#went from bronze to gold last season

[surprisebitch]

we did it joe

[meazalykov]

getting what she wants

lena oberdorf x reader

part five of five

summary: she got what she wanted

warnings: none

after the olympics in paris, you finally returned to germany. 

the gold medal was heavy in your bag, but the weight felt good. it had been an incredible tournament, capped off by your two goals in the final. 

yet, even with all the excitement surrounding the win, your mind was already drifting to bayern and your teammates. 

most of your bayern teammates are german and their team’s bronze medal was something they’ve needed after their exit from the world cup a year prior. 

but, you wondered how they’d react to your victory, knowing that it had come at their expense in the semi-final. nerves buzzed in your stomach as you walked into the training ground locker room.

"there she is!" sydney’s voice rang out, loud and teasing. she jogged over, slinging an arm around your shoulder. 

"our golden girl!!" she kissed the top of your head.

you blushed under the attention, ducking your head a little.

"stop it," you mumbled, nudging her playfully. "how’s everyone doing?"

"we’re good," sydney said with a grin, giving you a side glance. 

"more importantly, how are you? what’s it feel like to score those goals and win the gold?"

"it was amazing," you admitted, your heart warming at the memory of that final whistle. 

"i’m sorry i couldn’t say hi to you guys after the ceremony– but i’m just glad to be back with you guys. i missed this place."

"well, we missed you too," klara added, appearing at your other side. 

"and we’re all really proud of you. even if you did knock us out."

her comment was lighthearted, but you couldn’t help the brief flicker of guilt that passed through you. 

bayern was your home now, these were your people, and the last thing you wanted was for anyone to feel weird about your success. 

"i was worried you guys might hate me a little," you admitted, half-joking. "you know, for beating you in the semi."

"nah," klara waved you off with a grin. "we’ll just make sure to beat you next time."

as the weeks went by, life at bayern settled back into its usual routine, but there was one constant that made every day feel a little brighter—lena. 

despite her acl recovery, she showed up at the training grounds whenever she could, whether it was for rehab sessions or just to see the team. 

more often than not, she was there for you. you noticed it every time, the way her eyes lingered on you as you passed by or how she’d find a way to sit near you during lunch or coffee breaks.

one afternoon, you were sitting with lea, watching lena as she worked through her exercises with the medical team. 

the two of you talked about the upcoming season, but your eyes kept drifting to lena, watching her focus intensely on her rehab.

"she’s doing well," you remarked, more to yourself than to lea.

lea glanced over at lena and smirked. "she is, isn’t she?"

there was something in her tone that made you glance over. "what?" you asked, brow raised.

"you know she’s not just here for her recovery, right?" lea’s smirk widened as you blinked in confusion.

"what do you mean?"

lea laughed, shaking her head. "oh, y/n. you’re so oblivious sometimes. lena’s here for you."

"for me?" you repeated, still not quite understanding what lea was getting at.

lena still had to be here for her acl recovery, regardless on how she felt about you.

"yes, for you." lea’s tone softened slightly, her teasing fading. 

"she talks about you all the time, you know. i don’t think she even realizes how much she cares about you. but it’s obvious to everyone else."

you felt your cheeks heat up, heart thudding in your chest. 

lena had always been there for you, and you for her, but you hadn’t let yourself think too much about what it all meant. 

still, hearing it from lea was a little overwhelming.

this means all of your other teammates are noticing. 

"i... i didn’t know," you admitted quietly, glancing down at your hands.

lea chuckled softly. "well, now you do. you two are good for each other, y/n. don’t overthink it."

the conversation stuck with you over the next few weeks, making every interaction with lena feel a little more significant. 

you started to realize just how much you enjoyed being around her, how natural it felt to spend time together, even if it was just sitting with her during her rehab sessions or walking her back to your car after training.

but then there were the harder moments, like when lena had a scare during one of her recovery exercises. 

she’d been doing strength training, pushing herself a little harder than usual, when she suddenly winced and grabbed her knee, eyes wide with pain.

you were by her side in an instant, heart racing. 

"lena, what happened? are you okay?"

"i don’t know," she gasped, her face pale. 

the physiotherapist quickly intervened, checking her knee and assuring you both that it was just a minor strain. but for those few minutes, panic had taken over, the thought of lena’s recovery being set back making your stomach churn.

"you scared the hell out of me," you said quietly later that day, as the two of you sat on the balcony in your home. 

your hand rested on hers, fingers lightly brushing her skin.

"i’m sorry," she whispered, her eyes soft as they met yours. "i didn’t mean to."

you squeezed her hand, offering a small smile. "i just don’t want anything to happen to you."

"nothing’s going to happen," she promised, leaning her head against your shoulder. "i’ll be okay. especially with you here."

in the midst of all this, your preseason games were in full swing. 

one particularly memorable match was against juventus, where you netted a goal in the second half. 

as you celebrated, the fans caught on to your dedication—you formed an "O" with your left hand and an "L" with your right, signaling to lena who sat in the stands with the rest of the injured bayern teammates. 

the cameras zoomed in on your subtle yet meaningful gesture. during that, it didn’t take long for people to put two and two together, and soon, social media was buzzing with speculation about you and lena.

“y/n you’re so in love it hurts!” giulia says, randomly, after the game in the locker rooms. 

you nudge your eyebrows in confusion.

“that goal dedication to lena, it was sweet.” giulia clarifies. 

"did you see the reaction from people online?" sydney asked after the game, nudging you with a grin as she holds her phone in her hand. 

"people are shipping you and lena hard right now." sam kerr sits beside sydney, looking at her phone screen to see the comments.

you rolled your eyes but couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at your lips. 

"they’re reading into things too much."

"are they, though?" sydney teased, her eyes gleaming. "because that ‘O’ and ‘L’ weren’t exactly lowkey."

you laughed it off, but the truth was, you didn’t mind. 

lena had become such an important part of your life, and if the world knew, so be it.

one evening, after a coffee outing with sydney, ana, sam, tuva, and klara, you returned home to find lena lounging on your couch. 

you stopped short when you noticed something—her crutches, the ones she’d been using for weeks, were gone.

"lena?" you called, your voice laced with surprise. 

"where are your crutches?" 

"don’t need them anymore." lena grinned, sitting up and stretching her legs out. 

at first, your mind went blank. what did she mean? lena keeps looking at you with a smirk, waiting for you to realize. 

and you did. you rushed over, sitting beside her and grabbing her hand. "lena, that’s amazing! i’m so happy for you."

"yeah, it feels good," she admitted, her eyes soft as she looked at you. "but you’ve been a big part of that, y/n. i don’t think i would’ve gotten through this point without you."

the two of you sat there for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. you’d been by her side for weeks now, through the ups and downs of her recovery, and somewhere along the way, your feelings had deepened. you knew lena felt the same, but neither of you had put it into words yet.

she stands up in front of you, holding you in a near hug as she looks at you. she's slightly taller by four inches, so you look up.

"lena," you began, your heart racing. "i—"

"wait," lena interrupted, "there’s something i need to say first."

you blinked, confused but nodding for her to continue.

"y/n, i’ve been thinking a lot about us... and everything we’ve been through these past few months," she said, her voice soft but steady. "and i realized something... i can’t hide this anymore. y/n, i–."

your breath hitched, your pulse quickening as her words hung in the air. lena’s eyes searched yours, vulnerability written across her face.

"i’ve liked you for a long time," she continued, her hand reaching out to gently brush your cheek. 

your head leans into her soft hand.

"but i was too scared to say anything. i thought my liking for you was obvious but you should be told that directly. when i hurt my knee, i thought you’d run away but you didn’t. i like you for many other reasons but my feelings for you go beyond friends."

you felt a wave of emotion crash over you, the intensity of her confession taking you by surprise. 

you’d known something was there between you, but hearing her say it, feeling the weight of her emotions, made it all real.

"lena," you whispered, leaning closer to her. "i’ve felt the same way for a while now. i just didn’t know how to tell you."

a small, relieved smile tugged at lena’s lips. "so… will you be my girlfriend?"

you didn’t answer with words. instead, you closed the distance between you, your lips meeting hers in a soft, tender kiss. 

lena responded immediately, her hand slipping to the back of your neck as she deepened the kiss, pulling you closer. it was everything you had both been holding back for months, finally released in one heated, passionate moment.

when you pulled away, breathless and flushed, you pressed your forehead to hers, a smile tugging at your lips. "yes," you murmured. “of course i want to.” 

“would you be my girlfriend?” you ask. 

“of course.”

the two of you spent the rest of the evening wrapped up in each other, the world outside fading away.

lena had got what she’s wanted for a long time, which was you. 

I hope you enjoyed this series :)

back to part one

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

ISU released an article about Shoma

Two-time ISU World Champion and three-time Olympic medalist Shoma Uno of Japan has announced his retirement from competitive skating after a long and distinguished career and is ready to open a new chapter in his life.

“I have decided to retire from active competition,” Uno wrote on Instagram. “I am very grateful to have been able to continue skating for 21 years since I was 5 years old, and to have had a wonderful athletic life.”

The Japanese star will talk in more detail about his retirement and future plans in a press conference scheduled for May 14.

