#Pre- and Post-Training Assessments

[mrspiastri]

✩ geekazoid 🤓

pairing: oscar piastri x reader

cw: fluff

wc: 2.2k words

an: based on this anon! so sorry i forgot about this but like hey!! better late than never :) also this is an apology for me being MIA, i have my boards rn so pleek bear with me :p

After a tiring day of assessments and pre season training, Oscar wanted nothing more than to collapse onto his bed and pass out. He let out a deep sigh as he dropped his bag by the door, kicking off his shoes without a second thought.

His entire body ached from the long day—assessments in the morning, hours of pre-season training under the blistering sun, and then endless meetings with engineers fine-tuning the car’s setup. He was drained. All he wanted was food, a hot shower, and to crawl into bed with her.

But as he stepped further into their apartment, the familiar warmth of home settled over him. The air was filled with the scent of something rich and comforting, sizzling in a pan. Their cat, Sylvia, lifted her head from the couch, giving him a slow blink before lazily curling back into herself.

And then, there she was—his girlfriend, standing in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove, dressed in one of his t-shirts that practically swallowed her whole.

Oscar smiled, exhaustion melting into something softer. This. This was exactly what he needed.

“Hey, love,” he murmured, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. She hummed in acknowledgment, leaning into his touch.

“You’re home,” she said, stirring the pan. “I made dinner.”

“You’re the best,” he sighed, pressing a lazy kiss to her skin.

She chuckled. “I know.”

Oscar swayed with her for a moment before pulling away just enough to peek over her shoulder. “What’re you making?”

“Pasta. Your favorite.”

🪻🪻🪻

By the time dinner was ready, Oscar had finally dragged himself to the couch, looking like a man who had been through war. His exhaustion was evident in the way he slumped forward, elbows on the coffee table, fork lazily twirling the pasta on his plate. But despite his drained state, the moment he took his first bite, a satisfied groan left his lips.

“You’re a godsend,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food.

His girlfriend chuckled, taking her own seat next to him. “I know.”

They ate in comfortable silence, the occasional clink of cutlery against plates the only sound in their cozy apartment. Sylvia, had perched herself on the armrest, lazily watching them eat as if contemplating whether or not she deserved a share. Dinner had been warm, comforting, and exactly what Oscar needed after the exhausting day he’d had. Now, with their plates pushed aside and the dim glow of the kitchen lights making their apartment feel even cozier, he felt himself finally unwind.

She stood to clear the dishes, but before she could take more than a step, Oscar reached for her wrist, tugging her back toward him.

“Uh-uh,” he murmured, voice low with exhaustion. “Not so fast.”

She raised an eyebrow. “The dishes?”

“Can wait.” His grip was firm but gentle as he pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her securely. His t-shirt, which she’d stolen earlier, was way too big on her, making her feel even smaller against him. It made him want to hold her even closer.

She sighed dramatically, but he could feel her melt into him. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re warm,” he murmured, pressing his face into the crook of her neck.

She ran a hand through his hair, threading her fingers through the slightly damp curls from his post-training shower. “Alright, clingy boy, tell me—how was your day?”

Oscar let out a deep groan, tightening his arms around her waist. “Long,” he mumbled against her skin. “Training was brutal, and the meetings after? Even worse. Do you know how many times I heard the words tyre degradation today? Like, I get it. The tyres degrade. It’s their whole thing.”

She giggled, massaging his scalp with her fingers. “Poor baby.”

“Mhm.” He sighed dramatically, pulling her even closer until she was practically tucked under his chin. His hands wandered lazily, tracing slow, mindless patterns over her thighs, her back, slipping under the hoodie to graze her bare waist. “But it’s okay. You made me dinner, and now I have my favorite little heater on my lap.”

She rolled her eyes, but her fingers continued stroking through his hair. “You’re impossible.”

“You love it.”

She let out a small hum, resting against him. “Mmm… maybe.”

🪻🪻🪻

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, his hands roaming idly as he basked in the feeling of her weight against him. And then, as if a switch flipped in his brain, Oscar suddenly perked up.

“Oh! That reminds me—did you see what happened to Australia today?”

She frowned slightly, caught off guard by the shift. “What?”

“The Champions Trophy match,” he said, as if it were obvious. His voice was suddenly way more animated than it had been all evening. “We lost to India.”

She smirked, already sensing where this was going. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes.” He groaned, hands squeezing at her waist in frustration. “It was painful. Like, so painful. The batting order collapsed completely. Smith? Marsh? Labuschagne? Gone. Just gone. I swear, it was like watching a car crash in slow motion.”

Her giggle only encouraged him further. His fingers absentmindedly traced circles on her waist, his legs bouncing slightly under her as he continued his rant.

“And then the bowling,” he exhaled sharply, “Hazlewood and Starc tried, but India’s top order made them look like bloody amateurs. And Cummins—I love the guy, but his captaincy today? What was that? The field placements? The bowling changes? It was like we wanted to lose.”

She bit her lip, trying not to laugh as she leaned back slightly to look at him. “You are so upset over this.”

Oscar groaned dramatically, tipping his head back against the couch. “Of course I am. We’re Australia. We’re supposed to be good at this.”

“You sound like a dad yelling at the TV.”

“I feel like a dad yelling at the TV,” he admitted, running a hand down his face before bringing it back to rest on her thigh. “It’s just frustrating. We literally beat them in the World Cup, and now we get steamrolled?”

She ran her fingers through his hair again, her touch immediately soothing. “You need to relax, Osc.”

“I need Australia to get their act together,” he muttered, but his grip on her tightened as he nuzzled back into her shoulder. His lips brushed lazily over her skin, his fingers slipping under the shirt again to rest at her lower back.

She shivered slightly, but he was too busy sulking to notice.

His fingers kept tracing slow, absentminded circles on her back, completely lost in his post-match frustrations.

“I just don’t get it,” he muttered, shaking his head. “We literally won the World Cup. How do we go from that to this? It’s like they forgot how to handle pressure. And Cummins—he was way too passive today. We should’ve attacked early, built pressure, not just—”

“Oscar,” she cut in, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face toward hers. “You are so cute when you get all worked up about cricket.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You’re saying that just to shut me up.”

She grinned. “Is it working?”

He huffed, his lips twitching like he was trying very hard not to smile. “No.”

She let out an exaggerated sigh, running her fingers through his curls in a way she knew he loved. “Even Sylvia thinks you’re being dramatic.”

At the sound of her name, their cat, perched lazily on the couch, let out a slow blink before curling into herself.

Oscar scoffed. “Sylvia is a cat. She doesn’t care about cricket.”

Y/N smirked. “Exactly. And neither do I.”

Oscar gasped, hand flying to his chest in mock betrayal. “That hurts.”

She laughed, pinching his cheek. “You’ll survive.”

He grumbled under his breath but tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer. His lips brushed against her shoulder, and his fingers slipped beneath the hem of the hoodie she’d stolen from him, resting against her warm skin.

“I could just keep talking,” he mused, voice low against her skin. “Trap you in my lap and force you to listen to my cricket analysis forever.”

She gasped dramatically. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He grinned, pressing a teasing kiss just below her jaw. “Try me, sweetheart.”

She groaned, playfully tugging at his curls. “I regret telling you I like that nickname.”

“Too late,” he said smugly. “I love it. And I love you.”

She rolled her eyes but melted further into him.

🪻🪻🪻

Oscar sighed dramatically, shifting beneath her as he nuzzled further into the crook of her neck. His arms, already snug around her waist, tightened just a little more, as if trying to mold her against him completely. His hands wandered idly, fingers tracing along the curve of her hips, slipping beneath the hoodie she had stolen from him. The warmth of his palm against her bare skin sent a pleasant shiver up her spine, but she stubbornly ignored it.

He, of course, noticed.

“Cold?” he murmured, lips brushing against her skin with every word.

“No,” she muttered, shifting slightly in his lap.

Oscar smirked against her shoulder, his fingers resuming their slow, lazy path along her waist, brushing feather-light touches that sent another shiver coursing through her.

“Really?” he hummed, his voice laced with amusement. “Because you just—” His fingers ghosted up her spine, making her arch slightly into him. “—did that.”

She huffed, playfully flicking his forehead. “Shut up.”

Oscar chuckled, leaning back slightly to look at her properly. His eyes were bright despite the tiredness lingering in them, and the smug little smirk tugging at his lips was pure trouble.

“You love this,” he teased, hands settling on her thighs now, thumbs stroking absentminded circles against her skin. “Admit it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I tolerate it.”

He gasped dramatically, as if she had just shattered his entire world. “Tolerate? Tolerate?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “I give you so much affection, and you tolerate me?”

She barely had time to react before he suddenly flipped them both, knocking her onto the couch and caging her beneath him. She let out a squeal of protest, but Oscar only grinned, propping himself up on his elbows so he wouldn’t crush her.

“Take it back,” he demanded, eyes twinkling with mischief.

She crossed her arms stubbornly. “Make me.”

His grin widened. “Gladly.”

Without warning, he buried his face in her neck, lips ghosting along her skin, hands now sneaking under the hoodie again. His fingers danced over her sides, trailing warmth wherever they touched, and she immediately squirmed.

“Oscar!” she shrieked, trying to wiggle away.

“You brought this upon yourself, sweetheart,” he muttered against her shoulder, his hands shamelessly tracing along her waist, her stomach, her ribs. “Now suffer.”

She let out a mix of giggles and groans, hands pushing weakly at his chest. “I hate you.”

“Liar,” he whispered, pressing a lingering kiss just below her ear.

