Survival of the Fittest

[Semblance]

"That's true, I did suggest that," Aiden admitted, chuckling with amusement, when he realized he had brought that upon himself. He rolled his eyes when she proudly said that she hadn't had a sick day in years. The truth was, he hadn't either, but according to the school's attendance record, he was out sick at least a few times each semester due to Draki duties. He noticed the tinge of concern in her voice when she gave him advice on not getting sick, and he couldn't help but smile at her apparent worry. "Will do. I'll take good care of myself," he reassured her, looking into her caring hazel gaze.


"No worries at all, it's just a little water. I barely even noticed it," he replied nonchalantly when she apologized for his shoulder getting wet. "I guess, but it still would've been a pretty dick move on my part," he responded. However, Aiden knew that the real reason he had walked her to her car was because he wanted to spend a little more time with her, as the umbrella and the rain had just been an excuse. He hadn't felt so intrigued by someone he just met in a very long time. When she leaned into him during his goodbye hug, a natural, comfortable smile appeared on his face. "And I think you'd make a better princess," he replied, amusement lighting up his hazel green eyes. A knight and a princess- how fitting. "I'll see you later," he said to her as she slipped into the driver's seat.


With one last wave, Aiden turned around and headed to the other side of the parking lot towards his black Acura. He opened the car door when he neared and threw the umbrella onto the car floor, careful not to get the leather wet. He sat back into his seat for a few moments, reflecting back on the past couple of hours with Elsa and a wide grin growing on his face as a result. He took out the metal keys from his pocket and stuck the correct one into the key slot, igniting the engine in the process. Aiden reversed out of his parking spot and sped out of the parking lot to head home, the warm feeling still present inside him.

 

[sealdust]

Relieved that he'd take better care of his health, and that he didn't seem too annoyed over having to walk her to her car, Elsa was pleased, feeling assured that she hadn't managed to bother him. Despite the fact that the rain had traitorously revealed that she was ill-prepared and hadn't brought her umbrella, she was strangely happy that it had. Sharing an umbrella with Aiden had been nice. There had been an expression on relief on her face as he had explained that the water on his jacket wasn't that important, and even more of a grin when he'd suggested she'd make a better princess.


Elsa smiled again in her car, slipping her bag off her shoulders and onto the passenger seat. The engine was started, and the air conditioning was flipped up to warm, though for some reason, she'd stayed oddly warm throughout the trip to her car. The connection between the knight and princess sprung to mind, and she shook her head amusedly. Aiden really seemed like a wonderful guy, and even if the project seemed unnecessarily complicated, she was glad for it.


He waved, and she caught the sight of him walking away, his figure blurred by raindrops that insisted on persistently hitting the front windscreen. She hit the rain-wipers, watching as they rhythmically swiped away the torrent of water that was falling from the sky. Then she plugged in her iPhone, selecting one of her favorite playlists. Elsa checked her mirrors, making sure that they hadn't been bumped out of place, before pulling out of the parking spot, and heading home.

 

[Semblance]

|| SATURDAY, 9:02AM ||




​

The bright sunlight slipped through the blinds of Aiden's bedroom, washing his face in a golden light. His piercing hazel green eyes fluttered open with a yawn, slowly sitting up in his bed and swinging his legs over the edge of his mattress. He changed into a loose black tank and his navy running shorts, grabbing his phone and earphones, before going to the bathroom to brush up. When he was done washing up, he jogged down the stairs to the kitchen where his mother had made breakfast. The delicious aroma of scrambled eggs and french toast filled the air as he grabbed a quick bagel. "I'll finish the rest when I get back from my run. Thanks mom!" he told her, devouring the bagel quickly, as he exited through the back door. Aiden knew that the worst thing he could do before running is to eat a bloated meal, and he knew that was exactly what was going to happen if he sat down at the breakfast table.


He put his black earphones in and started to play his music from the Workout playlist on his phone. His muscular legs began to kick faster and faster until he had reached a steady jog. His piercing gaze scanned his surroundings, taking in the fresh morning air, as he followed his usual jogging path. Aiden took a left into the forest trails and ran along the familiar dirt path. The forest always looked completely different while he was running as a human than flying as a dragon. The trees looked taller, the brambles looked sharper, and the shadows were darker. Soon, the small lake came into view and he paused briefly next to the water banks to observe the scenery before him. The water was sparkling from the bright sunlight and the small ripples made tiny waves on the muddy shore.


Aiden continued on his path after the short break and about half an hour later, he had exited the forest. He slowed down to a brisk walk and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He reached into his pocket to take out his phone when he realized that he needed to text Elsa about the project. His thumbs flew over the keyboard and sent her a text message: Hey it's Aiden. I was thinking we could do one of the activities for the assignment this weekend?

