Ice Breaker [Matylda/Shiori]

Finishing up the first half of her warm ups, Shiori glides over to the side and exits the ice rink. Hobbling over to the wooden bench where she'd left her duffle bag, she plops down onto it. Digging around in the bag, she pulls out a sports towel and wipes the sweat from her face. Hanging the towel around her neck, she leans down and snags a bottle of Pocari Sweat from her duffle bag. Screwing off the lid, she chugs away at it, downing half of it in a matter of moments. Replacing the lid, she wipes the back of her mouth on her towel and glances around.

Where she's currently at is a large indoor ice skating facility. Simply known as the Hosagai Ice Arena, it has not one, not two, but THREE dedicated ice skating rinks. The two smaller ones are indoors and open year round, where as the much larger outdoors one is opened seasonally during winter time. In fact, the main reason Fukui Academy was chosen by her mother was because of this specific facility. Apparently this is a hot-spot for couples and families during the winter, and especially during the holidays, but right now it's still a bit too early in the season for that. So, for the most part, it's not very busy.

The rink on the right has more families and younger children, so Shiori had picked the left rink to practice in. This rink has an older clientele, most of them looking to be in their 40s or higher. There's even a small group of senior citizens puttering around a section of the rink, sticking mostly to the wall and chatting cheerfully with each other. People around her age are not as common, though there are a few of them around. Most of them are in groups, though there does seem to be a few folks by themselves. No one seems to be there for training like her though.

"Okay. Ready for round two", she murmurs to herself. Releasing a soft sigh, she places the bottle and towel back into the bag and zips it closed. Rising up, Shiori makes her way back to one of the entrances to the rink. Her outfit for the day is a simple white and blue track suit, with a long-sleeved zippered top. And with pockets, of course, to hold her mp3 player and head phones. Her skates are clearly her own personal pair and obviously not a rented pair.

Pausing at the edge, she scans around, looking for a place with as few people in it as possible. Absently she zips up her track suit top as her gaze drifts around the rink. That's when she spots her. Across the way is a girl decked out in full figure skating garb. With all the glitz and glam one would expect from a professional dress. Eyes dropping down, she notices that the skates are white and seem to be a personal pair, instead of the ones you could rent at the facility. Just like her own.

Oh? Is she a figures skater too? she wonders, her dark eyes taking in the thin form of the other girl as she stands there, right at the edge of the skating rink. She's short and seems to have good poise, she observes, her interest piqued. This will be the first fellow figure skater she's met since being sent to Fukui Academy.

Immensely curious, she decides to wait on reentering the rink. Leaning forward onto her arms, against the low wall, she runs her fingers through her tousled hair, her eyes never straying from that gleaming dress.

She wants to see what this other girl can do!

There was a very special purpose behind the decision of Matylda Sudakov-Oka to make her way to the Hosagai Ice Arena.  She was not a skater by practice, heck she'd barely set foot on a rink in her lifetime despite being from a part of the world near the Arctic.  At the very least she knew how to balance herself in a pair of skates, but the girl had never been particularly gifted in gliding on the ice.  Yet upon learning that Fukui actually had not one but three indoor rinks downtown, it was certain that she would pay a visit.  Not just to have fun but to serve a very important purpose which might not be resolved otherwise by her usual activities of listening to metal music and sketching whatever ideas came to her fruitful imagination. 

For it had transpired that her cousin also attending Fukui suddenly had accomplished something Matylda hadn't expected whatsoever.  Fue, the food photographer, the person who had gotten Matylda to practice her Japanese far more than would've otherwise happened, had.. a girlfriend.  From how Fue spoke of this mysterious girl, she was an amazing young lady who shouldn't be met without proper preparation on the part of other parties.  Well, that last part was more in the Finn's mind than the reality of the situation, but she was resolved to do this right.  Some day they would meet but she had to do something first to be properly prepared.  It was why Matylda was at the Hosagai Ice Center.  To find a girlfriend of her own!  Surely if she were also dating it would be easier to steel herself for the inevitable meeting with Fue's girlfriend.

