#just to compete in sports that supposedly no one cares about

[foe-of-fate]

It’s wild seeing some people trying to claim that no one cares about women’s sports during the Olympics.

Really?

Because last time I checked those people care A LOT about women’s sports when a trans women gets involved 🧐

[astrae4]

HAN TAESAN | happy wife, happy life

pairings — idol!han dongmin x idol!reader

warnings — hanging joke, saying marriage but not actually married yet(?)

genre — FLUFF & romance hehe (wc. 789)

note — mentally not the best so im rlly inconsistent but it’s okay for now guys 😎👍 if u have any requests i’d be very happy to make it for u 😘😘 plspls like repost n follow 🙌

more works — navigation | bnd!masterlist

DING! DING! DING!

The buzzing notification sounds echoed loudly in a busy cafe, making some customers look at the victim responsible for these noises.

Said victim hurries to turn their notification sounds off, before checking his messages—only to see 6 missed calls and 14 messages from ‘manager 😫🔥’.

manager 😫🔥: WHERE ARE YOU???

manager 😫🔥: WE’RE THREE HOURS LATE ALREADY!!!!

you: im On the Way!

you: gimme a bit

manager 😫🔥: dont lie. I literally see your location and it isn’t moving AT ALL.

you: okay im actually almost done.

you: seriously, the line’s almost over

you: [picture attached]

manager 😫🔥: fine. Come back faster! We need to hurry up to isac bc u guys already missed the track comp.

you: 👍👍

“Order 1140, Mr. Woonhak!” Called a server.

Nobody reacted to that call for a few seconds, before the 180-ish-cm man jolted, remembering that he was supposedly Woonhak.

(Ever put a name in your order and forgot about it? Yeah, it happens to me all the time.)

“Here!” He replied, coming to the counter in a hurry.

“Matcha cake with pink frosting and custom lettering?” They asked to be sure.

“Yes, thank you so much!” Replied “Mr. Woonhak” as he takes the takeaway-boxed cake and hurried out the door.

He practically jumped in the car (gracefully though) with how fast he was going.

“Yah!” shouted Woonhak, “why’d you take so long!?”

“Don’t you see the line?” Replied Taesan, his eye rolling as he holds the cake with care.

“Yeah but why do we have to go get this cake? Just get it at any other bakery so we wouldn’t be late to ISAC—we already missed the track race!”

Someone (Leehan) suddenly sat up from the backseat, glasses crooked on his head as if he just woke up (he did), “That’s because it’s y/n’s favorite cake.”

“Yeah Woonhak,” butted another menace (jaehyun), “It’s their 2nd anniversary— but of course youuuu wouldn’t understand since you’ve never had a woman’s touch before other than your mom and sister.”

“YAH!” screamed Woonhak.

Thus, another bonekdo quarrel emerge.

(Woonhak lost once again. Give me a dab in the comments; one dab = one hp for our maknae’s patience)

EXCLUSIVE: BOYNEXTDOOR��S TAESAN MISTAKES ISAC FOR WE GOT MARRIED?

In the ISAC 2024, k-pop boy band BOYNEXTDOOR (under KOZ) arrives 5 hours late to the venue, earning some attention from netizens. Onedoors (Boynextdoor’s fans) called them hilarious, especially with that spectacular entrance, consisting of the members wearing sunglasses and strutting in the building as if they won the games (they will then lose really badly in archery) in a proud manner.

Despite the many games and groups competing in the games, what went most viral was surprisingly not sports-related, and we’re here to tell you the scoop!

Boynextdoor’s Taesan is widely known for dating [reader] of [group name] since the very beginning of their debuts. They also went trending many times for that—like a fresh breeze in the very tense atmosphere of idol-relationships. This time, it seems that Taesan decided to take it up a notch with his display of public affection and prove to everyone that romance is very much not dead!

Running in the building—and then sliding on his knees to stop in front of [reader]’s view—before procuring a bouquet of pink lilies for her all the while his very supportive members threw confetti at them!? Gosh, me when! After that, he also gave [reader] an exclusive cake from [reader’s favorite cake shop] to celebrate what seemed to be their 2nd year Anniversary.

Other idols in the building such as ZEROBASEONE and THE BOYZ’s Younghoon gave their support by cheering on the couple—as well as many others. Later on, it was even said by Zerobaseone’s Gunwook jokingly in his group’s vlog that he was jealous of their relationship, haha!

When asked about it later on in a live, Taesan responded that it was simply because it was their anniversary, and he wanted to make it special for them. In addition, he said a catchphrase that went viral— saying “Happy wife, happy life”, despite them not being married yet. [reader’s group] have not yet responded to this statement.

Many netizens are reacting to this viral video, saying that it’s so fresh and sweet of them two—some even joking and saying that “I’m the guy h*nging in the lights behind them” (source) in Tiktok and Instagram. All in all, netizens seem to think that it’s extremely sweet and wishes them both to remain happy and strong in the relationship!

What do you think about it?

Comments (19.99) | open

More related searches… BOYNEXTDOOR comeback September 25 | Sungho’s so hot in the new concept photo: twenty ver.

TAGLIST @ja4hyvn @flwoie @sulkygyu @xiaoderrrr @ineedaherosavemeenow @lonewolfjinji @teddywonss @taerae-verse

NETWORKS @onedoornet @k-labels

© astrae4 2024 | please don’t copy, translate, or plagiarize my works on all platforms!

[mirrors-are-green]

How to make Tim & Damian friends? Through animals. Obviously. Also Damian should've gotten a horse waaaaay before there was a cow. He's a 10 year old aristocratic child. Which likes animals. OF. COURSE. HE. IS. GETTING. A. HORSE.

Damian is a horse girl. No, I will not elaborate.

(It's a sport. Dignified. With animals. Which you get to train. Actually the better you train them, the more successful you are. OF COURSE he would be into it. Come on.)

(horse riding training in Mongolia was actually used as a reward/present for him from Thalia. Still training. Technically. But you all know how it went.)

(bonus points if he gets to bond with a stable man)

What if Tim got a horse from his parents for a late random-rich-folks present? Like a car, but he was too young so... He names her Queenie Buttercup.

What would Tim do with a horse? Well, he researches. Alright. His parents bought him a place in the best stable in the city, but it's so obviously corrupt. Also incompetent. Tim' s gotta take care of that. Obviously. Also some horses are horribly mistreated by their owners. Or sold to the slaughterhouse. He manipulates, blackmails, bribes these people off. And.... he somehow ended up with a full stable some day, without even realizing it or planning it one bit???.

Also he lets all the poor kids in (he hired some people to supervise dw) to the horsies. Obviously. They help around. Get to ride? There is one pair of twins from Crime Alley (most of the kids are from there...) taking care of this one old horse in particular. They're making him the most beautiful looking food, braid his mane, decorate him with frills...

There is a quiet red haired boy, with black eyeliner, heavily tattooed. He always helps the younger kids and is the best at shushing any spooked horse.

There is a great competition who can decorate their saddle the prettiest. Some adults even try to cheat...

There's also one reeeealy ambitious kid. He wants to compete for real. He showed up, determined, fists balled up, at Tim's front door one day. He said that he discovered some of Janet & Jack artifacts were in fact very convincing fakes like this one tile, from example. Supposedly from Hadrian's grave. But it was identified on the basis of three papers, all of which cite in a critical junction a paper which, under closer examination, is clearly just pretending to answer the question of the origin, in fact it was written with the specific person in mind from the very beginning, isn't it strange that....... etc etc. But he won't tell anybody, no siree. He'll spare Tims' family the embarrassment. But only if he gets to ride Queenie Buttercup. And if he's good, get the chance to compete.

(He has a mother who supports him very much. And a stepfather who loves him. And two no no-nonsense older sisters (one is veterinarian, Tim hires her immediately. Pays her VERY handsomely. She always sees through his bullshit and doesn't care about his money or power or status, her brother and animals come first. Damian is Very Impressed and demands to be made aware every time she does something so he can watch or even assist.) who do whatever they can to help him realize his dream. Actually his whole block loves him. When he competes the whole Crime Alley keeps their fingers crossed for him to win. He gets a big celebration when he comes home after winning his first big trophy.)

There's also a girl from Tim's class really into horses. She's overly formal and does karate in her free time. Tim never noticed her before, but now they're besties. They trade statistics and have regular fights about what's the most likely breed to do XYZ.

Damian of course wants the piece of that fairytale dream stable as soon as he finds out (so maybe the stables are not on the manor grounds idk). Also after realizing how many animals Tim has rescued he starts to respect him.

How he found out?

Tim obviously doesn't advertise that he's got a whole stable and is literally changing lives of a bunch of kids. No one cares about his stuff, obviously. He would bore them to tears when talking about it, just like with any other of his hobbies. Also it's normal and totally what anyone would do. Besides, doesn't every upper class family have stables? It's, like, a requirement when you're filthy rich. Like having a yacht.

Also that could make Tim, who always wants to do everything by himself, the most experienced in terms of normal farm adjacent/ manual labor. Like, the Bats are city boys through and through. Jason maybe did idk some construction work when he needed money, but he wouldn't get the chance to actually muck about with horse manure probably ever. So it would be HILARIOUS. He could casually bring it up? His casual knowledge of this kind of work. Everyone would think it was a joke and something he researched, so in poor taste even to pretend to actually have experience with this hardship and act all knowledgeable. Jason would scoff at the silver spoon Tim has been fed with since birth, so what can he possibly know. And he just goes...

"Oh yeah, I run a stable actually. Yes I do the clean ups with everyone. Obviously. So that's why I know about that. Anyway so what are we watching?" And they're just SHOCKED.

Or alternatively

Tim is of course the owner of like, 6 cats. Actually there was just one stable cat at the beginning but she had kittens so... yeah it's 6 now. Yeah we take care of them. They're cute. And he just casually brings it up to Damian?

Tim: "I totally get making so many pictures of your pet. I have, like, five thousand pictures of my cats. I sometimes stalk them, even. To get better shots. And they look so adorable in each of them!"

Damian: "You. Have cats. As in. Multiple."

Tim: "Oh I've never told you, sorry, completely forgot haha. Do you wanna see the pi- *grabs his phone*?

Damian: "That. Was. The. Stupidest. Question. I've. Ever. Heard. OF COURSE I WANT TO SEE. SHOW ME NOW OR PERISH.

Damian, some time later: And just as I was looking at Ismat Hasna...

Tim: Woohoo stop. I don't know what you're talking about. None of my horses are named like that?

