A Blade and an Arrow

Sacrifices

Mu Qing wasn't a tad bit surprised to see their local hockey team and another different team he couldn't care less about to know which city they spurted out from already practicing on their local ice skating ring.

Less surprised to see the scoreboard have the same numbers and the players barely containing their shattered egos and continues glares.

Despite having the same love for ice skating, Mu Qing could hardly be interested in hockey. Unable to see the beauty and artistry of it other than the foul curses they silently throw at each other and the rough moves hitting the hockey puck. Atleast figure skating has stories to tell behind the graceful actions, the difficult axels, the perfect landings and not to mention the soft melody ringing through the whole ring despite having judges as cold as the ice they skate on and as straightly insulting as the blade of their ice skating boots even though they say it's just fair advice.

Advices that falls on deaf ears. Neither of the figure skaters bothered to take on the so called advices because even their coaches loath the way they insult their disciple as though they're the most perfect skaters in the world and passing even the olympic judges.

Another competition was coming. That meant having to suffer indignantly with these insufferable players with the reason of having only one ice skating ring throughout the whole city. Having to tolerate bumping with one another, though Mu Qing was fine with that as the players he accidentally bumps into were nice and apologetic. Besides, they barely meet each other's end as the ring was big enough for a hockey game and a large space would still be unoccupied.

That was the only good thing about this place.

Sighing to himself, he trudges towards the locker room. Sharing the same skating space meant sharing the same locker room, that was the worst of it all. However, atleast the players were decent enough to not lounge around half naked and uncaring of their surroundings. Or atleast Mu Qing does not enter the room with them in that state as they were already mostly dressed if ever Mu Qing and his own group steps inside. Resolutely ignoring each other excluding the mocking whistles and teasing looks the players throw and Mu Qing's sharp glare silencing them immediately, the whistles turning to awkward coughs and the looks averting away.

This one however, was not the case.

The moment he had entered the locker room, he knew immediately there was something wrong about it. Not counting when he looks up and sees two people barely holding themselves back from punching each other's throat or kicking each other's groin. The thick atmosphere didn't help either as he opens his own locker, throws his keys, phone and wallet before sitting down on the farthest bench away from the two to remove his shoes and put on his skating boots.

There had been a fight. Or there was supposed to be a fight before he invites himself in unannounced and accidentally stopping the supposed brawl. Not being able to stop himself, he side-glanced them, fingers faltering from tying his shoelaces when he sees that both of them did not have a shirt on and both profusely sweating either from the heat in the room, their previous practice or the heat of their own argument. Nevertheless, Mu Qing did not care. Slipping his soakers on his blade, he stands up to shove his shoes carelessly in his locker. Shutting the door with an accident loud sound, he struts outside without a word.

He didn't even have the chance to close the door when he hears someone already getting shoved on one of the lockers, no doubt caused by a hard punch.

Rolling his eyes, he slowly makes his way to the people standing just at the entrance of the ring. Having difficulty in walking, he sighed silently in relief once he reached them as he grabbed onto the railings. It seems the practice had come to an end, seeing the players trailing outside and to where he came from, stopping momentarily if he had seen both team's captains and Mu Qing wordlessly pointing at the locker door. Hearing the loud bangs and angry curses, both the teams hurriedly ran - as fast as their skating boots could let them - towards the said room.