California girls, we're undeniable

[beyondtheblonde]

Elle Woods loves her life. With the stress of finals rolling off her back, she's officially halfway through law school. She has a wonderful boyfriend, the sweetest dog anyone could ever ask for, the greatest friends, a fun job that helps her make enough to stay afloat. Sure, she has to grapple with student loans for the first time ever, but everything seems to be working out anyway.

And today she has a bright, clear, winter day, frigid but sunny, and she's dragged Emmett out to the slopes, so it's basically perfect. Okay, so she's not sure where Kagura came from because some of her friends swear it's always been there but she's heard other people say otherwise, but she's never been out this way before herself. Whether it's a landmark or a mystery, it's still got a pretty nice beginner's slope, and it's time Emmett learned how to ski.

"I'm the one from Malibu," she points out as they approach the slope. "Shouldn't you be the one teaching me?"

Comments

[beyondtheblonde]

Even the way Elle trudges through the snow is cheerful, undaunted by the thick powder as she makes her way up the path. "Terribly," she says, flashing a grin at him. She may be great at putting a positive spin on things, but that doesn't mean sugarcoating them totally or lying to him. "I was so bad! I fell over, like, every five steps. But it's all about practice. I haven't gone skiing in sooo long, but I used to be pretty good!" She wasn't going to win awards or anything, but it was a lot of fun. Of course, now she's not sure she could ever show her face in Vale again, even with things settled between her and Warner. Maybe she'd better stick to Big Bear or the Alps.

[driven_as_hell]

"As long as you remember enough to tell me what to do, I think we're in good shape," Emmett says, shaking his head. That much, at least, isn't something he thinks will actually be a concern. It's probably a bit like riding a bike, the sort of thing that, once a person has learned, they don't really forget, even if it takes a while to come back to them. He doesn't know what it would be like to try that for the first time as an adult, though, just like he doesn't know how this is going to go. If he goes into it with his expectations low, though, he thinks it'll be all the more enjoyable, and at least he doesn't have to worry about embarrassing himself in front of Elle. "I still can barely believe there's a ski lodge here at all."

[beyondtheblonde]

"Oh, my gosh, I know," Elle says, glancing reflexively back at the main building. "This girl in Torts says she comes out every year, but then other people are like, this wasn't even here two months ago or whatever, so, like, it's just so weird, right? But this snow is great." It may be mass-generated, not real, but it's got a good weight to it and she thinks they'll be okay going down the hill on it. Well, when they get to the going-down-a-hill part. She isn't about to rush Emmett. "And it's a nice change of scenery for sure."

[driven_as_hell]

"Yeah, I have to say, it really is," Emmett says, surprised though he is to admit as much. It's not like he's used to taking a lot of vacations, or needing to get away for a while; neither his financial situation nor his schedule allowed for it. Here, though, if only because he has the encouragement, it's nice to have a break, to get out of the city, even if it's not by very much. It is kind of a a limiting setting, to say the least, much as it's not exactly a terrible place to be stuck, either. "Though, I don't know. Maybe I should hold off on saying as much until I see how terribly this goes."

[beyondtheblonde]

Elle laughs, giving his arm a gentle push. "It is not going to go terribly," she says. "Okay, just remember that falling is part of learning. And the snow is super soft. It's not like you're gonna roll down the hill or off a cliff, you just might get... a little tangled in the skis. Come on, over here."

She picks up the pace for the last few feet to the bench, setting her skis at her feet before plopping down and patting the seat beside her.

[driven_as_hell]

"Okay, a little tangled should be fine," Emmett says, taking a seat beside Elle, where she's gestured to the bench. "And you're not going to laugh too hard?" If she does, he'll probably deserve it. It's not like it would be the first time, anyway. That they have an ease with each other that makes occasionally gently poking fun alright is one of the things he likes best about their relationship. Then again, he can't really say there's anything that he doesn't like, so that point is probably moot.

[beyondtheblonde]

Elle arches an eyebrow at him, smiling, and shakes his head. "Only a little bit," she promises, and leans over to kiss him. She can't say she won't laugh at all, of course. It totally depends on the circumstances. For the most part, though, she can't really laugh at him for trying something new. It's a hard thing to do and anyone taking a chance deserves tons of support — especially when it's Emmett and an outdoor activity, honestly. "You have my word."

[driven_as_hell]

"Good enough," Emmett says, grinning against her mouth as he leans in to kiss her again, one hand resting briefly against her cheek. He's pretty sure that some laughter is going to be called for, anyway, so there's no way he could hold it against her if that does happen. Easing back again a moment later — if he stays too close, he's just going to want to keep kissing her — he nods. "Okay, skis, or you're never going to get that chance to laugh at me."

[beyondtheblonde]

"Skis!" Elle exclaims, clapping her hands together. "Okay, so you've got to step into them and get them fastened good and tight, okay?" She pops up from her seat, demonstrating this for him. It's been ages since she last went skiing and she's never had to explain it to someone before, but it's coming back to her pretty readily. "You wanna make sure, like, seriously. Otherwise, if you trip, you could really hurt yourself. It's like with ice skating."

[driven_as_hell]

Emmett doesn't have a whole lot of experience with ice skating, either, but he sees what she's getting at even so. It's kind of just logical, and when he's pretty sure he's going to have a difficult enough time with this as it is, he really doesn't want to take any chances and risk any accidents being worse than they already will be. "Alright, good and tight," he says, leaning over so he can start to fasten them as she's instructed. "Like this?"

[beyondtheblonde]

"Perfect," Elle says, leaning forward just enough to examine his handiwork. "How are you feeling? Balance okay? With this, as with any sport, the best thing you can do to maintain your balance is to engage your core. If you start to feel unsteady, you just suck in here, really tighten that back. Cool?" When she's showing someone how to do something like this, it's hard not to slip into pilates class mode, admittedly, but she really just wants to teach him the best she can. This part, she thinks, might even be more fun than the actual skiing. "So to move forward, we're just gonna keep the feet parallel and push off with the poles."

[driven_as_hell]

"I think my balance is okay," Emmett says, shifting his weight the slightest bit as if to test that. It seems like kind of a lot to take in, but Elle really is a good teacher, even if it has been a while since she's gone skiing, and he thinks that more than anything might work in his favor. As long as he can remember everything she's told him, maybe this won't go too terribly. If nothing else, though, it'll be something they can laugh about later. He doesn't want to take himself so seriously that that won't be the case. "I'm not falling over yet, but I'm also not going downhill yet."