Damian, completely seriously: Well obviously. If she was originally named like that, it would mean you have some common sense and I wouldn't have to rename her. But, alas. You named the most majestic horse on this plane of existence QUEENIE. BUTTERCUP. So. She needed an intervention from someone more sensible than you. Obviously.

Tim:

Damian: You're welcome, by the way. I already corrected her paperwork.

And they just bond and start being friendly towards each other and Dick is soooo proud, Bruce has no idea what/how (he suspects blackmail or witchcraft), Jason and Tim team up to support Crime Alley kiddos in pursuit of their hobbies. Jason got literal tears in his eyes when he saw, in real time, some harmless contact with animals and getting a chance to take care of something slowly, slowly breaks the circle of violence these kids were stuck in.

His next charity project is some martial arts centre, an indoor basketball court, paying some good trainers to just believe in those kids. It works wonders.

Idk just some thoughts I would be very glad if someone made it into a proper story or even help me develop the concept fuller... just tag me!!

[quotidianish]

TF2 x ATLA AU :3

Lore, close ups, and doodles underneath !

Scout, Pauling, and Ludwig are the main three- scout, who’s an (admittedly shitty) airbender but not the avatar, who ran away after his father left. Once spotted by fire nation soldiers, he is presumed to be the avatar- and scout basks in the glory of his false identity. Pauling- a studious, too serious for her own good, non-bender, who’s Medic’s student. She’s of the southern water tribe, treating medic like her paternal figure after the disappearance of her aunt. Medic is (unbeknownst to pauling and scout) a blood bender who was exiled for his practices. He doesn’t seem to care for anyone or anything, also being very jovial and cheery.

All Pauling and Scout know is that Ludwig was exiled from the northern water tribe then fled to the south for an undisclosed reason. Pauling never bothered to pry and the Scout was too intimidated to. Here the avatar cycle has indeed been broken. It’s up to a group of nine ragtag men and one mousy girl to defeat Gray Mann.

And the main three villains are soldier, demo, and sniper who're all fire nation folk. Sort of the team rocket; never truly competent enough to cause real damage, that or their hearts truly aren’t in it.

Soldier's a fire bender who specializes in jet propulsion and was kicked out of the army. He thinks if he steals back the avatar, they'll let him back in. A weapon since childhood, once a bully, always a bully, or so he’s heard.Character arc being the realization the fire nation army isn't worth fighting for. Surprisingly, he is very good with spirits, opposite to his best friend, Tavish, who despises them.

Demo’s just trying to impress his mum and be a good friend to the Soldier. People pleasing tendencies, that's his character arc. He's supposedly a non bender who's mighty good with swords; but underneath his inconspicuous-ish eye patch holds a combustion bending tattoo. Only Jane knows this. Well-versed in calligraphy.

Sniper is a 26 year old yuyan archer who was discharged for failing a mission while he was young. He joined the other two with the same goal as the Soldier. His yuyan archer tattoo still remains. He's a non bender with excellent aim, who grew up on the rural outskirts of the fire nation. His character arc is something about not adhering to expectations and learning who he's fighting for; a combination of the demoman and the soldier’s lessons.

Spy's a crusty airbender constantly sporting a mask to hide his tattoos, and knife. Nobody has a clue where he's from and he takes orders from whoever pays him best. His airbending tricks are so subtle, the public believes him to be a crafty nonbender. Usually said tricks are only invisibility and voice alteration. While not assassinating political figures he traverses the spirit world looking for his wife, a fellow air nomad, avoiding physical aging in brief sprints of time. He returns on a well paid mission to kill the “avatar,” which was presumably the scout. Little does he know, that weird whiteboy is just some lame airbender. Who’s also his son. His bad.

Engineers the metalbender; an art perfected by his ancestors and passed down in whispers to him. I haven't developed him much. He teaches the Scout what he knows while obscuring information on how he got that metal arm. Him and the Pyro have a shared love of blacksmithing. From an explosion, he thinks..

Pyro's a spirit probably. Nobody knows what he is. Where he’s from? Pyro. What’s his gender? Pyro. Guy who sets things on fire. Presumably human judging by his questionable use of what looks to be fire bending. And also the Spy's companion! They met in the spirit world. He and the Soldier form a close bond quite quickly thanks to their good graces with spirits (to Tavish’s immense dismay).

Heavy's an earth bender who continues to win in underground fights. Residing in ba sing se with his three sisters and elderly mother, scout pauling and medic meet him in an earth bender championship. Despite what his appearance suggests, his patience is unmatched, which is his greatest strength. He has near -perfect seismic sense. He and the Medic get on quite well, and after the fire lord has been struck down, form a duo in the ring, earning even more won championships.

[pkmnprideflags]

Everything We Know About the Protags' and Rivals' Families

Red/Leaf

Their mother is probably the Pokémom we know the least about. She only ever talks about worrying for her child, and doesn't seem to have any hobbies or anything noteworthy about her. I'm glad that the later games have started giving the moms more personality.

As for their dad, the only reference to him is in the Celadon Department Store. Upon looking at one of the TVs, the protag will say, "A sports game! Dad'll like that!" So we know that their father is a fan of sports, and has enough of a connection with their child for them to know that.

Blue Oak

Of course, he has a grandfather (er, what was his name again?), and that grandfather has a cousin named Samson who lives in Alola. He also has an older sister, Daisy, who has allegedly competed in Pokémon Contests in the past according to a Pokémon Journal in the Sevii Islands. This means she must have traveled to either Hoenn or Sinnoh at some point, probably during her childhood or adolescence. We know nothing about Blue & Daisy's parents.

Ethan/Kris/Lyra (as protag)

This Pokémom still doesn't have much going on outside of talking to other women in town and apparently enjoying cooking, but she does at least assist by managing her child's money. In retrospect, an eleven-year-old in real life probably should not be trusted with all that money, so good idea. Too bad she also seems irresponsible with money, buying things with her child's money without asking them. Sometimes those purchases are helpful, sometimes they're not. Either way, you should get permission first, ma'am.

As far as I can remember, their father is never mentioned.

Ethan/Lyra (as friend)

They live with their father in New Bark Town; as far as I know, their mother is never mentioned. Their grandparents are the Day Care Couple that lives south of Goldenrod City.

Silver

We all know by now that Silver's father is Giovanni. According to the Celebi event, father and son parted ways three years before GSC on Route 22, with Giovanni heading towards the Pokémon League and Silver heading back, presumably to Viridian. If we assume that he is the standard protag/rival age of 11, then he seperated from Giovanni at the age of eight. When he shows up in New Bark Town, he lowkey seems to be homeless. I'm not sure how an eight-year-old without Pokémon would have made it over to Johto alone. The most likely people to help him would be Team Rocket, but he's stubborn enough that he'd probably reject their help. Did he climb through or trek around Mt. Silver?

Despite the many fan theories, the identity of Silver's mother has never been discussed in the games.

May/Brendan (as protag)

A protagonist with two visible parents?! Impossible. But yes, Norman and his wife are still together. In Ruby and Sapphire, your mother specifically mentions that your family moved from Johto; curiously though, that dialogue was changed in Emerald to just say "another region." Later in B2W2's World Tournament, Norman specifically says he is from Olivine City.

The only references to their parents' lives before comes in ORAS, when the mother mentions that she and Norman watched the Litleonids the last time they occurred. Awwww.

May/Brendan (as rival)

They live with their parents, Professor and Mrs. Birch, in Littleroot Town. In Emerald only, they also have a younger brother. Prof. Birch seems to have a very close relationship with their child, though since they're often involved in fieldwork they may not get to see their mother much. Interestingly, Birch and Norman have supposedly been friends "since their school days." That means either Norman had gone to school in Hoenn before moving to Olivine, or Birch went to school in Johto.

Wally

We actually know a lot about Wally's family since it's part of the plot of RSE. He lives with his parents in Petalburg City, who are understandably protective of his health. He later moves to Verdanturf to live with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Wanda. Not much is known about them, other than that Wanda is romantically involved with a guy from Rustboro.

Lucas/Dawn (as protag)

They live in Twinleaf Town with their mother, the Contest star Johanna. She gets out of the house more, both for Contests and to observe her child's success in the Battle Zone.

There are two references to the player's father, and both occur in Platinum. Johanna says that her child reminds him of him and that the two of them "are so alike." Later when met at the Battle Frontier, Palmer will note that he was a friend and rival to their father, similar to how they are now with Barry. Notably, in a very early beta of Diamond & Pearl, the player's father was going to appear early in the game. I don't speak Japanese, but based on the screenshots I'm guessing he was going to be involved in the player's first Pokémon encounter.

Lucas/Dawn (as friend)

They live in Sandgem Town with their father, grandfather, and little sister. Their father works as an assistant to Professor Rowan; nothing about their mother is known. Their sister watches TV a lot, and therefore often hears about swarms occurring in Sinnoh.

Barry

He lives in Twinleaf Town with his mother, while his father Palmer works at the Sinnoh Battle Frontier. Both parents seem to care for their son, but I honestly can't remember them ever talking to or about each other, so I don't know what their relationship status is.

Hilbert/Hilda

The Pokémom of Nuvema Town is said to have been a Trainer herself when she was younger. However, now she mostly stays at home, only departing to give the player the running shoes. In B2W2 she behaves similarly to Red's mother, saying she kind of wants to go out and find her child, but would feel bad if they stopped by while she was gone. Which makes me wonder: does her kid not still have their Xtransceiver? Why can't she just...call them like a normal person?

Their father is referenced by their mother when she says that they met each other on their own Pokémon journeys. Aw, young love. No hints to their current relationship status, though.

Cheren

Cheren lives with his parents in Nuvema Town. I don't remember anything of note about them.

Bianca

Bianca lives with her parents in Nuvema Town, and we all remember how her father acts at the beginning of the games. I don't recall her mother's reaction; apparently she was the one to tell him that Bianca made it to Nimbasa City, so maybe that indicates that Bianca trusts her slightly more.

Nate/Rosa

This is definitely one of the cooler Pokémoms. She is an old friend of Professor Juniper, and used to work in Pokémon Centers (specifically implied to be the ones in Nimbasa and Mistralton). She's knowledgeable about the many locations in Unova, and supports her child by providing information.

Bulbapedia claims that there are references to their dad in the games, but a search of relevant pages has turned up no references.

