#olympic meals

[downtoearthmarkets]

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have begun, with millions tuning in to watch as athletes from across the globe compete on a world stage in the French capital. France is a country renowned for its much-celebrated cuisine that has historically emphasized meat and cheese heavy dishes. However, as countries the world over transition towards more climate-friendly agriculture, athletes and fans at this year’s Games are being treated to a lower-carbon diet, with Paris aiming to host the most sustainable iteration of the sporting event yet.

In camaraderie with these “greener” Parisian games, here are some gold medal-worthy dishes made with local, seasonal ingredients that you can easily source at the farmers market this weekend.

Citrus Salad with Watermelon and Pearl Mozzarella The Paris 2024 Olympic Committee is emphasizing local, plant-based food as it hopes to halve the environmental impact of the catering at the games this year. Around 13 million of these sustainably focused meals are predicted to be served throughout the event while the French capital becomes the “world's largest restaurant" this summer.

To sample some of what this year’s slate of athletes are enjoying, click on the link to preview a delicious post-workout recipe that comes straight from the Olympic Village menu. With a fruity twist on the classic Caprese salad, this 5-ring creation substitutes hydrating watermelon and citrus for tomatoes, while featuring cheese and nuts for extra protein. To make your own version, pick up fresh basil and watermelon from the farmstalls, grab a container of fresh pearl mozzarella and follow along.

Freshly Baked Baguettes The baguette is France’s most popular bread, enjoyed for breakfast and throughout the day. In keeping with this national tradition, the Olympic Village’s main restaurant features a boulangerie producing fresh baguettes and other breads to help fuel hungry athletes. Athletes are even able to participate in daily bakery trainings and can learn how to make their very own piping hot French baguette.

Fortunately, you don’t have to jet off to Paris for the real deal as Wave Hill Breads baguettes are baked daily and brought fresh to our farmers markets. Simply toast and thickly slather a slice with Maplebrook Farm butter and jam, then dunk it in a hot mug of Cano Coffee Company coffee for an authentic French breakfast experience.

Ratatouille Audiences fell in love with the endearing characters in the 2007 animated movie set in Paris, so why not fall in love with the famous plant-based French dish it’s named after? Ratatouille is a classic Provençal recipe consisting of eggplant, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic and herbs that are cooked separately and then gently stewed together. The result is a deliciously creamy and harmonious mixture of summer vegetables that serves as a wonderful side or main dish.

A traditional ratatouille recipe uses roughly equal quantities of vegetables that don’t have to be perfectly cubed, in keeping with the dish’s rustic roots. However, the key to its brilliance lies in using the freshest, brightest, most aromatic seasonal ingredients that are easy to find in the farmers market right now.

New York Times Ratatouille

4 Great Joy Family Farm garlic cloves

2 medium Norwich Meadows Farm white onions

3 medium Great Joy Family Farm zucchini

2 medium Norwich Meadows Farm eggplant

3 sweet Norwich Meadows Farm sweet red peppers (bell or red cubanelle)

3 sprigs Caradonna Farms fresh rosemary

6 sprigs Caradonna Farms fresh thyme

2 large Caradonna Farms heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes

1 cup Arlotta Food Studio extra virgin olive oil, more as needed

2 small bay leaves, ripped in half

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper

“Ladera” (Olive Oil Recipes) The Olympic Games, which began in 776 BCE in Olympia, Greece, were not only a celebration of athletic prowess, they were also deeply intertwined with ancient Greek culture, religion and daily life. Olive oil was a crucial element in these games, symbolizing purity, health and athletic excellence.

Victors in these ancient Olympic Games were awarded wreaths made of leaves from a sacred olive tree said to have been planted by Hercules near the temple of Zeus. In addition, winners were often given jugs filled with the finest olive oil, a highly valued commodity used for cooking, lighting and personal care.

Ladera is a Greek word meaning “in oil” that refers to a category of traditional Greek vegetable dishes cooked in copious amounts of extra virgin olive oil. Since meat was eaten sparingly in the traditional Mediterranean diet, people relied on recipes like this to fill them up and give them enough protein:

Horta (Greens) with Potatoes

1 cup Arlotta Food Studio extra virgin olive oil

2 bunches Great Joy Family Farm Swiss chard

2 bunches Great Joy Family Farm spinach

6 Norwich Meadows Farm baby potatoes, peeled and cut into halves

10 cloves Norwich Meadows Farm garlic, sliced

1 cup water

Half lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Your Down to Earth farmers market will have all the fresh, locally and sustainably sourced ingredients you need to fuel yourself through the exciting coverage of the 2024 Paris Games! We look forward to helping you eat like this year’s athletes while cheering them on as they seek to fulfill their lifelong Olympic dreams.

