Welcome to Gaia! ::

Fiona slid one foot into her iceskate then began tightening the laces before pulling her ice skating pant leg down to cover the stray strings.

Plans this evening had changed when she received a phone call from one of her co-workers asking if she could come in and cover part of their shift. Fortunately Fiona lived a short bus ride away; ‘Thank you again’ she heard the woman say for the up-teenth time. “Beth! It’s o-kay, really!” She reassured. “It’s not every day your older sister has a baby. Anywho it looks like your up, there is someone waiting to return their skates at the rental desk.” The blue haired woman smiled and pointed to the desk about twenty feet away from the bench she was currently sitting on through the ‘employee only’ door. It was the look on the other womans face and the surprised ‘Oh’ that elicited a laugh from Fi; it seemed her mind was still back at the hospital with her little nephew.

With her other iceskate nice and snug Fiona gathered her shoes and stuck them in her duffle bag before stowing it away while she went out on the ice for a good hour or so. One of the benefits of working at the Destiny City Iceplex meant she had her own staff locker in the back behind the rental counter, no need to rent one of the smaller ones out in the primary facility.

Before stepping out onto the blue and black recycled rubber floor tiles, Fiona took a moment to fasten her iPod armband and put the earbuds in her ears. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the music they currently had playing, it was more so the fact that they tend to play it once every four to six hours and this was her third shift of the week. Oh the number of songs she’d had stuck in her head over the past two years was enough to make any persons head spin. Two Steps From Hell… Play Nothing like non lyrical music from various movie soundtracks to muffle the sounds of Nicki Manij.

Just one hour of skating then she’d take off to go meet Fionan for dinner; at least that’s the plan anyway.

Being hit from behind was a little startling eliciting a surprised ”Oof” sound from Fiona. At least the impact had hit her from behind so she merely glided forward at a bit of a quicker pace. Had it of come from the side they both would have likely went tumbling into the rink wall or heavens forbid another guest. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” She smiled, turning down the volume on her Ipod.

After removing her earbuds she turned around and actually looked at the girl standing beside her. “Haven?” she said with a surprised influx in her voice. “Oh my goodness, I didn’t even realize you were here today! How have you been?”

For the past few years, Fiona had been assisting some of the instructors with their younger students. Holding their hands while skating backwards as they tried to get their feet under them and learn not to hug the wall. A lesson in confidence and not to fear the ice. Every so often, if someone was sick, she would fill in as one of the intermediate instructors and it was at one of these classes that Fiona had met the young brunet. So much talent in one so young, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to learn that she was the young girl doing more advanced layouts on the rink today.