thespherelogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: Everyone!
What: November open log
When: November
Where: The Merchant Dome/The Pools
Warnings: NA
Notes: NA

Holiday mingle log

It’s the most wonderful (welcome) time of the year

Christmas is coming earlier and earlier every year, which isn't a surprise but hey they're starting the Christmas/Winter stuff the week before thanksgiving. Because why not. this month’s party takes place in the Merchant dome. But it’s not the everyday appearance of the merchant dome. No, for the next five days the Merchant dome’s appearance has been altered to look like a sort of Bavarian Christmas Market. There are small clusters of tables every so often, so people can just sit and chat and eat and drink.

Some enterprising person has even managed to make it snow through some unknown means. It’s not cold, but the snow is soft and steady and slowly building up.

The entire dome, all of the streets and all of the merchant stalls are practically glowing with white fairy lights that are strung everywhere. Vendors in their stalls gleefully cry out to paterons passing by, offering them free food or drinks. The food consists of the sort of things that one might expect to find in a place like this: sausages on buns and on sticks, pretzels, pizza, loads of cookies of every variety that one could think of, including elaborately decorated gingerbread, chocolates, fruits, french fries. Think winter fair food, and be as absurd and as complicated and extra as you want. It is a fair, after all. Go nuts. Drinks are also along the same line: hot cider, mulled wine, hot buttered rum, hot chocolate both with booze and without, as well as all the normal things: water, coffee, tea, milk, soda, and a variety of fruit juices that you’ve both heard of and not.

But food isn’t the only free thing that people are giving away! They’re also offering characters hats and gloves and scarves, small toys, books, delicate ornaments, perfumes, wine… it’s a giant welcome party after all, and these people are cheerful and happy. Even offering to pay just gets met with laughter and being told not to worry about it.

Fun and frivolity.

There are even carnival rides set up! A medium sized ferris wheel, a carousel, a giant slide and ice skating ring are all along the outside of the stalls.

At the far end of the dome, the snow has fallen deeper and held to several inches. Wouldn’t you know it just happens to be perfect snowball snow! So, there of course needs to be a snowball fight! What did you think those free mittens and gloves and scarves are for after all? The snowball fight can be organized into teams, or one on one depending on the player’s choice. This is a friendly fight, of course, so no rocks or slush balls or anything. Well, probably not. No one in the Sphere is your mother.

So you want some summer?.

While the welcome party rages on in the merchant dome, people have made a smaller party in one of the recreation domes. Around the pools, as a matter of fact. There’s almost like a small barbecue clustered around the largest of the three pools, and the light is constant and sunny here. The large pool is olympic sized, and is a sparkling blue. It’s fresh water, and probably clean enough to drink. I still wouldn’t drink it. The second pool is slightly smaller and more kidney shaped with a gradual sand mound at one end of it. This pool is salt water and looks a bit more like a beach than a pool. The third pool is a kiddie pool, complete with a splash pad, that’s running. Buckets drop, it’s got one of those mushroom things, and sprinkler jets. There aren’t any kids though, so people are welcome to go nuts.

Bathing suits and towels are provided in the changing rooms. There’s frozen and fruity drinks flowing freely, along with finger food and snacks. Loud music is playing from a local band that’s just generally of a pop sort. There’s people dancing rather in a rather haphazard fashion, but the dance floor is there and present!

Oh yeah, and there's definitely the baths and everything too!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

“Will you? Mm... how generous of you.” He responded with a little shake of his head on the subject of pointers.

Llewellyn certainly would like to point out that she should put on a pair of skates herself and join him, but now she had the excuse of having a hot chocolate to hold on to instead of skating.

Drat.

He laced up the skates and frowned at the ice, as though that might make it somehow behave better. “What sort of pointers would you suggest? Other than ‘don’t fall down,’ of course. That’s obvious, and one thing I have yet to figure out.”

Yes, you’re going to see him make an absolute fool of himself, Enis.

Even standing up on solid ground in skates proved to be amusing, as his ankles wobbled a bit and he reached out to catch a hold of a railing to keep himself from falling over before he even made it to the ice.

"Yes." She grinned sardonically. "Generous. That's how people describe me." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, not even the great detective could miss it.

Enis took a sip of her hot chocolate as if to show off the reason that she couldn't skate with him. Besides, she didn't want to show him up on top of stealing his hot chocolate.

