Open [Mirror Lake] Afternoon Iceskating

[Levali]

Levali Rödal Iceglaze 75th of Summer, 516 AV It was a beautifully chilly day over Mirror Lake, one of the few attractions that brought visitors to Avanthal even despite the harsh cold and remote location. And such a reputation for the lake was certainly well merited. Just a few minutes out of coolwater hold one could find the impressive rink and a small rental shop just beside it. The rental shop seemed very small in contrast with the impressive body of water beside it, made of a light grey stone and supported with pillars of wood in each corner.. Though that wasn't the case. The shop was big enough to double as a lodge, with a shop for food, an assortment of benches, and of course a place to rent skates. The lake itself was indeed beautiful, with a surface large enough to fit a whole crowd of people and a surface to carefully tended that not a scratch lay upon it. Gazing upon the surface, one wouldn't even know it was frozen in the first place if it weren't solid. It was like walking on a mirror of ice where one would be able to see reflections of the surrounding trees, friends, themselves, and the ice palace in the distance.. By some miracle it wasn't even snowing that day, which made it all the more clear to see reflections in the ice without the layer of snow to get in the way. And this also happened to be the day that Levali was supposed to be helping out the caretakers of Mirror lake - Savina and Aldin Coolwater. The two siblings usually took care of things together, though Savina happened to have fallen ill just a day before.. The mason had volunteered to help Aldin keep things together despite her lack of knowledge in terms of skating. Because of this, she was put in the lodge/shop while Aldin gave lessons, and things had gone pretty well. She had already helped a couple people try on skates before renting them out, and all the food she had to sell was either pre-baked or only had to be heated up. From bagging cookies to heating soup and hot chocolate to making sandwiches.. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle. If anything, it was pretty easy. Around the thirteenth bell of the day Aldin came back in from his morning lessons and flashed Levali a warm smile. His eyes were a playful green, and he came up and leaned against the counter that she stood behind. "I trust the lessons went well?" Levali asked. Her eyes looked over his dark hair, unable to tell if it was simply messy or styled to look a certain way. "Oh for sure, the kids can almost skate backwards and it's only been a couple days.. Has anyone come in in the past while?" His question was answered with a shake of her head, the mason unable to think of any guests. "One or two.. It's been a slow day. I hope you don't mind that I sampled one of the cookies that were there - I couldn't help it. ..And to be fair, they're pretty good." They both have a small chuckle at her failure to resist her temptations, which was quickly waved off. "Hey, don't worry about it. I take samples all the time.. One of the guys at the market makes them for us free of charge, so I like to think of them as something like an 'employee benefit.' Even for one day employees. This is usually our busiest time of day though, so we should be getting more people anytime now.."

[Junco]

It was the pairs first official date. A bit unconventional but Junco was very excited. He had asked Grace Whitevine out on the date a few days prior when he sought her out in the Whitevine Medical Center where he had found out she worked during his sisters miscarriage not long ago. Typically Junco would approach Grace's parents with his plans for an outing before coming to her, but the two had had such adventures before that he wanted a normal date before meeting her parents. He cringed at the thought of what her parents would think when they finally met him and realized he had gone behind their backs, but as of now he didn't care much and was too excited.

Perhaps Mirror Lake was a cliche place to bring someone on a first date but Junco was nervous and it was a pretty popular place for couple so he figured it would be a nice start. He wondered if his companion knew how to skate? Junco did not despite having lived near Mirror Lake his entire life. He knew he would probably make a fool out of himself, but decided to feel embarrassed about it later. If anything bad happened at least Grace was a doctor, or at least an apprentice one.

Grace had met him outside Whitevine hold just a little bit ago. He would have liked to have greeted her inside her Arvinta but since they decided to leave family out of this one he had to be a bit more stealthy. He then gracefully asked her her arm, and once she accepted he led her to his planned date, ice skating at Mirror Lake. Once she realized where they were going Grace laughed at the cheesiness of it and Junco was worried for a moment, but she said she liked it and she seemed to be serious.

They had just arrived and needed to go rent some skates before going onto the ice to they entered the small lodge on the edge of the waters that doubled as a resting place and renting shop. "Have you ever skated?" Junco asked Grace and she replied with a smile.

"Oh yes! I came here all the time with my big brother when I was younger. And this isn't the first first date that I've had here. Why, have you not?"