She swallowed, feeling her heartbeat stutter at the sensation. His lips, slow and deliberate, left a burning trail along her jawline, up to her cheek, before finally reaching the tip of her nose.

She scrunched her face. “That was disgustingly sweet.”

Oscar only smirked. “So? Did it work?”

She tried to glare at him, but the warmth in his gaze made it impossible. “…Maybe.”

He grinned triumphantly, his hands shifting once more, running along the sides of her legs before settling comfortably against her thighs. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, soft and teasing. “I knew it.”

She let out a huff but didn’t pull away, letting her fingers card through his curls instead. He sighed happily, nuzzling into her touch like a content cat.

Speaking of cats—

Sylvia, who had been watching the entire scene unfold from her perch on the couch, chose that exact moment to let out a loud mrrp, her tail flicking in what could only be described as judgment.

Oscar groaned, finally lifting his head to glance at their feline companion. “Are you serious?”

Sylvia blinked. Slowly. Unimpressed.

Y/N burst out laughing, reaching out to scratch the cat behind her ears. “She thinks you’re being annoying.”

Oscar gasped, turning his dramatic expression toward the cat. “You too?”

Sylvia flicked her tail again and turned away, clearly done with his nonsense.

He flopped onto Y/N with an exaggerated groan. “Even my own cat is against me. Unbelievable.”

She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck, fingers playing with the short hair strands on his nape. “Maybe you’re just a hopeless little nerd.”

Oscar hummed, his lips grazing the corner of her mouth. “Yeah… but I’m your hopeless little nerd.”

She sighed, rolling her eyes fondly. “Unfortunately.”

He pulled back just enough to give her a look. “Say that again.”

She smirked. “Unfortunately.”

Oscar narrowed his eyes, hands tightening at her waist. “Okay, that’s it.”

Before she could react, he scooped her up in one fluid motion, throwing her over his shoulder effortlessly.

“Oscar!” she shrieked, flailing in protest.

He ignored her, striding toward their bedroom with a wicked grin. “You brought this upon yourself, Y/N. Now, you must suffer through the worst rant of your life.”

She groaned against his back, already resigning herself to her fate. “You are so annoying.”

“You love it,” he singsonged.

She sighed dramatically, but her fingers clung onto him just a little tighter.

Yeah. She really did.

so sorry for the lack of posting, also i’ll update “jab we met” after the 20th of march which is when my exams end!! sorry for the delay but i really don’t want to scrape on the quality :D

[videolari]

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[captainventi]

Stars On Ice

The new season of Stars on Ice, a hit reality show where celebrities learn to skate alongside professional figure skaters, kicks off! Fateful encounters, first steps on the ice, grueling training sessions, and dazzling performances await the star-studded participants. And, of course, their main goal is to make an unforgettable first impression.

Episode 1. bad guy (Billie Eilish)

Pairings: celebrity!Sylus x figure skater!MC

Synopsis: An Olympic medalist and the owner of a popular IT startup are paired together on an ice show, and it seems like this duo was made in hell. Although, maybe it’s not all that bad after all.

CW: figure skating!au, mild peril (due to the high lift, slight enemies to friends dynamic, grumpy banter, author's mediocre humour

Notes: this is the first episode of the planned oneshot series that I hope I eventually finish. Post with all episodes (as soon as I write them) here. Sylus header by @/chibichibi-mia, dividers by @/thecutestgrotto

"What was your first impression of your partner? When you first saw Sylus on the rink, what did you think?" the host asks, still curious and lively, despite the tenth pre-match interview in a row. Without hesitation, I answer:

"That I want to smash a brick over his head."

The subject of our discussion is right there, casually putting his arm around my waist (since when did I start allowing him to do that — that's a question worth pondering), and in response to my blunt statement, he only smirks and, leaning in, purrs somewhere above my head, if the sounds of the tectonic shifts that he makes can even be described as purring:

"What stops you, kitten?"

I turn to look at him, assessing the distance to his white-blond head, which is as far away as the North Star, and sigh with genuine regret:

"I can't reach."

As for the brick, I’m really not exaggerating. From our very first meeting, Sylus gave me the impression of someone who had elevated his own persona to such a high pedestal that, with my poor little Olympic medal, I was left digging around in the kids' sandbox. And, of course, I should be suffering from how far I was from the mythical world of grown-ups and serious business from which this creature descends to me. Because that's exactly what his lazy, patronizing tone is supposed to evoke, right? Multi-million-dollar IT startup, sure! Lex Luthor, damn it. Who even paired me with him? Did the showrunners forget it wasn’t April Fool’s Day?

It became clear that this was going to end in nothing but catastrophe after our first lift, which happened unexpectedly for me — he simply scooped me up into his arms, not even letting me finish explaining the technique, and placed me on his shoulder like Shrek did with Princess Fiona. The shoulder, to be fair, was damn reliable, but I still screamed and beat my fists on his broad back — either from the surprise, or from outrage, or from realizing how high up I could potentially fall.

"I suggest we add this lift to the routine. Try kicking your legs harder, it’ll be even more impressive," he said, carefully setting me back down, and I couldn't even come up with anything witty in return, just snorted aggressively.

By the way, we did add the lift — when we finally came to a consensus about which music to skate to. That moment was etched in my memory as well: we were standing in the warm-up area, sipping isotonic drinks, and casually exchanging sharp remarks about each other, when it hit us both at the same time that, actually, we still didn’t have a concept for our first routine.

"Yeah, we could’ve used the time a little more efficiently," he said in a mock lecturing tone, and I rolled my eyes in response. "By the way, I have an idea."

"Let me guess. Tupac?" I grumbled. His appearance, like that of a typical boss from bad parodies of “Peaky Blinders,” only brought songs with the word "gangsta" in the title to my mind.

"Poulenc's Organ Concerto."

Oh wow.

"Not bad," I said, with involuntary respect. "Though, to be honest, skating to Tupac would be easier."

He laughed, and suddenly, struck by an instant thought, looked straight in my eyes. And — magic, no less — the exact same thought appeared in my head. I have no idea how it happened, but out of millions, billions of compositions ever written by humanity, we both simultaneously thought of the same one.

And here we are, on the competition ice, with me in that yellow sweatshirt, looking like a teenage girl trying to tease and provoke the slow-moving (after all, it’s hard to learn to glide on ice with his corpulence, especially in just three weeks), yet self-satisfied adult man. Especially when I naturally start kicking my legs and pulling away from the impressive lift — after all, if your partner picks you up like a feather, why not take advantage of it?

The trick goes off without a hitch, and Sylus confidently sets me down on the ice with the pleased look of a well-groomed cat who’s just eaten some cream. As for me, my legs are still shaking — I’m just not used to that kind of height. If I weren't a singles skater, maybe it would have been easier. Or maybe the reason isn’t the height at all, but something else?

The performance ends, and while we stand in the final pose, listening to the applause, a criminal thought suddenly crosses my mind: maybe this Stars on Ice season won’t be such a disaster for me after all. Or, at least, it’ll be fun.

[overtrred28]

Joining the club | Jen Beattie x reader

Summary; 2023 and the start of 2024 seem to have something in common already; everyone in the WOSO community seems to be getting engaged. And when you bring this up to your long term partner Jen, it seems she has nothing to say, or does she….

Pairings; Jen Beattie x famous!reader

Words; 2.5k

Warnings; pure fluff, swearing

A/N; It seems to be the season of getting engaged and even though I am way off getting engaged and very very single, I thought I would pretend and imagine that I was getting engaged to the one and only Jen Beattie. There is also a lack of Jen fics on here and I feel the need to write one for her. Enjoy!

First it was Steph and Dean all the way back in January. Lynn and Marley finally did it back in May. Then in June it was Emily and Kat, and Katrina and Clara just a few days after. Kristie and Sam finally revealed theirs from September after months of teasing. Chloe Kelly and Millie Bright got it within the same week, sharing photos with their partners around christmas. And finally a surprise from Ellie and Daan on the first day of a new year. 

It seemed 2023 and now 2024 was the time for engagements in the world of women’s football and you were quite caught up in all the news. 

“Oh my god babe, another one!” You let out a gasp as the post from Ellie and Daan popped up on your instagram feed, stopping your pre-dinner scrolling as you paused and assessed the picture. It was from a few days ago, and you were seeing it now because you had been away with Jen and her family, avoiding social media to spend time with them and only now catching up. 

“What?” Jen’s voice called from the kitchen, you jumping up from the couch with your phone and running quickly into the kitchen. 

“Look.” You aggressively shoved your phone into her face and she adjusted to the bright light as she tried to look at the photo. 

“Oh wow, congrats to them.” Jen smiled quickly before turning away and back to the food on the stove. You frowned at her quick response and disinterest at the post.

“Do you not think it’s funny?” You asked with a small laugh from beside her. 

“What is?” She asked whilst moving around the kitchen to find the rest of the ingredients for your dinner. 

“That everyone in the footballing world seems to be getting engaged at the moment?” You asked again and she didn’t respond with any excitement, again.

“Oh, guess I didn’t notice.” She shrugged and continued to stir the pot. You opened your mouth to talk again but she got there before you. “Could you grab me some bowls, love?” She asked while keeping her eyes on the pan. You paused for a second before grabbing two clean ones from the dishwasher and placing them next to her. “Thank you.” She smiled at you briefly before beginning to dish up the pasta that was now done. 

“You’re welcome.” You snapped out of your trance and silently moved to grab some glasses and the wine from the fridge. She waited for you to finish pouring your drinks before she grabbed both bowls and headed for the couch, you following close behind her. 

