#so great that rouge joined the party because at the end of the session everyone was ready to murder delano

[sappylemons]

the question is not "should i make my players fight a rawbones", the question is "why have i not added more rawbones to this encounter? what can i do to increase this number?"

[virtchandmoir]

Ice dance star Tessa Virtue happily out of her comfort zone in Queens EMBA program

November 30, 2020

Canadian Olympic athlete Tessa Virtue poses for a photo at the Olympic Summit in Calgary, Alta., Saturday, June 3, 2017.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

TORONTO -- Tessa Virtue doesn't feel the same sense of exhilaration or rush of adrenaline as she did standing at centre-ice after a gold-medal performance.

At least not on that scale or of that magnitude. And that's okay.

"There are so many things that are making me really content and joyful that were just impossible to experience as an athlete in training," Virtue said. "So, there's sort of something offsetting that where I might not be getting that adrenaline rush, there's so much that I feel passionate about and new goals that I'm striving for - which is both scary and exhilarating."

Virtue and Scott Moir were among the 114 athletes, artists, scholars and community leaders named to the Order of Canada on Friday. They're the most decorated ice dancers in history, capturing five Olympic medals, including a pair of ice dance gold in 2010 and 2018.

Virtue is swamped with school work these days as part of Queens University's Executive MBA program - one of the new pursuits that's pushed her out of her comfort zone.

She's typed out frantic text messages to retired Paralympic swimmer Ben Huot - who graduated from Queens' EMBA program - saying, "Have I made a mistake? What am I doing?" she laughed. "(Huot) been so wonderfully supportive.

"But I am so happy I did it. And it's an extraordinary cohort, everyone is so impressive and has accomplished such wonderful things and in such diverse spheres, and so the conversations are so exhilarating, and especially right now, I'm so grateful to have the chance to sort of expand my mind."

Virtue spent the first few months of the pandemic living in North Vancouver with boyfriend and Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly. The power couple joined Arkells frontman on an Instagram live stream back in March. They appeared virtually on the Great Kitchen Party: Home Edition a month later.

The couple is back living in Toronto now, and recently purchased a puppy they named Zoe.

Virtue and Moir's captivating free dance to music from "Moulin Rouge" in Pyeongchang will endure as one of the greatest Olympic figure skating performances ever. Just one of the numerous YouTube streams has over 1.3 million views.

But Virtue has barely watched it.

"I've seen parts of it here and there. And I love the feeling that it evokes in me," she said. "I'm still so proud of that moment of course. But I can't decide if it feels like it was yesterday or honestly if I feel just a few lifetimes away from it. So, it's like that disconnect, right, where I kind of hold onto the feeling that we had when the program ended.

"And when we reflect together, so much of our sporting life just seems so fresh that I'm sure there hasn't been enough time for perspective, right?"

Virtue and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., competed for two decades. Earning Order of Canada honours, she said, was an honour that had her reflecting on their early days.

"This is not something we would have ever known to even dream for. We weren't seven and nine (years old) cruising around the ice together talking about this, it seemed unfathomable," she said. "And yet, we watched so many of our friends and peers along the way receive this incredible honour. I just feel humbled, and just so, so honoured."

Virtue talked by telephone Sunday before appearing virtually on Hayley Wickenheiser's "WickFest: Female Hockey Festival," calling a few minutes early to ensure she wouldn't have to duck out too soon.

Olympic athletes, both active and retired, have been front and centre in the battle against the global pandemic. Wickenheiser, of course, teamed up with actor Ryan Reynolds and others for "Conquer COVID-19," an initiative that delivered much-needed personal protective equipment to hospitals. Numerous other athletes have hosted virtual practices, information sessions, etc. for Canadian kids.

"It can be underestimated, I guess, what that kind of mentorship or connection with an athlete does," Virtue said. "I think about those kids watching the next Olympics and how invested they'll be and it's pretty neat to share that."

The international figure skating schedule has been a bust since last March when COVID-19 forced cancellation of the world championships in Montreal.

Keegan Messing is the only Canadian to have competed so far this season (Skate America). Skate Canada International was scrapped, and if Stockholm, Sweden does manage to host the world championships in March - organizers want to host it in a "bubble" - there's no guarantee Canada will even go because of lack of preparation, quarantine restrictions, etc.

"I think there's a caveat to everything in that it offers great perspective. You realize just how seemingly insignificant ice dance can be or skating," Virtue said. "But at the same time, in their relative spheres, and as far as their goals and pursuits go, it's huge to miss out on one competition, let alone a season.