Hugh

Hugh lives with his mother, father, and younger sister in Aspertia City. His father has the sprite of a Black Belt, and his mother has the sprite of a Nursery Aide, which is a cute pairing. Hugh also mentions that he has a deceased grandfather, who caught his little sister's Purrloin. Hugh is very protective of his sister; overall this is a cute little family.

Calem/Serena (as protag)

They live with their mother, Grace, in Vaniville Town. The two recently moved to the town, but it's unclear if they are from another region entirely, or just a different town in Kalos. Regardless, Grace is known for being a Rhyhorn racer.

The only mention of the player's father is in a story Grace tells about one of her races. She lost control of her Rhyhorn at the finish line, where he was waiting, and she "sent him flying."

Calem/Serena (as rival)

They also live with their mother in Vaniville Town. It's mentioned that both of their parents are renowned Pokémon battlers, which is cool. Otherwise, their father is never mentioned.

Shauna & Tierno

Strangely, we know nothing about these two's families. Shauna seems to live in or near Vaniville Town since she hangs out there a lot, but she doesn't have a house there. Tierno hangs around Coumarine City a lot during postgame, so maybe he's supposed to be from there? But we know nothing about their family lives.

Trevor

Trevor lives with his sister in Lumiose City. Apparently his mother and father are currently traveling the world to train their Pokémon. The world of this game series just seems very chill about family relations, and treats it as socially acceptable to leave your family to take a journey. I suppose they appreciate long-distance relationships or just don't value family that much.

Selene/Elio

They live with their mother on the outskirts of Hau'oli City. Their family was originally from the Kanto region, and the player's mother was once a renowned Meowth trainer, earning the nickname of the "Scratch Cat Girl." She's even seen at the end of the game battling the Masked Royal.

Apparently she is still married to the player's father, who still lives in Kanto. The two keep in touch by sending each other letters.

Hau

Hau lives with his grandfather Hala in Iki Town. He mentions his mother several times, saying he enjoys her cooking; she is not confirmed to be present in the games, but there is a female NPC randomly placed inside Hala's house that some assume to be Hau's mother. His father is traveling on a journey in another region (implied to be Kanto).

Gladion

We all know this by now - used to live with Lusamine, Mohn, and Lillie; then Mohn disappeared, Gladion ran away with Type: Null, and Nebby teleported Lillie to Route 1. An Aether Paradise NPC also notes that Lusamine's father (so Gladion's grandfather) was a wealthy man who loved Pokémon, and he was the one who built the Foundation.

Chase/Elaine

They live with their mother in Pallet Town. Like Red & Leaf's mother, this Pokémom doesn't have a whole lot going on. Bulbapedia says that they have a referenced father; I'm guessing it's that same dialogue in the Department Store from the other Gens.

Trace

Since he's no longer Professor Oak's grandson, Trace seems to only live with his sister. Perhaps another Trevor situation?

Victor/Gloria

They seem to have always lived in Postwick with their mum. She doesn't have a whole lot going on, and the only reference to their father is the statement that the player's bag is a hand-me-down from him.

Hop

Hop lives in Postwick with his parents and grandparents, and Leon used to live there before going off to be a champion and whatnot.

Marnie

Her parents are never mentioned; she seems to live with Piers.

Bede

Bede was apparently raised in an orphanage, so the identity of his parents are unknown.

Rei

Both as the protagonist and as the rival, their family situations are unknown.

Akari

As the protagonist, her family situation is unknown. As the rival, she mentions wanting to send a photo to her parents and brag about her work with the player in the Survey Corps.

Juliana/Florian

They recently moved to Cabo Poco with their mother from a different region. It's implied they may be from Galar, as the mother has a Skwovet and uses the term "cuppa" when talking to Clavell. Their father is never mentioned.

Nemona

Nemona's father, mother, and sister live in Cabo Poco. They moved to the Paldea region when Nemona was seven; their original region is unknown. Nemona's father is on the board of the Rotom Phone company, so they have a decent amount of wealth.

Because I'm a nerd, let's finish with some stats:

Characters confirmed to have both parents currently alive: 16 out of 34

Characters who live with both of their parents: 8 out of 34

Characters who live with their mother: 22 out of 34

Characters who live with their father: 12 out of 34

Characters with at least one living grandparent: 5 out of 34

Characters with siblings: 10 out of 32

[glassfullofsass]

Queen of the Rodeo - A Ronance AU

Playlist

Nancy Wheeler grew up in the saddle. She's spent more time on horseback than on her own two feet, and she's loved every second.

But on the other side of forty, it's getting harder to ignore what it's cost her.

She'd done her time as rodeo queen like her mother before her, but unlike Karen, Nancy hadn't married up and settled down when her year was done. Instead, when it was time, she passed the crown on to the inimitable Erica Sinclar, and kept competing.

She'd had a good run, too, winning more breakaways than she scratched and constantly breaking her own records on the barrel races. But then her roping partner Barb had taken a bad fall and quit the arena all together, leaving Nancy to face the circuit alone.

Since then, Nancy's been the only rider on Coach Hopper's roster, and the old sheriff has been hinting at his own retirement for a while. Even his lady, the legendary Joyce Byers, idol of every cowgirl west of the Mississippi, had given up rodeos younger than Nancy was now, though she even still worked hard as a rancher.

Joyce certainly hadn't started riding roughstock at thirty like Nancy did, seizing an open slot at a back country rodeo that didn't care too much about propriety. And since then, Nancy’d driven two or three states over any time the WPRA could pull together enough competitors.

Nancy doesn't regret it, even when it hurts, even when she loses.

But it's starting to hurt more often than it doesn't, and she's losing more often than she wins these days. Plus, Barb isn't the only friend Nancy's run off; she burned a lot of bridges and broke a few hearts to earn her place at the top. She still loves the rodeo like nothing else, but it's getting to be lonely.

It’s also a long way down. She's not sure the Harringtons will keep her on as a ranch hand if she's not bringing prizes to their stables, and if she has to leave behind ranching on top of leaving the rodeo…

Something has to give soon, though. Nancy can read the writing on the wall: she's slowing down and even though it's only in milliseconds, it makes a difference on the breakaway.

If Nancy could let go and trust that she'd land on her feet, maybe she could get out of her own way. She's pushed away friends, family, and lovers, but if she'd risk being vulnerable just enough, she could still reconnect with a community – and one woman in particular – that still loves her.

Robin Buckley's parents made a number of decisions about her life that were supposedly for her safety. The wisest was, probably, never letting her near a horse.

So, though she grew up out in ranch country, surrounded by brush and cowboys, Robin's never so much as given a colt a sugar cube, let alone ridden a full grown mare or – heaven forbid – a stallion.

That doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate a good rodeo. Or the riders, anyway.

But being an admirer – particularly of a woman's sport – doesn't pay the bills. 

Nor does an associate's degree in Spanish, as it turns out. So much for her late nights at the community college.

Once upon a time, Robin had bigger dreams. And it's not impossible to still chase them. Steve'd offered to take her, to load up his truck with their bags and just drive until they got somewhere. 

Robin knows she could do something, if she was somewhere. But that means leaving, and as much as Robin once thought she had to, it doesn't feel as necessary as it once did. And it’s a little more frightening, the idea of starting over, now that she’s no longer young and restless.

She has a place here now. She has regulars at the diner, and regulars at the bar, and Steve.

And yeah, sue her. She has some unresolved heartbreak courtesy of the local rodeo queen emeritus. It's been more than a few years since she and Nancy had anything between them, but messy and flash-paper quick as it was, Robin still carries a torch for her.

Hell, Robin has carried a torch for Nancy since they were both thirteen, and Robin wheedled her aunt into taking her to the rodeo for the very first time.

Nancy had been glorious, all red bows and silver thread, lightening quick around the barrels in a perfect clover leaf, strong and steady on a beautiful gray horse that thundered around the pen, kicking dust in its wake.

It's not like Robin had been naïve, going into things. Nancy wasn't the first cowgirl Robin had hooked up with, and she'd known she was hardly Nancy's first partner either. So Robin knew what she was getting with Nancy, the night she'd looked Robin over with those deep brown eyes and smiled honey-sweet.

She knew it wouldn't last, and that was fine.

Until it wasn't, because it did last. Longer than Robin expected, long enough that she forgot to hold back. Long enough that she forgot why she shouldn't fall in love.

She'd gotten burnt pretty bad, for that mistake.

Still, it had been years. Robin had moved on, had other partners, other relationships, had even been in love again.

Her breath still catches when she sees Nancy, and she's learned to live with it. She's just not sure she could live without it.

If she could find the resolve, Robin might find fulfillment elsewhere, where her ear for languages might be appreciated as more than a party trick and she wouldn't be dependent on tips to keep her lights on. But if she'd take a chance and risk her heart one more time, she'd find that the cowgirl of her dreams might be ready for a change of pace, too.

[raitrolling]

Two To Tango

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

Sharle exhaled deeply as he sat down on the bench, finally allowed a short break from his nightly workout. Tonight had started off with some cardio training in the form of an early evening jog around Rossa Marina’s track, then after a light snack he’d spent the next couple of hours at the gym working through the usual weight training session. This routine was such a regularity that he could easily perform it in his sleep, but that didn’t make it less strenuous and exhausting.

He reached for his water bottle, and popped the lid open with his teeth before taking a swig. His personal trainer had selected the sports drink mix based on what supposedly had the best balance of electrolytes, carbohydrates, and sugars, and while he wasn’t much of a fan of the intense citrusy flavour, knew that he didn’t get much of a say in the matter. Whenever Ropikk was around, the sweet but incredibly artificial blue Gatorades had to go.

The jadeblooded personal trainer in question was currently preoccupied with filling out her notebook with the amount of reps Sharle had completed with each dumbbell exercise, occasionally flicking back between previous pages for reference. She had tied her hair back into a single ponytail as opposed to her usual half-down half-side-ponytail look, which was a sign that after this short break she had full intention in getting involved with the afternoon’s training session.

Usually that involved more cardio in the form of a boxing session, or challenging him to beat her jump rope records. Sharle tended to enjoy the latter more as it gave him a good benchmark to compete against, but tonight he had another idea.

Not one he’d put much thought into, but it had still been lingering in the back of his mind.

“Hey, Ropikk?” He asked, casually. “What do you know about dancing?”

“Eh?”

Ropikk looked up from her notes suddenly, an expression of pure confusion on her face.

“I know some things, why?” She held her notebook close to her chest, feeling her heart start to race. Why would Sharle suddenly be interested in dancing? He’s never wanted to do anything of the sort with her before.

He just blinked and tilted his head slightly, seemingly just as puzzled as she was.

