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paradise-creator · 4 years ago

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@ezmariest

hiiii!! I was wondering if I could request a haven box matchup? I’m rlly sorry about submitting it there was too much of a word limit in the ask thing :(

First I’m a bi curious female and I would love a romantic matchup with a male :)

Uh ok I’m really fun and like making weird or random jokes a lot, like a lot humor is kinda my coping mechanism haha😗✌️ I’m very respectful and understanding of other people and I’m really supportive. I’m enthusiastic and talkative with those I’m close with but with other people I’m vv quiet. Im also rlly laid back. A lot of people say I’m really kind or “too nice” and I love helping people or making them laugh. I have a bad tendency to hide my feeling and emotions and usually I block my problems with humor. Many have said I’m very ambitious and I have a lot of goals. I also am pretty insecure and I get down on myself way too much because of a lot of reasons but mostly bc of my high expectations and that I’m a perfectionist. I love sweets

I like goofy or weird people because then I can be myself and I like doing spontaneous and fun things. However I am an introvert so even though I love enthusiastic people, I get drained out when I hang out with too many people for too long. I also don’t like judgmental people, especially if they judge things that others can’t control or others dreams.

Hobbies: I really love sports and I’m pretty athletic. I play volleyball and think it’s fun but my main sport is definetly basketball. I really love drawing and I also love writing. And music is kind of the love of my life and you will always see me daydreaming with my earbuds in just listening to music.

Appearance: I have very long hair that’s really light brown, greenish gray eyes, and rounder features. I’m around 5’8 1/2 and I have an hourglass body but with MUCH more on my thighs and butt��🤚I and athletic body type and I would say I look ✨sturdy✨and I’m pretty thin everywhere but my thighs and butt like I’ve said before. I value comfort in clothes at the moment so sweatpants and hoodies or just oversized stuff are kinda my go to. However I do want to have a better style which would kinda be a mix of “art hoe” and “alt girl” ahsjhja

Some fun facts about me:

*I love sweets, especially chocolate, and I love nighttime.

*I’m constantly daydreaming and doodling and I get called out on it by my friends.

*I want to be an animator for Disney Pixar when I’m older and My goal is to go to cal arts for college.

*A couple of my favorite songs are eight wonder (lemon demon), rue (girl in red), any mother mother song (but especially “oh Ana”) , and rhinestone eyes (gorillaz)

Ahh sorry I didn’t realize how long this was, thank you so much!! <33

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Hello and Welcome my Starlight!

The Haven box includes:

- Match up

- Sun drop

- Old habits die hard

- His lil' mama

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

I'd match you up with

Nishinoya Yuu, Karasuno's Guardian

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Sun drops

The reasons why I paired you

- SUGAWARA WON'T LEAVE MY MIND AND HE'S ONE OF THE RUNNER UPS XD

- My first thought was Nishinoya but Ushijima and Sugawara said "No ❤️"

- But in the end, I choose Noya!

- You both would just be so cute! Like Yes please

- To him it doesn't matter that you are taller. HE LOVE YOU FOR YOUUUUUUUUUU

-He might be loud and energetic but he really respects your boundaries

- Though, you might have to take care of him more than the other way around, it's a good dynamic

- VERY BALANCED DYNAMIC RIGHT HERE

- You both if often just joke around and it's entertaining really

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Old habits die hard

Random head canons

-You and Noya would have two day SPECIFICALLY for date time and/or Sharing time

-Those two days depends per week and schedule but there has to be TWO days

-In these days you both would just share your thoughts and feelings

-Noya, being a libero, has a tendency to be observant so he’ll know when you’re down

-He’ll joke around with you to lift up the mood but he will turn serious if needed

-C U D D L E S are a must for dates!

-He doesn’t care that you are taller than him, he actually loves it! (He loves being big spoon tho!)

-JUST LET HIM LOVE YOUUUUUUUU Like please

- He will do anything for your attention, (please just pay attention to him)

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

His Lil' mama

“Lil’ mama! My team wants to meet you. Up for it?” Noya asked his taller lover. He then wrapped his arm around her waist as waited for her answer. “If you want too, sure! I don’t mind,” She replied with a smile. “That’s great! Let’s go!” He then said as he dragged her to the gym. “Wait! Like right now!” She replied as she tried to keep her balance. “Yes! Like right now~” Noya said enthusiastically. Some students stared at the taller female in pity. Nishinoya maybe a well of guy but with someone so shy at first glance, it’s hard to imagine their relationship. “Oh c’mon now babe! Don’t back on me now,” Noya said as he stopped. “I just really want to prove to the guys that you exist and not just a replacement for our goddess!” He declared as he held her hand. “I love you more than the goddess!” He added as he kissed her hand.

The greenish grey eyed girl blush a bit and looked away. The whole school can see how whipped Noya is for this girl. As much as it was a surprised for everyone on how Noya got a girlfriend but at least now Kiyoko has one less thing to worry about. “Let’s go rolling thunder to the gym so I can show you off to my pals,” Noya said as they continued but with a slower pace this time. Once they both reached the gym, everyone froze as they realized that the female was way taller. “That’s just sad. Noya is shorter than his own girlfriend,” Tsukkishima teased. “AND SO? I LOVE IT THAT WAY!” Noya barked. “This is my lil’ mama! My love! MY ONE AND ONLY SO DON’T STEAL HER AWAY!” He added as he smirked. Now his girl was behind him, kind of regretting the decision of coming but it made him happy so it was worth it. “Hello there,” She said with a small wave.

“WOW! NOYA-SAN! HOW DID YOU GET SUCH A BEAUTIFUL GIRL??” Hinata asked as he looked at the female. As time went by, the libero and his lil’mama got along with everyone. It was a bit strange at first as Noya has a girl now. And he isn’t all over Kiyoko like he used to but he still is Noya. The team enjoyed the presence and aura of the two. It was somewhat comforting. Once the whole get together and practice ended, Noya walked his girl home. “So, what did ya think? I’m pretty cool on court, ya?” Noya asked as he looked at her eyes. “You were awesome~ Can I watch your practice from now own?” She asked as she hook their arms together. Noya blushed a bit and smiled brightly. “Of course you can, Babe! No one’s stopping you,” He then said as he kissed her cheek. “Plus, having you there, I have my own cheerleader to keep me motivated,” He added as he chuckled. “So I won’t be a distraction?” She asked teasingly as she remembered what happened a few moments ago.