 

[sealdust]

Elsa stopped dreaming the moment that the sunlight scattered light through her eyelashes as it peeked through her window. Sleepily opening her eyes, the brunette glanced sideways, reaching on the side table next to her bed for her iPhone, before watching as the screen lit up with the time: 8:31am. She laid in her bed for a couple more moments, observing the view of her room from her back, before finally feeling inclined to move.


She cautiously lifted her weight from the soft sheets of her bed, setting her feet down on the floorboards without a creak. The brunette headed to the bathroom first, taking a quick shower to further wake her up, brushing her teeth, before brushing out her hair and pulling her brunette waves into a ponytail. The kitchen was her next stop, and she noticed her father there, making breakfast. Elsa slipped into the kitchen, sliding fruit toast into the toaster, before gathering up the ingredients she'd need for her daily juice.


The mixer whirred into action beneath her fingertips, and when finished, Elsa poured out the juice into a glass, gathering up her fruit toast, a pear from the fruit bowl, and her drink, before sitting somewhere comfortably on the dining table. She quickly ate her breakfast, ready to leave before her father could ask any more questions about the assignment she'd received for her psychology class. Elsa had informed her parents of it the night before, claiming that she'd been working on her latest assignment, when her father insisted on knowing why she'd ditched her hunter duties. Her mother had understood, once being very academic herself, with all the studying she'd needed to complete for having the qualifications for being a surgeon. Her father less so, annoyed that she'd ditched her hunter training altogether, and claiming that her ability to fight and protect herself was more important than studying. Needless to say, Elsa could only rely on her mother's words to calm her father down.


The brunette left the house, going for an early morning jog - an activity that her father did approve of, and Elsa actually enjoyed. She placed her earbuds connected to her iPhone - which was securely located in the zipped up pocket of her jogging pants - into her ears, before going on one of the trails closest to her house, shoes hitting the ground rhythmically, and music at a healthy volume that wouldn't lead to early deafness. Towards the end of the run, Elsa heard a familiar tone that signified she'd received a message. She came to a stop, fishing out her iPhone, before realizing that it'd come from Aiden.


'Sure. Thinking of anything in particular?' Elsa responded back, typing it up quickly on her phone. She didn't have the list in front of her, but if she closed her eyes, she could clearly visualize the activities list. 'If not, we could always try to get 'do something you haven't done before / aren't skilled at' out of the way.'

 

[Semblance]

Aiden picked up the pace and began a slow, cool-down jog towards his house, taking in the stillness of the early weekend morning. Just then, his phone let out an unfamiliar ringtone that was different from his usual one. Confused, he took out his phone and looked at the screen, laughing when he saw that it was Elsa. She had changed her text ringtone to the one called "Waves." Not slowing down his pace, Aiden rolled his eyes and replied to her: Sounds good. That should be pretty easy, as there are many things I'm not skilled at. Ice skating, for example, or minigolf. Hbu? He put his phone back into his pocket and continued the last stretch of his daily run.


"Watch out!" a little kid's high-pitched voice pierced the air to the right of Aiden. He immediately took out his earphones and turned his head towards the direction of the voice. A soccer ball was flying through the air right towards him. He instinctively knocked the soccer ball away with his arms, successfully protecting his head, and knocked the ball pretty far down the street. "Sorry, Aiden!" Sammy, the 8-year old boy, apologized as he ran towards him with his friend. It seemed like they had been kicking around a soccer ball on their lawn. Sammy's older brother was the Earth Draki that Aiden had waved to in the hallways the other day at school. Everyone in the Pride knew that Sammy was more than excited to manifest for the first time, even though he still had a few years left.


"It's okay, Sammy," Aiden replied with amusement. He turned around to run down the street and headed towards the ball. "You ready?" he called out to the two boys from down the street, preparing to kick the soccer ball towards them. The two kids nodded with excitement, ready to receive the ball. With one calculated kick, Aiden sent the ball flying through the air and it landed smoothly onto their lawn, rolling to a stop right next to the pair of boys.


"Thanks, Aiden!" Sammy called out before returning to soccer practice with his friend.


Aiden smiled and waved a goodbye to the two kids before continuing down his path. As he rounded the last corner, he noticed a familiar brunette running on the other side of the street. He squinted his eyes and realized that it was Elsa, also going on a morning jog. When he neared, he waved at her, a bright smile on his face, and was about to cross the street when a speeding white car drove right by him. "Shit!" he let out a curse as he jumped back onto the sidewalk, glaring at the car that had almost ran him over. In the driver's defense, Aiden had barely even checked for cars before crossing the street. After turning his head both ways to make sure there were no cars, he crossed the street to join her on the other side. "Look who it is," he said with a smile when he closed the distance between them. "I was just texting you. Speaking of which, I noticed that the ringtone for your texts is different," he mentioned, an amused glint in his hazel eyes. "Do you think you're clever now?" he asked teasingly, referring to the fact that she had changed the ringtone to one that was water-themed.

