It had been three weeks since she'd awoken from her coma. Those weeks had been spent mostly in her room, not very different from her days unconscious. Now, she had been allowed to go unsupervised for the first time, and not without her nursemaid having to pull some major strings, really, she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to wander around on her own, but it was autumn, her favorite season and anyone else would agree that three years was long enough to be in bed.

She still couldn't walk well, so she'd taken the wheelchair out, rolling herself with her coat and black skinny jeans and boots out to the Skating rink.She didn't know the school had one, then again, she didn't know anything yet. How could she? A few girls bustled around behind the skate-rental counter and some over by the food area. She blinked at them and rolled herself over to get a pair of skates. Was she nuts? Maybe. The girl handing her the black laced shoes sure thought so, eyeing her wheelchair. She shyly looked away, unable to challenge the ignorant and judgement gaze. Instead she thought to herself, she'd sure stun the girl when she got up in a few minutes and started to skate. Which she was totally gonna do....right?

She wheeled back toward the rink and stopped, holding the skates by the laces and just looked out. They hadn't opened it up for ice skating yet, though it seemed about that time. So her skates had four clunky blue wheels tat tapped together as she shifted in her seat to untie her boots. Once that was done with, she laced up the skates and looked out at the smooth rink floor. It was ivory, bright white, like milk even. Struggling a little she stood up and stablized herself before launching into the rink. Her legs locked up and she simply rolled, stiff-legged out to the middle of the rink. She couldn't do anything fancy, so she tucked her hands into her pockets and took off. She was slow, but moving, a little shaky and trying not to fall. However it was for naught, her legs simply didn't work they way they should be and she was not at all strong enough to be doing this. She fell rather heavily to the ground  staring up at the florescent lighting overhead. The skates suddenly felt too heavy. She shouldn't have done this.

Trying not to look like a fool she pushed herself up, but her legs felt like they weighed a million pounds. she struggled to get them back under her, but the wheels proved hindering to that endeavor, and she fell again flat on her back. Instead of getting angry, she sat up and laughed, then laughed a little harder. Then threw her head back, holding her stomach laughing so hard until she curled over on the rink floor giggling. This was great! Even being a weakling here looking stupid in the middle of a skate rink on Astraea Hill was way better than her memories. This was perfect! 

St. Spica Girl’s Institute. The school that seemed to hold a tangible rivalry with St. Miator. This was the first time Hanako had seen the campus, and even so, Hanako felt like a complete intruder. Not that she acknowledged the rivalry with teeth bared; as long as it did not directly affect her, she did not really pay much attention to it. A autumn slight breeze stirred and ruffled the fringes of her brown hair as she walked, tugging gently at the ruffles of her Lolita outfit. Honestly, she was almost a little embarrassed to venture outside in such an elegant outfit. It seemed quite unbefitting for a girl with hair in a boyish style, let alone one on the bit of the tomboyish side. Still, she had put it on anyway, contented so far that no strange stares were received.


The Miator girl had not the slightest clue to where she was actually going. She had departed from the dorms only with the intent of taking a peaceful stroll through Maiden Park, but had found herself meandering through the glorious unfamiliar campus of St. Spica Girl’s Institute. She almost wanted to laugh at herself for nearly getting herself lost again. Or perhaps…she was lost? She shook the nagging reality from her mind, not desiring to admit it even to herself. Had any nuns from Spica happen to cross her or any students at that matter, she would merely inform them she was simply sightseeing. Yes, that’s it... Just sightseeing. Not lost.


A building soon caught her eye, one that did not appear to be used for academic purposes. Could this be perhaps the skating rink she had heard about? Many a time she had heard Spica students talking about it in the lobby of the dormitory, and was curious if it was actually true. Curiosity getting the best of her, she waltzed over to the building and nonchalantly poked her head in. A few Spica students strewn about the place glanced at her curiously as the door opened, but immediately resumed conversing with each other, much to her content. Looking around, she spotted a food area, a skate-rental counter, a plethora of benches, and a large rink. So it was true… The Miator girl casted an awkward glance outside, then back inside, wondering if she should enter or not. The students did not seem to mind the presence of a Miator student… As quietly as she could as to not bring any attention to herself, the girl crept inside. She felt almost even a bit more of a trespasser now for without the new third year Spica student Hinamoto Usagi she had recently met to accompany her around the Spica campus, she simply felt so out of place here…


Ah? Hanako froze in her tracks, her gaze focused on a girl in a wheelchair who had just obtained a pair of skates from the skate-rental counter. That girl wasn’t seriously thinking about skating, was she? If she was in a wheelchair, it had to mean something was wrong with her legs… Yet again, perhaps she was simply in the mobile chair because her legs were weak. The Miator girl shook the thoughts from her head and watched her from afar wheel to the edge of the rink, lace up her skates, and stand. Hanako hurried to the edge of the rink to observe her further, concerned about the girl as she rolled out onto the floor. The girl was unstable and slow, and sure enough ended up falling hard to the ground. The Miator girl cringed and considered rushing over to help her at that moment, but stopped herself when the girl began to laugh happily. She felt relieved that the girl wasn’t hurt, but still could not help but be concerned for her. Perhaps she would join her…if that was she did not mind company….