“OKAY LOOK I WAS ADMIRING YOUR BEAUTY AND FORGOT I WAS ON COURT!” Noya said as he huffed. “Plus, I receive the ball anyway. So I did my job,” He added with a soft smile. And then he knew that she was the one for him. Forever and always, that’s what he believes.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Author's note

I'm sorry if it took so long! I was at school. But I hope you enjoy this one and thanks for requesting~

#match ups #haikyuu matchups #anime #fanfic #fiction #haikyuu!!#Haikyu #haikyū!!#noya yuu #nishinoya yuu #submission #☁️matchup

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wildflowerhigh · 5 years ago

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Second Time Around (c.h.) | Part 8

Summary: Maybe, just maybe, Calum Hood isn’t so cynical about love anymore.

Word Count: 2.8K

A/N: This is the end! What a rollercoaster to get here, but we’ve finally arrived. I’m genuinely sad this series is over, but like I said before, this is not the end! I’m hoping to post a couple of bonus one shots. Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me and reading this till the end. I hope you guys loved this series as much as I loved writing it. Also, y’all are more than welcome to come and shout in my inbox about Harper and Calum! I’m more than willing to keep writing about these two, but you gotta tell me what you wanna read. So… send me blurbs or something, I don’t know hehe. Okay, I’m just gonna shut up now and let y’all read, bye!

---

“HIGH SCHOOL REUNION - CLASS OF 2014,” Harper read off the massive banner hanging inside the school gym. Luke, Michael, Harper and him were at their high school reunion, surrounded by their ex-classmates sipping wine from stem glasses. Ashton obviously hadn’t come, choosing to have a date night with Kaykay instead. Sierra and Crystal had decided not to come either.

“Technically we’re not class of 2014, we dropped out before we graduated,” Luke commented as they surveyed the gym. As Calum scanned the room, different names popped into his head as he recognized each person. Some of them he had actually been friends with, but most he had barely known.

“Yeah, but you’re famous, that’s probably why you got called,” Harper said, smirking, before walking off to talk to someone else she had spotted. The group split, and Calum found himself talking to Jenny Campbell. She had been a cheerleader, and in a quite cliché manner, had looked down her nose at him and his friends. But here she was now, talking to him like they had been the best of friends in high school. If Ashton had been in his place, he probably would have made a snarky comment to her face and walked away, but Calum was unfortunately nicer than him.

“Hey Cal, come with me, I wanna show you something,” Harper slid up next to him, grabbing his arm to pull him away. She interrupted Jenny’s rant about some topic (that was verging on racist territory) and made Calum want to claw his eyeballs out, so he was glad that his girlfriend had stepped in. Jenny cleared her throat, to get Harper’s attention.

“Jenny. Hello,” Harper said, and Calum could hear the mock pleasantry in her voice. “How are you?”

“Calum and I were having a conversation, Harper, before you so rudely interrupted,” Jenny replied scornfully.

“Oh yeah? What you were talking about?” Harper asked, turning around to face her. Calum remembered now that Jenny and her had never actually gotten along; Jenny was fake nice, which Harper hated.

“Something you wouldn’t really understand, Harper.” Jenny smiled at Harper condescendingly, and it was clear that Jenny thought her and Calum were somehow better than Harper. Calum cringed at the thought.

“Right, of course. And how’s the divorce coming along?” Harper asked cheerfully, but Calum noticed the scathing tone in her voice. Jenny’s jaw dropped, and from the expression on her face, he could tell Harper had hit a nerve. “Heard it lasted only ten days, and he cheated on you with your bridesmaid? That’s just so, so, sad.” She looked at her with mock pity. “Okay, Jenny, it was great talking to you, bye!”

She turned Calum around and pushed him away, shooting her a condescending smile. He struggled to stifle his laughs- he managed to say goodbye to Jenny, and she looked like a volcano ready to burst when he last saw her. Harper and Calum made it out of the gym, laughing so hard that his stomach hurt.

“That was cold, baby,” he said between laughs, the nickname seamlessly slipping out of his lips. Harper’s grin somehow got even wider.

“I’m up to here with her bullshit,” she said when they had stopped laughing, gesturing next to her head with her hand. “I never stood up to her in high school, but I couldn’t give less of a shit now.”

“And that’s how it should be,” he said encouragingly, giving her a high five. She smiled at him, her cheeks slightly red. “How did you even know all of that?”

“Amy told me all of it, just now,” she replied. Amy had been Harper’s other best friend. She was quite a nice girl, as far as he remembered.

“Oh yeah, how is she?”

“She’s doing great, she’s an entrepreneur now,” Harper said, nodding.

“Wow.” Harper and Calum just stood there looking at each other, smiles stretched across their faces. “Why did you pull me away anyway?”

“Oh!” Harper smacked her forehead. “I wanted to go see our old classrooms.” She grabbed his hand, and pulled him up the stairs.

“My Year 12 classroom,” Harper murmured, peeking into the first room to the right. Calum peeked in too- that was where he would have studied if he hadn’t dropped out. It looked identical to his older classrooms, to be perfectly honest.

“Year 11,” she mumbled to herself, moving on to another classroom. By now she had a lazy smile on her face, probably saturated with memories and nostalgia. Calum joined her in looking at Year 11. He was there for most of it- it had been good in terms of the friends, but he just couldn’t hack the studies part of it.

“What did they say when I dropped out?” Calum asked, and Harper shrugged.

“Don’t remember, actually. I don’t think people were actually that surprised.”

Calum squinted at her. “I wasn’t that bad at studies, was I?”

“No, but everyone knew the band was your main goal towards the end. It simply became a matter of time,” she replied, and rubbed his arm soothingly. “Don’t worry, love.”

They moved on to the Year 10 classroom, reminiscing about that year, and then finally to the Year 9 classroom. The year Harper had joined.

Harper stepped in and looked around the room, a wistful smile stretched across her face. The room hadn’t changed one bit in so long. “I’m so glad my dad got transferred here,” she murmured, and Calum smiled at the back of her head. He was glad too.

After their evening at the cliff, he had taken her out on a couple dates, which had only cemented his decision to make this relationship work. She was absolutely incredible. He had asked her to be his girlfriend, and to his delight, she had instantly said yes.

Calum walked over to his old table, two rows from the back of the classroom. He sat down on the bench (he was too big, he just barely fit on it), facing the blackboard. Harper looked over at him, amused. “I was sat here, just like this, when you walked in that day. On your first day of school.” He tapped the table slightly. “You introduced yourself, and I’ve been whipped for you ever since.”

"Just like that?" She teased, half giggling, and did a mock catwalk into the room, twirling around like a Miss World contestant.

"Exactly like that, yeah," he managed to get out in the midst of fond giggles at his girlfriend's fooling around.

She smiled at him and crossed him to sit at her own old table, diagonally to the right behind his. He swiveled around in his tiny seat to face her. "You would lean over and correct my maths work," he remembered.

She shrugged. "It was the only way to talk to you," she said, making Calum's eyes go wide. “Yeah! I used to keep looking at your work to see if you made mistakes- and you made a lot of them- and I would correct you.” She chuckled slightly, shaking her head. “I stupidly thought that was the way to weasel myself into your heart.”