She had arrived with a rare determination to attract the attention of girls her age and a duffel bag full of gear to do that job.  After all you had to be dressed appropriately to stand out on an ice rink and there were really two options that she could think of to accomplish that.  Ice hockey was one, but something in her mind told the brunette that hockey gear wouldn't get her any of the attention she wanted.  No, it had to be figure skating!  A graceful, gossamer princess gliding across the ice in a pretty dress was exactly the kind of thing that would help her achieve her goal.  A simple request to her mom for money to get the gear had resulted in a very professional looking blue dress with gold and white accents, as well as personal skates to go with it!

Surely the girls at the rink would notice her!  Of course she didn't really want to use the more crowded rink, it wouldn't allow her the space to do any of the fancy tricks that figure skaters did.  Instead she opted for the less populated one, which mostly had older folks on it right now - but maybe she'd stand out even more on this rink!  With her hair up in a high ponytail held in place by a scrunchie, she gingerly made her way onto the ice and then.. just kind of awkwardly skated around a little.  What should she do?  What did pretty figure skaters do all the time?  Matylda puzzled at it for a moment, then smiled as the answer hit her.  Spinning!  She quickly started skating faster to build up speed, then threw herself into a spin.. which kept getting harder to control.    And then she lost her balance as she desperately tried to escape the spin, launching herself forward and landing face first on the ice.

"Oof!" she grunted as she hit the ice, sliding a bit until she was near someone else's feet.  Blushing from embarrassment, she didn't look up but spoke, "Se oli .. vain pieni virhe. Todella."  She didn't realize she'd slipped into Finnish again.

Eyes not straying from the girl in the glittering blue dress, Shiori carefully watches as she steps out onto the rink. It becomes immediately clear to her, as the girl glides out unsteadily onto the ice, that she is at best a beginner skater. She's able to stay up and actually move around, but her good poise has completely vanished. Observing the way the other girl holds her arms and body as she moves, Shiori can't help the small smile tugging at her lips. She's dressed like a pro, but she moves like a fawn still getting used to walking, she muses to herself, amusement coloring her thoughts.

The sparkle of the dress and the way her pony tail twists and flows are rather eye catching. She's certainly the most flashy person here and has definitely snagged several people's attention. Head following in time to the other girl's awkward turns, Shiori finds her eyes lingering on the way the dress clings to her thin form. Hmm... she does have some muscles, she notes, so she must exercise pretty regularly. But ice skating takes a touch more than just regular exercise to get it right. And proper figure skating takes so much more than that. Especially if one is trying to compete.

Suddenly, a confident smile flashes on the other girl's face and she begins to pick up speed. Noticing the shift in they way she's holding herself, Shiori rises up in alarm. She's not going to try and...?? Ah, yep. Before she can even finish her first thought the other girl launches herself into a fast spin. Immediately she can see how unstable it is. She's able to maintain the spin, so she doesn't come to a complete stop, but the other girl's form is all over the place. It's only a matter of time until... Ah, there it is. Even as she's imagining the inevitable, the other girl loses her balance as one of her legs slips out from under her. She tries to desperately escape the spin, but all that manages to do is launch her out of it. She comes crashing down onto the ice with a loud thud and very clear "Oof!". As if to add insult to injury, her forward momentum causes her to slide a fair distance across the ice, until she comes to rest right at Shiori's feet.

Oh man, that had to hurt! Wincing in empathy, for she knows from experience how painful such a fall can be, Shiori peers down at the girl lying limply before her. She hears her mutter something in a pained voice, but it's not in any kind of language that she can understand. A foreigner? she wonders as she crouches down on one knee. Frowning in slight worry, she reaches out her right hand in assistance.

I hope this girl knows Japanese, she ponders as she asks, "Miss? Are you hurt? Do you need help up?"

The crash had been as dramatic as it was  awkward for the Finnish girl; it was hard to be anything else when you slid across the ice until you were resting at someone's feet.  Oddly enough Matylda didn't feel all that dizzy considering that she'd just been spinning like a top for all the world to see.  Far from being the shining maiden of the ice who'd attract girls' attention she'd become a glittery heap of girl in mere seconds.  At least the person she'd crash landed in front of was kind enough to offer her assistance.  But wait!  That intonation, the flow of the words.. this was a native speaker of Japanese!  If anything was Matylda's kryptonite, it was having to speak in Japanese with a native speaker.  Even after all the practice she'd had between Fue and that really nice white haired Russian girl, Matylda still had moments of utter panic when she had to converse with someone in that language.  No escaping it now, she was going to have to answer the girl at whose feet she'd ended up.