The 26-year-old looks back at a career with many highlights and also difficult times, but he always came back, proving his talent and showing resilience. When five-year-old Shoma went to the ice rink in his hometown of Nagoya with his father to have fun, he had no idea that he would become a World Champion, Olympic medalist and super star of the sport. He only knew that the enjoyed skating and kept coming back to the rink, taking lessons. He trained with Machiko Yamada, the coach of Japanese skating icon Midori Ito and also with Mihoko Higuchi for many years and worked his way up in the skating world.

Uno debuted in the ISU Junior Grand Prix in 2011 and was so tiny that he was unable to look over the boards. He won a few medals on the Junior circuit but his breakthrough came in what was his last Junior season in 2014/15 when he qualified for the first time for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final where he claimed gold. Shoma went on to take the ISU World Junior title in 2015, in what was his fourth and final appearance at the event (climbing from 10th in 2012, 7th in 2013 and 5th in 2014).

Once at the senior level, Uno quickly became one of the top Skaters in the World. In his World debut in 2016 he placed 7th but then the next year won silver, his first of a total of four World medals. In his first Olympic Winter Games in 2018, Shoma skated off with the silver medal and returned on to the Olympic podium four years later, earning the bronze. In 2022 and 2023 Uno crowned himself ISU World Champion.

However, in between there was a time of struggle. In the 2019/20 season, for the first (and only) time in his career, Uno finished off the podium in the ISU Grand Prix Series. He had left his coaches since childhood and struggled with confidence.

“At first, to be honest, I was thinking about finishing my career,“ he said in an interview at Skate America 2021 about this time.

“I did not know how much longer I would keep going. But imaging the end (I thought) maybe I'll enjoy the rest of this career as an athlete.“

Uno started to work with two-time World Champion Stéphane Lambiel as his coach and choreographer in fall 2019 and soon came back strong. He grew as an athlete and a performer with beautiful programs that highlighted his versatility: “Turandot” (Free Skating 2017/18), “Great Spirit” (Short Program 2020/21), “Bolero” (Free Skating 2021/22) and “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Free Skating 2023/24) to name a few.

At the same time, the Japanese star always pushed the limits technically and made history by becoming the first Skater to perform a quadruple flip in competition in 2016.

“When I train and want to become better, it's not good for me to work on what I can already do. If I'm satisfied with just giving 80 per cent, I'm not good. The right training for me is to push my limits,” Uno said in an interview.

The Japanese Skater has an independent mind and a fun personality. He has a Youtube Channel where you can meet his three toy poodles Emma, Baron and Toro.

“When I am on the ice, I am totally focused on my sport, but when I'm off the ice, I am sure most people know I am just a lazy slacker, but I thought that would be a good way to show to the people how I am off the ice, but still this is Shoma Uno,” he explained.

When asked who inspires him the most, Shoma’s surprising answer was:

"Myself. Of course, I think I am inspired by many people and heard some good words from everyone, too, but in the end when you break it down, I do feel that it is myself that inspires me and sadly, I don't listen to anyone. Sometimes I listen, but mostly I go with my own mind,” he added.

For sure Uno will follow his own ideas in the years to come but you can certainly expect to see him gracing the ice in shows for a while.

[aprilias]

During the last race weekend, I posted about making a stats post about three particular riders if it received a certain benchmark (one like). Since we reached that marker with ease, and I have nothing better to do with my time, I am presenting you the findings of this research.

The Context: Jack Miller’s "princess" rant was post-race at the Sachsenring on 18th June 2023, so it’s almost been a full year since then. In this rant he targeted Fabio Quartararo and Marc Marquez who were complaining about their Yamaha and Honda bikes not working last year and told them to shut the fuck up and stop complaining, a quote that seems to have aged poorly when looking at their results.

So let's see if this is the case...

Qualifying results:

(Also for reference, each of these will show 2023 and 2024 results separately because there will ofc be a spike for a certain someone who went from a Honda to a Ducati lmao)

For 2023, Miller did the best out of the three in terms of his average qualifying position, narrowly ahead of Marquez, and he also had the highest qualifying position of them all (his P2 at Silverstone in wet conditions).

Quartararo did the best in his inter-team battle with Franco Morbidelli last season, being the top Yamaha in nearly 85% of the races. Marquez was the top Honda in 9 out of the 13 races (with Joan Mir x3 and Taka Nakagami being the two riders to beat Marc to top Honda in qualifying last year).

However, when it comes to the three of them, it was Marquez that was able to qualify the highest on the grid, with him beating Quartararo and Miller in 6 out of the 13 races post-Sachsenring in 2023. Jack was top 4 times, with Fabio taking the remaining three (as you can hopefully see by the colour-coordinated gold, silver and bronze).

For 2024, it's clear to see that Marc has been the best out of these guys, with the highest average position, as well as being the only one out of the three to take pole position which he earned in Jerez. However, he has only been the top Ducati twice, in Jerez and COTA, but as well all know he has a year old bike to contend with the Pramacs and factory Ducati riders.

The rest of the data shows that both KTM and Yamaha have gotten worse, with Fabio and Yamaha failing to qualify in the top 5 so far this season, but despite this, he still leads the head-to-head against his teammate. Jack, on the other hand, has a respectable qualifying average so far in 2024, but has only been the top KTM once (in Portimao).

So far this year, Marc has been the best of the three 4 times, with Jack taking two and Fabio taking his one win over the three in Le Mans.

Sprint race results:

For 2023, none of the three riders had particularly good sprint record, with the highest average finisher (Miller) not having a good enough average to even score points.

Marc earned the most points in the sprint races last year with 23, though he only finished in the points three times. Fabio scored the lowest number of points and had the lowest average position, however he was still able to earn a podium.

Marc and Fabio share the exact same record in sprints when it comes to beating their teammates, with the two of them being the top Honda/Yamaha over 50% of the time.

In the 2023 H2H, Marc was the best of the three across the 12 weekends (due to no sprint in Phillip Island), winning 5 of these battles; Miller took four sprint weekends and Fabio took 3.

Marquez clearly has the better record in sprints this year, with his average position of third leaving him on the podium. Fabio's average has improved since last year but he has only finished in the points once, and Miller's has also improved - with his average position ninth and meaning he would more often than not be in the points.

Marc, Jack and Fabio all currently have the better record against their teammates in the sprint races in 2024. Marc has a 100% record against his brother Alex, while Fabio has beaten Alex Rins in six of the seven sprints so far this year (which could've been 7/7 if he had completed the Mugello sprint). Jack has beaten Brad in 5 races out of the seven, however is still struggling when it comes to beating the rookie Pedro Acosta, as he has only been the top KTM bike once.

In the H2H between the three of them, Marquez takes it on the sprints winning 6/7 races. Fabio takes the other with his fifth place in Jerez.

Race results:

In the main races in 2023, it was Fabio who led the statistics between the three riders. Despite having the worst average qualifying, he won six of the 13 weekends against Marc and Jack. Marc took 4 while Jack took 2; although Assen is colour coded here, they all DNFd so it doesn't count, and it is coded in order of race completion (so because Fabio DNfed the latest he's gold if this makes sense).

Marc and Fabio once again had the better of their teammates in 2023, while Miller was only able to beat Binder in 23% of the races. This is even more damning for Miller when comparing the teammates' 2023 averages - with Binder averaging a finishing position of 4.8, while Miller's was 10.6. This is compared to Marquez vs Mir (9 vs 10.75 in Marquez's favour) and Quartararo vs Morbidelli (8.42 vs 12.23 in Quartararo's favour) where the battles are closer, and the riders are winning their team and factory head-to-heads despite being considered to have a worse bike than the KTM.

In 2024, it's clear that Marquez has the better race statistics, with three podiums and an average position of 5th. However, he has not finished as the top Ducati in any race so far this year, but he does have the better record against his teammate.

Quartararo and Miller have similar records with their average finishes this year, however Quartararo is the more consistent rider with more points and more races completed. He is also currently winning his head to head against teammate Alex Rins by finishing ahead in 57% of the races in 2024.

In terms of KTM, it has been a disaster year for Miller, who is yet to finish ahead of his teammate in any race this year and, consequently, has not finished as the top KTM. His average is significantly less than that of both Binder (6.71) and Acosta, the rider that will replace him next year, who has an average race position of 7th.

From this, Marquez has won the 2024 comparison in 6 of the 7 races, with Quartararo taking the remaining one.

In summary: Although he has done well in qualifying and sprints since these comments, Jack Miller has been outperformed by both Fabio Quartararo and Marc Marquez on inferior machinery (for Marc's stats from 2023). Marc has of course had the better of 2024 after switching to Ducati, but also has won out against the other two in qualifying and sprint races while on a Honda for 2023. Fabio does well in the races despite his relatively low qualifying positions, but is limited from achieving top 5s due to the Yamaha's capabilities. Jack does well in qualifying and sprints, but when it comes to the main events on Sundays, he lacks a bit in comparison to his rivals.

From what this data is showing, it seems as if Marc has comprehensively beaten Jack Miller despite his complaints about Honda in 2023, and Fabio has also narrowly done it due to his race pace. In short: those comments aged not-very-well to say the least.

