calling to join them the wretched and joyful

[shooteverything]

[ the junior regional competition is a big competition, with not only a cash prize but a national competition to follow. heine and nill have been practicing for longer even than usual, with bishop and haverford coming by as well earlier in the day to provide coaching. this means they've booked a lot of the free blocks for the rink.

it also means he ends up staying late enough that he wants to get dinner. nill's ready to take a break for food too, so he's waiting out by the exit, having changed, carrying his bag over his shoulder. nill hasn't appeared yet; when she does, she's not alone. with her seemingly endless reservoirs of friendliness, she's cornered that girl who teaches kids to ice skate and is talking to her through what she types on her phone celty style. at this moment, heine deeply wants to leave her there. ]

Comments

[snowmaker]

[ elsa would like to walk home, now. — soak in a hot bath and hear anna from her room and... something, something else suitable to her loneliness, until the night is too late. but she is just that: lonesome. and nill seems like a sweet girl. her brother, besides, does not seem to talk much, either. (sympathetic silence, perhaps.) neither could be so bad for one night. ]

Hello... [ a glance at nill and her prepared mobile. ] Heine. I'm Elsa.

[shooteverything]

[ oh, god. he gives nill a heavy look, but she doesn't flinch. he tries not to sigh. ]

Hi.

[ he looks at nill again expectantly, and she signs back i invited her to dinner. of course she did. but no going back now. heine nods jerkily and starts walking towards the exit. if nill wants to invite people along, then he should get to pick where they eat. ]

I want bacon.

[ it's 7PM. ]

[snowmaker]

Cheeseburger?

[ a hopeful suggestion so this dinner date doesn't end in ihop. or waffle house, good god. ]

[shooteverything]

[ shrugs. there's a fast food place nearby, well within driving distance and reachable in their designated break time.

nill makes a face at him, and writes out to elsa, ] we're going to burger king.

[ he has one of einsturzen's cars, an understated compact vehicle that heine unlocks and gets into without saying another word. there's no radio or music on, and would be even more awkward if nill didn't volunteer to get into the backseat with elsa and start asking her about the kids in her skating class. ]

[snowmaker]

[ awkward is such an understatement, and elsa is thankful for nill's presence. earnest like anna but subdued and softer. easier. ]

Oh, for college admission. [ beat. ] I don't think I've been to Burger King. My parents were a little... Strict when I was little.

[shooteverything]

[ heine doesn't really respond, but he's listening—can't really block them out, it's so quiet in the car. nill picks up the slack, and is about to ask elsa something when heine glances up into the rearview mirror. ]

You can go by yourself now.

[ nill: you have to develop a taste for junk food, and a faintly annoyed glance at heine. ]