 

[sealdust]

It had been peaceful, the music playing lightly in her ears, and her heart beating loudly in her chest even as she waited for another reply. Perhaps entering a residential area meant that she shouldn't have left her earphones in, but she doubted it would matter. She had sharp instincts, even without the aid of her hearing. Jogging this route whilst listening to music had been a peaceful escape from her reality: the knowledge that she'd had a huge argument with her father the night before was unsettling. Having arguments with their father was more Damon's style, rather than hers.


Aiden's new message came in, and she instantly knew which one of those activities they'd be doing. 'Seems we'll be ice-skating then. I haven't done that yet.' Despite hating the cold and knowing she'd have to dress warmly, she felt it might be interesting to do that with Aiden. With a small hum of approval she sent it and continued with her run, rounding the corner. As she jogged down the street, from the corner of her eye, someone was waving at her from across the road. Strange.


Normally people didn't wave at her like they knew her, or if they did, it wasn't from the other side of the road while she was running. Not when they saw she had earphones on, and Elsa turned her head to pay attention to who it was, when she nearly saw Aiden getting hit by a white car. Shock caught in her throat, tasting metallic, even as she saw that he'd missed getting run over. She pulled her earphones out, unable to not notice that Aiden was trying to approach her, and so she waited for him.


Smiling a little, Elsa arched her eyebrows at him, her teasing tone still a little shaken, "I don't mind if you consider me to be clever." She'd always known that she was intelligent, though a lot of that intelligence was connected to the fact that she had a really good memory, able to recall whatever detail she wanted when she wanted, with the exception of her really early childhood. There was a slight frown on her face, although she was pleased to see him, and relieved he hadn't gotten hurt - her thoughts were still consumed with how his style of crossing the road didn't appear to be very safe at all. The worried glint in her eyes deepened a little, "Just do me a favor, and please be more careful crossing the road. People can be killed by cars."

 

[Semblance]

Elsa's text message appeared on his phone just as he crossed the street and he briefly looked down to read her suggestion for ice-skating. He chuckled amusingly when she answered his teasing question, wondering how intelligent she really was. So far, she seemed to be a rather quick thinker, and based on the questions they had asked each other along with the subsequent answers, Aiden knew that she definitely wasn't stupid. His smile grew a little wider when he noticed the concern in her sparkling hazel eyes about him getting killed by a car. "Don't worry, Elsa. It takes more than a car to kill me," he said arrogantly with a teasing voice, making it obvious that he was joking. "Nah, really though. I'll be fine," he replied more seriously.





"And I just got your text about ice-skating, too. I would be down for that. The last time I went ice-skating was when I was still in elementary school," he told her, bringing up their assignment. "And from what I remember, I wasn't very good at it. I think I'll be more likely to be killed ice-skating than by a car, to be honest," Aiden added, amusement lighting up his eyes. "I'm surprised you're not skilled at ice-skating, actually. For some reason, you look like someone who would be pretty good at it," he commented, his gaze wandering down to admire her slender figure. It was true- her body was the epitome of one of those ice-skating ballerinas in the Olympics, and he had certainly noticed.

 

[sealdust]

Elsa rolled her eyes, not finding his joke really funny, but letting it slide. She smiled at the mention of him ice-skating whilst in elementary school. As far as things that they had to do, she much preferred the idea of ice-skating over mini-golf. Mini-golf sounded a little like it could be boring. Though the cold room was a slight deterrent, one that she decided she'd fight against with warm clothing and the promise of comfy chairs and warm hot chocolate.


"I said that I haven't done it before. Never really had the chance... " Elsa was filled with a sense of nervousness at the idea of slipping around on the ice. It looked deceptively easy when done by others, though Elsa knew that it might not be so for those that were new to the ice. Though she had good balance and reflexes, and Elsa guessed that they were perhaps skills that would lend themselves well to ice-skating. She gave Aiden a wry smile, "Though I pick things up pretty quickly, so this should be very interesting." She raised her eyebrow teasingly, "Are you worried about sliding around on the ice with blades on your feet?" If he was, she'd probably drop the subject out of consideration, but it had felt more like a amused remark comparing ice skating to car accidents, rather than a panicked one so far.


She tucked her phone, earphones and all into her pocket, a thoughtful look on her face. Elsa had been aware this time that he'd checked her out, and she smiled, a little amused by the fact he hadn't done it too subtly, since she'd managed to catch the drop of his eyes. "Pretty good?" Her bright green eyes wandered over his shoulders for a moment, before holding his gaze, "That's a pretty interesting choice of words." There was a teasing smile on her face, "You know what, I think you also seem like someone who would be pretty good at it, yourself." Then, perhaps reminded by the way that they'd been interviewing each other the day before, Elsa grinned, "Are you good at keeping your balance?"

 

[Semblance]

"Activities that involve athleticism usually come pretty easy to me as well," Aiden replied. He had always had a knack for sports, if one considered ice-skating a sport, so he figured now that he was much older, it shouldn't be too hard. "Hopefully it'll be much easier this time around," he added, thinking back on his faded memory as a little boy. "I guess we'll have to wait and see," he smirked, amusement lighting up his hazel green eyes, as he also referred to her claimed ability to pick up things naturally.