[b4kuch1n]

found out this year’s snow miku contest is happening yesterday while on call with my friend and then I blacked out and woke up to this being posted on the piapro site (it’s here btw)

[hatsalad]

The Olympic everytime she sees something within ramming distance

[moonilit]

NTT 1980 Issue 11, gotta be one of my favorite because

The boys: went to scout

the girls: THE OLD GODS HAS AWAKENED, THE FATE OF HUMANS AND THEIR DEITIES ARE AT STAKES. DONNA GOT BRAINWASHED. THE AMAZONIAS STORMED THE FUCKING OLYMPICS. SCREAMING AND CRYING EVERYWHERE. ATHENA SHOWED UP LAST MINUTE TO DROPED THE MIC

gar was in a medical induced coma the whole time:

everyone on earth was having a regular weekend:

[sirquacklesdefoof]

Am I going to kill myself? NO. I’m going to ask my roommate if she can take some responsibility over cleaning the apartment

[timetraveltasting]

OLYMPIC MARINATED SKEWERS (6th c. BC)

I decided to go Greek for my next Tasting History dish: Olympic Marinated Skewers from around the 6th century BC in Ancient Greece. It's an Olympic year, after all! For this dish, Max focused on what an Ancient Olympic athlete might eat. To do this, he relied on descriptions found in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, a group of manuscripts discovered during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by papyrologists Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt at an ancient rubbish dump near Oxyrhynchus, Egypt. The papyri describe a dish of marinated liver with some herbs, a dish which may have been served around the time Ancient Greek Olympic athletes started incorporating meat into their training diets. Before this, dried figs, cheese, and barley bread were staples of the athlete. Of course, there was a wide variation of dishes on which athletes would have feasted during training; the Ancient Olympics were hosted for a very long time - from at least 776 BC to 393 AD (even lasting to the Roman period!) - and athletes came from across the Mediterranean area in order to compete. One of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece, the Olympic games were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states held at the Panhellenic religious sanctuary of Olympia in honour of Zeus. The initial sport was the stadion, a sprint inside a stadium, but more events were added over time. Speaking of time, in Ancient Greece, it would often be marked using the stadion winner's name for the four-year Olympiad.

The Olympic Games were so important that truces between city-states were enforced for its duration. While there was a long period of no Olympic Games (during the reign of Theodosius II, a fire at Mt. Olympus destroyed the venue), the Games were revived in their modern form more than a thousand years later by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. I may have a sweet spot for Olympic history, thanks to my years working in a museum covering the topic, so I couldn't help but give this dish a try, though admittedly with a few changes according to my palate (liver is not my thing). See Max’s video on how to make the dish here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

For this recipe, I did take quite a few liberties which affected the final texture of the dish. Namely, I used chicken breasts instead of liver (I really don't like the texture of liver) and I used ripe figs instead of dried (because they are in season and I can't resist a good deal). However, I was sure to make the marinade exactly as written in an effort to stay true taste-wise - even finally caving and hunting down a bottle of asafoetida from a Sri Lankan shop quite far away from my house. Instead of the most authentic Paximadi bread (which I couldn't find), I used barley bread from my local grocery store bakery. I think there were other ingredients in it as well, but there was definitely barley, and that was enough for me to be persuaded. Finally, I didn't have any proper skewers handy at home, so I used some XL toothpicks.

