#People talking about Tessa and Scott

[caterpillarinacave]

TID Characters as pictures I found on Pinterest:

Will the whole time:

Gabriel when it turns out his dad isn’t normal and moral and he has to fight against him:

Sophie when she catches Jessamine sneaking out:

The Consul @ Will when he starts talking about going after Tessa:

Jessamine on her way to marry Nate and betray her whole race of people:

Henry:

Charlotte after every Clave meeting:

Everyone after it’s revealed the Magister is Mortmain:

Jem:

Jessamine after getting caught condemning everyone who raised her to death:

Will and Tessa in Cadair Idris:

Cecily:

Sophie when she finds Gabriel and Gideon looking through Charlottes desk:

Gideon @ Benedict when he starts talking:

Henry:

Magnus walking in on Will and Tessa in Idris:

Woolsey Scott watching Will Herondale drama go down:

Cecily when the Shadowhunters aren’t evil people who kidnapped her brother like she thought:

Will finding out Tessa and Jem are engaged after confessing his love:

Gideon @ Sophie:

[sunskate]

meagan duhamel on tsl talking about how disorganized and ineffective skate canada is and mentioning tessa and scott in a couple contexts:

about how poorly attended Nationals was: why did they not go to local skating clubs and give them tickets to come watch Nationals? i know that didn’t happen [… ] my husband told me that he was talking to a couple of coaches from around the area. none of the local skating clubs had posters of Nationals at the rink […] the cold has nothing to do with this. the tickets weren’t bought- nobody had a ticket and chose not to go out

about how it's necessary to be bold and think outside the current box: it’s hard to be bold though - because like I’m one of the bold ones - and like Skate Canada hates me. they would never listen to my advice. when I retired I volunteered myself to be a team leader for junior grand prix, and they were like no thanks, we already have team leaders. if I think of myself as a junior skater, and a recently retired Olympic champion or world champion was going to team lead my junior grand prix that would have been life changing for me, but like no thanks we don’t need you

[...] we need to speak up if we want to create change- we need these voices we need people who are courageous enough to put themselves on the line. i would love to work within high performance, i would love it. high performance figure skating. Skate Canada would nev- they’re so scared of what i’m gonna say that they would never

about talking Patrick Chan into committing to the team event in PYC: Scott and Eric were the ones responsible (for that happening)

about taking packaging out of the picture: what would happen if the skaters all wore black leggings and a black tank top and no makeup and didn't have their hair done and skating was judged on the skate- the purity of the skating and the performance and not distracted by the costume? who would be the champions? who would be the champions right now if that was how we did things? and you know who put that seed in my head many years ago was Tessa Virtue - she was like why don't we all just wear black? and i think it was meant for the same reason as i'm thinking - where you're being judged on the purity of your figure skating - instead of on your costume, makeup, or your hair

[bikananjarrus]

I want to read High Republic books but I don't know where to start. Help!

hi bran! i would be happy to help! 💜

(*disclaimer to start: i am still in the process of reading the high republic books myself, so this is just based on what i have read so far. also, this might get a little long, but there's a lot of material and i know it's a bit confusing, so i'm hoping a more thorough breakdown helps a bit!)

To start, the High Republic books have been published in three phases:

Phase 1 (Light of the Jedi) takes place about 200 years before The Phantom Menace.

Phase 2 (Quest of the Jedi) takes place roughly 150 years before that, so ~350 years before TPM.

Phase 3 (Trials of the Jedi)* goes back to the Phase 1 timeline, so ~200 years before TPM. (*this phase is still being published, and is set to be finished in 2025).

Each of these phases has a mix of books, comics, manga, and audiodramas. For the sake of this post, I will just be talking about the main storyline novels, which consist of adult, YA, and middle-grade books.

Do you need to read ALL books, including YA and middle-grade?

Short answer: it depends! If 19 books (and counting; and those are just the main books) is really daunting, or you just aren't sure you're going to have the time to dedicate to all of that, i would say no, you don't have to read everything. You could just read the adult books (which are the main-main storyline for everything), and be just fine!

However, if you are looking for a more well-rounded, full picture of this story, more characters to enjoy, or just want to read as much of this era as possible, than yes, i definitely recommend reading everything! the YA and middle-grade books have been just as well-written as the adult ones, and while you don't need to read them to understand the main storyline, they fill some gaps in and introduce a lot of really fantastic characters. those books just make the story as a whole more full and fulfilling.

Now, where to start?

I definitely recommend starting with Phase 1, Book 1: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule.

This was the first book to be published, and is 1) a fantastic book, and 2) a great introduction to the galaxy at this time.

From there, I recommend going in order of the Phases, which would also essentially be publishing order.

(Secondary disclaimer: i have not read Phase 2 yet. I finished Phase 1, and then skipped ahead to Phase 3, because I was impatient and wanted to get caught up to the new book that came out a couple weeks ago lol. I am about to circle back to Phase 2, which has important background information and history for some of the things happening in Phase 1/3. so i did things a little different, but i think most people recommend the 1-2-3 Phase/Publication order.)

List of Main Books in Each Phase:

Phase 1

Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (adult)

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland (middle-grade)

Into the Dark by Claudia Gray (YA)

The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott (adult)

Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older (MG)

Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland (YA)

Mission to Disaster by Justina Ireland (MG)

The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray (adult)

Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older (YA)

Phase 2

Path of Deceit by Justina Ireland & Tessa Gratton (YA)

Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann (MG)

Convergence by Zoraida Córdova (adult)

Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton (MG)

Cataclysm by Lydia Kang (adult)

Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott (YA)

Phase 3 (so far)

The Eye of Darkness by George Mann (adult)

Escape from Valo by Daniel José Older & Alyssa Wong (MG)

Defy the Storm by Justina Ireland & Tessa Gratton (YA)

Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton (adult)

Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova (MG) [publishing Aug. 27, 2024]

Tears of the Nameless by George Mann (YA) [publishing Sept. 24, 2024]

There are a lot of lists out there with the reading order, but I have found that the High Republic Wikipedia page has been the most helpful, because it breaks down the different categories (novels, comics, etc.) really clearly.

As mentioned, I’ll be starting up the Phase 2 books, but I’m also currently working my way through the Phase 1 comics. So if you would like a breakdown of the comics as well, I can do that too!

i hope this was helpful! and i really hope you enjoy delving into these books! Light of the Jedi sucked me into this era of star wars so quickly, and i've just gotten more insane about them since lol.

[prettyyoungandbored]

Dork - Danny Cordray

Pairing: Danny Cordray x Fem!OC

Author’s Note: This was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever written. I love this show so much and never did I think would do write an Office fic. So, because this is The Office, yes the OC will have a camera interview. Anything that is bold and italicized is her giving the on-camera interview. I hope you enjoy!

