#•|| break the ice||•

[delilaahh9]

Physio!

November 20th, 2023

Gemma pulled into the USNTDP facility early in the morning, the cold Michigan air biting at her face as she stepped out of her car. She had been in Michigan for a few weeks now, recuperating in the quiet of her apartment, but today was a big day—her first physio session after the injury that had sidelined her for what felt like forever.

The comfort of her room had been great for rest, but now it was time to get back to work. She was finally ready to take the next step in her recovery.

Rachel, the team’s physiotherapist, was waiting for her as she entered the facility, a calm smile on her face as she led Gemma to one of the treatment rooms.

“How’s the shoulder feeling today?” Rachel asked as they sat down.

“Better, I think,” Gemma said, shifting uncomfortably. She reached up and adjusted the sling she’d been wearing for weeks. “I’m ready to get out of this thing.” Her voice carried a note of hope.

Rachel nodded, checking the notes on her clipboard. “We’re definitely making progress, but we’ll take it slow. I want to ease you out of the sling and see how your shoulder responds. We’ll start with some mobility exercises and see where we’re at from there.”

Gemma exhaled, trying to calm the nervous energy bubbling in her chest. “Okay, I’m ready.”

The session began with gentle stretches. Rachel moved Gemma’s arm through a series of controlled motions, watching closely for any signs of discomfort. At first, Gemma’s shoulder felt tight, the muscles still not used to working after the time off. There was a lingering ache in the joint, but it wasn’t unbearable.

“You’re doing great,” Rachel encouraged. “How does that feel?”

“Good,” Gemma said, wincing slightly as she reached her arm overhead. “It’s stiff, but it’s not sharp. More like… a dull ache.”

“Perfect,” Rachel said with a smile. “We’re going to build on that. Let’s move into a few simple exercises. I want to see how your shoulder handles some weight.”

Gemma nodded, silently bracing herself. She trusted Rachel, but it was still a little scary to think about using her arm again.

The first exercise was simple—raising her arm slowly, keeping the motion controlled. The first few attempts felt strange, as if her arm wasn’t entirely hers. But then, slowly, the muscles started to cooperate. It was stiff, but there was no sharp pain, just that deep ache she’d grown accustomed to.

After a few more exercises, Rachel gave her a thumbs up. “You’re doing great. We’re going to try something new now. I’m going to have you take the sling off for a little while and see how your arm feels. We’ll test it with some light movements.”

Gemma hesitated. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m not really used to moving it like this…”

Rachel smiled reassuringly. “You’re doing great, Gemma. It’s time to take the next step.”

Gemma carefully slipped the sling off, feeling a strange mix of relief and fear. Her arm hung loosely by her side, and though it felt light, it also felt vulnerable. The freedom of not having the sling was oddly unsettling, but she trusted Rachel to guide her through it.

“Okay,” Rachel said. “Let’s try gently swinging your arm in front of you and behind you. Nothing too crazy.”

Gemma followed Rachel’s instructions, the movement stiff but improving with each try. It wasn’t easy—her shoulder still felt weak, but there was something about the lightness of having the sling off that gave her a sense of hope.

After about an hour of stretches, light exercises, and range-of-motion work, Rachel gave her the all-clear. “You’re doing really well, Gemma. We’ll continue like this for a few days, and then we can start working on strength.”

Gemma was relieved, though a little sore. “Thanks, Rachel. I feel like I’m actually making progress.”

“You are,” Rachel confirmed with a smile. “I’m proud of you for pushing through. But remember, take it easy. Don’t overdo it too soon.”

That evening, back in her apartment, Gemma lay on the couch, her arm resting gently on a pillow beside her. It was still a little sore, but she could already feel a sense of accomplishment. Today was the first step toward feeling like herself again, and for the first time in weeks, she felt hopeful.

Her phone buzzed with a text message, and she glanced at it. It was from James.

“How did it go today? No more sling?”

Gemma smiled as she typed her reply:

“Kind of! I can use it for short periods, but no lifting yet. It’s a relief, though. Feels good to start using it again.”

A few moments later, James replied:

“That’s awesome! You’re going to crush it. I know it. Just don’t rush back too fast—get better first.”

Gemma chuckled at his words. “Don’t worry, I’m not rushing anything. I’ll be back out there before you know it.”

She set her phone down and closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. She wasn’t back on the ice yet, but she could feel herself getting closer to that day.

