milliways_bar | (no subject)

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ellen park

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The expression on Ellen's face can best be described as 'WAT'. She asked Bar for a set of 'the kinds of shoes people use to move around on ice' today, and Bar gave her a pair of hockey skates.

She's having a hard time believing anyone could balance their whole weight on that little bitty knife edge on the bottom of the boot in front of her.

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Quentin's getting something to eat when the skates appear, "Nice skates."

"I guess," says Ellen doubtfully. "I've never really seen them up close before."

"Are you learning to skate? Yes, they look like good skates for hockey."

"I'm supposed to be," Ellen says. "I only just got these things from the Bar, though. Do people really balance on that?"

"Yes, all the time and you can get a lot of speed in them too if the ice is smooth and they're properly sharpened."

"They have to be sharpened?" Ellen winces, prodding at one of the blades tentatively. "Oh dear. Do people kick with them? I mean, I was planning on wearing leg armor, but just the kind that protects against impact, not knives or spikes."

"Yes, that's what makes them good for moving across the ice. They're not supposed to but it could happen," Hockey's dangerous in a lot of ways.

"Oh, boy." Ellen sighs. "Well, it's either this or get a champion, so I suppose I'd better get used to the idea. And learn to use the stupid things. Part of the mission, I guess..."

"What's the mission? I could help teach you. I grew up around a lot of ice and used to skate a lot."

"I have to get an audience with the Blood Prince of Philadelphia, who won't listen when I ask the normal way," Ellen says. "So I'm just going to have to challenge one of his people to combat in the city's ice arena, because that's traditional for them. I mean, not combat to the death or anything, but it has to be a respectable fight even if most of it involves sticks."

"A duel with ice hockey sticks?"

"At least at first," Ellen says. "It's considered acceptable for the combatants to bring other weapons along and use them if they break their sticks or if the stick gets knocked out of their hands, though. I understand boards with spikes in them are popular."

"Huh, that's going to be a brutal fight since falling on ice hurts more than other things."

"Armor's allowed," Ellen says. "I'm used to falling in my armor. Even the non-powered kind."

"That's good and if its one against one, you won't have to worry as much about speed but more about balance."

"If it's just going to be a duel I don't think anyone's going to up the ante by releasing animals onto the ice," Ellen says. "So I should be able to stay upright, sort of. I mean, I hope."

She fingers the knifey part again.

"I have no idea what kind of person comes up with an idea like strapping knives to their feet and standing on them."

"I don't know either but it can be fun. Bar, could I get a pair too and where's the best place to practice skating?"

The other pair of skates appears quite promptly, along with a napkin indicating an area of the lake that's as frozen over as frozen over gets. Possibly it is diametrically opposite the Caribbean inlet; who knows?

"Well. Okay then," says Ellen. "Er- do I put these things on here and walk on them until we get out there, or...?"

"No, we'll put them on out there and its a good idea to have some gloves in case you fall, then your hands won't be too cold,"

Two jackets with logos of hockey teams that Quentin doesn't know appear along with good gloves.

Ellen eyes the Hershey Bears jacket a moment, then shrugs and reaches for the one with the Bakersfield Isotopes emblem on it instead. It seems appropriate. It's a little big for her, but nothing ever fits the first time anyway. "Okay," she says as she pulls the gloves on. "I think we're good here, right?"

Quentin pulls on the Hershey one and grabs his skates, "Yes, and it looks like we're going all the way around the lake."

"Hoo boy." Ellen exhales. "All right, i'm coming."

It... could be worse? She's got lots of time here? If she falls down and breaks her ankles or something, she has time to recover, right?

... look, somebody's only barely conversant with the concept of snow. Dealing with ice skating is well outside her experience, except for some vague memories of a story about someone named Hans Brinker.

He waits for her at the door,

"You'll be fine. Skating's a great way to get around once you get the hang of it."

"if you say so," Ellen says dubiously. "We don't really have a lot of ice back in the Capital Waste. I'm just doing this while I'm in Philadelphia."

"Oh, I grew up around a lot of ice and whenever you want to stop, let me know,"

Its chilly and a bit windy as they walk and there doesn't seem to be anyone else on the path.

From the look of her, Ellen would like to stop now, but she's got a mission to prepare for, so that's the end of that idea.

"How long does this take to learn, anyway?"

"I don't know,"

He learned when he was young and never really paid attention. When they reach the other side of the lake, its impressively frozen and there are some rocks to sit on.

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