“But it worked, though,” he said, and she smiled at him. "I wish I had asked you out then."

"I'm actually glad you didn't. We would have turned out as different people if we had been together then, and…" she walked over to sit on his table, and he looked up at her. His hand automatically moved to her calf, lightly stroking it. "I like the people we are right now."

He stood up in front of her, pulling her legs around his waist. She smirked at him, and his heart flipped like it always, always did. "I like the people we are right now too,” he said, and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss almost immediately got more intense, her hands ruffling through his short hair as he tilted his head.

"Mr Hood, Miss Romano, maybe don't make out in this classroom," a familiar voice piped up near them, and Harper and Calum instantly pulled away to look at the source. Mr Wayne, their English teacher was standing in the doorway, frowning amusedly at the couple. "There are children who study on that very table."

"Mr Wayne, hello!" Harper said, jumping off the bench, brushing her hair. Calum brushed a hand over his face and hair as well. "We were just reminiscing!"

"By kissing? That’s an interesting method," he commented.

“Sorry, Mr Wayne,” Calum said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Mr Wayne shook his head, a smile appearing on his face. He had been a pretty chill English teacher, Calum remembered.

"I really don't know if you kept him and the others in less trouble, or if they got you into more trouble, Miss Romano," he said, walking closer to them, his hands behind his back.

"Let's just say it was a mix of both, Mr Smith," Harper said, making Mr Lee chuckle.

"And you two are reconnecting in an unconventional manner," he quipped, and both Harper and Calum blushed, his hand moving to the small of her back.

"Yeah, it... just happened."

"Well, please don't make out again in the classrooms. It was nice seeing you two again." He turned around to leave, and then looked back at them. "And I must say, it’s about time." He smiled at them and walked out, leaving the two of them confused.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Harper whispered.

"I have no idea."

---

An hour and a half later, after a decent dinner hosted by the school itself, the four of them drove back home together. They had gone in Calum’s car, so he was driving. Harper had placed her hand on his that was on the gear stick five minutes into the ride, leading to a constant barrage of teasing from Luke and Michael, but Calum didn’t care- all he felt was contentment.

They dropped off Luke and Michael at their respective homes, and as the car sped away, Harper sighed loudly. “I don’t wanna go home,” she whined.

“You don’t have to go home right now if you don’t want to, you know, you’re an adult,” he remarked, and her eyes grew wide.

“I’m an adult. Oh my god, I can do whatever I want!”

Calum chuckled at her. “Yeah, being back home makes you feel like a kid again, doesn’t it?”

“It really does, I feel like I should be at home doing homework right now,” she replied, giggling.

“So, Ms. Harper Romano, the adult,” he joked. “Where do you wanna go?” He pulled over on the side of the road- he didn’t wanna overshoot their destination that she was yet to pick.

Harper looked around; suddenly, her hand gripped Calum’s tighter. “Benny’s Diner. It’s right there.” She pointed at a tiny restaurant on the side of the road with her free hand.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah! I remember all the couples used to come here for dates back then,” she said. Calum shrugged, stopped the car and got out, his hand disconnecting with hers for a few seconds till she was by his side again. This time, she slid her hand fully into his, and Calum couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face.

The name of the diner sounded kinda familiar to him, and as they walked in, he realized where he had heard it before. “I’m pretty sure Luke used to come here with his high school girlfriend,” he remarked, and Harper nodded.

“Probably. Literally everyone popular ate here. I’m pretty sure they came here after the school formal too,” she replied, settling into one of the booths. Calum sat down next to her, and he reluctantly let go of her hand. “I didn’t go with them, though. I went home after the dance. There’s only so much socializing I can do.”

Calum smiled at her, and looked around. It was a cute place, but he didn’t think he had ever come there before. He definitely hadn’t come here on a date, he would have remembered. “Who did you go to the formal with?” he asked.

“Tommy Huang,” she said, looking up from the menu she had picked up off another table. Calum’s mouth fell open at her answer.

“Seriously?” he asked, for the second time that night. “That guy was such a douche!”

“Yeah, but he was the only guy who asked me, and everyone else had dates.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn’t wanna be that chick that’s all alone at the formal.”

The waitress interrupted them just then- Harper ordered a chocolate milkshake while Calum ordered a tea.

“If I had been there, I would have asked you to the formal,” Calum said, after the waitress had left, and she smiled warmly at him.

“And I would have said yes, but you were in London,” she replied. She didn’t sound at all bitter, but the guilt ripped through his heart anyway.

“I’m sorry we abandoned you,” he said, reaching out to grab her hand, and she gladly took it. “And left you to get through the mess that is high school all alone,” he finished, and she shook her head.

“You didn’t abandon me, Cal, you guys were following your dreams! I would be a horrible friend if I felt bad about this.”

“So you don’t feel bad at all?”

“Well, I-” She paused, looking for words. “I was a little lonely, of course, I don’t blame you guys for it,” she said pointedly. “In fact, I’m glad you guys went to London, I mean, look where you are now!”

The universe has a funny way of proving points, and as if on cue, the diner’s speakers started playing She Looks So Perfect. Both of their jaws dropped- while Harper’s expression was more of amusement, Calum’s expression was sheer horror.

“And your song wouldn’t be played at random diners if you hadn’t gone to London!” She clapped her hands in glee, getting up from the booth. Calum put his face in his hands, hiding the smile that popped up from looking at his girlfriend’s joy.

“You’re kidding, right?” he asked, watching her dance and sing along to Luke’s verse of the song.

“I am not kidding, Calum Thomas Hood, now up you get!” She dramatically raised her hands, gesturing to him to stand. He got up, smirking at her shining face. “The whole world loves you, baby,” she cooed, taking his hands into hers, and he laughed. She forced him to dance, moving his hands like that of a doll, and he sheepishly went along with it, unable to stop laughing. He noticed the waitress staring at them like they were crazy, but at this point, he kinda felt like they were.

During the chorus, he even twirled her around; Harper cackled, which made Calum cackle as well. He felt carefree- like the world was only him and her in this diner, dancing to a song that he had made, acting silly.

When his verse came, he serenaded her, getting down on his knees as he sang the line, ‘If I showed up with a plane ticket, and a shiny diamond ring with your name on it, would you run away too? ‘Cause all I really want is you!’

Harper laughed as he sang, cracking up so hard she couldn’t talk. Calum was laughing just as hard- he could feel his stomach clench from laughing so much. After they finally caught their breath, Harper stood up fully, pulling him closer by his shirt. They were still giggling, and Calum doubted they would stop soon. “What are the odds of them playing this song right-fucking-now?” she asked, amused. He shook his head, his hands gripping her waist.