Chopping my thyme and cilantro at the very beginning, I decided to go a bit out of order on the method and make the marinade before chopping the chicken into 1-inch pieces, but I can't see this having any effect on the outcome. I was sure to whisk constantly while adding the olive oil into the red wine vinegar. It was a little hard to combine, and I initially could see some olive oil separated on top, but with continued whisking it did finally combine. I whisked in the salt, asafoetida powder, cilantro, and thyme - it was already smelling delicious! I then chopped my chicken and submerged them in the marinade. There was just enough marinade to cover them. Because I forgot to prepare the marinade the night before, I made it in the morning and gave the chicken about 7 hours to marinate in the fridge. Not as good as Max's "overnight" recommendation, but I think better than just an hour right before dinner. When I decided we were getting hungry for dinner, I brought out the chicken, skewered the pieces with the toothpicks, and laid them onto a lined baking tray. I don't have a barbecue sadly, or even a patio/balcony for that matter, so the oven was the only option for me. For the oven temperature and cooking time, I looked up a generic chicken skewers recipe to give me advice. I ended up cooking the skewers at 400 F (205 C) for 15 minutes, then flipped the skewers once and cooked another 5 minutes on fan setting to get a bit more crisp (though they never really got very crispy on the edges anyway). While they were in the oven, I prepared the Greek salad (no olives for me), figs, feta cheese, and barley bread. The skewers looked pretty nice when finished; the herbs had darkened to a dark green colour and gave the chicken a fragrant aroma. I plated everything and ended up with a quite Greek-looking meal that I couldn't wait to taste.

My experience tasting it:

Of course, I just had to try the skewers first! The chicken was very tender and the flavour was very herby. It did taste like the chicken had really absorbed the marinade, but it wasn't wet in the slightest. I can only imagine that some char from being cooked over a fire would add so much both texture- and taste-wise, but the chicken didn't need it in order to taste wonderful. I think the asafoetida did add a faint oniony flavour which I quite liked, but wasn't entirely expecting. There was so little of it in the marinade that I thought it might be lost amongst the other ingredients. Next, I tried some barley bread. It was what it said on the tin - the usual brown-bread flavour and texture. It might be a bit surprising, but I had never tried an actual fig before. I've had figs in desserts before, where they impart their flavour, but never the actual hand-fruit. This is part of why I wasn't too bothered that I couldn't find dried ones. I tried a bite of the fresh, ripe fig and was pleasantly surprised - I liked it! Very fresh and sweet-tasting, with no hint of wasp (other than their historical role in diet and cooking, most of what I have heard about figs involves wasps dying inside them...). Taking a bite of feta right after some fig was a great idea. The sweet and salty combo, so well-beloved in salted caramel and the like, was a perfect marriage in this case. I would happily pair those two again. Come to think of it, I would make this whole dish again. The marinated skewers were juicy, with a complex and very Greek flavour to them. I might even consider using this same marinade on other meats, or adding a couple other fresh herbs to it ...specifically my all-time favourite: dill. It's a keeper, that's for sure. Ancient Greek Olympians ate well. If you end up making this dish, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Harder-to-find ingredients:

Asafoetida

Olympic Marinated Skewers original recipe (c. 6th c. BC)

Sourced from the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (c. 6th c. BC).

Cut up good liver, marinate in oil with salt, cilantro, thyme, silphium juice, vinegar; grill on a spit at high temperature; serve.

Modern Recipe

Based on the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (c. 6th c. BC) and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

1 lb (1/2 kg) calf’s liver (or another protein if liver isn’t your thing)

3 tbsp (45 ml) red wine vinegar

9 tbsp (135 ml) olive oil

1 tsp salt

A pinch of asafoetida powder*

A small bunch of cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp thyme leaves

Feta, for serving

Dried figs, for serving

Paximadi or other barley bread, for serving

*Asafoetida is used instead of the once common flower, silphium. While it was thought to be lost to history, it may have recently been found in Turkey - but either way, you probably won't be able to find some. Asafoetida is thought to be its close ancestor, and is a very pungent ingredient that imparts a garlicky/oniony umami flavor when cooked. Be sure to store it in a sealed container (or two) or your whole pantry will smell sulphurous. You can find it (sometimes as hing) at Indian markets or at the link above.

Method:

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, about 1”.

Pour the vinegar into a large bowl, then add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly. This will help the oil and vinegar emulsify. Whisk until well mixed, then whisk in the salt, asafoetida powder, cilantro, and thyme. Add the liver, making sure the meat is coated evenly and set it aside to marinate for an hour on the counter or in the fridge overnight.

Once the meat has marinated, put it onto skewers and grill over an open fire or in the oven. I cooked mine on a little grill for about 4 minutes on one side, then I flipped them and cooked them for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side until they were cooked all the way through.

Serve the skewers forth with feta, figs, and paximadi for a complete meal fit for an ancient Greek Olympian.