One burn at a time.

"Do you keep your knees bent?" She asked simply, watching him not only lace up his skates but seeing where he holds his center of gravity. Enis didn't explain it but he needed to keep his center of gravity over the skates and she was going to try and help him do that. Plus, she could always walk on the ice if he needed a hand.

"Are they tight enough? That wobble doesn't look good."

Yes, he definitely felt sure of his presumption about her being sarcastic with him this time. How could he miss it? Llewellyn couldn’t help but risk a small shrug at her, “You have offered me assistance in the past to lend weight to the idea.” He managed a small grin, before another wobble caused him to lower the shrug and reach out to catch himself again.

The question about his knees gets an entirely confused little expression, “My knees? Why?” He slouched against the railing now, carefully moving his feet towards the ice properly.

At least he was until she suggested that the wobble didn’t look good. “Well, uh— I made sure they wouldn’t come unlaced if that’s what you mean?”

Enis flashed her friend a toothy grin. "Touché. It looks like I'm stuck helping you anyway." Her smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared but in subtle ways, she was relaxed and happy to spend some time with the awkward detective. He was one of the few people in the sphere who she trusted implicitly.

"Hold up." She pushed his shoulder to keep him from stepping onto the ice and then bent over in front of him. Enis then relaced his skates, so that they were tighter around his ankle and toes but looser around his heel. "This will help you move and turn but keep the blade at the center of your foot. You're also less likely to break your ankle." She then stood and gently poked his center.

"I'll dumb it down for you. Your goal is to lower your center of gravity. It's right here normally. When you bend your knees, it's closer to the ground. It will make it easier to balance. You also should keep your torso over your skates, which means keeping them about shoulder length apart. Good thing you don't have bulky shoulders, that would make this a lot harder." She gestured for him to get into the position she described, all while blocking his entrance to the rink. Enis wanted him to know what the right position felt like before adding a forward momentum to the equation.

Llewellyn drew to an awkward halt when she held him back from the ice, glancing over his shoulder curiously. “Hm? But I—” Oh, he mused as she re-laced his skates up. It seemed he had indeed been incorrect in his assumption that he’d tied them up properly. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he still was. “Ah, well that does seem better...? Thank you, Enis.” He responded as the wobble indeed lessened a little.

Of course, that didn’t mean his confidence was entirely bolstered. He knew what he was like on the ice whenever he’d made the attempt over the years.

He made a face at the term ‘dumb it down,’ but he couldn’t really argue the idea that simplifying her explanation did help him understand what she was talking about a little better. “So in this situation, it’s fine if I’m not standing up straight.” He responded with a slightly wry smile, after all... he’d often been told to stand up straight and stop slouching so much in his own world. What a funny turn of events. “But, uh... You mean like this?” Llewellyn moved slightly to bend his knees and try to mimic the position as best he could.

"Yes. Look out there." She pointed out to those skating around the ice rink. "No one is standing up straight because that's how you're going to fall."

Enis looked back at him and gently pushed on his shoulder. "You seem more solid. Yeah. Step away from the wall and find your balance here. Then remember that feeling. After you are able to stay upright, you can worry about going forward."

She figured he needed baby steps.

Honestly, he supposed he should have noticed that. Then again, Llewellyn was too wistfully focused on how graceful people looked and impressive it was when they didn’t fall down every five seconds like he did. They even got back up easily when they did fall down! It looked like fun, especially with other people.

When he didn’t topple over when she pushed his shoulder on solid ground, he grinned. “I do feel a little more solid standing like this, um... Whether it helps on ice remains to be seen.”

He glanced at her again before making his way towards the ice again. “That sounds like good sense, at least I won’t be too far from the exit if I’m hopeless at it.” He added with a small nod. If only he were more optimistic about his ability to do this, he might not fixate so much on the potential for failure.

Baby steps were definitely smart as he moved onto the ice. For a moment he forgot her advice and started slipping awkwardly, before he came to a clumsy halt and reached out for the side of the rink. “Okay uh— I haven’t fallen, so that’s a start.” Did he look a little proud of himself? Yes, yes he did.

At least until he shifted his weight without thinking and slipped properly this time, landing on the ice with a yelp.