“Very, very slim,” he replied, and bent down to kiss her cheek. She grinned at him, and Calum felt like he was on cloud nine. The song had reached its end by now, and some other hit pop song started playing.

“I would, by the way,” she added, after a few moments, and Calum shot her a confused look. “If you showed up with a plane ticket and a shiny diamond ring with my name on it, I would run away with you.”

Calum didn’t think his heart could melt for her even more than it already was, but it did. Looking at her cheesy grin- the smile that bowled him over in the first place, that would forever be etched in his memory- he fell head over heels for her once again, as he had countless times before. In this time that he had reconnected with her, which was almost a year, he had found something worth fighting for.

Looking into her eyes, Calum felt a tinge of apprehension, of fear that he would lose her and go through the awful feeling that was heartbreak all over again. But much stronger than that apprehension, crushing it into pieces, rose hope- hope for a future of love, with her. A feeling he hadn’t experienced in so long, it seemed almost foreign.

“Consider it done,” he murmured, and her smile widened. And when she stepped closer to him, her hand brushing his cheek, and pressed her sweet lips to his, Calum knew there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

---

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alitheamateur · 6 years ago

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The Grind- Chapter 16

Warnings: Language.

We parted ways in the café parking lot, only for a brief hour or so, giving me just enough time to swing by my building to swap into the proper apparel, and shove some small essentials into a ratty gym bag from high school. I was whispering regretful murmurs to myself as I pulled into the lot of Temple Fitness. I draped the bag over my shoulder, water bottle in hand, and hesitated towards the main entry. It was a newer structure, but it’s reputation of cleanliness, a well-stocked weight room, and a staff equipped to provide nearly any fitness services on the market had flourished by word of mouth throughout the tristate. The atmosphere of this establishment leaned way more pristine than the damp, mildewed basement ambiance at Mac’s place. Skylights haloed the front lobby with welcomed July sunlight, and I heard the whine of a juice machine in the corner where I turned to discover a small juice bar. Teal round arm sofas lined walls down each side, and what I would assume were artificial potted plants were carefully arranged about. Clearly, this place had a woman’s touch.

“Hey Elliott, you showed,” I heard the familiar voice of the very person who had suckered me into this plan. “C’mon, I wanna introduce you to a few people.”

She motioned me to follow, and we marched down a narrow, quiet hall that eventually opened up revealing what seemed to be a training room of some sort in the back of the building. There were a couple guys going through the motions of what my very amateur opinion would’ve gathered to be Muay Thai, or perhaps Jui Jitsu? I was clueless in that moment, but something told me by the time Tia and her crew were done with me, I’d be able to effortlessly distinguish the difference between the two, along with most likely being able to demonstrate them as well. I was lagging behind Tia’s strides trying to get a handle on all the yoga studios, and the saunas cutting the halls, as she greeted a woman, and two men she was waiting to introduce me to.

“Ok, so Austin, Cal, Willow, meet Liv,” she pointed down the line naming out the strangers. “Liv, meet my team.”

“Nice to meet you all,” I indirectly smiled, making friendly eye contact with each individual set of eyes, and wiping my clammy palms over the slick spandex of my joggers.

“I gave them a little play-by-play on our chat from lunch LC, and we decided it’d be best to stick you with Cal here first for a while. A while will be determined by how long you think you’re gonna stick this out, ya’ wuss. He’s my personal trainer. He’ll be essentially laying the ground work here to see what you’re made of. Doing some basic cardio, and weights, oh, and gettin’ a meal plan in place for you, too.” Tia’s laugh turned dark at her ending remarks, and mockingly menacing. She knew what a hopeless, dedicated foodie at heart I truly was, and that I wouldn’t take kindly to someone limiting my calorie and carb intake all the live long day. “How much do you weigh, anyhow?”

She didn’t waste any time, ay?

“Um, I don’t really know like, exactly. Around 130, I guess? And 5’3”.” I spoke back to the peanut gallery hanging on my every word.

“Okay, okay. So that’ll put her at bantamweight, I think. Right, Cal?” The sculped man towered over me by nearly a whole foot, dressed in black from dri-fit shirt to sneakers.

“That’s right. We’ll start there at least, then I’ll leave the final decision to you and Willow once you guys see what she can do in the ring. Liv, you feel comfortable with cutting some weight if need be?” Cal rubbed his palms flat together. These guys weren’t playing pretend with all this, it was clear. But, I elected if I was going to step into this world, I might as well commit fully, and skip the lazy dabbling. “You guys are the experts, I’m just the silly girl behind the computer.” I saluted them lightheartedly.

…….

The first two weeks I spent under the watchful eyes of Tia and her three ruthless minions wasn’t a walk in the park by any means, but I made it through with only two bouts of splintering muscle cramps, and one upchuck all over the crisp white tile floor of the weight room. My past in athletics familiarized me closely with cardio, so the 3 miles a day on the treadmill, along with 30 added minutes on the stair climber hadn’t killed me. Definitely wounded, and maybe caused me to develop asthma, but hadn’t killed me. My visits to the weight room however might as well have been sure fire, mortal combat. Cal had precisely mapped out a specific regime to suit me, and scheduled each day to target a specific area. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays were upper body strength, leaving us to work on muscles such as bicpes and traps, and some brutal core exercises as well. Wednesday and Friday, had very abruptly became the very most dreaded days of my always demanding week. Legs. Cal seemed to get particular delight in leg day. He and Tia would watch idly by and smile like Cheshire cats as I grunted, and sobbed my way through 3 sets of one-leg barbell squats, and 4 sets of lying leg curls.

“You’ll thank us when you’ve got a fine ass man pinned between those legs of steel, Liv.” Tia piped and cheered alongside Cal as he coached me through the punishing onslaught.

As much as I wanted to break both of their smiling jaws for dropping the bombs of leg day, I was very much mastering the 4,000 calories a day he’d laid out as my goal to keep building my muscle mass. It may not have been the ideal menu, but eating was one step in this whole process I felt I wouldn’t falter. I carried what felt like pounds of almonds in my purse to work daily, snacking them with the power bites I discovered online of peanut butter and oatmeal. I should’ve bought hefty amounts of stock in chicken farms considering the quantity of eggs I cooked for myself. Scrambled. Poached. Tia even pressured me into downing a raw one if I needed a quick intake.