If there's anything anyone wants to know or ask about then my asks are always open but I kinda had fun doing this!

[grantmentis]

2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships Season Wrap Up

All of our women’s worlds tournaments have finished, so here is a short summary of each tournament, who got promoted/relegated, and top performers.

As a quick disclaimer: how they do best players of each tournament tends to be a little different for each one, some have MVPs and some don’t, idk why

Championship / Top Division

Final standings

Canada (Gold)

USA (silver)

Finland (Bronze)

Czechia

Switzerland

Germany

Sweden

Japan

China (relegated)

Denmark (relegated)

Tournament MVP: Laila Edwards (USA)

Top goaltender: Sandra Abstreiter (Germany)

Top defender: Renata Fast (Canada)

All star team: Sanni Ahola (Finland), Renata fast (Canada), Caroline Harvey (USA), Laila Edwards (USA), Natalie Mlynkova (Czechia), Alex carpenter (USA)

Tournament summary: this is gonna be my longest short summary as this is the tournament I have the most coverage of.

We finally have USA and Canada at the best versions of themselves again, solid coaching for both, a mix of youth and vets, for the most part all healthy, making for a great gold medal game.

Germany is the biggest positive surprise this tournament. They went from ninth in 2022 to eighth in 2021 to sixth this year, that’s pretty big gains, abstreiter had a phenomenal tournament with the best save percentage despite one of the heaviest workloads, but I was also really impressed by the team defense. Both Welcke twins, Jobst-Smith, Franziska Feldmeier were huge this tournament.

China may have gotten relegated but I think this tournament was still a success for them, considering the significant roster changes they experienced, they were still able to hang with most of the group B teams. Jiahui Zhan was phenomenal in goal and kept them in games, which is such a big part of these tournaments. They don’t have the star power on offense yet, but what they do have is a program that is committed to funding the national team and providing a lot of centralization time to create a cohesive team, and that environment will start creating elite scorers in time.

Finland bounced back after being hammered with injuries last year, Ahola firmly has won the crease, and Nelli Laitinen solidified her capabilities as a top pair defender. Czechia saw a breakout tournament from Natalie Mlynkova that carried them to a fourth place finish even when the rest of their offense was struggling. Switzerland has been able to fill a Phoebe Stänz shaped hole in their lineup with Ivana Wey. Denmark struggled hard without Jakobsen, and shows clear signs of a federation neglecting their program and losing their players - they barely responded to Jakobsen’s retirement, and were the only national team not to secure some kind of way to watch for those in Denmark. Japan disappointed this tournament, and will need to find an elite goaltender if they hope to be in the top division again. Sweden didn’t have a lot of things go their way this tournament, but youth talent in goal scoring was a bright spot for them. They are an undeniably deep team if they can get it all clicking at the same time.

Division IA

Norway - promoted

Hungary - promoted

France

Austria

Netherlands

South Korea - relegated

Best goaltender: Ena Nystrøm (Norway)

Best defender: Annika Fazokas (Austria)

Best forward: Estelle Duvin (France)

Summary; For the first time since 1997, Norway has been promoted to the top division! Despite not having the offense other teams had, they only conceded six goals all tournament and only one was at even strength. They relied heavily on their young core like Emma Bergesen and Millie Rose Sirium to lead the way. Hungary was able to earn promotion despite missing Fanni Garát-Gasparics, and only scoring nine goals all tournament. They played near flawless defense, only allowing 91 shots against in 5 games (averaging around 18 against per game) and being perfect on the PK. France had arguably the best first line in this tournament, Estelle duvin - Chloe aurard - Clara rozier can hang with anyone, but was shut down by Hungary in the final game to lose the chance at promotion.

Austria had a WILD tournament, no one scored more than them, but they also had uncharacteristically struggling goaltending performance from the Luggin sisters who have been pretty consistently solid in international tournaments. Not much to worry about long term there, it happens in short samples, but tough break when offense was so good. More of the same for the Netherlands, who are looking for their next wave of young players to help propel this team, but Kayleigh Hammers continues to prove herself as a special talent. Lastly, South Korea was in the IA tournament for the first time, has a lot of work to do before they can be a mainstay here but this is the first step and is valuable experience

Division IB

Final rankings

Slovakia

Latvia

Italy

Great Britain

Slovenia

Poland

MVP: Karina Silajane (Latvia)

Top forward: Janka Hlinka (Slovakia)

Top defender: Laura Lobis (Italy)

Top goaltender: Pia Dukaric (Slovenia)

Short summary: Slovakia returns to division IA after slipping for a few years and being relegated last year. They were a clear step above most of the other competition in this tournament, especially defensively, but we are seeing the gap shrink. Pia Dukaric for Slovenia may be the most underrated goaltender in the world; she faced 308 shots this tournament in 5 games (about 61 per game) and only conceded 15 goals in that span. Slovenia would 100% be relegated without her. Latvia is playing in division IB for the first time since 2019 and had a funny tournament - they weren’t at the top of anything in team stats, but they were good enough at everything to be a very complete team and Karina Silajane was phenomenal in big moments.

Italy also impressed, though some frustration is probably there that they’ve finished in the same spot for the third year straight, they’re undoubtedly a better team than they were three years ago. Italy is the only team to beat Slovakia in this tournament, and were one of the best teams in terms of limiting shots against. Laura Lobis and Natalie Mattivi are a very legit first pair, and Martina Fedel is an elite goaltender. They don’t have a top goal scorer right now, but that may be coming in Matilde Fantin, who was not able to play this tournament due to injury. Poland fell hard this tournament going from second place last year to being relegated. Part of this is an shaky performance in net from Martyna Sass, who was great at the club level and usually solid in goal, but she played way more games than she normally does this year and may have been overtaxed at the end. She was not bad but Poland heavily relies on goaltenders to steal games. The other, bigger part is the offense completely disappearing - they only scored six goals, which will not get it done in any tournament. Finally, Great Britain was a confusing team this tournament, but despite offensive woes avoided relegation by keeping games close and pulling out wins versus Italy and Slovenia. They only scored six goals in the tournament and two were against the best goaltender in the tournament, which is how hockey is sometimes.

Division IIA

Final rankings

Kazakhstan - promoted

Spain

Mexico

Taiwan

Iceland

Belgium - relegated

Top goalkeeper: Arina Chshyokolova (Kazakhstan)

Top defender: Bridget O’Hare (Spain)

Top forward: Alexandra Shegay (Kazakhstan)

Summary: Kazakhstan was relegated last year and not looking to stay in this division for long. A solid u25 core has continued to show promise for them. Spain has really created a nice core for themselves with Vega Munoz, Bridget O’Hare, Alba Gonzalo, Claudia Castellanos, and Sofia Scilipoti - they dominated most teams but came up just short against Kazakhstan in the final game. That said, I’d wager a promotion is in their near future. Mexico continues to finish in third in this tournament as they have for a few years, with a lot of players born 2000 or later making up the roster, but we have to give 39 year old Claudia Tellez her flowers - it’s been a decade since she started playing at Worlds and still is putting up over a points game while also coaching the u18 team. Just a total legend. Mexican Goaltender Monica Renteria also had the best save percentage of the tournament at age 36, having also been on the initial women’s worlds team Mexico with Claudia a decade ago.

Taiwan could not score, but they did have an elite goalie tandem of Ai Chung and Tzu-Ting Hsu (Beauts fans, you may remember her from the 2019-2020 season, also goes by Tiffany Hsu) that kept them in games. Yun-Chu Huang was responsible for 5 of the teams 8 goals. Iceland continues to stagnate, but 19 year old defender Katrín Björnsdóttir was extremely impressive this tournament. Belgium was outmatched in their first chance at this division and was relegated, but has a few promising young players that may incident they’ll be back soon

Division IIB

Final standings

North Korea - Promoted

Australia

Hong Kong

New Zealand

Turkey

South Africa - relegated

Top goalkeeper: Erva Kanat (Turkey)

Top defender; Matilda Pethrick (Australia)

Top forward: Jong Su-hyon (North Korea)

Summary: we haven’t seen North Korea at the international stage since before the pandemic and didn’t really know what to expect in their return and then they came back and just dominated this tournament. North Korea and Australia were a clear step above the rest of the competitors, and North Korea ultimately got the promotion in a shootout goal by Hyang Jang. Keira Mok of Hong Kong was another goaltender with a stellar performance, and Nikki Sharp was great for Australia in terms of forwards. South Africa’s relegation comes as no surprise, as they’d been trending down for a few years.

Division IIIA

Final rankings

Ukraine - promotion

Romania

Lithuania

Serbia

Croatia

Bulgaria - relegation

Top Goaltender: Vilte Belicenkaite (Lithuania)

Top Defender: Diana Stolar (Croatia)

Top forward: Valeria Manchak (Ukraine)

Summary: a lot of these programs are very new to the women’s worlds circuit, with teams like Lithuania only competing in this capacity since 2019, Ukraine in 2019, or Serbia since 2021 (though they may have competed in other tournaments / formats). There’s a significant number of U18 players playing in this tournament because of that. Romania and Serbia were the most improved team from last year, Romania going from fourth to second and Serbia going from division B to finishing fourth.

