#layback spins of note

[edgecallskating]

Entry number 2 in my ongoing but sporadic series, Layback Spins of Note: Karen Chen!

[louloulemons-posts]

The Criminal And The Princess IV

Grumpy!College!Eddie X Sunshine!Skater!Reader

Summary : the aftermath of billy and eddies fight, but who gets punished for it?

Word Count : 2.3k

Warnings : wrote at 4am, mentions of billy (he doesn’t appear), swearing, dad is an asshole again, talks of food issues, eddie fluff, cute friendship fluff.

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

Eventhough dad had said I didn’t need to go into the rink this weekend, I knew the ice would clear my head after all the drama the night before.

There was barely anyone in, your dad’s office dark. Lacing my skates, I popped in my earphones, making my way to the ice, gliding along.

I practiced my spins, dad had mentioned they were sloppy too. Apparently my whole routine for regionals was, that’s why he’d pulled Yrene back in. She’d been on maternity leave.

The music took over and I ignore the few people around me, leaping, jumping, spinning. Again and again. I went through the whole routine, replaying the song over and over again - it was a good thing I loved Hozier.

The song built up as I went into a triple spin, breaking out and leaping into a lutz, making sure my arms and legs were straight enough. I sighed, too wobbly.

Coming to a halt, a bit of the ice kicking up under my blades as I did. Again, the whole thing again. The sweet sound of guitar began playing, then the man’s melodic voice filled my ears, “You know the distance never made a difference to me.”

It started slowly, gliding across the ice, a few gentle spins just to show off a little bit. Catching my the top of my blade in my hand, I spun around twice - that was better.

My layback spins were always pretty good, one of the moves I always found joy in watching mom do. Once again the song built up, a few axles and then a lutz, finally followed by a triple jump.

I landed with ease, gliding along the ice, a few more spins here and there, one again holding my skate in my hand making it level to my head and the leaning back slightly. That was much better.

The lights flickered, there he was. Chest heaving I skated over to the man, noting how grey he was beginning to be. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Needed to clear my head, what did you think?” Pulling out my earphones I popped them back in their case. “Better, still needs to be brilliant though. Work on your lutz.”

I hummed, biting the inside of my cheek, that was the closest thing to a compliment I’d get from the man. “Ah there you are! You’re late,” my father said to someone.

Turning my face scrunched in confusion, “Eddie?”

“You know this young man?” dad asked.

“Uh yeah, what are you doing here?” Eddie was about to explain when dad cut him off.

“Mr Munson took it upon himself to injure one of my best hockey players, therefore will be helping out around the rink until I think he’s made up for it.”

“Is this about Billy?” I turned to my father, instantly feeling angry. “Yes, how did you-“

“Dad it isn’t Eddies fault! Billy is a vile piece of work and you know it!”

“Eden,” I heard Eddie speak from behind me.

“And what punishment will Billy be getting?”

“Why should Billy be punished?” I let out a breathy laugh, “Oh I don’t know, maybe grabbing your daughter and threatening her?” The last part came out in a snap.

“What? He didn’t tell me that,” my dad said, almost untrusting in the way he did. “Of course he didn’t. He’s an arsehole.”

“Language Eden. I’ll talk to Billy again-“ I cut him off, “Talk to Steve, he was there. He’ll tell you.”

“Either way, in this college we don’t condone violence, Mr Munson, if you’ll follow me.”

“Will you talk to Steve?” I asked.

“Yes! Fine I will talk to him, I don’t understand why you’re so insisted in defending-“

“Finish that sentence I dare you.” His eyes widened at me, and I could feel Eddie tense behind me. “Practice your lutz Eden, I’ll see you for lunch tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” I grumbled, going back to the ice, not before throwing a sympathetic glance at Eddie. Once again I started the song, letting it take over, yet I felt myself shaking with anger.

Of course Billy made it out like Eddie was the bad guy - he was a real piece of work. Next time I see him I’m gonna shove my skate up his - oh shit time to jump.

Spinning three times, I landed again, gliding along, feeling the ice becoming more damaged with every one. I don’t know how long I was going for, but I must have listened to Unknown / Nth about 10 times.

Pulling out my earphones, I heard a clapping sound. Meeting chocolate eyes I couldn’t help smiling, skating over to him. Leaning on the side, he spoke, “You really are a princess on that ice, you’re incredible.”

My face burned, luckily it was so cold in the rink I could blame my maroon cheeks on that. “Thank you.”

“No worries. I think I’d break my neck if I did that spinny thing,” he laughed, “I dunno who I’m kidding I’d break my neck just walking on the ice.”

“You can’t skate?” The boy shook his head, I smiled when a few curls fell into his eyes, he blew them away with ease. Yet they fell back into the place they just were. “I can teach you.”

“I think your dad would-“

“Munson, I didn’t ask to have you here so you could distract my skaters,” my dad shouted from his office above. ‘His skaters’ not his daughter, wow.

“Oh shit sorry, yeah you’re practicing.”

“It’s okay, I’ve had enough for today anyway.” Sliding down the one of the gates to the rink I climbed up, sitting on a cold seat and took off my skates.

“I’m really sorry about this, what’s the old grouch got you doing?”

“Basic maintenance, cleaning and stuff.”

“That sucks.”

“It’s fine, I have to fit it around work for the next few weeks.”

“He’s acting like we’re in highschool,” I scoffed. “I do kinda feel like I am,” the boy chuckled. “I can stay and keep you company if you want?”

“Nah it’s okay, I think it’d just make Bennett mad.” I hummed, throwing my hoodie on and zipped up my bag. “Well are we still good for the library tomorrow?”

“Of course, I’ll meet you there at 3?”

“3,” I repeated, smiling, walking away from the boy. I made it to the door when I heard my dad’s voice again, “Munson get back to work.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head with laughter, what a sweet boy.

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

The rest of my Saturday went uneventful, spending it with the girls, that was before Robin had to head out somewhere. “Anywhere nice?” I asked.

“Just uh .. meeting a friend.” She threw a jacket on, grabbing her phone and keys. “Steve? I thought he was working.”

“You guys and Steve aren’t my only friends, you know. I’ll see you guys later.”

Nancy called after her, making the girl stop with a questioning look. “Tell Vickie I said hi.” Robins face burned as she flipped us both off. “Oh my god!” I shouted, throwing myself back so my head way lay on Nancy’s lap.

“I know, you should have seen them last night. So cute. Anyways how was your night with Munson?”

“Good, we went to a diner called Benny’s.”

Nancy hummed, “Yeah I’ve been there with Jonathan, it’s nice.”

“Yeah, well we got milkshakes and then he walked me back.”

“I can’t believe your dad is punishing him for defending you.”

“That’s what happens when you go up against Billy Hargrove,” I rolled my eyes.

“Anyways, have you heard anything off your mom about Holly?” I asked.

“Mike did, said mom was shouting at him, then he kicked off at her. So he took Holly with him and they had a sleepover with Will and El at Joyce’s house.”

“That sucks, I’m sorry to say Nance but we really have shit dads.” She nodded, letting her fingers play with a piece of my hair. “You know my dad called me one of his skaters today.”

“Please can I hit him?”

“Get in line,” I laughed.

“Do you feel okay to eat with me today? We can make something together if you want.”

“You know that sounds fun, can we have those spicy chicken wraps?” She squealed, “God E, it’s like you can read my mind! I’ve been craving them for so long.”

“Craving? You’re not!” I sat up quickly, meaning that Nancy tugged the hair of mine in her hand. “God no! Jesus E, I’m due on!”

“I was kidding,” I laughed, running away as she went to hit me with a pillow.

It was always therapeutic to cook with Nancy, she never made me feel like I was any less because of my difficulties with food. Her and Robin were the best for that, along with Yrene.

“Did you get on okay with the milkshake?” Nancy asked, as she chopped up some veggies for our wraps. “Hm?” I looked up from chopping the chicken. “Well you don’t really like to drink them, especially around people you don’t know.”

Oh. I hadn’t even thought about that. I’d been laughing and learning so much about Eddie. Finding out that he lives with his Uncle, Wayne, and that he works at his garage a couple times a week. “Uh yeah it was fine.”

Nancy made a sound, I could hear the smile on her face. “What?” I asked.

“You um … just seem very comfortable around Eddie.”

“He’s a nice guy,” I shrugged.

“You shouted at your dad about him.”

I laughed loudly, “Yeah I did. Now, how are those veggies?”

“Done! I’ll grab some plates, you start making the wraps.”

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

I woke up early on Sunday, showering and planning an appropriate outfit to wear one that dad wouldn’t moan at me for. Jeans and a knitted jumper would do. I sat on my bed, drying my hair, it was 10 so I had enough time.

“Hey,” Robin said, knocking the door before she popped her head round. “Hey!” I smiled at her through the mirror. She sat on my bed, making herself comfy against the dark green bedding.

“Cute outfit,” she smiled.

“Thanks, you’re very chipper. Good night with Vickie?” She bit her lower lip, trying to hide her grin. “Tell me everything right now!”

“We may have … kissed.” I screamed, calling for Nancy. “What?! What’s wrong!?” she shouted running into my room, only to be met by two large grins.

“This better be good because I almost had a heart attack.”

“Robin and Vickie kissed!” I said clasping my hands, hair drying long forgotten.

“Robin Carolin Buckley, you tell us everything right now!” Nancy said, squeezing next to me on the bed. Both of us looking expectantly at Robin.

“You’re meant to be meeting your dad, we can talk about it later,” The girl said. On that note my phone buzzed. Picking it up I couldn’t help rolling my eyes at the message.

Dad : Emergency meetings come up, have to cancel lunch.

Eden : Yeah it’s fine.

Not that he cares if it’s fine, because when does he ever care? “I’ve got nowhere to be until 3pm.” Nancy squeezed my hand. “Hey no being sad over shit dads, it’s time to hear about our wonderful friends love life.”

“So we went to a music store, they were open late having an open mic night for small indie artists. We were just stood there listening to this girl sing and she just … took my hand,” Robin couldn’t help the smile that broke out on her face.

“And then she just kinda kissed me. It was real sweet but so good,” she couldn’t help laughing as she fell back against my pillows, cheeks burning bright.

“Are you gonna go on another date?” Nancy asked. “Well she text me this!” Robin handed us her phone.

Vickie 🥰 : sorry for the early message, but I had a great time last night!

Vickie 🥰 : would you want to do it again sometime?

Robin 😚 : Hi! I had a great time too and yes i would love that.

Vickie 🥰 : well i’ll plan this date, are you free wednesday night?

“And you haven’t replied?” I said loudly.

“Well Wednesday nights are girls nights and I didn’t want to bail on you guys.”

“Robin if you don’t go I swear to god,” Nancy said sternly.

“Are you sure?” Me and Nancy looked at each other before saying in sync, “Yes!”

“Okay okay!” Quickly she text back confirming that she’d love to go out on Wednesday.

“Our babies growing up!” I cried, Nancy took me into her arms. “I’m literally older than you!” the girl said with a half serious face. “But now she’s got a love life, potentially a girlfriend, I’m so proud!”