P.S. Any direct quotes from the show belong to the writers.

NOT MY GIF

Surprisingly, Danny Cordray being handsome was the second thing people were talking about. The first was the fact that he and Pam went on two dates two years ago.

And man, did the office run wild with that. Even if somehow Michael Scott strangely didn’t.

For Tessa Connelly, she felt bad that it was all people were talking about. She was friends with Pam and Pam was happily married with a kid. She moved on. Why couldn’t everybody else?

“I wanna say they’ll get over it, but you and I both know that will take forever,” Tessa chuckled, as the two women stood in the kitchen. “How were the dates though?”

“I had fun,” Pam replied. “But he didn’t call me after the second one so, I don’t know. Guess he wasn’t having as much fun.” She paused. “Not that it matters.”

“No, but I would question it too,” Tessa assured. “I’ve been in that position before and it’s the worst. How’s Jim handling it?”

“He’s frazzled but won’t admit it.”

The brunette chuckled. “Color me shocked. He’ll get over it. At least he will before everyone else does.”

Just as Pam was leaving the break room, Danny entered and his eyes met Tessa’s. She gave him a small smile.

“Hi, I don’t think we’ve met yet,” he said, holding out his hand. He flashed a million dollar smile that elicited butterflies in her stomach. “I’m Danny. I just joined the team.”

“Tessa,” she said, shaking his hand.

“And what do you do here?”

“I’m a customer service rep.”

He hummed, leaning on the counter. “Well, I can promise you you’ll only get glowing reviews about me.”

Her lips pursed as she nodded.

She pointed at him. “Lemme guess, salesman.”

“Traveling salesman,” he corrected politely.

She hummed. “Not much of a desk guy, huh?”

He shook his head. “I don’t like being tied down a whole lot.”

Ok, NOW I get why he only went on two dates with Pam. It all makes sense now.

She raised her mug. “Well, Danny, it was nice to meet you.”

“It was really nice to meet you as well,” he replied.

She just nodded and continued walking.

=================================

The next day was the Halloween party. Tessa decided to keep it simple with a basic cat costume. She had the ears and drew the nose and whiskers, donning a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black pencil skirt.

She walked into the break room to get coffee at the same time Danny was.

“Nice costume,” he remarked. “I, uh, didn’t realize people took Halloween here seriously.”

“There’s a costume contest today,” she said, pouring coffee into her mug.

“I assume you’re entering?”

She shook her head. “I don’t care to.”

“But you’re dressed up.”

“Thats the fun of Halloween,” she said. “You dress up to be whoever or whatever you want.”

He nodded. “I didn’t think about that. Then again, I’ve never been a costume guy.”

“You’re missing out.”

“Well, for what it’s worth I’d vote for you in the costume contest.”

She couldn’t help but notice Danny Cordray’s smile and how it complimented his overall charming demeanor. She wondered if his looks was what made him a good salesman. He could sell meat to vegetarian with one single look.

Then she remembered his words. “I don’t like being tied down a whole lot.” He was obviously flirting with her just to get her in bed and then continue on to the next woman.

The worst part is how much she liked it.

“MeOW! Look at you dressed as my favorite thing in the world!”

She groaned, knowing damn well who that voice belonged too.

“Packer, I will stab you with my pencil,” she retorted.

Todd Packer, dressed as a pregnant nun, meddled in between her and Danny.

“Fiesty and violent, just how I like ‘em,” he smirked.

Before she could say something, Danny stepped in between.

“So, I need help finding the conference room for the meeting,” he said, looking at Tessa. “Can you show me where it is?”

She smiled at him gratefully. “Sure. Follow me.”

She walked out into the office with Danny right beside her. Once they were out of Packer’s sight, she turned and said, “Thanks for that. He’s a traveling salesman who truly has no business being in this office. Or even just existing.”

“No problem,” Danny chuckled. “I can promise you, not traveling salesmen are like that.”

She smiled. “I sure hope not.”

“So, um, I already told everyone else but my buddies and I are having a Halloween thing at our bar,” he said. “You should come.”

“You co-own a bar?” she asked. “Why am I not surprised?”

He made a face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing at all. You just have a bar owner vibe about you.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yes, it is,” she laughed. “Don’t overthink it. What’s the name of the bar?”

“Public School.”

She cocked her head back. “That’s quite a name. I’ll definitely-.”

She turned to see the office staring at her, including Pam who was the only one smiling.

She looked over back at Danny. “I’ll think about it.”

Just because I’m being nice doesn’t mean I’m flirting with him. You can talk to an attractive man without flirting with him.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s cute. But I just…I mean…guys like him, you know. He’s a bachelor. He prefers the bachelor lifestyle. And it seems to suit him. Like he seems nice and he smells really nice and has a great smile-.

Oh [BEEP] off!

=======================================

“You going to Danny’s bar tonight?”

She glanced up from her computer to see Andy and Kevin standing there.

“I don’t know yet,” she shrugged.

“Is it because he went out with Pam two years ago?” Kevin asked.

She sighed. “Ok, you guys have got to cut it out with that.”

Andy laughed. “Sounds like someone’s a little bit jealous.”

“How am I-you know what?”

She got up from her desk and walked into the break room where Danny was talking with Jim and Pam.

“Do you honestly wanna know why I didn't call her back on a date over four years ago?” Danny asked.

“Hey, she had a nice time,” Jim said defensively.

“I did,” Pam chimes in. “Yeah, and it's one of those things that's just gonna keep gnawing at me. Like, gnaw, gnaw...’Why? Why didn't he? I have no idea why.’”

“Okay, honestly,” Danny sighed. I didn't call you back because I just thought you seemed a little dorky.”

Silence fell. Tessa’s heart sank to her stomach as she watched Pam’s demeanor soften into embarrassment.

“Hey, man,” Jim stepped in.

“Thank you!” Pam cut him off, over enthusiastically. “Thank you. I got it. Now I know. You thought I was a little dorky.”

Tessa couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.

“You know what, I don’t think I should come tonight,” she spoke up.

Danny, Jim, and Pam looked over at her.

“I don’t want to be around people who don’t appreciate how awesome us dorks are,” she snapped.

Danny opened his mouth to say something when Tessa turned around, heading back to her office.

I said what I said. Look, yes, he’s gorgeous but…it’s not worth entertaining. Not with someone like him.

====================================

Tessa spent the rest of Halloween in the annex working. She figured with the costume contest and whatever conflict Michael and Darryl were dealing with, she could get her work done and slip out of here without dealing with Danny ever again.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

She looked over to see Pam standing by Tessa’s desk.

“It wasn’t right,” Tessa shrugged. “Besides, if you’re a dork then I’m a loser.”

Pam chuckled. “He actually apologized to me and Jim. It was actually really sincere.”

“That’s nice.”

