#charlene is a good sport

[red-n-ded]

Even, Even More Charbee Prompt Rambles

I want to find myself but your anger won’t let me

Charlie is 24 and competing in the Olympics but is terrified. She made it to the finals and the last dive will determine the gold. She tries to hype herself with her usual ritual by listening to her favorite Smiths tape but she’s still stressed.

Memo comes and hugs her and say good luck but sees that she’s stressed and tries to calm her down. He gives her something. It was supposed to be an anniversary gift but the two broke up and Charlie was busy with training.

Charlie opens it and finds a small white towel that says in gold stitching:

“If found: Return to Queen Bee”

Seeing her nickname made her smile but the nostalgia makes her tear up. The public started calling her that because of the yellow and black swimming cap she wears. Only a few people in her life knows why she chose those colors.

Charlie thanks Memo but he says there’s more. She unfolds the towel and finds a waterproof copy of the polaroid she had with Bee. Charlie hasn’t been home in five years and hasn’t seen that photo in years.

Memo confesses that he knows that Charlie never liked him as much as Charlie liked Bee. Charlie tries to deny it but Memo knows that she loves him more than Memo will ever be loved. Charlie apologizes but Memo is understanding, saying he’s dating a girl he met at a coffee shop. Charlie is still hopeful that Bee will return or that he might be watching her compete. So Memo encourages her to pretend that he is and win for him and even if she loses, the bot will still be proud of her. Charlie hugs and cries with Memo before she calls to the board.

As she walks, she looks at the photo, kisses it before folding it and hiding it in her cap, muttering…

“Bee, if you’re watching, this is for you.”

Meanwhile in New York, Arcee, Kris and Mirage are watching the Summer Olympics at the warehouse while Noah repairs the two.

Optimus and Bee arrive, looking curious. Kris explains what the Olympics are and Arcee and Mirage are already invested, saying that high diving is coming up next which Bee rushes to watch. He remembers the tapes of Charlie diving and was curious on the work of professionals. Optimus follows and joins the watch, impressed by the humans’ talents while Bee is excited to see people perform the same sport Charlie did but pauses when he hears that Charlene “Queen Bee” Watson will dive next for the gold.

Bee recognizes her, admiring how much she changed and is proud that she’s doing it again. Mirage and Arcee cheer for Charlie, saying that she has been doing very good for the past few competitions. Mirage also teases Bee that she might be a contender for bee-themed nicknames while Bee watched with bated breath and full attention, smiling with pride when she dives. When the judges gives her all 10s, he’s up on his feet, playing loud celebratory songs when it’s announced that she won gold

Everyone in the room looks at him weirdly (except Optimus with knowing look on his faceplate) but the yellow Camaro doesn’t care.

Bee doesn’t hide his loving looks when Charlie poses with her medal and holding flowers with the same hand holding a polaroid of him and her seven years ago. Bee tries to whisper Charlie, imagining he could hear his buzzing through the tv, mumbling that he’s proud of her.

He only snaps out of his daze when Noah teases that he has a crush on Charlie which Mirage joins in just before Bee tackles Mirage into a playful wrestling match. Noah warns Bee that he just fixed Mirage’s paint job and Kris cheers Mirage on, completely forgetting the tv, while Arcee and Optimus just watch amused.

and if Optimus is looking for the fastest route to California, that’s no one else’s business

After everything, his scout deserves it

[jussst-lurking]

Lesbian Lestappen

Ok, seeing a picture of girl Max unlocked an entire fucking story idea in my brain! Here goes (this is long btw):

It would sort of be lestappen through the years (cliché I know) but!!! they’re both girls. So imagine, Max and Charlene in karting as the only girls and they are both really really good, Max was basically winning everything in the regional Dutch championships, and even though it’s her father who’s doing this with her, she’s always compared to her mother (maybe also because ppl see that she’s talented but no one thinks she’ll actually take this further than karting).

Meanwhile Charlene is really successful in the regional French championships and when they both start racing internationally and against each other and as the only girls in the classification people start whispering about them. Some see them as promising young talents, others don’t look on them as favourably.

Anyways, the two of them get pitted against each other a lot (as society tends to do with women and girls) and they constantly fight each other for wins and they cannot fucking stand each other (especially Charlene, because Max tends to get the better of her more often than the other way around, and she really has this mindset that there can only be one girl here.)

Fast forward a couple years: in a shocking move that nobody saw coming Toro Rosso offers Max a drive for 2015. People are outraged, say she’s too young at 17, say she won’t be able to take the pressure, write disgusting speculative articles about whether she’ll be able to keep up with the boys, or that she’s getting the seat because she’s a girl or some shit (as if you’d get preferential treatment in motorsport when you’re female). Anyways, Max enters the sport and serves absolute cunt, not taking shit from anybody, achieving multiple p4 in a car that clearly doesn’t belong there, she’s battling with many of the well established drivers and wins (sometimes) but she also gets criticised a shitload for her ‘overly aggressive’ driving style, with many calling it unnecessary and dangerous, others even joking that it’s not ladylike to drive that way. Max obviously doesn’t give a shit, says that’s the way she drives and that people should deal with it.

Then, in 2016 more shocking news: they’re putting her in the Red Bull not even half way though the season. People criticise the move left and right, again the arguments of her being too young, too immature, unable to handle the pressure of a top team, that she’s driving too aggressively and will only bring the team down etc. Max shuts them up by winning her first race for the team, with an RB 1-2 in Malaysia, and that phenomenal drive in the wet in Brazil. Rules get changed because of her, older drivers are afraid of her (see: Nico Rosberg in Abu Dhabi 2016) and the discourse around her never really stops.

People also see how well she’s getting on with Daniel, and oh, they’re vile about it! Say she’s flirting with him and manipulating him and all of that good stuff. Some people think she slept her way into that rb seat anyways…

At the same time, Charlene is setting the junior categories on fire, winning f3 and gp2 in a row, both times as a rookie, and it’s hard to look away from her. It seems almost inevitable when it gets announced that Charlene will debut in f1 with Alfa Romeo. Like with Max, there’s backlash, but maybe less so because Charlene proved herself by winning 2 junior categories in a row. Still, some question the direction f1 is headed in. (Also when f1 gets rid of the grid girls and many see it as pandering to woke culture and all of that. Maybe they even try to blame Max (and Charlene) for it.)

There is an absolute shitstorm when Ferrari kicks out Kimi (of all people!) and signs Charlene for 2019. People say the nastiest shit about her.

She doesn’t want to admit it at first, but all the vile comments and inappropriate interview questions get to her and so she reluctantly seeks out Max.

Max herself is dealing with the news of Daniel leaving and people blaming her for it, saying the team is building around her, trying to make her the first female world champion and so on.

Charlene confides in Max that she’s struggling with all the things people say about her and that she sometimes questions whether she actually deserves the seat. Max tells her that people are assholes and that Charlene shouldn’t listen to them because she 100% deserves that Ferrari seat, but also that it’s harder for them here, that they basically have to be twice as good to get half the recognition and therefore it’s important to just keep pushing, keep your head down and do the talking on track.

Things heat back up between them in 2019: they are in a fierce battle for 3rd in the championship and shit hits the fan in Austria, people are taking sides, pitting them against each other even more. The battles they produce are some of the most entertaining races of the entire season.

Things calm down in 2020, what with the pandemic and Ferrari being shit, there isn’t really much happening between the two of them except for that incident in Sakhir.

But then 2021 comes around and Max has her first proper chance to fight for the title. She grabs her opportunity with both hands and leads the championship by Monaco. Even though Ferrari is better this year, Max and Lewis are in a league of their own and all the attention is on them. Then, Silverstone happens. A heated battle turns into all out war, splitting the fan base, and Max is getting slandered and demonised by the media and she has so much pressure on her shoulders. She appears to handle it well, but Charlene sees all the vile and sexist shit people are saying about Max and she absolutely is not having it and reaches out to Max to make sure she’s ok. They start a tentative friendship, mostly bound to the paddock and even though Max isn’t saying it and it’s not visible from the outside, her friendship with Charlene, who can relate to her in a way others can’t, gives her so much strength to keep going. Max wins her first Championship in the most controversial fashion possible, but she holds her head high and ignores the people calling her a fake champion.

She takes the number 1 for herself, mostly because that’s what she always wanted, but also to remind people who the reigning champion is. The gold details on her helmet and the golden boots are there to highlight it even more.

2022 starts with a bang, the new regulations seem to be working as Max and Charlene battle for the win and for the championship. Everybody is surprised by how well they seem to get along with each other, and despite multiple attempts by the media to put the two against each other, they have nothing but kind words to say. The battle for the championship doesn’t last very long though, because Ferrari keeps screwing up the strategy and suffer from unreliability. Max is Charlene’s number 1 defender when people try to put the blame on her. They get closer, get into a habit of discussing their races together and sometimes they go out after a race or meet up in a hotel room to watch a movie to unwind. Max is always there to comfort Charlene after a bad race and they both start to fall for each other (or maybe in Max’s case she starts realising that she’s had feelings for Charlene for a while now) and then, probably in Austria (because where else would it be) Max ‘accidentally’ ends up kissing Charlene during their race debrief that evening. Max apologises but Charlene says there’s no need to and kisses her. They get together and everything and Max wins her second title and then maybe they appear at the fia gala together but they don’t explain anything? And all of f1 is going crazy about what that means and so on and so forth, and then there are those cryptic pictures on instagram and then in 2023 they are so obvious and when Charlene gets pole in Baku Max just straight up kisses her, but they both refuse to elaborate on it, and that’s how everyone gets to know they’re dating.

