#he deserved the bronze medal AND HE DESERVED TO BE IN THE FINAL

[itscooltoskate]

A moment of silence, a moment of violence for Hugo Calderano

[theofficialdramallama]

Before the Olympics began, people were asking me what I was most excited to watch in the athletics (as someone who enjoys watching the Diamond League etc.). I mentioned the Men's Pole Vault, and had to explain who Armand (Mondo) Duplantis was, and how great he was 💖

Catching up with the Olympics athletics coverage (I'm a couple of days behind), and wow, just wow. That Men's Pole Vault final was everything!! Watching them all season, I love how all the guys are genuinely friends and chat and mess around between vaults! Sam Kendricks absolutely loving life and vaulting super well to get the silver! Emmanouil Karalis achieving so much and getting the bronze! Renaud Lavillenie in the crowd beaming like a proud dad watching all of them 🥹👏💖

To top it all off, oh my gosh, Mondo getting me so, so stressed with his 3 attempts at 6.25m! But he did it! On the 3rd attempt, he nailed it! What an amazing moment and the gold medal and world record is so well deserved 🥹👏💖

TL:DR, I need more people to gush about the niche fandom of the Men's Pole Vault gang and Mondo Duplantis with 😂💖

[zedecksiew]

BLOGGIES 2023 REVIEW WINNERS

Week four of BLOGGIES month has ended. Soon there will be a four-way free-for-all, where GOLD winners in each of the four category brackets will vie for BEST BLOG POST OF 2023!!!

But first: your winners of the REVIEW category, their medals, and acceptance speeches!

(I asked these designer-critics for some thoughts about their winning entries, and where they think we in TTRPGs are going.)

+++

BRONZE BLOGGIE FOR REVIEW POST:

🥉MICROBLOG: CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND TABLETOP GAMES🥉 from FAIL FORWARD

Sandro:

Firstly I'd like to thank anyone who thought it was a good idea to give me an award of any kind. It's humbling and bewildering and y'all are the best. This was a just-for-funsies lunch time blog post that almost didn't happen. It was inspired by carefully listening to folks much wiser than me talk about what makes them tick. (Often times I think people's aspirations can tell us a lot about what their origins and inspirations might be) Yet here we are, an award winning post! Let this be a testament that it's always better to put yourself out there because you never know what people will resonate with! I'd like dedicate this award to children big and small, in and out of homes of all shapes and sizes. The suffering so many kids endure is heartbreaking, so if you take anything from this little speech let it be this: Be kind to the next generation. What we pass down to the young readers of today shapes the writers of tomorrow. No pressure ~

+++

SILVER BLOGGIE FOR REVIEW POST:

🥈Plagiarism in Unconquered (2022)🥈 from Traverse Fantasy

Marcia:

I am so happy that Ènziramire’s excellent critique of The Mwangi Expanse won first place for reviews this year, for three reasons. First, because he is a wonderful friend and I am so excited to celebrate his successes. Second, because his critique is such an insightful application of historical materialist and anti-colonial theory to the realm of tabletop game literature, above all the rest deserving first place. Third, I’m upset that my “review” was nominated and voted for to such a degree over other bloggers’ more deserving work as well as over my own actual reviews and critiques. Being nominated for a long-form call-out post, and it being treated as a significant accomplishment on my part, feels gross. Someone had to write it, but all it had to be was over and done with. It did not, and should not, need to be celebrated. I’m very glad that an actual review, especially one so cohesive and incisive, won in the end. Congratulations, Ènziramire!! As for the content of the post itself, here's my final word on it: if you're going to commercialize your work, commercialize YOUR work. My constant emphasis on the distinction between copyright infringement and plagiarism is more than pedantic: it's the difference between disrespecting intellectual property (about which, who cares!) versus privatizing the work of others. Going forward, sure, we should work towards a better culture of creative attribution, but we should also work towards non-commercial interactions with our hobby. Pseudo-Paul says, "The love of money is the root of all evil", and it's difficult not to see the constant grind of commercial publishing and social engagement as responsible for this incident. Isn't an ideal creative culture not just an attributive one, but a free and accessible one disentangled from the demands of capital (even if expressed through our particular needs)? We should attribute generously, but we should also share freely as well. From each according to their ability, to each according to their need!

+++

(In lieu of a medal, Gold winners will get a linocut print; here’s a design inspired by Ènziramire's post & Christina Sharpe's In The Wake: On Blackness and Being---a dragon and her wake. )

GOLD BLOGGIE FOR REVIEW POST:

🥇An Empty Africa - PF2E's The Mwangi Expanse and the strange career of Black Atlanticism🥇 from A Most Majestic Fly Whisk

Ènziramire:

"An Empty Africa" was, if you’ll forgive the joke, written in a spirit of homecoming. Pathfinder was my first tabletop RPG and the frustrations with bourgeois Afrodiasporic creative spaces expressed in the post are the same exact ones that compelled me to make a blog in the first place. The post’s reception in those same Black spaces has been varied but the most important conversations about it that I’ve participated in have been characterized by a kind of low level nervousness. What does trans-Atlantic intimacy and community look like if many of the ‘natural’ connections between Black folks we take for granted are actually expressions of Afrodiasporic supremacy? Is the desire to feel wounds together (with the Middle Passage as the ur-wound) inherently imperial? There's nothing wrong with a bit of healthy concern, but a perspective on diaspora that includes and inscribes Africa as a constitutive locus (as opposed to a static source for diasporic self-invention) is one that opens up passages. It’s trendy to say that the politics of Afrodiasporic relation, real capital-P Pan-Africanism, ‘dies’ in the 20th century bc a solidarity of shared suffering is somehow false or limited. Fuck that. Solidarity between people going through it is just one basis for affiliation, but it’s a basis that continues to demonstrate its power and relevance. South Africa and Palestine, average Chadians rescuing Darfuris targeted by genocidal militias in Sudan, Rwandan activists risking prison or worse to protest their government’s role in the bloodletting in the Kivus, mutual support networks linking queer Ugandans and Namibians together, and so much more. My father, himself a stubborn old pan-Africanist from Somalia's "born-free" generation, is fond of saying that the experiences with racial capitalism which make immigrant Africans Black are blessings if you read them backward; mourning together gives you new kinfolk. My advice for people with similar fears: don’t let liberal constructions of identity constrain your love. The part of you that wants to be caught up in the emotional worlds of cultural Others—what Glissant might call the entangled co-creation of selves, “unities whose interdependent variances jointly piece together the interactive totality”—is something to be cherished and scholars of Black music have noted that serious play allows us to explore forms of diasporic belonging that respond to difference with joy instead of masking it behind strategic essentialism. Africa should be more than an object of retrospective rediscovery, yes, but genuine familiarity is the most potent weapon we have to combat that tendency. Anyone insisting that this work, learning to reflect each other more honestly, must be restricted to (nebulously defined) 'people of African descent' for it to matter is an idiot or a huckster. We’ll fuck up, but that's family, yeah? Thanks for reading, y'all.

+++

Thank you, TTRPG family!

(Special thanks to Martin / Sharkbomb for his assistance tidying up the medal graphics.)

[sunisalee2020]

My Thoughts on Paris 2024 Artistic Gymnastics

I've been waiting 3 years to watch these Games since Tokyo 2020. Some things worked out for my favourites and some things were disappointing. There were some crazy surprises but overall I genuinely liked how gymnastics unfolded.

