Skating Lessons (All welcome!)

[lanie]

Alice was going through her list of students for the day. Later in the afternoon she had a session with a young American pair team who wanted her advice and nitpickiness (well, alright, their coach did). But most of her students were young and new. She liked that more. The little kids were cute and fun to deal with; she didn't have to worry about the coaches or stepping on someone else's authoritative toes. On her list today was Kyo Suzuki, whom she had met, knowing him as the exchange student who lived with Danil and Peter (who, she thought, really didn't like her).

"Hi Kyo," she said when she spotted the young man getting his skates on, smiling. "I guess you're stuck with me today! Is that alright?" She seemed like she was really overdoing the friendliness, definitely hiding...something...

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo was on his way to the rink where Nic worked, for his very first skating lesson. He had been on the ice before, here and back home, but it had been very unprofessionally. He was used to gliding alongside the walls, waving to his skating companions as they lapped circles around him on the ice, and finally leaving the rink with a decorative display of bruises. It was uncomfortable, but it was too much fun to pass up. And it seemed far too much time had passed without his receiving actual skating lessons. When he discovered that Alice--one of the very first, truly talented skaters he had ever seen--was giving lessons, he had immediately hopped on the opportunity. He would use his own savings to pay for the lessons. He had already bought his own skates.

Now he was at the rink, a little nervous to be learning from someone as serious and professional about skating as Alice. Well, at least he would try his best.

He was busy putting on his skates (that was always the worst part, aside from falling, in his mind) when Alice noticed him.

"Hi Kyo," she said when she spotted the young man getting his skates on, smiling. "I guess you're stuck with me today! Is that alright?"
Kyo looked up and smiled. Alice seemed very happy. He figured she was just super enthusiastic about getting to teach. He knew she loved skating a lot. Her cheerfulness was catchy.

"Nope, nope--not-ah all right." Then he quickly waved a hand and laughed. "Just-ah kidding, just kidding...I am very honored to work with you. Just..." He leaned in and looked around carefully to see if anyone could overhear him. "...take it easy on this poor beginner, please, hai? I am not so good."

[lanie]

Alice laughed. "We're all not so good when we start," she said, smiling warmly at Kyo. There was still something off about it. "Do you know how to go forwards? Or do you just stay by the boards?" she asked, gesturing to the boards that surrounded the ice surface

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo smiled. He had at least made his teacher laugh.

"We're all not so good when we start," she said, smiling warmly at Kyo.

Kyo didn't have the heart to tell her that his skills deviated very far from "not so good", straight into the land of "atrocious." He was going to be a lot of work for her, he knew. There was a part of his native culture that involved a great deal of balance on the lower body, but he had just never been very coordinated...perhaps because he was tall and gangly? Whatever it was, he just knew that "God's gift to him" had not been anything related to something as physically artistic as ice-skating.

"Do you know how to go forwards? Or do you just stay by the boards?"

Kyo followed Alice's gesture and smirked. "The boards are my friends, haha. I usually stay by boards."

[lanie]

"Oh! Well, then," she said, smiling at Kyo, "we'll have to get you away from the boards! Right. So..." Alice skated over to be in front of the much younger man, and offered out her hands. "Hold my hands, we'll just go this way so you get used to it." She paused and with a twinkle in her eye she added, "Or I could get you a walker like the little ones."

[Kyo Suzuki]

ooc: I DO NOT not believe in God. The statement below is just for characterization, since Kyo is a newly converted Christian.

ic:

"Oh! Well, then," she said, smiling at Kyo, "we'll have to get you away from the boards!

Kyo smiled and nodded. That was how it was. He just hoped the very first lesson didn't entail skating in the center of the rink. For some reason, he was a big scaredy cat about being that far away from the boards. He always felt really vulnerable out there.

Right. So..." Alice skated over to be in front of the much younger man, and offered out her hands. "Hold my hands, we'll just go this way so you get used to it."

Kyo looked up at Alice, then down to her hands, and hesitated.
Uh oh.
Hands usually meant being dragged.

Being dragged usually meant the center of the rink.

Kyo looked up to the heavens, where he presumed God--if he did exist, would be. Then shook his head. Too ironic, he thought.

As if sensing his hesitance, Alice spoke again, and this time, she looked extra mischievous. "Or I could get you a walker like the little ones."

Kyo quickly grabbed her hands and followed her unsteadily onto the ice. "Ano...lee-til-o ones? Not the old person types? Anyway, I prefer not using the walker." He laughed nervously. "Thank you."