IMOG Figure Skating Soloists Years 4-7 finished

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	Pericles' passion for skating had ebbed and waned since childhood. Four years prior, just as he was beginning to lose interest in the mundane sport, he had met a young Hufflepuff- Alyssea Brown- in his hometown rink. After two years of on-and-off lessons, they were flying alongside one another across the frozen Black Lake. Skating took on new meaning while he imparted his knowledge of it to someone else, and through watching "Little Aly"'s enjoyment, Pericles found his own again. Then she was gone, souring his feelings for the hobby. It took no shortage of time nor maturation for the mage's jilted edges to smooth over. Loss was a hard lesson learned in Hogwarts, yet alongside it, there came the wisdom of gratitude. The twilight of Pericles' school tenure was settling over him. It was a bittersweet period, spent somewhere between remorse for what he was leaving behind and appreciation for all he'd experienced. There were many dreams and desires he had learned to let go of. Curing his father had become an accepted impossibility, and as tightly as he clung to his friends, Peri knew he was due to leave for far-off lands. The Nexus would always open its doors to them, though it would never be the same as sharing a dormitory with @Dealla Prince and @Aly Salinger. While he intended to visit as often as was reasonable, his mentorship with @Mahlioz Evethisawe and @Elena Clark were coming to an end. Even this journey to Koldovstoretz would be one of his last school trips. With that in mind, as the opportunity for IMOG presented itself, he was compelled to participate. One more memory of grandiosity for the road: he would put on a last show in a trademark monochrome costume. The warlock learned to love skating as a connection to the natural world. It called for strength and balance, every muscle fighting in tandem to sustain grace. It was a process as rewarding as it was painful, not unlike the ballet @Eun-Ji Lee Hunt subjected herself to, and demanded to be taken seriously. The coming months would be spent designing an ensemble, perusing scores at a local muggle library, and designing a routine combining physical and magical prowess. Pericles sought a metal-smith who could commemorate his passion in the form of blades. They would be an extension of himself, something deeply personal, a task trusted to @Serena Towers. His suit was a gift from his grandmother, a seamstress specializing in enchanted fabrics. There would be no magic in Pericles' ensemble save for the enchantment of sentimentality. Having skates from a Hogwarts Alumni reminded him that leaving school might have felt like an end, but was truly a beginning, something graduates like Serena and @Howard White showcased with fervor for their fields. The thought made him less afraid of going all-out in his performance. Why carry on cautiously when this was his only chance to perform in IMOG? Why not risk a flirt with fate? He was going to push himself to the brink, and if his body failed him, so be it. A win would testify that anyone could succeed with effort. A loss would show that perfection was inconsequential so long as one went forth with zeal, savoring the moment. Peri would embrace whatever fate had in store for him, even if it hurt. If convincing himself that he was in competition with chance didn't grant a carefree attitude, hearing his sole contender was @Evelynn Decipio dispelled the last vestiges of pressure. Pear had no desire to outperform his friend. Her presence shifted IMOG from a contest to another shared experience. He sought her out beforehand, looking for a secluded spot to offer well-wishes without spoiling his costume to their crowd. Assuming she tolerated it, the bird would would check her over for loose strands or wild hairs, preening before taking his place. The swell of an orchestra announced his program. Pericles arrived not on the ice, but in the sky, his winged shadow passing over the judge's desk. The eagle drifted down a spiraling path. As its outstretched talons reached towards the rink, they became blades. A blur of fabric and feathers enveloped the bird before Pericles took its place. His skates landed seamlessly, gliding with the momentum of his flight, displaying his suit in all its intricacy with outstretched arms. Both were wrapped in scale armor sleeves. Although he moved with apparent ease, the mage performed as though these weighed him down, keeping his gestures low and slow with symbolic restraint. Opalescent sequins captured light along his form, glinting like shards of stained glass. Pericles hydrobladed, tracing his fingertips against the ice with a whispered "Colorvaria." An oceanic blue bled out from his touch, spilling throughout the river until he seemed to skate on a circle of night. The traces left behind by his blades cut silver, forming loops and lines like constellations. As he soared along the edges, hands splayed wide, a "Nebulus" conjured trails of fog. They spilled from his palms before settling low across the ice. He finished with a "Stella Cascadia", sending stars dancing through the clouds in tune to the violin's steady tremello. It was as though the heavens had been carved from the sky and imposed upon Lake Bear.
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	With his stage painted, Pericles spilled his heart across the ice, performing not only for IMOG but for a few friends somewhere in the audience. His story began as one of restraint. Every motion was controlled, the weight of his armor dragging him through lazy spins. Yet as the song started to swell in its second half, so too did his speed. The bird charged his momentum, wrapped his arms tight to himself, then slid his hands from shoulders to wrists with a whispered "Avifors!" As his palms glided over the scales, the metal loosed before erupting into a flurry of silver. Each fragment took on a vaguely birdlike shape: an uncomplicated design reminiscent of paper cranes. They flashed like floating daggers in a tight-knit flock. With his arms freed, feathers spilled from his sleeves, splaying out into a set of great gray wings as the skater arched into a quadruple layback. Wherever Pericles flew, the enchanted swarm followed suit. They flitted in his wake as a loose formation, danced around him while he twisted, movements ranging from graceful glides to joyous leaps. The mage's own body motion changed now that his weights were transformed into tiny companions. Every jump, spin, and drop became increasingly bold. Pear's pulse raced as he mounted his courage for an especially challenging move, one he'd warned Alyssea to be an intermediary jump at least. He had only been brave enough to attempt a double axel at the time. While his energy mounted, the flashier aspects of his spectacle began to fade. The starfall dwindled out, then the flock began disassembling, drifting in different directions before settling harmlessly along the ledges or in the crowd. Gradually, the warlock was alone again. "Ventus" had always been one of Peri's favorite spells, especially in duelling, so it would come as no surprise that it would feature in his program. He used it to conjure a gentle breeze which stirred the low-lying fog, whipping it into a sluggishly churning spiral. His tempo slowed once more as he wrapped himself in the translucent shroud. Pericles was being swallowed by the mist, but before the crowd or judges could lose sight of him, he launched into an attempted quadruple axel jump.
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