“Tess, cmon. You should give him a chance, you know. He means well, and he clearly likes you. And I know you like him too.”

She sighed as she set her pencil down. “It’s not worth it and quite frankly, I don’t see it ending well.”

Pam pulled out a folded scrap of paper. Tessa unfolded it, revealing name written on it.

“I didn’t even-.”

“He wrote it,” Pam said. “It was the only handwriting I couldn’t recognize.”

Tessa sighed, the knot in her stomach tightened.

“Don’t not do it because of me,” Pam said. “Just…you know, think about it.”

Tessa nodded as Pam grabbed her arm. “C’mon. Jim brought Cece and she’s all dressed up.”

===================================

When Tessa walked out to the office, the first thing she noticed was Jim, dressed as Popeye, holding baby Cece.

“Oh my god, she’s Sweet Pea!” Tessa beamed.

She made her way over, holding out her arms. Jim handed her the baby as she continued to coo at Cece.

“What a cutie you are in your costume!” she said. “Best one I’ve seen today!”

“I actually like the Popeye cartoons.”

She looked over to see Danny standing there. He continued. “I always liked cartoons. Still kind of do. The old school Looney Tunes make me laugh.”

Tessa pulled back her lips. “What if I were to tell you that sometimes I still watch those cartoons? Is that too dorky for you?”

He smiled. “I would say that sometimes Public School has the old school Looney Tunes playing on one of TVs and if you don’t believe me, you should come check it out for yourself.”

Tessa looked at Cece.

“You know, Cece,” she began, “Danny here really wants me to go to his bar. Give me a smile if you think I should go.”

Cece smiled and began babbling. Tessa looked over at Danny.

“What time should I be there?” she asked.

I guess I figured I’d been too judgemental. Besides, Pam gave me her blessing. I’m just going to go for a couple drinks. See what happens.

[your-hands-in-mine]

My take on Tessa and ice dance is a little different. I think Tessa had within her from a young age a pretty strong ambition to be great. And she found Scott at that age and they both saw how they could work together to be great through ice dance. I think that ice dance was lucky to have her and if she hadn’t met Scott maybe she would have been great at ballet or something else. But despite her success as a skater, she actively separated her identity from skating and often didn’t really even seem to enjoy skating as much as the pursuit of their common goals.

But I think that once VM started to have a national profile and especially once they won in Vancouver, Tessa saw the possibilities of what her profile as an Olympic gold medalist could do to launch her post-skating career as an endorser or what we now know as influencers and that obviously grew exponentially after Pyeongchang. And you can see that from 2010 forward Tessa was building up a profile and making connections with Canadian celebrities and socialites that have been helpful in her post skating life. And at times it felt like she was almost waiting for the chance to launch her second act.

At the same time, Scott’s aspirations were closer to home. He came from a skating family, and he’s wanted to give back to his community. The kind of celebrity that Tessa pursued is anathema to him, and he feels most comfortable with people he’s known for a long time. And he has always seemed like someone who not only loves skating but really enjoys working with younger skaters — he always helped at skating schools when he had downtime when competing whereas the last place you would find Tessa in her free time is a skating rink. (The Lindt skating classes they did were work, not free time.)

I’m grateful that their partnership kept both of them competing and performing for so long. I doubt they would have lasted without each other. And I’m glad we still have Scott as a coach.

Hi!! 👋 Sorry for the late replay. First off, I want to put it out there that when I talk about Tessa not liking skating, I’m referring to everything pre-comeback. Tessa made it clear that she LOVED skating during the comeback, and thank god she got to experience that, if only for two years. Anyway. That’s interesting, in terms of Tessa thinking ahead to her life/career post skating, I never considered that the gears in her head would have been turning on that as far back as Vancouver. Thinking about it, I’d say maybe after 2012 worlds? At that point, Tessa realized that the sport was exhausting her. Even though they won worlds, she didn’t feel that thrill from the win that she thought she would. A year later she just wanted to quit.

Ultimately, they decided to stay in for Sochi. But yeah half way through the quad that, at the time, they thought was going to be their last, I’m sure Tessa was thinking ahead.

Your use of the word “influencer” to describe her is curious to me 😂 You’re definitely not the only one! But when I think of “influencers”, I think of people who produce regular content on either instagram or tiktok, build up a following through those videos, and then brands eventually start reaching out to them. They first become known because of their social media, not from any previous accomplishments or achievements like Tessa.

And as for making connections/networking, isn’t that just preparing for the future and acknowledging the fact that their skating career would end when they hit 30? And this just occurred to me, but I wonder if this especially dwelled on Tessa’s mind because they very nearly lost their career. Her leg pain was chronic. She knew more than many people that it all could feel and be so very fleeting.

“And at times it felt like she was almost waiting for the chance to launch her second act” is where I hesitate. I will say I only just got here 🫣 like this year, which is RARE I know!! So I’m not an expert on the subject. I just do my best to do my research and use my best judgement since I wasn’t actually there to witness it all unfold. If you mean she was waiting for it during the comeback era, I disagree. I don’t think there was any “waiting” going on. First of all, I think they had a very clear timeline. 2018 and they were done. And both were spending their energy focused as hell and soaking up every moment of their comeback. Whatever pursuits or thinking she did that involved her post career while they were in the midst of the comeback, it did not take away from their endeavor at the time.

If you mean she was waiting for it during the Sochi quad, in a way, they both were. Waiting for it to end, I mean. As I said, she (and he) were exhausted in every way. I would want it to end too. But the reason never was: “I want this to end so I can launch my second career and use my first career to back me up.”

And “anathema” is a bit of a strong word, no?💀 (had to look that one up). But I do agree that Scott finds comfort and familiarity in his “circle.” It’s true. They both run in quite different circles nowadays. And I don’t think either of them hold judgement against the other for that. They just recognize that that’s a significant difference in the type of people they are.

But as for Tessa not having chosen to involve herself in skating in her free time, I think that is part of her finding a separate identity from skating, as you mentioned in the beginning. Finding those boundaries was what was healthy for her. Because as much as she could find comfort in associating skating with Scott, the chronic pain it caused her, as well as all the toxicity she experienced from Canton, were very strong presences in her life too. Scott had a different relationship with skating. Besides loving it, a part of it is because men have different experiences with the sport. And pain-free people have different experiences with the sport. Scott is both of those things. (He experienced pain, but you get my meaning).

In the 22 years they gave us, VM showed us all the different things you could be on the ice: dancers, artists, athletes, performers, humans. They demonstrated loyalty to each other that could withstand the hardest of times. And they learned to support each other no matter what. Considering how long and how intensely they did all that, I sure hope they enjoyed their free time, however they chose to spend it. And I think they taught us plenty.