“What are we watching tonight, love?” Jen asked as she sat beside you on the couch, now both holding your dinner and the wine glasses on the coffee table. 

“I don’t mind, you pick.” You shrugged before taking a bite of your food and now it was her turn to frown at you, normally you always took control over what to watch together. 

“You okay?” Jen asked simply and you nodded silently while eating and staring at the screen in front of you. “ Okay, how about Bridgerton? We still haven’t finished season two.” She suggested and once again you nodded silently from beside her. 

You weren’t sure why you were feeling slightly off after Jen’s reaction to the post and your comments, but you still snuggled into her on the couch after finishing your pasta and wine.

The episode finished and you could feel the both of you drifting off after a long day. Jen had been back at training after winter break and your schedule had been hectic since returning from time off. You were an actress and your new movie was about to come out so all the promo shoots and interviews were now in full swing, though you were grateful it began in London so you could still go home to Jen every night.  

You met Jen a few years back at an event in London you had both been invited to, catching her eyes from the other side of the room and instantly knowing you had to go talk to her. You knew who each other were, an actress making her name in the world and a famous sports star who silently followed each other in their respective lines of work. One conversation and you knew there was something there, and so did she. You both knew it would be hard with your professions and the distance you would have at certain times, but you wanted to make it work, somehow keeping it from the public eye for two years before hard launching it on your anniversary and sending both sets of fans into a frenzy. 

“Ready for bed love?” Jen spoke softly into the dark living room, smoothing your hair softly. 

“Definitely.” You yawned and sat up, rubbing your tired eyes as Jen stood up and held a hand out for you. You smiled at the gesture and met your hand in hers, pulling yourself up and making your way to your bedroom together. You both had already showered when you got home earlier so all that was left to do was to brush your teeth together. 

Your night routine was almost the same every night, no matter what was going on in your separate lives, you always spent those last few minutes together before crawling into bed. So once you both finished in the bathroom, you hopped into bed on your chosen sides but made your way closer to the middle and each other, Jen opening her arms to you as you laid your head on her chest.

“Sorry I’ve been quiet, tired.” You mumbled into the darkness against Jen as she drew small circles against your back. 

“It’s okay, me too.” Jen looked down at you to meet your soft eyes. 

“I love you.” You smiled and snuggled into her chest once more, eyes drifting closed. 

“I love you too.” Jen placed a kiss against your head before closing her own eyes and drifting asleep. 

The topic of last night's conversation was mostly forgotten in the morning, or at least it wasn’t brought up again between you too. That didn’t mean it wasn’t brought up with different people. Jen arrived at training and as both Steph and Beth walked up to her, they could tell something was on her mind. 

“You alright there Jenny?” Steph bumped her shoulder as herself and Beth joined her sides. 

“Hmm? Oh yeah.” Jen nodded at them but went silent straight after. 

“You sure?” Beth dragged out her words and brought her face as she could to Jen’s, their height difference proving to be a little difficult.

“Yeah, just thinking.” Jen tried to brush them off again but these two were persistent and she knew she wasn’t going to get very far if she didn’t tell them. She stopped her walking and sighed before speaking. “Last night, Y/N brought up how it seems like everyone’s getting engaged at the moment, and I didn’t really say anything back. And then she seemed upset for the rest of the night, but she said she was just tired, which I know she has been, but I also think I might have upset her in some way.” She let out in almost one breath as Steph and Beth tried to process her words. 

“Well she’s not wrong, especially in the last few weeks.” Beth added with a shrug. 

“Do you think she’s ready?” Steph ignored Beth’s comment and looked at Jen.

“Well, I wasn’t sure before, but after last night I think she is.” Jen looked between the two of them. “Just the way she was talking about it and then when I didn’t really say anything…” She trailed off and looked down. 

“I think she’s ready.” Steph spoke with a smile. She had watched from the beginning of your relationship with Jen just how happy you were with one another, and how easy the relationship seemed even when spending time apart due to work. 

“Are you?” Beth asked sincerely, her and Steph awaiting Jen’s reply. Jen was silent for a few seconds, bringing her eyes back up to look at her best friends. 

“I bought the ring like 2 months ago.” She mumbled but they still heard it and instantly started beaming at the Scottish woman. 

“You sly little bastard.” Beth punched Jen’s arm softly as they began to walk again so that they wouldn’t be late for training. 

Throughout the whole day the three of them, mostly Steph and Beth, were coming up with ideas on how she should propose but Jen kept shooting them down. She wanted it to be private, special and a surprise, so anything that involved taking you out somewhere would instantly make you suspicious. 

While Jen had been conversing her thoughts and plans with her best friends at training, you were in your head all day thinking about last night. Which wasn’t really helping especially when you were trying to film press interviews all day and talk about your movie. 

You could have talked to your co-stars about it, after all they had become close friends while shooting and now being with each other everyday for promo, but the only person you really wanted to talk to was Jen; it was always Jen. 

Jen got home long before you, taking her time to deep clean the flat and cook dinner for you once again, knowing you would be exhausted from your long day of work. 

She didn’t hear you opening the door and making your way through the flat, she had been vacuuming with her headphones on and dancing around your bedroom. You stood in the doorway for a few minutes after spotting her, admiring her and waiting for her to see you. And when she did, boy did she get a fright. 

“Ah fuck!” Jen almost jumped out of her skin when she finally turned around and spotted you lurking in the doorway, using one hand to remove her headphones and the other to turn the vacuum off. “How long have you been standing there?” She dropped the vacuum and began to walk over to you. 

“A few minutes. I was admiring your hidden dance skills.” You smiled and stood up straighter, welcoming her into a hug like you do every day. “Hi.” You mumbled into her shoulder. 

“Hi love.” She pulled back and leaned in for a soft kiss. No matter how many times you kiss Jen, it feels like the very first time all over again, even after 4 years. “Busy day?” She asked as you parted, taking in your tired expression. 

“Busy day.” You nodded and smiled at her. “How was training?” You asked as you walked hand and hand to the kitchen. 

“Good, good to be back with the girls.” Jen smiled at you before letting go to retrieve dinner from the oven. You stood at the counter, simply watching her as she moved about wrapping up dinner. “Go put something on, I’ve got it.” Jen smiled and placed a kiss on your temple before ushering you to the lounge room.

“Okay bossy.” You laughed before making your way to the couch and switching the TV over to Netflix to finish the final episode of Bridgerton. You wait patiently for her on the couch, looking over your shoulder every few seconds to see if she is coming around the corner. 

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jen is trying to hide her anxiety and nervousness as she plates up dinner and feels her pocket one more time. With two champagne glasses now full and a tray full of food she finally makes her way to you, letting out a final breath before entering the living room. 

“Dinner is served.” She places the tray down on the table and bows which makes you laugh. Your eyes fall on the glasses and you’re instantly confused. 

“What’s with the champagne? Decide the wine wasn’t good enough?” You joked and she let out a small laugh shaking her head. 

“Some nights are a little more special than the others.” She cryptically says and has you even more confused but you leave the comment alone and hit play on the remote. 

You eat dinner together while watching the episode, silently watching with a bit of commentary along the way before cuddling up after eating. The episode finishes and you can feel Jen’s heart beating particularly fast, her fingers are nervously playing with one another and she hasn’t spoken in a few minutes. You sit up silently and look at her, she doesn’t look at you. You’re about to fill the silence when she beats you to it. 

“You know how much I love you, right?.” Jen rushes out and leaves you slightly bewildered. 

“I know. I love you just as much.” You reply. “What’s wrong?” You bring your hand up to brush her hair back into her low bun. 

“I’m about to do something and I hope you don’t think it’s random and forced because it’s not and I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I didn’t want to make a massive deal about it because it’s just you and me and that’s all that matters.” Jen speaks in one long breath and you need a second for your brain to catch up but before it can she’s pulling you up off the couch with her and standing in front of you. She holds your hands in hers and looks directly at you. 

“Wha-” Before you could even think about finishing your sentence, a giant gasp leaves your mouth at her next action. She drops down to one knee whilst still holding holding your hands, smiling up at you as tears well in your eyes. 

“My love, I could go on and on about how much I love you but you already know. There is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with, no matter where it shall take us. So,” She let go of your hands, you bringing them up to your face and hers reaching down into her pocket. She fishes the small, black box out, opening it to reveal a sparkling ring and looks back up at you. “Y/N Y/L/N, will you-” 

“YES!” You interrupt her before she gets to finish causing her to laugh and shake her head. 

You just stand there admiring her as she gets up and removes the ring from the box. She brings your shaking left hand from your face and slides the ring on. Your jaw drops at the ring before you jump into her arms, causing her to react quickly and grab hold of your legs. “I love you so much Jen.” You cry into her shoulder as she holds you before you lift your head up, meeting your eyes with hers before pulling in for a kiss. 

The rest of the night is spent in one another's arms just admiring each other and talking softly with each other about the rest of your lives while wrapped up in your sheets.

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THE END!

[zeldadiarist]

Golden Chain AU: Worldbuilding

Hello! It's time I already shared these notes that have been sitting in my drive for ages - I wrote them in 2019!

Since I decided to gather everything in one post, it's going to be long, so read under the cut!

1. The basics

Name of the country: Great Kingdom of Hyrule

Regions: Central Hyrule, Hebra, Akkala, Eldin, Necluda, Lanayru, Faron, Gerudo.

Capital: Castletown.

Insular territories: Eventide Island, Tenoko Island, Wintre Island, Lanayru Sea Archipelago (Tingel, Ankel, Knuckel and Davide islands), Lomei Island.

Official Language: Hylian.

Measuring system: metric, established by Queen Zelda V (Botw) during Hyrule Restoration/Renaissance.