My new team of the 3 amigos decided to settle with a game plan of at least a month of basic training with Cal before I was passed on Willow and her Muay Thia, and fight training. During the given time that had passed the first few sessions, I began to notice miniscule results as I dressed in front of my floor length mirror. Only a slight thigh definition, and a barely there tightening of fabric through the spans of my blouses over my biceps. I was happily surprised in the progress I was making in adventuring this previous unexplored territory. In the short days spent in shadowing Tia, the respect and admiration I already had for her, flourished immensely. And although I was losing sleep due to the nerves that had commenced in thinking about actually stepping into a sparring session possibly sometime sooner than later, was also a growing thrill in the thought as well. I contemplated what the danger, and power, and adrenaline, and ferociousness would feel like swimming through my own veins, and it caused carnal arousal to flicker to the center of my belly. I understood now the orgasmic energy of command that Tia and Colton must feel when they step toe-to-toe with an opponent. The fuming high fell quickly at the thought of him. What would he think of me now? I blushed a little, and surging tears burned into my eyes wishing Colton was walking this quest at my side.

It was day one of expedition with Willow and Tia on the mat. I made sure to fall into bed at a decent hour the Friday night before. We determined the Saturday day before a Monday holiday was the most appropriate day to dive into the more rigorous aspect of my training, in case I took a face to the mat, or hyperextended some sort of body part from incorrectly executing a kick to the punching bag. The long weekend would give me time to recover if necessary, and soak in lots of Epsom salt and ice baths, as Tia said I would definitely be needing it, along with making a trip to the market to hunt down some Turmeric, a natural inflammatory she suggested. I had taken a shopping trip earlier in the week only in search of some seemly attire for the kickboxing I gathered I’d be learning, and that particular morning I pulled on a thin gray spandex short, and tossed a lightweight zip up over my elastic sports bra. Chocolate almond milk protein shake in hand, I headed in pursuit of the Temple. It was barely 6 a.m., and traffic on the commute was next to none at this weekend hour, so the drive was soft and refreshing. The brown-noser in me, I arrived a little over half hour early, just minutes before Tia turned into the spot beside me. I gathered my necessities to head inside with her to the torture chamber, but halted opening my door when Tia jumped enthusiastically through my passenger side.

“Morning, you. Ready for this?” she sighed with a toothy grin.

“To be honest, I’m not really sure,” I cocked a look of genuine contemplation toward Tia. “But, I think I am. I mean, I’m excited, but I feel like a could hurl up those two raw eggs I smashed down this morning.”

“You’ll probably do that anyway before the day is done, my dear.” Swarms of busy butterflies flapped inside my nervous, roaring belly at her harsh truth.

“God, I saw Colt project some barely digested broccoli right in the face of his partner during an intense sparring session the before his championship match. I’ve hated the color green ever since.”

I reminisced aloud to my friend next to me swiping through her phone. She turned her attention to me at the mention of my missing other half.

“You heard from him lately? I mean, does he try to reach out to you?” she pried, more with concern than displeasure this.

“Nope, haven’t seen him since the conference that night. He doesn’t have any cards coming up though. News usually travels fast around the city when he’s got a fight. Why? I mean, is there something I shoud’ve heard?”

My peculiar, shaky tone didn’t go unnoticed by Tia, I’m sure. Did something happen? What had she heard, and why I hadn’t I heard it too?

“No. Not really, I guess. Cal…uh, he just mentioned that he ran into him at some bar last weekend. They apparently went to high school together, strangely enough.”

Then, she just, stopped. Didn’t make another peep, just peered blankly out the window, watching the parking spots fill up as the city woke up.

“Oh, gotcha. Well, did he say anything else? Like, did Cal talk to him? Was he alone, or…?” I was waiting timidly for my lecture, like a child who’d just said a curse word to their mother.

“He was with his trainer, and a couple other guys, Livvy. And yes, Cal said they talked briefly……” The look in Tia’s eye gave away that she had more to say, but she was stifling it with much reserve.“I don’t know that I should spill the rest though.” She chewed her lip.

“Oh no you don’t, ma’am! There’s no way you can’t finish what you started now. Go on.”

“I just, I don’t want you to get sucked in, Liv. You’ve seemed so clearheaded the last month. Happy, ya’ know? I don’t want you to get all heavy, and emotional again. You’ve worked hard to get things pretty close to normal.” She was fidgeting. The snarky, loud, poignant spitfire I knew, was brutally stammering on her words.

“Wait a minute, Tia. It wasn’t long ago that you told me, if I’m recalling right, that it was okay for me to love him still. You said that. Your words.” My rebuttal instantly sounded thornier than I had intended once I unleashed my tongue, but it was too late to pull it back in now, so I waited for her comeback.

Tia nearly snapped her head right off her shoulders when she threw her daggering eyes at me. “You’re right. And I meant that, but it doesn’t mean I want you running right back to him either, LC. He’s fucked up. That’s not news to you, or anyone else. He may have treated you like a queen in the beginning, but the way he dropped you, Liv? Damn it, you didn’t deserve that! I just don’t want it to happen again, okay?” Her angry, heeding eyes were visibly softening as she trailed on, the anxious hands that were nearly rubbing the hide right off her sculpted arms, had now slowed. “And I’m afraid once you hear all the shit he was talking to Cal about, you’ll peel outta this parking lot on two wheels to find him…” What could he have possibly said to my now trainer. I firmly settled on the fact that Colt must’ve been incredibly tanked for him to go spilling his feelings to some other dude in a bar. It was the only logic behind the scenario. He wasn’t the man always in touch with his feelings, and he certainly wasn’t the man to let outsiders be involved in his feelings. Unless his feeling being that he was seething, fuming and wanted to smash your orbital bone, he’d let you know that emotion one way or another. Rage and darkness were two emotions he was well acquainted with.

“Please, Tia. For the sake of my sanity, just tell me.” I took a much more pleading, and soft approach with her this time, partially because I felt shitty for being so short with her a moment ago, and partially because I knew she’d cave in.

“Cal just asked how he’d been since they hadn’t crossed paths in a while, then Colton dug into him about how he’d lost to Mendez, but he was keeping the ring hot with all the fights he’d had scheduled, the usual fighter talk, I guess. But apparently the small talk led to him asking Colt if he was with anyone, had kids, how his parents were doing, things like that…”

Okay, T, let’s get to the gist here.

“Cal said he went on for about 10 minutes, spilling about a girl he had fucked over, and he hadn’t been right ever since the whole thing went down. Said he scared the only good thing he ever had away, but she was probably better off. Something about him being too twisted, and mad all the time, and had too many issues to ever truly give any woman what she needed.”

Tia hadn’t looked at me until that second. She finished the details of what she knew, and now waited reluctantly to gauge my reaction. I could almost hear the prayers silently passing through her mind, hoping what she said hadn’t just sent me spiraling back into Colton Ritter’s black magic trance. I situated in the seat to face her, and nudged playfully at her left arm, I wanted to tell her that truth about how I felt hearing the news, and I intended to do exactly that. For the most part, at least.

