hosts to seat themselves at the kitchen table before he did the same. It felt good to just sit down and relax. He looked at the mesmerizing plate of crepes in front of him and felt his stomach pleading with him again.

Kyo reached for his fork. He was fairly good at using the American utensils. He had a great deal of practice at home, as his mother often made foreign foods that required utensils other than chopsticks. He wasn't an expert, but he could certainly get by. And even if he couldn't have, he wouldn't have minded using his hands at this point.

Peter saw Kyo reach for his fork and cut into the crepes. "Kyo, would you mind if Danil said a prayer before we eat?" he asked gently, not wanting to be rude.

Kyo looked up suddenly, his mouth open wide, his fork in mid-air, a piece of the tempting crepe dangling from the prongs just waiting to be devoured.
He shut his mouth quickly and set the crepe back on the plate as though it had never left in the first place. He wasn't positive what the prayer would be. He had heard of this kind of gesture in some American homes, but never had any firsthand experience.

He put his hands together like his hosts, bowed his head and closed his eyes. When he was sure they weren't looking, he opened one eye, just one eye, to find out what would happen. He felt like a little kid trying to sneak a glimpse of Santa Claus...

[Angela]

Danil smiled gently towards Kyo as he and Peter folded their hands, and Kyo did as well, imitating them. "Father in Heaven, we thank you for the bounty of food you have set before us this day. We thank you for giving us such an honorable guest," he smiled towards Kyo, "and for granting him a sae journey here. We thank you for keeing all of us safe and healthy, and pray that you continue to bless us with good fortune in the future." He crossed himself in the Russian way, saying, "In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, unto the ages of ages, Amen." He was quiet for a moment, then smiled at Kyo, who still had his head bowed. "Now, we may eat. It's a tradition we follow at every meal," he explained. "We didn't do it last night because we didn't want to intimdate you or make you feel uncomfortable. I hope you don't mind," he said. He took a sip of the cocktail. "Wow. That is amazing," he said after a moment, savoring the taste.

Danil finished his cocktail, and looked at Kyo. "Well, my friend, would you like to go and get ready for the rink? Don't wear anything that you'd be uncomfortable moving in," he advised. "Casual clothing is fine. I feel we're going to have a lot of fun."

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo caught sight of Danil looking his way, a smile on his face as they prayed, and quickly shut his eyes again. It wouldn't have been very respectful if he had been caught eavesdropping...He kept his head bowed until the rest of the prayer was over, not entirely familiar with all the words, but comfortable enough to know the gist of entire prayer.

He was not a Christian, he was not Orthodox. His family was probably more atheist than anything else, but he knew that he was up for testing new waters. The belief in this one God seemed interesting, to say the least. The religion had survived generations. There had to be some truth to it. Kyo made a mental note to ask Peter or Danil more about it later.

He imitated the crossing gesture his two hosts made, then picked up his fork once more, as Danil addressed him:

"Now, we may eat. It's a tradition we follow at every meal," he explained. "We didn't do it last night because we didn't want to intimdate you or make you feel uncomfortable. I hope you don't mind," he said.
Kyo shook his head, sighing with relief as he finally got to devour some of the crepe. It was amazing, of course. "It is no problem. Actually," he continued, swallowing and deciding he would take his opportunity now, "I am interested in this religion. I am interested in all new things. I have never seen the practice before, just in movies and by ear. So it will be good to learn."
He couldn't help glancing over at the clock, hoping he would have enough time to go get ready to join Danil at the rink. He did not want to miss out.

[Angela]

Danil smiled gently at Kyo. "Well, I'll be happy to give you some knowlege about our religion. I'm Russian Orthodox. Peter, however, was raised Roman Catholic."

"I left the church though," Peter confessed. "It's a long story." He glanced at Danil.

"Basically, our religion concerns events that happened two thousand years ago, and even before that. We believe in one God, who created everything in the universe, and that He had a Son who was born on Earth to a virgin woman, through the power of yet another spiritual entity, the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit that we know all this. The Holy Spirit helped humans to pass everything down to future generations. There are many documents from ancient times that we rely on to bring us closer to God. The one we turn to the most is known as the Holy Bible. You may read it if you like," Danil said. "After all, what better way to learn than by going straight to the source? If you have any questions, you can just feel free to ask Peter or I."

Danil finished his cocktail, and looked at Kyo. "Well, my friend, would you like to go and get ready for the rink? Don't wear anything that you'd be uncomfortable moving in," he advised. "Casual clothing is fine. I feel we're going to have a lot of fun."

When Kyo was finished getting ready, Danil went to take a quick shower, and pulled his hair back in a ltight ponytail. He went to the living room and saw Peter sitting on the couch with Kyo, chatting.

"Are you ready?" Danil asked. He grabbed his car keys and as they went towards the foyer, he grabbed his skate bag. "I'm glad you're willing to put up with watching me practice before we skate together. Did you want to bring anything, a book or something, in case you get bored?" he asked. But Kyo seemed too intrigued to want to distract himself from watching Danil skate. Danil was happy about that, and hoped that Kyo wouldn't regret it.