“Oh shut up! What about you and Eddie, you’re having a study date later right?” she asked. “It’s not a study date! It’s just studying.”

“It’s a study date.”

“We’re studying James Hetfield, dunno how date like that’ll be.”

“Who?” Nancy asked.

“He’s from Metallica.”

“Oh Eddie loves those guys.”

“So I’ve heard,” I smiled.

“Oh my god!” Nancy said shaking me and Robin leaned over to clasp my hand. “What?”

“You like him!” Robin exclaimed.

“I’ve literally know him a week!”

“I knew Vickie for an hour and was figure out who’s last name sounds better when we get married.”

“Jesus Robin,” I laughed.

“Do you like him?” Nancy asked.

“I don’t know, come on I haven’t even really dated before. There was 2 relationship, one in highschool and one in middle school which doesn’t count - plus they lasted like 5 months combined.”

“It’s okay to not know. I just think it’s sweet you feel so comfortable around him,” Nancy smiled, squeezing me again in her arms. “Yes very sweet, now let’s leave her to get ready,” Robin pulled Nancy from my bed and out of the room.

Those girls were something else, but I wouldn’t have them any other way.

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

Writing Eden, Robin and Nancys friendship melts my heart 🫶🏻

taglist : @gnrquinn @flawiette @taylorswiftsloverfr @mygirlchaos @marvelcasey05 @ali-r3n @browneyes8288

let me know if you want to be added 🫶🏻

[corner-stories]

of axels, lutzes, and loops

Annie Leonhardt. Armin Arlert.

Daily Routines. Typical Toronto Traffic. Skating Lessons.

Figure Skating AU.

3422 words.

(ao3.)

Things are different now. Not just because they’ve made things official — years of awkwardly circling each other finally culminating into something — but because they’re no longer juniors. 

Nowadays the elements they perform have to match up to those who’ve been skating senior for years — whether it be Armin’s step sequence or Annie’s triple axel, Annie’s layback spin or Armin's signature quad toe—triple toe combination. Nowadays a popped lutz or salchow feels more heavy, more dire. Two-footed landings or spins that never seem to go beyond a level four seem to bring forth more consequences. 

But nonetheless, they find a way to carry on. 

Mornings are simple and straight forward — in which Annie hits the snooze button and proceeds to stare up at the ceiling thinking about how tired she is, all while Armin gently snores beside her. 

Armin only wakes after Annie gets out of bed and begins making coffee. He trudges into the kitchen just as she tosses pre-ground beans into the machine because she can’t be bothered to buy an actual grinder. Armin will make breakfast out of whatever they can find in their fridge as Annie tries to rub the remnants of sleep from her eyes. 

They chat as they work around each other, usually about shows they’ve watched, new restaurants they’d like to try, or whatever’s going on between the Leafs and the Canadiens now. They try not to discuss work, but on the cusp of the upcoming season the topic of their Grand Prix assignments is inevitable.

Armin’s tackling Skate America and the Grand Prix of Finland, competitions that will bring him to Lake Placid and Helsinki specifically. Meanwhile, Annie has Skate Canada and the Cup of China. While the former will only cost her a train ride to Montreal, the latter is bringing her all the way to Chongqing. As she stirs sugar into her coffee, she already dreads the inevitable plane ticket costs. 

The upside is that Skate Canada will give her an excuse to visit her hometown, to hop the river to Laval and visit her old man. Maybe even stroll by her childhood rink if she has the time. 

The two eat breakfast in silence before preparing for the rest of their day. Annie wonders just when she’ll find the time to clean her dirty skates as she loads them into her bag, the once white leather now covered in a medley of dark scuffs. In contrast, Armin packs a lot lighter, leaving his boots and roller bag in the closet as he slips a water bottle into his backpack.

The last thing Annie does before leaving the apartment is pour a hefty serving of coffee into her travel mug. Once that’s done she and Armin are both out the door. 

Throughout the brief elevator ride she sees her and Armin’s reflections in the mirrors on the walls. She takes note of certain things like his blond bangs obscuring the deadened look in his eyes or her usual bun looking particularly unruly.

They go their separate ways once the elevator reaches the lobby. Armin kisses Annie goodbye just after the door opens, pecking her cheek.

“I’ll see you later,” he says like a promise.

And as pressed-for-time as she is, Annie lets herself watch him until he disappears out the building’s front door. Once he’s gone she presses another button and lets the lift take her to the car park below.

The drive from Scarborough to North York is uneventful, Annie periodically sipping her coffee the whole way. By now the sun is just starting to rise, bringing the Toronto skyline into view so it can greet her like an old friend. 

Early-morning radio does little to keep her awake, so instead she lets her thoughts drift and ponder as to what Armin might be doing now. She can already imagine him on the crowded Toronto subway, sitting next to a stranger with his headphones jammed over his ears, listening to the music for this season’s programs. His commute to physio is accompanied by sweeter, more youthfully earnest excerpts of Mahler's Symphony No. 5.

Meanwhile she’s here, alone in her old Toyota as the sound of talk radio mixes with that of typical GTA traffic.

Things seem to change once she pulls into the rink’s parking lot. As she makes her way across the concrete, she is no longer concerned with her significant other, the ungodly hour, or just how long she’ll last until she needs more coffee. Instead her mind is preoccupied by thoughts of axels and lutzes and loops. 

…

…

…

As to be expected, her session is difficult. Coach Zeke never holds back, managing to find the perfect balance between pushing her to her limits and keeping her from the point of utter exhaustion.

On top of her Grand Prix assignments, she has a few more Challenger events to attend. Third place at the Cranberry Cup is a much better result than both she and Zeke could have asked for, but even with Nebelhorn awaiting her in a week’s time there’s still plenty of work to be done. 

So she works on her loop, an element that she’s struggled with ever since she began jumping triples.

At least her lutz has never let her down, even on the days where she two-foots her triple axel landing or stumbles during a step sequence. As Annie glides across the rink, the ever-present Coach Zeke in the corner, she unfailingly finds her back outside edge and drives her toe pick into the ice, effortlessly propelling herself through the air and completing all three turns before landing.  

When she’s done running through all her planned jumps for both her programs, she meets Zeke at the edge of the ice and he gives his honest feedback. With him fully sold on her idea to have White Swan inspired short and a Black Swan inspired free, the biggest thing he grills her on is her combinations. 

As clean as her lutz is, Zeke is dead set on using her trickier triple lutz-triple salchow combo for the short, utilizing her more consistent triple lutz-triple toe in the latter half of the free. In regards to her triple axel, he deems the hardest jump as better off uncombined.

She listens and nods along, motivated by both the faith she has in her coach and by how unwilling she is to argue at this ungodly hour. 

By the end of the session Annie is exhausted and she’s not sure if it’s because her coffee hasn’t fully kicked in or because she fell on her salchow landing. She chugs what remains in her travel cup as she makes her way to the change room. 

She chats with Hitch as her fellow rinkmate stretches. Sprawled on the floor in a full split, Hitch very casually discusses how Annie should really consider switching from Coach Zeke to Coach Nile — her testament to the latter’s skill being how quickly her triple flip—double toeloop combo has been improving.

Annie listens, but only half-heartedly. As she unlaces her skates and takes in the noise of Hitch’s usual smalltalk, the only thing on her mind is how quickly she can find her next source of caffeine. 

She leaves the change room with her bag slung over her shoulder, passing Porco and Pieck on the way. The pairs skaters are currently using the rink’s hallway to practice one of their lifts, Porco’s hand on Pieck’s waist as he carries her into the air with one arm and effortlessly keeps her aloft.

“Morning, Annie!” Pieck greets in a chipper tone. 

Annie looks up to see her rinkmate literally looking down on her, the darker haired girl smirking playfully as her partner holds her in the air. 

“Morning,” Annie replies in a dull, tired voice. Even now her voice sounds gravely, as she's really had no good reason to speak until now. She continues to make her way towards the door. “See you later.”

The sun is fully in the sky by the time Annie gets back to her car. She sits in the driver’s seat as she checks her phone for the first time in a while, as Zeke’s ‘No-Phones-At-Practice’ rule has no exceptions. 

As to be expected, Armin had sent her multiple pictures of his day as if to document the whole thing — pictures of his physio clinic’s waiting room captioned with a joke about the vertebrae in his lower back, his second subway ride to York University’s campus, and the coffee he picked up somewhere in between. How Armin manages to juggle training and a biology degree has always eluded Annie, but then again she has very similar thoughts as to how he manages to land the majority of his quad combinations. 

Lunch at a nearby diner goes by in a flash, wherein Annie eats a chicken sandwich with small bites and scrolls aimlessly through her phone. Post-practice is usually when she browses the endless stream of brainrotting, algorithmically curated social media posts, anything to just feel something.

Annie peruses the various clips and pictures of her fellow figure skaters, not just the ones from the North York Skating Club.

The area ice dancers seem to be in good shape, judging by the clips and pictures posted by the main teams that train at her rink. On one hand, Mikasa and Jean have opted for a medley of Debussy’s works for their free dance, a perfect compliment to their more graceful and balletic way of skating. La Cathédrale Engloutie and Reflets Dans L'eau are not tunes Annie often sees in competition, but perhaps it’s fitting for such a team considering how often she’s heard commentators laud Mikasa and Jean for flowing free like water.

But on the other hand, Sasha and Connie have decided to show off clips of their campy rhythm dance as a prelude to the season, choreography Annie swears she's seen in her high school production of Grease. Apparently, this year’s theme of “50s, 60s, and 70s” felt like it was tailor made for Sasha and Connie.

The last clips Annie checks out are of Historia Reiss, whose recent coaching switch is proving to be fruitful. Her choice to move to Ottawa had shocked their little corner of Toronto, as many were convinced that training under Erwin Smith was fitting for her. But judging by the reel Historia skating in an unfamiliar rink and the ease of which she enters and exits her combined jumps, training under Nanaba Kaspar was one of the best choices she’s ever made. 

Annie tries not to think too hard about it as she exits the diner and finds her car again. She tries to enjoy the sun in the sky and not let footage of Historia’s impeccable triple lutz-triple flip combo haunt her for the rest of the day.

Physio goes by quickly as well, Dr. Rheinberger poking and prodding at Annie’s aching muscles like she’s a science experiment. Despite being praised for her soft knee bend, her right one in particular has been aching her ever since she began skating senior. Perhaps it’s a testament of age, despite Annie barely being 21. 

Dr. Rheinberger is a small, petite woman, just like Annie, but speaks with the attitude of someone twice her size. 

She asks if Annie's been doing all her recommended stretches — to which the skater can only reply with a “Yes,” “No,” or “Kinda.”

The sternness in Dr. Rheinberger’s eyes give Annie the impression that she’s being judged, but she tries not to take it personally.

Annie leaves the clinic with just enough time to make one more stop. The cafe next door is a familiar place where speakers play a constant setlist of steel-string jazz guitar. She buys enough coffee to refill her travel cup and a donut to help her refuel, a treat she nibbles on as she drives back to the rink.

