Dancing On Ice: 1-1 Raging Jealousy

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Dancing On Ice

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Figure skater Alina has been caught in a doping test scandal, and has no way to prove her innocence. How should she proceed?

Info

Style: Gifts: Athletic Girl, Rhythmic Freedom Recommended: Athletic Girl, Rhythmic Freedom Rewards: 3,000 , 600 , 3 , 1 , 1 , Happy Mood, Blueprint: Stargazing

Stargazing

Dialogue Choices

Should I ask her if something's wrong?

• Ask her
  • No change
• Don't ask her
  • No change

Transcript

Expand for script.

• A thick fog hangs over the ice, damp and cold. My consciousness seems to be imprisoned by it. I'm rendered frozen to the spot.
• A clunking sound shakes me out of my chilly reverie.
• A spinning figure twirls through the air and lands nearby, spraying ice in every direction.
• The figure skater is a young girl with a lithe body. Her white skates glide across the ice as she skates in a beautiful arc.
• The fog parts in her wake, revealing a crowded skating rink and her captivated audience.
• ???: An axel jump, a double axel... No! It's a triple axel!

• ???: Competitor Alina Alessandrova has achieved a new personal best! There's a reason she's ranked number one!

• ???: Ladies and gentleman, you're witnessing the rise of a brand-new star in the world of figure skating!

• The commentator's excited voice crackles over the loudspeaker. The entire stadium comes to life as people cheer and applaud.
• A podium materialized on the rink. Two girls stand atop it in the first runner-up and second runner-up positions.
• Someone behind me playfully pushes me forward.
• ???: Get up there, Alina!

• ???: Our champion!

• You: (Champion? Do they mean me? Am I Alina?)

• My feet move of their own accord as I skate to the center of the rink. I step onto the winners' podium and accept a gold medal.
• You: (What's happening? What am I supposed to do next?))

• You: (Should I wave the bouquet in my hand and greet everyone?)

• I suddenly feel as if someone's pulling the ground out from beneath me. I look down and see countless hands crawling up the podium.
• The podium rises as high as a cliff, revealing a massive swarm of people around me. They all glare up at me, their eyes full of intense hatred.
• Audience: Get down from there! Shame on you!

• Audience: You broke the rules! How dare you!

• Audience: Return the medal! You don't deserve it!

• You: Stop, please! Don't do this!

• The bouquet in my hand has disappeared. The gold medal feels like an anchor around my neck. I'm drowning in a sea of shouted insults.
• *buzz, buzz, buzz*
• You: What's that noise?

• You: ...

• You: Ow... it hurts.

• I sit up and rub the back of my head. I'm on the floor of an unkempt room.
• Heavy curtains block out the sunlight, and the floor is covered with yoga mats piled high among various kinds of sports equipment.
• You: I was asleep. What a terrible nightmare...

• I let out a long sigh of relief. The dream was so real, my heart is still pounding in my chest.
• *buzz, buzz, buzz* There's that noise again. What is-
• You: Oh! It must be my phone!

• I rummaged around and find my phone buzzing in my messy bed.
• Valeria: Hey Alina. Are you feeling better? I was shocked to hear the news. I really wish I could be there for you, an give you a big hug. If you don't mind accepting your rival's invitation, why don't we meet in the cafe we always frequent this afternoon? I hope you can find some comfort in my company.

• You: I've received a bunch of text messages from Valeria. She's the only person who still cares about me. Everyone else has long since cut ties.

• I put my phone down and notice a picture of myself hanging on the opposite wall.
• The photo is of a young me, beaming brightly and holding a medal high in my hand. That's not how people see me anymore...
• You: Now I'm that figure skater who's notorious for taking banned substances.

• I walk to the window and peek out the curtain. Several people are outside holding signs that say "Boycott Bad Athletes." A group of journalists circle like sharks.
• You: I'll have to put on a disguise before I can go out.

• I dig around in my closet until I find what I'm looking for.
• You: Ah ha! I knew this box was in here somewhere.

• You: Thanks to the incident with banned substances, everyone on the internet is calling me a disgrace to sports.

• You: (But I never took any prohibited substances. Could the diet pills that triggered something?)

• You: (I had a doctor check the pills to make sure there were no prohibited substances in them before I took them...)

• You: In any case, Mom is already preparing to appeal on my behalf.

• You: I hope the WADA investigation will give me a chance to be exonerated.

• Valeria: Alina!

• As soon as I enter the cafe, Valeria jumps up and excitedly waves me over.
• I hurry to her table, keeping my head down to avoid notice. But it seems several people have already spotted Valeria. A few young people have their phones up and are snapping pictures of us.
• I tell Valeria to keep her voice down and guide her to a more secluded part of the cafe.
• Valeria: I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come.

• You: How could I not come? You're my best friend now...

• You: Let's sit over here where less people can see us.

• You: My name's all over the internet. I don't want to give anyone more reason to talk about me.

• I ramble on about my troubles until it occurs to be that Valeria hasn't spoken. The expression on her face is inscrutable.
• Should I ask her if something's wrong?

