Dancing On Ice: 1-8 New Thrill

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Dancing On Ice

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Alina takes Nastia's suggestion and buys a bottle of whiskey to make up with Honda, but she hesitates at the last minute...

Info

Style: Event Logs: GOE, Toe loop jump, Maslenitsa, Grizzly bears Required: Honda Itsuki Goodwill Lv. 2 Recommended: Joyous Atmosphere, Small Town Colors, Carnival Night Rewards: 3,000 , 600 , 3 , 1 , 1 , Blueprint: Breathing Technique

Breathing Technique

Dialogue Choices

You: Do I have to apologize to him?

• Take the initiative and apologize
  • No change
• Reconsider
  • No change

Transcript

Expand for script.

• I want to make a great impression on my first comeback, and I have the perfect choreographed program set in mind.
• I imagine the rink as water dotted with white swans. I skate among them as a grungy Black Swan, proud and untamed.
• I'm sure I can pull off the routine, but I fail to nail it every time I practice.

• The silence in the rink is cut by the sound of a blade hitting the ice.
• I glide across the ice and jump into the air, turn three times in mid-air, then make a perfect landing.
• I feel as graceful as a swan floating across the water.
• The blade under my right foot suddenly goes crooked. I wobble and nearly fall.
• You: (No, no, no! I can't fall. If I fall during a competition my GOE will be reduced.)

• You: (I'd rather make a mistake than fall.)

• I turn and jump again, but I mess up the landing.
• You: The toe loop jump is supposed to be the easier of all the jumps, but you can only land on one foot. I just landed on two feet to avoid falling.

• You: Choreographing the jump in the second half of the program can earn a skater a higher score.

• You: But it requires a lot of stamina. If a skater doesn't have enough stamina, they're more likely to make a mistake.

• You: It's possible I'm not achieving sufficient speed before I jump, so I'm unable to reach the desired height.

• Eager to get it right, I try again, but I fail to make three turns before I land on the ice.
• You: A swan floating on water? Pffft! More like a swan sinking in water.

• I hammer the ice to vent my frustration.
• You: Argh!

• I've lost count of how many times I've fallen today.
• A sense of hopelessness washes over me. My whole body feels exhausted. My success rate is so low, I'm not sure I should continue trying.
• You: Maybe Honda was right...

• You: I don't have what it takes to win a championship, and my last win was just a stroke of luck.

• Honda Itsuki: You only need to use your jumping leg for toe jumps. Why are you jumping with your other leg as well?

• I recall Honda's criticism from the other day and decide to try again.
• You: I must ensure my jumping leg isn't too close to the other leg, and I have to maintain the correct posture while my body's in the air.

• This time, I nail the landing.
• I feel like a swan again, gently rippling the water in an elegant landing.
• You: (I did it! I actually did it!)

• I'm irritated that Honda was right about my form, but what does that mater in the grand scheme of things? His criticism helped me to improve.
• I can't resist skating to my phone and searching Honda's name online.
• Other than a few news articles on his championship wins in the youth category, I can't find anything else about him.
• You: That's odd. Every championship winner becomes famous, even if they retire. Most of them spend the rest of their days signing endorsement deals until their hands go numb

• When I think of Honda's circumstances, I'm even more suspicious.
• You: Instead of being famous, he's living in a small town and owns a dilapidated ice rink.

• You: If only he were my coach, but we had that big fight...

• That argument drove a wedge between us, and Honda has been avoiding me ever since.
• If I'm not careful, my pride will be my downfall. I look to the second floor of the ice rink where Honda's office is located.
• You: Do I have to apologize to him?

-Take the initiative and apologize

• You: I have to swallow my pride and apologize. If I'm going to succeed, I need his help.

• Honda's office door is closed. I walk over and climb the stairs to the second floor.
• I knock on the door.
• You: Um... Hello? Mr. Honda, are you there?

• He doesn't reply. I wait in silence for a moment, then I gulp nervously and begin my apology.
• You: I'm sorry for what I said about your sportsmanship. Will you forgive me and reconsider being my coach? Please?

• My apology is interrupted by a note falling from the door. It says Honda's away from his office.
• You: Wait, he's not even in?

• I summoned the courage to apologize...
• ...
• You: I should return to the inn and come back tomorrow so I can try to apologize again.

-Reconsider

• You: I don't have anything to apologize for, do I?

• I stay on the first floor, debating what to do. Eventually, I chicken out.
• You: I should return to the inn and come back tomorrow. Maybe I'll feel brave enough to apologize by then.

• Fine snow floats down from the overcast sky. The storefronts are decorated with colorful lights.
• In the central plaza stands a huge scarecrow dressed as the goddess of winter.
• The townspeople are working to build walls for a snow city while the children are happily building snowmen.
• That's when I realize it's Maslenitsa.
• ???: Alina!