Approximate size: Hyrule is a small continent in itself. Every region has around 60-100k km2.

Population: around 30 million people. The population growth was really slow after the calamity (population was barely on the thousands)

Neighbors: Termina to the north (Frontier checkpoint is North Lomei/Deplian Badlands lol), Calatia to the Southwest (Checkpoint: Tanagar Canyon/Hemaars Descent). Both countries are considerably smaller, but developed and have active trade with Hyrule.

Time usage: 24-hour, sexagesimal system.

Seven day weeks. Naming convention:

Monday-Nayday

Tuesday- Twiliday

Wednesday- Wingsday

Thursday- Faesday

Friday- Faronday

Saturday- Timeday

Sunday- Dinsday

13 months of 28 days (lunar calendar), the remaining day is New Year’s.

National flower: Silent Princess

National motto: Post Tenebras Lux (After Darkness, Light comes)

Flag: Hylian crest in gold over three bands (green, blue, red)

Anthem: none, but Zelda's lullaby is the only tune associated to the kingdom.

Demonym: Hyrulean for them all, but also are used the ones describing regions/races: Hebran, Rito, Akkalan, Goron, Eldinian, Faroner, Hatenite, Necludan, Kakaricon, Fielder (central Hyrule), Towners (Castletown).

2. Historical structure

The kingdom of Hyrule counts years since its foundation, everything previous (pre and skyward sword) is prehistory, since there were no written records. Year zero is the crowning of the first king of Hyrule - the grandson of Sksw Link and Zelda. The establishment of the monarchy leads to a dynasty that is interrupted by the Calamity.

The modern history of Hyrule begins when the Hero of the Wild saves the kingdom, and the monarchy is re-established under agreement of the remaining settlements, tribes and kingdoms, bringing another Golden Age that ended with the reign of king Rhoam II, father of the “Bastard Queen” - Zelda’s grandmother Zelda (born Viridiana).

3. Political and internal organization

The Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and the regent is active in politics, as head of the state/executive power. The King/Queen is also the Commander in Chief of Hyrule's Self-Defense Forces (HSDF), comprised by:

Knights of Hyrule

Gerudo Guard

Royal Guard

Zora Guard

Goron Fighters (army and spec ops such as rescue and first response stuff)

Coast guard (Navy)

Air Rangers (Air Force, led mostly exclusively by Rito Warriors)

Civil Guard (police, firefighters, lifeguards)

Each one of the branches of the HSDF has a leader, commanded by the ruler in power.

People who want to join the HSDF enter Hyrule's knight academy, and undergo training for four years (two years basic training, two years specialization), and rotate through the regiments.

Hyrule's intelligence is the Sheikah. They sort of separated the Sheikah as institution from the warrior clan, but it's still comprised mostly by them. They also develop a lot of technology for civilian and industrial/defense purposes.

The legislative power lies on the 150 representatives of the High Council, elected every five years, with only one re-election term. They have a president, elected to represent them all during official acts. Name of current president: Rhett Groose.

The King/Queen besides the council has a set of ministers to assess them more directly, chosen after receiving nameless dossiers (blind selection). They stay in their positions until the ruler deems necessary. Longest length of ministries have been under Zelda VI’s reign: her initial cabinet stayed with her for over fifteen years.

Each region has a governor, Except for Lanayru, Eldin, Gerudo, in which the Chief/Regent of the tribe is the highest political authority.

The King/Queen is the highest ranking civil servant of the country. The house of Hyrule has ruled more or less steadily for 500 years after the Calamity.

The crown has a matriarchal rule.

The firstborn by birthright inherits the crown, but if at any point before the current ruler passes away or abdicts, the title goes to the next of kin - preferentially a daughter of the house.

Upon coronation, the ruler names a cabinet of ministers, and designs a knight to be their champion.

Five years after coronation, the citizens evaluate the ruler through a binding referendum. If the ruler is disapproved (over 60% reprobation), they are forced to terminate their rule and the next of kin takes the crown (every prince and princess receives the same education to be fit to rule). This measure can be invoked anytime again during the reign, through the people themselves, who have to bring the request through the high council. Queen Zelda V put this measure to avoid abuse of power and tyranny from the crown.

3.Towns and Cities

The cities are mostly the same settlements after the Calamity, and some others were recovered, turning into boroughs of larger cities, or small towns. Several new towns match the former stables they were once.

Hebra: Snowfield, Rito Village, Pondo’s Lodge

Eldin: Goron City, Foothill Town, Shadow Hamlet

Akkala: Tarrey Town, East Town, South Town

Lanayru: Zora’s Domain

Necluda: Kakariko Village, Hateno Town, Dueling Peaks Town

Faron: Lurelin Town, Lakeside Town, Highland Town

Gerudo: Gerudo Town, Canyon Town.

Central Hyrule: Outskirt Town, Riverside Town, Gatepost Town, Outpost Town, East Post Town, Deya Village, Rauru Town, Serenne Town, Castletown.

Great Plateau: Eastern Abbey Village

The capital of the Kingdom grew massive after the restoration period ended, and has several boroughs: The Quarry, Mabe, LonLon, Civic Center (formerly Castletown jail), Downtown (divided in Upper-Lower West/Upper-Lower East side).

4. National Parks and protected areas

Hyrule takes extreme care of its environment, not only because of ecology, but also because nature is sacred for being one of Farore’s gifts. Zelda VI (Viridiana) had to undo several older laws regarding industrialization, because they weren't sustainable and would destroy nature and the balance long term.

Main parks:

Hebra Mountains

Hyrule Great Forest (Deku Tree, sacred site)

Eldin Canyon/Death Mountain

Deep Akkala (Spring of Power)

Mount Lanayru (Spring of Wisdom)

Farone great forest & lake Floria (the green lung of Hyrule)

Gerudo desert (specifically some archaeological sites)

Pillars of Levia

Tanagar Canyon

Oseira plains

5. Economy

Hyrule’s currency is still the Rupee, abbreviated Rp. It’s still used in the same physical form, and fifty years from the start of the story in digital form, for electronic transactions and such.

Since for a long time the country lived barely there during the Calamity, people worked strongly to have self-sustainable communities, and this remained as a trait of the economy, which is circular: there is a strong repair - reuse - recycle culture. Zelda does a lot of thrift shopping, not only because she’s a cheapskate, but because it’s most common for the average citizen. Link has mostly new clothes because he uses tech gear (and due to his size he needs to get things custom made).

Communities generate their own energy, having a clean energy plant in their regions, all connected for a general supply if needed (Hebra has windmills, Gerudo solar panels and so on).

Hebra produces wood for construction, paper and others, central Hyrule, cattle and dairy, faron does agriculture, and fishing, lanayru manages water and electricity (hydroelectric plant in upland Zorana), Eldin does all mining and manufacture, Akkala and Necluda do Farming and agriculture besides industrial activity (Sheikah tech). Gerudo produces fabrics, glassware, tapestry, and luxury items, such as jewelry, high fashion clothes, etc.

Tourism is another of Hyrule's forte. People travel a lot, whether nationals or foreigners. The crown has always incentivated tourism (although they do not travel for leisure often, specially Zelda, who only knows Gerudo Town and Kakariko).

Monopolies are illegal, and the law establishes limits to the riches people can gain to avoid inequality gaps.

Taxes are according to income, and the return is very low, since they finance social insurance, health and education,and basic housing, which is free and universal.

Private property is allowed, and the trade is free but overseen by the state. Excess accumulation of riches is frowned upon - and researched by the Internal Revenue Service of Hyrule’s Treasury.

The minimum wage is for minimum work, but still a livable wage.

6.Spirituality

Hyrule as a secular state has no official religion. The church of Hylia is the most important one though, for Hylia is the guardian Goddess of the land, besides the Golden Three, the mother Goddesses.

The cult is very lax and open, pretty much like Shinto, with small shrines scattered across the land, taken care of by a Sheikah monk, or a priest or priestess of Hylia. The priests/ess hold no particular vow. They train for their duty at the great plateau complex. Zelda is a priestess of Hylia due to her powers, but she only partakes in certain rites, like funerals, weddings, and naming ceremonies.

People worship certain things/values associated with the Goddesses: Nature is revered for it is Farore's gift, same with education for Nayru, and martial discipline for Din (sorta like Greek areté/Roman Virtus). Hylia's attribute is spiritual enlightenment.

The Sage head of the great plateau complex is the highest spiritual authority in Hyrule along the high priestess of Hylia (role fulfilled by the ordained daughters of the royal line.)

7.Magic

By definition is the ability to use the energy that surrounds us in order to defend oneself or others. Most of the time invoking natural forces, like in the case of Din’s Fire, or akin to it.

Magic generated with the purpose of malicious harm, torture, cursing is considered dark magic and deemed forbidden. Exception: Zelda’s Phantom.

Magic has a set of rules:

use it for self preservation or to protect others, never for harm.

actions have consequences of equal dimension.

clear and pure intention must always be behind it, you cannot use it for evil purposes or illegal gain.

You cannot revive the dead. Necromancy is taboo.

The golden rule: what magic gives, magic takes, aka Equivalent Exchange. For a magic user to grow or earn power (such as unlocking sealing magic/the Triforce) they must let go of something as a sort of tribute.

Glamour spells are used as camouflage in certain occasions (like undercover missions), mostly by Sheikah agents.

There are incredibly few magic users nowadays in Hyrule: some Sheikah (less than ten, and mostly on glamour spells. Impa is one of them), Sage Rauru, and Princess Rutela of the Zora, a renowned healer (skilled, but not to the level of her aunt Mipha, who could almost bring people from the verge of death).