…

…

…

Not once did Annie see herself ever becoming a coach. Yet once afternoon rolls around she’s suddenly bracing herself to explain the ins and outs of crossovers, waltz jumps, and scratch spins. 

The whole thing had initially been Pieck’s idea, as her and Porco’s usual teaching gig had necessitated the help of another instructor. Apparently demand for youth skating lessons were at an all time high, as every child in the city seemed keen on chasing their dreams across the ice. Porco and Pieck decided to extend the opportunity to her. For what reason she didn’t know, but perhaps every other broke skater with rent due at the end of the month had better things to do than spend an afternoon chasing children around a dingy rink.

Regardless of how she actually got the job, twice a week children from all around the GTA will file into the North York Skating Club — some excited to be here, others not so much — and Annie will assist the lesson to the best of her abilities. 

It helps that Pieck and Porco do most of the talking, often greeting the parents and children with a smile and even helping the little ones pull on their rental skates. It leaves Annie free to chug the rest of her late afternoon coffee before lacing up her dirty-ass boots yet again.

Today Annie works alongside a student named Zofia Zawisza, who resembles Annie in both the shade of her eyes and the shape of her nose, of all things. She is only slightly shorter than Annie despite being half her age, a fact that Annie tries not to let bother her.

Instead she focuses on helping Zofia through her jumps — the girl has a solid single toeloop and salchow, but seems to struggle with her loop, lutz, and flip.

Annie will never admit it, but Zofia happens to be one of her favourite kids to teach, mainly because the younger girl seems genuinely interested in proper technique, as opposed to spending the afternoon causing chaos on the rink. She appears to actually listen to Annie's explanations as to why a deep lutz edge is so important.

In contrast, Porco and Pieck are preoccupied with the rest of the class. Porco makes good use of his pairs skater muscles by picking Falco Grice off the ice, dusting snow off the kid’s knees in the aftermath of yet another failed toeloop. Meanwhile, Pieck is chasing little Gabi Braun down the rink and trying to keep her with the rest of the class.

Considering that school has started up again, Annie isn’t surprised to see certain students in dire need to burn off their pent-up energy. It reminds her of how she was at that age, wherein the endless hours she’d spend at a little classroom in Laval could only be tolerated by the promise of rink time in the afternoon — back then she lived to skate slightly more than she skated to live. And even if the pain of failed toeloops were particularly gruelling, she could usually force herself to the end by the promise of a shitty, watered-down hot cocoa from the concession stand.

Memories of her past fade as Zofia attempts another jump, which she technically lands but not without touching her hand to the ice. The entrance is good with a noticeable back outside edge, but the exit could use some work. Nonetheless, Annie skates over and helps Zofia up, assuring her that she’s on her way to a solid lutz. 

Before Annie knows it her ninety minutes of playing coach ends. Soon the parents of the students are either filing back into the rink or getting up from the stands after having watched the lesson from the start. Soon Gabi is leaping off the ice and Falco is awkwardly following. Soon Annie’s telling Zofia to keep practicing off-ice and that she’ll see them next week. 

The instructors follow the children as they move off the rink and into the changing area, where their parents kneel on the ground to help them out of their ill-fitting rental skates or hug them after an excellent lesson.

Annie ends up sitting in a corner of the space with Pieck and Porco, who are inevitably as exhausted as she is after a long day of training, physio, and attempting to earn an honest dollar in the expensive sport of figure skating. 

…

…

…

1st PASS COMPLETE

The sun begins to set as Annie drives home. Even now she can already sense the days getting shorter, a sign that the remnants of summer will soon disappear and in its place will be fall and winter. Sleep plagues her eyes as she arrives at Scarborough — passing things like the Thai restaurant she and Armin frequent and the cafe they habitually grab croissants from every weekend. 

The next few moments go by in a blur, in which the most prominent thought in her mind is whether there’s still some leftover pad see ew in the fridge. She drives into her building's parking garate and pulls into a vacant spot. She grabs her needlessly heavy bag from the car and finds the elevator. The aging duffle filled with her skates and extra sweaters feels heavier than when she packed it this morning. 

The elevator ride is slow and through it all Annie lacks the energy to even look at herself in the mirror on the wall. She gets to her floor and walks to her unit, the strap of her bag digging uncomfortably into her shoulder. 

Upon opening the door she is greeted by many things — like the darkening Toronto skyline just outside her window, the fancy rug her father gifted her as a housewarming present, and the scent of Armin’s cooking wafting through the apartment. 

As Annie sets her bag down and drops her keys in the bowl, the sound of Armin’s voice enters the space.

“Hey!” 

“Hi,” she replies, not even bothering to hide her exhaustion at this point. She removes her coat, shoes, and bag and puts them all in the closet. She gets a glimpse of her dirty skates as she closes the door, promising that one day she’ll clean them even if the day is not today. 

With her now-empty travel coffee cup in hand, she walks towards the kitchen. 

Standing by the stove, Armin is making what appears to be shrimp scampi seasoned with garlic, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. He seasons the meal with the same kind of dramatic flair she’s seen in the cooking shows he loves so much. 

“Hungry?”

“Not really,” Annie says as she places her empty coffee cup into the dishwasher. “I’m gonna shower.” 

Armin nods. “I’ll save you some.”

“Thank you.”

A hot, lengthy shower soothes her aching muscles, wherein she washes her hair and runs handfuls of suds over her body. Once she’s done she steps out, dries off, and rubs rose-scented lotion into her skin. Leaving her hair to air dry, she pulls a bathrobe over her frame and exits the bathroom. As she walks to the bedroom she sees Armin settling on the couch for the night, kicking his feet up on the ottoman as yet another cooking show plays on TV.

In the bedroom she changes into sweat pants and an old hoodie she had been gifted years ago, a garment she had picked up at her first Junior Grand Prix Final. It’s always amused her that the old bronze medal she won as a fourteen-year-old now resides in some drawer at her father’s house, yet the free sweater she’d been handed has stayed with her even to this day. 

Annie yawns as she returns to the living room, making her way to the couch. She plops herself right next to Armin, easily settling her head on his shoulders as she sighs against his touch. A part of her had missed him all day, a part that only came out when she wasn’t twizzling across the ice or explaining the mechanics behind a loop jump.

On instinct Armin puts his arm around her, holding Annie even closer as he watches footage of a woman in a picturesque French country kitchen cooking pasta with an ungodly amount of olive oil.

“The shrimp’s still in the kitchen if you want it,” Armin offers, his voice a gentle whisper. 

Annie shakes her head, instead opting to close her eyes and breathe out. She relaxes for what feels like the first time today. 

Despite everything that lies ahead of them — more early morning sessions, more Challenger competitions, and their looming Grand Prix assignments — the rest of their evening continues in peace.

[lines-on-ice]

Fics Masterlist

Works list on AO3 :

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naelia/works

Yuri!!! On Ice Fandom :

Completed :

Dance the Night Away :

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59849539

Sara has a surprise for her girlfriend that she won't spoil for anyone - not even you ;)

Inspired byBlended-ice 's art - see Begginning notes

The Chocolate Guy : https://archiveofourown.org/works/45342445

""I can't wait to see next season, I bet he has so many surprises in store…"

Yuuri is now finishing up the Chantilly, and setting it to cool, closing the refrigerator with a dreamy sigh that doesn’t escape Phichit’s notice. He smirks, pulling out his phone while asking:

"Speaking of the next season of 'The Chocolate School'... On a scale from one to 'I'm packing my bags right now', how much would you like to be in it?"

----

Viktor Nikiforov is The Chocolate Guy, undisputed ruler of the pastry world, Chocolatier Extraordinaire and Yuuri's inspiration. But it is one thing to emulate his idol's creations in his own kitchen, and a whole other deal to end up meeting him in person participating in his TV show..."

Our Melody : https://archiveofourown.org/works/43290984

"He hears a bright note, then another. He hears them again, the same two notes, as he is entering a layback spin, and even in dreaming, he smiles. He knows what it means.

-

An AU where soulmates hear the same music in their heads. An AU where Victor is notoriously Tune Deaf and can't hear anything like that."

Magic in the Air : https://archiveofourown.org/works/45095416

"Yuri snorts, taking the wooden spoon out of the caldron and waving his hand to magic out the flames under the recipient. Viktor is already disposing the glass vials next to it, ready to be filled with tonight’s potion.

“Yeah, right. You don’t like this house, Viktor, you just like the neighbor. You’re always flirting with him. And that’s disgusting, by the way, stop it.”

An AU starting at Halloween and ending on Valentine's day. The best stories are made of magic, aren't they?"

[Explicit] Stinging Rain : https://archiveofourown.org/works/47901193

""Color, Vitya?”

The sub turns his neck this way and that to relieve some of the tension. Next thing will be new, something they’ve been discussing lately and something Viktor is very curious to try. Anticipation makes his skin prickle and he nods swiftly:

“Green. Very green.”

A hand under his skull lifts his head up and soft lips press to his own, before Yuuri murmurs against them.

“Good.”

Or: Victor and Yuuri celebrate Pride discovering New Kinks.

For Yuri on the Web Discord Pride Event 2023 - Contains exclusive fan art."

Queen Mila, Driver of Passion : https://archiveofourown.org/works/49831387

""The Queen once again turned her attention to the roses she had been sitting next to. The vibrant purple of their petals was the exact same shade of her lover’s eyes, and Oh! How she longed for her sweet embrace."

Mila, Queen of the Kingdom of Hearts, is the Driver of Passion. Yet, her own passion has taken over her heart and she now longs for the One She Loves...

For the Yuri On Cards collaboration"

Knight Sara, Borrower of Sorrow : https://archiveofourown.org/works/49831570

"Unthinkingly, her hand reached out to the Red Rose that adorned her dark hair. Her fingers traced every petal in a well-practiced manner.

Sara is the Knight of Sorrows, destined to fight other's sorrows, but could she still find happiness?

For the Yuri On Cards collaboration"

Until My Feet Bleeds And My Heart Aches - Official French Translation : https://archiveofourown.org/works/11333628

Ongoing :

You Are The Star I Am Dancing For : https://archiveofourown.org/works/51452398

"Yuuri sighs and locks his phone to put it back in his pocket. He really doesn’t like that his friend seems to worry more about his reaction to last week’s debacle than about the incident itself. Since Monday night, Phichit simply act as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, remaining his bouncy chipper self, eager to dance whatever it is they have to dance to this week, and every bit as confident in their ability as the first day they met and he had declared in front of the camera that he couldn’t have had a better partner to win this thing.

How Yuuri hates having let him down so thoroughly…

“We were almost eliminated, Phichit.”

----

A Dancing With The Stars AU where some characters are still skaters but others are pro dancers... Yuuri gets to compete with Victor! Hop in to see how it goes...

The fic is rated Explicit for a smut chapter that will come (very) later on and will be fully signaled in the previous chapter. If any other adulty content happens (again, in later chapter) it will be fully signaled in beginning notes and in the chapter itself to be skipped.

Contains original ART by YOI artists!

