Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Alcor commented as she approached Kemi, her lips curving into a faint smile.

At first, the change in Kemi’s aura didn’t register, though it should have been an obvious sign that she was no longer a basic Senshi. It wasn’t until her eyes fell on the differences in Kemi’s uniform that it finally clicked. “Well, looks like congratulations are in order.”

She circled the other woman taking note of the large bow, the full plaid skirt, and heavy-looking sleeves. “I like your new uniform.” She said lightly. “But more importantly, does it help with the cold?” Her words hung in the still air as snow fell in quiet cascades.

Alcor returned the careful hug and took a step back when Kemi did. She chuckled at her comment of still not being a fan of the cold and shook her head. It was a sentiment that many people shared, most notably her twin, Eleonora, who was also the Senshi of Heat. “I’m certain you’ll continue to get stronger.”

Some people gained that strength quicker than others, whereas she was a prime example of the latter. But eventually most made it to Eternal, or so she assumed. Aside from Liryn, Athene, or maybe Beira, Alcor didn’t have many people she considered friends that she could ask who were powered.

“I’ve… been ok,” she replied, hesitation evident in her voice. “I’ve mostly been working or practicing for an upcoming ice skating competition.” Alcor deflected since she didn’t want to get into a conversation about how her sister and Fionan had met up or how she felt uncertain about the whole thing.

“The competition isn’t until the end of January. But I’ll still be practicing after work at the rink once we’re officially closed.” One of the benefits of working there was that she didn’t need to schedule time, Once the exterior lights were off and doors were locked she was free to use the Zamboni to smooth the ice and practice for however long she wanted.

It was a quiet luxury, skating beneath the dimmed overhead lights with her song playing quietly in the background. The solitude gave her the space to focus, perfecting her routines without distraction. Each glide, spin, and jump felt more personal as if she and the rink were sharing a secret no one else could understand.

She did, however, miss the days when she and Indra would skate together in partner events but she knew that his priorities were with his boyfriend which she understood. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she had no such obligation.

The quiet hours also gave her time to reflect on her progress. In those moments, she could feel her skates carving the ice. There was something magical about the rink after hours, its emptiness filled with the promise of what could be. “But if you want to watch me before the competition, you can watch from the stands. I can even prepare a cup of cocoa if you wish.”

“If you’re free tomorrow, come by the rink at 9:30 PM. You’ll need to call me when you get there so I can let you in since the doors will be closed. Just remember to bring some warm clothes, maybe some gloves and ear muffs since it can get quite cold sitting in the stands.” She could try to remember to bring a fleece blanket to keep her lap warm just in case what she had wasn’t warm enough.

“We can look into doing a private lesson once the competition is over or if we schedule something actually during my work hours,” she said, her thoughts drifting to the logistics. If she planned ir right, she could probably swing a free session I should have credits I could use for a free lesson if I give the owner enough heads up. But even if it didn’t pan out, the thought of helping a friend find their footing on the ice made her feel a bit lighter.

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget,” Alcor reassured her friend. “I’ll see you tomorrow at around 9:30 PM. Make sure to get home safe.” Fortunately, Kemi wasn’t like Eleonora in that her twin seemed to be a magnet for trouble because of her curiosity. But she also didn’t know enough about Kemi yet to feel comfortable enough to not offer a few words of caution.