"I think just changing that benchmark of knowing when to prepare for something, how a peak, how to maximize your time, the unknown, the uncertainty, like so many people are facing, must be really challenging. And my heart goes out to (the skaters)."

—The Canadian Press

[sweetlydraws]

During and After- Painted Lady Au.

What happened to Marinette’s class during Lila’s reign, and after Marinette’s akumatizing.

Chloe and Lila.

Chloe-

During: Chloe lost everything. Sabrina left her only a week after Lila showed up. Chloe lost her power. With Lila around, no one was afraid of Chloe. This pissed Chloe off to no end. Chloe tried to ruin Lila in any way. Lila cried to Miss. Bustier. Chloe had no one to help her. Chloe got in trouble. Being sent to the principle and having him threaten to call her father, scared Chloe to no end.

The school ended up not calling her father, but he still found out somehow. Chloe suspected the Lila did it. Having her father not even talk to her hurt the most. This was his form of punishment. Removing himself from her life. Chloe locked her self in her room and didn’t come out.

No one came to her. Not even HawkMoth. If you asked Chloe what she did, she’d tell you that she did great and went shopping. In reality, Chloe broke down. She raged. She tried to do anything to get her father or mother's attention.

Chloe spiraled. She was under house arrest, she couldn’t do anything. One day she was watching the news and seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat another akuma without her. A commercial played, a phone-based therapist. Chloe's grip on her phone increased. She was the mayor's daughter, she couldn’t. Chloe did some research on phone-based therapists. She finally found an anonymous based one. It takes Chloe a week after downloading the app to use it.

Chloe found it hard not to just talk about herself. The therapist wouldn’t let her, apart of the anonymous part. It had taken another few sessions for Chloe to open about her insecurities, about not being able to be a good person without the approval of others. The therapist suggested for Chloe to do one thing that she didn’t before for her.

That night Chloe did her homework by herself. After her house arrest was over and she turned all her work in. She ran and hid to call the therapist. The therapist told her they were proud and that she shouldn’t do this for them but for her. The next day Chloe got back all her papers. She had gotten C’s and D’s on most of them but one paper. Her history paper, she had gotten a B- on it. Chloe cried.

Chloe tried her best to stay out of drama. Tried some days were better than others. But every day she would leave school, hide in her room and do her homework. She started to let Butler Jean help her with things she was struggling with. She wouldn’t let him do it for her. Jean kept his approval of Chloe to himself, not wanting her to revert to the girl who fired him.

Chloe joined another anonymous group. For Akuma victims. Chloe felt guilty for joining this group, she had caused quite a few akmuas in her time. But sometimes she sees another person in the mirror. Sometimes they wear a ladybug costume, and sometimes they would have black hair. Sometimes a buzzing is in her ear when she trying to sleep.

Chloe doesn’t reveal much about her akumatizing, she doesn’t want to be judged or found out. She learned that some people get a butterfly tattoo on the place where they were akumatized. Trying to take back what happened to them. Chloe was too young to get a tattoo, so she got earrings instead. Black with red spots.

Chloe was trying to heal, she was trying to hide. Then Marinette Dupain-Cheng was akumatized.

After: When Marinette showed up in the classroom, Chloe wasn’t all surprised.  What did shock her was the powers of Marinette. She had looked at Chloe and a burning glow appeared on her head. Insecure Chloe tried to hide this, and now everyone knows. After Marinette left, the class blew up. People were in denial, in rage, but Chloe. Chloe was quiet. Quiet until one Kim opened his mouth. Kim had dimwitted on his head. He was saying that there was no way that his was true if Chloe Bourgeois could be insecure. He laughed. Chloe knew that there would be a new akuma if he laughed one more time. And he did. Chloe doesn’t remember what she said but she does remember that her hand was sore as she ran out of the class.

The next surprise was Chat Noir giving her the Bee miraculous. Chloe was hesitant but thought back to her sessions. Take them back, touching her earring. She becomes Queen Bee again. Then she loses. She loses the Bee miraculous. Chloe spiraled again. This time it was worse. She wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep, wouldn’t live. Jean force her to drink soup. Chloe broke when she thought she saw pollen by her window. It was a wasp. Chloe called her therapist and broke down. Telling everything she could.