[yourfrankiethings]

Nourish, Sequim, WA., 7/12/24

building – 101 Provence View Lane, Sequim, WA 98382 Nourish is a farm-to-table place open for dinner Thurs – Sun. They operate a dedicated gluten-free kitchen with house made dishes using local ingredients.  They offer both indoor and outdoor dining with parking on both sides of the building.  The menu changes weekly and is a 3-course fixed price with several choices for each course.  The wine…

[satireinfo]

Gold Medals and Gourmet Meals

Gold Medals and Gourmet Meals: Athletes Trade Training for Truffles Paris 2024: Pastry Podiums and Cheese Celebrations The Culinary Sprint In the vibrant streets of Paris, athletes are sprinting from the finish line to the nearest boulangerie faster than you can say “croissant.” The competition for a freshly baked pain au chocolat is as fierce as any Olympic event. Local baker Pierre remarked,…

[kiyoramen]

When you started dating Tobio, you quickly took notice on his meticulousness and diligence when it came to his sport. This included taking a jog every morning without fail, filing his nails, writing in his volleyball journal, and eating the right meal. But this… this takes the cake.

“Tobio… what do you need all these shoes for?” you ask dumbfounded while standing in front of his wall filled with shelves of identical volleyball shoes.

He blinks at you before he grabs a pair and fiddles with it, “I couldn’t throw them away.”

“Yes? But why do you need this many? And identical ones at that? Did you not think to purchase a different design?”

“The mid-sole gets worn out quickly if you play every day,” he explains, “and a different design might feel different…”

You nod and take one, noticing a tag inside that has numbers on it, “but why keep them?”

“It has some sentimental value,” he says blushing, “actually this one,” he takes the shoe from you, “I was using during the time I met you.”

You beam at this, “That’s cute, Tobio! I didn’t know you were the sentimental type.”

…..

A month later during one of your dates you gifted him a new pair of shoes.

“Don’t worry about the design! It’s the same model and brand, just a different colorway.”

He nods, his eyes sparkling as he inspects it.

“Do you like it?”

He looks at you and smiles, “I love it.”

He didn’t use the shoes during the regular season and the VNL games, claiming it was too precious to wear. So imagine your surprise to see your boyfriend on television during the Olympics wearing the shoes you bought him months ago.

[ghouljams]

what sort of body hair & body types do you think the 141 boys have

So glad you asked:

Starting with pretty boy Gaz, He's absolutely got the gym body. You know the one with the perfectly sculpted muscles, tugging his shorts up to show off the flex of his thighs for the camera as he grins, rolling his shoulders back to show off the lats, flexing for the camera. He's more lean muscle than huge body builder vibes, like it's definitely tailored to his body type, but it's that instagram influencer perfect physique. He's got a well groomed smattering of hair. Not a ton on his chest but plenty of people are eyeing that neat happy trail as he does chest presses at the gym. Lemme get a peak at that man in the sauna...

Soap is a big lad, but it's all muscle. He definitely is going for more of the body builder physique. Packs on muscle really well, and tries to manage his macros so that he keeps his abs when he wants them. The man is stacked. He's also hairy. He's the motherfucker that you're hoping to death wipes off the gym equipment because you can see him sweating through that pelt he's got. Good dark hair on his arms and legs, and chest hair you just wanna bury your face in. You're not even into that stuff but when he raises his arms to grab the lat tower bar you kinda wanna run your tongue through his underarm hair. You just know that man doesn't even trim his pubic area...

Ghost is just naturally big, but he also packs on muscle like a motherfucker. Ghost has a solid strongman look, like he definitely works out, and you've seen him bench 400 lbs without breaking a sweat, but he also looks like he never turns down a slice of cake. Olympic dead lifter type. You could watch him run on the treadmill for hours with the way his pecs bounce. Doesn't look hairy because he's blond, so it's very light wispy hair, but he's got a nice map of curls at the base of his dick that just make you wanna suck him off. Always lets his towel sit too low in the sauna, when you die, you wanna come back as the sweat dripping between his tits.

