#1992 winter olympics

[triple-axel-triple-threat]

The best dress in skating.

[sandytrish008]

There are 5 days left until the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and to celebrate I drew my favorite mascots from different Olympics and Paralympics, in ascending order:

Misha - Moscow 1980

Hodori - Seoul 1988

Cobi - Barcelona 1992

Powder, copper, Coal and Otto - Salt Lake City 2002

Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk - Vancouver 2010

Vinicius&Tom - Rio 2016

[dozydawn]

Surya Bonaly competes in the Winter Olympics, 1992. Photographed by David Madison and Eileen Langsley.

[mariacallous]

Usually held in the two weeks after the Olympic Games in the same host city, the Paralympics showcase the best athletes with physical disabilities from around the world competing for their home countries. (The Paralympics are not to be confused with the Special Olympics, which feature athletes with intellectual disabilities.) This year, the Summer Paralympics will take place from August 28 to September 8 in Paris, France.

Quick history lesson: The origins of the Paralympics began shortly after World War II, during the 1948 London Olympics, where 16 wheelchair-using veterans participated. The first official Paralympic Games took place in Rome in 1960 and featured 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since then, the Games have taken place every four years and now feature 4,400 athletes in 22 sports (the Olympics have 32), with 549 gold medals up for grabs.

There are athletes competing from 177 countries (this year’s Olympics had athletes from 184 countries), including 10 countries that have never been represented in the Paralympic Games before, along with representation from the Neutral and Refugee teams. In case you missed it, at the last Paralympics in Tokyo, China earned the most medals, with Great Britain behind it and the US in third.

Since the 1988 Summer Games and the 1992 Winter Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been held in the same cities and venues. Although Paralympians still strive for equal treatment as Olympic athletes without disabilities, there is a large gap in funding between the Olympics and Paralympics.

Where to Watch

This year’s Games will make history as the first Paralympic Games to offer live coverage of every one of the 22 sports played. Like the Olympics, every event at the Paralympics will be available to stream on Peacock if you’re in the US.

If you prefer going old school and watching on basic cable, a select number of events will be airing on the NBC channels NBC, CNBC, and USA Network, along with E!, Golf Channel, and Telemundo, which offers coverage in Spanish. In an effort to make the Games more accessible, closed captioning will be available for every Paralympic event (regardless of the platform). You can also watch highlights and athlete interviews on Paralympic.org.

In the UK, Channel 4 has more than 1,300 hours of live coverage scheduled. Folks can also watch through their streaming service or Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel, which will show the entirety of the Games for the first time. BBC, BBC Radio 5 Live, and the BBC Sport website will also air highlights and select coverage. The Paralympics website also has a complete list of where to watch by country.

Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony will begin August 28 at 8 pm Paris time, 7 pm BST, 2 pm EDT, and 11 am PDT. Similar to the Olympics opening ceremony, the Paralympics opening ceremony will be held outside of a stadium at one of the major squares in Paris, Place de la Concorde, and the iconic avenue Champs-Élysées will be transformed into the opening ceremony stage.

The competition starts the following day, on August 29, at 11 am EDT (8 am PDT). Like with the Paris Olympics, the start times will be similarly early and continue throughout the day. The specific timing of some of the events might change, so check the schedule of events on the Olympics' Paralympics schedule webpage.

Blind Football (Soccer)

Blind football is an adaptation of football (or soccer, if you’re American) for athletes with vision impairment played with an audible ball. This men’s competition starts early on September 1 and continues on September 2, 3 and 5, with the gold medal match on Saturday, September 7.

Boccia

Boccia is one of only two sports with no Olympic equivalent. It was originally created for athletes in wheelchairs who have impaired motor function or coordination. To win, each team must get the most balls closest to the white ball called the jack, with athletes allowed to make modifications according to their needs. Men’s and women’s individual games start August 29 and go through September 1, with the gold medal individual matches on September 1 and 2. Mixed pairs and teams start September 3, with gold mixed pairs and teams matches on September 5.

