[Satoshi, what do you do of a Friday morning?] * Satoshi is in his dorm room, alternating between reviewing for his last final that afternoon and packing things up for his flight tomorrow. Paul is out somewhere; maybe he's at finals of his own, maybe he's in transit. Regardless, Satoshi's desk is covered in notes and books, and his bed is covered in clothes and suitcases. [Satoshi gets a message from Liam. Sato, free skate @ main rink before every1 splits. B there. What time? Now-ish. Grant lost coin flip and is getting bagels. * Satoshi looks at his books and his packing. "Eh, I need to blow off some steam and it's not like I'm going to be sleeping that much tonight." He texts back. Make sure he's getting sesame. See you there. * Liam doesn't text back. He prefers not to pay your exorbitant American text rates more than he has to. * Satoshi is paying exorbitant American text rates on a Japanese phone, but he's learned this semester not to get into a foreigner in America competition with Liam. * Satoshi does, however, make a mental note to thank Kaede again for the phone hack the next time they see each other. [Later... at the ice rink.] [Satoshi hits the ice, there's some free form puck passing going on. A few of the older players are still around, but they've mostly cleared out by now. However, the first thing Satoshi sees when he hits the ice is Elise in figure skates. She's building up a bit of momentum.] * Satoshi pauses to watch Elise, as even after all these years he's still got an interest in figure skating. Her form's pretty good... her figure skating form, that is, although her other form isn't bad either and maybe he should stop staring. * Elise leaps and spins, making two loops before making a slightly late land. She sticks it though and easily glides along the ice before curving around to skate up to our hero. "Hey." Hey, Elise. That was pretty good. * Liam skates up. "Pretty good? That was a 720 man. I'd like to see you do one of those, twinkle toes." [Grant is not actually here yet, by the look of things. There's a few other people around, Satoshi thinks he may recognize one or two as Elise's cronies in the stands, cheering her on.] * Satoshi takes a quick glance around the rink. "You're on." * Elise grins. "Oooh... Let's see what you can do." * Satoshi skates onto the ice and does a quick lap around the rink, building up speed, then cuts down the middle and leaps into the air, revolving three times before landing: a perfect triple axel. * Grant shows up with bagels skating over to put them in them on the bench and is shocked along with everyone else. A few of the elder teammates notice and hoot in approval. Liam's draw just drops. * Satoshi skates back over to them. "I may have studied figure skating," he admits. * Elise meanwhile gets a deadly serious expression. "That was straight up good. Right then. You're a guy so axels aren't a fair test. Speedy skating?" * Satoshi nods. "Sure. How do you want to do it? Timed laps? Both of us at once on opposite sides?" * Elise smiles. "Opposite sides works." She then starts moving doing a quick circle around Satoshi, coming remarkably close really for someone skating. "I'll enjoy seeing what you've got." * Satoshi looks at Liam. "You okay with timing us?" * Liam's tone matches the dominant element of the arena. "Yes." * Satoshi winces ever-so-slightly as he realizes he may have gone somewhat overboard, but he's not going to back down. "I'll go on the opposite side. Count down when ready." * Elise does the same. As she waits for the count down clock to start she makes eye contact across the rink with a grin. * Satoshi offers a somewhat awkward smile in return. So much for playing it cool. * Grant gets out on the ice as Liam starts the countdown. "3.. 2..." * Elise gives him an entrancing smile. [Satoshi, would you kindly hold steady? She's exploiting your prude.] * Liam announces. "Go!" Wait, was there a 1 there? And suddenly Elise is off like a light speeding down the side. Satoshi gets moving soon enough therafter, but if he's going to want to put in a showing, he will have to use his strength a bit on the push off as that woman is quick. * Satoshi apparently needs practice at dealing with feminine wiles. Or something like that. He stumbles out of the start and while he manages to get some speed, he can't quite catch up to her. * Elise ends the lap with a graceful leap and skates over, her cheering section going wild. "You forgot the other half of figureskating, Sato." She says with an easy smile. * Liam announces the two times. He's got a slightly gloating tone when he notes the difference, but his confidence is a bit shaken underneath. * Satoshi smiles a bit sheepishly. "Fair enough. Good skating." * Elise shakes her head with a winning smile. "No, your skating was fine. You forgot to perform." * Grant calls from the stand. "So, bagels, get them while they're warm. Hope everyone likes Everything, because that's what Liam picked when he won the flip." What, no man, I wanted one of everything. * Satoshi nods. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind. So, bagels?" What?! That place is like the Baskin Robbins of bagels. No way I'm dropping $30 on a coin flip. Don't they have Everything bagels in Canada? * Elise skates over, she likes hot bagels and chuckles to herself as she listens. [A few of the upper classmen join as well.] * Satoshi takes one. "Bagels are a wonderful Western invention." Yes, though the ones in Montreal are better. Something about the water. But see that you do keep that in mind, an awkward smile might be enough to charm some naive Japanese high school girl ice-skater, but you're going to have to step up your game. * Satoshi blushes slightly. He's pretty sure Liam is enjoying this. "I'll, uh, also keep that in mind." He takes a large bite of bagel in an attempt to keep himself from saying anything else stupid. * Liam gives his cocky young prospect grin. He certainly is enjoying this. Where'd you learn to skate like that man? I've tried the odd move after watching the Olympics but it's as hard as it looks. * Satoshi swallows. "Studied when I was younger. Still practice some. S'what the Russians do, apparently; teach their hockey players figure skating so they learn how to maneuver down the ice." * Liam shakes his head. "Russia will never rest until they catch up with Canada as a winter sports powerhouse. We must remain vigilant." Uh, I'm pretty sure the latest Winter Olympics... * Elise shoots him a somewhat pleading look and he drops the thought. Japan still has a ways to go. [One of the older players laughs. "My dad encouraged that too. Now, mind you, I don't think I could pull a triple axel now, particularly in hockey skates, but...] * Liam sits down next to Elise after getting his Everything bagel. * Satoshi relaxes a bit more. "It's expensive to ship skates to the US, so I worked with what I had." [The older player nods. "So, Elise. Does... Watanabe here check out with the figure skaters? I've been looking to hand off our the team's duplicate key for starting early and closing late.] Hey, I could do it. I'm very close to a figure skater. No. * Satoshi chuckles, then looks at Elise. * Elise nods. "He's got to get up pretty early in the morning if he keeps both sets of hockey and figure skating in practice. Fine by me." * The older wingman removes the key from his ring and solemnly hands it over to the freshmen. * Satoshi receives it with great respect. "I'll take good care of it." * Liam rolls his eyes. "He gets up early, sure, but you'll have to wait until he finishes blushing each time a skater calls him." This gets some chuckles and a few knowing glances amongst the elders. * Grant leans over to Satoshi and comments quietly. "You gonna let that ride Satoshi? We can't let the year end on him being that insufferable or he'll be worse when he gets back?" * Satoshi eyes his teammate good-naturedly. "I dunno, Liam, how many calls have you gotten lately?" * Elise looks thoughtfully into the distance. "Mostly I don't need to call. Particularly as I don't need to get rides from him." * Liam hestitates a moment. Hey, it's not who calls, it's whether they answer. [Speaking of calls, Satoshi's phone rings.] Huh. [Everyone stares at Satoshi.] [*Everyone*.] You rigged that Grant, didn't you. * Grant looks innocent. * Satoshi pulls out his phone and looks at the number. His eyes widen. "Uh. Wow, this is... this is weird. Um... excuse me for a minute." He considers skating away for privacy, but honestly, nobody's going to understand what he's about to say, right? And then he answers. "Moshi-moshi?" [Most of the group is like, aww, he can do that. And resumes their bagel focus. Elise has a bit of a smile and keeps an eye on Sato for now.] * Taki speaks in Japanese angle brackets because this is AMERICA There is a mix of surprise and worry in his voice. * Elise frowns slightly and then looks over to Liam and then Grant. "We should perhaps give a bit of privacy." * Liam had just started