Enis walked over to the edge of the rink, leaning over the lip with the cup of hot chocolate in her hand. A light smirk lifted the corner of her lips as Llewellyn stepped onto the ice and then nearly fell. This was the comedy that she was here for. Even if he didn't get the hang of it, it was going to be an interesting afternoon.

"You didn't bend your knees." She pointed out, very amused.

She took another sip of hot chocolate before holding the empty cup in a lazy grasp. "First steady yourself, do what we did on land and don't worry about moving. Just staying up." He was gliding a little bit because his weight wasn't centered but he wasn't moving too fast, at least not while he was holding the edge of the rink.

“I— I didn’t?” He asked, expression a little distracted as he was focused more on his feet for the moment. Oh, he mused to himself as he realized she was right, he definitely hadn’t been.

Llewellyn took a moment to focus on carefully bending his knees while she instructed him. “I am attempting to steady myself, though I would um... point out that it’s not easy when ice is as slippery as it is.” He mumbled, a little embarrassed as his feet slipped once or twice more until he finally was standing the way he was supposed to.

With a little awkward sound, he let go of the edge of the rink and waited tensely, “Oh... I think I might have gotten it right!” The detective grinned a moment later when he had yet to fall over.

"That's why the rink has an edge." She said, pointing to the piece of plastic that he'd been using as a crutch. Her tone wasn't mean but a matter of fact.

"Baby steps L. Just steady while holding onto the wall and then let go. You won't move." The words were out just as he let go and Enis had a feeling that he might start falling over. When he didn't, Enis was both surprised and a little disappointed.

"Okay. Ready for me to push you?"

Give him time, Enis. He’ll deliver on the laughs once he starts moving. Especially if she was going to give him a push to get him going... “Baby steps are about all I think I could manage on this surface.” He responded with some distraction as his eyes darted between Enis and his feet.

Llewellyn was glad to see that he hadn’t moved or fallen when he let go... The question of being pushed gets an alarmed look from him, distracting the detective and making him wobble enough to reach out and grab the side of the rink again. “What— Push me...? Is that a good idea?”

"Why not? You need to keep your balance while moving next. And I can control your speed to make you feel more comfortable. After that we'll figure out stopping and moving forward." She walked around the wall sectioning off the ice rink, tossing out the empty cup as she moved, and stepped onto the ice.

It wasn't hard to walk on ice, as long as you were slow and careful.

"Let me know when you're ready and I'll gently push you."

‘Why not,’ indeed? Llewellyn took a moment while she moved onto the ice to think about the question and see if he could come up with a reasonable argument as to why not... Nope. Nothing came to mind, curses... The detective cleared his throat awkwardly, “I... see the logic in that, yes.”

Oh, how he wished he didn’t... He shifted his weight a little, just to make sure he was standing the right way and bracing himself for the inevitable push. “Okay, um— I’m ready, but on the subject of speed control... I would request that it’s slow to start?”

Her mouth curves into an amused smirk as she steps up next to him, her hands now placed carefully on his hips. "I won't push too hard." At least not on purpose. The definition of 'two-hard' was likely different between the two of them. At the very least, she was going to try to walk along side of him.

"Ready?" She doesn't wait but begins to push, gently guiding him across the ice. Enis tries to find a steady pace but she also watches the detective, making sure that he's able to regain his balance.

She's walking along side of him easily but if she were to let go, he'd easily speed beyond her reach. So she kept her hands firmly holding onto his hips, keeping him moving at the speed of her steps.

It was definitely different between the two of them, but Llewellyn was pleased to find she didn’t just give him a shove across the ice. Especially as he didn’t even quite get a response out beef she started pushing him. “O-oh okay, yes. This is... fine? I think... Not too fast, though faster than I think I could manage on my own.” He responded, eyes darting down to his feet as they moved as though it would keep him from toppling over.

This was not helpful, of course, if anything watching his feet would hinder his progress. “This isn’t so bad... Since I’m not falling down, I mean.” He added with a quick glance to Enis as she walked along next to him. “I’m not sure if I can call it progress or not, considering you’re um... keeping me steady.”

Her palms remained on his hips, tugging backwards gently when it felt like he was accelerating too fast. Enis wasn't strong by immortal standards but she had the muscles of someone who worked with her hands and she used them to control Llewellyn's path and keep him a bit steady.