Goalball

The other sport of the Paralympic Games without an Olympic equivalent, goalball is a team sport for the visually impaired and blind, in which players wear special black eye-covering-type glasses so they fully can’t see and are thus more equitable (and honestly, look cool as hell). If there’s anything that the Olympic Games have taught us, it’s that the people go crazy for some out-of-the-norm eyewear. The audience needs to stay as quiet as possible because the ball has bells inside. Thus, the athletes have to rely solely on sound, while they use their whole body to try to block the ball from making it inside the goal. (Lets see Neymar try to do that.) Men’s and women’s games start August 29 with the gold medal games for both on September 5.

Para Archery

The first game played at the early iteration of the Paralympics in 1948, para archery now has men and women’s individual and mixed teams, with wheelchair or standing, and with recurve and compound bows used. Men’s and women’s individual events begin August 29 and continue through September 5, with gold medal matches in individual, teams and with different bows across multiple days.

Para Athletics

One of the most beloved sports in the Paralympics is para athletics, which has been a popular fixture in the games since the inaugural Rome Games in 1960. Today, it spans a wide range of track, jumping, and throwing events, as well as marathons. Because of the wide range of men’s and women’s events, competition begins on August 30 and happens daily with gold medal matches until the Games end on September 8. Check the full para athletics schedule for more specific events’ times.

Para Badminton

Para badminton debuted at Tokyo 2020, although it has been hugely popular for decades. Like badminton, players compete as singles and pairs, as well as standing and in wheelchairs. Group play begins on August 29, with men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles beginning August 31. Gold medal matches take place September 1 and 2.

Para Canoe

The Paralympic Canoe competition features two types of boats: the kayak and va’a (traditionally used in Oceania for travel between islands). Para canoes are basically the same as those used in the Olympic Games, but just have a wider bottom for greater stability. The races begin September 6 with gold medal games on September 7 and 8.

Para Road Cycling

Throughout the years, like many other events, Paralympic cycling has grown to adapt to many disabilities, and uses standard bicycles, handcycles, tricycles, and tandems. In road cycling, there are road races, time trials, and relay events. Both the men and women’s individual and relay events and gold medal races take place daily September 4 through 7.

Para Track Cycling

Para  track cycling is similar to road cycling but takes place on a velodrome track (as the name suggests). Competition is divided into time trials, individual, and tandem or team sprints, using standard bicycles and tandems (all of which can be adapted for the specific athlete). The various track cycling events and gold medal races take place simultaneously August 29 to September 1.

Para Equestrian

Unlike the three equestrian events at the Olympic Games, the Paralympic equestrian program only includes the dressage competition. Para dressage essentially focuses on how well the rider and horse gel, with riders judged on their riding and performance with the horse. All the events are individual mixed, and each competition has gold medal rounds, taking place August 3, 4, 6 and 7.

Para Judo

Para judo is one of two martial arts competitions at the Games. The Paralympics judo follows the same rules as its Olympic equivalent, except it’s practiced exclusively by athletes with vision impairments—and is way more badass, in my humble opinion. (I think I’m allowed to make that assertion since I’m also disabled, don’t come for me.) With the athletes unable to see their opponent, they must use their sense of touch and careful listening—including slight differences in breathing and movement—to sense what their rival may do next. Men’s and women’s matches take place September 5, 6, and 7 and have gold medal matches at the end of each day.

Para Powerlifting

Para powerlifting is a men’s and women’s bench press competition that tests upper body strength where the athletes compete in different weight categories. All of the events are individual and there are gold medal rounds for each competition (which varies by gender and weight class) taking place September 4 to 8.

Para Rowing

A relatively new sport, rowing debuted at the Paralympic Games in 2008. Now, there are five rowing events, including three mixed events. Para rowing rules are nearly identical to those at the Olympics and rowers are eligible for different events according to their gender and impairment categories. The races begin across all categories on August 30, continue to August 31, with final gold medal rounds on September 1.