“Er, you know the ball is coming up soon, yeah?”

“I thought you hated the ball?” 

Sharle snorted. “I mean, most of the time it’s not really my thing, but, er-“

“Most of the time?” Ropikk interjected, suspicious yet also curious. But Sharle didn’t seem to care about how incredulous that sounded.

“Er, yeah? But I was just thinking, you know Jamie, right?” 

Ropikk immediately felt like an idiot, and pursed her lip in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. Oh, right. That guy. Of course it was that guy, not her. She barely paid attention to him whenever he visited the paddock because he always gave off the impression of being a major jerk. His moirail was far more interesting and attractive anyway, but she’d never admit out loud that she much preferred the rumoured Shalour pairing before Velour went public about his real relationship.

“I… Know him,” she replied, a little curt.

Sharle paused again, looking confused, but then decided whatever conflict his personal trainer was feeling didn’t concern him and continued.

“Yeah, well, I was just thinking, like. He does all that dancing stuff and gets me to dance too, so, er, I guess I should probably actually learn how to do it,” he shrugged. There was a hesitance in his tone, but in that way he usually spoke when he was unsure how to put his thoughts to words. Or that he couldn’t figure out exactly why he wanted to do this for Jamie.

Ropikk could not get a read on his intentions in the slightest. That was always the case, it was like thoughts never dwelled in the falcon troll’s head long enough for him to ever consider exactly what he was thinking about. It was all just a series of impulses and orders to him.

Something that made it incredibly easy for her to get him to listen and follow her training routines, but also made it incredibly difficult for her to understand him on a personal level. Did he even think about the implication? Of asking someone for a dance? Of giving her the power to share a moment with him that could potentially create romantic tension? Of taking lessons before the 12th Perigee Ball so he could impress another troll?

Evidently not, as Sharle was staring back at her, quietly waiting for a response. 

“Ah- Oh! Good idea, and it’ll be good for photo opportunities. The media would love to watch you dance with other VIP guests, which is expected of you, by the way. I don’t want to have to keep pushing you to socialize at these events,” she replied with a nod. Yes, it’s all PR, if she just keeps thinking of it that way it’ll be fine-

“Er, yeah, sure. So… Do you want to do it now?” Sharle set down his drink bottle and stood back up, taking a few moments to stretch his muscles and limber up once more.

Had this been two sweeps ago, Ropikk would have expected this moment to be much more romantic, with more gentle sweet-talk in French just like the fanfictions she used to read and certainly does not anymore.

Secretly, she still wished things could turn out that way, as unrealistic as it was to expect Sharle of all people to be the romantic sort.

She could feel her face burning up, no matter how much she kept reminding herself that it meant nothing, that she needed to be professional, that it was just a lesson.

“Sure!” She replied, louder than she had anticipated, and shoved her notebook back into her modus so she could beckon for the blueblood to approach. “But, this isn’t a substitute for the late-evening training routine, okay? You’ve still got more cardio ahead of you after lunch.”

Sharle snorted. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Cardio’s fine.” 

As he walked up to the jadeblood, it began to dawn on him that he was already out of his depth. He didn’t know how to initiate a dance when it was always Jamie who took the lead. He held up his hands in an awkward manner, mimicking the hand position for a waltz.

“It’s, er, like this, yeah…?” 

Ropikk shook her head, equally amused and exasperated.

“Usually you don’t just walk up to someone like that. Have you really not done this before?” She said with a huff, and was not surprised to see Sharle shake his head in response. “What you should do is offer your hand, and then say ‘May I have this dance?’ Or, something along those lines.”

“Huh, alright,” the blueblood nodded, and followed his instruction. He held out his hand to his personal trainer, looking deeply into her eyes with that same intensity he gives anything he’s trying to take as seriously as possible.

“So, may I have this dance?” 

God, Ropikk hated how smooth he was capable of sounding at times, with that accent of his, and that look on his face that makes her second-guess if he’s really just going through the motions. Why couldn’t she just be normal about this?

“Y- Yes! Like that!” She exclaimed, and took his hand. “And now you know the first waltz position, right? One arm out like this, and the other supporting your partner’s back.“

Sharle nodded, and wrapped his other arm around her back. He was more concerned about the fact that this required them to hold hands than how closely he had pulled her towards him, but Ropikk was at least aware of his psiionics. 

Which also made him notice something. Why did her hands feel sweatier than his? She wasn’t the one who’d been working out for hours. 

“Like this, yeah? And, er, you lead the dance, right?” He questioned, oblivious to the jadeblood’s internal struggles aside from being confused as to why she was blushing.

“No, the man leads the waltz.”

“But what if it’s two guys? Or, er, two girls, if it’s you and some other chick.” 

“You still lead, if it’s someone like Jamie you want to dance with, then the bigger troll should lead.”

“Even though he’s, er, got more experience?” 

“Are you going to ask someone to dance, but then expect them to dance for you?” Ropikk looked genuinely baffled by the F1 driver’s complete lack of social graces.

Sharle blinked, gears turning in his head.

“Okay, yeah, yeah. Me leading makes sense.” He said with a laugh, then paused for a moment. “Er, so, what is the next move?”

He looked down at his dance partner, and Ropikk was once again aware of just how close he was to her. Why is it weird now? It’s not like she has never touched him before, she’s given him many post-workout recovery massages! And, why didn’t he think to set up some music before he asked? Dancing in silence in the gym where literally anyone could walk in and see them is just awkward.  

But when she looked back up at the blueblood, she just saw his blank stare, politely waiting for the next instruction. That look on his face was always so innocent, like a pet dog waiting for its next command. It made her feel stupid for getting so nervous around him, but the best she could do was swallow her feelings and remind herself that he’ll never look at her any differently. 

She nodded in acknowledgement, squeezed his hand to prompt him to follow her (and to steel her nerves, admittedly), and began walking her way through teaching him to waltz.

One, two, three, one, two, three, left foot forward, right foot forward, both feet together, right foot back, left foot back, both feet together. 

She repeated that over and over, occasionally interjecting to remind Sharle to keep his head up and not look so stiff. This is a dance, not an army drill. She could feel him start to relax as he got into the rhythm, though his look of intense concentration did not falter. She thought that look was much more charming than his usual blank expressions.

The pace started to pick up as well as he became more comfortable with the movements, which gave Ropikk an idea.

“Alright, now that you’ve got this part down, you should finish the dance with a dip.”

“Er, a dip?” Sharle repeated, and stopped in place.

“You’ve watched people dance, haven’t you? And when the song ends, it’s normal to do a big finale, like… Twirling your partner around and dipping them passionately!” The jadeblood said with a smile that she hoped didn’t come across as having any ulterior motives behind it.

Sharle hummed in thought. He had seen it being done before, but in the few times he has danced with someone, just never thought it was necessary. Is that what it’s called? Dipping? But, sure. Seems easy enough, he’ll give it a go. He nods in response.

“Er, alright, so do I just…?”

In one movement, he takes a few steps to spin both himself and Ropikk around, then slides his hand further up her back so he can quickly lower her downwards. The jadeblood was caught off-guard and squeaks in surprise, not expecting him to be so sudden about it all. She thought he was going to be more hesitant, more gentle.

Well, he was very gentle with her at the moment, holding onto her with one hand firmly supporting her back and the other softly entwining his fingers between her own outstretched hand. She felt her breath get caught in her throat as she stared up at him, and he gave her a bewildered look in return. 

“... Was that okay? Er, maybe I should’ve given more warning, but you said passionately, so, er… It’s meant to be like that, yeah?” Sharle tilted his head slightly, unsure if he should be apologetic or concerned.

It was at that point Ropikk realised that her heart was racing once again, and her face must certainly be flushed a bright jade. Whoever gets to dance with Sharle at the 12th Perigee Ball will be a lucky, lucky troll.

A shame it won’t be her again, she thought. 

“N- No, no, that was good. Ah, really good, actually.” 

[cammie-morgan-goode]

Have you ever thought of the main characters having pets? Like I truly imagine Cam and Zach are probably living together all throughout her college life (as if someone or something can pry zach off cammie after everything. I just know he'll be joined at her hip all the time) and having a dog or smth haha

Hi there!

Half of them definitely would have a pet and they would always ask Lizzie to pet-sit when they go on missions and such.

Zach and Cam: I personally think that Zach is a dog person but Cam is a cat person if she had to pick. (Tell Suzy she’s a lucky cat…) Now, if they do have pets they have one of each. I think for a cat, they have a really fluffy cat like a Maine Coon or a Himalayan. And for a dog, they have a really big dog breed like a Doberman or German Shepherd. I love the headcanon that they have a cat named Suzy but I think they’d call the cat Lucky… and the dogs name would be Ed or Eddie or Edwardo. Because of Townsend. (Because Zach is a bit of an a-hole) I also think that Cam would be a horse girl based on how she reacted to Macey supposedly riding! (And she competed whenever she went to grandma and grandpa Morgan’s farm) (But obviously they don’t have room for horses at their Georgetown apartment)

Macey: Macey wouldn’t have a pet because she just wouldn’t have the time and I don’t think she would want to dedicate the time to caring for one. I also don’t think that Macey is the animal type. If she is, she’d have a fish. And it would die within a week.

Bex: I feel like Bex would have some exotic pet like a ball python and everyone would think it was so cool. (Liz would be terrified…) But I also feel like she’s a dog person who would have a pitbull. And she would name it after some P&E move to make the dog seem more menacing than it obviously was.

Liz: I truly believe that Liz doesn’t have any pets nor does she really want one. So whenever any of them are on missions or out of town or anything, Liz always volunteers to pet-sit. And she takes every pet on an adventure in the van.

Preston: This is kinda sad but I feel like Preston was the type of kid that would always beg his parents for a dog but they would never get him one because they didn’t think he would be responsible enough to care for one. And so he never gets a pet…

Joe: is definitely a dog person but has never stayed in one place long enough or been home long enough to care for one.

Rachel: is a cat person even though she’s never owned an animal in her life. Although she did have a dog and a bird at one point because of Abby while they were growing up which she was terrified of.

Matt: grew up with all kinds of animals. Cows, horses, goats, chickens, dogs, and cats. He was an avid animal lover and was the type of person that often stopped by pet shop windows and asked to pet people’s animals. Joe used to tease him about it. “You can barely take care of a house plant, how do you expect to take care of a dog!” (Even though he’s the resident farm boy)

Abby: hmm I feel like Abby is the cool person who would have an exotic pet but she can’t trust herself to remember to feed it so she doesn’t have any pets. But she did have a dog growing up that was just hers and she did have a bird at some point. (Which Rachel was terrified of)

Townsend: definitely a cat person. I do not know how to explain it but, he loves cats. He would have five if he could but, Abby doesn’t like cats.

