03 | Accidental Video

[icecastlemadonna]

[When this video turns on, it's facing out at the interior of the Mahogany Ice Rink. It's now evening, and the Mahogany Mamoswines have finished practice and gone home for the day, so the ice is currently empty...except for Yuuko, who can be seen skating in slow circles. She'd gotten a job here a few weeks ago and has been pretty good with managing the hockey equipment and helping to maintain the ice, but now that she's alone and at a skating rink for the first time in months, she just can't resist doing some after-hours skating herself.

She doesn't seem to be aware that she's being filmed; in fact, it looks like she's entirely lost in whatever music is playing through her head as she skates. At first she just slowly skates around the rink, but soon she picks up speed and does a few spins, first crouching down into a sit spin and then on one leg with her body parallel to the ice and her free leg held above hip level in a camel spin. At the moment, she's forgotten that she's been brought to the Pokemon world and is now immersing herself in the past, back to when she and Yuuri would practice their skating together at Ice Castle and try to copy the great Victor Nikiforov.

Then she picks up even more speed, and for the first time in a while, she does a jump, taking off from the back inside edge of one foot into a triple Salchow. The Salchow was the first jump she ever learned, but it's been a while since she attempted a triple; she manages the three rotations, though her landing is a bit wobbly.

There's an excited chirping behind the camera after Yuuko lands the jump, and that seems to snap Yuuko back to reality and look towards whoever's filming this.]

Wha--Twizzle?! [Yuuko's face turns red...mostly from embarrassment at being caught on camera during a private moment, but also from annoyance. She starts skating towards the camera, and the excited chirping turns into a nervous "eep!" at her darkening expression.]

What have I said about using my 'gear without permission?!

[The camera shakes and is then knocked onto its side as whoever's holding it hastily puts it down. You can briefly see a Sylveon bounding away through the doors to the front desk with Yuuko chasing after her, though Yuuko can't go very fast since she's wearing skates.] Twizzle! You get back here right now, young lady!

[The camera runs for another minute before a Snorunt hesitantly turns it off. Sorry about that last bit, folks.]

Comments

[icecastlemadonna]

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about that, considering how everyone who's brought here comes from different worlds. I'm starting to realize that it's not easy to explain something that I'd usually take for granted back where I'm from.

[lyingheart]

It's nice hearing people can have such positive things to take for granted. Even if it isn't applicable to life here, or life where we've come from. Is there much fighting where you're from? I can't imagine people having time like that for sports if there was.

[icecastlemadonna]

Well...there were a lot of bigger wars in the past that involved more countries, but there hasn't been a war like that for a couple of decades now. Most countries are fairly peaceful to live in now, but there are other places where people aren't so lucky. I guess it depends on where you live.

[lyingheart]

[ This is where she has to lie. Annie sighs, putting off replying at first. She's still performing for an audience here, albeit one of three instead of one of hundreds of thousands. ]

Countries? Then your world has humanity thriving across all of it?

[icecastlemadonna]

Yeah, there's quite a lot of people living in my world. Though the city I live in is getting smaller lately...

[Yuuko would ask if that's not the case in Annie's world, but she gets the feeling that would be kind of insensitive.]

[lyingheart]

People live a much more limited existence where I'm from. What's happening with your city?

[ A truth, in guise of a lie. The world outside Paradis is much larger, and has many nations and many peoples, but the existence she and those of her bloodlines have is limited, no matter where they are. ]

[icecastlemadonna]

I see...so there really wouldn't be much time for sports.

It's mostly just the aging population, really. Plus, the place I'm from has much more densely populated cities than where I live, so people have moved away.

[lyingheart]

They're a luxury for the rich, many times, or the poor, in quiet moments. Not a career for anyone I know.

I see... which is affecting the economy, I'd guess?

[icecastlemadonna]

It has. My husband and I work at the rink we used to practice at, and for the past while business hasn’t been too great since there were less people in our town who were interested in skating. We’re hoping things will pick up soon, though.

[lyingheart]

Is there a reason to expect things will change?

Sorry about the sudden font change, I’m on mobile

[icecastlemadonna]

A friend of mine recently won the silver medal at the Grand Prix Final, and he’s already a bit of a celebrity in our hometown, so we’d like to think that might inspire more kids to learn how to skate. It’s kind of wishful thinking right now, but still.

[Though there were all those teenage girls who wanted to take skating lessons once word got out that Victor was in Hasetsu...]

hugs, it's all good, mobile tagging is enough of a beast as it is, laughs

[lyingheart]

I admit I don't know what winning silver means in this context, but I assume it means he did well. Is it primarily a sport or activity aimed at children?

[icecastlemadonna]

It may just be second place, but silver's still a pretty big deal! It basically means he's one of the six best male skaters in the world. [Even moreso if he ever made it to the Olympics.]

Like I mentioned, many figure skaters start training when they're pretty young. But there are competitions for pretty much all age levels, so the idea is that you work your way up through more difficult competitions as you get older.

[lyingheart]

So silver is for second place? Out of all male skaters in the world? Congratulations to him, in that case. He must be very skilled.

What's the upper age limit to something like this? There must be a point where the body can't hold out like it did when they were younger.

[icecastlemadonna]

He is, though for a long time I don't think he really believed that.

Well...most skaters typically retire in their mid to late twenties, or even in their thirties if they're really pushing their limits. Most of the time they become coaches and teachers to younger skaters after retirement. I've given skating lessons to kids before, including my own girls.

[lyingheart]

A decently old career for something with high physical activity. I'm surprised people compete into their thirties.

You have daughters?

[icecastlemadonna]

It's a demanding sport, so it's not that surprising, really.

Yeah, I have three of them. They're triplets, and they're a handful for my husband and I, but we still wouldn't trade anything for them. They're already pretty into figure skating themselves. [Though at what cost, Yuuko sometimes wonders.]

[lyingheart]

I'd think that would make it surprising, but I suppose the quality of medicine and food and the rest must be very high on your world. If people in their thirties are out-performing those in their twenties, physically speaking.

Sounds like you've passed on a family tradition. Are you expecting any of them to turn it into a career?

[ Her understanding would be yes, this woman does: but that's also because she knows so little of it, and knows more of parents molding children to be what they aren't. ]

[icecastlemadonna]

They're all pretty gung ho about figure skating right now, but then again, they're only six years old. I wouldn't be too shocked if at least one of them decided to pursue something else once they got older. But whatever it is they want to do, I'll support them as best I can.

[Considering what all three of them are already capable of, Yuuko doesn't doubt that they'll be great at whatever they decide to do with their lives in the future.]

[lyingheart]

[ she sounds like a decent mother, even more so as she continues writing. at least she's stating a willingness to support her daughters in whatever it is they end up choosing. it's something that should be normal; it's something that isn't. ]

May they have the freedom to choose what path they want to follow in the future, and the assurance that their mother is always on their side. Those are powerful things.

[icecastlemadonna]

Thank you. Honestly, all I can do is my best.

[Parenting isn't easy, especially with precocious troublemakers like her daughters, but there really have been moments where she's felt like it's all been worth it.]

[lyingheart]

Same as anyone, really.

I won't keep you writing any longer. Have a good rest of your day.

[ You've got this, Yuuko! You are at leas not a shitty parent, and that's something. Be proud of yourself and your girls! ]

[icecastlemadonna]

I will! It's been nice chatting with you.

Oh, I'm Yuuko Nishigori, by the way. Nice to meet you!

[lyingheart]

Annie Leonhart. Nice talking with you as well, Mrs. Nishigori.