8. Culture

Common customs:

Every baby has a naming ceremony, ten days after their birth.

When children turn 10, there’s a small celebration about cherishing childhood, related to the hero of time. Kids (no matter the gender) wear green.

Coming of age is at 17. It is celebrated in a formal fashion, with a sort of party that is halfway between a graduation and a debutante ball. Zelda hated it because she felt like she was a walking meringue pie with her formal dress.

Gerudo

The structure of their society is matriarchal. Men generally have the role of caretakers, and do housework. Before the Calamity they were kept out of town, but after it, they were welcomed, incorporating to their society, participating in a more domestic fashion.

Since men were scarce or away, lesbian/pan relationships are completely normal. Women would take a concubine to procreate, or adopt. Now it's IVF and/or adoption.

Clothing is genderless for them, there’s no "feminine" or " masculine" style. The basic garments are linen caftans and pants, very colorful, and use lots of jewels. They are considered the most stylish and fashionable amongst the peoples of Hyrule.

They are extremely polite and well-mannered. You’ll never see a Gerudo cursing, lest in public. For the same reason, they are the best diplomats and speakers. Gorons are always thankful of how easy to understand they are.

They tend to be politely distant with strangers, but once they warm up to them, they are ride or die, brethren for life.

They were the first to recognize a third gender, and call them “vae” (portmanteau of vai+voe). The word permeated throughout the land. Vae covers all non-conforming gender expressions.

They are the masters of women’s studies, health, pregnancy and childrearing. If you have fertility issues, no matter the race, you go to see a Gerudo Ob-gyn, they’re the best.

Sand seals are still the region’s mascot.

Their cuisine is always flavorful, spicy, and fragrant - they will silently judge you if you don't season your food properly.

Youngsters at seventeen - last year of hs- go into a compulsory exchange program, equivalent to when the tribe women left the town to see the world.

Gerudo weddings have a very romantic ritual: couples meet under the full moon on Lover's Pond and eat a pomegranate together before the wedding. On the wedding day, after taking their vows (written on their own), one of their spouses takes the other on a ride around the town.

Funerals last a week: after a day of wake, the ceremony is held, then the body is cremated. At the seventh day, the ashes are thrown to the desert. After that, relatives stop wearing mourning clothes. They keep a small shrine at home with a picture and burning incense.

Live the same as humans, with an average of 85 years.

Rito

Very art-focused, they excel in music, but are into all arts and crafts as well. Every Rito knows to sing and play at least one instrument.

They used to be a very formal society regarding gender roles (women were discouraged into participating in martial arts and combat), but they slowly changed.

The Rito still have the tradition of a Village Bard. The current bearer of the position is Sagi Blackwing, father of Taka, Marshall of the Air Rangers.

Rito elect their chief democratically, and they have indefinite reelection terms.

They are very blunt and straightforward in nature, despite their graceful forms and manners. Gorons like that.

They are pescetarians. Fowl is kinda taboo, but will eat game or beef if necessary.

Rito families are very large. When a Rito sees another one somewhere, they say “I’m from the [insert family name] of [insert place]”, similarly to Scottish clans.

Weddings are lavish and have a very colorful party with lots of music and dancing.

Births have a very domestic celebration, but they go all over when their little ones learn to fly.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body, and throw the ashes to the wind, as the bard plays a beautiful requiem.

They live around 60-80 years.

Zora

Due to their status as the most long-lasting of the Hyrulean species, they are the keepers of the history of Hyrule, in charge of records and archives outside the castle.

Said records are kept in stone, like they have done for ages. But they use digital copies too nowadays.

They still pretty much have the same structure they had before and after the Calamity.

They have a strong sense of collectivity and equality. The ruler never takes political actions without the agreement of their subdits.

They excel in arts, history, and traditional martial arts.

Mostly pescetarian. They tolerate chicken, but don't eat red meat.

Masters of water sports and swimming. King Sidon is still the diving and swimming champ of the Domain - he still teaches the little ones to swim, “just like my sister taught me”.

King Sidon is the longest living individual being in the land with 605 years of age, he has the honorary title of “Venerable Sage”. He says he probably is going to be ready to pass onto the Sacred Realm when he sees “another Link being a Hylian Champion”.

They love being verbose. The Gorons have difficulty to understand them sometimes.

They are not so favorable of interspecies relationships, because of their longevity/ past history of tragic relationships.

Births are warmly celebrated. When Princess Rutela was born, the celebration lasted a month.

The funeral of a Zora is epic: they go Viking, and after a wake and a ceremony, they burn the body on a raft on the Lanayru sea. After that, the family hosts a feast to celebrate the departed.

Goron

You don’t have a family? 100% chance you’re getting adopted by them. Say hi to your 94976937832 new brothers.

Prepare to eat rocks, literally.

They don’t get puns unless they are rocky. Nor double entendres, so communication always has to be very clear and literal with them. They get along wonderfully with the Gerudo/Rito because of this, not so much with the Zora. Hylians/humans and Sheikah have to explain always things twice.

They reproduce asexually. They all come from the “mother rock”, a sort of nursery cave near the caldera of Death Mountain (a la Kindergarten from Steven Universe). They are all aces.

They use “goro goro” as pet word.

They have an almost childlike sense of wonder; they are super warm, open and welcoming to everyone.

They practice tough love, in the sense a goron hug is really tight. Like, you’ll be kinda dizzy for a solid 15 minutes.

They choose their chief through a trial of strength.

Goron sumo is the national sport, followed closely by goron golf.

They still don’t understand why all other races use those shiny rocks that are inedible (i.e. rubies, sapphires, diamonds, etc.). They say “why do you like to wear rubbish?” - I guess someone’s garbage is someone else’s treasure, bro.

Never interrupt an argument between two Gorons. It's RUDE.

They live around a hundred years. When they are about to die, they go back to the mother rock, to the same book they came from,and they fuse with it, giving way to the formation of another goron. They don't make a big deal over it, since they say 'brother went back to our mother'.

Hylian/Human

The only difference between a Hylian and a human is the ears. Who proved that? Science. It's a mutation. Deal with it. Thus, they have gotten over this complex of “race blessed by the goddesses” that existed until before the Calamity - except for a handful of twits.

Humans were scarce during the Calamity, but they slowly reappeared. The current rate is 55% Hylian, 45% human. They are more an ethnicity than a race.

Hospitality is very important for everyone, ever since the Calamity. There is always a spare room or couch to crash in, and there is always a seat at the table for anyone who needs it.

Every family acquaintance is dubbed "aunt/uncle/entle (nb term)".

Learned a lesson from the Gerudo and the Sheikah, and broke gender barriers to the point sports are not divided by gender.

Hylians are specialists in bakery and pastries. During the Restoration, hylians took to heart to recover the culinary traditions of central Hyrule.

Because of their love of carbs, they don't mind a bit of roundness around the edges (a chubby girl is dubbed 'a tiny Goddess', after the goddess statues)

Weddings are simple, mostly held at the house of a relative doing written vows, or a city hall one, to be later crowned with a feast with plenty of food, and a huge wedding cake.

Funerals are short, one day of wake, one day of funeral. The body is cremated, and the ashes put in a box that goes to a small grave relatives visit oftentimes.

The life span is in average 85-90 years.

Sheikah

"Pure" Sheikah do not exist. They can be mostly Sheikah, but they are mixed. Despite that, their genetic features (white hair, reddish brown eyes) are strong, and tend to be passed down.

Matriarchal society. The chief is almost always a woman, although male chiefs have existed, such as Lord Shigure, father of Impaz, current chief.

They still use their traditional clothes most of the time, and/or mix them with modern ones.

They still prefer traditional housing over modern buildings, at least at a residential/suburban level. The manor of the chief is built in traditional style too, and it's located at the center of the city. It's the oldest building in Necluda, and one of the oldest in modern Hyrule.

They cultivate traditional martial arts and other combat techniques, besides science (Akkala and Hateno labs are the tech centers).

Prepare to eat pumpkins in everything. And rice. And apple pie.

Extremely respectful of other people in general. They are amazing hosts. Their parties are incredible.

Weddings are very symbolic and full of rituals. The Sheikah chief offices it. Bride and groom meet each other at the gates of a shrine along their families, and the chief "merges" them by tying the bride and groom's hands with a red ribbon. Then both drink rice wine from the same cup, and then received the blessings of the Goddesses and the spirits of the land. Once married, they parade around the shrine along the whole family. At the gate the receive another blessing, as their families are now one.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body and bury the ashes at the cemetery, placing a jizo/goddess statue on top of it. Kakariko cemetery is the largest and most ancient of the country. Even the Royal family used to be buried there.

Their life span is the longest among humanoid species: 150 years.

9. Holidays

Hyrule has 6 big holidays:

“Day without time”: New Year, coincides with Spring Equinox, because of association with rebirth. People gather at home and feast on a big family dinner. One hour before midnight, all lights are out everywhere, and stay like that until midnight, where the royal family rings the bell of the castle at the same time as the new Temple of Time and light a torch that is used to light paper lamps, and get released to the sky. Everyone does the same at home with candles, and welcome the new year going to shrines/temple (if they are believers) or spend the day with their families - making resolutions you generally never accomplish or wishes at the temple is a funny tradition for everyone. Flower arrangements are the key decoration for the event, and goddess statues all over wear wildflower garlands, generally made by children. Zelda and Link love this holiday because they get to eat to their heart’s content. She also enjoys touring kids over the royal gardens - the great plateau temples and the Castle are fully open for visitors, King Daphnes and Queen Amaya welcoming them personally along Zelda, an activity that reinforces their image of “down to earth” royalty. Celebration lasts 5 days (it’s the two previous days, new year’s, the two following days to recover lol).