They talked about how things would be on their way to therink, and finally they pulled up to the large facility. Danil grabbed his skate bag from the back and walked with Kyo into the rink.

"First thing's first, we can go to the ice. First I will show you to where you can sit. You can meet my sensei." He smiled broadly. "In Ameria, he's called a coach, but his job is the same as a sensei."

[lanie]

Two people were already on the ice, not doing anything particularly interesting, just stroking around. It was a bit odd, just being there, considering both Alice and Christian had officially retired and would not be competing--but performing in shows and still skating for the exercise benefit of it. That's what they were doing now, really: just stroking around because even that could be considered good for you.

"We should probably do something," Alice said, not noticing that there were people around; had she noticed, she surely would have gone over to investigate, but at this point their backs were to Danil and Company.

Christian lifted his shoulders in a shrug as he skated beside her, but a little far apart. "We don't have to. Be lazy. Enjoy it. Stop thinking you're still competing."

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo was bundled up in a large white winter coat over a loose white sweater and some of his favorite, baggy khaki pants. He was following Danil and Peter's advice about being comfortable and flexible for his skating.
If he skated. He was counting on at least a couple of falls the moment he got onto the ice. It wasn't that he was being pessimistic, just realistic. He knew he was already clumsy to some extent. But no matter what the odds were that he would remain upright and gliding over the ice, he wanted to try it.

Kyo thanked Danil for holding the door for him, stepped inside the rink, and immediately began to shiver. The building was obviously so cold because it had to be. The ice had to remain solid. But Kyo felt like he had walked into an icebox. And he would have to be here for a good while longer...Hopefully the actual skating would warm him up a bit. He could already feel his nose numbing.
He turned to Danil for some guidance. The rink was huge, there were some people already on the ice, gliding over it like pros...He wasn't sure where to start. He looked over at what he presumed to be the place ice skates were rented out. As he had never skated before at home, he didn't have a pair of his own. Luckily, he had a decent amount of American dollars in his pocket to cover the fee for his skates.

"Danil, I will go to get the skates, is this okay? Then you can show me around and introduce your sensei."

[Angela]

Danil blocked Kyo's way with his hand, not meaning to be rude. "No, Kyo, it is no time for your skates yet." He looked around for Parker. "That's Alice Ordway and Christian Dwight. They should be finishing up soon, and in the meantime, you can meet my coach, and I will show you to a seat in the stands."

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo suddenly found his path blocked by Danil.
"No, Kyo, it is no time for your skates yet." He looked around for Parker. "That's Alice Ordway and Christian Dwight. They should be finishing up soon, and in the meantime, you can meet my coach, and I will show you to a seat in the stands."

Kyo looked over to where Danil was gesturing, at two very powerful-looking figures on the ice, and guessed these two were Alice and Christian. But he didn't understand why he couldn't get his skates just yet. He stuffed the American money back in his pocket and looked up at Danil doing a confused, double-blink.
He wanted to ask what Danil's plans were, why he couldn't skate just yet, but he kept it to himself. Danil was the leader of his host family, Danil was his host and guardian for a long while. He had to respect his wishes.
Kyo remained silent, and nodded his head. "Okay, I will be happy to meet your coach-ah."

[lanie]

"If we're going to be skating professionally," Alice said with a heavy, somewhat irritated sigh, "we should be doing something."

"Not really. Hell, we could just chase each other around the rink and get the same benefit," Christian joked and he was rewarded with a hearty shove by his partner (and girlfriend, although he was two months away from turning thirty and she was twenty-six, so girlfriend seemed a tad juvenile). "Hey!" He stumbled a little, turning around, frowning at her--until he spotted a few people standing around, outside the rink but inside the building, looking at them.

Alice squinted. "It's Danil and...someone?" She of course, being the social animal that she was, immediately stepped off the ice and headed over, skates and all. "What are you doing here?" she chirped, friendly enough, to Danil, looking expectantly at Kyo. "Who's this?"

Christian meanwhile took his lazy time getting off the ice--for reasons Danil and Alice would understand, due to his usual shyness around new people and all. He headed towards them but still was behind Alice, letting her do the greeting and talking.

[Angela]

Danil smiled, embarrassed. "This is my exchange student from Japan, Kyo Suzuki. We came for practice... I don't know if I am just early or if I am at the wrong sheet. We won't disturb you. We will be at the public session at noon if you would be interested in joining us." He shrugged. No wonder he couldn't find Parker. He must be waiting at the other ice sheet.

[marsha]

Parker checked his watch again and decided to take a walk while waiting for Danil to arrive. He began walking toward the front sheet of ice, thinking he would get himself a cup of coffee when he noticed a group of skaters just talking. "Morning," Parker called out noticing Danil among them.