Division IIIB

As Israel should not have been allowed to participate in this tournament due to the genocide they are carrying out, and I will not be acknowledging their participation or any of their players as a result.

Final rankings:

1. Thailand

2. Estonia

4. Singapore

5. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Top goaltender: Sofia Salamatina (Estonia)

Top forward: Apichaya Kosanunt

Summary; Thailand wins gold in its debut! What a fantastic start to women’s worlds for them, as they won every game and scored 20 goals while only ever giving up one. Strong defense meant they only saw 59 shots all tournament. Singapore also made their Women’s Worlds debut and got their first tournament win and saw Tiffany Ong score three goals.

[canonicallysoulmates]

J2 Gold Panel Nolacon 2023

We start off the panel with Jensen making a dirty joke because the stage reminds him of a lecture hall. It goes: A sex education professor comes into his lecture hall, he’s carrying a banana, and he says today class I’m going to teach you how to put on a condom. I have this banana here because I have a hard time getting an erection on an empty stomach. 🤦‍♀️ This makes Jared laugh and come up with his own joke: Did you hear about the serial killer professor? He always gave a Hannibal lecture. I can’t with these men, let’s get into questions.

Jared is asked about his ACL surgery, he hasn't gotten it yet but says he needs it at which point Jensen makes a knee pun. Jared’s brother has been helping him, and he does need surgery but it's a 4 to 6-month recovery period so until they find out about Walker he can’t risk doing it because he doesn’t want to do it and then get the call that they’re ready for him to film when he can’t move. Unless the season is gonna come back to Walker in the office playing wordle which sends them into a little sidetrack because Jensen mentions he got the wordle of the day in two so Jared asks him if he saw the hat picture at 2:30am he sent to the wordle group that they have, and Jared is so cute because he wants Jensen to look at it at that moment, it was something that had made him laugh but Jensen doesn't have his phone on him but after Jared explained it to him he did remember seeing it. It was just a little moment but I found it cute. Back to Jared's ACL, he’s hoping to rehab it and his brother thinks that maybe if he gets some intense physical therapy he might be able to avoid surgery. 

So when the fan was asking Jared about his knee they said that family should not help you in situations like that meaning if you have a family member whose a doctor they shouldn’t be the one treating you, and Jensen asks why, and says Jared’s doctor is one of the best orthopedic surgeons in Austin. Jared answers that he has asked his brother about this and explains why, for those that don't know, it’s because it's a conflict of interest. Because if you're treating a loved one there's an emotional investment that makes it difficult to be objective, and doctors and surgeons have to be objective in order to do what is best for their patients. x

Jared says some dad jokes, so Jensen mentions that he started watching The Last of Us, and the young girl, Ellie, has a dad joke book and when she says one of the jokes and it cuts to Pedro Pascal's character, Joel, going god, that's so stupid, and it makes him think of Jared 😂 That one of the jokes that got to him was: did you hear diarrhea is hereditary? It runs in your jeans.

Jared makes another joke: sex is hereditary if your parents didn’t have it you probably won’t either. I'll admit that one got a chuckle out of me. x

Continuing with the questions did they steal anything from the set?  Jensen says some things may have made their way into his suitcase. Jared replies that a few times when it was their last day shooting at a specific location for example Bobby’s house, there was a bronze owl paperweight and he wanted it so when it was their last day on that set it “got lost” and then after they said that’s a wrap he went back in to see if there was anything else he wanted to take or wanted to help find a happy home and Jim Beaver was in there and told him he was looking for the owl paperweight so Jared went back and gave it to him. Jensen shares that Jared has the cap of the steering wheel of the Impala that got totaled at the end of s1, that Jared just popped it off, put it in his pocket and it was never seen again. And when he's saying this there's a little in sync moment between the boys: x

Jared says they got some stuff and there were things they wanted but understood they might need for a reshoot but the set dec, props, and wardrobe would do them the solid of checking with WB if they would ever use something again so for example Jared has his white Lucifer suit and au!Sam's purple outfit, Jensen has the lederhosen and the duster from the western episode and he also has the OG Samulet, the original heavy metal one that would try to chip his tooth. Jensen says that one had gotten retired because it was so heavy and dangerous, so they did a mold of it and cast replicas in a lighter metal. But he took home the OG one, and actually included it in the Winchesters pilot. x

The next fan just wants to let them know that fans would love for a picture of them in the Bridge scene to be included in the stuff that is auctioned by Creation. Jensen mentions that scene was an alternate ending because of covid so he's glad that it worked so well. x

There's a character in Days of Our Lives called Marlena that gets possessed, and Jensen was in Days of Our Lives, does he think Dean would have been able to exorcize Marlena? Jensen answers that he believes the priest on that show is Jim Beaver so he should have been handling this a long time ago (that character has gotten possessed more than once). That it would have been interesting to see Dean show up and yeah it’s something the brothers could have knocked out in a weekend. x

When is Jensen going to play Batman? And was it liberating to play Soldier Boy? Jensen doesn’t think you’ll ever hear any actor complaining about playing the bad guy because it is a lot of fun. He says that if you ask Jared what one of his favorite versions of Sam is in SPN he’ll say soulless!Sam because when you get to play the bad guy it’s honestly more cathartic cause Jared is a really good guy in real life so when you get to find your inner asshole it can be cathartic. That Soldier Boy was a lot of fun, and the interesting thing, and he loves talking about this because people will ask how he could play such a horrible character and how did he prepare for it, the thing is Solder Boy doesn’t think he’s horrible, he’s the hero of his own story. 

And that’s something he took from Lee Marvin who answered years ago when asked why he made a career playing bad guys that he’s never played a bad guy in his life. And he thinks if you look at it through that lens it makes a whole lot more sense, Soldier Boy doesn’t think he’s a bad guy he thinks everyone else is in the wrong so that makes for really layered character work, and scene work, it was a lot of fun not to mention the way it was written and the way he related to the other cast memebers and characters on the show.

Asked if he got to improve any of it, he answers that yes. He gives as an example that Soldier Boy pops up for a brief moment on the new spinoff and his little bit was heavily improved. He had Kripke with him on set that day so they were spitballing ideas and coming up with different takes that it's a lot of fun to work at that level with that kind of mind that can throw something out and you're like 'oh! okay I'm gonna do that one' so it's a beautiful collab on that set much like SPN and that’s a testament to Kripke and the kind of worlds he builds and the type of people he puts in them. As for the Batman thing, he doesn’t know but if he gets the phone call he’s in. x

What is something they learned while working on SPN that they’ve since applied to their future projects? They’re kind of struggling to answer and Jared starts to try but he's having trouble so Jensen steps in to give him more time to think. And he answers confidence. Confidence on set, in front of a camera no matter who he is working with says that if he didn’t have the ten thousand hours that he had playing Dean he doesn’t think he would have the confidence he has now to go to a completely foreign set like The Boys or Big Sky or a movie set. He gives as an example when he was on Rust and working alongside Alec Baldwin, who is a legend in the entertainment industry, and shares that there was a moment on set where Baldwin dropped the line and got really upset and was screaming what’s the line and Jensen was just like holding up his phone going this is cool but he thinks had he not gone through what he went through with SPN that would have shook him a bit; he has a certain confidence, not arrogance but confidence that helps him do what he needs to do and that’s something he learned and earned on SPN.

Jared seconds that, and in his head went slightly different the fan asked about projects but he'll say life in general, he’s had a lot of highs and lows in his life and it doesn’t have to be something mental it can just be that he’s tired or physically beat down. They had a great time on SPN but there were times that just sucked like it being 5am and having to do a two-page emotional scene and having only an hour to film because the sun is coming up and just wanting the day to be over those were the days they’d get home and take a shower and get in bed and realize that it felt really good, so just realize there's another side of it. There’s a saying he likes: no feeling is final. When you're feeling beat down whether physically or mentally there's another side to that, you can get through that and he thinks SPN helped get that into him. x

Did Jared have fun doing his Walker Independence cameo, and are we going to see more of that? Jared replies that he had an amazing time there, it’s an amazing cast and crew that build a family over there in Santa Fe and he had a lot of fun. That he was riding horses in between takes and horsing around, and he has an absolute blast on Walker; he hopes he gets the chance to go back to Walker Independence and hopes the show comes back, he thinks if they were shooting in the same place he would have done it more often.  x

Favorite song on SPN outside of Carry On? Jared says he will probably forever love Renegade by Styx (saaaame!) and Space Oddity by David Bowie that those two music cues he’s watched more than a lot of the other clips of SPN he’s watched. Jensen says Eye of the Tiger but he'll also throw in Night Moves by Bob Seger. x

And that marks the end of the panel and as they walk away there's a mini butt pat! x

J2 Gold Panel Nolacon 2023

[hedgethemaze]

Got tagged by @persnickety-doodles as @lokfinest - Surprise! New handle just in time for the [Lunar] New Year lol

Thank you, Alicia🤗

nine people you want to get to know better

Last Song:

I’ve mostly been listening to instrumental music lately but the last song I listened to, is a parody song about the Twilight series of movies called ‘I Hate This Town’ by Gabi Belle (Gabi Balls on Spotify), it’s super catchy, a total banger if you ask me, and the lyrics are hilarious af! 🤣

If you’re in the mood for a laugh, please look it up on Spotify or better yet, watch the end of her video because the song has its own video clip and it’s incredible!

