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"It's not skating. Not unless you use skates.”
“Well, I still say I'm pretty good at it, whatever it isss.”
“Sliding over the ice?”
“If you say ssso!”
Sir Pentious and Baxter braved through the crowd. It was almost Christmas time, and the decorations were all over the place (as well as the guts, blood, viscera, etc. staining them)
“Whatever. I'll just watch from the side.”
"Again?”
“What else do you want me to do?”
“Skate?”
“Not in a million years.”
“Why not?”
“You already know that! I do not wish to smack myself against the ice multiple times.”
“But if you don't ssstart, you'll never be good at it.”
“And I don't intend to.”
“C'mon, try it once?”
“Already told you: no.”
"For me?”
In Baxter's opinion, no grown man should be so good at making puppy dog eyes. He groaned.
“Fine.”
“Yesss!”
“But to be clear: I try it once. I fall, I'll go back to the seats.”
"Then I won't let you fall!”
“As if.”
They soon reached the ice skating rink, Pentious excited, Baxter weary. After getting a pair of skates, they approached the ice.
“Do I seriously have to do this?”
“You said yessss!”
“I know what I said.” Baxter was grabbing the short wall of the rink to hold himself. “But I think I changed my mind.”
“It's just thisss once! I promise you won't fall!” Pentious was already sliding over the ice, content. “Don't be scared, I'll grab you.”
“Wh- I'm not scared! Fine!”
With a short push, he was now skating. His legs trembled and he soon found himself almost hitting the ice. Almost, because Pentious grabbed him from the back and put him right side up again. Baxter quickly held on Pentious’ arms.
“DON'T let me fall.”
"I won't, I won't!”
Trembling, Baxter started to slowly skate. Pentious, holding him, slid behind him.
"...Okay, this isn't so… Bad.”
“Told you!”
"I still don't like it. But… it could be worse, I suppose.”
“You should try going a little fassster!”
“If you let me fall, I'll smack you.”
"It won't happen!”
Giving a firmer push to the skates, Baxter skated faster, Pentious still grabbing him. The snake laughed.
“It's pretty fun, isssn't it?”
“It’s not… that bad.”
Baxter and Pentious skated around the ring one, two, three times. Finally, Baxter was done.
“This could have been worse, but I'm done now.”
"Okay! But you should try skating by yourself once!”
"No. Nu huh. I already did what I told you I would, and I'm done.”
“Just once?”
"Oh, don't give me those eyes. It won't work. I'm already tired and I just want to go back home.”
“Okay, okay!”
They left the ice rink, Pentious happier than when he arrived, Baxter tired.
“We should go buy thossse tiny marshmallows to put in our drinks!”
“How are you not exhausted? Usually you're the one who wants to go back home faster.”
“It's Christmas! It's a great time of the year.”
“It's December 17th.” Baxter deadpanned.
“Ssso are we going?”
Those damned eyes again. Baxter almost wanted to push him so he would stop. But sadly for him…
“Fine! But we buy that, and then we go home. No more walking around.”
"Okay!”
Baxter groaned to himself. Why did he let him get away with so much shit? Were the eyes just that convincing?
He looked at him for a moment. Sir Pentious slithered forward, a smile on his face. And Baxter couldn't help smiling at him. Maybe he did know why, after all.