Catherine: I believe that Catherine was also a horse girl. I think she grew up showing and jumping and doing dressage before she went to Gallagher and it was the only sport she actually enjoyed. And she had a pony growing up named Cricket.

[tallerthantale]

Rowling and Musk were involved in the spread of misinformation

but it was't misinfo. khelif is xy. if you personally think xy's should be allowed to enter women's sports if they take mes to lower their testosterone levels then just say that. you don't have to hide your beliefs. stand by them.

What evidence do you have that Khalif is XY? The body that claimed she failed a gender test A) never released information on what test she supposedly failed or what it measured, and B) was striped of recognition for being corrupt.

Also, I am entirely fine with XY people participating in women's sports. At the olympic level I think there is some room for careing about if people are running female typical hormone levels, but that is completely different information than if a person is XY.

It is entirely possible and consistent for me to believe that XY people can and should compete in the olympics as women, and that Khalif is a cis woman who has been the subject of misinformation. I don't know if she is XX or XY, cis women can be either. If you haven't had kids and haven't specifically had your karyotype checked, you could be either. Or one of the other variations.

The online harassment and what I am calling misinformation is people alleging she is trans, or that she is a man pretending to be a woman. These are all provably false things. The theory that she is XY or has unusually high T are unfalsifiable conspiracy theories, which are asserted without a credible basis. Khalif passed the olympic gender tests to compete.

[pashterlengkap]

Schools are accommodating “furbies” with litter boxes in bathrooms, rightwing pundit claims

On a recent episode of conservative sports website OutKick’s OutKick The Morning, former ESPN sportscaster and host Charly Arnolt, with her guest Kristen Louelle Gaffney, claimed that California public schools are encouraging students to use litter boxes. Gaffney, a podcaster and the wife of former NFL running back Tyler Gaffney, appeared on the February 22 episode and was asked by Arnolt about any strange activities she may have encountered at her kids’ schools. Related: Fox host claims schools are installing litterboxes for students in bizarre rant Commentator Shannon Bream trotted out the right-wing hoax that schools are installing litterboxes for kids to use — something that has never happened. “I’m in California, so I have no choice but to put them into private school,” Gaffney said. “It’s a pretty penny, but it’s worth it because I do not mess around with the public school system. I definitely hear stories amongst our peers, and it’s pretty crazy what these kids are learning and what they’re allowed to do in school. There’s something called furbies where people go to the restroom in litter boxes.” Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Arnolt nodded and said that she has heard of the “furbies.” Gaffney is referring to the urban myth that has proliferated among anti-trans conservatives that schools across the country have been installing litter boxes in restrooms for students who identify as furries to use. The thoroughly debunked myth is an outgrowth of anti-trans hysteria, where people claim that accepting trans people as their authentic selves would require them to accept children who identify as animals. That’s not exactly what furries are – they’re a harmless subculture in which people dress up as anthropomorphic animal characters – but it’s the word conservatives have chosen to describe the kids who are supposedly meowing instead of speaking in schools. Republican politicians and right-wing commentators have repeated the hoax to gin up moral panic around trans and nonbinary kids and also to push efforts to ban students from using school bathrooms that match their gender identity. But in October 2022, NBC News reported that none of the school districts that had been accused by Republicans that year of installing litter boxes had actually done so. What’s more, one Renison University College professor who studies furry culture noted that she has never once come across any evidence of actual furries using litter boxes. Gaffney and Arnolt seem to have missed all that. The host said that she had heard about litter boxes in schools. “And this is normalized,” Gaffney replied. “How weird is that?” Arnolt added. “I mean, I don’t care, like — let’s just think about this for what it is. You are allowing your children, you are encouraging: Be who you are. Act like an animal and use a litter box in the bathroom. I mean, I just feel like as a parent I don’t care how much I want you to have freedom of expression or be yourself. That is, I mean, that’s just insane.” Of course, Gaffney quickly segued into an explicit attack on trans athletes and trans people generally. “It’s strange that we’re normalizing—and for example men playing in women’s sports,” she said. “Something that women fought so hard for, to finally have this platform to be a part of and compete, are now being taken over by so-called women.” “What, at the end of the day, we’re doing is we’re normalizing mental illness,” she added. “And it’s very strange to me that everyone can just go to bed at night like this isn’t happening in our world.” http://dlvr.it/T3FGw0

[turtlemagnum]

look. i'm a big guy. i'm nonbinary, yes, but insofar as presentation and how i live my life, the only ways my daily life differs from a cis man's is that i'm viscerally disgusted with my body hair and i don't subscribe to the gendered bullshit that impacts men to be insecure about their masculinity. in my own way, i'm pretty fuckin secure in my masculinity insofar as me presenting how i want to present and not really caring too much either way. but for all intents and purposes, i'm a big tall scary man who small people get scared around when i'm walking by them on like, the street or whatever.

i'm also kinda fucking weak given my size. mostly because i never work out and spend most of my days fairly sedentarily. people assume i'm strong because of my size, but i can guarantee you that if somebody even half my size started working out and training, they could probably kick my ass. i was actually in quite a few fights back when i was in school and i never really lost to another kid, but in all honesty that probably reflects more poorly on them than it reflects positively on me.

all of this is just to say, i genuinely don't get why sports and shit are segregated anymore. i absolutely feel like if a woman who was either my general fitness and size were to pick a fight with me, we'd have pretty even odds. hell, i feel like if a woman who's significantly smaller than me but put literally any effort into fitness tried to fight me, she'd also probably kick my ass.

so like, why do we care if trans people are in their preferred sports teams? i absolutely feel like any strength imbalance between men and women on average probably has more to do with average size and social conditioning to be active than it does with any other innate sexual characteristics. one of the first girlfriends i ever had absolutely wrecked my shit in when we play-fought, and we were about the same damn size too. i absolutely feel like fitness should probably be divided in terms of weight and skill rather than bullshit like gender. ESPECIALLY if it's in a competitive setting that has NO FUCKING BEARING ON PHYSICAL STRENGTH, like for instance, competitive shooting! or competitive video games, chess, even! people bemoan cis women having to compete against people who are supposedly far bigger and stronger and faster than them, but like... you ever see some cis women??? like have you ever seen most women's olympics teams?? those women are bigger and beefier than me!!! they could probably kick my dad's ass back when he was in his prime, and i'm pretty sure he's like, actually killed people!!!! for legal purposes that's a joke and this cannot be used as evidence in court!!!!!!

[kittyprincessofcats]

So, the ISU banned Russia and Belarus from Worlds

1. First things first: FUCKING FINALLY! I’m honestly angry it took them this long. When every other sport has been banning Russians and cancelling their events in Russia left and right, when even FIFA (FIFA!!!) banned Russia, when even the IOC asked sports’ governing bodies to ban Russia (the same IOC who couldn’t bring themsleves to actually ban Russia from the Olympics over doping), when almost every other sport had already done it, when the French government had already announced it wouldn’t let the athletes from Russia in... It was honestly getting embarrassing for the ISU to not do it. Which is the only reason I’m a little salty, because it shouldn’t take this much outside pressure for them to do the right thing just once. But at least they finally did it, thank fuck.

2. It’s heartbreaking and embarrassing that it took a tragedy as terrible as a literal war for this to happen, when between the doping scandal, the corrupt judging and the continued child abuse, the ISU had more than enough reasons to ban Russia way before this. (Especially the doping scandal... would they have just let Valieva compete? Again?)

3. “But this is unfair to Russian athletes!” Literally - shut up. Ukrainian athletes can’t go to Worlds because they’re currently being bombed and are dying. SHUT UP. It’s so freaking telling how some of you never complain when the Russian girls get overscored to hell and back, when they undeservedly get gifted everyone else’s hard-earned medals and titles, when they literally dope at the Olympics... but the moment they don’t get to compete because their country started a war, it’s suddenly “unfair”. SHUT UP. If anything, this means we’ll finally get a fair women’s competition with deserving winners and wihout judging BS.

4. Russian FS people being mad about this decision has me laughing so hard. Like, that guy who was like “No one will want to watch without our athletes”? Hilarious. Who’s gonna tell him that I literally didn’t want to watch until now? There’s a reason why, except for the Olympics, I didn’t watch any women’s events with Russians it this season.

5. “But sports shouldn’t be political!” I agree, but they unfortunately are. There’s a reason why skaters represent a specific country, why they have their flags raised and anthem played during the victory ceremony, etc. You can’t say that a skater “represents Russia” but then claim that their participation has nothing to do with Russia - that’s not how it works.

6. “But Putin and his supporters won’t care if Russian skaters are banned!” WRONG. You underestimate just how deeply political figure skating is in Russia. Every medal won by a Russian athlete is treated like it directly reflects on the government and on Putin himself. When Plushenko “only” won silver at the Vancouver Olympics, Putin threw a whole fit over it. After Pyeongchang, Zagitova and Medvedeva were given awards by Putin and took part in a pro-Putin rally (how much of that they did willingly is a question I can’t answer). When Zagitova won Worlds in 2019, Putin took the time to congratulate her. If I remember right, the Russian National (football/soccer) team also got some award for doing well in the World Cup. Sport is state-sponsored in Russia, successful athletes are constantly being held up by the media as reasons why Russia is supposedly better than other countries. Not to mention the whole state-sponsored doping scandal? Are people forgetting about that? Russia wasn’t named “ROC” at the Olympics because some individual Russians doped, it was because the Russian goverment made them dope. These skaters are not just skaters, they are Putin’s propaganda mouthpieces, whether they like it or not.

7. “But if Russians don’t get to compete, no one else’s victory will really count!” Shut up, Plushenko. I’ve said it to Eteri before and I’ll say it to you again: Sports aren’t based on “would haves” and “could haves”. If we only counted the medals that were won when every possible contender for gold was there, quite a lot of medals suddenly wouldn’t count. (If anything, we should investigate how many of those Russian medals were won with doping and therefore genuinely shouldn’t count.)