Aiden's cheeks became flushed when he realized that she had caught him staring, but he masked it well with a smile, and hoped that the cold morning air would hide his flushed skin. When she asked if he was good at keeping his balance, he immediately thought back to the times in gym class during middle school when he had failed miserably at roller-skating and walking across the balance beam in gymnastics. "Probably better than you," he teased her, the words rolling straight off of his tongue. "It depends. I'm terrible at roller-skating, but pretty good at skateboarding," he added a little more seriously.


Just then, his phone screen lit up and he looked down to read a text message from his dad telling him to come home immediately. Aiden let out a small sigh, knowing that it was probably something Draki-related. "Alright well we'll find out tonight," he said, looking back up at her. "Does 6 work? Maybe we can grab a quick bite beforehand?" he asked, putting his phone back into his pocket and starting to put his ear phones back into his ears.

 

[sealdust]

Nodding, Elsa looked a little amused, "I guess we will have to wait and see." She wondered if things turning into a tiny bit of a competition of them would be their usual behavior. It was a little fun, if she was honest. None of her other friends were nearly as quick to rise to a challenge as Aiden was. Perhaps it was because usually they already knew that she was fit and decided it wasn't worth a try in case of failure, but Elsa liked how Aiden didn't let that hinder him. Not that he'd lost to her yet, but it felt like they were kind of evenly matched.


"Maybe you'd be surprised?" Elsa suggested. She was the type of person who had pretty good balance, something that her hunter training had helped develop, though she doubted that all her skills would help her straight away on the ice. It would be cold after all, and she'd be wrapped up in warm layers, with ice-skates on her feet. She knew how ice-skating worked: in theory the lowered friction of the ice would allow the blade attached to the foot to slide straight across, but it would probably have other variables in practice that Elsa would likely learn the hard way. "If your balance has improved, maybe you're better than you remember."


She nodded. "Six works fine with me, and I was thinking of getting a hot chocolate to keep me warmer, so grabbing a quick bite beforehand wouldn't hurt." Elsa smiled, then observing the fact he'd gotten a message, and then placed his earphones into his ears, she figured out that he had to be somewhere else. "Do you want to meet just outside the ice-rink?" She pulled her earphones out of her pocket.

 

[Semblance]

A playful smile played along Aiden's lips as the teasing nature between the two of them grew stronger. He found the friendly competition fun, and it only served to increase his apparent attraction towards Elsa. "I hope so. I'm definitely not looking forward to face-planting on ice," he replied, amusement lighting up his hazel green eyes. "Although you seem like someone who would have pretty good balance," he added with a smile.


"I can come pick you up. Just text me your address," he offfered, the words naturally rolling off of his tongue. Aiden almost immediately realized that his suggestion had blurred the line between school project and date, but he found himself not caring about the obscure boundary. "I'll see you tonight," he waved a final goodbye before turning around and putting his other earphone in. The tall, muscular teenager jogged down the road towards the direction of his house.


Soon, the familiar view of his house came into sight and Aiden entered swiftly through the back door. Closing the door behind him, he saw his father waiting impatiently at the breakfast table. "Hurry and eat your breakfast. We have a lot to do today," the man said with a frown. "Your run was extraordinarily long today. And you came home late yesterday after school," he commented, annoyance in his voice.


"Sorry, dad. I got caught up with Sammy. And I was doing a project yesterday," Aiden replied. It wasn't a lie- he had encountered the little boy during his jog, and he knew that Sammy would say the same thing if his father tried to confirm the story. "I'm going to take a quick shower," he insisted, heading towards the stairs without waiting for his father's answer.


"Just meet me in the forest at our usual clearing. There's been more sightings of hunter traps in the forest, so we're on trap duty today," his dad briefly explained as Aiden began jogging up the stairs. The boy sighed as he quickly made his way to the bathroom for a shower. Just another typical Saturday morning, and he found himself naturally looking forward to hanging out with Elsa more and more.

 

[sealdust]

Neither was she, and it occurred to Elsa that she could end up looking like a total fool in front of Aiden as she slid around unsteadily and smashed down onto the ice. She smiled, also agreeing with Aiden's assessment of her balancing abilities, "Usually."


A slight blush graced her cheeks, as she also became aware of that boundary, though Elsa thought she was probably overthinking a little, since it was only part of a school assignment, and it wasn't like friends or assignment partners couldn't pick each other up from their houses. It was one of those things usually done when people had gotten to know each other better, but Elsa didn't mind too much. She nodded her head in agreement to being picked up from her house, nearly lost for words, but she managed to get them out, "I'll see you tonight, then."