“I mean, yeah, that tugs at my heart strings for sure. I wouldn’t be human if I said it wasn’t a relief to hear that the first man I ever loved, regrets stomping on my open heart then practically spitting on it. Yeah, it’s good to know he has the balls to finally say out loud what I knew was true all along. He did love me, and it scared the coward shit out of him. He let his emotions from the loss cloud his better judgment, and yours truly just happened to be the weakest link in the chain for him to place that anger on.”

I was muffling the cries I so, so desperately wanted to express, but I was finished, bound and determined to never shed another ounce of salty pain over him.

“BUT, he said those things to the wrong person, T. Where’s MY explanation? My closure? Colton Ritter is going to have to do a lot better than professing his apologies in regards to me, to some dude in a bar, babe. There’s a lot of love for him in here for that foolish asshole.” I stroked open palmed over my thrashing, unsteady heart, “but it’s been smothered and stoned with a harsh hatred. Hate that I don’t know will ever go away. And as long as I’m holding any hate for him, no amount of love can overtake that. And I won’t be with a man who I hold all this resentment toward.”

Tia seemed a bit cautious at my words, hasty to believe honestly what I had admitted to her, but her clouding anger seemed to have subsided.

“Alright, alright. I’m gonna take your word for it. Only because I love you. And, as a matter of fact, I love you soooo much, that I’m ready to go inside and rip you to shreds in the ring with Willow. Hope you are your Wheaties this morning, Elliott. I’ve got 911 on speed dial for ya’.”

Tia exited the car as quickly, heading inside without so much as a glance back to me. I sat in the silence alone for a moment with the white noise. A smile had snuck like a thief in the night across my quivering lips. I’d never say it to Tia, or Sara, or anyone for that matter, but hearing then and there, receiving the needed conformation that Colton was still with me, heartstrings still intertwined with mine in a steadfast Fisherman’s Knot, made my body temperature rise with hope of what may come. But, the itching question of forgiveness was one that just wouldn’t go away.

TAGS: @torialeysha @eap1935

#Tom Hardy #tomhardy #tom hardy fanfiction #tommy conlon #tomhardyfanfic #elizabeth olsen #thegrind

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pinkweightsproteinshakes · 7 years ago

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hey hunnie 😊 You look stunning! I'm working out 4 times a week for like 1,5 - 2 hours. I can see my abs, but I'd like to lose a bit more weight (lost 40 pounds since last year) (my arms and legs look huge compared to my stomach). I do a combination of Cardio, Hiit & Strengh. I'm very curious about what you eat (if you're counting cals, how many do you eat). And maybe your stats. If you don't like to answer that's totally fine 😊❤

Hiii love! Oh my gosh that is absolutely incredible you should be so proud of yourself!! It sounds like you have an amazing workout regime and as far as I can tell you are completely killing it in the gym. So my faq has some information about the type of meals/groceries I typically eat in a day if you’re curious, but I wrote it so long ago I’ll do a little update here! (I should really update my faq now that I think about it) So, I used to count calories around my senior year of high school because I was focused on bulking at that point and wanted to make sure I was consuming enough calories with that goal in mind. However, it became really burdensome over time. That being said, I do think it was a good experiment, if you will, because it really taught me a lot about portion size and a balanced diet and so switching to intuitive eating, which I do now, was much easier because of that base line portion understanding. I strive for an 80/20 balance in my daily diet. Personally, I love how eating healthy, nutrient dense food makes my body feel, but I do have an INTENSE sweet tooth (real life, I had a 2 day hangover this weekend, didn’t leave my bed for 36 hours, and made it through 2 pints of Ben & Jerry’s and 1 Tellenti) so I always make sure to fit in sweets and cravings here and there (usually on the weekend when I go out to eat with friends or go out drinking at night). I’m in college, so drinking is a factor (I probably drink 2-3 times a week during the school year, 1-2 times a week during the summer) so that’s why flexibility is so important to me. And I am 5′9 and personally I don’t like to share how many calories I eat in a day (to be honest I don’t even know right now haha I try to just listen to my body and I am focused on kind of maintaining my physique right now rather than being in a surplus or deficit) or my weight because so many things from body composition, genetics, to your metabolism/workouts affect how many calories you need and I just don’t want anyone to unnecessarily compare their intake or weight to mine (you’re very sweet to give me the option to answer though!)

That being said, here’s what a typical intake looks like for me:

-Breakfast: I always always have oatmeal with nut butter (Justin’s almond butter is my ultimate love) and coffee. I will never tire of this combo. I take one magnesium and one multi-vitamin with it.

-Lunch/dinner: I switch up my meals so I don’t get bored but I love making huge loaded salads with romaine lettuce, veggies (brussel sprouts, mushrooms, zucchini, green peppers, cucumber, carrots, celery, etc), fruit, nuts, raisins, croutons, and a great vinaigrette and some type of meat, I like to grill meat with different seasonings/fruit salsas and have some type of carb on the side and veggies, I like breakfast for dinner in the form of eggs (scrambled, omelets, poached, hard boiled) w/ english muffins and fruit, fish w/ fruit salsa, soup (goulash, chicken, miso, I’ll try almost any soup tbh), and then I like to get creative and make things like cauliflower stir fry or spiralized veggies or just trying random recipes that I find online that put a spin on traditionally ‘healthy’ foods. I also have a super foods green supplement that I’ll take if I’ve been eating more processed food than usual and want to make sure I’m getting enough nutrients in.

-Snacks: Power Crunch bars (my favorite protein bar ever), Fit Crunch bars, Quest bars, cereal (might low key be my biggest carb source of the day haha I looovee cereal and usually have a bowl before bed...I just try to find ones that aren’t too high in sugar), fruit, granola, veggies and humus, oatmeal, greek yogurt (recently made greek yogurt popsicles w/ granola and frozen grapes, which were amazing), eggs, trail mix, protein shakes, bread w/ jam or nut butter, rice cakes w/ nut butter/jam/fruit

And then if I’m craving something sweet I might have ice cream or a cookie after dinner or go out for dinner and order whatever I like! Hope this helps and definitely keep me updated on your fitness journey and message me any more questions you have! xx

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scary-scary-girl-blog · 8 years ago

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March 22nd

191 this morning!! I wasn’t happy with how I ate the other day, so I was trying really hard to stay under by daily goal of 500 cals. I ended up eating about 450, and then I burned some too! My therapist had me meet with a dietician yesterday, and she told me that I have disordered eating. She wants me to try and eat at least one fruit and a protein every day for breakfast, which to me seem 100% do- able. The therapy itself was really tough yesterday, though. Usually, me and my therapist just work on skills for when I’m panicking, but this time she had me write down everything I didn’t like about myself and then say it to an empty chair. It seems dumb, but it almost made me start crying.

I’m going to the gym with my friend today, I want to start working on my arms, and she’s going to help me do that. I also work for 4:30 - 10 so I won’t have to worry about eating dinner.