Honestly, it’s just really fucking rich that some people think a country that wasn’t even banned for doping is one that suddenly needs their right to compete defended.

tl; dr: what I said on twitter:

[jinmindeulle]

hot chocolate | jyh (1)

part 1/3

𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 jeong yunho x reader, yang hongseok x reader

𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 2.4 k

𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆 angst, fluff / enemies to lovers au, tv news au, newsanchor!yunho x newsanchor!reader

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 mentions of sex and cursing

main masterlist | ateez masterlist

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ 　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　 ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚

“Taeki is retiring”

Y/n snapped her head towards her co-worker, choking a little with the last bite of her lunch “Are you serious?”

“Yep” Minsoo nodded “They are even throwing him a surprise farewell party or something like that. Hyunsung is sending everyone a message, so you’ll probably receive one”

Just as she finished her sentence, y/n’s phone vibrated in her pocket, signalling she had indeed received one “You’re right” she responded, staring at the invitation like it was a lottery winning ticket “And who is replacing him?”

“No idea, but I guess we’ll know in a few hours” she shrugged, and finished her sandwich “Ready to go back?”

Standing up from her seat, y/n followed Minsoo out of the restaurant, continuing their conversation about how insufferable their boss had been the last month because of that new forecast lady who was still adapting to the Seoul Morning News. But her mind was elsewhere now.

She had always dreamt about being a news anchor. Ever since she was little, she admired those people on the T.V. who knew a lot about what was going on, and was fascinated with how fast they talked and never messed up. She had always enjoyed watching the same beautiful lady sitting on her fancy desk, wearing trendy clothing and styling her hair accordingly. Her make up was always on point and the smile that she wore on her face made little y/n feel as happy as she (supposedly) was.

So hearing that there was a vacant for the job of her dreams was something to be excited for. It was not like she didn’t like her current job, of course not. Developing the stories that Taeki presented every morning was a big deal. She liked to do her research and bring the public different views about diverse topics, stories that could make them reflect on their own lives, or just to make them aware of crucial matters like climate change, her latest report. But that didn’t change the fact that she was made to be in front of the camera. Her bright smile and outgoing personality made it clear from the start, and every co-worker of hers knew that sooner or later, she would end up being the morning news’ anchor.

“As you may have already heard, our news anchor Taeki is about to retire”

Every Friday, Mr. Jung held a meeting in the conference room with every department. Even though the Seoul Morning News had always worked well and rarely gone through rating issues, Mr. Jung believed that with no unity, the programme would rapidly fall from grace. These recurrent reunions were basically to inform everyone about what was going on in their own department and what was about to happen the following week in terms of interviews, reports and mini-documentaries.

“Next week is his last one here, so naturally we are looking for a replacement”

Y/n felt how Minsoo’s elbow pocked her side with enthusiasm, and she looked at the woman with wide eyes to make her stop.

“Sorry” she whispered “It’s just that Jaehyun is looking at you again. I think he fell in love” Minsoo giggled.

Y/n wished he just stopped for once and for all. Yeah, it had been a fantastic experience. Nothing would make her forget how good she had felt under his gorgeous body, under his hot touch and sweet scent. But it had been just that, a one-night-thing only. And she didn’t do one-night-things more than once with the same man, except for Hongseok. She would never get tired of him. But Jaehyun was another matter, and apparently he didn’t understand it, or maybe he didn’t want to understand it.

“…that’s why I have decided to propose the job to some of you whom I believe would be the best replacement. Of course you will have some tasks to develop, as well as some interviews and you’ll be tried”

Y/n quickly forgot about the burning look that Jaehyun was giving her upon hearing her boss’ announcement. Her heart started pounding on her ears, and her hands felt sweaty in a matter of seconds.

“Every director of each department have proposed candidates for the job and two names were always included in those lists. I know you all, and I am aware of who has potential for this job. That’s why I have decided to give the opportunity to both of them”

Her heart sunk. Her chance of being one of those two candidates was too slim. The number of people working for the Seoul Morning News was abominable, and off the top of her head she could name at least twenty people who would fit the job perfectly.

“I don’t want to waste more time. Jeong Yunho, from the Sports Department. Lee Y/n, from the Daily Reports Department. You are our candidates. May the best win” Mr. Jung grinned.

The girl’s eyes watered as soon as she heard her name leave her boss’ lips. Her surroundings felt like being on slow-motion. Some of her friends in other departments cheered for her from afar, clapping with passion and waving at her. Those who were around her congratulated her with smiles, some of them with envious eyes. It was too much for her to process. But that was not the whole issue.

She was competing against Jeong Yunho. The it boy from Sports, the man that every one loved and admired because of his intelligence, his fresh, easy-going personality, his perfect, bright smile and beautiful eyes. Jeong Yunho, her eternal enemy, who was looking at her from his seat with a lopsided grin and mocking eyes.

“So that’s why you were so eager to see me, huh?”

“I needed to celebrate” she giggled, making herself comfortable against Hongseok’s warm, naked chest.

“I always knew you were going to be the next Seoul Morning News’ anchor” he responded with a hoarse mumble, bringing her closer to his body and letting her tangle her legs with his.

“I’m not it yet” she sighed, drawing circles on Hongseok’s pectoral with her index finger.

“But you will be” he kissed her temple.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about it, Hong. You know Jeong Yunho. He’s going to try to destroy me if that gets him the job. He was always like that on college, especially when we were competing”

Hongseok stayed silent for a while, and if he hadn’t kept caressing her exposed lower back she would have thought he had fallen asleep “But you are as good as he is, if not better. I know him, yes, but I also know you. You are the perfect person for that job and your boss knows it. So don’t doubt yourself, okay, Y/n? Just trust the process and you’ll see”

“Can I kiss you for that?” she lifted her head from his chest and smirked at Hongseok, who quickly brought her head closer with his arm and sealed their lips together.

“I will never understand how you go about your life like that knowing that you can have Hongseok as more than just a hook-up but you don’t do anything about it” Minsoo murmured to y/n right after waving Hongseok goodbye.

Y/n shrugged, fixing her already messy bangs “I guess I am not used to commitment. I mean, we see each other more than I see my family really. But you know that I don’t just do sex with him, right?”

“What? Do you go on dates and kiss each other goodnight with your friend-with-benefits?” Minsoo chuckled, stopping by the elevator and waiting for it to come.

“I wouldn’t call them dates, but we do kiss” y/n mumbled, playing with the end of her red dress.

“You kiss Ho-?!” her friend screamed, and y/n had to put her hand over Minsoo’s mouth to shush her before he could hear them from her apartment “Friends with benefits don’t do that, y/n!” now inside the elevator and all alone, she could yell all she wanted.

“We do” y/n giggled, and turned around to fix her lipstick “And it’s not weird, you know. He sleeps with other people and I also do. It’s just that I like the way he makes me feel. It’s like having a boyfriend that doesn’t care about whether you fuck other guys or not”

“Is that an open relationship, then?”

“Maybe. I dunno. But I like how it is now and I wouldn’t change what I have with him for any other man”

Twenty minutes or so later, y/n and Minsoo walked out of the taxi right into the party hall. Most of their co-workers were there already, drinking and conversing with one another. Taeki hadn’t arrived yet, so for their luck, they were on time.

“Wow, look at you, doll”

“And that’s my cue to leave you alone now” Minsoo smirked, waving at Hyunsung, the party host, and running away from the scene as fast as she could.

“Fuck me” y/n mumbled, closing her eyes shut. She plastered a fake smile on her face and turned around, meeting Jaehyun’s stunning face. “Hi there”

“I didn’t know you were coming. I would have given you a ride” he smiled, shoving his hands inside his pockets.

“Yeah, Hyunsung was kind enough to invite me. And it’s alright, my friend brought me and Minsoo” y/n lied, trying to bring Hongseok up as her only way to get away from his offers.

“Oh, you mean the guy that you are seeing?” Jaehyun cocked his head, suddenly interested in y/n’s love life, like he always was.

“Yeah, that guy” she enthusiastically nodded “He’s picking me up later as well” she mentally slapped herself, because she knew that Jaehyun would be around the whole night, and of course he would see how she called a taxi when she decided to leave. Besides, Hongseok was covering a co-worker of his and had to be on the Night Show’s building until 2 a.m. at least.

“Well, if that is not the case you know I can always take you home” he smirked, licking his lips.

“Thank you, Jaehyun, I re-”

“Excuse me! Hi, I’m Jeong Yunho from the Sports Department, how are you doing? Can I take her from you just a little bit? Okay, thank you!”

The tall boy didn’t even bother to hear an answer from Jaehyun and simply took her by her arm, brining her to the other side of the room.

“What the hell was that?!” she asked him, looking at his hand that was still holding her arm hostage.

“Oh, sorry” Yunho released her from his strong grip and crossed his arms over his chest “I just wanted to congratulate you. It’s a big thing what you are doing” he grinned. But y/n knew that grin, and it didn’t entail pure intentions.

“Oh, yeah? Are you, Jeong Yunho, congratulating me, out of all people?” she scrunched up her face, demonstrating how suspicious he was appearing to her.

“Why not?” he scowled.

“C’mon, Yunho. You’ve always disliked me. Since when do you talk to me? I don’t recall a single civil conversation with you, even in college” she imitated his pose, folding her arms “And back then, we just talked when professors paired us up to work on assignments”

“Because you would always be around Yang Hongseok, and I never liked that guy” disgust was evident on this face, a rare sight to see. None of the people around them had seen Yunho like y/n had in all those years of sharing not only every single class, but also the same workplace for almost two years. He was not the angel he pretended to be.

“Then you wouldn’t want to know that I still hang out with him”

Yunho stayed silent, just looking at her with an unreadable expression. Y/n quickly realized that the boy was trying to mess up with her right from the beginning, playing all friendly and stuff so that he could get the position in the blink of an eye.

“I know what you are tying to do here, Jeong. You have always wanted that spot but you are not the only one. So I’m sorry to crush your dreams, but I’m fighting for it too. Just don’t play dirty. You deserve to be the next news’ anchor? Then show it”

“I’ll play fair. Just remember that I always won back then” he smirked, his eyes shining with greediness.

“Get over college, Yunho” she grinned, tiptoeing so she could whisper in his ear “And never underestimate me”

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ 　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　 ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚

[llendrinall]

So i got another fic idea in my head The dates are very important. 1 (May 1998) Percy was a Ministry spy and he worked closely with Albus. He saved a lot of lives no matter their blood or if they were creatures. And at the battle of Hogwarts he saves Freds life but hes in crit condition George is a total ass (He's angry and takes it out on Percy) going off at him saying nasty things along the lines of that Percy isn't welcome at the Weasley home anymore.