Summer Solstice/ Midsummer: Everybody loves this holiday because it’s all about having fun in the sun: people go on picnics, to the parks, or to the beach/lakes. Maypoles are placed everywhere, and a huge one is set in Hyrule Castle. Zelda hates the festivity because she sweats like a pig in a suit - it’s one of her official outings and has to dress formally, then change into an elaborate gown with floral motifs and a flower crown. Link loves it because he likes outdoor activities (and Zelda looking like a forest goddess). Similar to Japanese Obon (almost nobody works in the entire week). Goddess Statues are decorated with braided ribbons (blue,red,green).

Autumn Equinox/Harvest Festivities: Fall celebration is focused on thanking Farore for a good harvest, so the theme is gratitude… and food. Cornucopias are everywhere - so is anything pumpkin (Kakariko made a good campaign some decades ago to market their most beloved fall crop), and apple cider. Goddess Statues are decorated with offerings of apples and warm colored Akkala maple branches. The ugly sweater season begins - Link LOVES THEM.

Winter solstice/ The Longest Night: This is a celebration focused on the “light in the dark”: in the daytime, people go to cemeteries to pay respects to their dead, and after 6 pm people gather around to have nice evenings with friends and family, dining, baking treats, and drinking eggnog. People light bonfires on parks and gather around in the evening, singing folk songs, and houses are decorated with fairy lights, and paper lamps they buy for the occasion and keep one of them lit through winter until day of remembrance. Horrid thematic sweaters are almost mandatory, stars and snowfolk being the most common thematic (Link loves them; ironically for a desert child, he likes snow). Celebration lasts over the weekend.

Day of remembrance: third day of the third moon. A very solemn celebration regarding all the people that died during the Calamity, and the survival of all the races. It's tied with the Winter solstice and new year rites. People leave the now unlit paper lamps used through winter solstice, and garlands of silent princesses (they bloom all year round) as offerings at the memorial in Castletown square, fort Hateno, Akkala Citadel, Zora's domain, and the Temple of Time. Those lamps then are gathered and used in the new year.

Day of victory: celebration of the end of the calamity and the establishment of the new kingdom. Castle opens gates and all people dress up in historical costumes of the time. Zelda lives for this shit. Happens during the second week of the eighth month.

There are other regional celebrations, but they are not as relevant as those.

Music day (Rito): 22nd day of the eleventh moon

Goron Bowl (Goron sumo tournament finale, not a holiday in itself, but they go big about it): 28th of the second moon.

Guardian Mothers' day (Gerudo): 7th of the fifth moon

Champion festival (Zora): 14th of the sixth moon.

Other, more general celebrations exist (Teachers’ day, science day, arts day, etc), but they are not holidays.

On the legend of the hero

The relevance of the legends is very important, but has reached a status of pop culture staple, like the Greek gods. Reversions and reinterpretations of the legends are commonplace in media.

The childhood ceremony revolves around the legend of the child heroes, who wore bright green.

---

That's all, sorry not sorry for the wall of text, I hope you find this interesting and complements your reading!

Tagging @expanding-hyrule because it's fitting!

[my-rewrite-academia]

Masterlist

Introductory Post

Pre-Entrance Exam

Entrance Exam: Information, Mini-Arc, Points

About U.A.: General, Accomodations, Time Tables, Uniforms, Dorm Layout, Clubs,

Quirk Assessment Test: 1

Daily Life Arc: Day 2, Day 3 & 4, Voting Results, Day 5, Day 6, 7 & 8, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6

USJ Arc (Week 7): Part 1, Part 2

Post-USJ Arc: Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, 11 & 12, Midterms Results

Sports Festival Arc (Week 13): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Internships Arc: Week 14 - Part 1, Week 15 - Part 2, Week 15 - Part 3

Summer Break: Week 16-21

Final Exams Arc: Week 22, Week 23 - Part 1, Week 24 - Part 2

Training Camp Arc: Week 25 - Part 1,

-

Quirk Laws

Quirk Analysis: Mina, Eijirou & Tooru, Denki, Ochako & Momo

Student Council Members (#1)

Holy Trinity Members (#1)

Types of Heroes

1-A Parent Names

-

(Updates to come)

[shitpostingperidot]

How old is Carol Danvers???

(Inspired by a post by @blindluck which was in turn inspired by a post by me and @marvelsassbutts )

So I just found out the official Captain Marvel wiki places Carol Danvers’s birth date in 1965. At first I thought “that’s ridiculous” for reasons that will become clear through this long ass post. But then I saw they cited drawings by the assistant art director on Captain Marvel, found on her portfolio! That’s pretty official!

Wait what’s that at the bottom…

1984???? For Carol’s USAFA basic training???? This is impossible, the movie is wrong, and here’s why.

(Excerpt from my future video essay incoming)

There are no dates in Higher, Further, Faster; the marketing text on Amazon, Liza Palmer’s website, etc just says “80s.” So, we need to do some detective work.

We know that the 2019 film Captain Marvel takes place in 1995. Since it takes place in Southern California and Louisiana, the warm weather doesn’t tell us much about the time of year. Personally, I believe it takes place on March 8, 1995, because that’s the exact day I was born, and my birthday is the day the movie was released on to coincide with International Women’s Day. Regardless, Monica Rambeau is eleven years old in the film, putting her birth in 1983 or 1984. So, Maria’s pregnancy must have begun in 1982 or 1983.

Here’s a “fun” fact about US military academies: until less than one year ago (summer 2023, a full three years after Captain Marvel came out), cadets at USAFA who became pregnant were required to either drop out, have an abortion, or relinquish their parental rights to their child.

Dropping out also means reimbursing the government for your tuition for all classes you’ve taken up to this point, and giving up your ability to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation. Definitely not an option someone as driven as Maria wants to consider. In fact, we know this isn’t what happened, because this news article Carol hung up in her spaceship in The Marvels says that Maria Rambeau is a USAFA graduate.

We also know that Maria didn’t have an abortion, because, well, Monica Rambeau herself is tangible evidence. Theoretically, it is possible for Maria to have given up parental rights and adopted back her own child after graduation. Before the policy change in 2023 that allowed cadets to be parents, many found this to be their best option (see the article I screenshotted above). However, this process is really expensive and takes a lot of work with a lawyer over a period of months or years. From the little we know of Carol and Maria’s life pre-crash, (it was busy, they lived in an expensive area, and Maria only had Carol for support), I think we can assume that it’s less likely that Maria was forced to adopt her own daughter than that Maria graduated USAFA before becoming pregnant in 1982 or 83.

That still doesn’t answer the question of when this book takes place, though. The exact year is important, as the military had some major differences under the Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan administrations of the 70s and 80s, and one of the things I want to assess this book on is accuracy.

Oh wait, what’s that? Another discriminatory policy that helps us date this book? That’s right, USAFA didn’t enroll women as cadets until Public Law 94-106 went into effect in 1976.

What’s more, Carol and Maria cannot have been part of this first group of women cadets, because in the book, there is an upperclassman character who is a woman. Officer Cadet Chen is one of the leaders of Basic Training for Carol and Maria’s flight, a position cadets aren’t allowed to hold until their third or fourth year at the Academy.

So, Carol and Maria must enter USAFA no earlier than 1978 to be two or more years younger than Chen, and must graduate no later than 1983 for Monica to exist. To comply with the marketing blurb’s declaration that this book takes place “in the 80s”, let’s say that Carol and Maria’s first year is the 1979-1980 school year.

(End excerpt)

In conclusion, Maria and Carol were born in 1960 or 1961 (with pretty equal likelihood of which birthday makes them 18 at the start of the book, since USAFA basic happens the summer before the school year), not 1965. It would be impossible for them to have done basic training in 1984 as in the production drawing, because they would have to have already graduated and be well on their way to test pilot school which is a whole other policy can of worms before Monica’s birth in 1983 or 1984.

In conclusion conclusion, Carol is ~34 in Captain Marvel and ~64 in The Marvels, and the MCU should hire fans to fact check for them.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Reference archived on our website

Published in the Summer of 2021. Those "experts" who are shocked to find out that covid has lingering effects aren't as expert or informed as they like to act.

Abstract Background There is growing concern about possible cognitive consequences of COVID-19, with reports of ‘Long COVID’ symptoms persisting into the chronic phase and case studies revealing neurological problems in severely affected patients. However, there is little information regarding the nature and broader prevalence of cognitive problems post-infection or across the full spread of disease severity.

Methods We sought to confirm whether there was an association between cross-sectional cognitive performance data from 81,337 participants who between January and December 2020 undertook a clinically validated web-optimized assessment as part of the Great British Intelligence Test, and questionnaire items capturing self-report of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 infection and respiratory symptoms.

Findings People who had recovered from COVID-19, including those no longer reporting symptoms, exhibited significant cognitive deficits versus controls when controlling for age, gender, education level, income, racial-ethnic group, pre-existing medical disorders, tiredness, depression and anxiety. The deficits were of substantial effect size for people who had been hospitalised (N = 192), but also for non-hospitalised cases who had biological confirmation of COVID-19 infection (N = 326). Analysing markers of premorbid intelligence did not support these differences being present prior to infection. Finer grained analysis of performance across sub-tests supported the hypothesis that COVID-19 has a multi-domain impact on human cognition.