"I won't go faster than you can go. Just work on keeping your balance. Once you do that, I'll let you move your feet and just keep you from going too fast." She walked across the ice easily, adjusting her footing if she felt her stance begin to slip.

"It's progress. You have to be confident and comfortable if you're going to learn. I think it's what holds you back the most." With everything.

“Again, that’s something I’ve failed to do on solid ground, but I will continue to do so.” He responded with a little awkward mumble. Still, he appreciated that she was going at a comfortable speed. The idea of being forced to fly across the ice as quickly as the more experienced skaters was a bit frightening, considering he was more used to crashing or falling.

Llewellyn felt his expression shift, it wasn’t like he could argue against that. When the detective was confident? He practically flew with whatever it was he was working. It was just so rare, especially of late. He was trying though, thanks in no small part to Enis, Rhy and a couple other people here. “Well, I can uh— say with some confidence that I’m able to stay on my feet with your help. Without it remains to be seen.”

Enis chuckled, amused by the detective's lack of confidence. "It's a step. Do you want to give up? I can let you go." She was going to let him figure out how to get back to the edge of the ice rink now that they were mid-circling with all the other skaters.

"Or we can go with my idea." Which involved him moving forward with Enis still holding him up.

If it had been anyone else to suggest letting go and leaving him to his clumsy fate, Llewellyn might have been torn between wondering if they were joking or serious. But since it was Enis, he was pretty sure his friend meant it, and he didn’t really fancy being left in the middle of the rink to slip and fall. So with an awkward little sound, he nodded quickly, “Um, yup— I think we’ll go with your idea.”

"Good." She flashed him a wolfish smile. "You want to push the blades of your skates outward, not backwards. You'll have to experiment and find the angel that works best for you. Besides that, keep your ankle straight. It'll make sure you are making the right motions with your feet. It'll be awkward at first and you'll feel resistance but just keep going."

Enis watched his feet and every time his ankles looked like they were bending she'd remind him to keep his ankles straight.

Llewellyn glanced frequently at his feet, then back up at the rink to see where other people were in relation to him and Enis. “Okay uh— don’t push backwards... Outwards. I got it. I think.” He responded, trying a motion that sounded vaguely close to what she meant. Which was challenging, considering his instinct when walking tended to try to kick in first.

“I find the greatest resistance coming from how my brain seems to expect me to move, versus how I actually should move.” He mused aloud, glancing at her curiously. “Is this closer?” He asked, checking to see what she thought as he tried a slightly unsteady push with one blade.

"That makes sense. Brains are resistant to things they don't understand. Once you get it, it'll be easier." She spoke in a calm voice as she continued to keep his speed steady. Her fingers occasionally dug into his hips when it seemed like he was going too fast, gently keeping him close enough for her to control the speed.

"But yeah. You're getting it. You just need to practice. Let's try stopping and then it's just repeating all this until you get it. There are two ways to stop. One is coasting. Where you just let yourself slide until you hit the wall and catch yourself. You can also tilt your toes together into a point. That will slow you down. Want to try it?"

“I am a firm believer in practice...” He responded with a little awkward sounding hum, before falling silent and listening very carefully. Because stopping was kind of an important step, how else was he going to avoid bumping into people or ending this rather clumsy endeavour once he’d made enough progress to satisfy his stubborn need for at least succeeding at this.

“The first option is probably the easiest, not sure I need practice with that one.” Llewellyn started, before glancing down at his feet. “The second one though, yup... I should try it?”

Brow furrowed slightly, “I um— suppose that means you letting go and me finding out if I know how to not fall down yet too.”

Enis chuckled softly to herself. "No. I don't have to let you go. I'm not on skates so I don't have the same inertia as you. If you stop then I will too. I am keeping your speed constant using friction, not force. So I can hold you while your practice. Just make sure to keep your knees bent. If you stretch out your legs, you'll fall." He might possibly take her with him too.

"Let's start slow. It'll take time to do it quickly."

Well, if she wasn’t going to let him go, then he supposed that he didn’t need to worry too much. “Starting slow is probably for the best.” He responded with an awkward smile.

“Knees bent, don’t stretch my legs—” Enis, unfortunately, might find it very hard to stay standing. As he somehow got it a bit mixed up and straightened his legs and started wobbling to topple over, as though the suggestion that he might drag her down with him had tempted the fate of the universe.