Ask her

• You: Sweetie, what's wrong?

• Valeria: I'm just so mad! The whole thing has gone too far.

• Valeria: But... is it true? Did you really take banned substances?

Don't ask her

• We sit across from one another in silence.
• You: What's with the face?

• Valeria: Nothing... I'm just wondering... Is it true? Did you take banned substances?

• You: Of course it's not true! Don't tell me you believe all that gossip online.

• Valeria: I don't, but I saw this.

• She digs around in her purse, pulls out a newspaper, and hands it to me.
• You: (Oh no... What are the journalists saying now? They'll write anything to sell papers...)

• I skim the article until my eyes land on a particularly offensive sentence.
• "Alina's trainer, Mrs. Lena, admits to negligence in failing to detect and stop a trainee in time when she was taking a banned substance..."
• You: How can this be? Mom said she was going to appeal.

• I wilt in defeat. My own mom has betrayed me.
• Valeria reaches out and gives me a soothing pat on the back.
• Valeria: I'm sure Coach Lena had no choice. After all, this incident has had a huge impact on the club.

• Valeria: It's raised suspicion about other competitors when they're at events.

• Valeria: Coach Lena's just trying to protect them.

• Valeria's consoling words bring to mind another skater I know: Shaykh.

• Lena: Beautifully done, Shaykh! Your axis on that spin was centered. Keep it up!

• Lena: You're falling behind, Alina. Shaykh is your junior, but she'll soon surpass you.

• Lena: You look bigger. Have you gained weight again? It's throwing off your center of gravity. You'll never win if you keep this up.

• I feel my stomach churn. Not caring to explain anything, I say goodbye to Valeria.
• You: It's lucky I met you today, or I wouldn't have known at all ... Anyway, thank you.

• You: I'm sorry, but I've got something to do. See you soon!

• I say a hurried goodbye to Valeria and set off for the club. Brimming with anger, I intend to confront my mom.
• I've always known Shaykh was talented. I understood why Mom compared me to her. But she's been vocalizing her displeasure in me even more since the banned substance scandal.
• At first, I thought it was because I'd disappointed her, but now I know the truth-I've caused problems for her star pupil.
• Mom's office door is closed.
• I knock on the door. I lean forward, expecting Mom to tell me to come in, but instead I hear Shaykh's voice inside the office.

• I open the door, Mom is sitting behind her desk and Shaykh is standing beside it.
• I linger in the doorway, feeling like I'm a world away. Shaykh shares a closeness with my mom that I've lost.
• You: Shaykh, I need to talk to my mom. Will you give us some privacy?

• I lower my head when Shaykh passes by me, afraid she'll see the jealousy in my eyes.
• After Shaykh leaves, the look of tenderness in Mom's eyes shifts to a reproachful gaze.
• Her apparent displeasure deflates my anger. I feel too shy to speak. The two of us are quiet, until Mom breaks the silence.
• Lena: This is the first time you've stepped out of your room since the doping incident, isn't it?

• Lena: Alina, your cowardice has wasted two months. You'll never compete in the future if you keep this up.

• You: Will I even be allowed to compete?

• Lena: Don't be so defeatist. Are you planning to retire?

• You: I don't want to, but you cancelled the appeal, didn't you?

• Lena: And you reported me! The ban period is so long, how can I ever recover from this to compete again?

• Lena: You should have thought about that before you took banned substances.

• Lena: Maybe if you had more confidence in yourself, you wouldn't have touched those drugs.

• Lena: Even Shaykh knows to avoid them. Drugs don't help careers, Alina, they destroy them!

• You: (Shaykh this, Shaykh that! Mom never stops singing her praises.)

• You: (I could barely measure up to Shaykh in Mom's eyes before, and now I never will.)

• Resentment burns in my stomach. I feel my anger rising in a blaze of fury.
• You: This is your fault! I only took the diet pills because of you!

• You: You said I was fat! You said my technique suffered because I was overweight! I took those pills to lose weight!

• You: (I would never have touched those pills if not for Mom.)

• Mom scowls at me.
• Lena: You're blaming other people for your mistakes. Take responsibility for your actions, Alina!

• Lena: I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am.

• You: But, I...

• Mom looks furious. She should be the closest person in the world to me, but she feels more like a distant enemy.
• You: So you canceled the appeal because you think I'm hopeless. You'd rather invest your time and energy in Shaykh?

• Lena: What are you talking about? You need to forget all this nonsense and start focusing on your technique.

• Lena: I've been told your competitive ban will be reduced to two years.

• Lena: So you'll have plenty of time to get back on your feet and succeed.

• I can't listen to her anymore. She keeps dodging my questions.
• But I already know the answer.
• My mom, my coach, has given up on me for the more talented Shaykh.
• Disappointed, I turn and leave her office. Outside, dark clouds blanket the sky.

• I came to her office burning with anger. Now that I'm leaving, I feel nothing but cold.
• In the evening, WADA announces my sentence. I have to pay a hefty fine, and I'm banned from competing for two years.