- Updates Monthly-ish -"

Write Me In C Major - Official French Translation : https://archiveofourown.org/works/11722560 - hiatus from original author

[sesmantelar]

about to finish the onboarding process for one of the agencies close to home. then I will work on my paper for this class. I finished reading Please Look After Mom and I cried so so hard at this book. 10/10. or maybe I just feel every good book I read is a /10. I won't know unless I keep reading more books - forever in the pursuit of joy, deep emotion and knowledge. I'm very close to finishing Outofshapeworthlessloser and I believe I am over half way through Attached. Once I finish Attached, I will have to find a way to take notes or something though. All of these books I'm reading are beneficial to me and my mental health and I can feel concepts finally started to solidify/make sense. but to bring it all together, I really want it in one centralized location you know? If only I had all of my days free. I would be able to get so much more of what I strongly desire accomplished. but my life will be that way in my 30s, which are fast approaching. im struggling to get in the habit and mood of studying for school. I need to remember the commitment of doing a class every 1.5 weeks. this gives me 3 more days to finish this class. so far it's not hard, but my brain seems to want to shut down when it comes to academic reading vs reading for pleasure. This week I will decide on a final plan that I must stick to for my nose job. I am three weeks away if I stick with this date. it's insane and the time is only going to fly even faster but that's exactly why I need to commit and stand ten toes down on my final decision. I guess the underlying theme of this week is always standing ten toes down on every decision I make. I'm learning my layback spin and despite me being in my expected summer figure skating slump (the period in which my routine feels mundane and boring and my skating seems to suffer only for it to come back better and stronger). When I am centering the spin, sometimes I don't fully commit to standing straight on my left leg. when I do, it tends to land on the spinning spot much better. but this solid foundation and commitment to holding steady is absolutely necessary in order to then assume the layback position. im still learning, and I'm nowhere near leaned all the way back, but I have found that when I fully stand straight, engage my quads/posteriorchain/fully activate all my muscles to hold the hip forward position - the flex of my right foot and the lean back - the spin force catches me and I am able to hold at least three revolutions. I know what I want and im chasing it. and im standing ten toes down on my future decisions. gorgeous nj and glow this summer. insane body recomposition. long thick healthy 4a hair. always manicured. financially free. remote income of 10k after taxes without nursing involved. art and harpist as valid sources of income. based in Zurich or any other Swiss city I fall in love with. data analysis degree by 25. masters acceptance, visa and tuition by next summer. completely out of debt in two years. gold level figure skater in freestyle and dance.

[seconddoubt]

GROUP 2

kimmy really gets more and more elegant every year, she could almost give a little shaky bambi vibes a couple years ago with her long limbs, but no more! het layback spin was soo gorgeous!

mone's last dance is such a happy pill, i think she has executed it with a more relaxed and effortlessly joyous expression before, but still, wondeful! and as a side note, i love that we have two lovely donna summer programs this year with alysa's free as well! 💖

amber's 3a gets better and better each time doesnt it, such height! this program has cool components, the music is great, the hand movements in the first spin makes such a fun effect, and I think this is one of very few programs where the cartwheel actually fits, still, i find it lacking in parts but i couldn't tell you why.

for rinka i really, really wish they'd move the change in the music til after her last jump so she could really mark the change as it happens instead of doing a bunch of stuff the same as before and then suddenly acknowledge it in the step sequence.

ive been a gubs bot of sorts since first i saw her, i've said she moves so beautifully id be enchanted just watching her skate crossovers round and round the rink, well I'd rather watch that than this mess of a program, sorry about the jumps but please get a better program.

literally have nothing to add about chaeyeons skating, she is perfection, this is such an engaging program, if I could add a teeny little wish it has nothing to do with choreography or execution, just i think the costume would be even better with black boot covers.

cup of china, womens sp

GROUP 1

i missed zhu yi :c sad about hongyi bc she really moves beautifully, hope to see her go clean with this program in the future.

minchae unfortunately rushed the program so she kept missing the musical accents which are so important for a tango. and as much as i love maddie, I do not like this program on her at all, why does she keep forcing this stiff smile, even in the bits of music where a smile isn't even appropriate?

xiangyi was wonderful, so musical and fluid, with greater skating skills with more speed she could go real far i think.

unfortunately i missed rion bc puppy had to poo, but happy she did well. how incredible is that dress!!

[allekha]

Today, let's talk about Rudy Galindo.

His victory at the US Championships in 1996 is an underdog story if figure skating ever had one. It’s an iconic performance that could easily be the climax of a movie without changing a thing.

In 1996, Galindo arrived at Nationals without having won it since his days as a novice, or even having stood on the podium since he was a junior. (In singles, that is - he and Kristi Yamaguchi also skated pairs and were double national champions together.) He'd had some success as a junior - bronze, then silver, then gold at junior Worlds, the last the year before he and Yamaguchi also took the title in pairs - but once he and Yamaguchi split for good, he spent years without any big international assignments, with a best of fifth place at Nationals. By this competition, he was 26, old enough for people to start remarking on his age.

That wasn't the only disadvantage he had working against him, though. First, after years of feeling like the judges were biased against him for being too camp and because of his Mexican heritage, he had come out as gay in a book published just days before. It was a bold move in a judged sport rife with homophobia and with very few active competitors who were out at the time.

Second, while skating demands large amounts of money, Galindo was lacking it. In the run-up to 1996, he was given zero funding or encouragement from USFS. He biked to the rink because he couldn't afford a car; his sister started coaching him for free and helped to cover some of his expenses.

And lastly, he'd been through enough personal tragedy for a lifetime in only a few years. In 1989, his and Yamaguchi's coach died of AIDS complications. In 1993, his father passed from a heart attack; in 1994, his brother, who he helped nurse, also died of AIDS; and in 1995, yet another coach of his died from AIDS as well. No wonder he needed to take an eight-month break from training after 1995 Nationals.

But the 1996 championships were in his hometown. And Galindo decided that he wanted to give everyone a performance they wouldn't forget, not one they would cheer for just because he was the local competitor.

Spectators at practice sessions noted a composed confidence in Galindo, and he carried that through his short program. He was not the fastest skater on the ice, but his performance was enough to land him in third place (apparently to boos from the crowd, who thought he should be higher).

For his free skate, he wore a costume that not even the most conservative judge could object to, and skated to one of the most standard pieces of music in all of figure skating: Swan Lake. Galindo's Swan Lake was unique, though, in that rather than a swan or a prince, he characterized himself instead as the evil wizard Rothbart.

Though he was last to skate, he betrayed no hint of nerves as he started his program, striking a few dramatic poses before landing a smooth 3A3T that made the commentators exclaim aloud. The bombastic opening section merged into a calmer one, where he showed off his flexibility:

And man, remember dramatically held spread eagles in big circles?

The music went light and playful, and Galindo became light with it, completing each jump and then continuing through his choreography with ease and grace:

In the last minute of the program, you can see him begin to smile to himself as his movements become celebratory.

He even took a moment to wave to someone in the audience :)

He finished his program with the traditional spin, showing off his nice layback position while the audience started to cheer and then didn’t really stop. Those who were there say that people were on their feet for him before he was done skating.

As he came off the ice, he hugged his sister, before he turned his head and shouted upward to convey his love to some of those he had lost. When the technical marks were announced, the crowd didn’t just scream their heads off - they started to chant their opinion for the artistic ones: SIX. SIX. SIX. SIX. SIX.

Two of the judges agreed, and the rest placed him high enough to win over the favorite, Todd Eldredge. And Rudy Galindo, the twenty-six-year-old who had never stood on the senior podium at Nationals or been sent to any major competition as a singles skater, who was bearded and Hispanic and gay, was now the US men's champion.

(He's often cited as 'the oldest in 70 years'; however, this number seems to be closer to 60, going back to Roger Turner, and he was only a few months older than Tickner was in 1980. Still an impressive accomplishment!)

His exhibition was a tribute to those he and so many others had lost to the AIDS crisis, the theme made loud and clear by his simple costume consisting only a black suit with a large red AIDS awareness ribbon around his neck.

At his first and only senior Worlds in men's singles, he won the bronze medal. Following this successful season, he considered making a run for the Olympics, but instead retired to the pro and show circuit, always receiving a very warm welcome from the audience. I highly recommend his pro program to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which yeah, is pretty gay and always makes me tear up at this moment:

Despite his struggles with depression and addiction, and an HIV diagnosis in 2000, nowadays he seems to be doing well. He works as a choreographer and has become a coach, and he often posts proud videos of his students.

[yuzu-all-the-way]

FaOI Makuhari Day 3 (live) - Impressions

The long-awaited live stream. After a sleepless night because there was no way to contain my excitement for 'pro athlete Hanyu Yuzuru' back in the public eye, I finally got everything under control when the guy sneakily showed up in the middle of the skaters.

It was odd not to hear him being introduced right away and it was even odder to him being introduced BEFORE his trademark opening 4T. Luckily, I had the satisfying moment of hearing 'Yuzuru-4T-Hanyu' in FaOI Makuhari 2022.

I said I wouldn't judge the OP and Finale costumes until I've seen them in motion. Well, now I have. The OP costume is definitely acceptable on Yuzu and I already expressed my love for those weird-ish pants last year. I can't say I'm overly fond of the OP music, but it is what it is and there are definitely some fun choreography parts. The green parts of the costume glow in the dark, so I guess for the audience in the venue it's a pretty cool visual.

Once the OP was out of the way, more than 2 hours I had to struggle to stay awake. One criticism about the show as a whole, it should have more female skaters, some of the men are cool, but some are really not up to it anymore, so, please, just get more women for FaOI next year. And put them also on the poster.

It should be noted that this year's announcer, you know, the guy that introduces the skaters, was not the usual one. This guy was much blander, but damn, Yuzu's intro was spot on. Double Olympic gold medalist, super slam achiever AND solo-ice-show holder and producer who filled out the Tokyo Dome. Of course I couldn't understand the entire thing, but Tokyo Dome I could hear loud and clear.

There's not one bit of If's choreography that I don't like. It's such a complex, perfectly balanced skating-dancing program, emotions could've been a bit clearer, but I'll take what I can get. I re-watched this program countless times before I finally made up my mind to GIF it. It was such a cool thing to do because I could pin-point so many small, on-beat, perfect moves. And, also, I could see that jewelry has a knack of leaving Yuzu.

Last year, it was the bracelet flying off when the holy paper cup was yeeted, now, the Phiten gold-winged necklace abandoned Yuzu. Although it tried its best to hold on, Yuzu's insane hip-hop on ice moves were too strong for the poor wing.

Apart from this small incident which Yuzu himself appeared not to have noticed, the performance was such a success. Yuzu catches every beat of the music, he uses the melodic line for ample moves and the rapping parts for short, fast, precise moves. I strongly encourage you to check out the entire program and every time there's the beat, watch Yuzu's feet and/or arms. Those are the ones skillfully used either together or separately to get that flow going.

I haven't yet found the right words to properly describe how much I admire Yuzu's commitment to further improving himself and creating programs that are very unusual for figure skating. I just can't get over him starting If with a camel spin and ending with a full split AND with the torso bent forward. The audacity of this man to show off his flexibility like that...

One thing I don't particularly like about If... the music. But even that is growing on me now.