She slipped her earphones into her ears, before heading home. Upon Elsa entering the house, her father poked his head out the door leading to his office. "Elsa, we need to talk. You can't just ditch training like that." He paused, probably for his own dramatic effect, "Don't you know how dangerous it is? Do you know what I thought when you didn't even turn up?" Her father was still going on about yesterday, and Elsa was a little annoyed that he hadn't dropped the subject. She understood that he'd been worried about her, though he had been overly focused on everything hunter related lately, which made him a little unreasonable to talk to in relation to anything not hunter themed.


Elsa sighed, "I had to focus on schoolwork." Though that schoolwork also involved concentrating on a guy, which she was certain her father wouldn't approve of. "Dad, I'll be fine. Missing one day of training won't hurt, and I can always make up for lost time." Regarding her plans later, this talk confirmed that Elsa would have to text her mother to tell her about the fact she was working on her assignment with her partner tonight, and she wouldn't be home. "If that's all, I have things to do." Like her homework, and her hunter training, because somehow she was always busy with one of those two things. She kinda wished that six o'clock came quickly.

-- Saturday 5:51pm --

​

Elsa dressed warmly with dark navy jeans, a comfortable dark purple shirt that wasn't even visible, and a dark grey coat. Nervously, she reassessed the message she'd sent Aiden half-way during the day, before fiddling again with the deep purple scarf around her neck and looking at the time on her silver watch again. She'd gone out to meet him a little early, but it probably didn't matter.


'14 Castle Avenue. Don't joke about street name - I'm being very serious. I'll be waiting at the end of the street.' She had rather smartly decided that she'd not try her luck with having Aiden pick her up from her doorstep. Not with her father's apparent bad mood. That would only be inviting trouble, though she supposed by her instruction, Aiden would get the hint that stopping at her house would be a pretty bad idea.

 

[Semblance]

By the time Aiden had returned home after a day spent tracking down and destroying traps, he was already tired. He and his father always put in more energy when they were on trap duty after what had happened to Ardyn. Neither of them said it out loud, but they both knew that there was more personal motivation attached to this job. Neither wanted history to repeat itself on another young, inexperienced Draki. He didn't see Elsa's text message until he got to his room, but he noticed that she asked him to pick her up at the end of the street instead of her house. Aiden wondered if her father was as suffocating as his own, but of course he knew better than to pry.


After spending a day in the forest, he knew he had to shower again to get rid of all the dirt and woodland debris. He knew that there was a part of him that wanted to impress and look good for her, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away. He had to keep his emotions in check, as he knew that even if he were to pursue his attractions outside the Pride, he could never fully be himself. Aiden walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him, and jumped into the shower. He reveled in the scalding water, turning the knob up to the hottest temperature. This felt good. Really good. He could see the faintest outlines of scales on his skin, as the burning water attempted to activate the fire dragon within.


After he realized he had lost track of time, he quickly exited the shower and dried off with his towel. He changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a black shirt that emphasized his muscles underneath. As he was about to exit his bedroom, he grabbed his Gucci cologne off his shelf and spritzed himself lightly so that it could only be smelt if one were to lean in closely. Reading the time on his phone as 5:49, Aiden jogged down the stairs and sent a reply to Elsa that read: Got it. On my way! He opened the door to his garage and slipped into his black Acura, igniting the engine with his keys.


Aiden arrived at the address he had been given by Elsa and drove down to the end of the street like he had been instructed. He saw her familiar figure as he neared the corner, pulling to a stop on the side of the street. He rolled down the passenger window and unlocked the doors for her. "Hey! You ready?" he called out to her.

 

[sealdust]

Elsa found herself idly watching the sky overhead as she waited. She hardly ever had time to wait, usually she was rushing around everywhere, and it was kind of nice that she didn't have to move at that same speed. Her black boots shifted a little restlessly over the ground, but it didn't bother her too much. The sky wasn't raining at least. Her phone buzzed slightly in her pocket - a reminder that she'd received a text message as she was leaving the house. Elsa pulled the floral pink iPhone out of her pocket briefly to inspect what Aiden had written, before pushing it back into her pocket energetically, a pleased hum of approval leaving her lips momentarily. He was on his way.


As cars passed by, she looked at the drivers. When Aiden finally showed up, Elsa smiled and waved at him so that he wouldn't mistake her for one of her neighbors. He came to a complete stop, and she heard the click of the lock, so she opened the door to his black Acura, sliding herself rather soundlessly into the comfortable passenger seat. "Hi! It's great to see you again." The door to Aiden's shiny car closed as she swung it shut behind her. She gave a slight nod. "I should be ready, I've got everything." She claimed in response to his question, quickly reaching for her seat-belt. With a another click, she was strapped in and ready to go.


"Thanks for picking me up," she looked back in the direction of her house via one of the mirrors briefly, before looking to the front of the car again. "I know it's probably just for the sake of the assignment, but it's nice. Do you often carpool?" Elsa asked, turning her head to observe Aiden. She was a little curious about him, wanting to know more about who he was.