Junco immediately felt a tiny rush of jealously at the mention of her previous dates and he had to tell himself that she was with him now so the other men obviously hadn't made the cut. Plus he took into note the sly smile and look out of the corner of her eye when she said that. She had a sense of humor and was probably just trying to get under his skin for a laugh.

"It's not that I've never skated... I mean I live right next to the thing. It's frozen year round, of course I've skated. I'm just... not very good at it." He was rambling and he knew it, this is what happened when he was nervous. This was a whole different person Grace was seeing. When stuck in the storm she knew orderly and leader Junco, during his sisters miscarriage he saw caring but also traumatized and sobbing Junco, now she saw innocent and nervous Junco. He hoped she liked all of him.

Grace just laughed at his tiny speech, giving his arm a squeeze and saying she wouldn't let him hurt himself. He smiled at her easy comfort. The pair headed up to a young female Vantha who was renting out skates. He didn't recognize her but the fact that she was here probably meant she was part of Iceglaze, they maintained the lake and its icy surface.

"Two pairs of skates for rent please."

Ledger :

-8sm | Two Sets of Rented Skates

[Levali]

Levali Rödal Iceglaze Summer 516 AV The girl glanced up behind Aldin, spotting the couple as they walked into the lodge. "Speak of the devil." She stated in an amused tone, raising her finger off the counter in a subtle fashion to point her partner in the right direction. For Aldin it took a second for things to click; But once they did he spun on the spot to greet his guests. With a cool enthusiasm and a smile he welcomed them in, stepping out of the way to let Levali do her job.. "Each pair of skates in four silver mizas, so that'll be eight in all." She said, nodding in response to his request. Her eyes shifted down to her feet as she tried to guess their foot size, coming to the conclusion that if they were too big they could always just tie them up tighter.. The exchange only took a second as the girl put the money just beneath the counter, quickly counting it as she did so. Naturally it was spot on; Making her job quite simple. She ducked out of sight for a moment, selecting two pairs of skates that she deemed were roughly the right size. Each pair was carried in one hand, and the two were placed simultaneously over the center of the counter between her and the customers. The two pairs of skates were both a brilliant white - Likely shined only a day or two ago and had not seen use since then. The blades were covered in a soft black fabric, and as she saw them Levali couldn't bring herself to understand how they hadn't torn in the time they had been used. After all, if it was a felt-like material how had the blade not come through..? She had plenty of time to think of this later, after her current task was done. "Here you are.. Two pairs of skates. I can get them in black if you'd like." She looked over the couple who clung together, finding herself smiling despite her own longing for such a relationship. "I take it you two are on a date?" She asked openly, idly resting her chin on her hand. "You probably wouldn't need them, but my partner Aldis here does fabulous lessons if the two of you were interested.. After all, it's hard to kiss if you can't stand up." Levali chuckles to herself, looking away for a moment in embarrassment. Really, it was none of her business - She just couldn't help being curious in this kind of situation. When he heard his name called, Aldin gives Junco a small wave from where he was leaning on the wall, letting him know he was there without pressuring them into getting anything they didn't want to receive. "It's Aldin, not Aldis. ..And yeah, they're free of charge if you want them. Once we're done we even give out a small ribbon too - But I was told those were only for kids, not that it matters. I'd totally take one." "At least I was close, right?" Levali replies positively, raising an eyebrow at him. Mentally she was cursing herself for messing up something so simple, but at least he didn't seem to mind all that much. Getting your only coworker's name wrong was a total rookie mistake, and all she could do was stop herself from blushing.. Why did she have to mess up every single first impression she made? Life just wasn't fair sometimes..

[Junco]

The woman behind the counter was kind and she quickly handed the pair some white skates. Grace thanked her wholeheartedly, and Junco quickly followed suit. He would have thanked her, of course, Junco is the perfect gentleman. He was simply examining the skates to see if they would fit his feet. Grace beat him to the punch, but now he felt a little embarrassed that he didn't say it first.

The couple listened to the woman as she spoke, and Junco shook his head as she mentioned exchanging the skates for black ones rather than white, there was no need for that, Grace agreed. Though he was a little interested in the free of charge lessons as the woman coworker explained as he introduced himself. This man Junco recognized. The very few times Junco had been here previously, most recently with Danila, this man had been there. He was a permanent fixture at Mirror Lake, an Iceglaze who took care of the ice covered lake with his sister, whom Junco could not see anywhere.