Favorite Color:

Short answer - Blue, Green and Gray.

Long answer - Blue (from #1f75fe to darker shades), most shades of Green, Gray (steel, iron, charcoal) but also, Red, Brown and White. This was one of the hard ones to answer😅

I also love Pink, tho, Amy Rose (all versions of her) is to blame 😛​

 Last Movie/Show:

Movie - The Boy and The Heron

I went to watched it on my first day of vacation. Coincidentally, it was also my birthday and I invited my mom (she’s not big on going to the movies but luckily she was interested on that one) we had a good time! And had coffee afterwards😊​

Last Show – as a casual watch, an episode of Bull. The last show I watched in a meaningful manner was the 3th Season of Sonic Prime - I don’t watch much tv nowadays, tbh.

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: Ah! I can’t answer this one😩​

It all depends on my mood, really. I love spicy food, savory is great (especially homemade) although, I am picky with sweets - Cholate, Ice Cream and anything Custard Cream are my Gold, Silver and Bronze but the list goes on lol  

Last Thing I searched:

SEGA font (I can’t recall what for 🤔) ​

Current obsession:

Shockingly, stuff I’d love to draw, if only I had the skill and wasn’t so scatterbrained, atm *sigh* ‘What Was Stolen’ by Beeextraordinary and video games (I’m on my last week of vacation before I go back to work so, yeah)

I’m currently going back and forth between Sonic Unleashed (for the eighth-ish time) and 2008’s Dead Space (first time ever playing, so far is frightening as heck, yet, fun)  

Last Book:

I’m embarrassed to say I don’t remember…mainly because while I love to read, most stuff I’ve read as of late aren't books per se…some articles here and there and tons of wiki entries.

Last Fic:

Again, ‘What Was Stolen’, every update leaves me hanging on a thread wanting more…

Looking Forward To:

Unironically, the Summer to end. On a happier note, after watching the trailer for it, the Knuckles miniseries.

I haven't been on here much (hence the changes around my tumblr) but I'll tag: @e-vay, @sherrydoodlez, @beeextraordinary123

You guys can skip it if you're not in the mood. It's alright!👋

[vilyae]

hi! do not feel obliged to answer this if it's too much hassle. but basically i was v into men's figure skating until covid hit. i would love to get back into it next season but i feel i lost track of all that's going on! i know my (our) darling shoma has gotten GOOD!! and yuzuru did not manage a 3 time gold at the olympics but that's about it. would you, or any of your followers, maybe want to give me a highlights/recap from the big comps? who are the big names now? any new world records? how are the axels faring? and what would be the best of shoma performances to watch? (again. only if you feel like it!)

Hi anon! Welcome back! I can give you an update of the current field, and if my followers want to please do help anon out and add things in replies!!

(This was actually supposed to be short and brief at first, but things got a bit out of hand...)

As you know Yuzu and Nathan were quite dominant in the men's field until recently, and as Yuzu retired and Nathan went back to school we got quite a few names fighting for the podium placements atm. Shoma has been doing amazing especially after the Olympics, and went undefeated the entire season - he's now a 2 time back to back World Champion! He withdrew from WTT just recently because of an ankle injury though which still seems to be bothering him, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed that it won't hinder him next season.

Actually, the most anticipated rivalry after the Olympics was probably thought to be between Ilia Malinin and Yuma Kagiyama. Yuma was doing great, he was quite consistent and was getting very high scores, and ended up with silver at both the Olympics and Worlds 2022 - but unfortunately, he got a quite serious injury during the off-season (if I remember correctly, a stress fracture in his leg) and had to withdraw from 22-23 GP series. He competed at JNats 2022, but as he wasn't fully recovered yet he placed 8th and didn't compete the rest of the season. He's now back in full training I believe and his return is highly anticipated next season!

Ilia has been a new star in the men's field with his amazing quad jump arsenal - and most obviously, the historical 4A that he has landed multiple times in competition this season. His consistency hasn't been quite there yet, but he's able to put out massive scores with his technical content on a good day. He finished 3rd in both GP Final and Worlds in the 22-23 season.

Junhwan Cha has been on a fantastic upward trajectory especially towards the end of the last season and is definitely one of the top men right now. He put out 2 amazing performances at Worlds and got silver, only a few points from Shoma. He skated well at WTT as well. He had some troubles during the GP series so he wasn't at the GP Final, but I'm quite sure that we'll see him there next season.

The depth in Japanese men continues to be incomparable. Sota Yamamoto had the absolute best season of his senior career so far in 22-23 and got his ticket to the GP Final, where he got silver! He was selected to the Worlds team where he had some hiccups and ended up 15th, but overall his season was fantastic and he should be a podium contender in the future as well. Kazuki Tomono continues to be a fan favorite with his amazing steps and choreo sequences, and he is definitely able to score very well and finish among the top placements when he's on. Last season he finished 3rd and 4th at his GP assignments, thus didn't make it to the Final, but won the bronze medal at JNats and was assigned to Worlds where he was 6th. The Japanese nationals silver medalist last season, Koshiro Shimada, didn't get assigned to Worlds, but went to 4CC instead where he ended up 11th. It will be exciting to see how he's going to do next season!

Of the Japanese men, other notable current stars are definitely Kao Miura and Shun Sato. Both have fantastic qualities in skating skills and jump technique, and I could see either one on the top of the Worlds podium in the future. They were at the GP Final in Turin last season as well, Kao ending up 5th and Shun 4th. Their struggles at Japanese Nationals prevented them from getting to the Worlds team, but they both are able to get climb up to the top placements in any competition on a good day.

Italy has a few notable senior men right now, like Matteo Rizzo and Daniel Grassl. They both skated at Worlds, finishing 9th and 12th respectively. Matteo has been on a good upward trajectory lately, getting silver at the European Championships and being one of the very few men attempting 4Lo in his programs currently. There has been some controversy surrounding Daniel when he, after changing his training base a couple of times, ended up choosing Eteri as his new coach and moving to train to Moscow last season. He actually made it to the GP Final but seemed troubled there and finished last, and has since been very inconsistent and struggled quite a lot, maybe looking a bit more stable in the most recent competitions, but time will tell how his new training environment will work out for him...

From France we have Adam Siao Him Fa and Kevin Aymoz. Adam has been popular among fans with his expressive programs, he won gold in his first GP event last season and was fifth in the second. He won the French nationals and continued to become the European Champion. Some struggles at Worlds afterwards and he was 10th there, but overall a very good season for him. Kevin had trouble with injuries at the start of the season, but finished on a very high note with a 4th place finish at Worlds (only a few points behind Malinin) and looking more stable with his quads than ever, in my opinion. Both will be podium contenders and candidates for the GP Final next season.

Jason Brown didn't take part in the GP series last season, but returned for the US Nats and Worlds + WTT, and did not disappoint! He's been very consistent and provided some Jason-quality programs, getting the silver medal at nationals, earning a new PB in the free skate at Worlds and finishing 5th, and continuing to perform well at WTT. I don't know about his plans for the future, but I'm sure the skating world would love to see him continue competing.

Keegan Messing has been carrying the Canadian men for some time and retired after Worlds and WTT this year. The rest of the Canadian men... Well, we will see what happens.

For the others, Deniss Vasiljevs of Latvia is another fan favorite and was able to get silver on his second GP event last season, and has been working hard to get his quad salchow more consistent. Even if the quad doesn't work out, his artistry is amazing and he has wonderful programs that you definitely should look forward to seeing. Boyang Jin really hasn't been able to compete much during covid but has been making some comeback under Tracy and Brian this season, and I look forward to seeing his development in his new environment. Morisi Kvitelashvili has struggled a Lot and has put out some disaster level skates last season, and time will tell if he'll continue competing.

Whew, that's all I can think of now! Please do add things in the comments if I got something wrong or forgot something.

You also asked for Shoma performance recommendations! I would definitely check out both his SP and FS from 2022 Worlds, FS at the GPF 2022 and SP at Worlds 2023. His EX last season, "Padam Padam" (by Mihoko Higuchi!) is gorgeous as well!

Hopefully this helped! 😁

[gogogogolev]

2023 Autumn Classic International FS results, final results, and Stephen's protocol.

Ok this is really late my apologies.

Let's start with that costume. I was hoping to see Stephen in blue since he revealed it's his favourite colour. Have been wanting to see him in something ombré forever. I was actually telling my mom yesterday I wish he'd wear ombré as it would suit him so well. To get both in one costume? I was screaming. Thank you to whoever designed that.

Now the technical. First of all, big props to Stephen for not letting those early mistakes get to him. He held it together and kept going, and that is so important for his progress as an athlete. Full respect for that. In terms of that content I was surprised to see his Lutz come back from its exile. It was a nice one, and I think nailing that helped settle him down after the first fall.