Or was she?  Maybe, the Finn thought, she could just show that she was perfectly fine without extra help!  That would ensure that the girl didn't worry about her and limit the amount of awkwardly accented words Matylda had to use to explain herself.  Without considering the situation further the brunette pushed herself up into a sitting position with a sudden burst of energy.  One more step, she told herself as she tried to get up onto one knee with a graceful smile on her face - just like the confident ice princesses she'd seen on TV!  At that time she could see her would-be rescuer for the first time, in all her work out suited glory.  What was remarkable was the shock of red hair crowning the girl's head, immediately drawing Matylda's attention.. just as Matylda felt that dizziness catch up to her.  Her own head spinning a bit from attempting to get up to quickly, the Finn tumbled forward and landed at the redhead's feet.  With the way she'd landed Matylda was like a cartoon character who'd just crashed, face on the ice and bottom up in the air.  Though she manged to slowly pull  herself out of the pose, she only got herself back into a seated position on her own.

"Olen varma, että olen kunnossa.  Kiitos .. vau, hiuksesi ovat kauniit," she finally responded, then caught herself speaking in Finnish. Her imagination conjured images of Fue and Misha looking down disapprovingly at her for that, and Matylda knew she had to force out her Japanese.  With a slight tinge of rosiness to her cheeks, Matylda spoke, "I'm okay.. I think.  Can you help me up?"

Well, it seems like the other girl doesn't want her help, for she suddenly pushes herself up into a sitting position. Either that, or she didn't understand her? Withdrawing her hand and placing in on her knee, Shiori stays kneeling as she attentively keeps an eye out for signs of any kind of injury the other girl might have gotten. All she can do at the moment is observe visually, since she doesn't want to interfere with the other girl's movement. At least not before discussing it with her. That could lead to more injuries if one isn't careful.

She starts at the legs, since those are the most important, outside of the head. From what she can see, there doesn't seem to be any swelling at the moment. Gaze shifting, she next moves onto the hands and arms, since they would have taken the brunt of such a fall. Again, nothing seems to be amiss. All right, now the head... Eyes rising up, Shiori's only gotten to the other girl's chin level when the foreigner moves all of a sudden. All the redhead sees is a flash of a smile and then a blur as the other girl slips and once again falls to the ice. Face first.

Starting in surprise, Shiori is reaching out to help the other girl up before the thought to do so even passes through her mind. She pauses before actually coming in contact, though, as once again the other girl slowly struggles into a seated position. Another string of that unknown language flies out of the foreigner's mouth. Shiori knows enough English to know it's not that, and has heard enough of a few other languages to know it's not any of them. Oh man, I hope I can communicate with her somehow, she worries as she stares at the girl sitting before her.

"Ah... um... are you all right?" she asks hesitantly, both hands still outstretched in their helping reach. Then the other girl lifts her bowed head and looks up at her. A slight blush stains her cheeks red, but her eyes are bright and clear. Then the other girl speaks. In heavily accented Japanese. It's not the worst accent Shiori's ever heard, so thankfully it's not too difficult for her to understand.

Withdrawing her left hand, she raises it up to her chest in relief. A quiet sigh escapes her, for she had been concerned, since both falls had seemed pretty hard.

"I'm glad to hear you don't seem to be hurt," she murmurs quietly, the worry melting out of her expression and tone. Leaning forward, her right hand outstretched, Shiori directs a soft smile the foreigner's way. Dark greens gaze into those honey colored eyes.

"Here, take my hand."

Reaching out, she firmly clasps the other girl's hand. In one smooth movement, she rises up from her kneeling position into a standing one. In that same motion, she tugs at the foreigner, lifting her up from her sitting position. Left arm shooting out, she wraps it lightly around the other girl's waist, and pulls her in close. This gives the other girl more stability since she's still out on the ice, and prevents her from easily slipping again.

Peering down at the much shorter girl, Shiori's smile turns teasing.

"But that was a pretty spectacular fall. And not only once, but twice," she says, her dark eyes dancing with quiet mirth.