[snappydragonsclaw]

one night, tessa,snap shot, and the minis sat at the dining table. snap shot was in his werewolf form, but like food fight learned to control it. they were waiting for food fight to return, then came a small mossy figure coming about. it was food fight in his werewolf form. he had a box of pizza in his mossy paws. but something was different about food fight. he had a hearty smile tugged at his mouth. "Phew! man, this box is hot!" Food fight spoke in a cheery tone when he put the pizza onto the table after Tessa opened the door. "How's Scott's first transformation?" "The usual. he doesn't want to be bothered, so I would just slide the plate under the door, " Tessa responded. food fight slid the plate with a slice of lengthy cheesy meat lovers pizza under the door and walked to the table. Spry was playfully chatting with Gill Runt,trigger snappy seemed to be messing with pet vac much to his annoyance, drobit waited patiently, and hijinks glared off into the distance. "So, where's spyro and the others?" Food fight asked. "they are on guard duty. they said that chop chop was spotted nearby mate." Snap shot answered. meanwhile, above in the skies, Sonic boom soars around."Oh, where are those children!?" she asked herself. she then sees a tree house lit up below her and flies down and sees them eating pizza.she was about to walk in when she heard food fight's voice. without a second thought, she broke in and gained looks she did. everyone stopped talking and looked at her startled. "What are you doing?" Tessa asked, confused."The minis ran off and didn't tell me." Sonic boom explains. Spry sheepishly chuckles, sinking into the chair. Sonic boom lands her eyes on him. "Anyways...what's the deal with the two werewolves?"That's food fight and snap shot. " Tessa says. "Oh...that's interesting....food fight is that moss or fur?" Sonic boom asked sheepishly,"Moss. it looks like fur, but it's not."Food fight said bluntly. food fight was unsure rather to trust the griffin. those he once called family are now trying to kill him. meanwhile, in the forest. "spyro, are you sure you have chop chop's scent? we been out here for hours now." cynder asked. her voice tinged with boredom. "My nostrils don't lie cynder... they never do, just like my memory. chop chop is in these woods."And what will we do if we catch him?" cynder asks with a hint of sass. "Have a talk and hope he changes his mind." spyro responds. gill grunt looks at trigger happy and shakes his head and cynder's nostrils flare as she sighs deeply. "spyro. chop chop is very hard headed it don't think a talk will sort this out." cynder comments. " we're skylanders cynder. I'm sure he'll listen." spyro responds. "spyro, he didn't listen the first time. listen, not everyone will do what you would have done in this situation. " cynder explains. "Yeah, spyro. some people are not talkers, and you can't talk them out of doing what they are going to do. chop chop is not someone who really thinks about others. he's a fighter, not a lover." Gill grunt adds. "Yeah! yeah! chop chop, not nice! hahaha!" Trigger happy comments. " I know but maybe he will change? right? hopefully." spyro shrugs. "we can dream but let's be realistic. chop chop is chop chop. he never changes for anyone or anything." cynder responds. to be continued

[jodiespolaroids]

New Jodie interview. Please someone drop the name of her pup.

It's behind a paywall, so if you want to read it, it's below the cut!

It was a gamble that few actresses would have dared to take. After four years making her name as the charismatic psychopath Villanelle in Killing Eve, Jodie Comer rolled the dice — and changed her life.

Having not acted on stage since she was 16, Comer risked her growing reputation to star in a one-woman show in the West End. Prima Facie proved a sensation and transferred to Broadway. And last year the Liverpudlian won the most prestigious theatre awards on both sides of the Pond — an Olivier and a Tony — and, aged 30, entered a new era. The Com-era, perhaps?

Today she is a fully fledged film star, taking her first leading role in The End We Start From — a smart, bold post-apocalyptic indie drama about a mother (Comer) and her baby (not Comer’s baby). The film already has nine nominations for the British Independent Film awards, and Baftas should follow.

Comer is in a car with a lively dog when we talk via Zoom. She is in a black hoodie, with her long blonde hair loosely tied, and seems extraordinarily calm — except when the dog leaps across the screen. Her Zen is worth mentioning because the last time I saw her was when she prowled the stage with fear and fury in Prima Facie, playing a barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault before she is sexually assaulted herself. One woman going full throttle in defence of all women.

“My sleep was all over the place,” Comer says of her stint playing Tessa. “It’s tricky when you do something emotional. You think, ‘OK, it’s not real.’ But there is some part that tricks your body into believing that what you’re saying and feeling is a real experience. It becomes important to take care of yourself. With theatre it’s kinetic. You’re sharing space with 900 people.

“It’s … it’s tough. But clearly something I love putting myself through.” She pauses. “Yeah, I underestimated Prima Facie. Totally. I just didn’t know what to expect.”

It was not her first ordeal either. She’s drawn to gruelling roles, from Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, in which her character, Marguerite de Carrouges, was the victim of a rape, to Help, the bleak Channel 4 care home Covid drama. There was also Free Guy, a video-games blockbuster with Ryan Reynolds, but when I ask if Comer is tempted to pick something else fun as a break from Prima Facie, she explains that having a laugh is not enough.

“I like to be in a difficult place,” she says. “A place of self-discovery. Where I feel challenged. With Free Guy that part of me that comes away from my work feeling that I had to dig deep was missing … I came away thinking, ‘Wow, I’ve had so much fun.’ And that should be enough. But I like anything that holds a mirror up to this human experience. It’s just what I’m drawn to.”

Which leads us to The End We Start From. The film is directed by Mahalia Belo and takes place in modern-day London, telling the tale of Mother (Comer), whose waters break just as Britain experiences mass flooding. Metaphors à gogo, but the film works superbly as an intimate study of how an individual deals with a global disaster. How can a parent protect a baby as society collapses?

Comer is barely seen on screen without a baby. The crew had to use several because strict rules mean each infant can only work for 20 minutes at a time. (There are agencies that expectant parents use to sign their unborn child up to a film company.)

We all know an actor should never work with children or animals, but a baby is a whole other, wriggly challenge. Comer really does nothing by halves. How hard is it to act with one? “It’s such a lesson,” says Comer, who is not a mother. Did it come naturally? “Oh God, no!”

“The smallest baby was eight weeks,” she explains, smiling softly. “At first my hands were visibly shaking. My younger cousins have grown up now, so I’m not around babies an awful lot. It felt like a huge responsibility. I thought, ‘Wow, they’re so fragile.’ But I became more comfortable, sometimes to my detriment! There are scenes where we needed a baby to cry but I was soothing him instead. The crew would shout ‘Stop!’” She pauses. “I was kind of falling in love with them.”

The film shows the thrill of being a first-time parent much more than the panic. As prep for Prima Facie Comer watched cases at the Old Bailey. What did she do for this? “My best friend had a baby before filming, so I was able to ask personal questions,” Comer says. “I also spent time with midwives — there is a birthing sequence and I wanted to know about the physicality, where you feel pain giving birth. Having not had a child myself, I wanted women to see the truth in what they saw.”