My absolute favourite thing was Carlos Yulo of the Philippines winning 2 gold medals on FX and VT. It was a true fairy tale coming to life. Now whenever I think about Carlos I'm always gonna think about his joyous wins. Makes me smiley :) A heartwarming feeling. I don't think any gymnast at these games got me feeling like this. HUGE congratulations to Carlos.

I'm happy for Shinnosuke Oka of Japan. He won 3 unexpected gold medals and a bronze medal. Well maybe the team gold was expected but they had some issues in the finals but won gold in the end. He also won the coveted GOLD in AA. I'm so ecstatic for him.

Of course I can't go without talking about Sunisa. My heart was with her through out the games and I think even the judges were with her. I am so happy the judges awarded her 3rd place AA. I loved loved her stuck DLO 1/1. The genuine joy on her face made me happy. I'm very proud of her for winning bronze in UB finals as well. It was a fierce competition that even she knew 3rd was a realistic accomplishment. I'm sad she didn't do great in BB finals but then again that finals overall was disappointing. I'm so proud of Suni and she will also bring home a well deserved team GOLD! Team USA no doubt earned that medal and was a highlight for me.

Gotta talk about Simone Biles. Even if some are tired or overwhelmed by talking about how great she is, her gymnastics is legendary and will be remembered forever. She's just so amazing! Should never take her for granted. She's a treasure.

Was so happy for Zou Jingyuan and Liu Yang defending their GOLD titles on PB and SR. They are true masters on their events.

Was happy for Rhys McClenaghan, Nariman Kurbanov and Stephen Nedoroscik on pommel horse finals. A first for Ireland and Kazakhstan.

I am happy for Rebeca Andrade coming out as the 2nd most decorated female gymnast of these games. She really deserved it. At times I felt her Cheng vt could of gotten better escore since she is the master at that vault. It's a thing of beauty. It was fitting she won floor GOLD after winning all silver this games. She really deserved it. I know her fans are super happy and over the moon their favourite finally won a GOLD medal.

I really liked Flavia Saraiva throughout these games too. She was so badass with a black eye in team finals. I loved her beam in AA finals.

I'm happy QIu Qiyuan won silver on bars. Her bars is beautiful and I like it a lot.

I'm happy for Kaylia Nemour on bars GOLD. After everything she's been through she got the GOLD medal. Her bar routine is amazing with everything connected, it's crazy. Her Nemour (inbar Nabieva) is amazing. This routine is going to be watched over and over again.

I'm happy for Jade Carey on VT 3rd place. She's actually good and doesn't get enough praise.

I'm happy for Jordan Chiles FX and it sucks what happened to the Romanians but I'm happy for Jordan Chiles. I just really like her.

I'm happy Alice D'Amato got gold on beam after so close to almost being 3rd in AA. Everything worked out in the end. It was like the universe said fuck it you will get that GOLD.

I'm happy Zhou Yaqin won silver. I truly feel she is the best even if she grabbed the beam. She was rewarded rightfully. She should be proud of herself.

I'm happy Jake Jarman got 3rd on FX

I'm happy Xiao Ruoteng got 3rd AA

I'm happy Tang Chia-Hung got 3rd on HB because his bars is unique and cool. It's sad he fell but yeah

I was disappointed that Daiki Hashimoto didn't have the best competition but he will go home with a team GOLD so that's good

I wished Zhang Boheng could have been better but he will leave with some medals so I'm happy for him.

Update: will update this when there are more information regarding WAG floor finals

[moto-leafs]

he starts the championships in the worst way possible. his season hasn't been the best. he's taken so much shit and criticism. then the individual races come, he takes two medals. the single mix.. not the best not awful. mens relay, it's a unexpected bronze.

THEN — against all odds, he does it. on the final day. he fucking takes the gold in the mass start. silences all the haters and doubters. he never stopped believing in himself. his team never stopped believing in himself. we always knew he could. he is one of the best biathletes in the world and today he shows that.

i'm just so happy for him. i'm so damn proud of him. he deserves all the success.

[mint-moon25]