[wtficedance]

What do you think of Ben Agosto’s twitter commentary? I’m starting to wonder if he’s auditioning for broadcasting gigs and trying to stay in good graces by supporting the winning narrative- do you think him being wowed by FG is convincing?

Q #214:

Hi anon,

Ben has actually had quite a few broadcasting gigs (NBC w/ Tanith for a bit) over the years so I’m not sure it’s as much a continual audition for roles as remaining in the ice dance world. I don’t think him being “wowed by F/G” is necessarily what he’s trying to go for, more of an understanding of the narrative.

It’s hard to be a commentator and be like “well team Y is gonna get a very high score cause of politics despite team X being better” because it undermines viewer confidence in the integrity of the sport… but it is sort of needed for accuracy in ice dance. Which is why it’s very clear in how he never claims that Lilah is good at skating compared to others but to *her previous level.* Which isn’t wrong, but she hasn’t had the Vika Sinitsina glow up in edge quality and control that would rationalize the massive jump in world ranking they’ve undergone as a team. Which is also why he talks about things like Charlene’s bad back mobility which affects the quality of her movement & posture but not necessarily her skating skills, but it’s something that’s pretty clear to people who aren’t familiar with ice dance and lets people draw the conclusion that it’s a reason for their lower score.

It’s pretty clear he’s walking the tightrope of being supportive enough of F/G’s *improvement* to rationalize their jump in ranks, while not actually saying they’re exceptional skaters or even amazing artists (just that their material is different from what everyone else is doing… which there’s a reason no one else is doing it).

That’s just my take! But I hope that helps add clarity.

[sunskate]

I can shed a little light on the packaging issues for smaller feds. Stretchy fabrics are finicky to work with and not everyone has the training or experience with them. For example, skaters from my country have to go to a neighboring one to work with a designer who makes primarily gymnastics costumes. A lot of fabric stores have disappeared and not a lot of options are available for the type of fabric that's needed. You can order online but you have no idea what it'll look like in person or what the quality will be, it may be flimsy or see-through. Also, not every talented seamstress/tailor is also a talented designer, or even good at turning a drawing into a dress - sometimes they're better at sticking to pre-made patterns. Of course, cost is another major issue, as COL and exchange rate can vary greatly even within a relatively small region. It comes down to resources, really. Countries like the UK have a thriving dance sport scene and therefore have designers who specialize in it, similarly to Mat Caron, so even if there aren't any skating costume designers, skaters can still go to them instead. Junior sports are much more recreational in Europe because attending high school is mandatory here, you cannot be homeschooled, so unless you're at a sports academy that can accommodate your training and competition schedule, it's really tough. As a result, they doesn't receive the funding one might get in America, let's say. Or any at all, especially for the individual sports. Kids tend to go into low-cost, potentially high-ROI team sports.

ohh thanks for sharing - i like hearing insights like this. i always wondered about someone like Ekaterina Kurakova, who never seems to have costumes as flattering or as beautiful as she deserves. idk if you're the original anon, but with Charlene and Marco training in Milan, their situation feels more like a taste issue, but maybe i'm wrong

most US juniors don't receive funding either. a handful of junior teams receive lower level funding from the fed for different reasons, and this season, some teams who are doing the best aren't funded. but i do understand that that and the support for the JGP and world championship trips is more than is available from many feds. i would like to learn more about the schools of ice dance in Europe - there's so much i have no idea about

[trentonsimblr]

Eleanor and Charlene!

Ty for the ask!

Setting: @ardeney-sims had the great idea for this one to take place directly after this convo between Everly and Eleanor

—

(Eleanor returns to the event and is trying to hold her shit together)

Charlene: hey, you good?

Eleanor: Ya, I’m fine

(Eleanor gives Everly the stink eye and Charlene looks in that direction)

Charlene: I’m not a violent person or someone quick to anger, but I’ve never wanted to punch someone so badly.

(Eleanor’s a little shocked at first but realizes Charlene is team Everly sucks)

Eleanor: She’d somehow manage to twist it in her favor. She may even start a new fashion trend.

Charlene: Everyone will be punching each other in the face so they too can sport a black eye.

(Eleanor and Charlene both laugh, like a good laugh, the kind that heals)

Eleanor: Thank you, I needed that.

Charlene: Anytime.

[gotatext]

JUDE & JOSH & MILES — DAY THIRTY-SEVEN.

location :   bedroom.

time :  jude and miles watch victoria try to pull their girls. josh is there, too for moral support.

featuring :   miles /  @heatwayve​  ;   josh  /  @graftisms​

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

"oh, look at that. jenny's making a salad," josh snickers, arm perched against the edge of the terrace, practically leaning over to get a better view of the kitchen below. watching from above, he feels a bit like a sports caster, throwing in his two cents as the girls buzz around the kitchen. "you think she knows how to make anything else, or she's trying to scare the girl away? i guess it's better than giving her food poisoning." he highly doubts jenny has much of a talent in the kitchen.  

miles o'sullivan

"is it possible to burn a salad?" he leans over the terrace, "something reeks."

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

“she’s hot,” jude notes, foot thrumming against the balcony, brows knitted as he watches the scene below them. “she actually looks a bit like eden.” hadn’t she also tried to snag jenny? or was that evie? there’s something unsettling about all these new girls coming in and going straight for his girl. “what if jenny decides she’s a rug muncher now? can you still say rug muncher?”

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

"you definitely can't say rug muncher, man." and that's coming from josh! "they're both just blonde, i don't know. maybe when they're next to each other they'll look more alike. we don't have another set of twins, do we?" hot.

miles o'sullivan

"to be fair, jenny was looking in the mirror in the bathroom this morning for bare minimum ten minutes. just wanted to wash my hands, i thought she was possessed," miles points outs. "she'd totally fuck her own doppelganger."

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

“i’d shag jenny’s doppelganger, to be fair,” jude comments, mostly to himself, still watching the scene beady-eyed and restless. “i don’t know why i’m so para, man.” sighing, he drags his eyes away from the dates happening below to land them on the two guys. “like, we’ve already sorted our shit out.” he tries not to look at josh at the mention of their shit, since josh was one half of it, adela being the other half. “she’s not gonna jump ship to some new hot chick if she didn’t go for charlene. there’s no way.”

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

"don't tell jenny that. unless you make it a threesome, she'd probably take offense to it." there's no way that he's letting jude ruin the fun vibes of watching the dates going on with his jenny drama. except— "when was jenny gonna go for charlene?" that gets his attention, head whipping towards jude with eyebrows raised. "was that a thing?"

miles o'sullivan

that gets his attention, too, since he'd picked up bits and pieces from yesterday. "she said something last night, about knowing whether charlene was good in bed?" miles offers. he's half paying attention at all times. jude will have to elaborate.

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

“mate! you don’t know about this? in casa jenny and charlene fucked. i mean, it was a threesome. dante, the italian dude who’s now with romi, he was also there…” he doubts either of them know dante that well, since they weren’t in the same villa during casa, and dante seems to keep to himself, but honestly to jude he’s pretty much a background character in this scenario anyway. “that guy’s fucking lucky. they’d be in my squad for fantasy threesome for sure.” he wonders if miles is into fantasy football, since he actually plays for a living. “wait, is there like, a fantasy football character of you? if i got the game up, could i put you in my squad, or are your team not big enough for that?”

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

his mind is blown. makes a moment for him to remember how to talk again, picking his jaw off the ground. "jesus." guess jenny really hadn't been missing him in casa. is there anybody else she had fucked? part of him is curious to know how romi plays into it, since it's her italian, but also this makes him like dante even less. and charlene. "who'd your dream threesome, jenny and charlene? no way, i don't buy it. what about adela?"

miles o'sullivan

he likes that jude is talking about genuine fantasy football and josh is pivoting back to fantasies period. "nah, you gotta wait 'til they recognize me for the star i am," he jokes, leaning back. got one eye on the kitchen, mysterious smells aside, he's hoping for leftovers. he'll probably be able to sus out whether frankie's in love with the new girl based on whether she sneaks him anything...heart pitches slightly at the thought, trying to tune back into the conversation. "what? why don't you believe that? charlene's fit," miles interjects.

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

jude shrugs, not looking to land himself in any more adela-related beef, though he can't help but bite when you dangle a carrot right in front of his face. "what about adela? that's old news, fam. been there, done that." and clearly didn't get a name with her number. "charlene is fit, yeah," jude agrees, although he's more keen to talk about the football thing. "you ever met marcus rashford?" he asks, attempting to play it cool, and not get excited by the prospect of being two degrees of kevin bacon away from one of his heroes. "the things that lad has done for kids from estates on free school meals... guys a ledge." and he's from manchester, which makes him even more of a hero in jude's eyes. 

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

"what, you're telling me adela wasn't good in bed?" he's sure she's going to love to hear that, once josh tells her what he said. "fine, she's hot, but she's annoying. there's, like, at least five other girls i'd rather..." josh realizes midway through that sentence that he probably shouldn't be saying it. instead he just rolls his eyes at all the football talk, because i'm too lazy to do research and make josh like it as well.

miles o'sullivan

"i play in the irish league, my guy," he laughs, but can't help but agree, "breathed the same air as him before, swear, i played better that day." but that's as close as he gets, he's not british, not played with manchester united.  "didn't you call her something else?" remembers adela having to tell everyone her name wasn't kim. miles grins, "couldn't have been that good." though he thinks adela's fit, too, would definitely not mind seeing what's up. for science. "wow, at least five," miles snorts. "gonna elaborate?"