It comes as no surprise that Belo was inspired to direct her first feature film after giving birth during the pandemic. “Your whole body gets taken over by this beautiful thing,” Belo says about being a mother. “Every part of your body is different from then on and it’s not only that — all your relationships are different too. You’ve got this other sound going on, that’s about your children. I wanted to represent that.”

The End We Start From is a film so clearly made by a woman who has young children, you can almost smell the nappies. Post-apocalyptic films usually star a man walking in a desolate landscape alone with his thoughts, and a dog. So it is quietly revolutionary to focus on a woman and her newborn.

“I think so,” Comer says. “What I love is that it’s a woman who is the everyday hero — we always see men with a superhero quality facing this situation. But here it is a woman many will feel they know. She’s not scaling buildings, or jumping over bridges. The story is deep-rooted in her psyche and emotion. It’s refreshing.”

The film also grapples with climate change. “Endless amounts of rain — I can’t see anything out of the window …” Comer says with a sigh as she looks out of the car at a very wet Britain. Belo, who lives in east London, made the film as her neighbourhood in Walthamstow suffered unprecedented flooding. When she consulted flood experts, their conversations were bleak. “Sea levels are rising, rainfall is becoming more extreme. We are an island; things are going to go wrong and we’re not prepared. We know what’s happening.”

For some The End We Start From will just be a stirring story of the lengths that we go to protect our children. Others, though, will locate an edge that is common to so much of Comer’s work. It is another entry on a CV that is trying to make a difference. Does she think that art can actually change anything? “Absolutely,” Comer says. “When I read the scripts they provoked an emotion in me that felt important. I felt engaged and that’s the biggest thing now, isn’t it? To keep people engaged in what you’re saying, and so that you can change things. I witnessed conversations around sexual assault when working on Prima Facie and saw subtle shifts within the law.

“Women and men were telling me what that play had enabled them to do, whether it was to seek counselling or have a conversation with their family. That may seem like a very small change but it is mighty in somebody’s life. You can see what a profound effect watching a piece of art has on somebody. That means a lot to me.”

This desperation to make stuff that really matters is why Comer stands out. She also excels in the 1960s-set The Bikeriders, about gangs and masculinity, out in the summer, alongside Tom Hardy. If you were to put her in a bracket of skill and achievement right now, you could say that she is where Jodie Foster was as she entered her thirties. They share the sass, steeliness and spark that Foster displayed in the controversial courtroom drama The Accused — which deals with the subject of rape — a sort of prototype Prima Facie.

[abarbaricyalp]

Hi! Because I've been rereading that one particular Christmas fic of yours, I'm curious about the Ice Skating WIP??

Oh yeah they do skate in that one too 😅WIP Game

The ice skating fic is mostly an excuse to watch scott moir and tessa virtue routines and call it research, lol. It's told through memories interspersed with Bucky and Sam meeting as adults for the first time since they stopped talking at 20. They competed against each other since the age of eight and were briefly together in their late teens. They qualify for their first olympics in the same year and then--

This is the first flashback. They're nine here

.

“Those are my skates,” Bucky snapped at the boy lacing up his skates on the bench where Bucky had left his ten seconds ago while he went to the bathroom.

Without even looking up, the other boy said, “No, they’re not. Your skates are black. These are gray.”

This camp was already off to a bad start and this was only the second day. It was the first camp Bucky had ever traveled for, having spent two years proving to his mom and dad that he was taking this skating thing very seriously (unlike Becca who had dropped it within two practices) but now he was thinking that he maybe didn’t want to travel for camps. There were so many people here and he didn’t know any of them. At least back home, a few friends from school or from the neighborhood went to his rink. Here? He was all alone.

And now someone was trying to take his skates, which weren’t even new.

Bucky scowled, blinked in the dimmed light of the rink, and reassessed the skates on the boy’s feet. “Those are black.”

“No. They aren’t,” he insisted again.

“I left my skates right here. Why aren’t they here?”

Now the boy lifted his head, boots laced but not tied, and gave Bucky the most irritated look Bucky had ever seen. Even his little sister couldn’t look at him like that. He reached behind himself to the next layer of the stadium seating and shoved away a gym bag full of agility aids. Bucky’s dark skates appeared like magic. “Use your eyeballs next time,” the boy snapped.

On the other side of the rink, Bucky’s mom was, at once, chattering with someone else and staring at him. She gestured at him to talk to the boy. Her meaning was clear: make friends.

“I’m sorry,” he said from between his teeth. “It’s dark. My name’s Bucky.”

The boy stood and tested himself with the blade protectors on. He didn’t wobble like a lot of the other kids did as they scooted around the edge of the rink, waiting for permission to get on the ice. “I’m Sam,” he said, then scrunched up his nose. “What kind of name is Bucky?”

Bucky scowled at this. “One of those is my blade protector,” he snapped, instead of responding. He held up the other skate as proof. “I use red ones. Those don’t even match.”

Sam looked down at his skates and huffed out an annoyed breath before balancing on one foot to yank off the red protector. He had to sit back down to search for the other blue one.

Bucky had to sit to get his skates on in the first place. They did not look at each other as they worked.

“Do you have a partner?” Sam asked finally.

Bucky did. Kind of. There was a girl he skated with up in New York, but she hadn’t ventured all the way down here for the camp. Yesterday, they hadn’t partnered up at all, despite this being a pairs-skating camp specifically. So, currently? No.

“Do you?” he asked instead.

Sam shook his head. “I switched over to pairs after last season. I’ve never tried to skate with someone else.”

There were more girls than boys at this camp, so they’d have no problem getting paired off, which hopefully would mean he’d make at least one more friend. Hopefully.

“Do you wanna–” Sam started to ask.

“Boys can’t skate together,” Bucky interrupted. Though he wished they could because girls were dramatic and a lot of them didn’t like falling.

“I wasn’t gonna say we should. I was gonna ask if you wanted to stretch together,” Sam corrected him with a roll of his eyes. “You’re really annoying.”

“Yeah,” Bucky agreed with a sigh. He pointedly didn’t look at his mom who had a sixth sense for him being a problem. “My sister tells me every day.”

Sam had found his protector a while ago, but was still waiting on Bucky to lace his boots up. “Well?” he asked finally. “Do you wanna warm up or not?”

Bucky took his hand when he offered it and let Sam pull him up. “Sure,” he said. “That sounds alright.”

[virtchandmoir]

Scott Moir, Kaitlyn Weaver advocates of gender-expansive ice dance and pairs figure skating teams

January 11, 2023

Canadian ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver says, as an LGBTQ2S+ person, her sport has never fully reflected her lived experience.