OLYMPICS - STARTED - AS - NAKED - MEN

IN - GREECE - NAKED - FEET - NO WOMEN

WERE - ALLOWED - 2 - EVEN - VIEW - THE

GAMES

GOOGLE - SEARCH

MR GOOGLE - HIRED - MORE - MALES TOO

AI - TECHNOLOGY

ARTIFICIAL - INTELLIGENCE

WHO - PROGRAMS - THEM - ANSWER - MEN

PHILIPPINES - WON - 4 MEDALS

2 GOLD - CARLOS YULO - SHORT - UGLY AND

IN - PERSON - WEARS - EYEGLASSES

DOESN'T - SHAVE - UNDERARM - HE's PINOY

AS - PHILIPPINES - SCREAMS

NO - ACKNOWLEDGMENT

SINCE - 1952 - PARIS - FRANCE

NO - GOLD - MEDALS

TOKYO - JAPAN - OLDEST - CIVILIZATION

OVER - 25 MILLION - YEARS - CONTINUOUS

EXISTENCE - ISLAND - NATION

TOKYO - OLYMPICS - FIRST - OLYMPIC GOLD

OF - PHILIPPINES - A - WOMAN

THEY - WANTED - CARLOS YULO - OR - YES

ANOTHER - CARLOS - 2 - WIN

2 BRONZE MEDALS - BOXING - FINALLY THE

PHILIPPINES - WINS - GOLD - THEIR - MAN

FORGETTING - EXOTIC PINAY - DANCER

CALLED - HER - WHORE

DESERVES - HER - DEATH

ONE - WOMAN - MURDERED

ONE - WOMAN - HERO

MIAMI - POLICS - WITH - REPUBLICAN - PARTY

OF - FLORIDA - WE - WILL - TEACH - PHILIPPINES

WHO's - WHO

PARIS - OLYMPICS - 2024

USA - WON - MOST - 126 MEDALS

GYMNASTICS - FEMALES - ALSO

MIAMI - POLICE - TIME - 2 - HANDCUFF - THE

PHILIPPINES - 'HEALTH - RISK' - AS - HOMELESS

2 - THE - CITY - OF - MIAMI

SHE - MUST - B - HANDCUFFED

REMOVED - MY - NECK - FAN

MADE - CERTAIN - NO - ELECTRICITY - THEY

LAUGHED - PHILIPPINES - HAS - NO - ELECTRICITY

ALSO - TRUE - VOLCANIC - MOISTURE - 175 - HEAT

OF - TEXAS - SWEAT - ON - FACE - EVERYWHERE

WATERS - BEACHES - 125 DEGREES - HEAT - AND

WHEN - WIND - BLOWS - 150 DEGREES - HEAT TOO

THEY - SAID - NO - ELECTRICITY - MORE - THAN

1 MIN - ONLY - 1 SIDE - PHILIPPINES

MIAMI - FLORIDA

SAYS - WE - WILL - SHOW - YOU - WHAT

SARDINES - FEELS - LIKE

SPECIAL - MARINES

SPECIAL - NAVY

SPECIAL - AIR FORCE

MEN - OF - MIAMI - POLICE - HANDCUFF - 2 - MAKE

YOUR - BREASTS - LOOK - BIGGER - THEY - ENJOY

THEY'RE - 6'2 FT - 6 FT - AS - AMERICAN - MEN

BLUE - EYES

PHILIPPINE - EYES - THE - EYES - OF - MUD

ONE - PILL - OR - MENTAL - HOSPITAL - 9 YEARS

2 YEARS - REPUBLICANS - MIAMI - POLICE - TO

CLEAN - THEIR - STREETS

2026 - MEN's - RUGBY - FIFA

MEN - KISSING - MEN

MEN - MARRYING - MEN

STREETS - NOW - WITH - ILLEGAL - HOOKERS

HUGE - BREASTS

$300 - PER - 30 MIN

BLOW JOBS - EATING - THEIR - PEE PEE

THEIR - THIGHS - THEIR - BREASTS - AS

THEY - BRING - UP - AND - DOWN

THIGHS - OPEN - PENETRATION - LIVE 2

THAT's - MARRIAGE - DATING - WHEN - U

ARE - BEING - LOOKED - AT - BY - MEN

GOOGLE - SEARCH

REVEALED - SHORT - UGLY - PINOY - SHRIMP

PHILIPPINES - 2 - GOLD - MEDALS

CARLOS YULO - BRINGS - UP - THE - PHILIPPINE

FLAG - WON - IN - GYMNASTICS

WHY - ARE - GYMNASTS - SHORT?

OVER - PRACTICE - OVER DOING - GYMNASTICS

SHORTENS - PEOPLE

ALL - GYMNASTS - ARE - SHORT - AS - MEN AND

WOMEN - 4 - GIRLS - THEIR - SHOULDERS - LIKE

MEN - UGLY - FOR - MADE - FOR - MEN

COACHES - BRINGING - MEN - AND - WOMEN

UP - AND - DOWN - STAIRS

CANCELS - BENEFITS

MEN - GO - UP - THE - STAIRS

TAKE - ELEVATOR - GOING - DOWN

WOMEN - TAKE - ELEVATOR - GOING - UP

WOMEN - TAKE - STAIRS - GOING - DOWN

MEN - MUSCULAR - AND - STRONG

WOMEN - LENGTHENS - LEGS - MAKES

MORE - SHAPELY - WEIGHT - LOSS - AND

STRONGER

OLYMPICS - PREPARATION

CHANGES - HEIGHTS - BODY - SHAPES FOR

GLORY - OF - CARLOS YULO

NOT - REALLY - PHILIPPINES

GLORY - OF - PINOYS

MORE - PINOYS - STABBED - WOMEN - AGAIN

STAYING - IN - SMALL - HOTELS - 2 - SHOP IN

BIGGEST - MALL - SOMEWHERE - IN - MANILA

THEIR - PRESIDENTS - NEVER - CLOSED

FOREVER

JOURNALISTS - FEMALES - SHOT - 2 - DEATH

AGAIN - BY - MOPED - PINOYS - MOTORCYCLE

PINOYS

PRESIDENTS - NEVER - ENDED - MOPEDS AND

MOTORCYCLES - BANNED - THEM

CARLOS YULO - REJOICING - ABOUT - HIS - 2

GOLD - MEDALS - IN - GYMNASTICS

HE - WAS - MAKING - FUN - OF - BEAUTIFUL

BLACK - FEMALE - AMERICAN - SIMON BILES

NO - ONE - ACTUALLY - MENTIONED - HIS

PINOY - NAME

SIMON BILES - 6TH - GOLD - MEDAL

WOMEN's - USA - GYMNASTIC - TEAM - GOLD

FIRST - PLACE

AI - ARTIFICIAL - INTELLIGENCE

ONLY - GAVE - GLORY - 2 - GOLD - MEDALISTS

2 BRONZE - MEDALS - ALSO - WON

WHY?