The 4S in the second half looked good, and that 3F3A sequence was amazing. That's smart thinking, to put two of his best jumps together like that. And finally we have some variety in jump layout. He must have grown tired of the layouts he'd been doing for the past four years. Level 4 spins are always welcome. The choreography looks interesting and so different from last season. The crowd was clapping along to his step sequence, which is great. It was a level 2 but I'm sure with mileage it will improve.

It was the first time out with this program and it wasn't bad at all plus he managed to get a medal so I'll take that. I haven't had time to go through comments but what little I have seen suggests people like this program. Also a strange little fact: this is Stephen's first time winning bronze at an event. He did win a small bronze for the FS at 2019 Junior Worlds, but he's only ever won gold or silver otherwise. This is his first international senior medal and I'm just proud of him for picking himself up after last season and coming out here and making a statement. If you were writing him off after last season you should think twice.

Also shout out to the two MVPs with Stephen - Bruce and coach Lee Barkell. Bruce went to Montreal to watch Stephen and cheer him on, and has been supporting him online as well. I think you can even hear him in the crowd, and I'm sure his support buoyed Stephen. As I've stated previously Stephen's best skates in the past couple of years have come with Lee by his side. Stephen is a Californian now, but I hope he can continue to work with Lee and become more successful under his (occasional) tutelage.

Back in January 2022 when Stephen was forced to withdraw from Nationals I was going through it but was encouraged by the kind words of a coach (an acquaintance) who reassured me Stephen would be back. They were letting me know that Stephen would be selected for Junior Worlds without stating it outright, but I didn't comprehend that in my state of mind. I just calmed myself down by thinking about when he'd be back. At that time I told myself he would be here for 2022 SCI, 2023 Nationals, and also 2023 ACI. I'm glad to see that all worked out without any more withdrawals. Let's manifest more good things.

Stephen has now done a JGP, JGP Final, Grand Prix, and Challenger Series event within Canada. He's just got one international left to do here...and that's enough from me. :)

Way to go Stephen! Congratulations and looking forward to seeing more.

[anonthefold]

I did my first placements on Support with 2 other friends tonight. One was a Gold 2 DPS and the other was a Bronze 1 Tank. I finished my last season at gold 3 because reasons. Well we went 5-1 and I climbed to Gold 1. The other thing was that the games didn't even feel that "tough" the average of our games ranged from gold 3 to gold 1 which is really tight for comp matchmaking. I am pleased by my growth an ability to play multiple support heroes to a level of proficiency relative to my rank but with potential to grow. Onto Platinum now! I haven't been in plat since the rank inflation of season 3 ( i think it was might have been season 2) and looking back at how i played back then and how I am playing now there is a crater of skill.

Media below the cut!

Let's.... not talk about my almost level 800 account progression. It is better to not think about it.

seriously

don't think about it.

.... My Illari is level 40 though which i am proud of.

The funny thing was that I told my friend that they haven't seen how good I have gotten with Illari because they haven't played the game for pretty much an entire season. I did make some mistakes and I messed up some of my outbursts but this was still a good game in my opinion.

[trixcuomo]

DWC Day #3: Velvet, Consequence

Every fancy school, magical or not, prep school or of the military variety, has two things. A rolling green, and a colonnade.

Trixany stood there now, alone, wondering where the last three weeks had gone. Her new uniform had come in, and sadly it fit. She kept complaining about it and even ripping it and spilling stuff on it to get out of being in full uniform. But finally they gave her a really expensive, velvety enchanted one that came with a note from her strict Farstrider father.

"This is coming out of your royalties."

Royalties! It made Trixany growl now just remembering that note. "He knows I don't have an allowance. But he went for my residual earnings from the photoshoot. And, that one ill-advised pop song I did with Rap Master Drip Squeegie, 'Wash My Trike.'"

Yes, "Wash My Trike" had been a very bad idea. The Goblins in the video were having a water fight with the sponges and foamy suds flying back and forth. Trixany was tall enough to wash the top of the trike, but it also meant you could only really see her ankles. And her designer flip flops.

The music video? It flopped.

Trixany looked down at her feet now, in heavy green and bronze combat boots. "Ugh, these colors..."

Then, it happened. The thing Trixany and the other recruits had been waiting for at the farther end of the colonnade. Trixany watched the rest of the students gather and get excited while she stayed way in back. The dark iron gates near the front lawns were being pulled open. Files of the older students marched in, to boisterous cheering and wild Windspire Military Academy green-and-bronze fanfare. People were actually throwing streamers.

This wasn't a girls' school, not at all. Any Blood Elf who applied and got in was welcome to campus.

But more than half of the seasoned cadets had been out on an extended tour of duty. From the best Trixany could judge, it wasn't a real military assignment because they weren't that. More like a kind of apprentice sort of thing, them mixed in with the normal Farstriders.

The senior cadets had been part of the royal escort and parade as Prince Kael'thas made his annual tour through Dalaran, Quel'Danil Lodge in the Hinterlands, Loch Modan and other far-flung settlements. It was meant to help keep the empire feeling united.

Now, all the upperclassmen were marching back to campus, and they looked so spectacular. In full uniform, armed or playing their field drums, horns and other instruments.

"I wonder if the Prince would visit the Quel'dorei expats in Kezan? I mean a few of us live out there too--"

"Not!"

Trixany squinted her eye at her roommate.

Daphne Weaver, another young ensign, a smirking blonde, came and leaned on the large stone column next to her.

"Why not?" Demanded Tixany.

"Think of the consequences. Kael'thas shows interest in the Goblins. Next thing you know, he's shooting missiles from his hands and riding a rocket around the countryside instead of a Hawkstrider."

"You. Cannot say that about Goblins. We--my step family--is about more than that."

Daphne gave a compassionate look. In the end, she was the brainy sort. Thoughtful and even helpful. Not really a mean girl. She looked down and played with a little gold locket as she spoke. "Sweetie, you need to come back home to us. Learn how to be Quel'dorei. I mean it's cool you can name twenty types of Kezani bubble tea. But there's none to be had on campus. One day, we'll all have to find a place in the real world, just beyond these gates."

Trixany rolled her eyes.

Daphne sighed, "You might want to learn enough in school to avoid making more bad music videos and shoe deals. And you'll want something else to fall back on, if being a celebrity doesn't work out, right? Is that even a job?"

Trixany gave in, shrugged that Daphne was right.

Daphne pointed out across the lawn, at the lines of polished, marching cadets.

"If you want to move up the ranks and prove yourself here? You've got to train."

"I don't want to become some stuffed up Farstrider."

"You don't know that, yet. And you have no idea what Farstriders really do for our kingdom. It's amazing. You mean you've never seen the cadets practice?"

"Yeah?"

"Come on," Daphne smirked again, "Let's go look at some of the boys."

"Boys!!"

@daily-writing-challenge

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday to Olympic gold medallist, Allan Wells, born May 3rd 1952 in Edinburgh.

Allan was schooled at Fernieside Primary School and then Liberton High School. He left school at age 15 to begin an engineering apprenticeship. The teenager was active in athletics from a young age and was initially a triple jumper and long jumper. In his first season of athletics in 1970, he won the Scottish junior triple jump title.

He took a break from athletics for a few years while he focused on his training as a marine engineer. He returned to athletics at the relatively late age of 24 yet proceeded to become one of the finest European athletes of his era. He won two golds at the 1978 Commonwealth Games but his biggest success was at the Summer Olympics in 1980 when he clinched the gold in the 100m.

There is a brilliant quote from Wells when he was asked after the victory if he had run the race for Harold Abrahams, the last 100 metre Olympic winner from Britain who had died two years previously, Wells replied, "No, ... I would prefer to dedicate this to Eric Liddell".

Allan also won a silver in the 200 metres in Moscow.

Following the Moscow Olympics, there was some suggestion that Wells's gold medal had been devalued by the boycott of the games. Wells accepted an invitation to take on the best USA sprinters of the day, among others, at a track meeting in Koblenz in Germany. Less than two weeks after the Moscow gold, Wells won the final that included Americans.

He went on to beat the Americans again in meetings in 1981, including the fastest 100 metres of that year which had been set by Carl Lewis.

Wells holds the prestigious position of being Scottish Athletics’ most successful athlete, in the Commonwealth games, winning four gold, one silver and one bronze for Scotland over two Commonwealth Games. He topped the Scottish all-time list of top Games athletes across all sports until the Gold Coast 2018 Games when lawn bowler Alex Marshall claimed top sport by winning his fifth Commonwealth Games gold, but it's hardly in the same league as athletics. Liz McColgan is Scotland’s top female athlete with two gold and a bronze from two Games.

On retiring from sprinting Wells went on to coach the Olympic Bobsleigh team.

In June 2015, a BBC documentary, Panorama: Catch Me If You Can,uncovered allegations by Wells' former teammate of historical doping by the 1980 Olympic 100m champion, beginning in 1977, he forcefully denies the allegations.

[waitingforwinterwinds]

A Clash of Kings - 27 DAENERYS II (pages 383-392)

Dany arrives in Qarth, and finally gets caught up on the gossip from Westeros re: Bobby B vs The Boar.