They talked for two hours. Chloe thought about Marinette. Her heart sank. Over this past year, Chloe thought about Marinette a lot. Thought about what she did to her. Chloe and her therapist came to the conclusion that Chloe was jealous of Marinette and her happiness. Chloe didn’t think she should ever visit Marinette, but after going to school and seeing Lila try to save face and take over again. Chloe snapped. Chloe would say that she was nice and polite about everything she did. She wasn’t. Chloe went to the school board, she went to her father, she went to everyone and anyone. Her father helped because she wasn’t trying to save herself.

Andre didn’t really see a change in his daughter. But then again he wasn’t seeking her out. It was Butler Jean that came to her corner. A full investigation started on the school. Chloe decided that she would leave. Leave Paris, leave her family, leave her past. Applying for several private schools outside of Paris, and not in America later, Chloe had her out. She only had one more thing to do.

Chloe was shocked to see Nino outside of the Dupain-Cheng bakery but here they were. Neither was sure how to speak to each other, they knew each other's secret. Chloe still remembered when she saw that Nino and his girlfriend were Carapace and Rena Rouge. Nino had been crying she could tell, she could feel the weight of guilt in his eyes. The same guilt she had felt. Nino had been childhood friends with her, and Chloe a childhood bully.

When Chloe left the bakery, she felt lighter for the first time ever. She called her therapist and talked. Chloe is no longer the bully she was. Chloe was a victim of bad parenting.  But Chloe is healing. Chloe mentions to her therapist that she should thank Lila for ruining her back then as it made her change. The therapist refuted that by saying Chloe made the change, not Lila.

Chloe started getting calls from Sabrina and Adrien but she wouldn’t answer. Sabrina wasn’t her friend, she was her slave. And Adrien… Chloe is aware of his situation but he knew… Knew about her and Lila and choose to stand aside. She couldn’t forgive him just yet. Besides she has her history work to get to.

Lila-

During: Lila was the queen. Lila had the school under her thumb. And those who weren't were thrown out. Lila had the Adrien Agreste as her “boyfriend”. The one thing Lila’s father taught her before he and her mom got divorced was power rules the world. Not love, not niceness, not any of that stuff. Lila had taken that to heart. A lie here and there doesn’t matter as long as you are at the top. Lila hasn’t seen her father since she was 6, he left to marry an older and richer lady. Lila doesn’t love Adrien, Lila doesn’t love anyone.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a bigger problem then Lila was expecting. First Lila finds out that she knows she’s a liar, then she finds out that Marinette and Adrien know. She heard Alya call Marinette their everyday Ladybug. She is pissed. Marinette doesn’t deserve that power!

All it takes is a few honey words and a few fake tears for Alya to be fully on her side. Her boyfriend, however… Lila learned that they were childhood friends. That wouldn’t do. Some fake texts and false emails later, Lila had Nino under her control. Nino had to stay in good graces with Lila or else he’ll lose his in with the “big music producers.”

Marinette tried to give up her position as the class representative. As much as Lila would love to have the power that would give, she doesn’t want the work it brings. So Lila starts to spends rumors about Marinette being lazy and not understanding responsibility. She was voted in to stay. Lila wouldn’t lie, but watching the life drain from Marinette's eyes was the highlight of her year.

Alya’s birthday was coming up. Lila made a big party for her and filled Alya’s head with bad things about Marinette. Ayla had not invited Marinette. What Lila didn’t know was that Ayla had told Marinette they would hang out at a different time. The next Monday was Lila’s undoing.

After: Lila quickly had to address the situation. Marinette was akumatized and had marked everyone with the truth. Lila broke into sobs. Claiming that all this had to be lies. However Chloe’s smacking the lights out of Kim threw her off. Chloe without saying anything confirmed that her word was true. All but her, Adrien, Alya, and Nino were left. Nino was screaming at her, Alya was still trying to defend her. Adrien broke out of whatever trance he was in and went off on her. Lila swears she saw the devil in his eyes.

As the days went on her life continued to fall apart. Her schemes were out in the open. Lila was at her home under house arrest, while her mother and the Paris school system figured out punishment for her. Alya came to see her as a last-ditch effort to not be wrong. Lila played along before laughing in Alya’s face.

Lila was only Alya’s friend to use her for the Ladyblog. She wanted her face everywhere. She doesn’t care about Alya’s reputation. Lila shooed Alya away, saying Alya did what was needed for and that Lila found her no longer fun to use. Lila was sent to live her grandparents. She has no more power in Paris.

(Lila never worked with HawkMoth. She had no reason to. Lila had everything she wanted.)