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[Bing!!! on ICE]

The German skater watched Shiki skate and after his score was announced she called out to him, “That was amazing!” Soon after, she was being called to the ice. She stood up and looked at her coach. “I’ve got this. No sweat, right?”

“Stay focused,” bellowed Rainer. “Remember: Übung macht den Meister. And with all of the practice you have done, you are already a master. Focus on the feeling! You already have all the skill and luck you need. I am already proud of you. Now go make yourself proud.” He sat and watched as Bing made her way onto the ice. She smiled and tried to get her thoughts under control.

I guess I even have him fooled. I’m no master… But I am going to have fun and give them a performance to remember!

She started her warm up on the ice. She kept her thick, black coat on to conceal her costume. She didn’t want Rainer to about her routine alteration until the last possible moment. Her coat restricted her movements, so she couldn’t practice all of her jumps. Rainer thought she was just being conservative and not overextend herself. She stretched her limbs as she skated. She tried a double axel, but the coat kept her from completing it and she stumbled.

Shake it off. Once the music starts, I’ll be at my best.

She heard the announcer call out her name and say that she would be performing to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14. She laughed to herself and stopped with her head down. Sure enough, the first few notes of “Moonlight Sonata” slipped out of the speakers. She slowly skated with her eyes closed for a few seconds. Then the music abruptly shifted as the tempo changed and music gained a club beat filled with electronica effects. As soon as the music shifted, Bing threw off her thick coat and it landed on her coach’s head.

“Nein! She’s always doing things like this,” growled Rainer from under the coat draped on his face. He threw it off to see his pupil wearing [this] a black and dark teal outfit that sparkled under the lights like the night sky. Hearts, crescent moons and sections of sheer fabric were scattered across her body. Her short skirt fluttered and shimmered as she posed and moved.

This is what I feel like. I can be deep and mysterious like the moon or the ocean’s depths. But, I also have energy like a meteor shower or an undersea volcano!

She stretched her body into a Biellmann spin and felt free. She liked the classic techniques and her short program would show this. But she also loved ice dancing and let the elements show as her music picked up. Jump after jump, she kept her energy flowing. She felt dizzy on several occasions. She jumped high, higher than anyone would have expected from a short teenager. There was a loud crack noise from the ice as she landed. She was having fun regardless of her minor flaws. Just being herself, to the point that she almost forgot she was even doing a routine. As she spun, she was like a compact dust devil. She stopped as the music did, breathing heavily and grinning at the audience. She exhaled loudly and skated over to her coach.

Rainer's eyes had inflated. At first, he was angry that she had changed her routine at the last second once again. But as he watched her skate, he saw her true energy. She wasn’t as serious and methodical as he was back in his time. And that was just fine. Her score was announced. She scored an 82(77+2+1+1) which was impressive for her age.

“Spitze! That’s it! That is your feeling! Don’t lose that ever,” boomed Rainer. Bing laughed and punched him in the arm as she sat next to him. She was glad she didn’t totally blow her routine and was eager to see the next skater. “I can’t wait to see you do your quad later.” Bing’s lip twitched at her coach’s words.

Even he believes me now. Can I really pull it off?

Harland Leander Belle watched the skater receive a near-perfect score, and laughed-- not because it was funny, but because he was so nervous he could choke.

☆≼"Don't choke up now, cowboy,"≽ his coach reassured him. It was maybe reassuring. It was also probably just a threat. Harland sometimes had trouble telling what his very handsome coach was trying to communicate. Harland also had serious listening problems.

He clapped very enthusiastically for the skater, Shiki. An impressive show. He then remembered he had to answer Coyote.

"Everythin'll be fine," Harland said, his Irish accent stark contrast to Coyote's southern one. Cowboy, the nickname that Coyote used when he wanted to bolster Harland's confidence. Something about cowboys had always gotten to the guy, even when he was little. It seemed like they could be the hero, he supposed, though no one had ever suggested that was the reason.

Harland wasn't dressed like a cowboy, this time. For this show, he was in sparkly white, with a cape-- sort of. It was modelled after Elvis' famous jumpsuit. He loved Elvis, and alongside cowboys, it really cheered him up to skate to that music.

He was far from classy, however. His routine was a little rough around the edges. Harland tried to warm up, but mostly he kept thinking about the earlier routines and felt a little inadequate.

In the end, he earned a pretty damn low score and at 72 points, did not expect to be going anywhere in skating.

