The Park, Sunday Afternoon

[stykera]

There were gremlins skating on the pond. There were also porgs sliding on their bellies on the pond. The flamingos seemed unhappy with their current lot and were mostly standing and looking morose near the edge of what ought to have been water but was now ice.

There was also a little hut selling pea soup. That was honestly more surprising than the skating. The hut seemed to have skates to borrow as well and Stark, having gone out for a walk, was intrigued.

"I don't know how to skate," he informed the persongremlin/whatever? inside the hut. They just shrugged and handed over a pair of skates and pointed to a bench conveniently near the edge of the pond where Stark could change his footwear.

"I'm going to fall," he said, sighing. But maybe he'd try. It was something new to try, at least.

That was how Stark ended up on the ice looking nervous and very wobbly as he took a few very hesitant strides.


[Open. You know you wanna come skate on the pond with gremlins and porgs and one wobbly alien, right?]

Comments

[hashtag_chocobro]

Was that an adorable little red and white reindeer out on the ice, as well?

Nope! It was just Noctra, in another cute little Christmasy outfit, because there were several, and the sad thing was that there was only one that could have been worn to the holiday party.

But even though Noctra couldn't even walk yet, Prompto couldn't miss the opportunity to create adorable holiday memories by going out there and giving Noctra some of her first experience on the ice. True, he himself didn't even see ice and snow until he moved here, but he'd picked up a lot, and, he hated to admit it, but being well-acclimated to a colder climate was actually in their DNA. And the more wintery activities he could pursue to chase out the memories of his isolation in Niflheim, the better.

They were also definitely getting some of that pea soup later. What? Pea soup actually had some sentimental value for him, especially while coming right up on his wedding anniversary, too!

[stykera]

Oh no. Prompto, that was possibly illegally cute. Where were the plethora of law enforcement officers when you needed them?

"She's a deer!"

And Stark looked a bit like a newborn deer wobbling on the ice. It worked together.

[hashtag_chocobro]

You see, now, the conundrum Prompto faced on a near daily basis! At this point, his four jobs weren't so much to pay for food or other necessities so much as it was to support his Buying Cute Things for My Daughter To Wear habits.

"But not," Prompto said with a chuckle, all hunched over with knees bent and vowing revenge for later, in helping Noctra with her own wobbling as well, "a teal deer!"

There was a faint pause.

"Man, now I wish I had checked to see if it came in teal..."

And then, "Hey, Stark. How's it going?"

[stykera]

Maybe Prompto could start renting out those outfits for photo shoots? Or at least to the new babies on the island?

"Maybe someone can make a teal one?" Boc, a job for you!

"I think I'm going to fall over if I move too much," Stark admitted. "But other than that...well enough, I think? And you?"

He took a few very tentative steps/strides/wobbles in the direction of Prompto and Noctra.

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Wondering if I should start taking bets on who falls first," Prompto answered with a chuckle, "you or her. It'd be pretty funny, though, if she managed to skate before she could even walk."

But Noctra was well-supported by her dad, switching between uncertain about the ice and giggling over it as they inched forward very, very slowly.

"Take it you're pretty new to it, too?"

[stykera]

Maybe Noctra was a skating prodigy!

"I've never tried it before. It's...odd."

If Stark just relaxed a little he'd be doing better at this. But Stark, being Stark, wasn't exactly great at relaxing.

[hashtag_chocobro]

"I get it," Prompto said with a little bit of a grin. "I didn't even see snow until I moved her, except on TV and in video games, so ice skating? Forget it. And I'd be a little nervous, you know, but this definitely feels pretty solid."

[pocketpretzels]

Look, when he’d spotted the frozen-over pond, Watts had been delighted. Never mind that it was far too warm for that to happen naturally, there were sometimes you just didn’t question what Fandom decided to do.

It had taken a little convincing to get Steven to come back to the pond with him, but Watts had promised to teach him to skate, along with assurances that he wouldn’t be put out if Steven didn’t like it and wanted to stop.

“See, here, the blade just clamps to your boot like this,” he demonstrated with his own skate, having handed Steven a spare pair he’d acquired at some point.

“Stark!” he called out when he spotted a familiar figure already on the ice. “Good afternoon!”

[ooc: beau modded with permission!]

[hasaknightjob]

Steven had never gone skating before in his life. Marc had, apparently. Advantage of growing up in a place known for strong winters. So somewhere inside of them was the knowledge of how to do this. But Steven wanted to learn on his own, if he could. That made it more his.

"Do I have them on right?" he asked.

[pocketpretzels]

Watts leaned over to check. “Looks good,” he reported, standing up.

He held out a hand for Steven to grab on to.

“Ready?”

[hasaknightjob]

"Ready to give it a try?" Steven said, since he was that at least. He took Llewellyn's hand and used it to help himself stand up. He tried to get a feel for things once he was upright. "That's - that's sturdier than I thought? For being thin blades?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts took Steven’s arm in his, holding on firmly.

“And you’ve got me as well,” Watts said. “I’ll help keep you steady once we’re on the ice.”

[hasaknightjob]

"What if I knock you over?" Steven asked. He may have been clinging on to Llewellyn's arm just a tiny bit.

[pocketpretzels]

“Then I’ll fall, and we’ll get back up,” Watts said. He leaned over to give Steven a quick kiss on the cheek. “Simple as that.”

[stykera]

"Hello, Steven," called out, still wobbling.

[hasaknightjob]

"Hello, Stark!" Steven said, waving at him. "How are you today?"

[stykera]

"Unbalanced," Stark said with a small smile. Usually that word was applied differently to him.

"And you?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Learning how to skate," Steven said. "Luckily I've got Llewellyn here to teach me. Don't know a thing about it, myself."

[stykera]

"I don't either," Stark said. "But I thought I could try. And see what happened."

[stykera]

"Hello Watts," Stark called back, giving a little wave and a larger wobble.

[pocketpretzels]

“Having fun?” he asked.

[stykera]

"I haven't fallen yet," Stark said. "So...perhaps."

[pocketpretzels]

"Honestly, it's probably better if you fall sooner rather than later," Watts told him. "Then some of the nervous anticipation is gone and you can relax a bit more."

[stykera]

"I don't like falling," Stark said a little plaintively. "But you may be right. I'm just...not very good at relaxing."

[doesdoctorstuff]

As the denizens of Fandom went about their merry way, skating and falling and laughing and talking, there was one there who wasn't doing any of those things. No, indeed, they were not. What were they doing?

They were lurking.

They were a hooded and cloaked figure, their shadow elongated by the early setting sun, the only thing recognizable about their form was a long plague doctor mask they wore. They were mostly hidden by a tree...but only mostly. All the better to watch you with, my dear...