"Most graceful." The edges of her eyes crinkle slightly at her smile.

Not only was the girl kindly enough to offer her assistance, she was probably fairly strong too!  Matylda would've been fully impressed by that had she not just landed on her face a couple of times in front of the impressive young woman.  As it was she kind of meekly followed along with Shiori's efforts to get her up off of the ground, at least until the redhead pulled her into what amounted to an embrace.  Such a strong grip to prevent her from falling, yet also so close to her rescuer.  Close enough that the other girl's teasing smile and playful eyes filled the Finn's vision.  That made her feel a little uneasy just from the surprise alone, and Matylda's legs nearly slipped again.  Thankfully the other girl's help ensured she wouldn't have yet another accident.

"Hei, se ei ole reilua!  Mou," Matylda replied at first, frowning in a pouty kind of way before blushing at her combined Finno-Japanese reply.  She looked up into the much taller girl's eyes and laughed awkwardly, "Well.. it's my first time ice skating since I was eight or so.  My mom always thought that I'd be g-good at it.."

She placed her hand on the taller girl's shoulder for stability and asked, "So, can we lean against the side boards or something?  I want to get my balance back.. on my own feet.. before I try again."

Oddly enough the Finnish girl was speaking Japanese without much problem now.  The distraction of her spectacular falls had really done a number to prevent her from overthinking her accent when she spoke the language.  Her thoughts drifted to her mom's beliefs about Matylda's potential as a skater - not just that she'd be good, but be naturally gifted like her cousin Teemu, who was a natural at it.  Not just that, but was able to play sports on the ice while gliding over it elegantly.  This was proving that at the very least it would be much more time intensive for Matylda to learn how to skate like that.  In the meantime, this girl who'd helped her up seemed like she was pretty comfortable on the ice.. that made Matylda a bit jealous.  How was Matylda going to attract a girlfriend with her gracefulness on the ice if she had no grace to speak of?

"Have you skated much?  It looks so easy on TV.." Matylda added, not really wanting to admit just why she was trying so hard to spin like a pro without having any training.

Shiori can feel the other girl's legs wobble a bit after she pulls her in, but then she steadies once more. Peering down into those quiet eyes, she can't help her smile widening at the exasperated tone. She may not understand what the other girl is saying, but the emotion is clear as a bell. The pout and blush that follows the exclamation are both cute and funny, surprising a low, good-natured chuckle out of the redhead. At the comment about the other girl's mother, Shiori's smile softens. The barest hint of a hidden, unknown emotion lurks in her dark eyes.

"Well, mother's don't always know best," she says offhandedly, a small shrug following those words.

Then the other girl places her hand on her shoulder and asks if they could move over to the side boards.

"Of course," she murmurs as she graciously leads her companion over to one side of the entrance to the ice rink. Her movements are not as graceful as they would be, had she been on the ice. But they are fairly smooth and clearly practiced as she shuffles her ice skates across the floor outside of the ice rink. Thankfully she has on plastic blade guards, or she'd be worried about dulling her blades by walking in them too often off the ice.

Once she's sure that the other girl has a firm hold on the wall, Shiroi releases her and takes a half step back. She's noticed how the other's Japanese seems much easier to understand now, but she doesn't mention it. That's the kind of thing you don't point out, without making the other person even more conscious of their accent. At least, that's how she feels whenever people mention her accent when she's speaking English.

Placing her left hand up against the Plexiglas shielding above the wall, Shiori leans forward a bit and peers around the corner. Cocking her head to the side, her short hair falls over her face as a secretive smile tugs her lips upward.

"You could say that I've done a bit of skating in my life," she answers, her tone light and noncommittal. An odd match to the teasing sparkle dancing in her green eyes. Her bland words belies the easy grace of her movements and obvious familiarity of being at an ice rink.

Straightening up, she lightly taps the tip of her index finger against her lips, as soft hum of thought escaping her. Her eyes drift over the groups of people that dot the rink. It's a bit too crowded at the moment for her to really pull off the second half of her workout routine. Gaze returning to the other, she suddenly gives a sharp nod as she arrives at a decision. Leaning on her arm against the edge of the Plexiglass, Shirori bends slightly forward, towards her new companion. Peering inquisitively down at the other girl, she gives a lighthearted grin and an offer.