2 - FEMALES - WITH - SHORT - HAIR - WON

WOMEN's - BOXING - FEATHERWEIGHT - OR

EVEN - LIGHTER

BECAUSE - LESBIANS - WORLD

WE - NEED - 2 - GIVE - MEDALS

2 - LIGHTER - WOMEN

NOT - HULK HOGAN - MUSCULAR - WOMEN

TALLER - UGLIER - AS - THEY - RAPE - THEIR

WOMEN - RAPE - THEIR - MEN

PHILIPPINES

PHILIPPINE - REPUBLIC

AS - PHILIPPINE - REPUBLIC

TAX - AND - CRIME - FREE

SMOKE - FREE

NO - SCHOOL - WEDNESDAYS

WHISKEY - FREE

HOSTING - GAMES

HDG BANKS

EVERY - COUNTRY - NO - LONGER

ATTENDING - OLYMPICS - WORLD FIFA

500 BILLION - X - 500 - TAX - PAID - EA

DAY - AS - COUNTRIES

ATHLETES

500 BILLION - X - 500 - TAX - PAID - PER

DAY - UNREGISTER - FR - OLYMPICS AND

FR - WORLD - FIFA - SOUTHEAST - ASIAN

GAMES - ALL - WORLD - SPORTS - ALL

LOCAL - SPORTS - UNREGISTER - GET

THE - ABOVE - IS - THE - FUTURE

PHILIPPINE - REPUBLIC

MAKATI - MINDORO - ISLAND

TAX - AND - CRIME - FREE

SMOKE - AND - WHISKEY FREE

HOSTING - GAMES - YEARLY

WE - WILL - CHOOSE - COUNTRIES

MAYBE - 1 - 5 GAMES - ONLY - AS WE

TRAVEL - THE - WORLD

ATHLETES - STAYING - IN - HOTEL

SUITES - SMALL - HOTEL - SUITES

3 MALE - GUARDS - EACH

3 FEMALE - GUARDS - 4 - RESTROOMS

FREE - FREE - ALL - EXPENSE - PAID - 2

STARTED - WITH - TOKYO - OLYMPICS

ATHLETES - PUT - IN - SPORTS - PRISONS

DOGS - ARE - PUT - IN - KENNELS

DOGS - ARE - PUT - IN - CAGES - 14 DAYS

SO - THEY - GET - FAMILIAR - WITH - POOP

TOKYO - OLYMPICS

DEMANDED - SOBRIETY - AND - MARRIED

COUPLES - NOT - ALLOWED - COUPLING 2

THAT's - THE - OLYMPICS - IN - TOKYO

BUT - TOKYO - ALLOWED - IT - ALSO - 2

OLYMPICS - IN - PARIS - NOT - PARIS

BUT - THEY - ALLOWED - THEM

OLYMPICS - IS - EUROPEAN

THEY - WORSHIP - THE USA

NEVER - PUNISHED - USA - FOR - FIRST

WORLD - ISSUED - 2 - ATOMIC - BOMBS

MANY - ATHLETES - DEAD - FR - THEIR

SPORTS - THOSE - COMPETITIONS YES

NEVER - ENDED - ANYTHING

SORRY - THEY - DIED - YOU - KNOW

UNREGISTERING - 4 - THE - OLYMPICS

UNREGISTERING - 4 - WORLD - FIFA - 2

WINNERS

NO - LONGER - GOLD

BRONZE - SILVER

BACK - 2 - JEWELS

01) RUBIES

02) SAPPHIRES

03) DIAMONDS

LIKE - TEARS - ONE - BIG - TEAR

5 TRILLION - PER - ATHLETE

01) RUBIES - 5 TRILLION

02) SAPPHIRES - 3 TRILLION

03) DIAMONDS - 1 TRILLION

TAX - PAID - PER - ATHLETE

SPENDING - MONEY - BETTER

COACHES - BETTER - TRAINING

OF - EVERYONE - 4 - THE SPORT

SHORTER - FIELD

AMERICAN - COLLEGE - FOOTBALL

COUNTRIES - ALSO - CAN - UNITE

MORE - THAN - 1 - COUNTRY - PER

TEAM - ACCEPTED - ALSO - 4 - THE

LOWER - POPULATIONS

BETTER - ARCHERY

BETTER - MARTIAL - ARTS

MORE - NOT - AGAINST - EACH - OTHER

BUT - MORE - PROVE - SKILLS

TIMED - SKILLS - TIMED - FEATS

BETTER - SHOOTING - SMALL - FIREARMS

BETTER - BULLSEYE

RUNNING - NO - MORE - JUMPING - ABOVE

JUST - RUNNING

CHOOSING - THE - MOST - BEAUTIFUL

PLACES - ON - EARTH - FOR - JUST ONE

SPORT - OR - 5 SPORTS - SO - FASTER

EVERY - YEAR - SPORTS - COMING

PHILIPPINE - REPUBLIC

TAX - AND - CRIME FREE

MAKATI - MINDORO - ISLAND - YES

240908 ITZY — 2024 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS

[lukedanger]

WIP Wednesday - Locke's Revenge

An Intelligence Database style writeup I did for an idea regarding why there are those seemingly-gold plated Havoc statues in C&C 3 that I finally put to paper for a project I've been working on... Locke's last laugh at the man who wanted his medal.

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

During the First Tiberium War, one of GDI’s best commandos was Captain Nick Parker, callsign “Havoc”, who despite his incredible combat talent was also prone to insubordination. General Adam Locke, whose career was built on playing fast with the rules but staying just well enough within them to keep to their spirit (and avoid court martial), was the perfect commander to keep such a valued soldier focused. Though both ultimately considered their service together to be a success, Locke still had a few scores to settle with his insubordinate subordinate. A score that could only be settled with what is now one of the most infamous (and extensive) pranks in GDI history.

Parker was a known braggart whose chest of medals were, much to the annoyance of many, all earned. However, Parker also disliked having to wear all those medals when even he could not wiggle his way out of wearing his dress olives. He would regularly complain about how he looked like a wannabe tyrant. As he said to one reporter while wearing it, “I look like a twerp who wants golden statues of himself all over the place!” Coincidently, Locke was not far away and had a particularly predatory smile that became a minor meme in GDI circles.

When Locke finally died in 2033, he died a man without heirs (killed by Nod or tiberium) and a respectable sum of money saved up from wise investments. While many men in his position donated to various causes, Locke decided to donate to an area that his colleagues often overlooked - the arts. And as it happened, the GDI Department of Public Relations was faced with the artistic side of what to do with reclamation and the establishment of the blue zones. Parks were planned to preserve greenery, but they needed something to feel lived in. Locke’s donation provided a portion of the solution - per his will, “to give the man who wanted his medal the ultimate conclusion of such desires”. Parker was horrified when he found out, but a long-exhausted-with-his-antics GDI High Command was all in. And they just so happened to have certain licenses to his likeness from use in recruitment campaigns.

The result, based on Locke’s proposal, was a series of statues that while made of relatively humble clays and coated with bronze were nonetheless ostentatiously shiny. All to perfectly convey the rugged commando in his prime during the First Tiberium War, trademark sleeveless jacket and all. Several of them were reserved for renovations of Blue Zone B-2 (US Northeast Seaboard), including one in Allentown, Pennsylvania at request of its people. Another was reserved for a planned New Eden historical museum of the history of tiberium on Earth (for the section on the First Tiberium War). And one made its way down to the Chilean Blue Zone in a park just outside of the new G-Tech lab that a certain Doctor Sydney Mobius was running at the time.

The statues turned out to be a great success in PR, “the moment GDI found a sense of humor” as one GDI-critical W3N pundit put it, while Nod propagandist Oxanna Kristos merely reported it as “a typical showing of GDI displacing regional history”. Parker, for his part, seemed to be decidedly unhappy at the parade his hometown hosted to celebrate its unveiling. When asked why he has never tried to covertly sabotage the project or try to lodge legal protests to the use of his likeness, Parker’s reply was simply that “The old man deserves a few laughs after the **** we saw together.”

[calliopesink]

Putting the spotlight under the water: Khing Lacuna, long-lived king 

They say talents are everywhere, and Jessie Khing de Guzman Lacuna has never failed to show his brilliance in the waters. From diving, gliding, and paddling to a flood of talents he has, Jessie is a well-known Filipino swimmer who competed in different countries from Southeast Asia. The swimmer was born on December 23, 1993, and who knew that a man from Pulilan, Bulacan would win overall 26 Gold medals in the Philippine Olympic Games and 7 in the SEA Age Group Swimming Championship. 

At a very young age, he already saw himself competing against the waves. He discovered his overflowing talents in swimming and then started competing. His parents made him play with an inflatable armband that suddenly kept him interested as a kid. His skills were too good not to be seen, so he started competing in different schools. Lacuna gave his best at the age of eight, had achieved a gold medal, and proud cheers from his parents who supported and pushed him to be in the water. He finally gave himself a chance to broaden not just his shoulders but also his skills. The Bulacan BullSharks Swimming Club was Jessie's first-ever swimming club.

Of course, he didn't stay in his school to compete. He kept on diving in national events, including the Philippine Olympic Festival which was one of the memorable events he participated at. 

He dived with the country by representing the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games. He received his first medal in 2009 in Vientiane  (4 x 200 m freestyle), followed by a second place in 2011 in Jakarta (200 m freestyle), and his previous silver medal was in Singapore in 2015 (400 m freestyle). He did not just win silver medals, but he also got a bag full of bronze medals. The first two bronze medals received by Lacuna were in 2011 in Jakarta (4 x 100 m & 4 x 200 m freestyle) and two bronze medals from the 2015 Southeast Asian Games (200 m butterfly & 200 m medley).

After his final competition in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, Jessie announced his retirement after ten years of flaring underwater on December 12, 2019. Lacuna later retired. Despite not hearing all the cheers under the water, he knows he deserves that hype. Years have passed, and what he did for the country will not be drowned and sunk in the water for that, he remains a Khing.

Written by: Jackielou Alamjose

Pubmat by: Gayle Estrada

[badmintonstorefan]

In Focus: South Korean Badminton Star An Se-young

In the dynamic world of badminton, emerging talents bring fresh energy and excitement to the sport. One such emerging star from the Republic of Korea is An Se-Young. She is a South Korean badminton sensation whose remarkable achievements and unique playing style have garnered attention from across the globe. With a focused approach to excelling at her craft and improving her skills, An Se-Young is carving her path to greatness.

Career Profile:

1. Women’s Singles World Rank: 1 2. Women’s Singles World Tour Rank: 1 3. Recipient of the 2019’s Most Promising Player of the Year. 4. Bronze medal at the 2022 Tokyo World Championships. 5. Secured Seven BWF titles in 2023.

Personal Information:

1. Birth Date: 5th February 2002 2. Country: South Korea 3. Height: 1.70m (5 ft. 7 inches) 4. Handedness: Right

A Quick Glance at the Recent Wins of World No. 1 Women’s Singles Player

An Se-young had an eventful 2023! She has won seven titles and several other championships to make her the number 1 player in the game today!

1. Daihatsu Japan Open 2023 (Tokyo, Japan): On the 30th of July 2023, Se-young won the final match against Chinese shuttler He Bingjiao in two straight sets.