Para Swimming

Para swimming has remained one of the most enduring sports in the Paralympics since its debut at the Rome Games in 1960. Its popularity is due in part because athletes with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities can participate and doesn’t require any specific equipment. (Prosthetics aren’t allowed either.) Featuring different swims at different distances, athletes compete in breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, and medley. As one of the most popular sports, there are men’s, women’s, and mixed events virtually nonstop with gold medal races near the end of every day, August 29 until September 7.

Para Table Tennis

One of the OG Paralympian games, table tennis actually has a longer history in the Paralympic Games than its Olympic counterpart. When it began, it was only open to wheelchair users, although today athletes are placed into 11 different classes based on their physical and intellectual impairments. Men’s and women’s doubles, singles and mixed games take place August 29 to September 7, with gold medal games every day except September 2.

Para Taekwondo

Para taekwondo is a new competition that made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo Games. Focused on athletes with upper limb impairments, they are split into two sports classes and divided into weight categories. Men and women compete August 29 to 31, with gold medal matches at the end of each day.

Para Triathlon

A relatively new sport introduced at the 2016 Rio Games, the para triathlon is held over the “sprint” distance, which is half the Olympic distance for individual competitions, where athletes swim 750 meters, cycle 20 kilometers, and run 5 kilometers. The competition is divided by men’s and women’s, with medals being awarded for each race September 1 and 2.

Shooting Para Sport

Shooters compete in rifle and pistol events from distances of 10-meter, 25-meter, and 50-meter in men’s, women’s, and mixed fields. Depending on needs, athletes compete in a kneeling position, prone, or standing (or in a wheelchair or shooting seat). The games take place August 30 to September 5, with medals awarded each day.

Sitting Volleyball

Sitting volleyball is pretty much the exact same as the volleyball we know and love, except as the name suggests, is a sitting variation of the sport. It’s played by two teams of six players who move around the court using the power of their arms, along with a lowered net that’s 3 feet high. The games start on August 29 and continue until the men’s gold medal game on September 6 and the women’s on September 7.

Wheelchair Basketball

Originally used for rehabilitation and exercise for World War II veterans—wheelchair basketball is quintessential Paralympics. Now, it’s one of the most popular and beloved sports for wheelchair users around the world. Games start August 29 and go until the men’s gold medal match September 7, with the women’s September 8.

Wheelchair Fencing

What’s more badass than fencing? Wheelchair fencing. In this sport that requires discipline (and ability to not flinch when a sword is coming at you), athletes compete in a special wheelchair frame designed for the sport which is fastened to the floor—meaning the fencers cannot move and are always close to their opponent. Just like the Olympic equivalent, wheelchair fencing consists of three disciplines: foil, épée, and saber. The men’s and women’s matches take place September 3 to 7, with gold medal rounds at the end of every day.

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair rugby is a four-person team sport played in specially designed wheelchairs. It combines elements of rugby, basketball, and handball, with players using a round ball. Because it’s such an aggressive sport, it’s often referred to as “murderball.” Need I say more? You’re gonna wanna watch this one. Mixed games start August 29, with the gold medal games September 2.

Wheelchair Tennis

Wheelchair tennis pretty much follows the same rules of able-bodied tennis, except here the ball can bounce twice before the player hits it back. Athletes are divided into open and quad classes, along with men’s, women’s, singles, and doubles. Games start August 30, with gold medal matches September 4 to 7.

[puuta-heinaa]

Happy final days of Käärijä's social media break to all those who celebrate. For no reason at all I have Albertville 1992 Winter Olympic's stamp in my collections, and I was inspired.

[ptseti]

DID U KNOW.........