2 When he tries to go to the House to talk to them he's not treated very well ("Dont wanna hear excuses Percy"). He just give up, packs his things in his flat, & the next morning he goes, gives his mission reports that date from the start of his Ministry career along with his resignation letter on Shacklebot's desk. Then he's off to America to start over he snuck into Freds hospital room & used Snapes healing charms as a way to 'set things right' before leaving.

3. Percy is now in New York, gets a job, and then spends the next 6 months working diligently and whatnot. Then he meets Audrey Smith, they end up going on a few dates and she introduces Percy to her local gym and they become gym buddies and soon start dating. (Aug 2000) After 2 years together (They're married) Percy and Audrey find out they're expecting. And then the twins are born on the 2nd of May 2001. Percy laughs a bit as Audrey pats him the shoulder and says "They sure chose the date"

4. Sep 11 2001) Audrey dies in the 9/11 attack (she was a muggle) & Percy is left a widow with 2 daughters to look after. (June 2002) He bumps into Oliver who's on a quidditch training exchange. They catch up. (Oliver doesn't bring up the fact that Percy's fam has been looking for him for years and that he's saved so many lives) As December rolls around Oliver spends it at Percy's, meeting the kids and hearing Percy tell him everything (His wife, his family and the war)

(I think this is part 5? Idk its 2am here) (Jan - May) They spend a lot of time together after Xmas and slowly Percy begins to heal a bit more after Audrey's death. Oliver ends up going back to the UK and Percy misses him. (July) Oliver comes back with news that he's transferred to an NY team "They might not be big on Quidditch here but they're extremely good, Perce" (Its not because Oliver has been inlove with Percy since Hogwarts. Neither is it because he loves Molly & Lucy to death either)

6 (Feb 2004) The UK Papers get a picture of Oliver, Percy the twins out and it BLOWS UP. Charlie (The only one who even heard Percy out back after the war ended, He knows the others did wrong by him) floos in and then warns Percy about everyone knowing he's here and that they're gonna be coming in 2 days. So He ends up having Charlie take the girls. He ends up meeting with his fam and it takes a long long time for them to heal and fix things.

7. His Fam only get to meet Molly and Lucy when they're 6. When they're 7 he and Oliver gets married. Idk why but i seem to only send you these fic ideas when im hella tired and at 2am. T_T Why am i like this? So Audrey named Molly and Perce named Lucy (After each others moms)

 Honestly, What can I say at this point? You have the whole story thought out. Go for it and write it!

It’s not the kind of story I write, though. But since you dropped the materials here, I can share how I would assemble it.

I would avoid New York. Big cities have a character. They are characters and you have to treat them as such. In Life skills, London is a character, complex and big and hard and beautiful. In Secret language of plants, even though Draco and Harry end up in London, I had them stay in the house because London was too big of a character for that stage of the story.

So, no New York. If I had to use a well-known city I would go with Boston, I think. Otherwise, a small one with a nice name.

Audrey doesn’t die on 9/11. Well, she dies on that day, but not on the attack. It’s something as simple and dull as a traffic accident. Percy wasn’t with her, not that it would have mattered. Yes, wizards have potions to mend bones instantly and protective charms and spells to stop the momentum, but Audrey died instantly, and no one could have seen the car until it was on her.

The driver was an old man, fumbling with that new invention, a mobile phone, trying to call his daughter who worked in New York.

Magic Law on the States is a bit… over the place. It would be extremely simple to put a curse or a hex that man. If Percy was clever about it, it wouldn’t be too illegal. But he doesn’t. Percy realizes it wouldn’t make him feel better.

 Percy doesn’t particularly like the States. The tea is terrible, the coffee is weak, the spelling is painful and people are entirely too talkative. But it’s sunnier than England and the orange juice is good, so he stays.

He goes to Romania every summer to visit Charlie. The girls love it there and it was always easy to talk to Charlie. Charlie who had such a promising career in Quidditch and rejected the fame and fortune for a thankless career working with dragons. Not even training dragons for bank security, which is a cool and profitable career, but fighting that very same use.

Charlie only goes back home for a week during Christmas, so he gets it. They don’t have to talk about it, never mention that weird state of loving your family and not wanting to be with them, to fight, to have to explain and justify your very existence and your life decisions.

He meets Oliver in Romania. Supposedly Oliver is there to see the sights and rest his left shoulder, that was injured at the end of the league. But he is not the first Quidditch player who has a crisis of faith and comes to Charlie with questions. So far, none of them had taken up dragon-protection, but one became a broomstick racer and another is the head coach of an Italian team.

Charlie only thinks about dragons. Oliver only thinks about Quidditch and is in the middle of an existential crisis. So it’s perfectible understandable that the topic of Percy, his war heroics and his semi mythical status is never brought up. To be fair, Charlie doesn’t know much about it because he doesn’t read English newspapers and his family never talks about Percy when he is around. Oliver just thinks that Percy is the first Competent Adult he has ever met and is much more interested about this Figuring Life Out than any hero status.

So it’s fair to say that the headlines come as a surprise.

Someone snapped a picture of Oliver and Percy sitting very close together in a park, with twin stupid loving smiles. It was all perfectly innocent. Molly was doing something cute out of frame and they never kept any physical distance between themselves, not even in Hogwarts. But it doesn’t matter. The picture is sold as proof of the mysterious war hero and the dashing sport star carrying a secret love affair. It’s a beautiful story, powerful. Percy is the tragic handsome hero and Oliver the right person to bring love back in his life after years nursing the wounds of war. Or perhaps Oliver is the sweet and honest good boy, the boyfriend every mother wants for her daughter, seduced by the man living a life of exotic and daring adventures.

Whatever it is, the world wants to believe in it. So much so that bloody Draco Malfoy pops up to warn them that there is a dozen of rabid, ruthless, paparazzies coming their way. He knows because Malfoy owns the most read magazine in England and has put a bounty on a photo of the two of them kissing.

Paparazzies don’t have a concept of trespassing, but breaking and entering into a dragon reserve has certain difficulties that can’t be bypassed with an alohomora and a lack of morals. Percy and Oliver spend the rest of the month in the reserve, not daring to go out. Twenty-two days in each other’s company, hiking in the mountains and playing with the girls. Molly and Lucy have decided that Oliver is similar to Charlie in all the right ways, so they like him.

On day nineteen, they kiss. Someone gets a picture of it, but, in his excitement, the photographer wanders into a nest of young dragon carps. He is recued three hours later sans pants or shoes. The photo of their first kiss is lost.

Oliver says he is almost done with his existential crisis but now Percy has one of his own.

You see, there is something Oliver hasn’t said. Something he didn’t mention at all. And Percy doesn’t know if Oliver just hasn’t noticed (it took him two years to realize all the Weasleys were siblings) or if he noticed but… doesn’t care?

There is more than one reason why only Charlie has met the girls.

Even now that Percy has received letters from every family member (including Freaking Aunt Muriel) and even a surprise visit from them (he has a life debt with Charlie for the heads-up) and they have begun the unpleasant work of fixing their relationship; even now, they haven’t met Molly and Lucy.

It’s because of the Weasley cousin they never talk about. The accountant.

Percy knows that it’s perfectly normal. Many wizarding children don’t exhibit any magic until they are at least seven. But he also knows that every single person in his family was levitating toys (Bill, Ron and Ginny) or stopping spilled milk in mid-air (him) or shooting sparks (Charlie and the twins) by the time they were three.

Molly and Lucy had done nothing magical so far. Nothing at all. And Percy knows, in his heart of hearts, that if anyone makes them feel inferior, if anyone dares to say anything against them, he will go the Dark Lord route and kill every single person prejudiced against squibs. He might kill every single wizard and witch and eradicate all magic, so his girls won’t feel inferior to anyone. He found in himself the strength to forgive the man than took Audrey’s life, but he won’t do the same for the person who speaks against his children. He can’t.

 On Christmas Percy reluctantly agrees to go to England with the girls because Charlie promises he will be there too. It is not easy. It is, in fact, very, very difficult and tense. He is forever grateful at Lee Jordan, who is glued to Fred’s hip cracking jokes and defusing tension. Also, Angelina Johnson takes George and Ginny to the kitchen and informs them they are the biggest idiots she has ever had the misfortune of meeting and that helps to avoid anyone saying something unforgivable they will regret their whole life. On Christmas’ Eve Harry Potter takes everyone’s wands because he is Harry Potter “and I do what I want” which means no one hexes anyone and they can overindulge the punch.

Oh, why bother? The whole thing is terrible and awkward and it hurts. But it is a necessary painful step, either to fix things with time or to say that he tried, actually tried, and never look back at this moment with regret.  

Also, he gets to meet with Oliver. It turns out that Oliver hadn’t noticed the girls’ lack of magic, but he also doesn’t care. Why would he care? Are you- are you supposed to care? Is this another thing Oliver missed because he only thinks about Quidditch? What’s wrong with not having magic in any case? Oliver’s mother is muggle and it is agreed that she is wonderful.  

(Even Potter says so. Percy has no idea of when Harry Potter met Oliver’s mum, but he speaks of her in the highest terms).

 You can read about what happened next on issues of 32, 33 & 34 of Alakazam as well as special issues 17, 21, 22 and 25. Draco Malfoy earns 1.5 million galleons with issue 33, setting a record for most successful print in wizarding history. Then he obliterates that record with a single stolen picture of Percy and Oliver’s wedding. He committed around a dozen crimes to get that picture, got drunk on champagne and victory and asked Harry Potter to marry him.

(He also donated all the money to a newly created society for the support and trade education of squibs, but only two people in the world know that).

[houseplant-central]

Yuri Katsuki does a better, more nuanced job of the "clumsy girl" trope than any female character I've ever seen

I will start this off by saying that I DO NOT think the 2016 anime about figure skating "Yuri!!! On Ice" is in any way "good cinema". It's 90% fanservice, fetishization of mlm relationships, and one 16 year old antagonist/ comic relief character being way over-sexualized (Plisetsky, where are your parents?)*.

It has some problems to say the least and I'm certainly not here to hype it up as an example of good writing or an example of good representation.

HOWEVER, Yuri Katsuki's character (the main character of the show) does an interesting thing by very closely conforming to what I would describe as the stereotype of the "clumsy girl".

My childhood and teen years were FULL of "makeover stories". Of narratives in which a nerdy, clumsy, bookish girl gets a makeover by the popular kids, gets contacts instead of glasses, and suddenly becomes a member of this societal elite, escaping former bullying. From the music video for "Last Friday Night" by Katy Perry, to (the classic) Mean Girls, to the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, to the Heather's Musical (although Heather's pokes a bit of fun at this trope and how popularity might not work out for you), narratives about a dorky girl who suddenly gets swept up by somebody popular and "taught" how to "be" popular permeated my youth.

