It's easy for him to tune out any distractions - at least it gets to be easy after the first few times that loud noises made him botch a landing. Akito doesn't mind falling, or pain, but he doesn't like being stuck in wet pants. By the end of the second day of skating he can block out the entire world outside of his body. His entire focus is on the sound of his blood in his ears and his bones and muscles working hard under his skin. Muscle-memory assists him with landings and positioning, so it gives him more time to enjoy the other things.

By the third day Akito's chosen rink has been torn up so thoroughly by the blades on his feet that it's impossible to land any more complicated jumps. If he still had his Bending it wouldn't be an issue... But he doesn't, and so he won't dwell on it. He'll just have to find another place to skate tomorrow.

The woman - Sonja, he remembers - approaches, which surprises him momentarily. In comparison, her question doesn't surprise him at all.

"Um... I guess you could say that," he answers, adjusting his scarf so it protects more of his face from the cold again. "But I don't usually skate on ice."