IG - @rolandsmartin dropped a historical fact that a lot of people don’t know about. The reason the NFL now has a halftime show is because of In Living Color. Keenan Ivory Wayans decided to put on a show during the halftime of the Super Bowl On January 26, 1992, Super Bowl XXVI kicked off between the Washington Commanders (then the Washington Redskins) and the Buffalo Bills. With Washington up 17-0 at halftime, CBS launched an ice skating show meant to promote the Winter Olympics; Fox launched In Living Color.

[deadpresidents]

Which President’s term had the greatest number of Olympic Games? (It can’t be FDR because of all of the editions canceled during WWII, right?) It must be someone post-1992 when the Summer and Winter Games became two years apart instead of in the same year.

I figured it would have been Bill Clinton because I thought that when they switched the timing of the Games it worked out so that an extra Winter Olympics took place while he was in office, but I was wrong. Nearly all of the Presidents who served two terms in the Olympic era are tied with four Olympic Games:

Biden could have broken that tie if he won and completed a second term because the Tokyo Games that were postponed due to the pandemic would have given him an extra Olympics during his time in office and the 2026 Winter Games and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics would have added up to five total Olympics during his Presidency.

(Also, there should probably be an asterisk next to the 1980 Moscow Olympics since President Carter's decision to force American athletes to boycott those Games means they shouldn't count for him either.)

[cleolinda]

Weekend links, June 16, 2024

My posts

Now all my crape myrtles have mildew. Additionally, I have hurt my back yet again and I am scuncht about it. Thus, I’m on muscle relaxers again, so here’s hoping this post is lucid. 

Also, I underestimated how many people really, really needed to hear good news about the “my husband and FIL insist I will die in childbirth” woman on AITA back in 2020.  

Reblogs of interest

Happy Loving Day (June 12), in honor of the Loving v. Virginia case that legalized interracial marriage in the U.S. within living memory. Good discussion in the reblogs. 

A Pride flag made of Space from NASA

The Sting Pain Index from Justin O. Schmidt, Pain Sommelier

You don’t even know you’re luft

Shark de Triomphe. Chomps Élysées. Bon-Jaws

Cats have always been cats: Witness my Act and Deed (1882)

Why be mean about the small dog? Well…

Count von Count and his Countmobile (ah ah ahhhh)

Attn freelancers: “There is power in a union, even if it's only the union in your head.”

John Singer Sargent portraits and their subjects

“You aren’t behind. You are gathering and processing data”

Faire does it all

You got wives at home

Gonna have the boys over to measure the five and a half minute hallway

BOSS MAKES A DOLLAR/I MAKE A DIME/THATS WHY I MAKE MEADE/OUTTA THE COMPANY SLIME

This Joe Kavik bird sculpture is eminently Shaped

Video

A musical dog

A fluffy kitten learns to skateboard

Petr Barna’s Charlie Chaplin routine for the 1992 Winter Olympics

The sacred texts

“You’d be so pretty if you lost weight!”

Personal tag of the week

Color, because I just really like pretty colors and we had a lot of them this week.

[the-olympics-olympics]

Sochi 2014

Obverse: "Patchwork quilt" design representing different regions of Russia. Reverse: Name of the competition in English and the Sochi logo. Edge: words "XXII Olympic Winter Games" in Russian, English, and French

Albertville 1992

Obverse: Glass set into the metal, showing the Olympic rings in front of mountains. Reverse: Rear side of glass section

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Sofia Goggia

Alpine skier Sofia Goggia was born in 1992 in Bergamo, Italy. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Goggia won the gold medal in the women's downhill event. After a crash left her on crutches for several days, she won a silver medal in the downhill at the 2022 Olympics. That same year, Goggia won the downhill event at the World Cup with two broken fingers. Her record includes a total of 18 downhill wins at the World Cup.

[lboogie1906]

James Webster Hill (October 21, 1946) is a sportscaster lead sports anchor, and sports director at KCBS-TV. He is a former football defensive back who played in the NFL.