Yesterday: 193.8 lbs

16 Crackers (90 cals)

2 Mandarin Oranges (80 cals)

Rice cake (45 cals)

Banana (110 cals)

A few Almonds (103 cals)

Calories consumed: 428 Calories burned: 246 Net Calories: 182 :)

Today: 191.8 lbs!!

#anorexia #ana #eating disoreder #ed #thinspo #im so happy #I'm getting so close to my first goal weight

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marionbagenwell · 7 years ago

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Open arms horry and able other inductees get inducted Hogan Outlet

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push511 · 7 years ago

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February Member of the Month

CONGRATULATIONS ZACH HESSON!

I can't think of anyone more deserving of the title of member of the month then Zach. The dude shows up every day eagerly trying to better himself and the people around him. He motivates the class and pushes himself to the limits. He's not only a great PUSH511 member but he is also a great friend. Great job Zach.

-----

Awesome guy! Very inviting and great addition to the gym. Always smiling, working hard, and taking the lead to put together some external social events for the group. Love having him at PUSH. Keep up the great work and spirit!

----- Zach is one of my favorite faces to see at the gym. It makes me so happy to see another person jamming out to some tunes while working out or lifting. He makes everyone he talks to feel important and provides an endless supply of giggles. Not to mention he's been working his ass off....literally. Super proud of how far he's come in such a short time.

----- He came to us as strictly a weightlifter, and has fully caught the fitness bug. He works his ass off everyday and is a joy to be around.

----- I'm so glad Zach decided to move from solo lifting in the beast cave to CrossFit WODs in the class setting. Zach has a positive energy and is supportive of everyone around him. He pushes himself in most every workout, and in doing so motivates others to do the same. And he's always up for whatever Sunday nonsense we make up!

----- Zach is a great athlete and a good friend. He has made awesome progress and is not slowing down any time soon. I can't wait to flash him the bicep from across the gym and yell "Always be flex'n!"

----- I had lifted with Zach a few times before I became a coach and knew he was a very strong athlete. I was his judge during CrossFit Open workout 17.4 (55x deadlifts, wallball, cal row, HSPU). Zach finished his deadlifts and could only throw the wall ball up for 1 or 2 reps at a time, unable to get to the row. What stood out to me though was that I could tell that I was watching an extremely driven athlete who was determined to get better. Since then, I've seen Zach work relentlessly on skills and his engine, and I believe he has lost 20+ lbs. I can't wait to see how well he does this year in the Open. Beyond his individual commitment, he constantly brings up those around him and is the first to cheer someone else on during a big lift or WOD. It's always a good day at PUSH when big Zach rolls through the door!

----- Since coming to PUSH as the "new" coach; Zach was one of the first people to get to know me and welcomed me with open arms. He has such a positive attitude and his energy is contagious.

-----

Warm smile, goes out of his way to help you and is kicking butt on his WODs. Always striving to be better and setting Goals to make sure moving forward.

A few words from The Man!

Started CrossFit: June 2015 (originally started at North Dallas CrossFit in Dallas, TX) What is your fitness background: High school (football & lacrosse)/D3 Collegiate athletics (lacrosse). Played baseball from ages 7-14. Currently, love playing social sports like kickball and dodgeball and most any other sport. Favorite Movement: Clean & Jerk Least Favorite Movement: Thrusters Occupation: Channel Marketing for Stanley Black & Decker Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family: Born in South Carolina, lived in Georgia most my life, college in Alabama, then 3 years in Dallas, TX before making my way to the Charm City. Been involved in sports for as long as I can remember. I have 2 amazing parents who have supported/coached me in all my athletics/extra-curricular activities. They currently reside in my hometown of Marietta, GA and while they don't do CrossFit themselves, my mom is a regular Orange Theory attendee and runs 5K/10Ks throughout the year and my dad has always been involved in my sports including multiple years as my coach in lacrosse/baseball. So thankful and grateful to have both in my life! Tell us something we don't know about you: While I love all things sports related, I can be a big nerd and really enjoy watching Marvel/Star Wars movies and getting into the respective storylines as new movies come out. Words to live by or Favorite Quote: "Embrace the suck" OR "Attack the day" How has CrossFit affected your life outside the gym: CrossFit has helped me really understand how significant my choices outside the gym impact my performance inside the gym and overall lifestyle. Always looking for ways to live a better life! What do you enjoy most about PUSH: The thing I enjoy the most about PUSH is the gym community. I know that probably gets said a lot and I could go on and on about it but I love this gym as a whole and especially love the people/coaches within it that truly make PUSH what it is - my second home!

I like…to watch sports any chance I get. More specifically - football and lacrosse. I eat… lots of chicken and will usually eat a dish if chicken is involved. I do… listen to A LOT of country music but when it comes to work out music, I usually go with rap/EDM/rock or just fast paced music in general. I am… a HUGE UGA Bulldogs and follow the team religiously. Go Dawgs! Favorite Cheat Meal… Pizza Favorite Real-Life Hero/Athlete…Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

#push511 #memberofthemonth #domoresucklesslivebetter #crossfit

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yahoo-the-dagger-blog · 8 years ago

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How a gut-wrenching loss, a promise, and countless post-practice shots fueled Oregon’s Final Four run

yahoo

KANSAS CITY — The last time Oregon was here, the last time nets were snipped down, the last time players jumped and hugged, the last time a trophy was lifted on an Elite Eight floor with the Ducks present, Dillon Brooks stared toward the ground.

“Here,” last time, was Anaheim, and the players jumping were Oklahoma’s. A piece of nylon was in Buddy Hield’s hat. Brooks, meanwhile, sat in front of his locker. He had scored just seven points in an 80-68 loss. His eyes were glued to the floor.

“This one’s gonna hurt,” he said, dejected.

And it did hurt.

“I was depressed,” Brooks recalls. “I didn’t talk to nobody after.” He was down for a full week, wounded by the thought of being so close, yet now being so far.

“I’m gonna remember this feeling,” he said on that night, 364 days ago.

And he did remember. And so did many others, determined to get back to this stage, and determined to go one step further.

Oregon did get back to the stage, and did go a step further, stunning Kansas Saturday night to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1939. And it did so because they, the players, didn’t forget.

Jordan Bell (left) and Dillon Brooks celebrate Oregon’s Final Four berth. (Getty)

_ _ _ _ _

A couple weeks after the Elite Eight loss to Oklahoma, a couple weeks after the dejection, Jordan Bell walked into head coach Dana Altman’s office. It was nothing staged, just coach and player, reconvening after a long season. Bell, alone in the room with Altman, made a promise.

“Coach,” he said, “I promise I’ma get you there. I promise I’ma get you to the Final Four.”

Or rather, he reiterated a promise. It wasn’t the first time Altman heard those words coming from Bell’s mouth. He heard them soon after Bell stepped on campus for the first time in 2014. Before Bell left, he said, he would get Altman to the pinnacle.