November 27th, 2023

Gemma walked into the physiotherapy room, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Today was another step in her recovery. She’d been working hard to regain the strength in her shoulder, but there was still a part of her that wondered how close she really was to getting back to full activity. Skating again, especially with the team, felt like the ultimate goal—but she knew she couldn’t rush it.

Rachel, the physiotherapist, was waiting for her, clipboard in hand as she looked over the notes. She greeted Gemma with a smile. “Hey, Gemma. How’s the shoulder feeling today?”

“Better than last week, for sure,” Gemma said, her voice a little lighter than it had been before. The range of motion had been steadily improving, and the pain had decreased significantly. “Still stiff at times, but overall, I think I’m getting there.”

Rachel nodded, glancing at the progress notes from the past few weeks. “You’ve made great strides, honestly. It’s not easy, but you’ve been doing everything right. Your strength is improving, and the mobility is almost where we want it.”

Gemma’s heart skipped a beat. “So, does that mean…?”

Rachel raised a hand to pause her excitement. “We’re getting there. But I think it’s time we start thinking about getting you back on the ice.”

Gemma’s eyes lit up, but Rachel quickly added, “I want to be clear—you’re not going to be throwing yourself into full-contact drills just yet. That’s still a bit down the road. But I think we’re ready to introduce some skating. With some restrictions, of course.”

Gemma nodded eagerly, trying to contain the excitement that was bubbling up. “How soon? Can I skate with the team?”

Rachel paused thoughtfully, tapping her pen against her clipboard. “I’d say within the next few days, we can start you skating on your own, no contact. I want you to wear a no-contact jersey, just to be safe. Your shoulder needs time to adapt to the movements again before we risk anything too intense.”

Gemma’s face fell slightly, but Rachel noticed and quickly added, “It’s a good step, Gemma. You’ll be on the ice again, just easing into it. Think of it as your chance to get your legs back under you before you get back into full team activities.”

Gemma took a deep breath, trying to hide the disappointment. “I guess it’s better than nothing. I just… I want to be back out there with the team. I miss it.”

Rachel gave her an understanding smile. “I know you do. And you will be back out there. Just a little patience is all we need right now. It’ll be a slow return, but you’re on the right track.”

Gemma nodded, feeling a little more settled. “Okay. I can do that. When can I start?”

“You’re clear for skating by this weekend,” Rachel said, setting down her clipboard. “It’ll be good to start getting that movement back in your routine. I’ll check in with you after each session and see how you’re doing. If you feel any discomfort, we’ll scale back. But I’m confident you’re ready.”

Gemma’s shoulders relaxed, the weight of uncertainty lifting slightly. “Thanks, Rachel. I appreciate you getting me back on the ice.”

Rachel smiled warmly. “You’ve earned it. Now just remember to take it easy. No rushing, alright?”

Gemma grinned. “I won’t. I just… I can’t wait to feel the ice again.”

Later that day, Gemma returned to her apartment, feeling a mix of anticipation and relief. She was finally going to be back on the ice, even if it wasn’t full team practice just yet. The thought of skating, even with the restrictions, made her feel closer to being whole again.

She grabbed her phone and shot a quick text to James.

“Guess what? I’m back on the ice this weekend. Just skating for now, but it’s something!”

The reply came almost instantly.

“That’s awesome, Gemma! You’ve got this. Slow and steady. I’ll be cheering for you!”

Gemma smiled, feeling the warmth of his support through the screen. She was one step closer to where she wanted to be.

[paintedcrows]

In my heart, Ford once went to an ice dimension and got Really Good at ice skating, and now he's absolutely insufferable about it.

[dragonqueenstormwitch]

the crows during the ice court heist:

[canisalbus]

✦ Coffee Shop AU ✦

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

probably will be FORCED by Pomp And Circumstance to go to the CLOWN HOSPITAL, for a CLOWN INJURY (may or may not be An ALLEGEDLY Fractured Foot...a MOURNFUL MALADY incurred in the most PATHETIC and LAPSIDAISICAL Fashion of TRAGICALLY UNFASHIONABLY Events......

Anyway. Forgot what I was saying. Buy me 1/25th of an x-ray or whatnot I guess

[egophiliac]

LET THE BOY HAVE AN EDUCATION

officially at the point where we're starting to see where it's all headed and I am just going NYEEHEEHEE in delight at it all. ahhh...next week can't come soon enough...

[seleneprince]

ACOSF, except that Nesta refuses to move to the House of Wind and packs her bags to leave to the "human lands", but instead of actually going there, she stops at the Spring Court and kinda forces Tamlin to take her in. After all, Spring is close enough to the human lands and she's sure none of the IC would look for her Spring.

