|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:55 pm
[Text to Fritz: Out of work early. Looking for company that's not family. I'll be at the ice skating rink at the park in an hour. Meet me if you'd like to skate. ]
After sending the text out she'd gone into her room to change, finding a nice pair of jeans that she could tug down into a warm pair of boots. She picked out one of her favorite sweaters as well, tugging it on over a tank top. Hat, gloves and matching scarf were tucked into a shoulder bag that she made sure to snag on her way out the door after pulling her coat on.
It had been years since she'd made a trip to the skating rink down town. It was well lit in preparation of the holidays, each tree glistening with snow clinging to their branches, reflecting the lights everywhere. It was one of the few things that still made it feel like the holiday season had when she was in highschool without going back home to spend time with her parents.
Cordelia reached the rink forty-five minutes into the hour time limit that she had given Fritz, hopping in line to rent skates before finding a bench to wait on for just a little bit longer.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:00 pm
The text was a surprise, but a pleasant one. Fritz had been at home, trying very hard not to succumb to the almost overwhelming desire to scrub out his kitchen sink until his fingers were reddened and raw. The panic attacks - and the attacks in general - were becoming less frequent, but they still happened, and at the time of Cordelia's text, Fritz had been sitting on his couch with his hands clamped firmly under his arms, bent over and trying to remember how to breathe.
It was a good - and much needed - distraction. Shaking fingers had slid across the buttons of Fritz's old school flip phone (since he refused to get one of the newer, fancier, more confusing models), until he managed to type out at least a somewhat normal reply that consisted of:skye starrfyre Text to Cordelia:I would be delighted to meet you. Be there soon.
He arrived at the rink not quite fifty minutes later. The walk he'd taken to clear his head had at least managed to settle him somewhat, so that he hadn't been absurdly early. Fritz caught sight of the familiar raven black hair just up ahead, the sounds of shouts and laughter and skates on ice filling his ears.
"Cordy," he said, as he stepped towards her, giving her a small smile. "A pleasure to meet you today. How are you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:41 pm
Having just pulled her blue dyed knit hat onto her head, raven curls tucked into it to keep them off of her neck for the moment, she smiled as she heard his voice. She took a moment to tug on her gloves, checking on the laces of her skates before finally glancing up to him. "I was well when I got out of work, but I'm doing better now... And you, Fritz?" Her brow lofted as she looked to him, smiling just a bit brighter. "How are you today? And thank you for agreeing to join me. Do you skate?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:48 pm
Fritz still needed to get skates, but he wanted to greet Cordy first, reaching out to give her arm a brief squeeze before he pulled his hand back again. "It's good that you're better," he said with a laugh. "I mean, it's good that you were well beforehand, but better now that you are better. I'm - "
The truthful answer stuck in his throat. He changed it to " - I'm well, thank you. I'm glad you asked me to come out, I've been cooped up all day with nothing to do. Shall I rent skates and join you? It's been a long time since I've skated; not since England, but I do love it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:28 pm
"I'd like it if you rented skates to join me... I'd thought about picking up an extra rental ticket for you, but I didn't know if you'd-- With the holidays and all, if you decided not to join me I... I thought it would be best to wait and see." That sounded far better coming out of her mouth than 'I thought I'd save the money', even if things had been a little bit on the tighter side since she'd left her parents' house to make things work on her own. Stars, it was every bit as awkward now as it was the last time she'd been skating. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you decided to come out. It's not good to spend the day cooped up. It sounds like they're playing good music tonight, if you're a fan of carols, and from what I remember the cocoa stand isn't too bad either." She managed a smile as she rose to her feet with a slight wobble. "I'll meet you out on the ice? Maybe by the time you've got skates I'll have remembered how to not fall in these things?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:09 am
He hadn't been skating since England, it was true; but he had always enjoyed it, because ice skating was something fun and relaxing and cheerful - and just the sort of thing that Fritz rather needed at this moment. Cordelia's simple, easygoing presence and the delight of skating again.
"I'll meet you out there, and don't fret, my dear, I'll be just as unsteady as you, perhaps more," said Fritz, with a small laugh. "If you fall, I shall probably fall down with you, it has been a long time, after all. I'm pleased to know the cocoa stand is nearby, however, perhaps we can go get some afterwards."
He left her wobbling towards the ice and went to the little rental shack. The line was thankfully not too long; Fritz made his way over to a bench after getting his skates and painstakingly laced them up, tucking his boots into one of the little alcoves meant for people's shoes. Then he stood up, slightly unsteady, and carefully walked over to the ice.