 

[Semblance]

Aiden smiled as Elsa slipped into the passenger seat, shutting the door behind her. "You too! How was your day?" he asked, finding himself genuinely curious to see what she did on a typical Saturday. Not destroying hunter traps, that's for sure. "And it's no problem at all. I would've had to drive by your house on the way to the ice rink anyway," he replied as he started to drive in the direction recreational center. "Yeah I do, it's a good way to save gas," he added. Although that was true, Aiden knew that the real reason he had wanted to pick her up was more than just to save a few dollars on gas.

Time: Saturday, 7:03PM


Location: Avon Recreational Center
​

Aiden grabbed on to the pole next to the entrance of the ice rink. His piercing hazel green eyes surveyed the frozen, white rink in front of him, filled with families and children ice-skating smoothly around the rink. He was having trouble balancing on the thin blades even on normal ground, but he was masking it well. His stomach was full from the sandwiches he and Elsa had grabbed at the fast food place right next to the rink. He turned around the face her, a playful glint in his eyes. "Here goes nothing," he said as he turned back around and carefully took his first step onto the slippery ice.


Had he not been clutching for dear life onto the walls of the rink, he would have fell then and there. His leg muscles flexed, trying to keep his body upright, as his left foot joined his right one on the ice. As he attempted to take his first step on the ice, his left foot slipped forward, threatening to face plant his body onto the frozen ground. Aiden quickly caught himself on the walls and very slowly began to move forward so that he wouldn't block the entrance. "It's not that bad!" he called over his shoulder back to Elsa. "You just have to cling onto the walls," he added, his attention focused on keeping himself from falling.

 

[sealdust]

"Spent most of it swamped down with homework. What about you?" It was a little bit of a lie, but it wasn't like she could tell Aiden that the time she spent not doing homework was spent doing hunter training. Elsa found the secrets and the lies exhausting, though it wasn't like she could admit that or tell the truth regarding her situation. She couldn't be entirely truthful to anyone that wasn't a hunter, and even then, she couldn't tell any hunter her personal feelings or frustrations. "You didn't know that when you offered," Elsa said quietly. For all Aiden knew, he might have had to have gone in the opposite direction first, but it made her a little pleased that he had offered.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Good luck!" She said as he began to step on the ice, though there was a jolt of surprise as she realized that even Aiden had trouble on the ice. Elsa expected perhaps a little trouble, but not to the extent that Aiden seemed to have. Suddenly the ice skaters in the middle of the rink seemed like they were more talented than Elsa had originally thought.


Though she'd be laughed at forever by Damon if anyone took a snapshot of her clinging to the walls of the ice rink, and she idly wondered how much someone would learn with such a crutch. Her first step on the ice involved her left foot sliding out wildly from beneath her, her right foot quickly following. She grabbed onto the nearest object - the wall, and used it to keep herself from falling completely. After a couple of meters had been traveled, practically clinging to the wall the entire time, her feet finally not threatening to slip with every step, she thought that she'd try something else. Her eyes drifted out to some of the people that were managing to cope without the wall, and she looked at what they were doing differently to her. Straightened posture, feet a certain distance apart, blades parallel, using one foot to propel them forward with one steadying, whilst some of them had their hands out to balance. Okay, she could try to mimic that.


Elsa chanced one last look at Aiden in front of her, before she mimicked the stances of the ones who could skate briefly. Letting go of the wall, she felt the skates want to make her surge backwards or forwards, but for a couple of moments, she was able to stand still unaided. Then the blades slid forward anyway as obviously her balance came undone, her feet coming out from underneath her, and Elsa found herself falling backwards, a sharp intake of breath entering her lungs, even as she completed the crash which knocked her nearly breathless. Ice was a hard surface to fall against. A frustrated huff spilled from her lips. Her bare fingers splayed momentarily on the ice, to support her in her sitting position, before she remembered that people had blades on their shoes and quickly moved her ice-chilled hands into her jacket, though the pockets weren't as warming in such a cold environment. The ice was wet, not dry, chilling the fabric of her pants where she sat, and even as Elsa tried to make herself upright again, she felt that she understood a little more of the balancing act required to stay upright. "Great... I don't think I can get up."

 

[Semblance]

"Same here. I swear calculus will be the death of me," Aiden responded, the words rolling naturally off of his tongue. He had gotten used to having to lie like this, as he had spent his entire life having to make excuses on the spot about what he was doing or why he couldn't go to something. Although he was generally a straightforward and honest guy, and lying to his close friends had gotten tiring very quickly, it's not like he had a choice.


His pulse sped up a little when Elsa called him out on not knowing that her house was on the way, but he kept calm and smiled. "That's true, but I wouldn't have minded driving the extra distance," he replied smoothly. "I enjoy driving, anyway," he added. It was true. Driving and soccer were two of the few things in his life he felt like he had complete control over, and even soccer was still a heavily team-based game.