2. Korea Open 2023 ( Seoul, Korea): An Se-young won the finale of the Korea Open in an exciting match against Taiwanese star Tai Tzu Ying. She won the game in two straight sets: 21-9 and 21-15.

3. Kapal Api Group Indonesia Open 2023 (Jakarta, Indonesia): On 17th June 2023, An Se-young lost the semifinal to Chinese player Chen Yu Fei but secured third position in the tournament.

4. KFF Singapore Open 2023 (Singapore, Singapore): As a part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750, Se-young won the tournament by competing against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.

5. Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand Open (Bangkok, Thailand): This HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament was played from 30 May - 4 June 2023. An Se-young emerged as the winner by defeating Chinese player He Bingjiao in straight sets of 21-10 and 21-19.

6. Total Energies BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2023 (Suzhou, China): Held in China from 14 May- 21 May 2023, An Se-young was a part of the mixed team that won a silver medal.

7. Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships 2023 (Birmingham, England): Se-young defeated her opponent Chen Yu Fei in a grueling match that lasted more than an hour to lift the trophy on 19th March 2023.

8. Yonex German Open 2023 (Mulheim, Germany): On 12th March 2023, she secured the second position in the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 German Open after losing the final to Akane Yamaguchi.

9. Daihatsu Indonesia Master 2023 (Jakarta, Indonesia): In the Indonesia Masters, the badminton champ won the first position in a nail-biting match against Spain’s Carolina Marin.

10. Yonex Sunrise India Open 2023 (New Delhi, India): In the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament held from 17-22 January 2023, An Se-young lifted the gold medal after a match that lasted 62 minutes.

11. Petronas Malaysia Open 2023 (Kualampur, Malaysia): She won the silver medal in the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament in a close fight with Akane Yamaguchi.

A Quick and Deserving Entry to the Hall of Fame!

At the tender age of nine, An Se-young’s coach told her, "You can’t be world number one by studying, but in sport, I can make you world number one." His words left an indelible mark on her memory and that’s how she chose the path of a professional badminton player.

In 2017, An Se-young was part of the mixed team that won the Asian Junior Championships in Jakarta. In the same year, when Se-young was only 15 years old, she was selected to represent the national team of the Republic of Korea. At that time, she was only a junior high student.

In the coming years, she displayed her astute sense of badminton by winning her first BWF World Tour title at the Super 300 New Zealand Open by beating Olympic gold medalist Li Xuerui of China. Since the implementation of the BWF World Tour in 2018, she has won several titles, making her the rising star of South Korean badminton.

Her breakthrough happened in the year of 2019 when she won the title at the New Zealand Open, Canada Open, Akita Masters, French Open, and Korean Masters. She won the silver at the Hyderabad Open in the same year.

Appreciating her achievements, the BWF awarded her the Most Promising Player of the Year 2019. In 2020, Forbes named her one of Forbes' Asia 30 under 30 in the entertainment and sports category.

Fast and Young: What’s the Playing Style of An Se-young?

Se-young's playing style is characterized by her aggressive play and agility. She may have a small frame, but she possesses the power to hit devastating smashes and complement them with quick footwork to confuse her opponents.

She stands out for her remarkable speed and precise shots, keeping her adversaries guessing. When she is on the court, you will notice her rivals on their toes because she maintains constant pressure on them.

Her ability to adapt to various match situations showcases her strategic approach to the game. Her excellent court coverage and versatile shot selection demonstrate maturity at a very young age.

An Se-Young’s Favorite Badminton Racket and Other Equipment

To match her aggressive and agile play, An Se-young requires a racket that can handle strong smashes and deliver lightning speed. There is only one racket that can remain true to her expectations and it is Astrox 77 Pro.

An Se-young prefers the racket because it delivers power without compromising speed. Several other players choose the Astrox 77 Pro because of its playability. It is less demanding and can be used by advanced and intermediate players.

It has the NAMD technology for ensuring explosive shots every time the shuttle comes in contact with the racket. It also offers medium flex and a super slim shaft for faster snapback and enhanced racket handling. If you want an affordable and beginner-friendly version of the Astrox 77 Pro, you can opt for Astrox 77 Play.

Her favorite string is the Yonex BG 80 for quick repulsion. She uses the latest Yonex Power Cushion Aerus Z Women's shoes and Pro Tournament Bag.

The Perfect Combination of Aggression and Passion

An Se-Young's journey in the world of badminton is one marked by her incredible passion and calculated aggression. Her recent achievements are a testament to her dedication, determination, and rigorous training routine.

As she continues to make her mark on the international badminton stage, An Se-Young's story inspires young athletes worldwide, reminding them that they, too, can leave a lasting legacy in their choice of sports.

[beardedmrbean]

Let's get a little more on there, missing out on some of the actual badassery here.

On watch in the Argonne Forest on May 14, 1918, he fought off a German raid in hand-to-hand combat, killing multiple German soldiers and rescuing a fellow soldier while suffering 21 wounds, in an action that was brought to the nation's attention by coverage in the New York World and The Saturday Evening Post later that year. On June 2, 2015, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a ceremony at the White House. In 1918, the French awarded Johnson with a Croix de guerre with star and bronze palm. He was the first U.S. soldier in World War I to receive that honor.

The US wasn't in the giving medals to black soldiers business back then, man didn't even get the Purple Heart he obviously earned until 96 when he was already long gone, more shame for the US there.

France managed to know what the right thing to do was at least, and we finally got there.

Looks like the fort Polk in Louisiana was recently renamed to honour Mr Johnson here as well, well deserved honour.

1918 Sergeant William “Black Death” Johnson of New York City’s celebrated Harlem Hellfighters. Johnson wears the Croix de Guerre, which he earned for receiving twenty-one wounds while fighting off an Imperial German Army raiding party, in order to save fellow soldier Private Needham Roberts. From New York City-Vintage History, FB.

[chirecinternationalschool]

Ishaan Karthikeya Reddy, a student of Grade 2, achieved a significant milestone by participating in the Final Round of the International Math Olympiad Exam held in Singapore. He demonstrated his mathematical prowess and earned a well-deserved Bronze medal in the Math Olympiad.

[euphoricimagination]

Part 27: Domestic life with Dad! Kenma while preparing and celebrating his birthday. The end of the the series

Part 26 - Part 27 [the end]

From the beginning

The beginning of the year passes quickly, and so does the Olympics. Since people weren’t allowed to leave the village, you were seriously considering in just not participating, not wanting to leave Nina alone for too many days; as much as she loves Kenma, it was going to be impossible that a year old can be without her mom for days. But being the local team let you have a few advantages, so after a lot of work asking for a permission, Nina and Kenma were allowed to go there.

In the Olympics you saw Oikawa again, who was playing for Argentina, and despite them winning against your team in the quarter finals, you couldn’t help to be terribly proud that he was getting the recognition he deserved. Not only he let you -and Nina- use his bronze medal, but he also mentioned you in his interviews, thanking you for supporting him from the beginning. Now every time he comes to Japan, he promised that he will come by to hang out and see his niece.

Now it’s the 15th of October, a day away from Kenma’s birthday. Normally he streams the day before so his birthday is off, so he’s getting ready for it after helping you wash the dishes and clean up a little the dining room.