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

"i ain't tellin' you shit about adela, fam..." jude responds, far more diplomatically than he's been for most of this show. it's finally starting to click with him that whatever he says gets back to jenny, one way or another, so the only shit he wants to say is shit he'd hold his hands up to in a court of law. not that he'd ever go to court. they'd have to cuff him first. "ohh..." jude notes, to miles. "i mean, there's always the world cup. mind you, ireland never really get into that." he winces, makes a note to mince his words. "euros? i'm crossing my fingers for you, bro." he's crossing his fingers for him more like. if he makes friends with miles, and miles makes friends with manchester united's star player, then maybe in like two years time he'll get to be at the same new years eve party as marcus rashford and bulldoze his way through an embarrassing conversation with him in the kitchen.  "yeah. i called her the wrong name. we've all done it. sometimes i do it on purpose so they think i've got mad game. like that jake gyllenhaal scene. hey lisa."  he thought that was fucking genius, even though the movie probably intended it to have the opposite effect. "are you including naomi in the five, or nah?" jude asks, suddenly invested in this game. i'm gonna hazard a guess and say romi would be one of them." jude starts, pulling up a finger. "and adela, since you asked. eden..." he hesitates, trying to think of who else josh might want to park the mazda in, so to speak. maybe it's a fiat, actually. but tall guys are usually packing. "frankie?" jude doesn't actually believe that, saying it more to gauge miles' reaction since the guy seems a little too invested if you ask jude, but funny if true. "i'm trying to remember who you did at the heart raiser challenge... the five people are deffo in here, though, right?" otherwise it's hardly fair.

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

"oh, yeah. you totally forgot her name to be cool," he rolls his eyes, convinced jude is trying to save his own skin. as if girls actually like being called the wrong name; the few times he's done that, he's usually ended up with a drink thrown in his face. "wait, are you guessing for me?" it takes him a second to realize what he's doing, scoffing once. convenient that jude doesn't mention jenny, which would definitely be on the list, but it seems like a bad idea to say that. this whole conversation seems like a bad idea, so he just shakes his head. "quit while you're ahead, i was just saying it because i'd never hook up with charlene," he says. omitting the fact that it's because charlene would never hook up with him. "what the fuck is frankie making down there? she looks like she's on some cooking competition." as opposed to jenny, who's just making a salad.

miles o'sullivan

mention of frankie and he's no longer that bothered by josh's top five, which is also silly, because there can't be that many more than five birds in here. just say they're all fit and go. "is that a blowtorch?" miles starts laughing, watching the way it ignites, "what producer gave frankie an open flame?"

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

if josh wants to shut this conversation down, jude isn’t going to fight him on it. especially not if it pans out that jenny’s in his top five or whatever. still, he isn’t a fan of the way josh totally dismisses charlene. “nah, bro. i’m with miles on this one.” miles hadn’t explicitly said he’d fuck her, but he’d said she was fit, which is basically the same. “girl tried to drown me and i’d still tap that. she’s got bags of personality. jenny said it was a good time.” though it’s not like she’ll be queueing up to get frisky with them now she’s got two bombshells on her case. damn. should’ve struck when she was in her drought. jude leans over the balcony to see what the other two are looking at. “fuckin’ hell.” it’s a bit attention seeking, isn’t it? “i mean, just give her some yoghurt and move on, hun.” not that jude would do that, he loves to cook, but he has a feeling frankie’s just doing it to beat the other girls. “reckon there's some competition we don’t know about?”

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

"why the fuck did she try to drown you?" he asks, ignoring any talk about frankie from miles—because man, that guy is whipped. "yeah, she's got personality alright. that personality wants me dead for sure." then again, a woman wanting josh dead on this show may as well be a rite of passage, just ask adela. only when jude brings it back to frankie does he glance over, already rolling his eyes. "i can't believe they even have a blow torch on set. seems a little unsafe." good thing dejan never knew, otherwise he might have tried to literally burn the place to the ground.

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

:blurryeyes:

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

:happydavide:

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

🤔

𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘆.

"i dunno, man. i made some backwards comment or something. i don't even remember." honestly, he'd rather not get into the intricacies of why charlene dunked his head beneath the water. baller move, but kinda fucked. his attention's snagged then by movement in the garden beneath them—namely victoria leaning forward to claim the space between her and jenny, meeting her mouth, and jenny not pulling away. on the one hand, it's hot. sure, jude feels something in him tighten, a twitchy kind of energy as he watches the scene, but at the same time, it's not fucking hot. makes him feel a bit like an idiot, actually. like, sure, it's a girl, jenny's mostly straight, probably just sees it as a bit of fun or whatever, and if it's making him horny she's after then a congratulations are in order, but adjacent to that is anger that creases in the line of his brow, and beneath it a swilling vulnerability. "do i have a handle coming out the side of my head?" he asks, turning to the other two lads for confirmation. "no? then why the fuck's she making me look like a mug?"

𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨.

it's the way jude completely freezes up beside josh that he notices something's off, eyes casting down to see the two blondes locking lips. from where josh sits, it almost looks like jenny's kissing a clone of herself, and it's hot enough to make him give a whistle just loud enough for everyone on the terrace to hear. it feels like classic jenny to kiss the new female bombshell for attention—but if it's attention she wants, it's attention josh is giving her, unable to take his eyes off the interaction. it's only when jude speaks up does he drag his eyes away, a noise coming out of him that's a mix between a scoff and a laugh. "you're not seriously intimidated by this, are you?"

[graftisms]

CALLIE & CHARLENE — DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

location :    evening / post-challenge / terrace

featuring :   @guttcd

CHARLENE

Her mind was still reeling from what happened in the dressing room. With all that excitement she found herself in desperate need of a breather and maybe a moment to process everything,  so she made her way up to the terrace. Once she makes it up there, she immediately spots Callie. “Doing some stargazing, are you?”

CALLIE

turning to glance over at charlene, she offers her a small smile, shaking her head. "nah, just catching my breath." it's pathetic to admit that she had come up here to think about frankie, try to make sense of all the information thrown at her in what had been known as their spot. she's grateful for the distraction, waving charlene over, while her arms rest against the railing. "are you waiting on someone else to come up here?" nobody really goes to the terrace alone.

CHARLENE

“so you’re saying i can’t try to impress you with my knowledge on constellations?” she did mention she used to be a total nerd right? “no I just… needed to catch my breath too. crazy night huh?” once charlene joins joins callie’s side, she gives her hip a small bump with her own. “are you?” waiting for someone she means.

CALLIE

"i'm not saying that," she laughs, sitting up a little straighter. it's certainly be a welcome distraction right now. "how much knowledge are we talking about?" callie knows why it's a crazy night for her, but she can only assume charlene feels the same from it being her first day and all. she gives the girl a nod. "nope, just me."

CHARLENE

“Enough to tell you the myths behind them. I used to be in the astronomy club in high school.” Her eyes set to the sky, squinting slightly as she searches for constellations. It’s been a minute.  “I wish they let me bring my old shitty telescope. I don’t get to stargaze much in Manhattan.” A small wind passes through them, causing Charlene to shiver slightly. Thankfully,  had changed into her pijamas, now sporting boy shorts and an oversized Earth, Wind and Fire tshirt. “Good. Being around everyone is fun and all but I like our little one on ones. Did you have fun tonight?”

CALLIE

"really? that's very nerdy of you," she teases, eyes glancing up at the sky when charlene does. "this must be a neat first date trick. actually no, you probably can't see the stars in new york, huh?" obviously not. despite all the production lighting around them, it's not hard to see them up there. charlene's comment makes her smile, once again not sure if she's hitting on her or if it's solely friendship. she's beginning to feel like it's the former, but frankly, she likes the attention. "for the most part, yeah." she takes a deep breath. "got into a bit of a tiff with naomi, because apparently that's what i do now."

CHARLENE

“I warned you, didn’t I?” She remarks with laugh. “Nah, I usually have to go out of the city for that. Make a whole trip out of it. It’s fun though. The Leo constellation only pops out during spring so I can’t show you that one.” She looks disappointed by the fact. Charlene takes a pause on the star gazing to look at Callie. “You and Naomi?” She frowns. “ Was it because of something that happened tonight? You don’t have to talk about it you don’t want to.  I know I talk a lot but I promise I can be a pretty good listener too!” Or so she likes to think.

CALLIE

"how often do you do that?" she asks, trying to paint the picture in her head. not that she can picture much of new york, but all the photos make it seem so bright, like nothing else can shine through. "what about the aquarius one?" she offers, "nobody ever did tell me what they're known for." her eyes cast back down to look at charlene, offering her a strained smile. "yes and no," she admits. "mostly, she told me that frankie hit on her two nights ago. y'know, while we were together. not together together, obviously," she adds, with a roll of her eyes, "but... you get me. sorry, i'm a little bitter."

CHARLENE

“Not as much as I’d like to since I work most nights. This is like, the first time in months that I’m gonna go to bed at a decent time. I’m exhausted.” In many ways. Not just because of the threesome. “I could show you the Aquarius one in a few days! That one pops out later in the summer. I think the best word to describe Aquarius are… free-spirited.” Yeah that felt right but it was hard to talk about herself when she was too  focused on what Callie was saying “I get what you’re saying. Shit, Callie. I’m sorry. Are you… How are you feeling?“

CALLIE

"right, that's got to be hard for your social life," callie muses. "do you sing at the same place always, or are there a few different venues?" all she remembers is her talking about a specific boss, so maybe one? "free spirited?" eyebrows raise lightly, a little teasingly. "is that what you are?" she knows charlene's just trying to help, but she makes a face at the apology. not like it's charlene's fault. "kinda feeling like a mug," she admits, lips blowing out a bit. "but i'm glad i know. kinda puts being here into perspective. nothing like finding out you're more single than you thought."