He played college football at Texas A&I University. He played for the San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers, and Cleveland Browns.

He started his broadcasting career in college. He was a disk jockey and talk show host. When he was drafted by the Chargers, the station that carried them, KCST, wanted to be closer to him. His football number with the Chargers was 39, a reference to the channel number and he hosted the music show Mr. 39’s Talent Night as well as sports reporting. He moved on to KGTV, before moving to Green Bay. He contributed to the Monday and Tuesday evening newscasts of Green Bay station WBAY-TV.

He started in 1976 at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, where he was a sports anchor for 11 years. He began on the NFL on CBS in 1980 as an analyst. But in 1984, 1985, and 1992–93, he was the play-by-play announcer on selected games. He served as Sideline Reporter for the coverage of Super Bowl XVIII. He left KCBS and spent a near five-year stint at rival KABC-TV, where he anchored the sports segments on its 5, 6, and 11 p.m. editions of Eyewitness News. He worked for ABC Sports’s coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics as a Correspondent and as Sideline Reporter for the Super Bowl XXII. He returned to KCBS. He files sports reports for sister station KCAL-TV. He is one of the hosts of pay-per-view boxing telecasts produced by the Showtime cable network.

He is a member of the Los Angeles Urban League’s board of directors and board of directors of the Grossman Burn Center. He is a spokesman for the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and is involved in developing youth outreach and fitness programs. He is an avid golfer.

He married Erma White (1965–73). He has one son. He is divorced from actress Denise Nicholas. His younger brother is former Los Angeles Rams tight end David Hill.

He has appeared as himself in movies and television shows such as Rocky III and Arli$$. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[guerrerense]

Savoie Olympique 1992 por Jean-Marc Frybourg Por Flickr: During the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, Savoie, France (in the French Alps), many additional passenger trains were organized for the event. Here is one of them. It is a Satolas – Savoie Olympique shuttle. It served the Lyon Satolas “Saint Exupéry” airport - Albertville - Bourg-Saint-Maurice line. The picture was shot in Landry, on the Altbervtille to Bourg-Saint-Maurice line, also called the Tarentaise line. Tarentaise is the name of the upper Isère River valley. Landry is the last station before the end of the line. The usual itinerary starts from Lyon however for the Olympic Games, the additional shuttles started from the airport. These shuttles were push-pull trains. The locomotive is one of the ubiquitous French “BB Jacquemin”. This one, the BB-25240, belongs to the dual voltage 25200 class subseries. The village in the background is Bellentre, which belongs to The La Plagne Tarentaise town community, a major ski resort. It sits right above the “Nationale 90” highway, a road often blocked by traffic jams on winter vacation weekends, as this is the main itinerary to the many ski resorts in the area. Photo © JM Frybourg – 92 - 25-02/92-36 - 8883

[dozydawn]

Costume worn by Kristi Yamaguchi at the Winter Olympics, 1992.

[feeblescholarmyass]

Chapter One

tags: skk, Osamu Dazai x Chuuya Nakahara, figure skating au, based on the movie The Cutting Edge (1992), Dazai is a bit of a brat, trans!Dazai, Chuuya is an ex hockey player, Chuuya is a bit of an asshole, Olympic figure skating, Ango as Dazai's legal guardian (trust me it had to be done. I had no other option. just trust me on this.)

note: because of characterisation purposes, I removed the original context of the very first scene. I've never seen Chuuya as a "player" kind of guy so the whole scene just felt unnatural. Expect similar edits due to characterisation later. If you enjoy, please leave a comment or reblog! Feel free to ask to be added to the tag list if you'd like to be notified for future updates!

thank you to my beta reader and wonderful boyfriend @ratty-rat-toot 🩷

masterlist | next

cross posted on ao3

Chuuya groaned as an unfamiliar beeping noise pierced through the veil of sleep and into his consciousness. He buried his face deeper into his pillow, trying to ignore the aggravating noise. It only took a couple more seconds before he was done with it and forced himself to sit up, blearily looking around the room for the source of his irritation.