The Finale left me a bit disappointed. The song really doesn't do anything for me, the choreography is so weird - and yes, I understand it's a choreo that's been popular in Japan some years ago, but it's still iffy. Nevertheless, you have to appreciate how hard it is to hop on ice one-footed - lots of skaters seem to struggle with it, but Yuzu's doing fine (as if that's a surprise). The solo part is cute, Yuzu's usual intricate footwork that I can only marvel at. I miss the layback spin, though, that was done on Day 1 and shared via TvAsahi's figure skating tiktok account.

Now about that costume... I really don't have much to say about it, but I've learnt to appreciate it makes it easy to count abs. In any case, the finale was okayish, but not the grand finale I'd have expected. Oh, let me mention the wardrobe malfunction: Yuzu's top was unzipped in the back and appeared to be held with a safety pin. Did he break the zipper while changing in 2.12 minutes?

Anyway, there were several cute moments and a very high-tension one. I have no words for the latter, so I'll just post the video.

4T3A-Eu-3S-3Lo (step out) - unhinged combination that was done after a very long preparation time. Yuzu was checking his axis, skating around the rink, approximating distance, the usual math he does on the spot.

And the cute moments - Yuzu cutely shushing the crowd before encouraging them to cheer for the artists, Yuzu finally realizing he lost the wing necklace when Shizuka gave it back, Yuzu trolling everyone with his 'little soldier' walk (as if he'd leave without ARIGATO-ing)...

Ah, Fantasy on Ice 2023 Makuhari. A gem.

This will have to be sustenance enough because the next broadcast is the Kobe Day 3 live which is the very last show of the tour. I'm mad at this and Fuji TV is to blame.

[s4kasaki]

hi nay (*´▽`*) ww it may be a little early for this but may i request ice skating hcs with the undead boys? tysm in advance >_<

hello!? this is such a really cute, LIKE YOU'RE A GENIUS for sending this in the beginning of winter, <3 starting winter right with undead♪

♡ — ice skating with undead.

‣ tws/cws: swearing on kogas part!

‣ reader: gender neutral - they/them

‣ author's note: nothing but soft koga <3

☆ — REI.

how sweet~ you insisted on spending time with the elder little vampire who's blood was already colder than ice, by inviting him to a day of ice-skating?

He actually is not familiar participating in the activity. ( he stays inside too much to even go out for something of the sort- )

He has seen ice skating done before: from Kaoru. A bunch of times really, but he can't find a single reason why skating in a cold setting is considered anything suitable for a date. Especially for somebody such as himself. Hell! He'd freeze to death for real in that place.

And you'd have to pay the price by hearing him whine, plus be required to spend extra time with him inside his coffin to keep him warm for the whole day afterward!

Though, the thought was what mattered, right? And he was settled with that. He loved hearing and attempting the things you loved so how could he say no to that?

So needless to say, he absolutely sucked at it, he could barely balance himself on the blades for a minute before slipping on the rink or bumping face-forward into the wall- ouch!

It took him a while to get the hang of it completely, but after some practice and a lot of falling, he did it. Even if Kaoru might've even helped him learn.

He even learnt how to do an layback and upright spin––something you could not, which you refused to admit

If he falls over, he definitely waits for you to come pick him up. He won't say it, he'll just sit there and wait for you to come help him back on his feet! An easy ticket for him to interlock his hands with yours to surprise you into a dance on the ice, right?

And he just laughed at you in awe. “Hm, oh? Aw, thank you, dear.”

You swooned at his words, they were as always as endearing as the next, complimenting how good you are.

Even if he didn't find the appeal of it at first, he got so deep into it he asked to do it with you again when he had the time. But this time--lets go during midnight, alright?

☆ — KAORU.

He was the one who indicated the invite! What could be better than taking his favorite person in the whole wide world to something that he was particularly interested in?

He's unbelievably good at skating, the first time you saw him he looked elegant with every motion he made on the ice and you were truly mesmerized.

Very energetic on ice, and it shows.

Insisted on getting you both to wear matching skates that he has designed himself–– gold with little roses printed on it, they shine through the light causing reflections of many mini rainbows on the rink.

He's an absolute show off — always doing moves that only someone who's improved to the point you could even call them professional, could do them perfectly. He likes to see your face when he's performing these tricks! If you stare too long he is bound to run towards you and pick you up before you can even snap back to reality to notice you're in mid-air.

It gets to the point where he becomes an actual threat in skates. He'll swoop you up like a child and go around as fast he knows possible on the rink, reassuring you everything is gonna be fine! and he knows exactly what he's doing, he's done it before!

But, oh how you wish you could slam his flirtatious little face against the ice the two of you slid upon. Because next thing you know––he's spinning around, jumping, going backward: and you're getting so painfully dizzy It hurts your brain.. and you accidentally just FLUNG out of his grip

“ah?!— I'm so so sorry, love!”

After that, he refused to pick you up again for a while–– and decided maybe.. holding their hand would be a lot safer.

☆ — KOGA.

Didn't expect the invitation.

no. damn. clue in his RIGHT mind. Why you find this "sport" interesting, even if he feels that way––he’d expect it from you no doubt.

You always seemed to have this sort of thing for winter, you get much more excited when snow is falling from the sky, the temperature is below 0° and it's so... cute to him in a way he refuses to believe.

When everything is frozen, and lakes are perfect to skate across! He wasn't even aware you were into this type of thing. Seeing you on ice was rather beautiful! You knew so many tricks that he wanted to try them all out. scratching hearts in the ice with your skates was one of the few he found so very cool and thought: could you make a star?

The moment he gets on the ice, he falls but he quickly catches himself on all fours like a cat instead of a dog. And he's rather bitter about messing up so many times, he's not patient. one. bit.

“Hey! you never told me you could do this type of thing, do you expect me to easily learn how to do this shit!?”

In other words, he's indirectly asking for you to help him learn how to, he's absolutely willing if he gets to see you perform those cool tricks you did and eventually learn how to do them himself. Maybe even become better than you so there can be some admirable competition.

“Koga-kun, I wouldn't expect you to actually find this interesting.” you laugh, picking him up from the cold floor, holding his gloved hands in your own.

“It's cool I guess-- ya' pretty good at it for a little nobody.” he joked, laughing at you when you gasped at the compliment that progressed into an insult. “We're ya always that damn good on ice?” he asked, with curiosity.

Beginning to drag him alongside you on the ice to give him a start of pace, slowly moving together with one step at a time, and he was enjoying every second of it--the warmth of your hand against his own. it's so soothing. ♪

“Well for your information! No-- I used to be terrible like you, I was just motivated to teach myself more” you began to spin, not letting go of his hand as he let you carry him for this one time and one time only!

☆ — ADONIS.

He loves the idea of ice skating with you, another memorable and fun time the two of you can share! So he thought, why not?

He's never done this with somebody else before--he worries he won't be good but that's what you expect right? But you were flabbergasted when he actually gave it a shot

His balance is off the charts amazing for a beginner, He tries to mimic your every move to the best of his ability, he doesn't fall much and it surprised you since he's never gone skating before on ice.

Now if you're about to fall over, he's very quick to rescue you in the nick of time! Which you're very grateful for.

He thinks your wobbling on the ice sometimes is cute! Please allow him to hold your hand, it's something he wants to try but is too nervous to commit to it.

Such a supporting person to do this with! He helps you, you help him.

And when he doesn't skate or is taking a break, he's watching you! He loves watching you skate and he loves to take notes on how your skating techniques and to try to copy them. eventually to use that for a skate duo.

And that's one of his things he favourites, dancing on ice with you. It's so angelic to others at the rink watching the two of you sway on the ice. Him holding onto your hips doing spins and jumps, sort of similar to Kaoru being careless.

Unlike Kaoru, he's very careful to make sure you do not get hurt! he'd never be able to forgive himself if you did, very gentleman like (≧▽≦)

“Please hold onto me tight, I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself.”

and you just chuckled, face heating up already from the caring gesture. Today wasn't bad, it was anything from bad. It was more better than any day you've had in a long while ... And the feeling was mutual.

[sunskate]

KanaDai skating Phantom FD this season when he won silver at 2007 Worlds with a Phantom program:

So Kana saying Marina was conceiving their FD with Daisuke as the main character - this program is like a sequel?

(the commentator's ott but he notes that Daisuke's back layback spin in the men's event is unusual, and Brian Boitano just posted this 2 days ago saying no men do back laybacks anymore, and then Jason Brown answered him and did one in a story yesterday, but it's gooone 😩)

[softlyjiminie]

black swan | one

⇢ pairing(s): professional dancer!park jimin x figure skater!reader.

⇢ word count: 4.8K.

⇢ rating: 16+, mature.

⇢ genre: angst, eventual smut, fluff, e2l, fake dating!au, corrupted idol!au, dancer!au, figure skater!au.

⇢ summary: a life of skating was all you’d ever known, your heart craving the feeling of ice beneath your feet and the light brush of cool air against your skin under thousands of sparkling lights... what a shame, if only you’d known that one night, one accident could rip you from the life you’d grown to love, leaving your career in the unsteady hands of the prince of ballet, park jimin.

⇢ warning(s): please read for this chapter! angst, just a lot of vmon fluff, sports injury and mentions of blood!

⇢ author’s note(s): eeeep here it is everyone!! the first chapter of my new series!! ive worked super hard on this so im nervous and excited to share :( i hope you guys love it! feedback is greatly appreciated <3

⇢ series masterlist | next

alive.

if there was one word that you would use to describe this feeling, it would be alive. from the second the toepick of your skate touched the ice, your body would always come to light, energy surging through your veins as you drifted across the smooth surface of the rink. you belonged here, you were born here. this was was where you felt at home.

although the space was littered with other skaters, you believe yourself to be alone— the music of your heavily practiced routine filling your mind while you ready your position...head down, arm outstretched and fingertips pointed. rolling your shoulders, you clutch your hand to your chest as the chords of your original soundtrack blast through your thoughts, with a half turn you bend at the back, catching your skate while you twist your body into a layback spin— holding your skate to your head. “catch foot,” you whisper, following the notes of the song— butterfly. it was a short contemporary piece composed by your trainer which you had insisted on using for this competition. as the music flows, you release your grip on your skate and allow it to hit the ice, holding your arms out in a poised manner.

gliding across the ice, you dive into your next movement— the cantilever— bending at the knee and leaning backwards, skates out-turned. you know that move after would require the support from your partner, so you skip it in favour of saving it for the eyes of the judges. hydroblades were always a signature between he and yourself. the song hits a climax in your head, piano notes wafting through lost memories, tangled with practices of routines and you tumble effortlessly into the remaining steps like a flowing waterfall that never stops— the triple axel is the jump that comes after, a difficult manoeuvre through the air...but well known in the skating community as only a few have landed it in contest. skating forward, you put your power into the jump, leaping forward with only two and half rotations, saving the third for the competition and breathing a sigh of relief when you land backwards— just as planned. you move with the grace of a pure white swan, silently slipping into every move, spin and jump as you focus on only the sounds of your blade against the ice.

completing another full turn, you head straight into a sit spin— curling in on yourself as your body lowers to the cool surface of the ice. during a spin, you fyour blades dig into the ice as you come to a halt, exposing yourself to the world once again. breathing laboured from exertion, you outstretch your arms once more and imagine the final chords of your musical piece, ending your routine.

your attention is captured by a round of applause to your left, making you whip your head in search for the sound. a sweet grin graced your lips as you recognise the two men clapping away, causing you to skate over and rest your palms on the boarders of the rink.