CHARLENE

“I have a pretty solid social life. It’s kind of nice cus I get most of the day to do stuff. It’s my romantic life that took the hit.” She laughs. “Just the one venue. It’s pretty hardcore  — I’m not allowed to perform at another bar unless im promoting my usual one” which kind of sucks but hey, at least the work was steady. “Just a little” she punches her index and dumb together, looking at Callie though the tiny little gap. “Enough to get me in trouble, sometimes.” Instead of placing her hand back  and the railing, she placed it on Callie’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. Seeing Callie like this was close to heart breaking and Charlene wishes she knew what the best thing to say was. “She should have communicated that to you. It’s shitty that she didn’t.” Charlene didn’t know Frankie but she can’t help but think that she’s a fool for fumbling the bag with Callie. “You deserve someone to be all in for you, Callie. Seriously. If she’s not able to do that then… you’re probably better off.” Was that harsh? She didn’t want it to be but she can’t help it after seeing how Callie was the whole day. Clearly missing Frankie.

CALLIE

"when was your last relationship?" she asks--a basic love island question, so may as well get it out of the way now. "so, like a residency?" her brows raise, impressed. "will tonight be the night you sing for me?" it had been a gamble bringing frankie up to charlene, a near stranger who isn't totally her friend and isn't totally trying to get with her, but she's glad she had. it feels nice to dump it on someone with no connection to frankie, and hardly a connection go naomi, except for toe licking and neck kissing. she hasn't forgotten that. "no, i mean..." callie sighs. "she had, yesterday. she basically told me if someone came in she was interested in, she wanted to get to know them and me. but... that's the kinda thing everyone says, you know? it's easier when it's a hypothetical person that may never actually come. but her hitting on one of my closest friends here, and failing to mention it? it's muggy." and she's so mad frankie isn't here to be angry with her properly, because now it means they can't make up. she has to just sit in this anger. "yeah, maybe," she sighs, looking back up at the stars. "it makes being here so much harder, though. and i wish it didn't."

CHARLENE

“I’ve uh, never been in one.” She sighs. A part of her found the fact a little embarrassing but it was better for her to just own it at this point. “What about you? When was your last relationship?” Her eyes brighten at Callie’s suggestion “You want me to sing for you? Really?” It wasn’t often that she got a chance to sing for just one person. She had always wanted to, like when Danny sings to Sandy as they dance in Grease. Something about it felt so romantic to her. “God, I wish we had a piano.  Then I could really show off. You probably wish you had a surfboard too, huh? I wish I could see you in action.” Charlene is patient as Callie speaks, nodding along every now and then to show that she is listening. “Yeah. I think I remember seeing that. She should have told you Naomi was one of the people she wanted to get to know. So then Naomi said Frankie made a move on her two days ago but she didn’t would be open to talking to other people until yesterday?” She frowns. “That’s not fair to you. Especially when you’ve been spending the whole day missing her. Like, why didn’t Naomi  say anything beforehand?” Surely there had to be a reason. Naomi was with Callie’s brother after all. “Hey — it’s okay for you to be annoyed with this and to find this whole thing overwhelming. It’s disappointing but it’s not your fault. You deserve to be here and to find someone who doesn’t make you feel this way.” Another squeeze of her shoulder.  “And you will. You’re seriously like, the coolest girl I have ever met Callie. Frankie was lucky to have you and it sucks she didn’t realize that sooner.”

CALLIE

knowing there's nothing to really say about that that wouldn't feel patronizing, callie just nods. "about a year ago," she admits, always feeling weird talking about her past relationship, despite being the one to bring it up. "yes," she laughs, having mentioned wanting to hear her earlier in their other convo. "i don't care what, really. but mate, seriously," she nods, "i'd kill for a board, especially on beach days. i can't remember the last time i went this long without surfing." except she can, but she won't relay the broken leg story again. "god, seriously?" she cringes, knowing everyone’s seen it. "how bad was it? i was afraid to ask for details." maybe it's worse asking charlene, but oh well. she's comfortable with her. there's no reasonable answer to charlene's questions so she says nothing, just shaking her head. "thanks," the smile she offers is small, but she does mean it. "i don't know about coolest you've ever met," she laughs, clicking her tongue, "but i'll take, like, top five." doesn't love hearing frankie's name in past tense, though. "i'm really glad to have met you," she admits, meeting charlene's gaze. "so far you're one of the best things to come from casa." though tbh low bar.

CHARLENE

Shes grateful that Callie doesn’t hit her with the usual onslaught of questions she tends to receive. “How did it end if you don’t mind me asking?” Figure if she’s willing to talk about Frankie then maybe she would with her past relationships. “How long have you been surfing again? Your entire life?” A moment of silence hangs in the air as Charlene considers how to respond to Callie’s question. “It was kind of confusing? Honestly I didn’t think Frankie liked Naomi very much. Kinda feels like Naomi is everything Frankie dislikes, but after the spin the bottle Frankie was like, ‘I want to keep kissing you’ and then said admitted to having a crush on Naomi.” The details might be muddled but she thinks she got the major points out. Charlene responds to Callie’s smile with one of her own. One that grows when the other girl laughs. “Coolest person I’ve met in the villa?” She tries again, nudging her with her elbow slightly. Something about the way Callie looks back at her as she says she’s happy they have met causes Charlene’s breath to hitch. For a moment her mind goes blank and all she can think about is how pretty Callie looks. Her tongue darts to quickly wet her bottom lip, mouth suddenly feeling a little dry. “I’m glad I met you too. Really… really glad.” She giggles. “Would you say one of the top five best things?” She removes her hand from her shoulder and  looks away from her for a second, eyes darting to the villa. “You and Romi were planning on sleeping outside right? I don’t want to get in the way of that but if… its too cold out there for you, you’re more than welcome to hop into my bed. Only if you want. Or like, need to of course! No pressure.”

CALLIE

she grimaces, because somehow charlene's asked the one question she's been trying to avoid about relationships on the outside. "like shit," she admits, with a short laugh. "it was one of those on/off things that lasted longer than it should've... and i don't know, i think at the end of the day, she just didn't care about me as much as i did about her. not in the ways that matter, at least." which is probably why this frankie stuff hurts so bad, because it's cutting her on a healing wound. surfing is an easier conversation, a small smile sliding on her lips. "basically. my first lesson was when i was seven. i've loved the ocean forever, though. it runs in the family." hands grip the edge of the terrace railing as she listens to charlene describe the interaction, a blow to her chest at the word crush. "i shouldn't even be surprised," she laughs without humor, shaking her head. "naomi's got everyone obsessed with her. can't exactly blame them, either. look at her." charlene knows what she's talking about, if the toe-sucking was any indication. "i'll take it," she laughs, shifting positions so she's laying on her stomach, stretched out on the terrace bench, both elbows propping her up as she faces charlene. callie squints playfully up at her, as if trying to consider it. "top three," she admits, though thinking about it now, charlene may be number one. it's been a minute since she clicked this well with someone new here. frankie, probably, but that was a much different type of connection. though it's not like callie didn't enjoy kissing charlene in the challenge, though it went so quickly, it's hard to remember much about it now. "you don't think you're sharing a bed with anyone tonight?" she asks, surprised. "you should ask naomi. i think she'd really appreciate it." a pause. "but thanks, i appreciate the offer too, seriously. but we'll be fine."

CHARLENE

Charlene may not be able to understand the highs and lows of a relationship ( or high school football ) but she did know the feeling of caring for someone and not having it reciprocated in the way you’d hope. It was gut-wrenching. Aggravating . “Stressful. I know it’s point out the obvious but… you don’t deserve that. Doesn’t really do much to take away the pain though, does it?” Her lips press together into a tight line, brows furrow in thought for me moment before she finally looks back at her. “That’s so cool! So is your entire family just like, this group of super bad ass surfers?  Are you close with all of them?” Her brows furrow once again at Callie’s humorless laugh. “That doesn’t mean it should happen though. Naomi is cool and all but she’s just a person.” A very pretty and charismatic person sure but still. Now she wonders if she looked like she is obsessed too after the toe thing. Honestly she couldn’t even remember what the dare was. Just heard she had to suck a toe and panicked. “Top three. I’ll take it.” She grins, clearly overjoyed by the words and the fact that it was coming from Callie of all people. She didn’t seem like the type of person to say something they didn’t mean. At the bed sharing question, Charlene simply shrugs. “Maybe. If everyone is as obsessed with Naomi as you say then surely she’s not short for options. Besides, I’m not sure if I have it in me to lose another bed competition.” She’s talking about Jenny. “Maybe I’ll ask someone to share on a friendship basis. Like another bombshell or something. I kinda feel bad that most of the ogs are sleeping outside.”

CALLIE

"yeah, thanks," she flashes a smile. "and i know. it just took a while for me to figure it out, as it usually does." she hasn't been in any other serious relationships besides maddie; maybe if she has, she wouldn't feel the need to be so serious about finding someone, but callie knows what it feels like to be burned. "oh, no," she laughs. "just my brother and i. but my dad is a fisherman and my grandparents have their own boat, so we all just really love the water. but we're all close, yeah. i grew up with my grandparents," she explains, in case it wasn't clear, "and my dad." it wasn't meant to be a dig on naomi, but maybe she's still feeling annoyed about the way she left off earlier. callie waves her hand away. "yeah, i know. but she's great, really. if you're interested in her... well, never mind. she's dating my brother. don't graft her," she laughs, "but she's a good friend, usually." it's said mostly as a joke though, because while she's not particularly looking to hang out with naomi tonight, her loyalty goes beyond a single argument. "and i know she's only going to share a bed if it's someone she doesn't think will stick it on her, and her and romi aren't good right now, as you can see, so..." she trails off. why is she talking so much about naomi? "so if you want a friend in your bed, i mean, she's an option. did you ask someone else already?" she hopes she's not the bed competition she lost.