Price... You wanna talk about a man that pass up a decent meal it's Price. That doesn't mean he isn't in the gym with his men, it just means he's the one in the mess at midnight grabbing that last cookie before bed. He's good at shedding the weight though. You see him before a mission and he's trimmed up, but once he's home he's a bear of a man. That goes for the hair too. That man is so fucking hairy. Thick dark hair all over his body, to the point where you're not sure he isn't a werewolf or something. You actually checked the lunar cycle once when he wiped his face with the bottom of his shirt in the gym, and you saw the thick hair trailing down the center line of his stomach. (What a man, what a man, what a man)

[suiana]

(yandere! zombie x gn! survivor reader) (im such a youtube shorts kid bruh this idea came to me because of a video i watched)

did you know that zombies retain their habits from when they were humans?

well you sure as hell do now, because why is your annoying neighbour still following you around?? he's literally fucking rotting???

"shoo! go away!"

you hiss at him, shooting a rubber band at him before quickly climbing up a tree. phew, you wouldn't be bothered by him from here. it's been like this for a few days now, your undead neighbour following you around as you did your best to survive in this ruined world.

you never really liked him, your neighbour that is. he's always been that one weird guy that keeps annoying you ever since he moved in. constantly knocking on your door and asking to have meals together, to getting to and from work at the same times as you... you're so sure that he was stalking you. how could it ever be a coincidence that he just somehow knew when you were going out and coming back from work?

but now you wouldn't ever know and it's not like you wanted to know anyway. ignorance is bliss after all. oh! he's also very stubborn and it's quite apparent in his zombie form.

"bweh."

"go away!"

the zombie hits at the tree you were sitting down on as he looks up at you with what seemed to be puppydog eyes. you could only grimace at the sight before checking through your supplies. shit, you're running out of stuff.

"ugh... i'll need to scavenge for food-"

"guh!"

you raise an eyebrow at your undead admirer before humming. right, you suppose it isn't that bad that you have him around... he gives you stuff that's useful and scares away other mobs (you think he eats them if they get too close to you). you would've actually coddled him like a dog if he wasn't trying to get into your pants or kiss you every second.

"thanks."

you lean forward and snatch the bad of chips from his rotting hands before stuffing it into your bag. mn, you could probably have that for your lunch and dinner tomorrow.

"let's see... i need to find a good place to sleep tonight."

"bwa! buh beh!"

your zombie immediately starts scratching at the tree bark before jutting his lower lip. huh...

"no, i'm not sleeping in your apartment."

"gah!"

you think you're starting to understand zombie language because why are you holding full on conversations with him??

"don't give me that face. you know our apartment complex is riddled with zombies. i don't want to be turned."

"kh... gur! rh..."

"you think i'm trusting you? i swear i saw our old neighbour lurking around there and he was an olympic sprinter."

you shake your finger at the zombie before sighing softly. why did this apocalypse have to happen? things were going great for you before this. you just had a raise and you were so close to landing a date with your hot boss!

if you didn't know any better you'd have thought that your little zombie admirer was the one who kickstarted this zombie apocalypse because of his jealousy. what did he work as before he turned? a scientist?

"tn... jhn... ngh..."

"don't act all sassy with me right now. it's not like i want to sleep in your place to begin with. you'd probably lock me in there with you and i'd be trapped."

"bah!"

rolling your eyes at the sassy undead man, you rest against the trunk of the tree and shut your eyes. might as well get some rest before setting off again.

"i'm going to rest now. help me keep an eye out."

"kah kah. jah?"

"no, i won't kiss you. and no, i most certainly won't reward you with myself. you're rotting, damnit! how many times do i have to tell you that?"

"ui..."

what in the sassy zombie apocalypse have you gotten yourself into?

[emacrow]

Kronos, Agent A, and bites marks

Kronos looked a bit skittish and dejected after the sixth Doctor nearly got iced by her baby after he made an unfortunate choice of mumbling words which lead to Batman calling in a favor from the Wayne's to bring in a good doctor that actually can get near both the ancient beings long enough to give a diagnosis.

Incoming Agent A, who was calmly explained the situation as he walked slowly into the containment. Kronos look at him for a moment before a bit of realization flickered in his eyes, as she murmur something.

Batman and the other heroes watches behind the hidden camera screen office, watching as Alfred check Kronos's temperature, painless blood drawn, checking her heart and breathing and gave a clear full body examination to a couple heroes were shocked to see a long horrifyingly yet old looking scar on her stomach area that look like someone dragged something sharp and was stretched a bit wide.

That gave one point to Diana theory of Kronos story being warped dramatically, but the fact of that Zeus did cut opened Kronos's stomach to pull out his siblings pin true.