• Nastia is piling snow alongside the townspeople. When she sees me, she drops what she's doing and runs over.
• She speaks loudly so I can hear her voice over the hustle of the busy square.
• Nastia: Are you here to participate in the festivities?

• I shake my head and try to refuse, but Nastia takes my hand and leads me into the crowd.
• Nastia: I'm dressing up as a grizzly bear later, Do you want to change your outfit too?

• I look around. Most of the girls are dressed in traditional costumes, brightening the dreary weather with bursts of lively color.
• You: (I think I will change my outfit...)

• Before long, a stand is constructed on the plaza, and the scarecrow representing winter is set on it.
• Makeshift stalls positioned on both sides of the stand form a small bazaar. Nastia visits a stall and buys some pancakes.
• Nastia: You have to try these. Uncle Ivan's pancakes are not to be missed at Maslenitsa.

• Nastia's uncle laughs heartily and pours a large spoonful of honey over the pancakes.
• The air smells of butter and warm sugar.
• I take my first bite of pancake under Nastia's expectant gaze.
• You: Delicious! Thank you, Nastia.

• Nastia smiles with satisfaction. We stroll through the bustling marketplace admiring the sights and scents of all the delicious food.
• Nastia: Earlier, when I first saw you...

• Nastia: ...you look troubled.

• There's only a small bite of honeyed pancake left. This sweet distraction will soon be gone, and I'll be back to worrying about my training.
• Nastia: Is there something I can do to help??

• Under Nastia's sincere gaze, I feel compelled to confess.
• I've worried about this alone for too long, it would be nice to have someone I can talk to about it.
• You: There's something I need to ask Mr. Honda, but we had a big fight a few days ago...

• I tell her the story in ts entirety. Nastia listens intently.
• Nastia: You two like to argue, and neither of you ever back down. At this point, there's nothing else to do but apologize first.

• You: But being the first to apologize is humiliating.

• Saying this out loud fills me with embarrassment.
• Nastia: Consider Mr. Honda's personality, being direct may not work.

• Nastia falls quiet in thought. After a moment, her gray eyes light up with an idea.
• Nastia: How about buying him a bottle of wine?

• Nastia: Mr. Honda's attitude may improve after a glass of fine wine.

• The stall is packed with bottles that gleam beneath the decorative lights. I see vodka, wine, whiskey...
• I reach for a bottle of whiskey.
• Nastia: Oh, even better! Mr. Honda can't refuse a good whiskey.

• Nastia places both hands on my shoulders.
• Nastia: The ceremony to welcome the goddess of spring is about to start. Do you want to go see it?

• Nastia points to where the townspeople have gathered under the wooden stand in the plaza. The mayor approaches the scarecrow, holding its lit torch.
• Fire licks at the scarecrow's coat and it bursts into flames, flooding the square with a warm, orange light.
• Passerby: Spring! Spring! Spring!

• Everyone pumps their first and shouts in excitement. Infected by their energy, Nastia follows along.
• I watch the scarecrow burn and hold tight to the bottle of whiskey.

• When I return back to the inn, Mrs. Bella is already asleep, but she forgot to turn off the downstairs television. I overhear an excited commentator talking about figure skating.
• "Congratulations to competitor Shaykh for winning the competition!"
• I look at the television and see Shaykh being surrounded by journalists.
• One journalist shoves a microphone at Shakh and asks a barrage of questions.
• Mean Journalist: Have you been in touch with Alina?
• Mean Journalist: She disappeared after the doping incident. Is she planning to retire?

• Mean Journalist: Do you have any comments on Alina's use of banned substances?

• Shaykh briefly pauses before giving a reluctant answer.
• Shaykh: I... Taking banned substances is unforgivable. Alina's actions had consequences.

• The image on the television flickers and distorts, then the screen goes black.
• Nastia is holding the remote control. She turns to me, her eyes full of concern.
• You: Don't worry. It's nothing.

• You: Today was the most fun I've had since I got here. Thanks for that.

• I say goodnight and carry the bottle of whiskey to my room.

• When I get to my room, I place the bottle on the table and take out my phone to search for the interview I just saw.
• The journalist asks a slew of leading questions that Shaykh struggles to answer.
• Mom is standing behind Shaykh. She frowns and steps forward, interrupting the journalist.
• Lena: Questions that have nothing to do with the competition will not be answered.

• The journalists lose interest and walk away.
• You: Mom stands in front of Shaykh, scowling at the journalists who've decided not to interview her prized pupil.

• You: I've become irrelevant to the competition...

• Resentment coils in my stomach.
• I sit and stare into space, too troubled by my thoughts to get ready for bed.
• The whiskey sits on the table, a silent reminder that I still have to apologize to Honda.
• You: (If I can defeat Shaykh, Mom will see me in a favorable light, right?)

• There's no way I can sleep with all this weighing on my mind.
• I grab the bottle of whiskey and set off for the ice rink to find Honda.