CHARLENE

Charlene smiles back, and a part of her wishes she had more experience with relationships. At least, enough to offer some sort of comforting words. She appreciates Callie opening up like this though, so she doesn’t want to ruin it by prying too much. “Your brother seems really nice. I wish I had a sibling. Being an only kid is like, super lame.” Charlene notices the ‘usually’ bit, but makes no comment on it. “Hm... Is everyone obsessed with Naomi or are you?” She teases, making a show of it by bumping her fist playfully on her upper arm. “I noticed some tension between them but… I have no idea why. I thought they were really close.”  She shakes her head. “Nah, not officially. Just you.” It wasn’t a lie. She technically didn’t ask Jenny to share a bed outright.  “Well,  the offer stands if you change your mind. I know you have a lot on your mind today so I promise I’ll be the perfect gentlewoman.” One hand is on her chest, over her heart and the other is raised in the star trek symbol. “Unless you don’t want me to be. The ball is in your court tonight, Cal.” Would she like to at least cuddle Callie? Of course, but something about making a move on her when she just opened up about her current problems with Frankie felt slimy.  "Have you ever slept outside before?"

CALLIE

"he's the best," she nods, feeing a small tug in her chest for whatever dylan's doing right now. "like me, but he's way nicer." callie flashes her a smile to show that she's joking, although it's not far off. "okay," she scoffs, rolling her eyes. everyone, she wants to say, but charlene's made it clear she's harped on the subject of naomi long enough. she was trying to be helpful! "what else could it be about: josh," her eyes roll again, and it's nice to be able to talk to someone about him without having to stay nice about it. one can only feign interest for so long. "they'll be fine eventually, i think. i just hope it doesn't last this whole time, because i'll go mad." callie's already counting on herself forgiving naomi, because it's too inconvenient not to. that won't make her any less upset about the situation. "were you gonna ask anyone else?" considering the naomi aversion charlene has made pretty apparent, callie has no idea who she's trying to graft, though she's starting to get the feeling that she's on the list. "if romi and jude end up sleeping together, i'll probably join you," she nods, "but if you ask anyone else in the meantime, go crazy." because she'll feel really bad if charlene doesn't ask anyone else and callie ends up sleeping outside anyway. "alright," she huffs out a laugh, shaking her head. "i'm warning you now, i wouldn't be very cuddly tonight. i think i'll end up falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, i'm so beat." if only she knew rip. "oh, a bunch of times. kenny and i liked sleeping out there," she smiles wistfully at the memory, at how long ago it feels, "and frankie and i slept on the terrace the other day. it was a lot comfier than it sounds. but i also like camping." so she's used to sleeping on the ground in far worse conditions. "it's nice because you get real privacy--and when dylan and naomi were together, it was that or sleep with ear plugs."

[romistav]

"sorry for all the shit you had to blur out or not air because of me on day one, my bad.” 

HOW WAS THE CHALLENGE ? WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM IT FOR YOU ? 

”The challenge was interesting. I think we get some surprises at every single challenge. We didn’t have, like, the best day I think as a villa and it reflected in our loss. I know that I should say kissing Jude was the most memorable moment but it was definitely Charlene sucking Naomi’s toe. Then they didn’t even sleep together which makes you wonder about how clean Naomi’s feet actually are.” 

IS THERE ANYONE YOU HAVE CHEMISTRY WITH OR SEE YOURSELF WANTING TO GET TO KNOW BETTER  ?

”Jude, obviously. The physical attraction is absolutely there and that was made clear the moment we met but I also think we have a lot in common regarding our interests and future goals. He’s the first person I’ve met here that I can picture myself going after in the “real world” without needing to come on the show. It’s been one day but I’m feeling hopeful and, I don’t know, I know I kind of had that little freak-out moment but it’s mostly because everything here is catching up to me. I definitely don’t have it in me to deal with any more drama, at that point I’d just let y’all buy me a plane ticket home. I do still want to keep getting to know Dante even if it isn’t romantic, I think he’s a cool guy.” 

DO YOU SEE YOUR FELLOW ISLANDERS HITTING IT OFF WITH ANYONE ?

”Well, speaking of Dante, I think Jenny and him seem to be hitting it off. I know that she and I aren’t, like, friends by any means but she seems to be the type that wants someone to give her the world and if we’re being serious Dante is the only guy here, including other og’s, that seems like the type to deliver. I don’t think anyone else is hitting it off which is strange, like, absolutely no one else is in that serious of a relationship so it feels stupid to not even try. I mean, to each their own but literally all of them were bombshells at some point who only got to stay because someone was willing to give them a chance, it’s comical to act like these new bombshells are demanding something crazy from them instead of the same damn thing they asked of others first.”  

DID YOU SHARE A BED WITH ANYONE ? HOW DID THAT GO ? DO YOU THINK YOU’LL SHARE WITH THEM AGAIN ?

”I finally decided to share a bed with Jude, yes. I know Callie and all of you are probably rolling your eyes at me right now but whatever. I do think we’ll share again, I mean, I hope we will.” 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING ON AT THE OTHER VILLA ?

”I think Josh has absolutely already fucked someone. Maybe multiple people. Dylan is probably trying to stay loyal and be a good sport to everyone else, making them drinks and all that. I hope Marcus is having a great time, he deserves it.” 

[thehours2002]

undefined

What is nylon?

[wtficedance]

Thanks for answering my ask- I was the one who asked about Ben Agosto. So basically if he's "supporting the narrative" he's fudging stuff like whether Lilah actually deserves her scores in favor of spinning what the ISU's peddling. Isn't that kind of bullshit then? He's looking for ways to justify what they're doing, even if it's really thin - like Charlene's back flexiblity vs. Lilah's skating - and doesn't account for what's actually happening? Thanks for explaining that - I can smell the spin in what he's saying and now I see why - he's not good as say Mark Hanretty at walking the line

Q #215:

Combining with another similar ask as well for conciseness:

“Don't you find it ironic that he can't say the truth because it'll "undermine viewer confidence in the sport"? Like you're literally saying that there's a lack of integrity in it. Viewers should not have confidence that it's a fair sport, basically lol”

Hi anons,

The short answer is yes it is ironic and of all of the things I truly do love about ice dance (the really cool artistic inspiration, the creativity, imagining new ways to incorporate movement, etc.) the integrity and fairness of the sport has never been notable. All sports which involve a judged component (even in the forms of an umpire/ref/linesmen etc.) will have controversies about officials inserting themselves into the game and affecting results, but sports which are purely judged will have significantly more of it.

This is especially true for ice dance since there’s less obvious mistakes that someone who’s never seen the sport before (falls!, clear stumbles, losing grip on your partner) can pick out and understand that it’s playing a role in the score. It’s why twizzles went from being a very insignificant part of the sport to its more talked about element, because while something like ONLY pirouetting isn’t obvious, being slow, not covering ice, falling out of rotation, lack of sync, are very noticeable no matter your experience watching ice dance. Meanwhile, step sequences are a huge part of ice dance scoring but apart from obvious mistakes like stumbles and falls, it can be hard for a first time viewer to understand why they're scored the way they are.

So yes, commentators have to choose whether they're going to fully buy into the narrative (more of a Ted strategy, and also one taken more by commentators who don't have ice dance background but are former singles skaters) or whether they're going to go more with the half-picture but mostly true lines. Because--at least on English-speaking channels--unless its homer/"we were robbed!" comments, people generally tone down the "this result is bullshit and actually the team who placed first shouldn't have even podiumed" stuff. ESPECIALLY, when its at a relatively low stakes event like a GP vs. the Olympics or Worlds where that at least generates interest/potential viewership.

But generally, post-SLC, you see a large reluctance of commentators to really play into the controversy. My general hypothesis is that it is because 2 things: 1) an increased awareness that it will be weaponized to say that FS isn't "a rEaL sPorT" and 2) because of the number of old timers who attribute it to IJS/the system. Elaborating on 2), a lot of the immediate reaction after Adelina won in Sochi by FS commentators was that she won correctly within IJS, and that under 6.0 Yuna would've won. Kurt Browning in particular comes to mind. Which... Adelina did not win because of IJS. She had a level 4 step sequence despite tripping, virtually tied Yuna in PCS, beat Carolina Kostner in SS, and got away with quite a few UR calls. All of those things SHOULD have been punished if IJS had been correctly applied. There's a tendency for people who dislike IJS to blame the system itself. A lot of it in ice dance comes back to not just IJS but also "well if we still had the compulsory dance" but I'm going to be quite honest and say a lot of the time teams who were in fact NOT the strongest skaters won the CD. AND while I fully concur that too much of the score in ice dance is now choreographic elements and step sequences have been devalued, a team like F/G should still not be in the top 8 if they were scored correctly in the current system.

All of this to say. Yes, F/G's results this season are rather absurd, they are not reflective of the skating on the ice, they've been way too high in the context of their ability and the timing of the quad, some commentators have been significantly more effective at addressing the absurdity of the scoring, and that their rise isn't particularly unique because ice dance has always been particularly susceptible to narratives and egregious politicking. And particularly this year, there's some interesting dynamics about pushing European teams and Russia as the traditional ice dance power being absent. Which I don't think will benefit F/G in the future if a particular team comes back.

But, in the end while I do wish the scoring was more fair, it is a reality I have come to accept because I don't watch competitions to see who wins but to enjoy some truly creative and special programs.

P.S. agreed on Mark :)

[sunskate]

I will collect my thoughts a bit more but this was my first season watching skating, specifically ice dance, and how exciting it was!

My favorite programs definitely included both RD and FD for LaLa, Lolo and Nik’s FD, Kaitlyn and Jean Luc’s FD, both of CPom’s programs, Green/Parsons RD, and Piper and Paul’s Evita (I know it was unpopular, Broadway really gets me feeling things and I thought they did it well even if not super innovative or complex).