Interpretation Interpretation. These results accord with reports of ‘Long Covid’ cognitive symptoms that persist into the early-chronic phase. They should act as a clarion call for further research with longitudinal and neuroimaging cohorts to plot recovery trajectories and identify the biological basis of cognitive deficits in SARS-COV-2 survivors.

Funding Funding. AH is supported by the UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology Centre and Biomedical Research Centre at Imperial College London. WT is supported by the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Neurotechnology. SRC is funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Fellowship 110,049/Z/15/Z. JMB is supported by Medical Research Council (MR/N013700/1). MAM, SCRW and PJH are, in part, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London

[lukedanger]

OC Ask Game, tagged by @dujour13

Here's my Wrath of the Righteous Knight-Commander, Elaina.

(No portrait yet - have not yet gotten around to getting one commissioned, but the one I used from a portrait pack is in the KC Template post I did)

General . . .

Name: Elaina Alias: None besides the standard titles (and Nenio calling her 'Book-Paladin') Age: 24 (25 after WotR Act I) Gender: Female Occupation: Paladin (of Iomedae), Knight in the Order of Heralds, Knight-Commander Sexual Orientation: Lesbian Spoken Language(s): Taldane, Kellid (not too well though), Celestial (post-mythic path, possibly Truespeech from that?)

Favorite . . .

Color: Silver Entertainment: Reading, song (singing or listening), discussions on philosophy or history Pastime: Besides reading just for her own enjoyment, she also begins to step into writing herself after the dust settles with Wrath (Ember, the Redeemed Brotherhood, and how they relate to Andoletta's teachings becomes one of the first major writings she does) Food: Fish, particularly if spiced (and not Worldwound mutated) Drink: Spiced Demonade* for non-alcoholic; for alcohol she prefers various wines thanks to her upbringing *From one of the recent sourcebooks; it's basically an energy cocktail for students needing to be awake post-carousing. No actual demon parts in the recipe (just in case the ingredients from Wrath gave you ideas)

Have they . . .

Passed University: Equivalent studies from Iomedae's church and training from the Order of Heralds, but technically 'No' because it was not at a formal university with degrees. Had Sex: Yes, though pre-WotR it was services ran by Lymnieris' temples rather than anything romantic. Had Sex in Public: No, and the idea makes her uncomfortable as she sees it as something private (not shameful, just private) Got Tatoos: No, though if she got any it would probably be pattern art instead of something specific. Got Piercings: None, partially because she would end up closing any piercing holes with how much healing she slings around with her Hospitaller archetype. Got Scarred: The scar beneath her heart from mythic power. Otherwise, most of the ones she would have gained would be healed before they scarred thanks to a combination of using Lay on Hands to dispel fatigue on the march and frequently channeling positive energy. Had a Broken Heart: Not romantically, but she had a big one with being a crusader and its leadership due to the Act IV Field Trip and how she got sent on it in Wrath, followed not long after by the Hand's (understandable) freakout during said field trip.

Are they . . .

A Cuddler: Reciprocally. Not touchy-feel enough to start it, but she'll settle into it if someone else is starting it (*cough*Arueshale*cough*) Scared Easily: Immune to compelled fear as a paladin and is the kind of person who would take a shot at a Demon Lord to see if the random crossbow given to her could really pierce their hide. On the other hand, she is usually good at risk assessment when looking at a bad idea she really wants to see the result of. Jealous Easily: Not romantically, but does have a deep chip in her shoulder about people judging the Mendevian Crusaders (especially negatively when those doing said judging are letting Mendev take the brunt of the carnage) and envies the safety and prosperity other realms have. Trustworthy: Yes, and will try to at least uphold the spirit of what she promises. Though she is not above being technical with the truth should a situation really warrant it, but it has to be something she planned on.

Family . . .

Sibling(s): None by blood Parents: Biological parents were dead long ago (for much longer than Elaina knew), and she never had proper adoptive parents at the abbey as the orphans she was with were communally raised. Children: None yet, though she is in no rush either given everything. Pets: Only if you count horses she uses for travel, though her personal one would have been lost just before the attack on Kenabres and afterwards she would just be borrowing one from the Crusade's stable for travel.

Open reblog for anyone who is interested!

[sigmaleph]

there's a post i want to make about how the world is too complicated for individual people to understand and we sort of don't really grapple with the fact that most people don't so much make informed decisions as go with pre-established defaults that society has made and trust that those are fine

and if you're fighting to step out of societal defaults you basically have to make informed decisions. which is not a skill society trains on you. and you fuck up. and it's very important to allow people to do it but also you trip over the fact that 'this isn't illegal' and 'society has said this is Fine' look very similar and for people who run all their risk assessment on 'society said this is Fine' this is dangerous.

i would like to say 'that's the post' but that's not the post. i can't write the post. i wrote this instead of the post and it's worse. sorry.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Can timelords undergo surgery? Or would this trigger a regeneration?

Can Time Lords undergo surgery?

Absolutely. There are just a few notes you need to think about before you can confidently slice into your Gallifreyan. 🔪🩸

🩺Surgical Overview

💉 Anaesthesia Requirements: Time Lords need higher anaesthetic dosages than humans. The exact amount varies based on their current physiological state and any peculiarities of their current regeneration, but roughly speaking, it's about 2x normal. If you don't get this right, you risk an overdose that can disable regeneration, or ineffective sedation, where they appear asleep but are actually still awake ...

🪨 Enhanced Physical Durability: Gallifreyans have denser skin and muscle tissues, which can make surgical incisions much harder. Surgical teams might need specialised equipment that is sharper and more durable than standard tools, and surgeons must be skilled in handling these resilient tissues to avoid unnecessary damage and ensure clean, precise incisions.

🩹 Rapid Healing: Be fast! The rapid healing abilities of Time Lords mean that surgical operations need to be fast to avoid the complications associated with rapidly closing incisions, and post-operative care needs to be aggressive and meticulously planned to manage healing processes that could otherwise lead to complications like improper tissue regeneration.

🔍 Detailed Anatomical Knowledge: Know your Gallifreyan. Time Lords have different internal systems. Surgeons need a deep understanding of their anatomy to avoid critical mistakes.

🔬 Use of Technology: If being performed by humans, standard monitoring equipment isn't wholly sufficient for Gallifreyans. Modified or specially calibrated devices are necessary to assess vital signs and physiological responses accurately.

🌐 Note on Elective vs. Emergency Surgeries

Elective Surgeries: For non-urgent procedures, extensive pre-surgical planning is crucial to anticipate and prepare for the unique challenges of Gallifreyan biology.

Emergency Surgeries: In urgent cases, the medical team must be highly trained to make rapid decisions considering the Gallifreyan's unique physiology under pressure.

Related:

🤔|⚕️⚡ How much electricity can a Time Lord safely withstand?

💬|⚕️👁️How does Gallifreyan ophthalmology work?: Exploring the importance and likely structure of Gallifreyan opthalmology.

💬|⚕️The Stolen Earth (10th Doctor): Breakdown of the Dalek shooting scene in The Stolen Earth (4x12).

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features:⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[octaviasdread]

the perils of grad job applications the catch 22 of corporate passion devoid of enthusiasm and just-the-right-level of personality the entry level timeline lie and nightmare realm of perky linkedin posting a train cancelled pre-assessment centre panic and social battery exploding insight day before networking at the the the error.404

[keepmeinmind-01]

snippet from a WIP

Newt looked up from the desk. "Are you angry? About what Lally said?"

Theseus huffed air through his nose. With a wince, he dropped his chin to his chest, avoiding eye contact. It meant nothing Newt said from now on would make much sense. He could suffer that. Nothing about any of this made much sense. "I'm not angry. She's entitled to her observations. I just thought it was irrelevant to the discussion at hand."

"Mmh." Newt went back to writing, pencil scratching against the paper. "I understand."

"Do you?"

Newt's eyes flicked up to look at one of the cracks in the plaster Theseus had catalogued during his sleepless nights in this room; visibly, his younger brother braced for impact.

"I'm not an idiot," Newt mumbled. "I understood what she meant."

"And?" Theseus pressed. There was a headache building behind his eyes, an edge to his voice. He pinched the bridge of his nose, hard, willing it to leave so he could think properly. "Or was I meant to take your silence as agreement?"

"That's not fair. How many times did you say nothing, when other people talked about me?"

"Not many at all, actually!"

"You see, Theseus, it's not that I mind very much, but I'd say—I'd say you never do when it counts. When it might, um, really help me.”

Theseus dropped his hand to his lap, curling his shaking fingers into a loose fist. "Yes." He exhaled shakily. "Yes, Newt, I know. And I know she's right; that I'm not…managing it. Being…well. At the moment."

"No," said Newt. "These—these things happen. Different environments affect everyone differently, and, um—"

"So you want me to go back?" Not back to the empty Knightsbridge flat. Back to who he was meant to be.

The moment he said it, he knew it was true. Newt was able to assess Theseus when he acted more human better than most: he understood it, too, with the skill of someone who regularly sought to analyse strange beings. Certainly, they could recognise one another's flaws—a side effect of their claustrophobic childhood, and the long periods of estrangement that had followed.

But when had Newt gone anywhere near him because he'd wanted to spend time with Theseus? The answer made his chest tight.

Newt was still staring at the wall, like his head was hooked on fishing wire, chin jutting in its familiarly mulish manner. "It's not about preferring you one way or the other. But when you're—when you're being more…diplomatic—it's a little bit…easier."

"It’s predictable." If Theseus could, he'd have wound the world around predictability. But the team's chaos would only get worse. The risk someone might die and he'd be the partial cause sat in his already tight chest and made it hard to breathe.

"Mmmh.”

"But no one's asking you to be perfect."