A couple of more minutes past with alfred carefully examination the baby boy who was a bit squirmish while alfred did a couple of comments obviously praising Kronos whom face flushed a rather colorful red blush turning her head a bit. Alfred did asked and provides Kronos and Her baby much better comfortable Maternal and baby clothes then what they were currently wearing.

By the time alfred came out of the containment cell, alfred's soft gentleman look shifted a bit, before speaking after handing the vials of swirling golden glowing blood.

"Both madam and the child are well, a bit underweight, Ms. Kronos will need headache relief medicine, both her and the child is in need of a very light seasoned meal and drinks to not overwhelmed their senses in which I'll be providing." Alfred told then after handing the written documents forms of the examination. Batman could only grunt a bit, considering he trying not to look back at Alfred's glance considering his armored wrist had a tiny bite marks that actually dented the armor with indents.

"Ms. Kronos did asked what and where is this place as I asked what was the last thing she recalled was falling from Olympic while trying to hide her child but as she spoke, it seem to cause her abdominal pain that seem to be PTSD related." Alfred said to which batman nod knowing that Alfred would never lied to him.

Part 3 << >> Part 5

[yogurtkags]

❝ HUSH ❞ — sakusa kiyoomi

cw. f!reader, fluff, olympics au, athletic trainer!reader, timeskip characters, established relationship, secret marriage, language (omi swears like once), not beta read (sorry!) word count. ~ 1.6k

“japan’s outside hitter sakusa kiyoomi and newly revealed wife, athletic trainer y/n l/n, steals the spotlight in the city of love!”

@tetzoro's summer olympics collab

your eyes glance in his direction, letting it linger on his figure as the team settles down into their corner. he’s a little tense, understandably so– it’s his first time at the olympics, and with the pressure of the finals sitting on his shoulders, the nerves are showing, though carefully hidden behind his standard resting face that you can see through so well. the lights hanging along the ceilings of the south paris arena cast a tasteful warm glow along the contours of his face. despite the subconscious clenched jaw and slightly downturned lips that make you want to kiss the frown off so badly, there’s a shine in his eyes like no other.

the last few days have been pretty rough, of stiff beds, subpar food and sleeping without kiyoomi. you know he feels the same if the progressively increasing frequency of late night calls and texts are any indication. with the boys sharing rooms in twos amongst themselves and the rest of the team’s staff being housed in a separate wing of the building, falling asleep in his arms was a faraway thought since you arrived at the olympic village.

loml ♡ : miya snores so fuckin’ loudly i can’t handle this me : well it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve dealt with it baby loml ♡ : i still think we should’ve fought harder for us sharing a room

he drifts off into slumber easily after washing up and getting his fill of talking to you (never enough), the mental and physical fatigue of matches and practices in between taking a toll on his body, but for you, being wrapped in his warm embrace was the perfect recipe and vital to a good night's sleep. it’s safe to say that you haven’t been sleeping well for the past week.

it didn’t help that being sworn to secrecy about your relationship also meant that any interactions you had with him outside being the team’s athletic trainer was like treading on eggshells. it feels like you’re in high school again, sitting next to him in the dining hall during meal times with your clasped hands hidden under the table from watchful eyes, his thumb rubbing soft circles against the back of your hand or squeezing ever so often, as if to affirm his presence and silently reassure that i’m here.

it seems to be a trend lately for athletes to be active on their social media platforms, be it their team’s or just a personal account, recounting stories or even taking avid viewers through “a day in the life of an olympic athlete” — without looking too far, even miya jumped on the bandwagon, often seeing suna running around filming short clips of their shenanigans in free pockets of time during the day. you and kiyoomi talked about it before the season began, keeping any non-professional interactions to a minimum. there’s eyes everywhere and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

both of you are very private people, it was only natural that you preferred to keep your personal life and matters to yourselves behind closed doors. this ended up being a double-edged sword, because everyone wants to be all up in your business, especially kiyoomi who finds himself in the spotlight more often, being apart of the “young handsome eligible bachelors” of the MSBY 4 and now one of the most sought-after new additions to japan’s national team.

you on the other hand, were better known by twitter as “the pretty trainer” from the shweiden adlers and now the national team, standing next to another fan-favourite, iwaizumi hajime. thankfully your role is kept more so behind the scenes, checking on the players during games and making sure they remain in tip-top shape on and off the court.