"Good heavens, it's been too long. I feel positively weak kneed."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 11:16 am
Cordelia had made it half of a lap around the outer edges of the rink, not trusting her balance to venture too far from the wall just yet. If she'd had someone holding her hand, offering her balance and a bit of reassurance, possibly, On her own? Gli "The confidence is not strong with this one," she muttered, finally drawing her gloved hand away from the wall so that she could test out her ice legs. Glide, glide, wobble. Years-- It had been years since Cordelia Carden had put on skates and gone out onto the ice. It had been a tradition before; she and her friends from school or she and her father for daddy daughter dates over the holiday when her mother and grandmother had tried to get her out from underfoot so they could finished their shopping once school was out. Her foot slid from beneath her and her hands reached out to grab the wall again. Fortunately, the slip stopped her from drifting any further down the trail of memories. Hopefully Fritz was better at this than she was...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:33 pm
It had been years for Fritz as well, only about five or so since he'd last been. He hadn't at all gone while in Destiny City, but in England he'd gone enough times to have made it an almost weekly occurrence. He was active and athletic enough to not be entirely wasted on his feet, but he still felt absurdly unsteady as he wobbled towards the ice.
Fritz saw the tail end of Cordy's lap and waited for her at the little door that led into the rink, smiling as she came nearer -
- and then almost fell over. The smile widened.
"I'm glad to see I won't be the only uncoordinated one on the ice," he said with a laugh as he put one foot on, and then the other, bracing himself with his hands on the wall to either side. "If I fall, now, be a dear and make sure I don't take out any small children with me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2017 9:10 am
"I think you're just saying that to make me feel better." A soft smirk touched her lips as she made a valiant attempt to regain a bit of confidence and composure. It was an act that she was used to putting on; making it seem like she knew what she was doing when that was farthest from the truth. Around Fritz it didn't matter, though. Around Fritz she didn't have to pretend that she was perfect or in control. Around Fritz she could simply be herself; she could be flawed and quirky, awkward and kind. "I really am terrible at this, Fritz," she laughed as she found the wall beside him, reaching out to lightly rest one of her gloved hands on his. "I'll make sure you don't take out any small children if you make sure I don't do the same?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 10:12 pm
"I'm afraid it's perfectly true," said Fritz, in a deliberately melodramatic tone of voice. "I am, in fact, woefully out of touch with skating. It's been far too long since I've been on the ice, and that will become immediately apparent within the next five minutes as I spend my time acclimating to it once more."
His fingers tensed, then loosened as Cordy's fingers brushed his. Fritz glanced sideways at her, relaxing a little.
"I'm sure we'll figure something out as long as we don't both go down," he said with a sigh. "Shall we get a little further out? I feel silly standing by the edge, but maybe I'll remember better if I start moving."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:12 pm
Cordelia caught that twitch of his fingers beneath hers as they tensed and she cursed mentally as she drew her hand back. She'd spent enough time around Fritz by now that she was entirely certain that she should know better than to push his comfort and boundaries because she was used to being familiar with friends. "Apologies, Fritz." She gave him a small smile as she straightened herself out, trying for a bit of balance before stepping away from the wall. "With luck it will be like riding a bike; something we'll both warm up to a bit once we've had our legs under us for a little bit, hm? I think I can manage wandering a little bit further out."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:49 am
Fritz had not missed the careful withdrawing of Cordelia's hand and reached out to gently take her wrist before she could pull it back entirely. There was an apologetic look on his face, Fritz studiously ignoring the rapid pulse and the discomforting tightness of his chest any and all physical contact seemed to bring.
"You're okay, don't - thank you," he said, and then let go, taking a small breath. "I can manage as well, hopefully we won't both go down and lose ourselves."
Fritz shifted carefully forward a few steps, then said, in a quieter voice, "You are a very dear friend to me, Cordelia, I hope you know that."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:30 pm
A light flush touched her cheeks as he took hold of her wrist. With luck she would be able to pass it off as flush from the cold. Cordelia didn't always feel lucky, but there was a first time for everything... She turned her hand in his, letting their fingers twine with his, giving his hand a light tug to draw him out onto the ice with her. "I know that." She flashed him a smile, trying to muster just a little bit of cockiness to push her through the awkward. "And as a very dear friend, who also considers you one in kind, I should have a bit more respect for your boundaries instead of pushing them just to remind you that I'm here when-- When I'm pretty sure that's obvious. That I'm here, I mean. Stars, I'm rambling... Shall we skate?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:42 pm
He felt himself relax a little as they eased further out onto the ice. Fritz's legs felt unsteady, but they were moving slow enough that it didn't feel terribly difficult just yet, even if he was relatively certain that at some point during the evening, he was going to fall flat onto his face.
"I know you're there," he said, tone softening a little. "I realize it's...well, that I am what I am, but I wouldn't also be here without your assistance, and I very much am thankful for that."
Cordelia was offered a slight smile. "I'm all right with rambling, for the record."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:24 pm
"Just as long as you know that it does go both ways-- The wouldn't be here without the assistance of good friends bit, not the rambling bit. Not that I wouldn't be, if you were..." This time she could feel the flush go to her ears, glad that they were covered by her beanie enough that he wouldn't be able to tell. It honestly wasn't like her face didn't flush when it came into contact with brisk air anyways. As they made their way around the rink she started to feel a bit more comfortable on her feet, recalling the right way to adjust her weight so that she balanced. It wouldn't take more than the slightest shift in the wrong direction to teeter her over, sure, but until then... "Have you had an enjoyable holiday season so far, Fritz? All of your shopping finished? I haven't even started mine yet." Cordelia chuckled, tilting her head just enough to get a look at him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