“taehyungie,” you sing, leaning over the barriers to ruffle at the thick mass of unruly black locks that curl just above his eyes. the boy only laughs as he grabs your wrist and pulls you in for an awkward hug. his body is warmer compared to the ice, bringing you a sense of homely comfort that you recognise as familiar. “i missed you at practice just now,”

taehyung himself rolls his eyes making it his turn to ruffle your hair. “oh please, you hardly need me! you make a two man routine look good on its own!” he rambles excitedly, body leering over the barrier as if the ice is calling him. taehyung’s dark eyes flitter up to meet yours, an amused chuckle emulating from his lips at your jokingly unimpressed expression. “if i didn’t know any better, i’d think you were a solo skater—“

you huff, letting the corners of your lips twitch up into a small smile. “you know that i couldn’t ever do this without you, tae— i need you on the ice with me.” you poke at his cheek affectionately, your body lighting up as you spot namjoon, both yours and taehyung’s coach behind the latter. your skating partner catches the change in your expression, turning around to greet namjoon with a warm hug and kiss to the cheek.

yourself, taehyung and namjoon had known each other for as long as you could remember. you’d met taehyung at your very first skating lesson, in a beginners class when his hair was wild and untamed, a little boy with missing teeth and big bright eyes. as a little girl, you’d thought he’d gotten lost on his way to an ice hockey practice. at the time, namjoon’s father ran the skating company you started under— leaving his son in charge of the beginners class.

the three of you had grown up together; taehyung was your first kiss— promptly realising he wasn’t into girls right after you’d stolen a smooch on the swing set in your backyard after a practice (“yeah...YN, i’m gay.”). and even in high school, the two of you stalking namjoon around hallways as you teased a blushing taehyung about is growing crush on the lankier male. you cradled you’re jubilant friend as he cried when namjoon left for college, his light dimming a bit but you remembered crying harder when the three of you were united four years and a plethora of competitions, medals and skates later.

“well if it isn’t my favourite pair of skaters,” namjoon greets, tucking his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket that proudly shows off the logo of your skating company. “practicing again, YN?”

you see the amusement dancing in your coach’s eyes, he wouldn’t have put it past you to see you on the ice so early in the morning. you’d never relented with your skating, having pushed yourself to win two olympic medals by the time you were nineteen. you were an image of perfection in the skating world, not a scandal or downfall in your entire career— most would find such an achievement quite daunting— losing friends was made easy because of it... but you knew that you had taehyung and namjoon and the love of your family and company, you knew that with that you could achieve anything. “i have to, if i want to be better than taehyung...” you tease and tug on said male’s sleeve. “help me get him on the ice?”

namjoon presses a kiss into the depths of taehyung’s deep ocean locks, sending him off with a whisper that makes him run off to grab his skates before the elder approaches you. “little ice princess, i think i have a gift for you...” namjoon sings sweetly, pulling his phone from his back pocket as you lean over the barrier excitedly.

“you think?”

“i know.”

the elder holds out his device for you to see, the screen lighting up as an unfamiliar caller ID flashes across it. you raise your eyes hesitantly while your coach nods, smile reaching his eyes as you answer the call. a group of beaming faces decorate the screen and your own eyes dance across each and every one of them, recognising them as the boys and girls of moonchild skating company.

“YN!” the skaters cheer, waving excitedly amongst a sea of claps and giggles. “good, luck!”

“thanks you guys,” you whisper sweetly, sparing an appreciative glance at namjoon, you blow kisses to all of your fellow skaters thankfully. you note some of them to be from different ranks in your company; from beginners to juniors and some from different areas of competition— although your heart jumps slightly at the sight of one in particular. “jungkookie...”

“noona!” the boy cheers, scrunching his nose excitedly at the mention of his name. your heart melts as he looks to you with sparkling doe eyes, the younger boy having a special place in your heart— he came to the company bright eyed and shy, there had been a lot of doubt about jungkook’s abilities on the ice because of that. but as soon as he stepped foot on the rink, everyone’s worries drifted away— each of his movements were silken and seamless easily making him one of the best solo skaters in the senior rank, although he was slightly younger than you. you remember catching him after practice one day— he had yet to decide if he wanted to sign up with namjoon and he’d only  stayed behind to watch you run through your routine with taehyung. the bumbling boy couldn’t help but blush when he’d been caught with yourself and your partner yearning for him to join. he did so in the end... because of you, because you had inspired him to pick up skating after you won your first gold medal. it just so happened that little jungkookie was a fast learner. “did you like the surprise? i thought it would help with your nerves— i know you get butterflies in your tummy before you perform! so do i! especially when i see you— uh! i mean!”

jungkook’s ears burn as bright as his cherry red hair, the shade only feeling as your melodious chuckle wafts through the phone’s speakers. “i loved it kookie, thank you.” you hum, batting your lashes at him, despite the presence of the other skaters on the call. you knew he had a soft spot for you, it was hard to miss his longing gazes and the tightening of his jaw when tae put his hand on your waist for lifts. it was sweet. “good luck to you in your regionals as well, you’ll do great... okay?” you’re quick to remind him, as you note taehyung returning from the locker room.

“t-thank you noona! we love you!”

the skaters give you one last cheer and round of applause as taehyung slips into view with a boxed grin and sweet wave. namjoon ends the call, ruffling his lover’s mop of hair before ushering the two of you onto the ice, ready to run through your routine one last time.

putting together the perfect routine, is like making the perfect breakfast. the eggs you begin with, a sweet yolk dancing on your tongue like the starting moves that give the judges a taste of what you’re capable of. next were the pancakes, drenched in syrup— like light movements through the air, packing a punch with the saucy moves between yourself and your partner to show off your finesse and finally, there was the—

“orange juice.” taehyung’s timbre voice cut through your thoughts like a knife as he place a glass of freshly squeezed juice in front of you whilst disrupting your  mentally mapped out routine. blinking rapidly under his stares, your gaze switched from the piles of food he’d set on your plate, to the amused but scolding glare he’d spared you. “drink it, it’ll keep your sugar and energy up for today.”

“thanks taetae...”

you nod gratefully, leaning forward and taking a gulp of the bitter yellow liquid as if it’ll wash away the nerves beginning to bubble in the pits of your stomach. nonetheless, the skater beams brightly at you before he scoffs down a mouthful of his towering breakfast— as he always did before such events. you, however, couldn’t bare to eat— not with the devious stares of the other female figure skaters who eyed your plates. you knew it was a tactic to throw you off guard, the canteen of the hotel was much like a high school back in the day, with cliques and squads all out to get each other. it was always like this before major skating competition but your mind is too busy being filled with anticipation of getting on the ice and showing off once more.

namjoon appears after taehyung has eaten more than half his plate— resulting in him stealing bits and pieces from your own. “don’t look so nervous, YN,” the elder chides from over his steaming cup of coffee, hand running through his dishevelled purple and blonde streaked locks. “you’ll do great, both of you will.” your coach spares a knowing glance to taehyung, who blushes through munching the rest of your pancakes and so; you can tell by the light bruises on the neck that he and taehyung had a rough encounter in the night before.  

joon was never allowed to mark taehyung above the waist, because the younger loved to wear costumes that glittered and showed off his open chest. you knew from experience that the marks would be below the waist where no one could see— like their own little good luck ritual. glee consumes your skating partner as namjoon nuzzles his nose into his dark hair, the distraction letting you slip under the surface of worry once more.

‘no, you’ve got this.’ you think, flickering your gaze anywhere but your plate in order to clam the race horse of thoughts in your mind. you finally settle on staring at the news report playing on the small digital TV hanging in the right hand corner of the cafeteria. park jimin, arrested for speeding. the report flashes across the screen, images of bright blonde hair and dark eyes hidden by thick black shades passing by with faint sounds of camera clicks.

you shake your head, grateful to never had experienced trouble like that. sure, you’d dealt with reporters and trash paparazzi but, joon and tae— they’d always gotten you through it. it was just nice to not be alone like him...

park jimin.

taehyung had a mind of brilliance.

you sit in the stylist chair, hair slicked back and curled away from your eyes— the momentum of free hair would have disrupted your skating or thrown you off balance, but god was kim taehyung a miracle worker. he always knew how he wanted you both to look for performances, the makeup artists bidding to his every need. you could even find him helping out with the beginners class performances— adding glitter to baby cheeks and braiding youthful hair.

today, your friend had decided the look you would go for; would be faded baby blue shadow dancing across your lids and blending softly with cloudy whites and silver sparkles. your liner was sharp, winged enough to cut the diamond edge of the gemstones that were dotted at the corner of your eye— taehyung was smart, co-ordinating your makeup look with the pretty silver dress namjoon had scouted out just for you.

the article of clothing itself, is backless with long sleeves that form tear drops at your pointer finger as they fade from silver to a cool grey, much like the skirt of your dress. smaller gemstones and pearls align at your waist and chest, that glistened under the cheap light when namjoon had first revealed the outfit to you. you had cried when you thumbed the flowing layered skirt, thanking your boys endlessly for the beautiful dress but taehyung had only giggled — knowing that it matched his silver to white shirt, tight fitting and glittering with layered sleeves (which he loved so much).

now, you laced up your skates— nerves peaking once more. the white leather sat comfortably against your heal, having broken in the skates amiss your training. you knew that the current pair were already on the ice, eliciting cheers from the crowd so you forced your jitters into lacing up and securing your skates. a double not would suffice.

“you’re both going to do amazing, remember whatever happens out there... i’m proud of you.” your coach reminds with one last dimpled smile before you’re due on the ice. taehyung pecks both of your cheeks and leads you away from your team of staff— who clap excitedly for you while your names are announced.

squeezing his hand, you slide smoothly onto the ice with taehying and close your eyes, breathing in the sharp scent of coolness and fresh air and taking in the squeals of your names. “you look great,” your partner comments easily, smirking as you circle each other on the rink. you open your eyes, noting the white-ish glow the ice gives to taehyung’s honey skin and grin. “we’ve got this.”

“we always do,” you nod back in affirmation, confidence flaring as the announcement finishes (you had always felt more at home on the ice, and tae knew once you were out there, your worries would melt away with the music). you push yourself into position with tae, your foreheads pressed against once another’s, so close that you can feel his warm breath fanning across your face. it’s all for the dramatics but you know that the crowd loves your chemistry. piano chords drift through the air, signalling the start of your routine, your hands roam across taehyung’s body like you’d practiced countless times. when the beat picks up, taehyung twists you in his arms, fingertips reaching just above your head while your own hands follow his to link them.

you begin to pick up momentum, skating with each other in arm as the first verse picks, with hands on your waist, taehyung picks you up gently, holding you off the ice for just a second as he skates into a half spin before placing you down. resuming your movements across the rink, you separate and tumble into your next move— they lay back spin. the pair of you synchronise your moves, holding your skates to your head as you twirl into the lyrics of the song.