An alarm clock placed inconveniently far from his bed screamed at him, the mechanism shaking from the volume of the alarm. He grumbled a few curses under his breath as he slipped out of bed, the cold winter air clinging to his bare chest maliciously. He briefly regretted not having slept in the sweater he had been wearing the night before.

He slammed his fist down on the off button, then rubbed his eyes to get a better look at the time. As the red symbols faded into recognizable numbers, he felt his heart leap into his throat. No no nonononono. He had to be reading it wrong. It must have turned off in the middle of the night and reset itself. That was the only explanation he could think of for the numbers visible on the screen.

“SHIT!” He exclaimed. “I’m so fucking late!”

He panicked, shoving all his things in his duffel bag and pulling on his clothes, hands trembling as it hit him just how late he was. He had meant to set an alarm for nine a.m, but in his sleep-deprived and anxious state had somehow managed to instead set it for one. In the afternoon.

He stumbled to the door, practically pulling it off its hinges as he hurried outside and sprinted to the stadium.

Dazai felt the sting of the icy air against his palm. The hand of his partner did little to stave the creeping chill that threatened to ruin his flawless stance by forcing him to shiver (an unfortunate bodily function he had yet to find a way to circumvent).

While he managed to keep it together, his partner was another matter entirely. The lanky man had been growing increasingly clumsy the closer they drew to their performance. He made more and more mistakes and Dazai was starting to lose his patience.

As they twirled around the rink, Dazai noticed that his partner's grip on him begin to waver. Just when they were reaching the highlight of the routine, he felt the slip. The two tumbled around on the ice, barely catching themselves from crashing into a wall.

He couldn't help it when a frustrated cry bubbled up from his lips. If they couldn't get it perfect and quick, he could kiss his chance at the gold goodbye. And he needed that gold.

Mori groaned from the bleachers, his head in his hands. “This is the Olympics, Dazai. Thirty million people just called their families in from the kitchen to watch the replays. What do you think this is, Junior Pairs, ‘02?” He sighed exasperatedly.

Dazai wrinkled his nose at the man, not caring enough to hold his tongue. “It's not my fault he can't get a proper grip on me,” he sneered, shoving his thumb in the direction of his skating partner. “It's humiliating to work with someone so untalented.”

Before he could get another word in, his partner interjected. “She’s impossible to work with! If I'm not good enough for her, then no one is.” He complained, not even bothering to address Dazai. Instead, he spoke directly to Mori. Like that would fix anything.

Mori rubbed his temples. “Dazai, just give him a break. You two can't keep fighting like this if you want to look good for the judges. They'll be able to see the tension from miles away.”

“Well, until Hercules here learns how to lock his grip, I'm going to keep holding him accountable.” He shoved his partner away and skated off, not willing to put up with another moment of either of the men’s complaining. He was perfect. If something had to change, it needed to start with them.

He pulled himself off of the rink and removed his skates, already dreading the talk with Ango he knew was inevitable. He didn't need to hear that we was being difficult right now. That wouldn't help anything. All he wanted was to get back to his room and sleep like a rock until it was time for the performance.

Of course, fate had other plans. Before he could even finish packing his bag, Ango was already standing above him, looking exhausted.

“Dazai, you can't keep fighting every time you get on the ice,” he began. Dazai cut him off before the lecture could get going.

“I'm not going to apologize. If anyone needs to apologize, it would be him.” He spat, roughly shoving his arm into the sleeve of his coat.

“Dazai!” Ango attempted to reason with him, but Dazai was already out the door.

Chuuya didn't give himself a moment of rest after he made it past security. He sprinted at full speed towards the rink, berating himself in his head for being so late. The game had already started, and they needed him to win this. As he chided himself for being so stupid, he suddenly felt himself slam against something. It wasn't solid enough to be a wall, but definitely hurt like the devil.