The arguing with their coach went one for a good long while. The duo seemed to be getting just how many rotations to put into a particular jump. Not that, like, the earlier argument was any different, but at this point it was bordering on semi- ridiculous. They were about to hit the world stage for another try and going to the grand prix and here they were, acting like what one might have called 'typical greeks' if not in polite company. It wasn't something that Crimson's fans seemed to mind however, cheering the young skater on well before it was even time to get on the ice to practice.

When the skates hit the ice though, the screaming in Greek started from a small section in the stands. It never mattered how badly per say that Crimson did, only that they looked good doing it and represented Greece well in the sense of not being too terrible. Not the hardest feat to accomplish but sometimes it got boring when your fans mostly cheered you on for the simple fact you were Greek and nothing else. Well, Crimson figured, if that was what made them happy and that was what they wanted to spend money on that was their choice. It was not like they would purposely do good or bad based on a few screaming people.

A short warm up before back in their box, the skater leaned on the railing as the first flash of skaters went out, scores varying all over the board. The one upstart getting the highest so far, something Crimson suspected was a matter of luck. Few youths got to the top and those who did often only made it that high riding on hard coaches and a brief token image. It was no secret that judges often took a fancy to certain skaters. Hell, some of them probably got points by name alone.

The bitterness in Crimson was kept to themselves as their performance came about. It wasn't flawless, but it also was not good. If anything, it was sub par, and they knew they'd get a scolding over the inevitable. Too many jumps, two falls. That was why you stuck with the program you worked on all season, no last minute throw ins.

[Score: 72]

Lure- Native American, USA- Dark skinned with brown hair, in a green forest nymph inspired semi sheer costume

War drums did little to stifle the fact that as they nervously smiled at the woman who in their opinion had a far more dazzling costume than themselves. Lure had little time for small talk, muttering out a meek thank you to her before wide eyes sent them back to their area, nervousness creeping back in. They were young to hit the ice, but it was worth it to go they had been told. Chance did not knock often and the winds did not always blow favorably.
Not to mention having a native skater in a time when all the world say of their people was protests and internal strife. To remind the world that they existed past the decades of oppression was good, and if Lure did well, it might help those who needed the spot light in other places. It was a lot of pressure, but the kind that Lure knew they could handle. It was just getting to that point. Watching other skaters do so well, Lure's eyes tracked them, knowing they might be outdone. Yet it was not worth giving up over, not worth bowing out and going home. Even if they went home empty handed, they could do the people proud.

"You are not alone you know." Behind them, their coach pat their arm, the smell of tobacco and sage soothing the teen's mind at they kept watching the other competators.
"But you must not allow yourself to think you are."
"I understand." It did not mean however that Lure felt so. As their time came, the ice felt welcoming but- The lights were bright, and as the music played, a peice crafted by a family freind to blend classical with their tribal, Lure almost felt like they could do this- until they fell. A miscalculation, they did not finish the spin properly, and the ice was unforgiving. Hard and cold it stole Lure's breath as they got back up.
By the end, Lure knew they might not rank. But they had been seen, and sometimes that was all it took.

[Score: 68]

[ Etzer ]

Etzer had done a minor warm up on the ice, and tried to quell his jittery nerves as he waited.

At last, it was finally his turn.

The feeling didn't go away, however... as much as he'd warmed up, the feeling never really went away, the darkness unable to be kept down this time.

Before, he'd been able to detach himself from his feelings and just skate like he was a kind of sylph on air... but not this time. This time, he'd fumbled a few spins and wavered on his skates, sweat beading down his brow.

He hadn't even completed a full salchow.

He'd botched it pretty good, and it had cost him quite a few points.

He didn't hear the crowd or anyone else as his song ended, his feet taking him to the edge of the rink and walking him to the bench, sitting down rather abruptly.

Did he even care anymore? Was it even worth it...?

Putting his head in his hands, he tried in vain to get his breath back.

points: 70

Shiki timidly waited to see if the scores would be announced, he had changed into his next outfit, a tight form fitting grey outfit with something of an iridescent gauze hanging from his arms, sparkling like rainbow fire.

"Be Calm Aoe-chan, you did more than well in your last round."

He looked up at his coach and nodded, his cheeks still tinted a pale pink. He felt like a fever was running through his body. inhaling deeply he placed both of his palms on the wall and started to stretch his hips.

"No no, go to the rink down the hall and skate a bit and limber up. Don't worry about the standings at the moment, and put your jacket over your outfit before you tear it."

Shiki again nodded to his coach before heading off to skate a little, letting himself calm. It was good to have a coach that knew him so well. He would wait to be called back up before worrying.