She and Tamlin clash at first, but then Nesta tells him that Feyre wanted to lock her in the House of Wind for "her own good" and Tamlin has to take a walk outside the house to not break anything because what the fuck? Those people haven't forgiven him for locking Feyre up to protect her and make him miserable because of it, but suddenly it's okay when they do it? Unbelievable.

They drink together and bond over the Night Court's hypocrisy, how they were treated by them, and Feyre. They start living together. Tamlin plays the music and Nesta dances to it. They spend time in silence in his library or taking relaxing strolls around the garden. Nesta does more healing there that she could've done in the House of Wind. Eventually, she and Tamlin become good friends.

Oh, and she meets Eris again and they actually get to know each other outside the Night Court's machinations. They have a slowburn romance and get married eventually, turning Nesta into the High Lady of Autumn. She helps Tamlin rebuild his court and strikes an alliance between both courts, and she thrives with positive relationships and a man that genuinely loves her and doesn't try to change her.

Also Lucien makes up with Tamlin and returns to Spring, adding him to Nesta's friendship circle.

[yingtan]

The Breaking Ice 燃冬 (2023) dir. Anthony Chen

[dark-lord-ivy]

I woke up thinking about this and managed to type it out mostly in full for once.

I want an au where MBJ interrupts the demon invasion. MBJ is at the point where he has decided that he WILL be marrying his little freak human.

So, MBJ is just chilling on An Ding. SQH is afk, so MBJ is using the leisure house to get some alone time in a safer spot. Enjoying the usual background cacophony of Get Shit Done Peak when abruptly, ALL of the sects demon alarms start going off at once, and the noise outside turns from normal panic to PAN!C panic.

SQH's leisure house isn't being busted into, and the racket outside is not from the place being intentionally surrounded. So MBJ goes shadow snooping, figures out the jist of the situation; the broken bridges, the impending brawl on Qiong Ding.

MBJ almost decides to just fuck it and go back to bed, since An Ding itself seems fine. But then MBJ starts thinking about this is still going to end up heavily involving SQH, whatever tomfoolery SHL is pulling is definitely going to equal months of work and complaining for SQH. As SQH's future husband, MBJ does kind of have an obligation to help protect his holdings. An Ding is not a solo entity, it is very much a package deal with all of Cang Qiong Mountain. Which kind of means Qiong Ding's structural integrity is also something MBJ should probably keep an eye on.

So MBJ, future king of the Northern Desert, heaves a sigh, and with the air of someone who had to go to the far away grocery store for just one thing- heads over to QD.

I think the funniest time for MBJ to show up would be right as SQQ is getting ready to fight.

He just poofs in, that barrier ain't got shit, probably like, right next to SHL.

No one notices for a hot second because every single demon alarm is already going off, and attention is pretty firmly on the peak lord and the demon squaring off. So MBJ gives the whole crowd a delayed jumpscare, SHL in particular. Then MBJ grabs SHL by the ear and freezes the feet of evey other demon to the ground.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?" shrieks SHL.

'WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?' thinks SQQ coming thiiiiiiiis close to also shrieking.

"I'm stopping this." MBJ tells SHL unhelpfully.

"WHY??" SHL asks on behalf of the crowd.

"My fiance lives here. I will not allow you trouble this place further." MBJ says, clearing nothing up.

And then he portals away, taking SHL with him to a location where they can punch it out without leveling more property relevant to SQH. Leaving the of the clean-up of the trapped and bamboozled demons to the bamboozled cultivators.

SQQ is confused and screaming inside. He 100% thinks that MBJ is a transmigrator and probably assumes that this "finance" is one of the Wives sourced from Cang Qiong.

SQH, starts getting a flood of OOC notifications from the system, and when he finally gets some answers about the situation he only has more reasons to scream inside.

The System(s) are not sure what happened but they are dinging points from both transmigrators.

[arrowheadedbitch]

New idea: Shinsou is supposed to be babysitting Eri but he has to do something so he leaves Denki in charge for a little bit, he comes back expecting the house to be burnt down but instead he finds Eri begging Kaminari to let her re-dirty up her room so they can clean it together again

[sleepylabs]

Chosen’s powers only get weakened by the Box when Agent knows he’s using them. What if instead of the backwards fire, it’s ice?

[delilaahh9]

Fitting In!