A gentle silence followed. They'd always been decent at sharing silences.

He thought he might have preferred silence, to communication, this time. Pathetic thought. Years of priding himself of honesty and resolution, and look where he was.

"Fair enough." Theseus stood up from the chair. "They'd just really, really prefer me to be anything else. Because it's easier—or, no, not even that. Because I'm just so intolerable when the mask drops."

Newt hunched into himself, picking up the pencil again and staring at his paper. It was clear any train of thought he'd been having had fled; and that was one of Theseus's skills, wasn't it? Making Newt unhappy whenever they were in the same room?

"I'm going to get some air," Theseus said.

[i stopped posting snippets on main because it felt like spam but in this wip i really want to explore theseus struggling pre-kidnapping in SOD because of his autistic traits!]

[thailandlaww]

1. Structural Foundations of the SMART Visa Program

1.1 Legislative Architecture

The SMART Visa operates under:

Royal Decree on SMART Visa B.E. 2561 (2018)

Thailand 4.0 Economic Policy Framework

BOI Investment Promotion Act (No. 4) B.E. 2560

1.2 Interagency Governance

Primary Authority: Board of Investment (BOI)

Implementation Partners:

Immigration Bureau (visa issuance)

Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (tech qualifications)

Ministry of Higher Education (academic validation)

2. Category-Specific Qualification Matrix

2.1 SMART-T (Specialists)

Technical Thresholds:

Salary Floor: THB 200,000/month (USD 5,800)

Experience Validation:

5+ years in qualifying field

Patent holders given priority

PhD waivers for certain disciplines

Industry Prioritization:

Biotechnology (Gene Therapy, Precision Medicine)

Advanced Manufacturing (Robotics, 3D Printing)

Digital Infrastructure (AI, Quantum Computing)

2.2 SMART-I (Investors)

Due Diligence Process:

Phase 1: BOI business plan review (45 days)

Phase 2: Anti-money laundering clearance

Phase 3: Investment tracing audit

2.3 SMART-E (Entrepreneurs)

Startup Validation Framework:

Tier 1 Incubators: DEPA, Thai Venture Capital Association

Minimum Traction Metrics:

THB 10M ARR or

50,000 MAU or

Series A funding

Capital Requirements:

Bootstrapped: THB 600,000 liquid

Funded: Minimum THB 5M valuation

3. Advanced Application Mechanics

3.1 Document Authentication Protocol

Educational Credentials:

WES or IQAS evaluation for non-Thai degrees

Notarized Thai translations

Employment History:

Social security cross-verification

Reference checks with former employers

3.2 Technical Review Process

Stage 1: Automated system screening

Stage 2: BOO specialist committee review

Stage 3: Final approval by Deputy Secretary-General

4. Privilege Structure and Limitations

4.1 Work Authorization Scope

Permitted Activities:

Primary employment with sponsor

Consulting (max 20% time allocation)

Academic collaboration

Prohibited Activities:

Local employment outside specialty

Unapproved commercial research

Political activities

4.2 Dependent Provisions

Spousal Work Rights:

General employment permitted

No industry restrictions

Child Education:

International school subsidies

University admission preferences

4.3 Mobility Advantages

Fast-Track Immigration:

Dedicated SMART lanes at 6 major airports

15-minute clearance guarantee

Re-entry Flexibility:

Unlimited exits without visa voidance

Automatic 48-hour grace period

5. Compliance and Renewal Dynamics

5.1 Continuous Eligibility Monitoring

Quarterly Reporting:

Employment verification

Investment maintenance

Research output (for academics)

Annual Review:

Salary benchmark adjustment

Contribution assessment

5.2 Renewal Process

Documentation Refresh: Updated financials, health insurance

Performance Evaluation: Economic impact assessment

Fee Structure: THB 10,000 renewal fee + THB 1,900 visa stamp

5.3 Grounds for Revocation

Material Changes: Employment termination, investment withdrawal

Compliance Failures: Missed reporting, legal violations

National Security Concerns: Classified determinations

6. Comparative Analysis with Global Competitors

6.1 Strategic Advantages

Tax Optimization: 17% flat rate option

Research Incentives: BOO matching grants

Commercialization Support: THBI co-investment

7. Emerging Policy Developments

7.1 2024 Program Enhancements

Blockchain Specialist Category (Q3 rollout)

Climate Tech Fast-Track (Carbon credit linkage)

Regional Expansion: Eastern Economic Corridor focus

7.2 Pending Legislative Changes

Dual Intent Provision: PR application without visa surrender

Skills Transfer Mandate: Local training requirements

Global Talent Pool: Reciprocal agreements in negotiation

8. Practical Application Strategies

8.1 Pre-Application Optimization

Salary Structuring: Base vs variable compensation

Patent Portfolio Development: Thai IP registration

Local Network Building: Thai professional associations

8.2 Post-Approval Planning

Tax Residence Strategy: 180-day calculations

Asset Protection: Thai holding company formation

Succession Planning: Will registration requirements

9. Critical Risk Factors

9.1 Common Rejection Reasons

Document Discrepancies: Date inconsistencies

Qualification Gaps: Unrecognized certifications

Financial Irregularities: Unverified income streams

9.2 Operational Challenges

Banking Restrictions: Foreign account limitations

Healthcare Access: Specialty treatment approvals

Cultural Integration: Workplace adaptation

10. Conclusion: Strategic Implementation Framework

For optimal SMART Visa utilization:

Pre-qualification Audit: 90-day preparation period

BOI Engagement: Pre-submission consultation

Compliance Infrastructure: Digital reporting systems

Contingency Planning: Alternative category eligibility

[maddmuses]

Kwon HC posts before I get started (boy I hate how tumblr stretches images for basically no good reason)

Born April 4 2001

Kwon Jae-Sung is the son of a South Korean diplomat, not a high-ranking one, but high enough that he could get out of trouble for pretty much anything that would constitute a misdemeanor

At a young age Kwon was taught the fundamentals of taekwondo and "yankee boxing" from his grandfather (a 6th dan in taekwondo) before he had started fighting. This contact was cut-off by Kwon's father when school fights started to become concerns (around age 12). If Kwon were assessed by an objective reader he'd probably be determined 1st Gup or Dan (Red or Black Belt)

Kwon is essentially a bully from the get-go, his father (and grandfather's) mentality was that the strong are right naturally by merit of that strength, even if his father believes more in "soft strength" while Kwon essentially started hitting other students the second he was given more autonomy at school

Kwon has been involved in school fights since early on, and would frequently bully and harass other students into submission, through this lens of "strong and weak", essentially demanding submission from the weak, and challenging those he saw as strong, including older boys

He's been expelled from 15 private schools and 2 public ones in the course of his pre-college education, he has also avoided approximately 22 misdemeanor assault charges, and had 2 felony charges reduced to misdemeanors with fines and anger management

Kwon began at the Kim Dojang after hearing about it around a year following his cut-off from taekwondo, and repeatedly badgered his father (at one point threatening to kill himself if he was not allowed to practice martial arts again) at the age of 15

Kwon was generally discouraged by the dojang's blatant favoritism toward students of legacy, and broad dismissal of many of his early achievements, which later manifested in his (general) behavioral issues

Prior to the start of season 6 (so sometime in 2018) Kwon achieved 1 dan in Kim Sun-Yung's "Kwondo" (Way of The Fist) style of Tang Soo Do. This level of achievement has been exceeded as he was promoted to 2 dan in the time between taking the guem baeji, ast he dojang more formally converted to Cobra Kai under sensei Kreese.

Kwon is a natural southpaw, but over time has trained to be functionally ambidextrous in his fighting. He does, though, favor his left foot for fighting, and tends similarly to spin left so that his 720° spin kick with the heel of his left foot, rather than the right foot as traditional. This favoring his left side slightly also can extend to when he intends to strike with his full power, in which case it is always with the left. To obscure his left-handedness from the enemy, he will often square up when in a fight, or falsely assume a slightly orthodox-biased stance (which in modern day is misinterpreted to indicated right-handedness for most)(clip of his fight v the trio where you can see this functional ambidexterity with slight left-bias at-play, you can see most of his kicks are leftie, and his strongest punches/strikes are delivered from the left-side)

After the Sekai Taikai Kwon intends to enlist and complete his compulsory military service, before attending post-secondary education in the United States, and then further seeking out tournaments to win in adulthood. His intended field of study is English and at least one other foreign language, as well as business management

He is mildly conservative by USA standards (but not on that bigot shit, he's considered a hyper-liberal by modern SK male standards) but is generally considered to be apolitical

Kwon's personal investment in the Sekai Taikai has little to do with any loyalty or reverence he has towards his teachers, but intends instead to establish his own dominance and feed his own pride , while still following the framework his father and grandfather taught him, of showing the weak to their place, and proving himself to be stronger than all others

[insteading]

Thinking of the warning shot Stede fires when they're trying to give the twirly suit away.

For a warning shot, it doesn't matter if your aim or assessment of which of several threats is greater is a little off: it's going up in the air. Which you can do while twirling like a person who misses that twirly coat.

Also anything other than a warning shot would have been overkill. So it shows Stede's risk assessment is accurate in this instance.

Also also: it makes Stede look unpredictable as hell-- and has that in common with all pre-"training montage" instances in which Stede wins a fight in which he's outmatched.

Izzy's giving Stede approval, post spinny shot, for something he didn't teach Stede to do, and that Izzy probably would have classed as "completely unprofessional" back in Season 1, Episode 2. To borrow Izzy's curse assessment, maybe Izzy is more equipped now to see how skills that get the job done, get the job done.