I liked Lily and Nathan’s programs, hope they can get a boost next year. And Miku and Tyler at Canadian Nationals made me emotional with their FD. There were other things that I grew to like in pieces, like some parts of Lilah and Lewis’s Gaga, Charlene and Marco’s FD music, Madi C’s outright star energy on ice. I guess I liked at least a small something from most teams. Maybe I’ll develop more of a critics lens as I keep watching the sport, but I think I just appreciated what these athletes did throughout the season on the whole.

Recently, loved Hannah and Ye! They did so well at World Team Trophy. Of the other juniors, I watched a few but mostly at IAMO with Scott Moir being the head coach of the school, but I really enjoyed Noah and Jordan’s FD and liked Layla and Alex’s as well (Broadway again, yes!)

Also in general I’ve been loving watching any and all BTS from IAM and IAMO. I’ve been reflecting on how important it is to have community in general, and particularly as adults when that more easily fades away, and I’m so happy to see the community of skaters who seem to truly support each other coming out of that school. I can’t wait to see what happens in the off season, I’m not sure how long I can wait for new programs, I can’t believe the whole summer has to come and go!

Thanks for being such a fun and informative source of information this season. Looking forward to more!

Aww I love this- thanks for sharing 🥰 i get critical sometimes and disappointed by judging shenanigans, but the teams themselves, anyone competing at the senior GP level is a highly accomplished and dedicated athlete, and some are beautiful performers and artists - it makes me really happy to watch. and seeing the talent in juniors and watching their progression is also❤️

have you watched Broadway RD season??? 2019-20 and 2020-21 both were Broadway/operetta/musicals. if you love Broadway, there were so many fun programs - Lolo and Nik’s Bonnie and Clyde was my favorite those seasons, but it was a good theme for variety. Skating ISU on youtube has entire RD events still up, like from 4CC and Europeans in 2020, which adds up to most of the top teams, though you might need a vpn. maybe you know all this, but if you didn’t, you might really like it☺️

i love the sense of community and kindness and friendship the skaters at the IAM schools have too - it makes the sport better when schools foster those values. you can feel the night and day difference in women’s skating this season compared to the Eteri years. the winning at all costs mentality was so toxic that it’s like the sun came out in their absence

we don’t have to wait for the whole summer to come and go🤗 there are summer competitions 🥳 the very first ones start end of June, just over 2 months from now. the first one with a good number of dance teams is often Lake Placid International end of July, and Skate Canada has been streaming its Next Gen development camp from July sectionals around the same time. and then JGPs start Aug 23 in Bangkok this year

[darkwood-sleddog]

Do you have any accurate or informational sled dog specific media you enjoy that you could recommend? movies, books, nonfiction, fiction, etc. i also remember you've mentioned children's books about the topic which i'm also interested in for the sake of the kids in my family or if i ever have a child. your blog has fueled a newfound interest and passion in this topic so i wish to absorb as much info as i can.

There are tons of mushing books and a bit less of other medias. In terms of dog sledding books the best way to ensure accuracy is to make sure the author is involved in the sport.

For non-fiction instructional:

Mush! Revised by Charlene Labelle is an excellent introduction to mushing and covers a wide variety of topics including how to make lines, proper methods to turn a sled, make a good trail, stories from history etc. without being overwhelming or getting into the nitty gritty.

For non-fiction biographies:

Race Across Alaska - Libby Riddles & Tim Jones

Welcome to the God Damn Ice Cube - Blair Braverman

Alone Across the Arctic - Pam Flowers

Winterdance - Gary Paulson

My Life in Dog Years - Gary Paulson

Cold Hands, Warm Heart - Jeff King

Dog Man - Martin Buser

Travelers of the Cold: Dogs of the Far North - Dominique Cellura

This Much Country - Kristin Knight Pace

Fiction Books:

Dogsong - Gary Paulson

Ice Dogs - Terry Lynn Johnson

Photo Books:

Dogs on the Trail: A Year in the Life - Blair Braverman

Children's Picture Books:

Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story (and subsequent other Kamik books) - Donald Uluadluak & Qin Leng (highly recommend this series as it is by an Inuk author and based on real life Inuit experiences with Inuit dogs).

The Great Serum Race: Blazing the Iditarod Trail - Debbie S Miller & Jon Van Zyle

Douggie: The Playful Dog Who Became a Sled Dog Hero - Pam Flowers

Granite - Susan Butcher & David Monson

Akiak: A Tale From the Iditarod - Robert J Blake (a childhood favorite of mine).

Togo - Robert J Blake

Dogteam - Gary Paulson

Fairly Accurate Fictional Movies:

Togo (Disney+)

Iron Will

(please note I enjoy non accurate movies also, the animated balto movie, although VERY historically inaccurate, captured the imagination of many of us and can be seriously credited for inspiring many people to take up the sport.

There are also several popular piece of media I have omitted from this list as they deal with Indigenous people in a pretty...racist way. If you ever delve into older books about the gold rush and mushing in the early 20th century you are bound to come across these things as many early european mushers were christian missionaries).

[lucy-sky]

The Break of Dawn (Leo Barnes x f!Reader)

You work in a small diner not far from the bus station and try to get over a tragic event that happened to you three years ago. Leo Barnes is one of the steady customers, and at some point you realize there's mutual attraction between the two of you. There's no time for romance though - only one night left before the annual Purge, and Leo has an important job to keep Senator Roan safe as it's the only chance to finally put an end to the Purge.

Words: 3 656

Warnings: Sexual content (not super detailed, I would rate this story as Mature rather than Explicit, but still they f*ck), a bit of angst (trigger warning: loss), but Leo is a caring and protective guy who’s ready to hold you

A/N: My first time writing Leo Barnes or any Frank Grillo character, so please don't be mean :))

Taglist: @sweetfictionalworld, @skvatnavle​, @lunamoon-87​

“There he is.”

Stella pokes you with her elbow.

“What?”

“Your tough guy. He’s here,” she nods to the corner of the diner and you don’t even need to follow her gesture to know that Leo Barnes is sitting there, his usual spot. He’s a bit early today, and it’s understandable - you too find it harder to sleep well as the Purge is getting closer.

“He’s not my tough guy, Stells,” you roll your eyes.

“Oh yeah? Tell it to someone else,” she snorts. “So far I’m just wondering how long you’re gonna keep ignoring that sexual tension…”

“Stella, please.”

“What? Honestly, I don’t know why he’s being such a gentleman… But just FYI, y/n… You know it’s not the 19th century and you actually can make the first move?”

“Even if I wanted to, it’s not the right time,” you shrug. “You know he’s doing an important job. He’s got plenty of stuff to think about and it’s definitely not romance.”

“Who’s talking about romance, sis?” Stella laughs. “You’re both so goddamn tense, you need to blow off some steam. No, seriously. You need to get laid. He needs to get laid. It’s just way too obvious!”

“Oh dear god, just please shut up…” you groan.

“Fine,” she gives you a wicked smirk. “If you don’t want him, then I’m bringing his order.”

You chuckle at this.

“Don’t you dare.”

  To be completely honest, you can’t deny that Stella is partly right. There is something between you and this grumpy silent man in the corner. But what exactly? You can’t really put it into words, it’s not just the attraction, or sexual tension as Stella says. You do find him handsome though, you admit that. A couple of times when he was wearing a t-shirt, you caught yourself staring at his muscular arms. Yes, guilty. And still… There’s more than that. You’d call it some sort of mutual understanding.

Leo Barnes works for Senator Roan. In the past, he used to be a cop, now he is the head of security for her. You learnt that one night when he was here, having his usual late dinner. The TV was on, evening news, something about the election of course. And suddenly you noticed him there, standing behind Roan’s back with another guy in a formal dark suit. You blinked, stared at the screen, then looked back at him. He caught your glance.

“Is that… you?” you blurted, realizing too late that you said it out loud. But he smiled, and in his smile there was no anger or annoyance.

“Apparently so,” he replied with a soft chuckle and ran his fingers through his dark hair. “How do I look?”

You started talking ever since then. Barnes usually came to the diner twice - in the morning he just had a mug of black coffee, and in the evening he ordered something to eat. Mornings were often crowded as many people passed the diner before heading to work in the city, so you were busy. But the evenings were mostly quiet. 

You often stayed at work late, covering Stella who had to run to her kids or another date. You didn’t mind that since work was always your way to escape. Nobody was waiting for you at home anyways. Somehow, Leo Barnes started to keep you company. He wasn’t much of a talker and you were never into heartfelt conversations with the clients here, but something just clicked. Especially after you learnt about his job and it became clear that your views on the Purge are the same.

Many people hate The Purge, as well as many people support it. Some people hate it because they’re scared for their loved ones, their business (small shop owners who don’t have enough money to afford the Purge insurance often suffer), or they hate it just because they’re against violence in general. And the others… They have more personal reasons. You’re one of them. And somehow, even if you don’t know for sure, you just feel like Leo Barnes has personal reasons as well. He never really told you, and you don’t dare to ask because you know well enough how the memories can hurt. You didn’t tell him either. But still, you don’t know how exactly it worked, you just looked at each other and saw it. It’s like an unspoken secret between the two of you. The details don’t matter anyway. Your stories are in the past and you can’t change it, but what you can change is the future. If Senator Charlene Roan wins the election - the Purge will finally end. You can help with your vote, and Leo… Leo is determined to do anything to help her survive this year. Just this year, and hopefully no one would ever have to survive this nightmare again. You both want it more than anything else.

  “Hey.”

You smile at Leo as you place a mug of coffee and a plate on the table in front of him.