If the reader had a penny for every time someone claiming to be a Dany fan decided to deliberately bad faith read one of their Dany-chapter-posts and leave hate, the reader would have two pennies, which isn't a lot but is still making the reader wonder if they should just skip Dany chapters in the future. The reader remains "not here for that shit," and would like to remind folks that shit gets auto-blocks.

-

On the walls of Qarth, men beat gongs to herald her coming, while others blew curious horns that encircled their bodies like great bronze snakes. A column of camelry emerged from the city as her honor guards.

This opening paragraph really drives home just how much complexity D&D stripped away to make make Dany a "cool underdog fighting for her every scrap." Like yes, she had to fight for everything, (although she also has a lot of luck and inherent power and status from just having dragons,) but they removed the entire Vaes Tolorro thing, which, yeah okay, only lasted a single chapter, but it also was an important breathing moment that showed Dany's willingness to build, to grow things, to regain her footing in the wake of what was a huge shift in her mentality from leader('s wife) of the khalasar to having almost nothing. (Also, on the subject: D&D making Doreah a self-interested betrayer because they think women have very few settings (bitch, plot device, meek, one of the guys) was absolute garbage. just like them.)

"Qarth is the greatest city that ever was or will be, (...) ancient beyond memory of man and so magnificent that Saathos the wise put out his eyes after gazing upon Qarth for the first time, because he knew that all he saw thereafter should look squalid and ugly by comparison."

Qarth is the Taj Mahal!? I'm sorry, I shouldn't joke about real human suffering. (It's also not a one-to-one but my brain knee-jerk connected.)

The women wore gowns of that left one breast bare,

Why though? Is there a specific reason? Or did GRRM just decide to half-ass the tits out look? I have questions about support, and whether its up-from-under or a wedge-cut from over, like Jane Foster's one-tit armour in Thor. The second one. Also: Qarth sounds so cool. (I hope those sandals the kids were wearing were only golden coloured though, or if not, at least it means they'll never be able to skip leg day.

"A honor as rare as summer snows."

I don't know why but this made me snort. I think it's partly because summer snows aren't rare at all in the north of Westeros, so this changes his sentence for context, but I know he means locally. I think it's also in part because my brain is going "wrong grammar is wrong" because 'honor' is one of those silent(ish) 'h' words that sound like it starts with a vowel, so my brain's like, "it's either "an 'onor" or you're pronouncing the 'h'. "a HHhhhhhhonor."" I might just be very tired.

"We have seen only the parts of Qarth that Pyat Pree wished us to see," she went on. "Rakharo, go forth and look on the rest, and tell me what you find. Take good men with you - and women, to go places where men are forbidden."

Yes, good. Trust but verify, except don't trust these people. Good thinking to send the ladies, way too often authors just ignore female spaces (... unless they're brothels.)

Dany had no wish to reduce King's Landing to a blackened ruin full of unquiet ghosts. She had supped on enough tears. I want to make my kingdom beautiful, to fill it with fat men and pretty maids and laughing children. I want my people to smile when they see me ride by, the way Viserys said they smiled for my father. But before she could do that she must conquer.

Well now I'm sad. ... *pushes season 8 off the table like a cat with a vase*

Beneath Dany's gentle fingers, green Rhaegal stared at the stranger with eyes of molten gold. When his mouth opened, his teeth gleamed like black needles.

Ahhhh, so their teeth are black like their bones! I had wondered about that. Like I got the vibe with the skelies, but living dragons also: check!

"Dragons die." She stood on her toes to kiss him lightly on an unshaven cheek. "But so do dragonslayers."

oh now there's a raw-ass line. It has like an... almost inverse energy of that quote about dragons and stories... what was it...

Fairy tales do not tell children dragons exist. Children already know the dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed. - G.K. Chesterton

What's interesting about Dany's line is her acknowledgment that dragons die, when previously she's mentioned them as being powerful and nigh on indestructible creatures. Usually though she's using the references in metaphor for herself and those around her as a kind of mental housekeeping and protective adjustment, like Arya and her 'fear cuts deeper than swords' mantra.

Coming close on the heels of her talk with Jorah and captain Quhuru Mo of the Cinnamon Wind, it's kind of a blend of her previous imagery and "I understand that I am not in the best position of power, that I can still fail if I'm not careful, but so could my enemy, because they've lost their balance too."

[faveficarchive]

A FLY IN THE OINTMENT

By IseQween

September 2001

The following is a continuation of my post-FIN "The Ghost of A Smile." You don't have to read "Ghost," though it does introduce characters and events referred to in this story. Beware lots of spoilers, especially for seasons 5 and 6. -- IQ

Gabrielle chewed thoughtfully on the shaft of her quill. Of all the battles she'd fought, few cost more sweat and tears than this one. It wasn't over yet, but if they won, the victory would be sealed in ink, not blood. The document she labored over served as their anthem. It sang of nearly everything she'd loved and worked for. Her hopes for peace and compassion. Her dreams for a strong Amazon nation. Her desire that Xena live on through her legacy of defending the greater good.

She glanced fondly at the urn on her desk. She'd had it specially made to hold her soulmate's ashes. Its bronze swirls duplicated the design on the warrior's signature breastplates. The lid copied Xena's joined dark and light chakrams. Gabrielle ran her fingers lightly over the sculpted images. "You said I could do it. I never should have doubted you." Sighing, she returned her attention to the unfinished scroll in front of her. "Now, if only I could find the right words '."

Bzzzzzzz.

Gabrielle swatted distractedly at the insect hovering near her nose. It flew a short distance away, only to return when Gabrielle put pen to parchment. She frowned and swatted again. This time the winged annoyance landed on Gabrielle's scroll. It was a fly. She blew on it, sending it skidding until it gained its balance and flew off. Gabrielle resumed trying to write.

Bzzzzzzz.

"Curses." Gabrielle glared at the fly, which proceeded to circle her head. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as they followed the insect shoot straight up toward the ceiling, then dive into a series of loops that ended lazily on the scroll. Gabrielle stared at the fly. It stared back. She shook her head, smiled thinly and leaned forward until they were eye to eye.

"Very impressive." The fly fluttered its wings. "However, your acrobatics aren't helping me much here. I'd appreciate if you'd practice elsewhere until I can be more properly attentive." The fly held its ground. Gabrielle held hers. It inched its way onto Gabrielle's hand.

"Uh uh. Sweet, but no cookies. Shoosh." The insect flew off to rest on Xena's urn. "Nice try, but guilt won't work either." The fly didn't move. "Fine. Stay there. But if I hear another sound from you, I'm going for the bug spray."

"Scout Leader?"

She turned to see a young girl standing tentatively in the doorway. Her Amazon leathers were unadorned, save for a diagonal slash of purple cloth with a small "X" at the shoulder embroidered in gold. Gabrielle smiled broadly, stood and gave the girl a salute. "Yes, Scout Tania, how may I help you?"

Tania suppressed a grin, returning the salute smartly. "Pardon me, Leader Gabrielle. The troop has finished its drills and wishes to know if you would like to review our form."

"Good, Scout Tania. If you're any better than my last review, I'm afraid you might embarrass the Amazon warriors. Please tell the others they're finished for the day. I'll review them once more before the ceremony."

Tania beamed. "Yes, Leader Gabrielle, I will do as you say." She stood tall and snapped her right hand to her forehead, before relaxing and letting out a giggle. "Bye, Gabrielle. And, um, you have a fly in your hair," she added jovially, skipping off.

"Xena?!!!! Xena, get ' out ' of ' my ' hair! This instant!"

The fly went back to the urn.

"No. You had your chance. You know how important this is to me. I'm sorry, but you're too much of a distraction. Find something else to amuse yourself that doesn't involve interrupting me."

The fly slowly lifted off from the urn, hovered a moment, then headed away.

"And Xena?"

The fly hesitated, its wings fluttering expectantly.

"I want to see you tonight."

The fly buzzed quietly out the door, just as Marta came rushing in. "Ugh," she said, ducking her head away from the exiting insect. "I hate flies."

Gabrielle winced. "Um, well, they're basically harmless, if annoying sometimes." She gazed fondly at the young redhead who'd been tagging along with her the last few years. Marta had matured into quite the scholar, soaking up every drop of wisdom that came from Gabrielle's lips or from the varied people they'd met on their travels. She was getting pretty good with a staff too, despite little desire to excel at physical skills. But the orphaned young woman idolized Gabrielle and was interested in whatever interested her mentor and, now, family.

"So, what's your news? You look like the hydra that swallowed a harpy."

Marta laughed. "Yes," she said excitedly. "The shipments of scrolls and tapestries have begun arriving. Eve's plowing through them now."

"Oh? Anything special?"

"Maybe," Marta said mysteriously. "I'm not permitted to speak about it, though." At Gabrielle's scowl, she added, "It's a surprise."

"Great," Gabrielle mumbled. "That's all I need. More surprises."

"Don't worry. It's nothing like that bunch of gargantuan sailors Singer conscripted to help us with the building."

Gabrielle laughed. "Good. But I have to admit they've helped enormously. Everything else going okay?"

"Yep. That's my progress report." Marta hugged herself. "I am soooo excited. I can't believe how calm you are."