"Would you, by any chance, be opposed to me teaching you how to spin?"

Waggling her eyebrows winningly, she adds in a cajoling tone "Properly, that is?"

Certainly, having the side of the rink to lean on helped Matylda avoid yet another graceless fall for all to see.  Balance was hard to maintain when she had other things on her mind, so it was really fortuitous that this girl had come along when she had.  Slowly the brunette began to feel a bit more comfortable on the ice.  Her legs felt a bit more stable underneath her, and it was probably in part because she had someone to distract her from the failures of moments before.  Matylda felt a bit bad at her inability to replicate the moves she'd seen in videos but was glad to have someone at least assisting her in avoiding further embarrassment.  Someone strong and kind, who clearly had experience skating but was willing to take pity on her.  Maybe she hadn't been able to attract a potential girlfriend, but at least maybe.. just maybe, she'd found someone nice to talk to for a bit.

Something unexpected seemed to be transpiring before her, though.  The way that the other girl seemed in thought as they rested on the side of the rink and that intrigued the Finn.  What was this girl pondering?  Maybe whether to recommend that Matylda not go out there again lest she crash on her face once more?  She frowned and gazed back out over the rink as the few other people there continued on as if Matylda's failed display of beauty and grace had never happened.  Now that she'd failed twice, there was a little voice inside her that really wanted her to keep going.  Keep it up and get better at this - become a woman who can master the frozen surface of a barren spot use its cold, unforgiving nature to create beauty for all to see.  Hopefully dating would somehow result out of it as well.  So when the offer came from her new companion to be taught how to spin properly there was little hesitation from Matylda.

"Ei ole muuta vaihtoehtoa.." Matylda said gravely, not even noticing she had gone full Finnish again.  She reached up and placed a hand firmly on Shiori's shoulder as she nodded, "Please teach me the art of spinning.. so I can become queen of the ice.  And of someone's.. hear....."

Realizing what she was saying, the Finn let go of Shiori and bowed her head, "Yes, please teach me.  I'd like that."

Again that unknown language escapes the foreigner's lips. Shiori can't help but smile, despite the other's tone and expression taking a serious turn. She may not be able to understand this odd girl, but she does know that she's quite cute. Even her serious face. The other girl's hand rests on her shoulder, the firm weight of it showing determination. Her companion continues speaking, switching back to Japanese so that Shiori can actually understand what she's saying.

Raising an eyebrow at the hastily cut off sentence and flustered manner, the redhead nods. Rising from her lean, she places her right hand over her heart and gives a slightly deeper bow back.

"If that is your wish, my queen...," she murmurs, her voice lowering and words turning a bit more formal. Glancing up, though not rising from her bow, she turns her gaze to look directly into the other girl's eyes. Her own red strands slightly obscure her vision as she peers up through them."... then it shall be my pleasure to aid you." Dark greens twinkling and a teasing grin tugging the corners of her lips upwards, Shiori finally rises from her bow.

"Hold for just a moment, please."

Bending down, she removes the light blue plastic blade guards. To the side of the rink entrance, against the outside of the rink wall, are a few small cubbies. She places them inside the nearest empty one. In one fluid motion, Shiori rises up with the careless grace of an athlete. Stepping out onto the ice, it becomes quite apparent how at ease she is on such a slick surface. Not even the slightest wobble or sign of unbalance enters her movements.

Glancing around, Shiori scans the rink for a more open area. Absently, she runs her fingers through her unkempt hair. She observes one of the larger groups of people begin to head towards a different entrance on the other side of the ice. The group, comprised of several elderly women cheerfully chatting amongst themselves, exits the rink. Left behind is a fairly decent sized open spot, just ripe for the picking.

Returning her attention to her companion, she nods over to the open span of ice.

"Looks like there's enough room over there."

Smiling warmly, Shirori once again extends her right hand out in invitation and asks,

"Would you care to accompany me, my queen?"