Besides just giving my entire generation the incorrect impression that glasses had to be taken off in order of the makeover to be complete, these stories had the strange reverse effect of appealing to girls who felt like they were the "before" of the makeover. If Bella Swan, self described as "too clumsy to play badminton without sustaining an injury" and "too awkward to have friends" could be swept off her feet by the hottest vampire in town because he saw something in her, then there was hope for the rest of us. This sort of idea of "potential" untapped permeates the genre, because the clumsy girl was always pretty, she just needed to take off her glasses, put on some makeup, and gain some self-confidence.

The concept of "untapped potential" is also quite prevalent in the world of sports anime. Again, this makes sense, since a story about a winning athlete just continuing to win would be boring, so naturally works within this genre often start with the athlete at their lowest, and then follow them on their journey to a comeback or newfound fame. The mentor character who gives the athlete life-changing advice is also a staple, and it's easy to see how that mentor character might be similar to Regina George holding the makeup brush in "Mean Girls".

However, the creators of "Yuri on Ice" seemed to want their (questionably fetishizing) romance to over conform to the genre standards so they drop-kicked the mentor character archetype out the window and had Yuri's dreamy coach do much more makeover-ing than athlete-training. Some of this rests at the intersection of the fact that the sport of choice in the series is figure-skating, where your image matters quite a lot, and Viktor being implied to be in love with our fair protagonist Yuri**, but neither of these aspects fully explain how well the writers made this sports anime series fit into the "makeover" genre instead of the "sports anime" genre.

But back to Yuri Katsuki himself. In the first episode, we see him crying in a bathroom. We learn that he has serious issues with self-confidence in his sport and his personal life, and that this materializes in insecurity about his weight. Episode one Yuri fits nearly every aspect of the "clumsy girl" trope: he's socially awkward, quiet, and... well, clumsy. He narrates a lot of the first episode with his own voice, saying he's "a dime a dozen skater" and "totally awkward", a kind of self-narration reminiscent of Bella Swan. While the other characters are dressed in modern clothes, Yuri's in an oversized, comfortable sweater, and has a generally very outdated wardrobe. He doesn't seem to care about how the world perceives him, (or more likely won't make an effort because he's afraid of rejection). Were he a female character, this is what I would call the "not like other girls" trope. We immediately elevate him to a pedestal as the viewers because he's relatable, and in comparison, the other characters seem to be trying too hard. While this is not as prevalent in male characters from the time (because the other male characters surrounding them are rarely well dressed except for maybe one jock the viewers are supposed to hate), it's hard to find a piece of media between 2014 and 2016 with a female lead without this opposition of "main character can't dress but all other female characters are well dressed, clearly they're try-hards." (Ironic, because that main character is about to be well dressed after their makeover, but I digress).

(Yes, this is an issue that's been in media for a long time and will be for a long time still, and yes there are plenty of good examples of stories where the male main character is just "not like other boys" and has to compete in a world where the other boys are all well dressed, but cases of writers doing this to their female characters SKYROCKETED in the few years while I was a younger teen and it was slightly ridiculous).

Anyways, Yuri is insecure and undressed. But he has a heart of gold! Who can help?

Enter mentor character Viktor (who is.... very naked for some reason. Mitsurou Kubo, was that really necessary to subject my eyeballs to?). Viktor is the epitome of high class. He's good-looking, rich, and successful at his sport, and we're told that Yuri has personally idolized him for a long time. While not exactly a Regina George, he does present his offer to help Yuri in a way that implies that Yuri would be a fool not to accept his help; he's the best of the best and he knows it, he's used to hearing it.

Over the next few episodes Yuri is basically forced into a position acting outside his comfort zone preforming a figure skating routine called "Eros". There's a weird but somewhat comedic moment where a frazzled Yuri, hard-pressed to explain what the concept of eros means to him, says that eros means his favourite food, pork katsudon. While comedic, it is to me the very epitome of "clumsy girl": while other female characters might be alluring in their experience, the clumsy girl is appealing to the love interest and appealing to the male gaze because she doesn't "get it", she's not tangled up in the politics of sex like many female characters are written to be, she's different. (I could talk for hours about how problematic this aspect of the "clumsy girl" trope is, the implication that childishness/ lack of experience is attractive is so gross, but I will spare you).

As a whole, this fanservicy nonsense is fairly par for the course, but it's two aspects of the journey to completing the "Eros" program that interests me. We see him eventually go to his friend, who is a dance teacher, and ask her for help on how to move more femininely. This in part is a nod towards his future realization of his sexuality (or not, depending on whether you watched it before or after they retconed his and Viktor's relationship). But as his dance teacher friend shows him how to move with confidence, he fulfills one of the first steps of getting the clumsy girl makeover: somebody shows him how to move in a "sexy" way, and he is miraculously no longer clumsy. The other thing about this figure skating program is his literal makeover: as Regina George had given to Katy before them, Viktor gives Yuri one of his old outfits, which symbolizes the high-class and success that he's supposedly preparing Yuri for. Yuri switches his glasses for contacts (an iconic aspect of the trope), slicks back his hair, and is suddenly more confident.  

As the show progresses Yuri gains more confidence, symbolized not just by his body language but also by his clothing and presentation. He meets a fan of his and has a character changing moment when he realizes that he has a fan who idolizes him like he once idolized Viktor. This realization of new societal power is often a turning point for the clumsy girl finally feeling like she has self-worth, and indeed, Yuri immediately ties a new sense of self-worth to the knowledge that he has fans.

After quite a lot of figure skating animation, fanservice, and a weird subplot about a poodle, Yuri finds a sense of self-worth in the life he's building for himself as a member of "high society" and leader in his sport, no longer relying on outside validation. This, I think is the part that differs from other clumsy girl stories.

Why is this interesting? I think because I'm so very used to seeing female characters get shallow character development in the form of taking their glasses off, letting their hair down, and suddenly being hot, and male characters getting character development in the form of working out in a montage to the eye of the tiger and then getting hot. Despite Yuri basically only doing what female characters often do to become "popular" and no longer nerdy, his character development feels genuine, fuller, and less shallow. For him, his new look genuinely ties to internal character development, whereas in media with women it's usually all about the looks, and the assumption that a changed style must equal a changed character.

Bella Swan from Twilight, Katy from Mean Girls, and Veronica from Heathers all experienced a makeover and new look and implied character development because of a rise in social status (whether they asked for it or not), but ultimately all of them realized the popularity was not what was important to them and they went back to how they "looked" before to symbolize their identity and values shifting back to what they were at the beginning. Yuri ends the series in the fanciest suit we've seen him in yet, dancing with Viktor and excited about the prospects his new high-society life will present him with. His transformation into being self-confident is genuine, and his changing appearance was just a reflection of that internal transformation. Ultimately, I think this plotline is what the original genre of "clumsy girl gets makeover was aiming for", because it is what's most appealing to the viewer: genuine growth and happiness. But all the female "clumsy girl" stories I've seen fell flat of that in one way or another, leading me to very much dislike the trope until "Yuri on Ice" quite accidentally did a good job of it.

* to anyone who's seen this show: yes, I do know what is implied to have happened to Yurio's parents. I'm just a) quoting that vine where the kid goes "wouldn't you like to know, weatherboy" and the reporter goes "where are your parents?" and b) I'm mad that this over-sexualization of Yurio (even within the plot of the series) is something that happens relentlessly to young female characters who've "carved out a place for themselves in an adult world" and also apparently happens to effeminate (implied to be queer) male characters who have done the same thing, and that's not cool either.

**For the sake of my sanity I'll say implied, because though they kiss onscreen, there is apparently much room for debate. The original Japanese cut had them exchange engagement rings near the end of the series, but then both the Japnese version and the English dubbed version ended up having them show off their rings and say "look at our friendship rings". (Ah yes, because I love wearing a matching gold band on my left ring finger with my buddy to show the world what good homies we are (/sarcasm.))

As an interesting aside, in an Uno reverse card moment, the "clumsy girl" trope was made for the male gaze (proof: any trope that talks that much about women putting on less clothing and suddenly becoming hot is 1000% for the male gaze), and was accidentally latched onto by teenage girls. Yuri on Ice was made for the teenage girl gaze (proof: the fetishization of queer men, the pre-existing "boy love" genre that's so popular it has a name), and accidentally fell into the trope of the "clumsy girl".

[waterbending-warrior]

ATLA OLYMPICS AU

(cannon divergence actually, but au just sounds better)

(Sorry if this has been done already)

One day, Aang tells the gaang about a tradition which existed before even he was born, which monk gyatso has told him about: every x amount of years, delegates from every nation would be sent to a chosen location to participate in sport competitions. Some were specific to a bending, some were mixed, and most team sports required one bender from every nation. It was (supposedly) an exciting time when the world got together in order to celebrate these athletes and encourage their nations, while enriching the bonds between every nation.

During Sozin’s rule, he forced the fire nation into a boycott of these Olympics, and as such it became much more difficult for firebenders to participate. With the fire nation mostly out, the games were adapted for the participation of only three nations. While they were still exciting, they had lost something essential in having a nation left out.

After the Air Nomad genocide, when the world finally enters the war, the games stop, and become lost to memory.

Aang and Zuko discuss this as a possible means of bringing the nations back together, but arrive at a standstill: what to do, with one nation less?? Enter Sokka, who suggests that there be games for non-benders too, and that every team sport require a non-bender to be eligible.

The process of creation begins, and within a few years, the first Olympics are ready to be presented to the world! Under the Avatar and the Firelord’s care, it became a success, despite the limited amount of athletes who participated in the first year. In order to make things more exciting, Aang and Zuko begged asked members of the White Lotus to participate in a Masters Tournament, which begins a long tradition of getting the best benders in the world to compete in a special class.

One year, the whole gaang decides that they’ll participate, which throws the judging panels in a loop, because how are they supposed to critique/review/judge the Firelord, avatar, amassador of the southern water tribe (and prince consort to the Firelord, chief of the southern water tribe, earth bending master (and chief of police), and the leader of the Kyoshi warriors (and leader of Firelord Zuko’s personal guard??). The gaang has a blast, judges? Not so much.

I have so many more ideas, but my roommate is dragging me away to watch avatar (her first time!!) so I’ll finish this later (in the meantime add on to this!!)