The Miator girl awkwardly strolled to the rental counter, acquired a pair of skates, and threw them on at the edge of the rink. She was clumsy and terribly uncoordinated as she rolled out onto the floor, swaying like a leaf in a windstorm. After a few seconds of instability however, she managed to gain her balance and glided over to the girl, offering a helping hand. “…Need some help, miss?” She asked politely, hoping she had not offended her by coming to her aid.

She calmed her giggling, ending it with a sigh and decided it was about time to seriously get up off the floor. As if sent by fate, a girl appeared offering her a hand. She smiled, admiring the girl from her tom-boyish hair cut to her lolita clothes, though even she could tell this stranger's clothing choice didn't match her usual countenance.

"Sure, careful I might pull you down too, then we'd both be in trouble." She laughed and took her hand, putting more weight into it than a normal person would, but then again, a normal person needing a hand up didn't have such afflicted legs. Once standing on her own she glanced at her wheelchair. She should probably go back to it, sit down. But she didn't want to. How was she ever going to get strong if she didn't do anything?

"Thanks," she said, reluctant to let go of the stranger's hand. She guessed it would be weird to keep holding on so when she felt she could, she let go and rolled toward the rink wall. If she wanted to skate, then at least the wall would help her keep moving, and probably stop her from falling again.

Would it be weird to start a conversation? She decided she'd try it, this was the first person to talk to her other than her nurse.

"I'm Horigome, Miyoshi." she said, wondering if the girl had heard of her. Her lack of uniform had her wondering what school she attend. She assumed she must be from Spica, why else would she be here? Then again, she could be wrong. Really, she was dying to jsut open up and start talking to this person as if they were best friends; she was just so excited that someone was talking to her. Her first human contact with another student since her coma ended. She hoped it would be a good experience.

Hanako laughed a little when she was warned about being pulled down, and she made sure she was stabilized properly before proceeding to help the girl up. Right away, she noticed the excessive amount of weight the girl used to get back up to her feet. It was much more than that of a person with properly working legs. She nodded in acknowledge as the girl thanked her, a ghost of a smile briefly gracing her face. The girl seemed a little reluctant to let go at first, which Hanako was fine with, and watched her carefully when she finally did and rolled off to the wall. She would probably be okay now that she had the wall to support her, but the Miator girl, still lingering in the center of the rink, decided to keep an eye on her just in case she fell again. There was always the possibility of falling and getting hurt, after all. 

"...Nice to meet you, Horigome-san. I am Miyamae Hanako." She replied softly after the girl had announced her name. As she always did when she met someone new, she performed a respectful bow to the best of her abilities. The skates made it a little difficult, so it was a bit of a clumsy one. She analyzed the girl when she came back up, guessing she was most likely a Spica student, perhaps a fourth or third year. Further examining her, she looked about fifteen, and did not seem to go outside much. Well, being bound to a wheelchair and with weak legs, it would be kind of hard getting around by ones self, she decided.

The Miator girl was not too good at conversation, but, not wanting to come off as rude, she determined to try her best to continue it. "...Are you new to Astrea Hill, Horigome-san?" She asked softly as she rolled out of the center of the rink and closer to the side, still keeping a watchful eye on the girl. She hadn't heard of the girl before, nor had she seen her, so she was a little curious. However, she had only been in Astrea Hill for a few months now and certainly did not know every student on Astrea, so perhaps the girl could have been here for a while before her. 

"Well..I guess," she answered softly, trying to decide if she should feel embarrassed, and glad of the conversation and company, "it's complicated. I've been here for three years but I was in a coma the entire time. It's hard to believe it, but I just woke up three weeks ago." That was heavy news, and also hard to believe, "Today is my first day out of the dorms on my own, so you could say it's my first day on Astraea Hill at all."

She hoped her explanation wouldn't be so weird as to scare the girl away or think of her as some kind of freak. "You're actually the first person to talk to me, other than my nurse," she chuckled a little, feeling somewhat nervous, gliding along, fingers trailing the wall.