He glanced in front of him, finding dark eyes glaring back up at him. Though the short, wavy haircut and boyish face gave him the impression that the person in front of him was one of the most delicate looking men he had ever seen, the sparkly skirt peeking out of their puffy coat suggested otherwise.

He ignored it, instead choosing to ask the real question. “Does this go up to the ice?” He huffed, clutching his bag close to his chest.

“What?” The person asked, glaring at him as they pulled their skates back into their arms.

“Does this go up to the ice!?” He repeated, his heart thundering in his chest.

“Is that all you have to say? What were you raised in, a barn!?” They responded, pushing themself up off the ground on their own.

“Doesn't fucking matter, is this the way to the ice or not?!” He cried, starting to get frustrated with this gender ambiguous brat.

“Yes! God…” They muttered in response. Chuuya didn't stick around to hear any other complaints. He scrambled to the rink, getting on his gear as fast as he could before finally getting called into the game.

The second he hit the ice, he felt everything click into place. The cheering of the crowd, the glide of his feet slipping effortlessly over the ice, and the shoving back and forth of the players as they fought for the puck was exactly what he loved about hockey. And with how many teams were practically begging for him to join them after the Olympics were over, it was clear that hockey loved him back.

He took a deep breath, the smell of sweat and the cold sinking in through his lungs to his very soul. He felt so perfectly focused, like he was right where he was meant to be. Then the whistle blew again and he was off.

He had a straight shot. Everything was perfectly lined up; all he needed was to make the move and they would catch up to the other team’s lead from before he had arrived. Just as he swung his stick, he felt another player slam into his side. It was too late. There was nothing left to stop the goal. But the force of the impact sent him flying sideways into the wall.

His head slammed into the glass. He hit it at just the wrong angle. His helmet flew off and everything went black.

Dazai could practically taste victory as he watched the couple before them skate off the rink. The lights focused on him and his partner as they made their way towards the center. They stood for a moment, the tension between the two of them as cold and solid as the ice they stood on. Then their cue went off and the music started.

He let his anger melt during their dance. There's no point in staying angry when the judges– and world –are watching.

He let his partner lead him in their dance, twirling and bending him to just uncomfortable enough lengths for it to be impressive.

They continued on, both feeling the pressure of the impending climax of their routine. The problem spot, as Mori so affectionately called it.

The hands on his waist tugged at his stomach in the usual dysphoric manner, but there was something else there. Something heavier. Something worse.

The pull of gravity on him seemed to increase as his feet left the ground. His palms interlocked with his partners failed to reassure him and he felt the jolt of panic hit him like a tidal wave. He was going to fall.

He tried to find something to stabilize himself with. His skates dug into the skin of his partner's back. Then he fell. The lights followed him to the ground, the cheers of the crowd going quiet. He felt that familiar sting of humiliation prick at his heart and his tear ducts. He had ruined everything.

Chuuya’s leg bounced up and down as he watched the doctor anxiously. He probably hadn't blinked for a good two minutes.

The doctor sighed and straightened the stack of papers on her desk. She set them down and folded her hands, resting her chin on her knuckles. “For the record, you've lost eighteen degrees of vision in your right eye. In most cases, it would be considered an inconvenience, but for a hockey player-”

“So how long until it comes back?” He asked, the bouncing of his leg picking up speed.

She grimaced, placing her hands on the table, trying to look comforting. “You had extreme trauma to your-”

“How. Long.” Chuuya growled, leaning closer. His grip tightened on his knee and he could feel his nails digging into the skin.

She didn't respond for a long moment, looking as if she was struggling to find the right words. Then, she sighed. “You've got a blindside, Chuuya. It's a permanent condition. I don't see professional hockey in your future.”

It was like time stopped. He could practically hear his hopes and dreams shattering into a million tiny pieces. He wanted to argue, insist there had to be some sort of operation they could do to get it back, but the look on her face told him everything he needed to know.