As Aiden was moving slowly along the wall, practically clinging on for dear life, movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He looked over and saw Elsa attempting to skate without the support of the wall. She seemed to be faring quite well for an inexperienced skater. "Hey you got it!" he exclaimed, trying to observe the way she was skating. However, as soon as the words left his mouth, she tumbled backwards and fell straight onto the hard ice. "I must've jinxed it," he added, amusement lighting up his eyes as he pushed himself along the wall towards her.


Aiden bent over and extended a hand out to her, meeting her bright hazel eyes. When she reached out to grab his hand, he let go of the wall in order to use both of his hands to pull her up. As soon as her body weight unbalanced his stance, he felt his left foot shoot forwards and the next thing he knew, he fell backwards onto the frozen ice with a thud. "Shit," he cursed, the pain shooting up his lower back. He turned to look at Elsa, who was sitting on the ice right next to him, with an amused expression on his face. "I wouldn't be surprised if we spent our entire time trying to just get up," he joked. Aiden's gaze shifted over to a group of little kids racing past them on their ice skates. They couldn't be no more than 9 or 10 years old, and yet they were skating around like professionals. "Alright if those kids can somehow do this, we definitely can," he said with determination.


He reached up and grabbed the ledge of the wall with his hand. After much effort, he finally balanced himself on his skates and pulled himself up. Dusting the pieces of ice off of his black coat, he extended his left hand back out to Elsa, careful to keep his right hand on the wall this time. "Let's try this again," he said, looking into her eyes.

 

[sealdust]

That got a laugh from her. A lot of people found calculus frustrating, though she had a slightly easier time with it due to her good memory and some of her brother's study notes that he'd written for the final exams. Though reflecting on his statement about not minding driving the extra distance, she nodded. "That's quite generous of you, then."


Elsa smiled at his comment about liking driving, finding again that they were similar in a lot of ways, "I also enjoy driving. Focusing on the road whilst listening to music helps me to relax, because I don't end up dwelling on upsetting thoughts." Though somehow the last bit of that statement seemed personal, almost like she was admitting that she wasn't happy all the time, and foolishly, she felt herself rush to cover up her weakness. "Not that I'm usually upset, it's just... Driving makes it easier to cope when I do have bad days." And wow, that was probably the worst explanation she'd ever given for anything, and she really wanted to hide her face completely with her purple scarf. She continued on, hoping that somehow she'd manage to salvage the conversation from the wreck she'd probably created. "Plus, it's a chance to get to listen to some nice music, look at some beautiful scenery, and actually manage to travel somewhere at the same time, which makes good days more enjoyable."


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


"You didn't jinx it," Elsa stated, reaching out her hand so that he could help her up. "Beginners usually are terrible at new things." However, worry came alive in her eyes as she watched Aiden crash to the ice with a curse on his lips. "Are you alright?" she asked. Despite all her concern, she still managed to smile when he joked about them spending their entire time in this very position, unable to get up. She was so focused on him, that when he looked over to the young children speeding along on the ice, she shifted her glance in that direction for only half a second before looking back on him.


His determination was kind of inspiring, if Elsa was being honest. Aiden had a way of making it seem like any goal he set was achievable, and a bright smile crossed her face. She wondered how often he made such resolute goals, and acted upon them with that steady determination. For some reason, she was starting to have no doubt that by the end of their time in the rink, they'd probably be skating around without the support of the wall. It was what she wanted to believe could happen, anyway. Ice-skating, properly managing to balance on the ice, seemed fun, especially with the company she had. The cold was starting to get to her, but Elsa knew afterwards she could warm herself up with a cup of hot chocolate.


After the first failed attempt of restoring Elsa to her feet, she hadn't expected a second, and for a moment she was worried that he might get hurt again. But then she looked at him, seeing the determination in his eyes, and she realized that she wanted to trust in him again. Or perhaps it was just her selfishly wanting to take his outstretched hand again. "Okay." It was said softly, trustingly, and she reached out again to take his hand, her hand almost burning as the raw nerves of her skin lit up with the contact. It wasn't an uncomfortable burning, but instead a hyper-awareness of contact. Self conscious of the contact, Elsa allowed him to attempt to pull her up a second time. Though upon being pulled up, her skates kind of slid forward a bit. Elsa managed to keep her balance, but she didn't miss the fact that somehow -probably due to the fault of the ice- she'd drifted quite close to Aiden. Their faces weren't that far apart. A light blush spread across her cheeks, and she was thankful for the scapegoats that were the cold dry air of the ice-rink, and her own oblivious nature on how to skate. "Thank you, Aiden."

