[ open | july post ]

[bringbackgold]

who: Otabek + open
what: Catchall for July. Currently - at the rink. Will update if needed! :)
when: Through July ; Mid day.
where: The Rink
warnings: Nothing to worry about.

ooc note - feel free to send me a message here or on agalio if needed




At the rink; Afternoon

Every second, every movement, every step. It was all a show. Regardless as to whether or not he had an audience, Otabek treated each practice seriously. He treated it like he would be performing to win that gold and bring it back to Kazakhstan. He worked himself hard over the few hours he had at the rink every day. This day was not different. He arrived there shortly before one. He walked towards the edge of the rink and sat on a bench near the door. The ice was always freshly cleaned with the Zamboni at 12:45, so when he arrived, they were always finishing. He could step on fresh ice and enjoy the feel of it beneath his blades. He took of his shoes, sliding on his skates. He tugged the laces tight, and slid the guards off of the blades. He dropped his jacket on the half-wall by the rink, checking the music on his phone, and putting in earbuds before hitting the ice.

The songs that played help keep him focused. He moved smoothly on the ice, warming up. He started with some step sequences, first. Feet moving easily over the ice. The movements came easier as time passed. And as he got more comfortable with the step sequences, he moved onto jumps. Singles - first. He was sure to pause and just skate for a few moments between jumps. He didn't want to wear himself out too quickly. Pacing, his coach would remind him, pacing was important.

As he progressed, he finally moved onto quads. He went through the Quad Salchow first. The move that he remembered learning from someone who was his friend once. His expression shifted for only a moment thinking about the fact that they had shared a lot then. After a brief moment, he returned to his serious, concentrated expression. He tried for a Quad Flip, and flopped. It didn't go well - the first several temps resulted in him hitting the ice or touching down. He'd get up, move, and work on a step sequence between each attempt.

It felt so quiet out here, even with the sound of the music in his ears. And then, he looked up towards the edge of the ice and saw someone, so he made his way over to them, tugging the earbuds out of his ears. "Here to skate?" he asked.

Comments

[realimperfect]

Another instance of being too damn curious for her own good exhibits itself in visiting Otabek at the rink. She knows that she may not really be the best at this, knows that it may result in an embarrassing fall on her face, but... on the same coin... there's a need to figure out how the hell it all works. So with her early shift over, a change of clothes, and finding a good hair elastic just in case, Re-L is off to the rink. The problem is, if the place is packed she's never actually met Otabek in person and wouldn't know him from the next man over, but.. it's the early afternoon, so somehow she might be more surprised to find it packed than empty.

There's only one person on the ice when she arrives, taking her time to linger out of sight and just watch for a few moments. Perhaps a slightly creepy move on her part, but at least she eventually moves closer to the rink, watching Otabek just as much as taking in the place in general. It's a new experience, that's for sure, but staring out at a giant ice slick isn't really .. reassuring. She's spent so much time avoiding ice that deciding to step on to it willingly, now, seemed counter intuitive. She looks back up from the ice as he approaches, shrugging her shoulders in a non-committal motion as he asks.

"It depends on whether I can talk myself in to stepping on it, really."

[howlongiwonder]

"No, not really." A familiar face responds. It's been a while since 2B visited Otabek the last time, but here she is again, looking a bit distracted, like there's something on her mind.

"As far as I can tell the ice is unable to support my weight. I'm content with just watching." She shrugs. Once again, he's the performer and she's the audience.

[carrotkeeper]

When a man appeared on the network offering ice skating lessons, Iris' curiosity was piqued. She's adventurous by nature, taking every opportunity she can to learn anything new, and this definitely fell under that category. Excited as she is, Iris arrives early one afternoon, bustling with energy to learn the tools of this very unique trade. That is, if she can manage to lace up these shoes first. Balancing is a struggle from the get go and she tries to move closer to the rink, eyes down to watch every slow step she makes.

After practice with that, she's confident enough to take her eyes off her own feet and when she glances up, she sees a guy gliding across the ice. She's never met him in person, only knowing him by his text from the network, but the way he moves makes it very clear this is the teacher. It's amazing, honestly, the way he slides around the rink with grace and even when he falls on the ground, she cheers him on. It's obvious he doesn't hear her exuberant yells, but it doesn't dissuade her. Though it becomes apparent why he didn't notice her when he pulls out his earbuds and she waves to him, smiling from ear to ear.

"You bet!" She points down to her skating shoes and takes one cautious step towards the rink as she continues speaking. "I've never done this before. Think you can give me a couple tips?"