[Angela]

Danil turned and grinned. "Parker, there you are!" He patted Kyo's shoulder. "This is the exchange student I was telling you about, Kyo Suzuki. He wanted to come watch me practice, and then we could all skate in the public session at noon. I'm sorry, were we at the other sheet today?" He chuckled, embarrassed. "It changes so often, I really wasn't sure."

[Kyo Suzuki]

"What are you doing here?" she chirped, friendly enough, to Danil, looking expectantly at Kyo. "Who's this?"

Kyo looked up, startled. It was the woman he had seen earlier, skating. He hadn't even seen her get off the ice. She had been gliding very smoothly along the last time he looked. He had been daydreaming about skating that way the moment he got onto the ice. It looked like she and the man she was with were flying, not really touching the ground, but hovering just a little above it and moving along. It was...beautiful. For lack of any other technical term.
But now the both of them were right in front of him. He suddenly felt a little intimidated, like there was some sort of respect he owed them that he wasn't giving. He just looked up at them with stunned admiration.

Danil smiled, embarrassed. "This is my exchange student from Japan, Kyo Suzuki. We came for practice... I don't know if I am just early or if I am at the wrong sheet. We won't disturb you. We will be at the public session at noon if you would be interested in joining us."

Kyo finally decided what he wanted to say to the skaters.
"You looked like skating angels! You did not even go to touch the ground, just floating. Like this!" He mimicked, as best as he could, people gliding over the ground. "So amazing..."

"Morning."

Kyo turned his attention the speaker.
A very jovial-looking African-American man. He was speaking to Danil, of course. Kyo felt a little proud to be Danil's exchange student. It seemed the man was notorious around here.

"Parker, there you are!" He patted Kyo's shoulder. "This is the exchange student I was telling you about, Kyo Suzuki. He wanted to come watch me practice, and then we could all skate in the public session at noon. I'm sorry, were we at the other sheet today?" He chuckled, embarrassed. "It changes so often, I really wasn't sure."

Kyo bowed to the older man at the mention of his name, then stuck out his hand in the usual, friendly American gesture. He let Danil speak though. He didn't say anything. It seemed Danil had some work to do, and he didn't want to interfere.

[Nicholas Wu]

Nicholas didn't know a single thing about skating, except how to do it. He'd gone ice skating a few times when he'd moved to Connecticut, and he was actually pretty good at it--he couldn't do any of the techniques required of a professional ice skater, but he also didn't trip over his feet.

Still, his new job didn't really require that he know that much about ice skating anyway, except for the the different sessions on the ice (sometimes the rink was closed to the public and, other designated times, anyone could use it). All he really did were odd jobs around the sports complex--working behind the desk for skate rentals, cleaning up the men's locker room (when he worked later hours), or sometimes working at the refreshments stand. He was constantly doing one thing or another, which was fine with him. As long as he was working and doing something to earn his living, he was okay.

In fact, it had been a lucky break that Nicholas had gotten a job at the sports complex, because it was a very important place for Danil's career. Danil and Peter seemed to go there often, and it had in fact been Danil who had informed Nicholas about looking for a job there. After sifting through so much paperwork for other potential jobs, this place had seemed the best, and Nicholas had been hired. While the pay was only average, the place was close, and he wouldn't have to worry about extremely long train rides from his house to work and back again.

This morning, he had gotten up at 5:30AM, unable to sleep for some reason. He regretted that he would be going to work soon and would be completely exhausted, but he simply could not go back to sleep. After getting ready, he'd gone downstairs to have a bowl of cereal, then headed out before anyone else in the house had woken up.

The sun was still rising at this point in the morning, so Nicholas spent a little time enjoying the cool fresh air and the appearance of the house at this time of day before setting out to catch a train into urban-Pittsburgh.

He'd wandered for a few hours, not really doing anything but examining the city more. He'd done this when he'd first arrived in Pennsylvania too, but he'd decided to do it again because he found it relaxing. No one bothered him, and he was free to look around as much as he liked. He'd, for the most part, avoided Pittsburgh's Chinatown so far, if only because it reminded him a lot of home--not his home in Connecticut, but his home a continent away.

After some leisurely walking, Nicholas looked at his watch. It was 8:30AM. He would have to clock in at 9:00AM for his job. He headed back to the train station to catch a train to the other side of town, where the sports complex was.

He arrived at 8:50AM, walked into the complex and checked in early. He knew he wasn't going to be paid extra for being early, but it wasn't a big deal to him. It mattered more that he was on time than anything else.

Heading to the locker room to put on one of the employee uniforms, Nicholas spotted two people he recognized--Danil and Kyo, who was bundled in layers of clothing. They were talking with several other people that Nicholas often saw here skating. Whoever they were, they were admirable skaters. Nicholas didn't really want to interrupt, but he knew it would be even more rude if he ignored them. Feeling a little insecure, he walked over to the group.

"Hey," he said, holding up a hand to wave hello.