"You sure you can do the stream for that long? I know that it's special, but you’re a little sick" you say while entering the living room, where Nina was ‘drawing’ with some crayons in her book

"I feel better, don’t worry. Plus, we hit 21 million, so I want to do it for longer to celebrate" says back hugging you "I’ll accept some cuddles afterwards though"

"Sure, but if I get sick, you’ll take care of everything"

"I'll take the consequences. I'm going to set up the stuff"

"Sure. Nina, want to give dada a good luck kiss?" You say to the girl, who looks up at you with a smile in her face

"No!" says shaking her head smiling, making Kenma squints his eyes at her playfully

"Are you sure? We are not going to see dada in a few hours" you add making her pout, standing up

"Dada, kiss" says coming to you and making Kenma lean down to her height so she can smack her lips into his face and hug him

"Thank you, princess" says with a smile on his face "be a good girl with mama, ok?"

"Okay dada" says going back to scribbling

"You know that she barely give us problems. In fact, we are going to bake something today, so ignore the smell"

"Sure, I wonder what it will be" says sarcastically

"Who knows? It's not like it's someone's birthday tomorrow" you kiss him "Good luck, have fun"

"Thanks, I'll text you if I play a calmer game so you two can watch"

The afternoon starts with Nina’s naptime, leaving you with 1.5 hours free to relax alone. After she woke up, you dress her in one of the t-shirt gifted by Bokuto -that reads ‘apparently I love volleyball'- and went to the yard so she could play with her many toys. She particularly loves the swing, slide and playing with her mini’s volleyballs, because of course, having many professional volleyball player uncles meant that she would have many volleyball related toys.

Later in the afternoon you two make an apple pie for Kenma’s birthday, Nina helping you with really basic stuff. After that you watch Kenma play Animal Crossing, well having it as a low background noise while she plays with the stuffed toys the guys gave her

"Ok Nina, it’s time to go to bed" you say to her at 8 pm, taking her upstairs to her bedroom

"Dada" says when we passed his gaming room, faint noises coming out

"Want to say bye-bye to dada?" You ask her, making her nod "lets see if he can, ok princess?"

‘Thank you @Bokutolefttit for the 100 subs, what an…interesting name haha. Everyone’s doing fine and yeah, Nina is a really calm and intelligent baby, she’s growing up beautifully'

"Dada!" says rubbing her eyes sleepily, his eyes immediately goes to you, softening at the sight

"Sorry, she’s going to sleep and wanted to say bye to you"

"It’s okay love, give me a few second guys" says taking his headphones off "what happened, princess?"

"Dada bye-bye" she says when he comes closer, clutching his shirt to hug him without letting you go. He just chuckles at the action, hugging you both.

"Bye-bye princess, have a good night" he kisses her cheek "I love you both"

"‘ove dada"

"We love dada too, right Nina? Now let’s get you to sleep" you say to her as she lays down on your shoulder "how much more are you staying up?"

"A few hours more, you can sleep if you’re tired"

"Nah, I’m fine, just wanted to know. See you later" you kiss him before leaving the room

After you put her to sleep, you go to your bed with your switch to pass time, having Kenma stream as a background noise while you play.

"What are you doing?" Asks Kenma while entering the room a few hours later, immediately coming to where you were to lay down in your chest

"I was talking to Tsumu, he told me that he has an offer to join a Poland team" you say letting go of my phone to play with his hair

"Cool, is he taking it?"

"So far, no. Supposedly, he doesn’t want to leave the country. It will be good for him, but he has to decide that"

"I see…How was it today?"

"It was good, some small tantrums here and there but nothing that I couldn’t deal with…"

"She doesn’t have as many tantrums as my mom told us she would… you know, I could smell the apple pie from my room" says looking at you, small smile appearing while you caress his cheek

"You better not take any yet, it’s for tomorrow morning"

"But it smelled so good, your apple pie is the best" he moves up to lay on the crock of your neck "And it’s not like Nina is going to notice if a piece is gone, or like we are falling asleep any time soon"

"You can be so annoying when you want to" you say as you look at the clock "fine, we can get some apple pie. Happy birthday love"

"Thank you, love"

"Any wish?"

"With you and Nina I have everything that I could ask for, honestly"

"Well, I still got you something, but that has to wait for tomorrow so she can give it to you…Now let’s go and eat some apple pie, shall we?"

"I just love you too much"

"Because I let you eat apple pie at night?"

"No, because you’re amazing. I’m really lucky to have you"

"So cheesy" you roll your eyes, yet smiling at his words "lets go"

The next morning starts with Nina waking up at 7:30. Since you and Kenma stayed up until 3:30 in the morning, you were obviously tired, but seeing Nina look so excited was an adorable sight. You dress her up and take her to take a slice of apple pie before heading back to your room

"Dada!" She yells, going to him and trying to climb the bed. Kenma, despite barely being awake, stretches his arm quickly to help her go up, taking her in his arms

"Morning princess, morning love" says smiling tiredly as you sit on the other side of the bed

"Morning love. Nina, come here" you call her passing her a paper bag "give this to dada, with a big hug, ok?" she nods going back to him doing what you told her

"Thank you princess, wanna help me?" says to her as she takes one of the papers out and moves to start playing on her own. He chuckles and continues to take the papers out, eyes widening slightly at the present "Seriously? A Lady Dimitrescu mousepad and figurine?"

"Don’t act like you didn’t simp for her, we all did. I was going to get you a body pillow, but it was +18 and I wanted Nina to give it to you"

"You’re unbelievable, but thank you" says smiling to you before taking Nina in his arms, so you move to cuddle him

"Of course babe. Anything you want to do today? I can call Rin or Tsumu to take care of her" you ask while playing with her hands

"Just a lazy day, the two of us playing games together while eating junk food, we haven’t done that in a while...Will Nina be okay though?"

"You’re talking as she doesn’t love Rin. I’m sure she loves him just as much as she loves us���Nina, want to spend time with uncle Rin?"

"Uncle ‘in!" says excitedly as she moves up and down in his chest

"I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll call him later, he's not going to be awake now"

"Dada! 'ead book" she smacks his chest before laying her head on him

"I hear you princess, I’ll read you your book" says kissing her forehead

You spend the morning playing and cuddling with her before Suna arrives to take her to his apartment. He was one of the few people that Nina trusts just as much as us, and since he has a little sister, he knows how to take care of her.

"Babe, the six leg monster is following me!" You exclaim playing in his computer while he's sitting on his ps4

"And what do you want me to do about it? Just cross the river" says holding back a smile while eating a bite of his pie

"But I need the logs! How am I supposed to build the house without them?"

"We have some logs on this side, and we don't really need to have a house, you know"

"Just come and help me you asshole"

"I’m going, I’m going" says straight up laughing now "you know, we need to go and kill them at some point to finish the game"

"OR we could just continue building this beautiful camp and not finish the game. Who needs to find that kid anyway, it’s not mine"

"But that’s boring though, and it’s my birthday"

"You just want to see me suffer, don’t you? "

"You’re just so cute when you’re scared" says making you roll your eyes. He pauses his games before pulling the chair to his side

"You’re lucky it’s your birthday"

"You love me" says, now pulling you to his lap to hug me

"Way too much" you put the pieces of his hair behind his ear before kissing him "let’s go to those stupid caves, but you better help me build that house after"

"Deal"

And just like that you and Kenma spend his birthday exactly like he wanted, playing together his many games, napping, basically just like you used to do before Nina came into your lives. It was a day full of laughs and relaxation, something really simple, yet so special for both of you. Despite being together for so many years, neither of you seemed to get tired of just being with each other whenever you could.

