[Mirror Lake] Tip of the Iceberg [Open]

[Malisys]

Vina took Malisys' hand, helping him up after his fall. He found her kindness and warmth very attractive, but he'd come to realize that the very thing he'd come here to learn was more or less what he was doing. He let Vina lead on, trying to show him how to keep his balance better. She lead him forward a few feet, making sure he kept his balance. He wasn't having an easy time with it, but it wasn't bothering him. He was having fun with her, and didn't mind too much if he looked silly doing it. "There isn't a wall around the rink, so you're going to have to hold on to my hand and well uh, imagine me as a wall -or something.. like that." Malisys scratched his head after hearing this, wondering what she meant. She gave him a quick lesson on balance, which he decided to follow instead of worrying about imagining her as a wall. It worked. He was able to balance without wobbling around and flailing his arm, though he was unsure if her support was making it possible. Just then, two girls skated up to them and started talking to Vina. Malisys didn't want to intervene, so he just sat there quietly and listened. He assumed they were her friends, since they knew her by name and were comfortable with teasing her. It seemed they were making fun of her for hanging out with him. After a few moments, it appeared she noticed her hand was still holding his, so she let go. He stayed relatively balanced, which he was thankful for. He wasn't too bothered by her friends' teasing and cared little about what they thought of him, but he could see it was making her a bit uncomfortable. "We just happened to run into each other," said the young man casually. "I thought she was pretty-... er, trying pretty hard to get her skates undone and needed some help. We... just talked a bit... and I found out I don't have my same skating talents I did when I was younger." The Vantha hoped his mistake slipped past the friends. He didn't want any extra trouble for Vani, but the thought that she would connect it as being the reason he approached her and the consequences didn't even cross his mind. "Are these the friends you mentioned earlier, Vina?" he asked, again oblivious to the implications this kind of question could have. He put one of his hands in his pocket, trying to remain as casual about the situation as possible.