“Hey…” he looks confused when he sees the food. Nothing really special: eggs, bacon, some beans and a toast. “What’s that? I... only asked for the usual…”

“Just thought you might need some extra fuel,” you shug. “Only one night left before the Purge, so… you must have a lot of work to do.”

“Yeah, you’re right… I actually do,” he gives you a tired smile. “Thank you.”

“Welcome,” you nod and turn to leave, but Leo suddenly touches your arm and you freeze.

“Y/n?”

“Yeah?” you face him again.

“Do you work tomorrow?”

“Yes… Why are you asking?..” you give him a puzzled look.

“Well uh… To be honest I’d be happier if you took a day off… You know, just to make sure you’re safe…”

You feel the heat on your cheeks. Does… does he worry about you?.. The realization makes your heart shrink for a second. Apparently he’s not just someone who understands, he’s someone who cares. You already forgot what it feels like when someone really cares. Well, of course there are your parents, but they’re far away… And Leo, he’s right here.

“It’s okay,” you say, trying not to look too baffled. “Tomorrow we’re closing the diner earlier, right after lunchtime, so I’ll be home long before the Purge begins. There’s no need to worry, really.”

“Good,” Barnes nods. “I just… don’t think I’ll be able to come over and check on you tomorrow, so I just…” he stutters as if trying to figure out something to say. 

“I just want you to be careful, okay?” he finally utters, and to your surprise his hand reaches yours, squeezing it lightly. “Just be careful, yeah?”

“Yeah, I... Of course I will,” you try to smile reassuringly. “I promise.”

  *

There’s about five minutes left before closing hour when Leo appears. As usual, you’re still here, helping Mary, the chief and the owner’s wife with all the cleaning up after the working day. While she’s in the kitchen, you wipe the tables, TV-set is murmuring something in the corner. The election, the purge… Always the same.

“You’re closed?” he asks, meeting your gaze. “Sorry, I… Didn’t realize it’s that late already…”

“We’re about to close, but it’s fine, come in!” you assure smiling at him maybe a bit more brightly than you wanted to show. “We’ll get you something to eat, right, Mary?” 

“Sure thing,” she replies from the kitchen door. You weren’t the only one who saw Barnes on TV. Since then, he became an always welcome guest as the diner owners supported Roan as well. Otherwise, to be honest you don’t think you could possibly be able to work for them.

You put a plate with food in front Leo as he takes a seat at the counter. While he’s eating silently, you wipe the coffee mugs and place them carefully on the shelf. The TV keeps talking. Something about the bloomimg economy and international murder tourists who keep coming to the US to take part in the annual Purge. You glance at the screen, see their gut-wrenchingly excited faces.

“Jesus Christ,” you mutter under your breath and shake your head. “Fucking insane.”

“True,” you nearly jump at his words, as you didn’t realize Leo heard you. “I knew people who killed someone on Purge night for… different reasons. But those who kill just because they enjoy it, for fun or sport or whatever you call it - those are the most dangerous.”

“They’re just psychopaths. People like that should be kept in mental hospitals or something. But they just walk around as if nothing’s wrong with them. And the new founding fathers keep telling them how proud they are of them…”

“Roan’s gonna make it stop,” Mary joins the conversation. “This lady’s got some balls, am I right, sir?”

“Yes ma’am,” Barnes chuckles. “She absolutely got them.”

  You leave the diner together with Leo. Mary chose to stay inside, waiting for her husband to come pick her up in a few minutes. The night is a bit chilly; you’re shivering, not sure if it’s the cold or the fact that you’re alone with him for the first time.

“Where’s your car?” he asks.

“Oh um… It’s in the service actually. So I’m going to the bus station right over there,” you point. Barnes frowns.

“What about tomorrow?”

“Stella promised to give me a ride home. Leo… I’ll be okay. It’s not the first Purge night in my life, you know.”

“Right,” he clears his throat. “Anyway, since I’m here I can drive you home.”

“You… sure it’s okay?” your voice betrays you a little. “I mean you must be tired…”

“I’m okay,” he assures, then nods at his car. “Come on. I insist.”

“Okay,” you hear yourself saying.

  *

You’re mostly silent on the way. You feel a bit tense, but also kinda… weirdly excited to be in this car, next to him. Damn. Is Stella right, and you’re actually into him? Definitely so. But after all these years you almost completely forgot how it feels - to be into someone or how the relationships work. As if you’re a teenager again. Leo Barnes is the first man who actually made you think of something close to romantic longing since… That night.

“It’s here?” he asks as you reach your house. You nod, and he pulls over. You wait for him to say something, to tell you goodnight maybe, but he doesn’t. Without the sound of the car engine, the silence between you becomes even more awkward. You open your mouth to say goodbye to him, but instead different words suddenly come out.

“Leo, I…” 

He looks at you intently. You stare down at your knees.

“Yeah?”

“I just… The fact that you worry about me - it’s very nice of you, really. And… I just wanted you to know that I worry about you too. I worry about you a lot actually…”

“Y/n…” his voice is quiet as he brings his hand to your face, gently urging you to look up at him. His eyes look darker than usual in the dim light of the street lamp nearby. You think if it’s possible to drown in someone’s eyes you’d already be gone.

“I’ll be fine, okay?” he says softly. “It’s gonna be a tough night for sure, but I’ll be fine, I have to be fine. You gotta trust me on this. You trust me?”

“Yes,” you barely whisper, unable to take your eyes from his, and when the tension becomes almost unbearable, his lips finally crush on yours.

You both expected and didn’t expect it, didn’t dare to admit even to yourself how much you really wanted it. Your breath hitches somewhere in your throat as you kiss him back eagerly, forgetting about everything and everyone for this moment that lasts so long and so painfully short at once. You’re both panting as your lips part, foreheads pressed together. 

“I… I think I should go,” you mumble as a rush of panic suddenly overwhelms you.

“Yeah… Yeah…” he nods. “You should get some rest.”

“You too.”

You squeeze his hand for a second. Gosh, you didn’t even realize your hand was on his all this time. 

“Good night,” you finally murmur, bracing yourself to get out of the car. You feel like something else needs to be said, but can’t really figure out what.

  *

You enter the house and just lean against the door, heart hammering wildly inside your chest. You close your eyes and try to catch your breath. What the hell just happened? And why are you reacting like that? There’s nothing wrong about this kiss. You’re two single adults… Well, probably single. Leo doesn’t wear a ring, so… Damn it, you really got out of practice when it comes to relationships.

A knock on the door made your eyes snap open. As if in a daze, you slowly turn and reach the door handle, already knowing who you’re going to see.

Leo doesn’t say anything. And you can’t read the expression in his eyes, or you simply don’t have time for it, because the next moment he steps inside, his hands cup your cheeks and he kisses you with such longing and desperation it nearly kicks the breath out of your lungs. You don’t know what you’re doing any more, but your fingers are already in his dark hair, scratching the nape of his neck while his lips and tongue keep attacking your mouth. It feels like shockwaves running through your body, and for the first time in years you feel just so alive. All this time your feelings, passions and emotions were asleep, everything around you seemed pale and lifeless as if someone turned down the contrast, but something changed. Not right now, not in the snap of a finger, of course; it happened gradually. Something kept changing deep within you since the very first time your eyes met, and now - you’re finally ready to feel something. To let him in.

You don't think about it though. Or about anything else, to be honest. All you can focus on is what his lips are doing to you, how hot his breath is and how weirdly nice his stubble feels against your skin. Leo’s coat falls on the floor. His big hands seize your waist as he lifts you up, causing you to grip onto his broad shoulders. Pressing you against the nearest wall, he nuzzles into the crook of your neck, the kisses are sloppy, open-mouthed, and you can't suppress a soft moan. He's big and strong, you feel small underneath him, but you like it. 

You can’t even remember clearly how you finally reached the bedroom, frantically helping each other to get rid of the clothes. When you tumble down and he hovers over you, the skin to skin contact is overwhelming. He brushes your hair away from your flushed face, kisses you with sudden tenderness. The look in his hazel eyes is warm yet still full of passion as you cup his cheek and he presses his lips to your palm. An affectionate gesture that makes your heart skip a beat, but you both are too impatient to be soft right now. So he leans in, kissing you harder this time, grunting against your mouth when you pull him closer, craving as much of him as possible. You can feel him twitching against your lower belly as you wrap your legs around him, eager to get more pressure. He’s not even inside you yet, but it already feels so good you can’t help bucking your hips, earning a low groan from him at the friction. His lips trail along your jawline, down to the side of your neck, where he kisses and nibbles, and you just know there’s gonna be marks tomorrow, but damn, you can’t care less.

When he finally enters you and starts moving, you’re almost delirious. Clinging to him, you gasp and whisper his name into his skin, feel the muscles on his back tense as he thrusts deeper. The wave of bliss hits you so hard your vision turns blurry and for a few seconds it feels like you’re not there.

  *

Reality comes back to you slowly, with all the dark and troubled thoughts you can’t escape. Leo is lying next to you with his eyes closed, breathing evenly, so you think he must be asleep. Good for him. Carefully, you slip out of the bed to get a glass of water. It doesn’t help you to get rid of the lump in your throat though. Back to the bedroom, you sit on the edge of the bed and let out a deep sigh, trying to fight back tears. Too many emotions for one night.

“Y/n.”

Leo’s voice doesn’t even seem sleepy. You can feel him shifting in bed to reach you, the warmth of his calloused hand stroking your back soothingly.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, uh…” You shake your head, bringing your hand to rub your eyes. “I’m good. It’s just… It’s been a while since I… You know…”

“I know. It’s been a while for me as well.”