September 13th, 2023

September, Early Morning – U.S. National Team Camp, Plymouth, Michigan

Gemma Smith took a deep breath as she stepped off the bus. The crisp Michigan air hit her face, and the familiar scent of fresh ice and locker rooms swirled around her. It was her first day with the U.S. National Team, and she had to admit, she was a little overwhelmed. She had dreamt of this moment for so long, but now that it was finally happening, it felt surreal.

She adjusted the strap on her bag, trying to look calm and composed, but her heart was racing in her chest. Her eyes scanned the area, taking in the large rink where the team would practice and the other players scattered around, warming up or chatting in small groups.

As she walked towards the entrance of the arena, she noticed the team was a mixture of familiar faces and new ones—some guys she had watched play, others she had only heard of. And then there was the quiet knowledge in the back of her mind: she was still the only girl on the team.

Gemma was used to it—after all, she’d always been one of the few girls in hockey—but this felt different. This wasn’t just another club or junior team; this was the national stage.

Before she could step into the locker room, a familiar voice called out.

“Gemma?”

She froze, the sound of her name ringing a bell. She turned and saw Cole, one of her old teammates from Shattuck-St. Mary’s, standing just outside the rink, wearing his Team USA tracksuit. His expression lit up with recognition as he waved at her.

“No way! Cole?” she exclaimed, walking over with a smile. It had been a couple of years since they’d played together, but it felt like no time had passed. They had spent their high school years at Shattuck together, pushing each other during practices and bonding over their shared experience.

“Gemma!” He grinned, pulling her into a quick hug. “I had no idea you were joining the team! This is awesome!”

“I know, right?” she said, her grin wide. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot to take in, but you’re gonna do great. The team’s been solid so far,” Cole said with a reassuring smile. “You’re gonna fit right in.”

“I hope so,” she said, trying to push down the nerves. “You know how it is. Being the only girl can be… a little overwhelming sometimes.”

Cole’s eyes softened, understanding the weight of her words. “Trust me, I get it. But don’t worry. These guys are all cool. They’ve got your back.”

Before she could respond, someone else called out to Cole from across the rink. A tall guy with shaggy blonde hair waved him over.

“Hey, Cole, let’s get it going!” he shouted, motioning toward the rest of the team.

Cole nodded, turning back to Gemma. “Alright, I gotta go, but let’s catch up later. You good?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she said, smiling a little more genuinely now. “Thanks, Cole.”

“Anytime. You know where to find me,” Cole said, winking as he jogged off to join the team.

Gemma stood there for a second, letting the conversation sink in. It felt good to see a familiar face—especially someone who had been through the same type of challenges she had. It reminded her she wasn’t totally alone in this.

She took a breath, adjusted the strap on her bag, and made her way into the locker room.

Later that Day – U.S. National Team Practice

After the initial meeting with the coaches, everyone was geared up and ready to go. Gemma was trying to stay calm, but her mind was racing. She had been part of competitive teams before, but this—this was the big leagues. Team USA.

As she entered the ice rink with the rest of the players, she could already feel the tension, the desire to prove herself. Despite the familiarity of skating, something about being here, skating with the best, made her feel like an outsider.

But then, she noticed Cole again, already skating by the boards and waiting for the team to start drills. He caught her eye and waved with a grin, silently assuring her that she wasn’t alone in this.

The practice began, and Gemma focused all her energy on keeping up. She couldn’t let her nerves show. As she zipped around the ice, she kept her head low, taking in the rhythm of the drills and the energy of her teammates.

And then, she heard a voice behind her.

“Hey, Smith!”

Gemma glanced over her shoulder to see James Hagens skating up beside her. His relaxed expression was a stark contrast to the intensity around them, but his voice was warm and friendly.

“You doing okay?” he asked, his tone casual as if they’d known each other for years instead of minutes.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she said, trying to sound confident. “Just trying to stay out of the way.”

“Pfft, don’t worry about that. The guys are good about making sure no one gets left behind,” James said, giving her an encouraging wink. “Trust me, we’ll all help each other out.”

She smiled, feeling the tension in her shoulders relax just a little.

It wasn’t going to be easy—there was still that weight of being the only girl on the team—but between Cole and now James, she was starting to feel like maybe, just maybe, she belonged here after all.

[ilaac-art]

Decepticon Popsicles!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

oh hey! i was reading a fic the other day where Wangji was once misspelled as Wangu. which leads me to: MDZS Pingu-style??? noot noot!

Do you think love can bloom on the sea ice?

[nikolaj-costerwaldau]

VIGGO MORTENSEN

as Aragorn, in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

[aruharus-minitelier]