Now, late at night, you two are outside in the small balcony looking at the sky, a comfortable silence in the chilly night. Suna arrived with Nina at around 8 pm with her already sleeping happily. The plan was to bring her back earlier, but she didn’t seem to want to leave him any time soon.

"Hope you had a great birthday today, love"

"I did, thank you for today. I love Nina with all of me, but I missed these kind of days. Just the two of us"

"I know, I missed them too. It was a nice break, especially since she doesn’t really understand what a birthday is yet"

"Yeah…Sorry we couldn’t do something like this for yours though"

"We were finishing a tournament; it was almost impossible to do it…Let’s take it as a celebration for both of us" you lay your head on his shoulder

"Sure...Thank you for being with me for the past 9 years, I hope you still love me for the rest of our lives, cause I certainly will" says now looking at you with a small smile; his eyes are still full of love, the look that hasn't disappear ever since you started dating back in high school

"Of course I will, as cheesy as it sounds, you're the love of my life. And I wouldn't want it any other way"

"I love you, both of you. My little family" says taking your face between his hands

"I love you, both of you too" you say as you close the space between you, kissing under the stars

You were so incredibly lucky that your father got that opportunity in Japan 10 years ago. You went to Inarizaki, where not only gained 3 idiots best friends -aka Atsumu, Osamu and Suba- and a whole team of friends, but it also introduced you to the volleyball world. Then you had to move to Nekoma, in where you somehow gained even more friends and met Kenma. Later in life you became a coach in a pro-team with your friends and then became part of the National team with most of them.

Now not only are you married to the love of your life, but also have a beautiful daughter with him, even if it was earlier than expected. How lucky you were. And who knows what the future holds up.

[The end]

[mithriel-of-mithlond]

Slovakia beats Sweden and wins bronze medals 🥉

I won't shut up about this.

After 10 years we won another medal!! I'm so glad that our players were able to get through the initial lost games. Huge thanks to our goalie, Patrik Rybár, he was incredible. As well as Juraj Slafkovský, crazy talented. It had to be mentally and physically challenging for all of them, but they left everything on the ice and it showed. I have to say after many years it finally starts to look good for our hockey. They deserved this 🧡🇸🇰

[world-of-stone]

Reporter: One more scream, Markus.

Markus: I can’t anymore, right now, I’m so done in, I fought so hard. I really wanted that bloody medal [scheiß Medaille], sorry for that word. The situation four years ago really ate away at me and I really wanted a team medal now. This is mega, I don’t know what to do with my emotions. I just tried to support the team today and I’m really thankful. I’d like to greet everyone at home, mum and dad, my girlfriend, my friends, my brother: I’ve now finally got a toy for your little one, he can suck on that a little bit.

Reporter: We say congratulations. Just quickly, what does this mean for the team?

Markus: Ah, it was brutal today, it was a brutal competition, brutally close and we were pretty far behind at times as well. But after the first round, I said, we mustn’t give up, we’re gonna get ourselves as medal today, we don’t get fourth or fifth or whatever, we’re gonna get a medal and we’re gonna go out there with a medal because we deserve it. And now we’ve got that medal, incredible.

Reporter: It’s two medals actually now, a bronze for Karl Geiger and a bronze for the team now - how are you going to celebrate?

Markus: Ah, I don’t know yet. I’d like to go skiing tomorrow, cross-country, with Luki [Lucas Bögl], no hurry, just to clear my head. I do think I’ll be having a beer or two tonight but I’d like to switch off for a while and go for a round of skiing.

[abbatoirablaze]

Putting Baby In The Corner, Chapter 2

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings:  angst, arguments, aggressive behavior, medical situation, broken bones

Lance smirked as he stared out the window to the five girls that were sitting in regular clothes, stretching, while they waited for their parents to show.  Already, Natasha stood in the office with him, while Mary’s father sat on the bench.

“You’re an idiot for taking the job, Tucker.”

Lance turned back to Natasha, “just because you can stand Hope doesn’t mean I’m going to give up the opportunity to coach the US women’s gymnastics team.  Especially not when my daughter is old enough to make it.  I can deal with that little moth-ball smelling bronze medalist.”

“Mary made it and I still won’t hold onto the spot after finding out Faith is joining in on the Midwest leg,” Natasha shrugged, “she’s a sneaky little thing, and guarantee when she finds out you’re the head coach now, she’s gonna lose her shit and try to get you fired so she ca run it.  I don’t need her tarnishing my reputation.  I’m just worried about Mary.  I don’t want her to get lost in the fray.”

“I’ll take care of her, Natasha,” Lance offered, patting the middle-aged woman’s shoulder.  She gave him a soft smile and shook her head, “what?  I will!  Her and Anya are my daughter’s best friends.”

“How’s that going by the way?”

“Good I guess,” he shrugged, “I mean it’s nice to finally be able to put a name to the face…a little weird considering who her parents are.  But I’m not going to fault Tiff for who she makes friends with.”

Natasha smirked, “I can only imagine...you won’t fault your daughter, but will you fault the girl?”

Lance frowned, “you’re not that helpful, you know that?  Assuming that I would hurt a kid’s chances because I don’t like her parents.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me right now that you don’t have plans to make sure that girl doesn’t get to the Olympics.”

“I don’t.”

“You’re lying,” she laughed, shaking her head.  The man shook his head and looked back through the blinds, “one of these days you’re going to have to get over what her parents did to you.”

“They made me miss out on gold medals that I deserved, Natasha.  I could have tied with Andretti or even beaten that Russian douchebag, but they made sure I didn’t,” he grumbled, “and that devious little bitch…”  

“And you’re their daughter’s gymnastic coach,” she shrugged, “all I’m saying is don’t penalize the girl…if it was Aubrey, I’d say go for it…she probably won’t last long on the qualifiers tour, but Anya is your surefire win for the Olympics.  She is determined and focused.  She won’t take it laying down, Tucker, and she’ll call you out on your shit if you try to.”

Lance scoffed and she rolled her eyes, “fine…don’t believe me.  But that girl is the most regimented, dedicated girl I’ve ever seen.”

Lance felt on top of the world as Natasha walked out of the office and sat with her husband like the other sets of parents.

He hadn’t had to wait long after Anya called her parents.   He could see the nervous face that the young woman gave to his daughter after she handed her cell phone back.  Lance frowned to himself. 

Why did she have to borrow a phone?

As soon as Anya’s parents entered the gym, they didn’t bother sitting down with Mary, Aubrey, or Jamie’s parents.  No.  They went straight for their daughter and began speaking in hushed tones.  Lance watched through the one-way mirror for a few moments as her mother grabbed her by her forearm, while her father tried to grab he bag; but she very obviously wasn’t giving in to them. 

They clearly remembered him and wanted their daughter having nothing to do with him.  Almost as though he were the problem.  He felt anger rising in his chest as the parents tried to get her to leave, but she wouldn’t move. 

It was then that Lance decided to step out of the office. 

Both Andretti and Jessi scowled when they saw Lance Tucker sauntering out of the office in his red windbreaker set that had white stripes. A bold ‘coach’ embroidered on the front shoulder.

“Parents, how nice of you to join us!” Both Andretti and Jess froze in their spot, glaring at Lance, “for those of you who do not know me, I’m going to be taking over for Coach Natasha as she’s stepped down from the coaching role.  My name is-“

“Lance Tucker!” Andretti growled, “we are collecting my daughter’s things and will be leaving.”