There wasn't an operation. There wasn't anything they could do. There wasn't hockey in his future. It was over.

by @feeblescholarmyass on tumblr

reblogs and comments are much appreciated!

tag list: open!

[aphfanficwriters]

Monthly Members' Fics — Jan 2024

In the year of a dragon by mossy_man (China/Russia, Russia/Spain) “I neglected your needs,” Yao sighs and scuttles closer and there is a slice of persimmon at Ivan’s lips. The gel slides over his lower lip and he catches it with his tongue. “Forgive me, Vanya. Blinded by my own bitterness, I was a poor host and a poor giver.”

Euphoria by Delgumo (Canada/Russia) Matthew enjoys a drunken quickie with a somewhat strange gentleman.

Before The Reyse (Part One) by proosh (Lithuania/Prussia) Day 1 - Soulmate tattoo/childhood promise. Tolys could smell the ocean from where he waited... It was just before the raiding season would begin in full and his brother was late.

Before The Reyse (Part Two) by proosh (Lithuania/Prussia) Day 7 - Not for you/mistaken identity It was their usual meeting spot before each of the raiding seasons, midsummer and midwinter. He could smell the ocean from here, bitter and churning from the autumn storms… Tolys was late.

The Hunt (Part One) by proosh (Lithuania/Prussia, implied Prussia/Russia) Day 2 - Omegaverse/hunting party All Russia had been summoned to the call to chase the French from their lands, and the winter in all its fury had come with them… Next to his brothers stood the interloper.

The Hunt (Part Two) by proosh (Lithuania/Prussia) Day 4 - Gifts/trophies They fell upon the stragglers at the frozen gully… Tolys didn’t get a chance to have a good look at them before the killing started.

Better than Gold by Jestemburakiem (Lithuania/Prussia, past Lithuania/Russia) Written for day four of Lietpru week The Story of Lithuania during the most pivotal moments of the modern history of his country: The 1992 Summer Olympic Men's Basketball Tournament. Prussia takes notice of this.

Макдоналдс by Delgumo (America/Russia) Russia and America host the grand opening of the first McDonald's in Russia.

So pour the champagne by mossy_man (Prussia/Russia) Some would love a house with white fence, a dozen or so of kids and a dog. Not Gilbert. Gilbert is perfectly fine as he is.

1001 Ways To Die — Chapter 7: Dying Days 2 by NashTea (Fishandnear) (Germay/Japan) Another impromptu session between Kiku and Ludwig partaking in their favourite activity, this time, it's a little different for Kiku.

Joy in Punishment by Delgumo (Canada/Russia) [no summary]

Little lamb by mossy_man (Mongolia/Russia) “Mongolia is like the sun,” he says. His big hands map Mongolia's face. “Lie down, for I am going to fuck you.”

we begin again by hopeless_nostalgia (England/Japan) After Kiku finds a bunch of old photos, he and Arthur go through them, causing old feelings to resurface.

because it's you, I'm fine by hopeless_nostalgia (England/Japan) Arthur is training to be an idol in Japan, which (obviously) requires him to learn Japanese. But it's a struggle… he keeps failing at the same points, over and over again. He feels so hopeless that he decides to skip class, go for a walk, and decide if it was even worth it—because at this rate, it will take years before he comes even close to debuting...

a scene without you by hopeless_nostalgia (England/Japan) Two years ago, Arthur graduated and went back to London. Kiku lost all contact with him a month before he boarded the plane, when in an odd little café, they decided that a long-distance relationship wouldn't work for them and that breaking up would be for the best. Now that these two years have passed, Kiku knows that that was not true. He sits in that same café, at that same table, and wishes there was a way to turn back time…

my heaven by hopeless_nostalgia (England/Japan) “You know… If you want to, we can still have a wedding,” Kiku suggested. “That might not be a bad idea,” Arthur chuckled weakly. “Maybe we should.”