"Hey, I'm a little hungry, want some pizza? My treat," she said. Honestly she was tired, they had hardly skated half the rink around and she needed to sit. The tiredness would be evident by the paleness of her face, and food seemed just as valid an excuse to stop skating as any other. So back to the chair she rolled, trying not to look like she was collapsing back into it with nearly the amount of relief she was feeling. Her legs were trembling slightly, in fact, so were her hands. She rolled away toward a bench so she could remove the skates and set them there, but her fingers were too weak to undo the ties.

"Heh, that's the thing about a coma, it takes all your strength away..." she said, "Maybe I'll be able to undo it after we eat?" she was too embarrassed to ask for help untying the skates, she was sure she could do it after recovering for a moment. She went to roll herself toward the food area and grunted a little with the effort. She felt like her arms had weights attached to them, still, she was determined to enjoy this day out, especially now that she had someone to talk to. She just hoped she didn't pass out or anything, she had decided all at once that sleeping was NOT a favorite pass time, willing or otherwise.

Hanako muffled a soft gasp upon hearing the girl was in a coma. Three years was an awful long time to be in one. And now suddenly being out of it and able to go outside after so long… She felt bad for the girl.

“…That is quite a long time to be in a coma…” She whispered quietly to herself whilst watching the girl glide alongside the wall. Poor girl. When the girl spoke again, she sensed a little bit of nervousness in her voice. Her nervousness was understandable; anyone that was previously out for a long time would be after not talking to another person for so long. “Really?”

The Miator girl nodded as the girl mentioned pizza. She was starting to get a little hungry herself. When the Spica student had cleared the rink, she slowly glided off and undid her skates. The other girl had seemed to be having trouble undoing her own, so she wondered if perhaps she required assistance. The next thing she said confirmed Hanako’s curiosity.

“I could help you undo them if you would like, Horigome-san.” She offered softly as the girl began to wheel to the food area. She hoped the offer did not embarrass the girl, but she wanted to help her. Holding her untied skates in her hand now, she stood up and waited for the girl’s answer.

(OOC: Sorry this is short and that it took so long to reply! (´；д；`) Been really sick lately ;~

The offer of course made her blush a little, to need help doing something so simple was pretty bad, but she stopped and turned her chair to face her new friend.

"I-if it's not too much trouble, you can." She imagined how strange it would look to be a girl in a wheel chair with wheels on her feet too. As the girl begin to help remove the skates, she'd try not to look embarrassed, but she would anyway. "Thank you," she'd answer and she'd tie the skates to the handles on the back of her chair to keep them out of the way.

Then it was to the food area where she pushed herself up to order. A slice of pizza and a soda, pepperoni was always her favorite, extra cheese and then back to a table to eat. "So what about you? How long have you been going to school here? Do you do any sports or special activities?" This companion struck her as a prince-type and she wondered how right she was. If that way the case then she'd find herself with about ten more reasons to feel self conscious around her. 

Seeing the wheelchair bound girl blush made a very light blush spread across the Miator girl's own pale face. Her offer had been accepted. Kneeling down, she carefully began to untie the girl's skates. Once or twice she somehow managed to ensnare her own clumsy fingers in the long laces, but it was not long until the wheeled shoes were properly untied. Next, she followed the girl into the food area, ordering a thin slice of pizza and a small cup of water which she balanced precariously in one hand (her skates were occupying the other) as she headed to the table that girl had wheeled off to.


She gingerly sat down and was asked a couple questions to which she took a moment to think about before answering. "...Me? Ah, well..." She started softly, pausing to take a small sip of her water. "I just transferred last June...s-so I guess you could say I am pretty new here... As for special activities, I take flower arrangement, ballroom dancing, and band...." Another thoughtful pause ensued, and with a slight almost nervous chuckle she added, "...I am a bit too frail for sports." 

The Miator girl took another sip of her water, analyzing the girl. Though she had tried to previously suppress it, she could not help but wonder why a girl in a wheelchair who just woke up from a long coma would come to a skating rink as a location to visit on the first day they are let out alone without aid. It did seem a little dangerous, especially due to the fact that the girl's legs did not seem to work very well. Perhaps with some work, one day she might be able to walk almost if not perfectly? But of course, there were some conditions that just could not be treated...


Hanako managed to pull herself away from her thoughts and made an attempt to continue the conversation. "...How are you enjoying your day so far, Horigome-san?" It was kind of a strange question she would admit, but since this was the girl's first day out alone without aid, she wanted to make sure it was alright. She took a small bite of her pizza and waited patiently for the girl's answer.