being the quiet and brooding one amongst outgoing chatterboxes meant that the media would try to dig any information out of kiyoomi, but prying interviewers and prodding questions towards him and his love life were smoothly deflected and brushed aside, the boys even coming to his defense if anyone got too pushy with it, which you were beyond thankful for. not that they needed to most of the time, he’s known to be curt with his responses and quick to bring the topic back to the game, and no one likes a snappy sakusa anyway, many have learned this the hard way.

just months prior to the both of you getting called in to begin training for the olympics and before schedules start to pick up, you had a small private wedding in your hometown with just close friends and family, the ceremony kept under lock and key and tucked away from the public eye. it made it all the more intimate, more like a quiet gathering to celebrate your union than a grand spectacle, which suited you perfectly. the honeymoon hasn’t happened yet with the timing of everything, you’re saving it for post-season when you both can finally take a break and relax for a little while.

you won’t deny that there are some days where you wished that things were different, and that you could openly express your love for each other without scrutiny and attention being on you, but alas, that is to be expected as someone exposed to the public eye.

the olympics is your first public appearance as married individuals, not that anyone particularly cares about your status, their eyes instead zeroing in on kiyoomi and the chain around his neck carrying a shiny new silver band. it's safe to say that judging by the scowl on his face and the chatter buzzing around the front rows of stands as the team settles into their side of the court, his “mystery wife" is the new talk of the town.

when he comes over to you during timeout, his eyes meet yours bashfully as you hand him a bottle, fingers brushing against yours in an unspoken apology. you just smile and lightly pat his back as he turns to join the team huddle. there’s nothing to be sorry for, silly.

these little moments mean everything to you, even though it looks like nothing in the grand scheme of things. just being there with him and coming together with a shared passion even if it's in different fields of the broader spectrum of sport, fills you with a sense of happiness and content. watching him in his element and being able to support him on the sidelines through it all, you'd never trade that for the world.

and as you’re sitting at the edge of your seat with your bum hanging on for dear life, you lean forward with your hands pressed together, the top of your index fingers resting against the tip of your nose like a pseudo prayer. match point.

it feels like you’re watching the longest rally of your life and like a bad habit, your knee begins bouncing up and down in your nervousness and anticipation. iwaizumi too, is so engrossed in the play at hand that he doesn’t notice, or maybe he just doesn’t care enough in this moment to stop you with his usual slap to your thigh and a chiding comment, “stop it, even my grandma back in sendai can feel the tremours from your goddamn knees.”

with bated breath, you watch kageyama tosses one beautiful arc of a set to kiyoomi as he leaps into the air and makes contact with the ball.

with a powerful spike, he is a force to be reckoned with, sending the ball home as the opponents dive to save it, their arms hands and fingers stretching out in a last ditch attempt to connect and rescue the point, but to no avail. the ball lands with a harsh thud and as he stands tall above their groveling, the whistle blows and the crowds roar.

your arms instinctively raise in a cheer, and in the next moment they’re closed over your mouth, tears pricking your eyes as you stumble over your feet and scramble to get up. as the team rushes towards him with shouts of celebration, his eyes immediately dart in your direction, softening as he sees you dashing over. with knowing smirks and crescent moons for eyes, the boys follow his line of sight and give him firm slaps on the back, parting the hoard for you and giving just enough room for him to uncharacteristically swoop you up in his arms and crash his lips into yours, all caution thrown to the wind.

all the noise halts and time stands still, everything fades away and nothing else in the world matters in the moment, not the people, not the cameras, just the overwhelming rush of joy and pride, and love, oh love, swelling from the depths of your chest and your heart bursting at its seams.

your senses flood with everything kiyoomi, from the way the sweaty strands of his hair at the back of his neck feel on your fingertips, his cheeks dampening from your tears, the nudge of his nose against yours, and the press of his smile on your locked lips. he breathes out and you breathe him in, letting all of his being rest in the room in your heart saved specially for him, seeping into every corner of your soul.

when you inevitably pull apart for air, the current predicament doesn't exactly click in your mind just yet until he grabs your hand and pulls you into his side, shielding you from the onslaught of reporters and press looking to get a fresh scoop on the hottest piece of news. with blown out eyes, you look at him in a daze and disbelief, did that really just happen?

the smug smirk on his face says it all.

the matching silver bands on your finger and hanging around his neck, it was always there. for the longest time it was your little secret, and now a declaration of love and devotion — not even a shiny new gold medal could compare.