At the woman mention of kissing Junco felt Grace's arm stiffen in his. The proud hunter could feel his face warm and prayed to Morwen that his dark facial hair would hide the slight pink that might be flooding his face. He dared not look at Grace, who's arm relaxed after a moment. That settled him for a minute, but he pretended as if he had not heard what the woman had said.

Grace looked at Junco then with raised eyebrows, "How about it? You think you could benefit from some lessons?" She grinned, making slight fun of Junco and his non existent skating ability. She turned to Aldin "I don't need any but this big ball of fur might." The Whitevine giggled at her own joke. Junco blushed again, and coughed forcefully, trying to regain his composure.

"I guess if the lady demands it, lessons would be nice, at least for me. Thank you." He paused for a moment. "Are you sure it is free of charge? I don't want to inconvenience you. And I think we can do without a ribbon... Unless you want one, Grace?" He faltered.

Awaiting a reply, the couple sat down on a nearby bench and took off their snow boats and replaced them with the ice skates. Junco's seemed to fit rather well and Grace did not complain. The woman behind the counter picked correctly it would seem.

[Levali]

Levali Rödal Iceglaze Summer 516 AV Her eyes glaze over the couple as they blush from her comment - Perhaps they weren't quite at the public kissing stage yet. ..Or they weren't on a date, and they were just friends. Even worse; They could be related. That would certainly make things awkward. Luckily, no correction was made for a few seconds, so they were probably dates. Still, the pair had visibly tensed for a moment; She made a mental note to relax on the teasing. Not all jests would be appreciated after all.. But the blushing was kind of cute, she had to admit. It brought a thin smile to her face to see their reaction, but she couldn't say why. Back to listening. Levali closed her eyes as she nodded, confirming that the lessons were indeed free. Still she leaned upon her counter, looking between them a moment later before elaborating in a playful manner. "Hey, lets not get ahead of ourselves. The ribbon is only for those who can make it to the end of the lesson - Not just anyone gets one." She winked to them quite obviously, making sure they knew it was essentially impossible to fail at any rate. The only time she had ever heard of someone not passing was when the student was so difficult that Aldis - Er, Aldin - Refused to teach them. He was a volunteer, not a paid professional. Everyone has limits, to break through his joking demeanor would likely take quite a bit. "But don't worry about it, the lessons are part of the experience if you ask me. It would be a shame to have such a nice lake with nobody that knows how to skate." The girl reached below the counter and pulled out a small blue bow that shined in the soft cabin light. It was made to be attached to a coat about the chest, but might also fit in one's hair if they went about it in an open-minded way. "Speaking of getting a ribbon, how do you feel about earning one yourself Lev? Just earlier you told me you'd not done any skating since you were a kid." Aldin beckoned Levali to join them as he slipped his feet into the black skates beside him. They were well worn, but obviously of quality make. The white laces showed no sign of dirt or stain in a very neat way, which shouldn't have been possible compared to the age of the skates in Levali's mind. They seemed to be brand new - And they likely were. A blink was all she needed for the changing of her eyes from their initial amber to a deep blue of surprise. She perked up from where she leaned, giving Aldin wide eyes. "Me? But who will rent out the skates..? Don't we need someone in here?" Her questions were quickly dismissed. "Nah, if we see someone arriving you or I can just run in and get them fit. We'll close the food bit and it'll all flow over easy. It's not like there's anyone else here anyways." The mason looked towards the couple with an uncertain expression, her response already on the tip of her tongue if not for the consideration of how they might want their date might go. More than certainly they weren't expecting the girl working by the rentals to join them on the ice..

[Junco]

The idea of having this stranger Vantha out skating with the couple pleased Junco. He knew he was going to fail miserably at skating and at least with another person who may be just as bad as he, he wouldn't be the only one embarrassing himself. He grinned at the girl behind the counter as she looked questioningly at Junco and Grace. "I think that would be awesome!" He chimed, perhaps a little too cheerfully and then started to worry if Grace would take his enthusiasm the wrong way.

It seemed to slip right past her as Junco looked over and saw Grace smiling a smile as genuine as ever, "Yes, it would be fun to have some company." Once again Junco was amazed at her kindness and genuine attitude.

