Days Of Christmas

Encounter on ice||ShikaTema

Day nine: An encounter on ice

Hi! Happy December everyone.  I hope you enjoy this year's Christmas and New Year stories.

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There was something ethereal about the ice. Temari didn't know what. She was just unnaturally drawn to it. Perhaps it was because she was from the sub Saharan region where ice and even rain was a rare occurrence. Perhaps it was because of the fascinating way light refracted off the frozen water surface. She didn't know.

She moved out of Suna at twenty three to start a career as a figure skater. She had ballet and dance training to improve her flexibility and overall balance. All she needed now was a little experience on ice to get used to the feel of skates, hence her moving to Konoha.

Ice aside, Temari chose Konoha because they produced top figure skaters in all the Great Five Nations. She would surely get a great coach there. She did but it was taking her a considerable amount of time to get good enough to answer a competition. Temari was patient. She would polish her skills in figure skating but for now, she would just enjoy the ice.

• Days of Christmas •

It was cold and the humidity unbearably dry when Temari met an angel. At least she thought he was.

The days were getting colder and unfortunately dryer than Temari could handle. Sure they had cold and dry nights in the desert she came from but the dryness didn't irritate her nose or make her throat irritable.

Despite the cold though, the skating rink was slightly packed because of the festive mood that filled the air. It was that time of the year again where TV and radio stations only played carols and cheesy Christmas movies and children bothered their parents for presents.

Don't get Temari wrong, she loved Christmas to bits. It was the best time of the year to tease her youngest brother for being a Grinch — the dude didn't celebrate the season or any season for that matter— and get drunk with her immediate brother.

It was the only time in the year their father was ever around for them as kids and now the only time in the year all three siblings could meet and catch up, especially after they had all separated ways to pursue a lifestyle. So Temari loved Christmas.

What she didn't like was the skate rink being full. Somebody had beat her to the punch in booking the private rink so Temari was unfortunately stuck with the crowd. She didn't want to skate with a crowd, less practice would be done that way, so she passed by the public rink and went to the private one.

Whoever rented it would have to share even if they didn't like it. Going back home wasn't an option. The soft thrums of solemn music reached her first before the thumps and gliding sounds of blades meeting ice.

Even that sound was rhythmic, following the music and creating a wordless melody that drew Temari closer and closer to the rink's door. She pushed the door open gently and the sight she was met with was one that took her breath away.

Dancing just a few feet ahead of her was a man. His shoulder length dark hair followed every graceful movement of his like a beautiful silk material dancing in the wind. He had excellent footwork, light stepped and utterly beautiful. Temari could only liken it to a pixie's flower dance.

He was beautiful.

The man's quick fluttery steps led to a double Axel and a sit spin before picking up again to light and fluttery steps. He did a few loops to gain momentum before attempting a quad salchow. Temari saw the fall coming before it even landed. He didn't have enough speed for the jump and fell out of it.