Skate Canada has rewritten its policy that specifies ice dance and pairs team must comprise a man and a woman, a rule change that has Weaver and two-time Olympic ice dance champion Scott Moir as its biggest advocates — and could revolutionize the stuffy figure skating world.

Canada, which is the first country in the world to make such a move, plans to push for an international rule change at the next ISU congress in 2024.

"There's so many different ways that it can impact young people," Weaver said. "But as an ice dancer, and especially as a queer person growing up that didn't know she was queer, seeing different stories represented and different partnering, different types of identities on the ice, would have been very liberating for me."

As of next season, pairs and ice dance skaters — up to the Canadian championships, but not beyond — need only be two skaters.

"This is meant to be gender inclusive, so it doesn't matter how you identify yourself, if you're a skater, you're welcome," said Skate Canada president Karen Butcher.

"We'd like to be leaders in the sport no matter what, and we believe that this change is the right thing for more skaters in Canada, and by extension around the world to be able to enjoy skating and have more opportunities," she added. "Why not examine it and see what changes can be made?

"If we're not constantly looking at how do we make our sport better, we're going to die."

Weaver, a two-time Olympian with partner Andrew Poje, said Canada's rule change has been the "talk of the figure skating world," and she was pleasantly surprised to see Russian Maxim Grinkov, who won Olympic pairs gold in 2014 with Tatiana Volosozhar, support the move.

"Max said, 'Why not? A skater is a skater, and if you can do the elements, then who's to say that it's any different?' and I think that, coming out of Russia, that's a big statement," Weaver said.

Moir and partner Tessa Virtue became the most decorated ice dancers in history when they won Olympic gold in 2018. The 35-year-old Moir now coaches the Ice Academy of Montreal's satellite program in London, Ont., and said, because there are far more female skaters than male, removing the gender stipulation could have a huge impact on keeping girls and women in the sport.

"Seeing so many women that want to ice dance, and not having the opportunity because that partner doesn't come along or what have you," Moir said.

He added that he and Virtue had a true 50/50 partnership on the ice, where the strength of their elements came from the two of them equally.

"We have a really unique opportunity in skating where you have the balance of grace and athleticism, where the body type or the body build, the pure science of what the traditionalists would call an advantage, I don't really see that," Moir said. "I see the fact that we have an opportunity to tell a new story and to have a new look.

"And what is the advantage? If traditionalists think that two women can't do lifts, I'm eager to prove them wrong. Or two men together can't be graceful in this era, I'm eager to prove them wrong. Because I don't believe that. I see an even playing field and a fantastic opportunity to get more people involved in figure skating. And that's always something I'm passionate about."

Moir believes that with the advancement in women's sport, and specifically skating, that the best skaters in the world right now are female. Women are reeling off triple axels. Kamila Valieva of Russia became the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics last year, at age 15.

"That female-female team is going to be hard to compete against," Moir said. "I just keep going back to: I'm happy I didn't have to compete against a Tessa Virtue and Tessa Virtue team."

Moir realizes there could be a backlash against the policy change, and hopes that skaters don't pay a price or face bullying.

News that artistic (formerly synchronized) swimming would now permit two male swimmers per team in the team event caused an uproar recently.

"I think it's ridiculous. It's small-minded, right?" he said. "In this next generation, hopefully we're starting to let people identify how they want to people. That's all it has to be. And whatever your background is, or however you identify, you should be able to participate in sport and that get the lessons that (sport) offers."

While the teams at this week's Canadian championships in Oshawa, Ont., will see only traditional male/female duos, both Moir and Weaver hope to see the rule change, which received a unanimous vote from Skate Canada's board of directors, reflected in next year's fields.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with the stories we're telling, (but) I think there's room for so much more," said Weaver, a three-time world senior medallist. "My queerness has a big part in why I felt especially motivated to help push this forward. We don't see young people in our sport that are not heteronormative … and I think that that's a problem.

"Canadians belong on the ice. And if there's a group of people that don't feel like that, it's our job to make sure that becomes a reality. And a visual reality. Kids can't be what they can't see. And if we can make space for everyone, I think that our sport and our country will be much richer for it."

Weaver has worked with American pair team Anna Kellar, a nonbinary trans athlete, and Erica Rand, who hoped to compete at the American national championships, but U.S. rules still stipulate a team must comprise a male and female.

Canada was also one of the world's first countries to drop the term "ladies" in figure skating, switching to "women's singles" over a decade ago. The ISU only recently dropped the relic. Women were called "women" at the Olympics for the first time in 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2023.

—CTV News

[tutuandscoot]

Hi, im the anon who said id be back to go over my favourite bits from the interwiew and now im not dead tired so yea. Firstly i liked how they said they talked to each other immediatly after learning they were getting it. Theres a lot of negativity around of how they might not like each other anymore so its nice to get confirmation that they do you know. And Scott continuing his streak of saying hes happy for tessa etc. And he says he thinks tessa is the most deserving ever of being in the hall, oh my hearth. And tessa saying thats how they got through their careers thinking more of the other. and tessa bringing up the early days and ilderton and how nice those days were. And Scott talking about the canadians supporting them, I honestly think thats one of the nicest thing about them that they love Canada and its people and how nicely they talk about it. Even with me not being canadian it does warm my heart. And then the no media training part. Saying they wanted to be authentic even if they messed up sometimes and I think that might have helped people connect with them, because we see them as the people that they are. Tessa saying Scott brings out the best in her. Scott saying (about commentary) that he wouldnt dream of doing it without tessa and that he needs her beside him to watch his back, at least whats that about and he touched her arm during that melts my heart. They missed each other when they started doing things apart aww. And I just realized this is very long so il split it into parts and I might have to go eat dinner.

So basically.. all of it!

The way they talk about their country and their people warms my heart and I basically consider myself an honorary Canadian by virtue (🤭) of loving them so much!

But I do wish… and I’m sure they do know.. and it’s not to toot my own horn.. but their fans all around the world- not just in skating countries, the ones who have never and will never have the honour of seeing them perform live.. I know they know.. but yeah I’d love to hear that..

Maybe when the get into some international hall of fame..

[saucylittlesmile]

I usually write in my tags but I decided to this instead, eith Scott’s long interview:

They changed my life. And it changed how I felt about the sport, and they empowered me to be my best self and learn what that is and who that was

I was going to write something but in this case, I felt a picture was worth a thousand words.

But not very long after – two, three years after – we kind of started thinking – because we’d already retired once and done tours and we’re doing a show – and we just looked at each other and were kind of like ‘This isn’t the same’. We both had other projects that we were putting on hold: her getting her MBA and working for Deloitte, and for me, the skating school. So as much as we miss each other daily, it was time to move on and not perform anymore.