spreading cream cheese on his second bagel. "Aww, man." * Grant finishes up his bagel and catches a little bit of the other end of the conversation. He comments quietly to Liam. "I think this might be Satoshi's roommate's Japanese girlfriend. So could be important... Also, I'm sick of you making yourself out as a player. Elise, care to keep time for a race?" * Liam takes this news while holding on to his bagel with his teeth. He shrugs. Nonchalantly chews. And then nods. "You're on." * Elise grins and gets out on the ice. "Oh, yes, dance for me freshmen." There's a pause. [This gets the attention of the other skaters, as frankly a phone conversation in another language is kind of boring.] Another pause. [Elise has finished her count, and people are off. Her announcing voice is notably authoritative and carries far.] * Satoshi sits down on the bench. [Taki's father, for the record, is asleep on the couch. There's some work papers lying in his lap. The kitchen doesn't smell like burning so he managed something, skipped dinner, or most likely hit a convenience store. * Satoshi laughs. * Taki uses this time to carefully take her shoes off and sneak past him to her room, making a mental note to make sure to get him into his futon after she's done talking to Satoshi. So she's a bit slow to respond. [He stirs a little as Taki sneaks by but the weight of a long day wins out.] [Satoshi, you have any comment on Taki noting that she's bad at noticing things? You've got to be thinking something there.] [The race has apparently resolved and Liam is playing around with the upper classmen and Elise and Grant are working on various on ice stretches. Possibly useful goalie stuff.] ... * Liam stops in the bench to get his third bagel. In this case only a half because that's what's left. He notes that Satoshi is still on the phone and makes gestures with his hand showing a mouth opening and shutting repeatedly. * Liam looks a bit sympathetic when gesturing. He gives Liam a quick shaking of his head followed by a thumbs-up. * Liam thumbs up back and is out on the ice with a bagel. Elise gives him a look. One does not bring bagels onto the rink. * Liam gives a charm shrug as he munches but Elise just points back to the bench. He turns around and glides back before stomping on to the bench and sitting down. "Women." * Elise rides over to the wall and chats with Liam. Grant comes back as well to pick up another bagel, only to find that they're all gone. "Man... no seconds for me, again." He hangs up. * Elise again points to Liam. "I have you culprit right here." Ah, c'mon girl, don't rat out a fellow Canadian. * Satoshi stuffs his phone into his pocket. So Satoshi, the suspense is killing us. * Satoshi lets out a slow breath. "Okay, you guys are going to think I'm making this up, but I swear I'm not. That was my ex-girlfriend, whose best friend is apparently internet dating my roommate, and she saw a picture of me and Paul and kind of freaked out." Wait, your ex-girlfriend and her best friend in Japan? That is weird. That's insensitive Elise. It's a Japanese thing. Like all their romances are arranged by childhood promises and then they meet up later in life. Paul explained it to me one time. I'm pretty sure that's not what he said. It's a bizarrely small world, apparently. But I told her it was real and not some sort of Photoshop... * Satoshi stares at Liam. "Do they have soap operas in Canada?" Or drama shows, things like that? Well, yes. And the ones with actual Canadian content get shown a lot to meet the cultural rules. Well yeah, can't have crappy American reality shows just overrunning everything. I do see that Red-Green show sometimes. I do like it better than American late night. * Liam beams. Okay, so the whole childhood promises thing is a common Japanese TV drama and anime plot. Not real life. * Elise nods, leaning over the door to the bench. "So, your heart doesn't belong to anyone back home then, does it?" There's actually someone I hadn't talked to in a while and I'm really, really looking forward to seeing her again. * Elise leans back. "Really, really, eh? Grant, Liam, you shall have to report on his progress with this once he gets home. I need to know if I have some Ice Queen rival coming from Japan." Yes'm. * Grant sighs, "You need to lay off American Network coverage of the Olympics Elise. It's a bad way to think about the world." * Satoshi blushes. "Wait, I... she..." Then he looks at his watch. "Crap. Exam!" [Run Satoshi, run!] [End!]