‘is it true? is it true?’ the lyrics reverberate in your mind, body following taehyung’s lead into the next steps. his fingertips are  light on your arms to keep them poised, both of you extending your right legs as you glide across the ice. ‘you, you, you...’ your partner lifts you once more into his arms, pushing you into the air for you to fall gracefully into a double salchow— taking off with the back inside edge of your right skate and landing on the outside of the opposite skate. the crowd bursts into applause, making you grin subtly at your partner before interlocking your fingers once more for a partnered arabesque spirals.

your hand grips taehyung’s firmly, letting your bodies move naturally with the music as you hold your legs in outstretched positions. the chorus bursts through the arena as the air below your arms blows away any worries, you fall back into taehyung’s arms once more for a lift above his head— your legs stretched out into a galloping motion before he swiftly prompts you into a death spiral, holding onto your arm as he twirls your body lower towards the ice.

when the chorus ends, you’re back to skating side by side, wowing the crowd with your movements— like namjoon said you would. completing a paired sit spin, movements mirrored perfectly, a feeling of dread feels your stomach. the ice changes beneath your skates— rougher on this side of the rink than others which sends ripples of worry through your veins at what is to come next. a triple axel jump, they were difficult to land and yet a specialty of yourself and your partners. you knew in your heart that if you landed this jump, the competition was yours but the buzzing feeling in your mind knew that something was wrong. to others, the ice carried you gracefully across the rink, but you knew something was out of place. catching taehyung’s eye, it’s as if he feels it too, but you can’t miss he jump... not when it could cost you the chance of a win.

putting your trust into taehyung, the man you’ve known for years— you curl into his chest as his strong hands support you into propelling you into the triple axel jump but to your dismay, the ice catches beneath his toe pick, taehyung misses a fraction of a beat as he forces you into the air. fear spikes in your chest— you weren’t ready, not to land, not for the jump, not for the music to push through with a climax.

and certainly not for the crunch of your bones.

excited cheers die down to fearful gasps and screams of horror, while taehyung picks himself up from the fall. the world is too loud, the lights are too bright and paramedics rush past him as he shakes himself off. wait, paramedics. pupils blown wide the skater rushes to his feet, pushing past men in orange suits with medical kits strewn about— he hears the faint call of namjoon from over the barrier and the announcers up ahead but his focus is on you.

the loudness fades and a ringing sensation builds up behind your ears— the world is black and you can only catch momentary flashes of taehyung’s worried face above your own. you’re confused, you can’t hear him as he mumbles through his sudden onslaught of tears. you cringe as they drip onto your face, an urge to wipe away the wetness taking over you— but when your fingers are brought back to your eyes, you notice the colour of crimson decorating your finger tips.

a muffled cry leaves your small frame as pain shoots through your leg, you can’t find the source but suddenly reality comes rushing back. you can hear the rushed voices of paramedics as they shuffle you onto a gurney, you can feel the stickiness of blood from somewhere on your head trickle down your back— soiling the pretty dress namjoon worked so hard to find, the throbbing pain in your left leg becoming too much to bare as you cry out for anyone, anything.

it hurts, god it hurts.  

“stay with me, YN, keep th-those eyes open for me? okay baby?” you hear as your vision sways, but the voice is familiar— timbre and warm just like taehyung’s. his cool hands cup your face, brushing through your hair as he limps off the rink with your gurney. “p-please stay awake? baby please...” you know that he’s crying and you know that you’re crying too, but you’re too tired, to sleepy to comply with his wishes. the world is still dark, briefly brightening when you see namjoon from the corner of your eye. he’s gone again and the buzzing world is replaced with the scent of disinfectant and hand sanitizer. there’s arguing, yelling but you can’t see from behind closed eyes.

“she needs surgery!”

“what she needs, is us!”

when you come to, one last time you lock eyes with taehyung’s trusting brown ones, watering on the edge of tears. “i won’t leave you, i promise.”

and with that, you slip away again.

there were certain sounds you liked to hear. like the sound of your skate cutting into thick ice when you landed a jump, taehyung’s sweet singing after a long day of practice or the old romcoms you had playing in your hotel room after a day of competing.

the incessant beeping filling your senses was not a sound you liked.

“it’s my fault, joon. you should have seen her face... it’s like she knew and she trusted me to—“ taehyung cuts through the beeping with a voice filled with worry, his jubilant demeanour having been lost somewhere. your head begins to pound as you remember his skittish sobs, but the memories are blurred still.

namjoon’s voice enters next, interrupting the shaking voice of his boyfriend. “it’s not your fault, how could you have known she’d fall like that? you tripped taehyung, something wasn’t right.”

“but she felt it, we both did—“

“then i’ll take it up with the board, we’ll sue, we’ll— we’ll figure out what happened.” your coach reasoned with his lover, a silence sweeping over the room. you yearned for the comfort you felt eminate between them but when you lift your arm, you realise you’re unable to move— the wires and plugs and breathing machines keeping you strapped to the bed. panic rises in your chest, blocking your air as you struggle to breathe—  taehyung is the first to rush to your side, lifting your mask and cradling you into his chest as he whispers sweet nothings into your ear.

namjoon is on your other side, rubbing a large palm up and down your back and out instantly feel comforted by their presence. hot tears roll down your cheeks, burning in your oesophagus as you claw at the base of your throat.

“shhh, little princess it’s okay— we’ve got you.”

a cup of water is brought to your lips which you quickly gulp down, the cool liquid soothing the ache in your throat. blinking, you cling tightly to taehyung’s cable knit sweater— hesitant to speak due to your unused voice. “wh-what happened?” you manage, unsure if your whispers can be heard above the pounding of your heart. “where...where are we?”

“you were in an accident,” namjoon spoke lowly from above you, taehyung instantly squeezing you closer as memories of the incident flashed behind both of your eyes. a low whimper left your childhood friend’s lips at your wince— squeezing you again as if he could drain your pain away. your coach swears he feels his heart break at the two of you hurting, pressing the buzzer for the nurse as tae cradles you and sliding onto your hospital bed to wrap his larger arms around you both. “something went wrong with the ice and, you fell—“

your fingers curl tighter in your friend’s clothes, as you remember the pain shooting up your leg and burning in the back of your skull. taehyung avoids your eyes this time, pressing his lips to the top of your head. “they checked you for a concussion and your leg...” his baritone voice an octave, a cool quiet seeping into the room. “your leg is broken, but with one more surgery and some physical therapy— you’ll be back on the ice in no time!”

your heart plummets in your chest, you knew what injuries like that did to figure skaters. sure you were young, you had time to recover but even the slightest pause in doing so could cost you your entire life, your career. the pair of lovers that surround you share a grim look, knowing the thoughts that are rushing through your mind.

“we have the best doctors for you, YN, with a few months—“

you blink up at tae with fiery eyes filled with tears, resisting the urge to shove him away. “i don’t have a few months, tae! training for the olympics is what i should be doing!” you hiccup, starting to choke on tears you refuse to let shed. “i need to be out there on that ice, or i’m useless, i need to—“

you make movements to step out of bed, sucking in your lower lip as a dull ache rests in your bones. the pair are quick to pull you back into bed, but your hands scold them with slaps as you push them away. you have no right to be angry at them, but you know that they understand. taehyung seems to be calmer now, despite the hurt that tickles his puppy dog features at your resistance, he does his best to comfort you.

but a prominent scowl yearns for the curve of namjoon’s lips, your coach falling deep in thought.

“you’re suspended from skating.”

“wh-what?” you stammer, eyes burning with a fresh set of tears for the third or fourth time that night. this time, your partner stands, looking to his lover in confusion and standing with his hands resting on your shoulders comfortingly.

he speaks hesitantly. “now joon...”

“no, taehyung,” your coach sighs, remaining stern. it kills him to make this choice, but there’s no other way— at least not for now. “LN YN will be suspended from all physical skating activities until she has made a full recovery with a hired physical therapist...” the words pierce straight into your heart, tearing you apart from the inside. you want to scream and cry and kick and protest but you’re too numbed from pain and betrayal to speak or move. “legal action will be taken up with the board responsible for the competition but until then, you will not touch the ice. understand?”

you blink, numb.

“YN, i said, do you understand?” namjoon repeats, steeling his gaze. he hates this, he hates hurting both you and his love.

you nod once, looking away whilst tae rubs circles into your shoulders. his lover mentions something about a coffee before slipping out of the room... and that’s when you breakdown. you cry, heavy ugly tears with a running nose that you’re sure stains your best friends sweater as he rocks you back and forth into the night.

you cry until your spark is dull, you cry until your chest burns and until your eyes are dry. you cry because you’ve lost your purpose in life.

⇢ taglist ! ( comment, like or dm to be added! )

@periminkle​  @ggukkieland​   @aishots​ @ownthesunshine​ @codeinebelle​ @taeass​ @trviahope @singular-itae @preciouschimine @yoongismykink @idiakh @honeyspillings @kimsdior @chimshoe @cypherft-v @tangledsparkles

[edgecallskating]

I wish more skaters did classic laybacks--and I mean real, held for longer than the minimum to get the level layback spins--rather than strained Beillmann positions. Loena is the only active competitor that came to mind who regularly includes a straightforward layback position in her combination spins (which she usually transitions into a very nice Beillmann!), but I'm sure there are others. Drop your faves!

[arsaces-of-akielos]

Visual Glossary of Ancel’s Pole Moves

This is a masterpost of pole dancing-related references in my recently completed fic, Black Light Red :D A Berencel noir AU featuring undercover detective Berenger and pole dancer Ancel.

I had a total nerd-out writing this story because I, myself, do pole dance for fitness. And I even own the exact same pole boots as Ancel in the reverse bang art this story was written for! (yes, pole boots, that shiny patent leather material gives added grip against the pole).

I love this sport both for general fitness, athleticism/acrobatics, and just looking hella cool. So I’ve compiled this visual glossary with thanks and credit to the Online Pole Studio and their move dictionary.

Oh, and with a few pictures by me (and my boots) too ;)

Firstly, a brief intro. Sport pole dancing takes the form of either static or spinning pole. Static pole is when the pole is stationary, while with a spinning pole the entire pole itself spins along an internal axis. Which one is more popular depends on where you are in the world, and there are competitions for either or both. The two forms have some moves in common but also many differences in style, especially regarding movement as you can probably imagine. I personally do spinning pole, and so went with what I’m familiar with in this story.

My move in that bonus pic, by the way, is called a Cross Knee Release.