© yogurtkags. please do not repost, plagiarise, or translate my work.

[miss-dollette]

Simon "Ghost" Riley is a very big boy.

So, my husband is quite a tall guy (6'4"), so I have first-hand experience of what it's like to be in a totally different atmosphere with a lover. Since Ghost is such a huge guy, I decided to write some little headcanons of what it's like to be so much smaller than him.

Anyway, who else is putting serious overtime at work for Christmas??

TW: Unedited, a little spicy, size kink.

Big boy.

Very, very, VERY big boy.

Big boy, in every way possible.

Requires half an hour of foreplay before getting to the main course. Sometimes, even that's not enough.

Hands so large they could practically wrap around the back of your skull. He'd grabs you there, sometimes, and move your head to face him as he thrusts.

His fingertips can touch the tips of each other when he wraps his fingers around your throat.

Silver scars and sores from war litter his hands, and they're calloused like hell, too. Don't worry, he'll touch you so softly you won't even notice.

His whole hand covers the entire valley of your ass and upper thigh. God forbid he uses his full strength to slap your ass 'cause you won't be surviving.

Muscular but with a layer of fat. This man doesn't miss a meal, and theirs definitely no leftovers for the next day.

Works out like a bull. Before the sun even rises, he's in the backyard, lifting 50 pound/23 kilo dumbells over and over until he's practically dead. Then comes the mini marathon he does every day. By the time you make breakfast, he's already finished his Olympic level workout routine.

Playfully flexes for you when you compliment him.

He can definitely do this to you:

He loves holding both of your hands in his palm.

Veiny forearms that are to drool for. Ugh, seeing him with rolled up sleeves...

Doesn't fit in the shower. Has to lean down to wash his hair because he's practically touching the ceiling.

Has back pain. He will lay on the floor and tell you to walk on his back to soothe his sore muscles.

Would be arrested for attempted murder if he ever tried to do a trust fall with you.

[luvnami]

olympics men's volleyball team captain ushijima is so real to me

“ushijima wakatoshi.”

not even his mother calls him by his full name, damn it. 

ushijima swallows the brick in his throat. he purposefully avoids your burning stare by fiddling with the straps of the gym bag in his hand, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. even though he’s much taller than you, he feels awfully small right now. 

it’s almost comical that you in your pink pyjama set, arms crossed over your chest, and bits of sleep still stuck in your inner corner is enough to make ushijima wakatoshi, captain of japan’s olympics men’s volleyball team, cower in fear. 

“you are running a fever. you are not going to today’s training,” you say firmly.

you stand between ushijima and the front door. if he tried, he knew he would have little trouble breaking out of the house. he figures that he could fireman lift you over his shoulder and dump you on the living room sofa. 

“it’s barely a fever, i’ll be fine. it’s not right for the team if the captain doesn’t show up.”

ushijima regrets speaking up. the look you’re giving him right now could kill. 

“what if you spread your fever to the other players? what if you pass out on court? who’s going to carry you to the hospital, ushijima? your face is red and you’re sweating. you’re going back to bed right now.” 

a pang of pain shoots through his heart. not even wakatoshi? come on! 

he sulks. it’s not obvious, but ushijima’s shoulders slump ever so slightly and he gives you a disgruntled look. 

“fine,” he mumbles. 

usually, your fiance doesn’t need reminders to take care of himself or the house. he cooks his own healthy meals, doesn’t let the dishes pile up in the sink, and reminds you to take your daily vitamins when you forget. however, even ushijima has his own shortcomings. he hates throwing out old items as long as they’re usable (you had to toss all his underwear that was worn through while he wasn’t home) and can be utterly stubborn when he’s sick, just like today. 

you march ushijima back to bed like a prison warden. you take his temperature, shove the numbers 38.2°C in his face, and tuck him in like you would a baby. 

“there,” you huff. “now rest.”

ushijima still wears an unhappy face. he hates it when he’s sick. it’s the one thing in the world that renders him helpless, and makes him more upset than when a player blocks his spikes multiple times in a row. 

he didn’t want to miss out on today’s training. but his head was throbbing when he woke up this morning, and he barely made it to the front door despite his knees buckling twice. ushijima lets his heavy eyes fall shut and his sore body relaxes, headache throbbing in the back of his head. you’re right. he should rest. 

ushijima just doesn’t want to admit that he feels weak.