“I lost my boyfriend three years ago,” you blurt out, surprising yourself that you said it out loud. “During the Purge night. He um… He was a medical student. We lived in an apartment building and we heard someone crying for help. I wanted to stop him but he just couldn’t ignore someone who needed help, you know. He got shot accidentally, right into his head. There was no chance to save him.”

Leo’s hand gently squeezes your shoulder.

“Sorry, I… Don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I’ve never talked about him since the funeral…”

“It’s okay,” he moves closer, pressing a kiss against your shoulder blade.

“I was so angry at first, you know,” now that you start talking you seemingly cannot stop. “I wished I could find and kill them. But then I thought he wouldn’t want me to become a murderer...”

He presses his forehead against the back of your head for a moment. “I know how you feel, y/n.”

You finally turn to meet his gaze. 

“I lost my son. I know what this anger feels like. Two years ago all I was thinking about on the Purge night was revenge. I was determined, almost obsessed.”

“Did… you do it?”

“No. I was close to it. Very close. But… One wise person made me realize that it wouldn’t help. Violence only brings more violence.”

“It has to be stopped,” you whisper.

“Yes,” he nods. “That’s why I left the police. Cops have to stay away from the Purge. I couldn’t any more. At least now I know I'm doing the right thing.”

“Right… Just… I’m just scared of losing you too,” you say very quietly, but he hears you anyway. His strong arms wrap around your body, pulling you closer, enclosing into his warmth. Making you feel safe.

“Hey, hey...” He whispers into your hair as he nuzzles into the top of your head. “It’s not gonna happen, you hear me? Everything’s gonna be alright. I promise.”

  *

You have no doubt your colleagues noticed who drove you to work this morning. But today no one is in the mood for comments, not even Stella. Even though the work goes on as usual, there’s still this tension in the air before the Purge night. 

Through the window you can see a bunch of guys gathered around the car with an open trunk full of baseball bats and other stuff you can’t discern. The owner proudly shows off his stuff, other guys laugh, they look pretty chill and relaxed, and your stomach nearly twists at the sight. 

  *

All night you could barely sleep a wink. A knock on the door drags you out of troubled slumber. At first you’re not even sure if you really heard it or it was in your dream. But the sounds repeat and you jump off the bed and without even caring to slip something over the huge t-shirt you sleep in. Barefoot, you rush to the door, open it with shaky hands.

He looks so exhausted it seems like he can barely stand. The collar of his shirt that used to be white is now stained with blood. And yet… He’s smiling.

“Leo!..” you gasp, stepping towards him and bringing your hand to his stubbly cheek. “Oh my god, are you… Everything okay?..”

“I’m great,” he breathes out huskily, and his smile slowly turns into a wide grin. “We did it, baby.”

You don’t even try to hold back tears as you fall into his arms, bury your face into his chest. He smells a bit like sweat and blood, but you absolutely don’t care. “I’m so glad you’re here,” you mumble into his ruined shirt. “I’m here,” he whispers back, stroking your hair. Then you realize the two of you are still standing at the porch.

“Alright,” you say, drawing back a little. “Let’s get you in, you need some rest… And you’re probably hungry too… And you definitely need a shower…”

“Wait, y/n. Let’s just… Stay here for a bit? I think we both need to catch a breath,” he chuckles crookedly, reaching out to wipe a tear from your cheek. You smile back.

“Okay.”

  Sitting on the porch with your head on Leo’s shoulder, his arm wrapped around your frame, you watch the sky becoming lighter and lighter as the dawn breaks. You can hear the sounds of sirens in the distance. The city’s slowly getting back to life, waking up after another nightmare. 

You both know it’s not the end, the war isn’t won yet, but at least you won this very important battle. And for the first time in what seems like ages you have a good feeling about the future.

*

Thanks for reading! 

Hugs, Lucy

[pizzaapplecheese]

Hooligans headcanons! Just because

Angel is the youngest in the group by 2 years, because of this he gets away with more chaos with the price of being babyed

Aubrey used to crush any gladiolus she saw during the 4 years (it brings back pained memories)

Charlene refuses to acknowledge her reddit brother exist

Kim and Kel would always have a sports match to see who is better

Mikhael loves fashion and would sometimes sketch clothes he would want to see exist

Vance loves to babysit kids before he joined the hooligans and would look out for the younger kids (personally he doesn't know why he stopped since he loved it)

Angel sees Charlie as his dad and Mikhael as his mom, they are both parental figures to him even if these 2 don't talk to eachother much, they fill that role for him and he is happy with it

Basil always know who Aubrey have a crush on just by looking at her even if Aubrey doesn't realize her crush yet

Charlene and Sunny befriended eachother after the good ending, now these 2 either listen to music, colour, and or talk about their hyperactive friends who are talkitive and also somehow manages to get them in trouble yet they still love them for who they are

Kim hates sour candy or actually anything sour, unlike his brother who love sweet and sour

Mikhael is bad at picking up signals for anything, he blames his family for it since they all are terrible at picking up signals

Vance one time got upset that Kim ate all of his candy that he spoke spanish for an entire week (I headcanon him and Kim to be half Japanese half Spanish)

Angel have this weird thing with honorifics, he uses it on almost everyone and it is always the wrong ones to use (ie he calls his teachers Master, Aubrey is Sir, his friend's parents are either Sire and Madam, ect.) if he doesn't use an honorific on you it is either A) he doesn't know you or B) he doesn't respect you enough to give you one/loss the respect (it seriously hits hard to the people close to him when he stops using it on them)

Aubrey always saw Basil as a younger brother (even though he is older) and would try to copy Hero and Mari on how they act towards Sunny and Kel, she would congratulate him on the smallest of achievement, she would pet his hair when he being energetic to calm him down, she would tease him on small things, she would always try to protect him from anything that would harm him no matter what. After everything that happened in the good ending, Basil forgive Aubrey for everything she has did to him, but he no longer allows her to treat him the same when they were younger, that bond and trust is long gone and it would take a very long time until it can be rebuilt

Charlene hates how intimidating she looks even though it is good at stopping her from getting bad attention it also makes people want to avoid her, she never had any friends growing up because of that, so she always played with her stuffed toys and dolls. Charlie would try to get her older brother to play with her when she was younger, but he always brushed her off and stayed in his room. The hooligan where her first actual friend group

Kim knows every dinosaur fact ever and she will fight anyone who gets a fact slightly wrong, she doesn't know why she hold on to her dinosaur beliefs so strongly and she sometimes stay up at night and question if she might be a reincarnated dinosaur trying to relearn her culture and that is why she is like this

Mikhael have those rare moments in which him and his siblings are on speaking terms even if it was just a few minuetes, they would usually talk about the past (before Mikhael was 6 years old since that is when they drifted apart) their favorite memory is When Mikhael was using names, but had a difficult time trying to pronounce Daphne's name so they would ask him "do you want to speak to Bowen 1 or Bowen 2? Which Bowen is it? This Bowen or that Bowen" it usually takes about 2 minutes until they figured out which sibling he was talking about. They all wish they could go back to that time, Mikhael feels like that is too late even when his siblings are trying hard to get him to get him to hang out with him again like he used to

Vance have a hard time saying no to Kim, even when it is something that needs to have his foot down on, he can't bring himself to do that. He just tags along to whatever she does instead because if he can't stop her then why not join her?

Angel's hair clips where gifts from his sister when they were younger, he would panic if he where to ever lose them

Aubrey have been known to be a bunny whisperer, Kel usually teases her about it; little does she know is that Kel is the same thing, but with dogs and Sunny is like that with cats

Charlene helps Angel with his injuries since he is kind of danger prone when doing so she like to hum songs that her mom songs to her when she have a hard time sleeping when she was younger (I definitely see her humming "you are my sunshine")

Kim would always play tetherball as it was her favorite game, she wanted to be in a tetherball championship because if she trained hard enough she knows she will win no matter what, that is until she found out that there is no such thing as a tetherball championship since it is an informal sport, after that she was pretty upset for an entire week

Mikhael likes learning languages because he finds the way people speak to eachother beautiful (other than English hee currently knows Italian and French since these are his own languages, but he learned how to speak Spanish and is currently learning Korean)

Vance relies on candy to keep his energy when he runs out he is usually tired and lays in bed for a very long time

[pulchritudinous-plants]

okay but i adore the keepers being domestic and a family. like, imagine.

•the girls having a sleepover and dying jess’s hair in charlene’s bathroom at two am with whatever they could find under the sink

•they have music playing and they made popcorn and they don’t have gloves so their hands are stained but it’s okay because they’re having fun

•jess convinces willa to let her put a pink streak in her hair and willa Knows it isn’t going to show up because her hair’s too dark but she lets them anyway

•jess pouting when it doesn’t work and willa just grinning because she told her but oh well

•charlene not even knowing where her and her mom got all this hair dye from because neither of them dye their hair

•them just talking about school and sports and their lives for hours and even when they do bring up the boys it’s not even in a romantic way because they’re friends all by themselves

•i mean willa and jess both go to the same school. jess went to willa with her drawing of the captain in book four. they’re Friends!

•they def all go to each other’s competitions and games when they can. Whether is a gymnastics meet for charlene or a soccer game for philby they all go when they can

•when their schools are playing against each other they definitely root for their school but in a playful way. willa still thinks it’s the highest betrayal when maybeck roots for his own schools swim team instead of her

•willa can play any song on piano if she hears it once and they boys use it for their own entertainment way more than they should

•they totally play her meme music but she doesn’t even know because she doesn’t use social media much

•speaking of willa we don’t talk about the fact that she’s and archer enough. i totally imagine her doing cool trick shots for fun in her backyard and dell just falling more and more in love with her with every bullseye she hits

•idk just anytime someone is effortlessly good at something it’s just so mesmerizing to watch

•philby and amanda both play soccer so they practice together

idk man but they’re a family i know it