It was hardly the invitation that Matylda would have expected from an ice skating instructor.  So polite a tone that she could hardly refuse the redhead, and being called 'my queen' really won her over.  At the start of all this she'd wanted to become the queen of the ice so a cute girl might fall for her charms.  Matylda hadn't considered the possibility of being the one who was impressed instead!  It wasn't anything romantic (she thought at least) but it was still very sweet of Shiori to do for her.  The Finn took her hand gingerly, afraid that if she went at this too enthusiastically she'd just make them both fall on their bottoms. 

"Of course, th-thank you," Matylda replied, not noticing that her cheeks were indeed getting a little warm and rosy.

As they skated out onto the ice she actually found her legs felt stronger than when she'd been failing the spins earlier.  Perhaps it was the fact that unlike then she didn't  have to do this alone.  If she could at all learn a few things from this girl, it would be all the better in the end!  Ice skating was a way to make herself look graceful and pretty for all the people watching her, cute girls included.  But now that she'd failed at it a couple of times she was as determined to succeed as she was to find an adorable girlfriend to take on a double date with Fue.  Yeah!  That was the ticket!  If anything her determination made her movements a bit more fluid and natural than what she'd been attempting earlier. 

Once they reached their destination, she pondered what sort of things she could learn after this.  Jumps perhaps?  Leaping from the ice like a fairy flying through the air before landing gracefully on her feet.  Charging down the ice with a hockey stick made of a spinal cord, expertly evading a squad of troll like monsters to reach the goal and fire the solid steel puck into the net!  A jet of flames would shoot from the goal posts as she celebrates the goal with her teammates.. wait.  That sounded like an awesome sketch, maybe she should go work on that instead!  No.  Not the time for that.  Matylda shook her head and looked up into the eyes of her instructor, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," she explained, voice calmed a little, "I'm Matylda!  Nice to meet you!  And thanks for offering to help me find a g... learn out to spin."

The other girl's hand slides into her own, the grip hesitant but warm. Shirori's larger hand wraps around it, firm and confident. Yet she makes sure that the grasp isn't too strong, not wishing to hurt her newfound companion.

She can tell, from the stutter and blush that spreads across the brunette's cheeks, that she is perhaps a bit embarrassed. But from the shine in those golden eyes, Shiori can tell that she's equally enthusiastic and determined.

Well, with how fantastically she wiped out, I'd say she's got nothing to be further embarrassed about, the redhead thinks amusedly to herself. A small smile tugs her lips up, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she peers down at her skating partner.

"I don't mind at all. I was just checking the rink out for today. So I wasn't doing anything too serious." She winks down at her cute companion as they skate towards that vacant spot on the ice. "Besides, it's nice to be in the company of such a lovely lady as you."

Shiori is careful to not skate too quickly. She keeps herself as steady as possible, making sure to pay attention to the other's girl's stance. She makes quick adjustments to help support her companion, where it's needed. Though, surprisingly, it's not needed nearly as often as she had anticipated.

Seems she's a quick study, she thinks in approval.

"You being an eager learner is an added bonus," she says, the approval apparent in her tone.

They arrive at their chosen spot, which thankfully remains free of other people. More space and less distractions makes for better learning conditions, after all. Shiori moves them a bit closer to the wall. Not close enough that if they were to fall they'd hit it, but just close enough to move to for periods of rest. At their arrival, Shirori loosens her grip but doesn't fully let go at first. When she's certain that the other girl is well balanced and not about to take a spill, she gently slips her hand out.

She drops her hands loosely to her sides, keeping them open and ready for anything they may be needed for. She gazes at her companion, just as the brunette gives her head a shake and returns her look with a sheepish smile. Shiori blinks in surprise for a moment, and then lightly smacks her forehead at the realization.

"Oh yeah! We never told each other our names, did we?" she asks, laughter bubbling under her words.

No family name? she wonders, one eyebrow quirking up. Odd, but if that's all that she's been given...

"My bad Matylda-san! Your entrance was so striking that I had completely forgotten to ask!"

Dark greens dancing with good humor, she places her right hand over her heart and gives a shallow bow. Straightening up, she keeps the hand over her heart and peers into the other girl's golden eyes.

"I am Ishikawa, Shiori. But you can call me Shiori, if you'd like."