 

[Semblance]

Aiden listened intently to her explain why she enjoyed driving. When she mentioned feeling upset on her bad days, he felt an urge inside of him to want to be there for her when she was feeling down. Similar to his protective nature towards his sister, he found himself caring more about her than he expected himself to. "I remember you mentioned that when we were asking each other those questions yesterday," he said, recalling that she had said driving was something she enjoyed doing in her free time. "My favorite is driving late at night on the highway while blasting music with no destination in mind. Although it is kind of a waste of gas, it does wonders in helping me clear my head. And there's no cars either." His mind immediately flashed back to the times when he had angrily stomped out of the house after an argument with his father and subsequently decided to drive along the highway in the darkness. It always helped calm him down.




"Yeah I'm alright. Are you?" he asked, more concerned about her than he was about himself. Although he was only wearing a light black jacket, he barely felt the cold, as easily staying warm was one of the many perks of being a fire Draki. When she placed her slender, cold hands into his rougher, warm ones, he swore he could feel sparks on his skin as they made contact. Aiden's gaze met her hazel green eyes for a second, and he felt himself being pulled towards her. Flexing his left arm, he swiftly pulled her up and kept his hand in hers to make sure she was steady before releasing it. Although he did have to admit that he preferred to continue holding her softer and thinner hands, he knew it wouldn't be appropriate. He felt her body drift closer to her as the slippery ice caused her skates to shift forwards until their faces were quite close together. Again, his eyes found themselves staring into hers. In his attempt to tear his gaze away from those hazel orbs, he found his eyes briefly shifting down to look at her soft, pink lips before quickly darting away into the distance. "Of course," he replied, softly clearing his throat.


He watched the other skilled ice skaters fly by them, and he hoped to at least successfully skate around the rink once by the end of the activity. "Shall we try skating with one hand on the wall first, then hopefully progress to no hands?" Aiden suggested, his sharp gaze observing the stances of the more skilled skaters. He kept his back slightly arched and bent his knees a little with his right hand gripping the wall. Slowly, he began to push his left skate forward, followed by his right. Whenever he felt his balance about to give way, he would tighten his hold onto the wall to steady himself before continuing. "Bending your knees really help!" he called over his shoulder, briefly looking at her before turning his attention back onto the ice.

 

[sealdust]

She smiled at the thought of Aiden blasting music down the highway, "That sounds like it would help clear your head." It occurred to her how Damon was a bit like too, since he had a helmet that could play music, and sometimes he'd go for drives out on his motorcycle just for the sake of it. Though, for some reason, she didn't exactly feel like it cleared his head, since he was perpetually irritable, picking fights wherever he went. "Though I feel that it's not a waste of gas if it helps you do that. Even if it's not used to travel, if driving can help put you in a better mood, that's also important." Elsa was sure that was how she felt on the matter, even if it was one of those realizations that only came about conciously once she'd voiced it. Though her own opinion was that though technically - especially in the eyes of her father who would prefer that she train - swimming could be considered a waste of time, it wasn't a waste of time at all to her, since she always felt at peace afterwards.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Elsa nodded. "I'm fine," she responded lightly, relieved that Aiden hadn't managed to harm himself during the impact of his own fall. The impact of her landing had hurt her hands a little bit, though she could tell the pain was more of a sting from the hard collision with such an icy cold surface, rather than anything serious. She'd had worse falls than that for comparison. When he'd helped her up, she'd noticed Aiden's hands were warm, which was nice, and she could feel her heart beating a little quicker than usual at the contact. Though she noticed that he let go of her hands quite quickly. "My hands are cold, aren't they?" Elsa sighed, knowing that there was no way they were otherwise after touching the ice. "We should get a hot drink after this." Holding a hot mug would help to warm up her hands, which would probably be quite soothing, and the fact that she'd also be able to drink something she liked would be a bonus. Maybe it would even be a little more of an opportunity to get to know Aiden a little better - they could settle down somewhere comfortable and talk.


"Let's try that then," she agreed. Elsa shifted her right hand to the wall, knowing it would help in stabilizing her balance, and not as eager to be crashing down on the ice as she had done just then. Her left arm stretched out, being used as a balance on her other side. Slowly she pushed against the frosty ice with one foot, whilst using the other as a stabilizer. She could hear the grating sound where her blades scraped across the frozen surface, and her heartbeat loud in her ears, half from the adrenaline of falling, and half from Aiden's recent proximity. She bent her knees like he'd suggested, and as though that was what was missing before, Elsa suddenly found herself having a much easier time staying upright. Most of the other skaters had their weight centered slightly forward, so she copied that and even though she found her position slightly shaky, she could tell it was more of her own attempts for stabilization rather than the skates trying to come out from underneath her. Elsa continued skating for a while, carefully analyzing her achievement. It didn't even feel like she needed the support of the wall now, even if it would be nice to be close to it in case she'd overestimated how good she was at balancing. She smiled victoriously, feeling a rush of excitement at having progressed further than from where she'd started. "Aiden," she called out excitedly, wanting to share her progress with him. "I'm skating!" There was probably no mistaking the genuine enthusiasm she had for this discovery, not with the tone she'd used. It was how people usually sounded after they were breathless from laughter, and her delight sounded clearly in her voice.