At that remark the trainer started out of the lodge and towards Mirror Lake, perpetually frozen over. The lodge was warm, at least by marked Vantha standards, and the temperature change was noticeable. As Summer, the coldest season of the year in Avanthal, reached an end the weather began to warm, but it was still very cold. To a non-marked person frostbite would be a danger if not properly and heavily clothed. For someone marked by Morwen's grace the weather was chilly and might call for a cup of hot coffee or two, a slightly red nose perhaps, but overall comfortable when bundled with a simple cloak and gloves.

Walking both indoors and outdoors with iceskates rather than shoes on proved to be a challenge of its own. One had to sort of balance on the long, straight blades, having much less surface area to place Junco's heavy weight than with regular boots. Although the hunter did not fall, he teetered quite a bit and held onto Grace much more than he did before, this time out of need rather than politeness. She did not seem to mind and was an expert at walking in these shoes by what Junco could tell. She must come to Mirror Lake a lot.

Soon the small group reached the lake and Junco teetered on the edge, unsure how to step one step onto smooth and slippery ice while the other foot still rested on solid ground. He did not know at all how he would be able to stay straight up with both feet on the ice, let alone balance himself while she stepped one foot up, one down, while skating on the lake either. Grace held his hand at this point having already stepping gracefully as her name suggests onto the lake, looking quite comfortable with the strange ground and shoes.

That is when the trainer stepped in Aldin nodded at Grace and she let go of Junco to slide off to the side. Junco did not appreciate this as he immediately began swaying. Aldin spoke to the shaky hunter "It's quite simple, don't let it go to your head. Step just as you would on land in boots. Just in skates and onto ice. Come on, then."

[Levali]

Levali Rödal Iceglaze Summer 516 AV Levali relaxed herself with a smile; Uncertainty still leaving echoes over her smooth skin. Such enthusiasm was quite unexpected, but how could she decline the kind offer? After all, it would be more exciting than waiting alone in the lodge for an hour or so. "I guess I could let the shack tend to itself for a couple minutes.. Let me get some skates and I'll be right with you." Getting up from her leaning position, the girl quickly retreated to the back to acquire her coat and such. As she started, Levali turned just before disappearing behind the door - Looking between them as they started to leave and thanking them for letting her come as well. Next she selected a pair of skates from the back; A very nice pair. After all, she had the pick of the lot just on her own. They were an almost mint condition pair of white skates with similar laces and a sharp steel blade beneath. Only once her feet were tied up did she realize the spikes on the front, which she was taught only that morning meant they were for figure skating. Like dancing on ice, this pair was certainly not meant for beginners. ..But she already had them on. They would just have to do. As Levali stood up to put on her coat and get to the couple that had so kindly invited her out she nearly fell back onto her bench after the first step. It would seem this would take some getting used to.. A minute later she was confident in her ability to walk around the room; Even if it was a bit awkward. Quickly it came back from when she was a kid, which lead to her moving out the door and finally over to the group. At such a point, the man was already getting onto the ice. An urge to jog over and catch up appeared in the back of her mind, but just before putting such a notion into play she realized how disastrous that might be for her. No. Slow, easy steps.. She'd get there one way or another. The chilly wind pushed Levali's hair across her face, leading to her blushing it away as she finally arrived at the place everyone else was. Looking down the path to the lodge, it would seem that nobody was yet approaching.. "Glad to see you all made it here in one piece. I don't think I ever introduced myself in any case - I'm Levali, just here for a day to cover for a friend. ..Wait, I knew you looked familiar! You were on the hunt, right? You actually knew what you were doing?" As far as the mason knew, Junco was a very good hunter at least in comparison to herself. Anyone that could kill game on their own and knew the woods qualified for such a position in her mind. She looked to grace with a small smile, placing her right skate horizontally on the ice beside her. That would hopefully make things more stable. "Can't say I've seen you anywhere before; I like to think I'd remember such beautiful hair. I might have to follow your lead if Aldin's going to be busy with him. I'm not all that confident in my abilities if we're being honest.." Hell, if she was going to be skipping he work to go skate she may as well make the most of it. On the ice, it seemed Grace and Aldin were going to be the experienced ones in any case. Finally her second foot reached the ice, and Levali took a moment to bask in the glory of having not fallen over quite yet. She took a careful step forwards, finding that it sent her on a slow glide away from the group. It took little effort to stop as she pointed the tips of her skates inwards to come to a stop - One of few things she remembered from her previous experience.