-

Chapter 1

Abcel’s routine starts with a Hollywood Spin (see tutorial thumbnail for image):

He's described doing a Back Hook Spin:

Then lifting straight into an Invert:

Going into an Inverted Crucifix:

A note on that, it's common to tuck your knees to your chest when tilting into an invert, then extend your legs back out once you're upside-down. But since Ancel's wearing those thigh-high boots, he probably can't bend his knees as easily and would do it the entire motion with his legs straight. Which takes more core strength ;)

The mention of a move where he's suspended only by a bent knee can any variation of a leg hang. For example, an Outside Leg Hang:

Or alternatively, demonstrated by me ;)

-

Chapter 3

Ancel pushes off the floor into what I call a Corkscrew Spin, which alas the Online Pole Studio doesn't seem to have but it's basically a spin in this sideways position (video example here):

Then he does another Invert like from chapter 1 (very common move), into a Jade Split:

The mentioned move when he pulls himself with only one hand could be any one-armed spin, but I was picturing a Reverse Grab Spin:

Lifting his legs up and down past his head whilst halfway up from the ground is another description of an invert, specifically an aerial invert where you climb up first and do it off the ground (more difficult since you can't push off the ground for leverage).

Aaaand my fave, the move where he demonstrates his ;) thigh strength is a Cross Ankle Release, also called a layback:

-

Chapter 4

Ancel's first practice spin is either a Hollywood Spin from the first chapter or a Front Hook Spin, another basic move:

His more advanced move is a Shoulder Mount, which is like an invert except the pole is behind your shoulder instead of under one arm (making it harder since you can't just tip your body straight back upside-down):

From there he goes into Extended Butterfly:

Then into another Inverted Crucifix from the first chapter to slide down into a handstand.

-

Chapter 5

Ancel's routine finishes with a spinning climb, which is a normal Climb where you kick yourself into a spin on a spinning pole as you leave the floor:

His last pose, held at the top of the pole, is a Hood Ornament:

Also available demonstrated by me ;)

Featuring the aforementioned boots of mine that are the same as Ancel's. My hair colour is a bonus :P

-

And there we have it for the fic! Pole dancing is an awesome sport and I live in hope of inspiring as many people as I can to give it a try!

I’ll finish off with another bonus pic of me. The thing about this, actually, is that I took most of these reference pics right when this fic started. And I’ve been training fairly hard, so my level actually improved a significant amount in the process of writing :D So the last bonus pic, not in boots unfortunately, is a more advanced move from more recently called an Ayesha. You can wave to my my teacher in the background. 

Pole rocks, Ancel is hot ;) *blows kiss*

[stormskates]

Rika Kihira - Kung Fu Piano Program Review

Choreography by Tom Dickson

The Concept

The art of figure skating meets the art of kung fu. The program is a nod to martial arts and all its beauty, strength, and power. That’s pretty much it, short and sweet. Concept brevity is ideal for a program performed under three minutes.

The Music

Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends is a remix arranged by The Piano Guys. It takes from the score of the Kung Fu Panda movie, highlighting the track Oogway Ascends in particular, and arranged it with Chopin’s Prelude No. 20, aptly nicknamed the Funeral March. (source) In the film, the music plays when (as the name suggests) Oogway passes away in a scene of peach blossom petals carried by the wind. 

The piece emulates the sound of traditional Chinese stringed instruments. I think of it as one of those pieces very suitable for skating since it has variations in tempo that can be complemented really well with good choreography — which, in this case, it does. 

The Choreography

(All the GIFs for this post were made from Raykey’s wonderful annotation video. Give it a watch!)

Kung Fu Piano was performed in Rika’s last season in juniors (2017-2018), and around this time, all jumps in the second half were given bonus points instead of only the last jumping pass, so the composition of elements is quite different from what we see these days.

For comparison: KFP Layout: LSp - 2A/3A - StSq - 3F3T (x) - FSSp - 3Lz (x) - CCoSp BIB Layout: 3A - 3F3T - CCoSp - 3Lz (x) - FCSp - StSq - LSp

While the KFP layout puts jumps in the second half and BIB puts them in the first half, both layouts are designed to cater to the rules set at the time. 

The choreography nods to martial arts in several moments. This is still figure skating, though, and not every movement will directly replicate the one it’s in reference to. For example, this side lunge at the beginning of the program:

—alludes to the drop stance commonly seen in martial arts like wushu and kung fu. In actual martial arts practice, the position is much lower, though it is not necessary to fully replicate this on ice. 

Here’s another example:

The position before the inside Ina Bauer is loosely reminiscent of the eagle stance in wushu:

(source) 

Notice how the position of leg left is different to help maintain the right leg’s glide and flow on the ice. Not that she can’t do it, of course, but it’s also just unnecessary to do the exact pose for a split second and sacrifice the skating (which matters much more) in the process. 

The arm position is different, too, but this is more of a congruence with the skating than the martial arts, as they face the same direction before and after the movement.

There aren’t frontal high kicks in this program, but there are a couple of kicks, like this side kick with a straight leg before her Ina Bauer leading to 2A:

or this one in the middle of her step sequence that loosely resembles a hook side kick mixed with eagle arms:

(source)

There’s also a reference to the backward hook kick in her glide after the opening layback spin:

There’s also a few lunges mixed in the choreography. I like this sequence from the StSq because it reminds me of the fist lunge in karate:

—while this one is a side lunge with crossed arms block:

Speaking of blocks, I love the allusions to blocking motions littered throughout her step sequence. (Again, these aren’t direct replications since the choreography is designed for a figure skating performance rather than a martial arts exhibition, but you can see the similarities from several references like this or this.)

I’d say the most recognisable pose throughout the program is the kung fu salute which she does near the beginning and at the end of her step sequence:

Tom Dickson did a really good job making the sharp movements look so fluid. I love how unusual all these movements look in dance and how they accentuate the music notes while complementing all the steps. The pattern of the step sequence is unusual, but it highlights Rika’s multi-directional skating and her vast range and control of movement.

I would like to also add that this program has some of my favourite transitions she’s ever done. I love the arabesque spiral to layback spin, the Ina Bauer to 2A, and the spread eagle - edge change - rocker - choctaw - crossed step to 3Lz. I’d say this is less packed compared to BIB, but a beautiful and theme-fitting composition all the same.

Personally, I think this is one of the programs that best captures Rika’s personality and spotlights her strengths. It’s a really good step-up from her Tzigane short program from the previous year, which imo is also good but definitely more conventional in terms of choreography. Kung Fu Piano was a great vehicle for her to demonstrate her skating skills, performance qualities, and her technical proficiencies. It’s energetic and graceful, much like Rika herself. While the next season is very much up in the air, I wouldn’t mind watching this all over again.

[psychewrote]

vladislava karimova headcanon drop :

she has no idea who her mother is and doesn’t really know anything about her, except for the fact that she left vlada and her father without warning one day. but frankly, it’s never bothered her much. she thinks her father raised her just fine on his own and has no intentions of looking her up.

vlada is best known for her spins, specifically the altitude layback spin to a one-handed biellman and the camel-bullet-broken leg sit-“I” spin combination. she almost always gets perfect grades of execution for her technique.

from all her spins, however, she accidentally cuts herself on her boot’s blade most of the time. her hands and fingers are littered with the small scars that didn’t fade.

when she was named to the world championships team after not getting sent to the prior olympics, being the dramatic person she is, vlada purposely changed her short program’s music to ‘never enough’ from the greatest showman which many took as a personal jab at rusfed. when asked about it, however, all she said was: “i just like the song. maybe they will like it too now that i’m world champion.”

like most skaters, vlada donates all the stuffed toys she receives from the crowd to a local children’s hospital or orphanage. she does make sure to look at every one of them first though, just in case there’s a personal note or something because she likes keeping those. but sometimes she may keep a medium-sized plushy to hug for the plane ride home, especially if it wasn’t a good competition.

she was in the same rink as lilia for some time, but vlada transferred to a different rink eventually.

[scatteredfangirling]

Four Continents 2020 - Men’s FS: Group 4

My heart is soft at Keegan watching Nam’s FS before his group’s warmup - and the HUG !

Post will update as the event goes on

Keegan Messing

ouch that solo quad toe landing was rough - double hands down

keegan pls hold it together

i am a sucker for knee choreo

that’s an...interesting sit spin position - has he done that before?

full butt landing on that triple... sigh

wait he was supposed to combo that jump ??? oh rip where is the emergency combo gonna be

there are so many split jumps in the house tonight

a hydroplane ?? dude keegan who r u ??

this was rough - he really fought for it at the end though

Yuma Kagiyama

Yuma just looks so tiny but I know he’s so powerful (he’s the japanese junior champion and earned bronze at japanese senior nationals this season)

so far so good - he’s been as clean as a whistle

really beautiful triple axel combo

yuma is overall really technically sound - can’t wait for him to grow into the performance aspect a little more

okay, we’re seeing some of that in the choreo and step sequences, now that he’s not focusing on jumps

awwww his cute little happy nod when he finished!

Junhwan Cha

JUUUUUN !!! my favorite mushroom boy

this instrumental is dramatic

good start with the quad toe

clean quad sal !! give it to us jun (please podium pls pls)

triple axel combo goot

oh wow the timing on that solo triple axel is so emphatic, i love

god i’m getting goosebumps

i love his layback ina bauer - it’s just so elegant, it’s nothing fancy in terms of crazy flexibility, but it’s just so nice

wow the crowd is really going nuts at every jump

his spread eagle with the port au bras armssss

wow - he really made this happen back at home

i’m so proud of him !! i’m not crying at all

Yuzuru Hanyu

god celery seimei here we go (someone said yuzu nctzen confirmed in my group chat and i lost it)

i love seimei but i really hope this season is the last time i see it for comps

that first quad was so tilted - bruh

okay we’re back on track with the quad sal

i will never get over his backcounter entry on the 3A (like i will still compare other axels to that in ten years time)

ahh yes, the seimei step sequence sexy catwalks (i’m sorry i have no other way of phrasing it)

another tilted quad - oof and then a fall on quad toe

this was a rollercoaster jump wise - i guess that’s what we get for enjoying a flawless chopin earlier

it doesn’t matter if yuzuru’s kinda “meh” about this performance, it will still rain poohs

lmao literally that one point from the fall prevented him from breaking 300 total

on another note, i completely forgot that we truncated the men’s free by 30s so i thought i was hallucinating how temporally close together yuzu’s jumps were

Boyang Jin

go boyang go !!

the distance of his quad lutz always scares tf out of me - he stuck that landing though

oopsy popped salchow to a double

dude he’s popcorning so hard - what are you doing boyanggg, please get your head on straight

not a fan of the stand-still choreo

okay, there we go, the jumps are back

he’s back in the game and fighting for it

this wasn’t his best run, and he knows it

it wasn’t a disaster, but there were just too many mental breaks :(

Jason Brown

Ready for Jason to hit me with those lines and mega GOEs on his triples

Triple axel combo, check

man group 4 is really just popcorning everywhere huh (then again i’ll take a popcorn party over a splatfest any day)

group 4 also just wants to kill me with all the pretty layback ina bauers

i haven’t seen jason’s spirals in so long, but i fall in love with them all over again every time

that’s such a nice biellman spin position

that dramatique ending pose though

and his “happy with it” smile :) !!

So in conclusion...

Yuzu finally won 4CC for the first time ever, Jason 2nd place !! heck yeah !! and tiny yuma in 3rd