It's a bit uncommon for people who've just recently met to call each other by their first names, but Shirori doesn't mind in the least. She's done it enough times in the past that it's not even something she bats an eye at anymore. Also, since all she was given was a first name, it evens things out between them. Granted, she's just assuming it's a first name. But she's been around and known enough foreigners to feel like she can make a decent guess at such things. Well, she hope she can, at least.

"All right then! Now that we've introduced ourselves, I think it's about time I show you what I said I would."

Placing both hands on her hips, she stares directly at her impromptu pupil and grins.

"You ready to learn how to spin, Matylda-san?"

Calling people by their first names was so common back home that Matylda didn't even think twice about throwing hers out there.  Plus it was far easier to say than the mouthful that was Sudakov-Oka!  As they arrive in a spot that will allow them to practice spinning without that getting in the way of others, the Finn focuses on the idea of spinning.  A seemingly simple maneuver the execution of which stumps Matylda no matter what angle she thinks about it from.  Did you just start twirling in the hopes that momentum would carry you through it?  Or was it something more like having to go really, really fast so that you had the speed to turn those moves into an awesome, dynamic spin? Granted, it would help if you had something to give you a push into it so that the momentum would carry you through the spin.

Kind of like a big whooshing wind sweeping in from the snow capped mountains of the north, carrying with them the chill of oncoming doom.  Winds that passed by the few clusters of ramshackle homes which dotted the mountain, slamming shut doors of stone and ripping off any window covers that had been left open by the residents.  Within those homes were obviously families of trolls and ogres, gathered round the fireplace as the flesh of some unknown dangerous animal cooked over an open fire.  The savory scents of that meat being warmed fill their monstrous nostrils, fueling their desire to consume it more by the minute.  It's inevitable that some of these gatherings will devolve into brawls over who gets the first taste of the flesh, and.. wait, what is she doing?  This is no time to think about that kind of thing!  She's here to learn how to skate like an ice queen, and that's just exactly what she intends to do.

"Please show me the right way to spin, Shiori-san!  I'm ready!" Matylda announced, a sparkle in her eyes as she prepared herself for whatever work had to go into this.  It was probably going to be hard, but Matylda intended to throw herself into it no matter how many times she fell down in the process.

Her grin widening at the enthusiasm in the other girl's reply, Shiori gives a brief nod in acknowledgement.

"All right Matylda-san. Let's get the basics down." Bending down, Shiori points to the front of the blade on her skates. "See how this part has small spikes on it? This is called the toe pick. It's mostly used for jumps, so don't worry about it right now. Toe picks can make spinning difficult if not used correctly, though, so be mindful that you don't catch them in the ice." Moving her finger down the blade, she indicates the area that rests between the toe pick and the first section. It's roughly an inch long. "This area is called the sweet spot. It's here that we're going to be actually spinning on."

Rising up, Shiori tilts her head in thought for a moment, and then nods to herself.

"I'm gonna show you the two-foot spin first. It's the best starting point for a beginner."

Shifting her feet, she places them into the proper position.

"Okay. So. First off, make sure that your feet are not too wide apart. Keep them close together. Just inside your shoulders width should be a good."

Shiori gestures to her own feet and then indicates her hips and shoulders.

"Keep your shoulders and hips straight. If they lean or drop, they'll throw you off balance. Also, keep your core firm. Everything should be lined up as neatly as you can. This will all lead to stability, which will in turn make the spin smoother and easier to maintain."

Lifting her head up, Shiori slips backwards a few paces. She raises her left arm in front of her and stretches her right arm out behind her and twists a little at her hips, knees slightly bent. But the rest of her body is still mostly pointing forward towards Matylda. She falls into a ready stance.

"I'm gonna move slow the first few times. So pay close attention."

Taking a soft breath, Shiori slowly swings her right arm in a big circle, and then pulls both her arms close to her chest. This creates the force that generates the spin. Her head turns in time with the spins, dark red hair flickering against the pale background of the icy rink. Just as she promised, she makes her movements slow and easy to read. After three careful spins, Shiori comes to a stop and smiles.

"All right. That's how a two-foot spin is done. You got any questions? If not, you should give it a go."

OOC: Video for reference: Learn How to Spin On Ice the Easy Way for Beginners!

           Anatomy of a Figure Skate - Figure 1, Anatomy of a Figure Skate - Figure 2