Altman, who is 58 years old, and who has been coaching college basketball for 37 years, would sometimes chide Bell, reminding him of the promise. “I’m getting old,” he’d joke. But Bell, heading into his junior year, reassured Altman.

Eleven-and-a-half months later, he would fulfill the promise in a big way.

_ _ _ _ _

It wasn’t just Brooks. It wasn’t just Bell. Ever since the Ducks recovered from the Elite Eight loss, it became a driving force behind much of what they did.

“That loss has fueled us,” junior guard Casey Benson says. “Not wanting to have that feeling again has fueled us.”

Shortly after the loss, Benson was back home in Arizona, and one day looked up to see a promotional board. The board had a countdown to the 2017 Final Four, which, conveniently, was being held in Phoenix, near Benson’s hometown. So Benson took out his phone, took a picture of the countdown, and sent it to all his teammates on Snapchat.

Throughout the offseason, the Final Four was in the players’ minds, which is nothing unique — dozens of teams think about the same thing every year. But Oregon had something others didn’t; it had the feeling that Brooks and other players ruminated on in that locker room in Anaheim. Everything from that day lingered.

“Every practice, every game, somehow, some way, that came up,” assistant coach Mike Mennenga says of this season. “That lesson was so deeply embedded in our hearts.”

Altman says that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but whether the Oklahoma game was explicitly used as motivation or not, it was implicitly present. It was present as the Ducks ground through offseason workouts, even after Brooks underwent foot surgery in August. It was present after Oregon lost two of its first four games; as it won 17 in a row after Brooks returned; after it lost to lowly Colorado in January. It was even present after a win at Oregon State on the final Saturday of the regular season, a victory that clinched a second straight Pac-12 title.

But a Pac-12 title wasn’t the ultimate goal.

_ _ _ _ _

Hours after the Ducks rocked Oregon State in Corvallis, back at home, somebody else was rocking: Elton John. The famous singer was performing at Matthew Knight Arena, and Oregon assistant coach Kevin McKenna arrived back in Eugene in time to attend.

The following day, McKenna realized his daughter had left her jacket at the concert, so he went back to the arena to retrieve it. When he did, he heard the bounce of a basketball.

It was coming from the adjacent practice court, so McKenna went to investigate. He found Tyler Dorsey, on the court, by himself. On a Sunday. Shooting.

“He had a look on his face,” McKenna says. “He was upset with how he had played.”

It was odd to see such a look after an 80-59 win, but Dorsey, a talented sophomore guard, had scored only one point. A week earlier, he had scored just five against Cal.

“We secured a back-to-back, but I didn’t think I played as well,” Dorsey says. “So I got in the gym. I did that three times before the Pac-12 tournament.”

Dorsey also makes 100 3-pointers, and sometimes more, after every practice. Some days, he’ll do the same before practice. He makes 20 each from five spots, and at times won’t move on to the next spot until he makes four of five consecutive attempts. It was an intermittent routine throughout the season, but became a daily one over the last month.

The first time Dorsey took the court after the lonely Sunday shooting session, he scored 21 points against Arizona State. The following day, he had 23 against Cal. The following night, 23 against Arizona. He dropped 24 on Iona in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and spurred Oregon’s comeback from 10 down against Rhode Island in the second round with 27. The 25th, 26th and 27th came on a tie-breaking, game-winning 3-pointer in the final minute.

The shot was why Dorsey went to the gym on that Sunday, and why he goes late at night or early in the morning. “So when I take those shots,” he says, “they feel good.”

Dorsey scored 20-plus points in six consecutive games to earn the nickname “Mr. March,” and to set up Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown with mighty Kansas.

_ _ _ _ _

The day after the Ducks beat Michigan to advance to the regional final, thoughts of the Oklahoma game came flooding back — some admittedly prompted by reporters. Brooks’ memory of the game is remarkably vivid. He recalled the Sooners’ dominance on the offensive glass. He recalled Hield, Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins knifing to the rim. He also recalled one other thing about the buildup to the game.

“Last year, we were so happy to get to the Elite Eight,” he said.

Others remembered this too. They remembered the water fights in the locker room, the soaked floors, the premature showers after each tourney win.

A year later, they noticed something different. Water bottles weren’t necessary. Water coolers were still full. Floors were dry. After the first round. After the second. Even after the Sweet 16.

“We never said it out loud, but everybody here knows that our goal is to make it to the Final Four,” Bell said Friday. “So everybody is coming in like … OK …”

Said Dorsey: “We’ve been here. We’re not satisfied until we get past this point.”

_ _ _ _ _

They hadn’t been here, though. Not in Kansas City. Not in front of 18,000 blue- and red-clad fans who greeted every Jayhawk basket with a thunderous roar. The air quivered every time the roar came.

But every time it came, it only energized the very people it was supposed to intimidate. Brooks loved it. He strutted back down the court after every one of his three 3-pointers and flashed a villainous smile toward the crowd. Dorsey loved it, too. He splashed six 3s, including a bank shot that he didn’t call and a dagger with under two minutes remaining, after which he brought his right index finger to his pursed lips.

Shhhhhh.

And Jordan Bell… well, he must have loved the stage.

“That was one heck of a performance,” an almost awestruck Altman said afterward. “He was tremendous.”

Bell was more than tremendous. He was darn near impeccable. His strength and athleticism were breathtaking. He pulled down 13 rebounds and swatted away eight Kansas shots. He was named the most outstanding player of the regional, and is the latest breakout star of March.

Bell grew up playing football, which he credits for his affinity for defense. “I played defensive end,” he says. “I thought offense was for soft people.”

But he doesn’t attribute his shot-blocking ability to football. “That came from Guitar Hero,” Bell says, completely seriously. “In Guitar Hero, you have to press and strum at the same time. It’s all about timing.”

As the final seconds of the game clock, and the final seconds of the countdown to Phoenix ticked away, Brooks sprinted toward the bench. Dorsey threw his hands up into the air at midcourt. Bell found Altman and fell into his arms. And maybe, just maybe, he whispered into his ear.

Promise kept.

Finally, after ladders had been raised, after rims had been stripped of nets, the players, with confetti embedded in the sweat on their necks and cheeks, retreated into their locker room. And finally, for the first time in over a year, water flew. Basketball shoes crushed ice on the floor. Altman got his shower. And a big blue Powerade cooler sat there on the floor, empty.

More NCAA tournament coverage on Yahoo Sports:

yahoo

• Recently fired Tom Crean attends Indiana women’s basketball game • Darius Rucker won’t miss South Carolina basketball, even when there’s a concert • Frank Mason’s Kansas career ends without a Final Four appearance • Gonzaga throttles Xavier to send Mark Few to his first Final Four

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