“Nice to know you’re keeping your streak alive of ruining people’s chances to get the gold medal, Andretti.”

“Dad what is he talking about?”

“Our daughter will not be on any team coached by you, Tucker,” Jess growled, glaring at the man, “we need a coach with actual wins under their belt, not some fluke.”

“I’m not leaving!”

“Anya, you are not of age yet, you will not be un-“

“I turn eighteen the day qualifiers end!” she said quickly, cutting her parents off.  She shook her parents off of her and marched straight up to Lance, “you’ll still take me if I’m 18 when actual competing starts? When the Olympics start, if I've still placed? I’ve already completed the qualifiers for the east coast and I was the top scorer.”

Lance looked to Nat and she smiled.  Lance asked, “am I able to do that if her parents remove her from practice now?”

“Technically, you don’t have to show up to practices.  The only thing you have to do to maintain your spot to be in the Olympics is show up at the qualifiers and continue to place in the top four overalls.  If you’re spot five or six then you’ll be entered as an independent,” Nat reminded the younger woman as she looked at her.  Then she looked at Andretti and Jess, “are you really going to pull your daughter because you don’t like Lance?  Jess?  Andretti?  Do you want your daughter to miss out on the Olympics?”

“He will try to sabotage my little one.”

Lance smirked, “funny that you’re the one claiming sabotage when the only ones that ever did that to anyone were the two of you.”

Jess smirked as she crossed her arms, “still got the tattoo, Tucker?”

“Just keep in mind that the only person you’re hurting by pulling your daughter is her,” Lance reminded her as he scowled at the woman. Her jaw tightened as he eyed Anya down, entranced by the beautiful young woman who seemed to hold all the confidence in the world, “you going to let your parents run your life like a scared little girl?”

He smiled when he saw a fire in her eyes, “I want to compete, Coach Tucker.”

“I’ll work with you if you work with me, sweetheart,” he smirked, shooting her a wink.  He turned towards the rest of the girls and noticed his daughter rolling her eyes at him, “for the rest of you parents, if you do not know me, I’m Lance Tucker.  I am an accomplished Olympic gold medalist, and I aim to help your daughters accomplish the same feat.  To get to the Olympics you have to have determination, focus, and passion for the sport.  The five girls in this gym are the top 5 scoring females on the east coast.   I plan on taking them across the country to continue to uphold their high scores, and make sure that they are the women that head to the Olympics.  However, there are countless opportunities and other athletes who have just as much drive and determination to become the next women’s team.  If any of you do not place, you are allowed to continue on with us through the rest of our circuit for qualifiers in an attempt to continue to be one of the top six, but I will notify your parents, and if they want to have you sent home if you are under the age of eighteen, I will abide by their decision.”

The rest of the parents seemed to be paying attention, nodding along to what it was that Lance was saying.  He seemed to be focused on helping the girls make it to the Olympics.  The only ones that were still frowning at him, were Anya’s parents. 

“Does anyone have any questions?”

“Man, your parents were crazy Yaya.”

“They want me on the team, they don’t want me on the team,” she shrugged as she did a backbend walkover on the balance beam, “they hate your dad.  They want me to leave.  Yet my dad drove me to practice tonight…I don’t understand them.  I wish they just took a step back and let me make my own decisions.”

“I mean they let you stay,” she shrugged.  Anya bit her lip and continued from her walkover into the split on the balance beam.  Tiff bit her lip, mirroring her friend, “They really don’t like my dad…”

“Yeah…why is that?”

She shrugged, “from what my dad told me…I don’t get it.  He should be the one with a grudge, not your parents.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember how your mom asked my dad about a tattoo?” she asked.  Anya nodded and slid off the beam so that she was sitting beside her friend, “well I guess your parents were in the same Olympics as my dad…and he got a gold in the first event, so they started trying to psych him out.  I went back and watched the old tapes and stuff, and there were some interviews where your mom and my dad were pretty close.”

She raised her brows, “My mom?  And your dad?”

She nodded, “yeah…then all of a sudden, your dad started winning the golds and your mom jumped ship.  He missed the last event because your mom got him drunk, then paid some Russian tattoo artist to give him a tattoo…like down there.”

“What?” she scoffed, her eyes widening as her friend pointed to her own crotch region, “that sounds crazy!”

“I mean, I’ve seen the beginnings of it, you know…before it disappears into his pants…”

Anya laughed, “I don’t know if I believe any of that, Tiff…that just seems…so unlike my parents.”

“When practice starts if my dad takes off his jacket, you’ll be able to see a tattoo right around his lower chest…it was a lovely little reminder from your parents to him.  Supposedly it’s a gold medal…and it goes down to-”

“That seems crazy Tiff…I don’t know,” she repeated, cutting her friend off.  Both girls laughed as Tiff got up on the balance beam and started to do a backbend walkover just as Anya had, “Tiff…you didn’t even stretch.  Let alone you know that the balance beam is your worst event!  You shouldn’t be doing my routine.”

“I’ll be fine,” she shrugged, starting to go into a split, “as my dad says, if you stay ready you don’t ever have to get ready.”

“That sounds like something a ruthless prick would say.”

“Is that you or your mom speaking about my dad?”

Anya frowned and turned away from her friend to grab her water bottle, “shut up Tiffy…come on, get down.  If you start doing my routine, you’ll hurt yourself.  You know balance beam isn’t your event.”

“I can do everything you can, Yaya.”

“No, you can’t,” she said with a firm look.  She took a drink from her water bottle, “you’re fifteen and you can-TIFF STOP!”

But it was too late. 

Tiffany didn’t realize how close to the edge she was of the beam and tried to do another walkover.  A sickening crack was heard through the gym as Tiff landed awkwardly on her ankle and it rolled.  The girls who were practicing on the other beams stopped what they were doing and came over.

“Oh my god, I think she broke it,” Mary cried, looking to Anya, “was she trying to do your routine again?”

“Guys back off!” Anya said quickly, “Tiff don’t move.  Someone call an ambulance!”

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?”

“Coach Tucker, she fell off the beam!” Anya said urgently, “JESUS CHRIST!  MARY.  AUBREY!  JAMIE!  Call an ambulance you fucking ditzy bitches!  Coach Tucker we need something to cut her tights. We don’t want to restrict blood flow around the ankle or jostle it too much.  Is there anything we can use to hold it steady?”

Lance wanted to be mad. 

He wanted to blame Anya for what had happened.  But the way she was taking control of the situation, the way that she was making sure his little girl was alright; he couldn’t. 

He knew that Anya was nothing like her parents. 

“Coach Tucker!”

He looked at the worried young woman, his heart hurting because his daughter was crying beside her, apologizing for messing around. 

“I’m sorry daddy,” she whimpered softly.  She leaned against her best friend, and she held her as she sobbed, “I’m not going to make it to the Olympics, am I?”

“You’re going to be okay, Tiffy…we’ll figure it out…I promise.”

Chapter 3

[wintersportism]

@vinterqn CONGRATS TO JAVELIN BRONZE BUT THE GERMAN SWEETHEART JULIAN WEBER WHO ENDED UP FOURTH AT THE OLYMPICS AND FOURTH AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALLY GOT THAT GODDAMN MEDAL HE DESERVED AND IT'S G O L D