I mean, we already knew this; they didn’t find the same fulfillment in show skating long term, and yet touring is enough of a commitment that it can keep other life plans from being realized; but still it’s nice to always know they were on the same page of being ready to get to that next stage of life. I did laugh at his ‘we retired once’ given how often they reiterate a that they didn’t retire hut took a break - still, it was an earlier chance to experience that lifestyle of non-competitive touring life too.

And I wanted to really do my own thing. But I would have done my own thing, I think, in Montreal, if I hadn’t met my wife and missed my family and all that stuff. I still think my home is in Ontario. But professionally, I was a little bit upset, because I would love to be beside them in Montreal and join forces.

It’s a Sliding Doors moment - that whole imaginary what if scenario that changes everything and yet changes nothing. But the reality is, he gets to be near his family, and his daughter gets to grow up with close family; and he gets to have a bit of a ‘the best of both worlds’.

The athletes relating to each other, being able to tell a story, kind of cat and mouse, back and forth. So that’s my strength, I think. I always really dove into that as a performer, I’d get to work with the best woman in the world, Tessa, so when we got into those energies, it was so much fun.

I’m thinking about Tessa being shocked that there are teams who don’t talk to each other on the ice. I’m thinking about teams who skate together but who barely even look at each other, let alone seem to make a connection. We were spoiled by VM’s partnership, and the level to which they were able to perform those stories and relate to each other, but not everyone can manage it, It’s going to be interesting to watch him encourage growing those relationships.

So I could be like ‘I want you to try this.’ And it wouldn’t necessarily even make sense. But Madi and Zach they can make anything [make sense]. And then the first time it’s gold, and you start to think ‘Holy shit. Maybe I am a great choreographer.’ And then you work with a 10-year-old and 12-year-old and you’re like ‘Oh, no, there we go. I’m back again.’

I just LOL’d at this.

So I’ve made a list. I won’t tell you who else is on the list, because I’m hoping that they’ll end up on our team as well – one day – but they were at the top of my list.

I want to know, lol, because I could only guess 1 name. Bet the rest I’d be surprised at. Love they made sure that Madison (and Adri) could tour if they had the desire and the chance.

Yeah, I go back and forth on that one. What I said yesterday in the meeting – and I have to tip my cap to the dance tech committee that they’re asking us, trying to poll everyone and to work collaboratively, you create an ice dance event that everyone likes – but I don’t mind it. I don’t think there’s a major flaw right now.

Interesting that the ISU is at least having discussions about dance with the people who have to deal with the decisions. Guess I shouldn’t 100% blane the ISU. ;)

I miss pattern dances a bit. The problem with pattern dances is how they’re judged. I like pattern dances because of the old-school patterns on the ice. Speed, dance position, like the older style of ice dance, and nobody really seems to care about that anymore. So I always wonder, why are we keeping it around for key points when it’s not really the spirit of the dance? But I do miss it in the program this year, I would remove PST and put pattern dance back in.

I can’t believe I’ve been around long enough to live through SM saying he wants the pattern gone to circle back around to him wanting it back. 😭 This one section we were shaking hands, preaching to the choir, same page agreement.

Of course then he went on to praise the choreographic elements and I had to cancel him.

(okay I get he’s saying he thinks they creative and he wishes he could’ve done them and etc etc but No Scott That’s Just the Wrong Opinion, I am right, thanks)

Well, Moulin Rouge came from Tessa and I’s heart and soul. And with Marie-France and Patrice and Sam all collaborating – It’s a special one. It’s not the most original one or groundbreaking, but it came from our souls. And we love the music. And so that was probably my favourite in the end.

They fought for it, and it made it all the more their program. ❤️

And also, we went back into Pink Floyd for our last number, because the Pink Floyd free dance is probably the project that I connected with the most.

Vindication! Uncancelled him, as a Pink Floyd free dance enthusiast.

Just a great interview. I love that they weren’t editing him down into a condensed version. Really, we have been incredibly spoiled with a few of Tessa’s recent podcasts and Scott’s interviews and their joint one - way, way more insights and stories and so on than I would have ever expected to get at this point.

[sunskate]

I was watching V/M series as well and they have such a complicated dynamic lol it’s actually so funny to me as a sociology major. And I believe their retirement and the choice not to skate professionally together again like W/D has to do with their personal issues and emotional attachment to their partnership.

Scott has said things that in retrospect are very heavy and I don’t think normal skate partners even say like him referring to his romantic relationships as “external” in comparison to Tessa and how he has a hard time balancing personal life while skating with Tessa. It’s clear the boundaries that they say exist were always blurry and it worked to a certain extent.

I know people think their relationship was mostly fan-service but while I think they used their chemistry as an advantage for them I do feel a lot of the complexities of their relationship were too difficult for them to understand and that fear of not crossing any boundaries ended up affecting them in the long run and they would’ve never been able to skate together like Meryl and Charlie if they don’t have the competitive pressure. the tour pre and post retirement was super chaotic.

the complexities might have been difficult to understand, but i think they were made even harder because communication wasn't great, and some things were never clearly said. and that led to insecurities and misunderstandings that i would bet stand to this day. for all that they've been kind of secretive or say conflicting things about their personal stuff, they've been willing to talk about some difficulties once they've been processed. like little bits of things come out in interviews - Tessa talking about her dad, or about her and her mom's relationships to financial security. saying they individually considered quitting in 2013. their difficulties after her surgery in 2008 were a centerpiece of their book after 2010. so their post PYC stuff, i don't think has been resolved

[inkyboi25]

Head canons (BATDR human addition)

- Audrey Drew: Is described to be one of Arch Gate Films hardest worker, and is liked by many coworkers

- Wilson Arch: Where his father saw a simple cartoon industry, he saw a goldmine of experiments, and he wanted it all to himself. Wanted to use his own creations against the Ink Demon, and have total control over the Ink dimension

- Allen Gray: A man of business who doesn’t appreciate having failure in his projects. Sometime after Joey’s death he tried to take back the ink machine, most likely knowing what it’s capable of

- Telly Wester: Worked at the bank that Joey Drew would take loans out from, he had to repossess much of the studio belongings after bankruptcy

- Nathan Arch: After Joey’s demise, he was inspired by his work, wanting to keep the “magic” Joey created alive. Is Wilson’s father, but never payed attention to, deeming he wasn’t a “thinker”

- Angus Newman: Worked with Shawn Flynn in the toy factory, but was often slacking off

- Dale Little: Was in charge of tracking shipments in and out of Joey Drew Studios before being in charge of the security codes

- Hudson Doyle: Was forced to be a tour guide to try and earn more money, since Joey was always finding ways to keep money close to him

- Kay Lee: She was instructed to hide objects and files Joey would deem too important to lose, making her question Joey

- Sally Newt: Joey Drew’s personal secretary

- Carl: The amount of stress Joey and the animations put on him drove him to hang himself in his office

