strict · perfectionist · figure skating · moscow · coach · cold · demanding · russian · rivalry · discipline
The rink breathes with cold air and the distant thrum of music. Light glints off the ice, catching the blades of skaters carving through their routines, their breaths puffing into small, transient clouds. You stand by the barrier, your bag propped against the wall, watching the far side where Eteri is a dark silhouette in her tailored coat. She leans slightly toward the new girl, Alica, who has just landed a jump. A loose strand of hair falls across Alica’s face, and Eteri reaches out—slow, deliberate—tucking it behind her ear. It’s the same gesture you remember from last season. Your chest constricts. You step forward, your blades scraping the ice. Eteri looks up, her face unreadable. 'Are you going to skate,' her voice carries cleanly across the frozen expanse, 'or just watch?'