- Bill Danton: Started having personality disorders and mental instability after creating and acting out so many cartoon characters (became one of the lost ones in Artist Rest)

- Phil Clark: Was one of the many animators Joey had to hire to replace Henry

- Jane Todd: After the rest of the animation department laughed at her character, she wanted to prove Carly was worth being shown, and thus became Carly

- Lance Derby: Would try and look into what the GENT company was doing in the studio

- Dina Dean: A model that wants to endorse a new shoe polishing product, and Wally finds attractive

- Hank Scott: Just an average worker who wants to get some decent shut eye

- Muncie Dunn: One of the original mechanics at Joey Drew Studios before GENT arrived, doesn’t approve of Joey and GENT’s business partnership

- Grace Conway: Would often talk with Norman Polk when he was hiding somewhere, and would hide in spots no one could find, even stealing from her fellow coworkers

- Eugene Lloyd: Was one of the many JDS workers that hated GENT’s company choices

- GENT: Was once a construction company before working with Joey, starting using poor people as test subjects; broke into the Joey Drew Museum to steal the ink machine and everything it needed to start up

- Steve McGregor: A strong new worker at the GENT corporation that makes everyone drop their jaws at his strength (became Big Steve)

- Archie Carter: Was in money trouble so decided to accept being one of GENT’s test subject candidates

- Chef Buck: After his coworker Little Andre died in front of him, he used his carcass as food for the other workers

- Kitty Thompson: Is a person who is curious about the mysterious ghost train that appears on the lines

- Wilton Moore: An author who loved to create lengthy stories

- Tessa Arch: Possibly either Nathan’s wife or another family member who cares about his health

[anewbeginningagain]

I listened to the podcast as well, and I have to say I loved it. She was so open, so natural, so happy. I’m really happy for her engagement, she deserves the best. And also yeah, the part about her father had me very surprised, must have been hard.

Yeah it was very good, I enjoyed it. I loved how Tessa talks about certain aspects like how she was the one who basically did the business side for them as a team - something that's not surprising but as mentioned is (unfortunately) a bit of a gender switch but one she and Scott were obviously happy and comfortable with. I loved the bit on how disillusioned they were about the sport from such a young age and how Scott told her that her mom saved them in many ways which is remarkable imo. I loved the spark and joy she shows when talking about the comeback, in a weird way I find it comforting knowing that it was a joy for them as it was for us and it really showed, their love for the sport and for what they did at the time and their team was so apparent, and how she talked about MF and Patrice. I also appreciated the part on her relationship with social media, she always gets a lot of grief for it but she nailed it when she said she felt it will be perceived as performative because at least for me personally about 99% of the wokeness and support in causes we see on social media is totally performative and feels disingenuous. She clearly has strong core beliefs and values and I think she and Scott have always been more of a "show don't tell" kind of people with their support in causes and them setting examples in certain aspects - most of them completely outside of the social media circle which I personally think is right and respect it more that way.

The part about her dad was sad and interesting because her saying her parents have been separated since she was 17 is eye-opening considering he was around long after that (I don't remember when was he last time he was seen in a competition? 2012? 2013? 2014?) but it's clear it was not a healthy way and the way she found out about his marriage is heartbreaking. There were a lot of similarities in what she said and described to things that I went through so I can truly relate to her experience and I respect her for being open about it. Overall a really great interview.

[pennyserenade]

i think its safe to say that i consume more movies and books than the average person (lol) and this year i’m trying to make an effort to make my watchlist and reading list much more diverse than years past. as you are all probably aware, this month is black history month and i thought i’d share some movies and books i love/plan to read this month and this year in case any of you are looking for recommendations!

for movies i plan to watch:

carmen jones (1954) starring dorothy dandridge, harry belafonte 

no way out (1950) starring sidney poitier

nothing but a man (1964) starring ivan dixon, abbey lincoln

anna lucasta (1958) starring eartha kitt

cane river (1982) starring tommye myrick, richard romain

losing ground (1982) starring seret scott

paris blues (1961) starring sidney poitier, diahann carrol

if beale street could talk (2018) starring kiki layne, stephan james

a raisin in the sun (1961) starring sidney poitier, ruby dee, claudia mcneil, diana sands

movies i recommend:

spider-man: into the spider verse (2018) starring shameik moore

a patch of blue (1965) starring sidney poitier 

do the right thing (1989) starring spike lee, giancarlo esposito, ossie davis, ruby dee

the defiant ones (1958) starring sidney poitier 

sorry to bother you (2018) starring lakeith stanfield, tessa thompson

nope (2022) starring keke palmer, daniel kaluuya 

the books intend to read:

kindred by octavia e. butler

parable of the sower by octavia e. butler

beloved by toni morrison 

incidents in the life of a slave girl: written by herself (non-fiction) by harriet jacobs*

narrative of the life of fredick douglas: an american slave (non-fiction) by frederick douglass*

girl, woman, other by bernardine evaristo

books i want to read/have seen other people recommend

maame by jessica george

post-traumatic by chantal v. johnson

jackal by erine e. adams

the fifth season n.k. jemisin 

caste: the origins of our discontents (non-fiction) by isabel wilkerson 

they were her property (non-fiction) by stephanie jones roger

all about love: new visions (non-fiction) by bell hooks 

the secret lives of church ladies by deesha philyaw

seven days in june by tia williams

honey & spice by bolu babalola

luster by raven leilani 

*i’m reading these for one of my school courses but i still think they are definitely worth noting 

[macaroni-rascal]

What changes were most obvious to you about Tessa and Scott from a skating quality/style perspective during the comeback? In other words what did IAM do for them technically?

For Tessa and Scott, they really got way more balanced. Tracy Wilson called it well, I think it was at Skate Canada in 2016, she mentioned that with Marina, they could both get back on the blade a little bit, i.e.: could have their weight placed too far back, which made them work to balance more than they needed to.

In their book, they talk about overhauling their skating, breaking it down completely, re-learning how to walk even, so it makes sense that all of that added to them looking much more balanced and sure on the ice. Their hips were more aligned than ever, their knee bend more in sync, I really found that because of how much more open step sequences became and close hold wasn’t as big of a thing, their edges matched that more lilting feeling, while still being as sharp and precise as always.

They also got rid of the Marina trend to run on the ice, so they went back to getting power only from pushing into the ice, the edges, the lean, etc.

I think I've talked about it before, but they had a bit of scary Skate Canada -- their short dance was amazing, but they had some issues in the free dance, and nearly lost gold to Chock and Bates of all people. Then by the time NHK rolled around, they were the most sure I had ever ever seen them skate. I go back to that NHK Latch free dance so often, Tessa in that circular step sequence especially brings me so much joy. When I watch that performance I need to watch it twice: once for just their feet, and then again for the whole performance.