"I don't have time to be anything else," Gabrielle chuckled. "Still no rumblings from Melop and his gang?"

"Nope. You must've really scared the pants off him during your last ' negotiations."

"Let's hope so. And when you see Eve, remind her it's not nice to trick Mother Gabrielle."

"Will do," Marta said, grinning. "Anything I can help you with before I go?"

Gabrielle sighed. "No, afraid not. You're doing a great job helping coordinate things. Just keep it up."

Marta blushed. "Thanks. I'll go check on Singer's group."

Gabrielle plopped back down in her chair. She eyed the incomplete scroll, then the pile of other ones on her desk that needed attention. Her thoughts drifted anyway to another hairy issue. She rested her head in her hands. "Gods," she muttered. "What's with her? She's the inspiration for all this. I know she's proud of me, yet makes me want to squish her every chance she gets."

She made a quick mental scan of everything that needed to be done. Three more days. Just three more days and so much would fall into place. She had to stay focused. Surely Xena of all people should understand that. Gabrielle looked wistfully at the urn before collecting herself once again for the task at hand.

*****

Gabrielle took her time preparing for bed. This was the most anxious she'd felt in four years. Sure, she'd had her ups and downs coming to terms with Xena's death in Japa. Even now there were times when the warrior's spirit was not enough. She knew she could count on Xena's wisdom during her contemplation of big issues, that Xena would be a comfort in her darkest hours. What she missed most was the carefree physicality -- like water fights, elbow nudges, or that game they played where one of them "fell out" and required resuscitation. But for the most part, she'd felt fulfilled, especially once her travels and studies had led her to the grand idea that rekindled her sense of purpose. And Xena had been with her, mostly as a presence she felt inside, but often glimpsed in a child's vulnerability, a mule's stubbornness, or in the shadowed beauty as the sun set and in the radiant promise of its rise.

She moved in front of the mirror that hung above her dressing table. She knew that face well. She'd made herself gaze into those eyes often enough, at first to see if they still had life in them. Examined the tiny lines at their corners for signs of good times, as well as of time itself. Wondered whether those lips would dry into husks that could continue to speak the truth and not crack. Practiced focusing on that still young visage to the point where she could see herself more than Xena.

She felt a warmth at her back, around her shoulders. She shifted her gaze up a little and smiled. Yes. She didn't have to see Xena to know that her soulmate was behind her. Her eyes caught something dangling from the mirror. It was the tiny Xena she'd fashioned that time the warrior had to single-handedly fight a Persian army. For a long time Gabrielle had worn the stick-and-leather doll nestled between her breasts. Until a couple of years ago, when she'd finally believed her soulmate would always be everywhere, anywhere, whenever Gabrielle needed her.

She looked once more in the mirror. She nodded. Yes, it was a good face, a peaceful face. The face of someone she was grateful to know. Still, she reached up and took the stick doll from its place on the frame. She tied it around her neck, tenderly tucking it into her nightshirt near her heart. She'd be seeing Xena tonight as she hadn't in some time. She had a feeling she'd need all the reassurance she could get. She blew out the candles, lay down on her bed, relaxed as best she could, and closed her eyes.

"You're sure I'm not 'interrupting' anything."

Gabrielle turned to her side to see Xena standing rigidly next to the bed. Gabrielle smiled. "Quite sure. In case you've forgotten, you're here at my express invitation."

"Well, I know you have more important things on your mind than the ghost of some old has-been warrior," Xena responded, continuing to stand. "I didn't want to be presumptuous."

Gabrielle clenched her jaws, then nonchalantly slid her hand over the doll's resting place, reminding herself to shift into sensitive-chat mode. "Xena, I much prefer talking to you like this, than to a fly on the wall."

Xena's posture loosened up a bit. One corner of her mouth twitched. "I see you've got that dolly in there again. That could be a bad sign, like maybe you want to smother me." Xena's mouth curled into a semi-grin. "If you could."

"No, silly." Gabrielle moved to the far edge of the bed and held out her arms. "Though I haven't quite given up on that yet."

Xena rolled her eyes, then cautiously put one knee on the bed. "No swatting?"

"No swatting. Promise. Now get your pesty self in here. This instant."

Xena suppressed a grin. She stretched out on her back, legs crossed, hands behind her head.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. She scooted over, resting her head in its customary place on Xena's chest, relieved when long arms soon pulled her in closer.

"Comfy? Contrary to popular opinion, we flies aim to please."

"Mmm. Quite."

"We haven't done this in awhile."

Gabrielle lifted her head and brushed Xena's cheek. "I know. It's not just that I've been busy. I guess I didn't think we needed words so much anymore."

"Yeah," Xena sighed, stroking Gabrielle's arm. "So what'd you want to talk about?"

"Flies," Gabrielle replied, still looking up.

Xena stopped stroking. "Flies?"

"Uh huh." Gabrielle laid her head back down. "Normally they bring out the 'kill 'em all' in me, but there's this one special fly I was hoping you could help me with."

Xena tensed. "You mean, like how to get rid of it?"

Gabrielle raised up again. "I thought you were supposed to be changed now - you know, more 'save 'em all.'"

"I am, I am," Xena protested. "It's just that you seemed to feel this special fly was a ' special pest."

"No," Gabrielle responded, settling down again. "I want this one buzzing in my ear forever. I'm trying to understand why it's been behaving the way it has lately."

"Oh," Xena said, relaxing again. "What's it been doing?"

"Well, for starters, it's been shifting shapes. It's been with me for a long time now, but more ' invisible. Sort of like my own private little cheering section and sounding board. It's traveled all over the world with me, encouraged me to build a new life. I thought it wanted me to rely on myself more, that it was okay if I put to use what I'd already learned from it."

"So you didn't need to see ' this fly ' as much anymore. That's a good thing, right?"

Gabrielle raised her head again. "Oh, no, I still needed the fly. Rarely does an hour go by when I don't see it in some person or some object I might pick up. I got kinda used to that. But lately the fly's been making itself ' more obvious. One time it was a spider, another time a bee, then a cricket. It pops in to surprise me, mostly when I'm doing something I'd think it wouldn't want to distract me from."

Xena chuckled nervously. "Bad fly! Must have a dark side that needs redeeming."

"No, I don't think that's it." Gabrielle held Xena's eyes. "This particular fly has been cleansed and redeemed and sacrificed so much you can't see it anymore. Unless it has a special connection to you, like it does with me."

Xena swallowed. "So what's wrong if maybe it shows itself sometimes? You know, just to prove it hasn't disappeared."

Moving away a little, Gabrielle inched up so that the two were head to head. "To itself, or to others?"

Xena turned her eyes toward the ceiling. "I'm not sure," she answered quietly. "But it's not your problem anyway." She looked at Gabrielle with a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm sorry I've been acting like such a brat. Especially now when I should get out of the way and let you shine like I've always known you would."

Gabrielle studied her soulmate a moment. "Xena, if you have a problem, then it's my problem too. We've shared that along with the good. You're not in my way. You've never been. If I shine, it's because you've given me ways to do that."

Xena brushed her hand against Gabrielle's cheek. "Thank you," she murmured. "Whatever else I may have deserved, I'll never believe I deserved you. Let's not talk about flies, okay? I really am so full of joy at what you're doing. It's what I always dreamed. Seeing you fulfill it is all that really matters."

"No, Xena, that's not all that matters. Not to me. I thought you were at peace. Just as I saw you in everything, I thought your ' existence ' was full of everything, not just me. I didn't worry about you, but I see now that maybe I should."

Xena sighed. "It's nothing, really." She chuckled. "We souls have a grand old time. I'm luckier than most because I'd already been in so many different spirit realms even when I wasn't dead. Heck, I'm known in some I hadn't visited. They're all eager to meet up with me, even some I put there." She grinned sheepishly. "You thought those loops I did earlier were impressive. Well, news of the 40,000 souls I saved traveled far and wide. Seems I set some kind of record."

Gabrielle grinned. "That's my girl. Always the champion, no matter what field." She felt an answering rumble in her soulmate's chest. They lay quietly, until Gabrielle suddenly raised up and regarded Xena curiously.

"You're bored."

"Pfff. Me? Bored? You gotta be kidding." Gabrielle continued to look at her. "Oh, come on. I get to commune with dead folks from around the globe. Mortals see or speak of me even when I'm not there. I can be a bird and soar higher than I ever did with my flips. I can peek in on you or be there for you, which I like most. How could all that possibly be boring?" She looked to Gabrielle for confirmation. Gabrielle didn't seem to be buying. Xena sighed. "Yeah, okay. Sometimes I'm bored."

Gabrielle resisted the terrible urge to laugh. Boredom might sound innocent enough, but not when it involved Xena. Instead, she gave her soulmate a sympathetic squeeze and carefully considered her next words.

"You know what's funny?"

"What?"

"I was afraid I was boring you."

"What?!! You? Never. How could you think that?"

"All those questions I had, those mistakes I was afraid to make. You'd already been there, done that. You were right about it being good for me to try things on my own, to have confidence in my judgement. After awhile I thought that was best for you too. I realize now that maybe I gave you the wrong impression."

Xena shook her head. "No, you're not taking the blame for this. I did what I thought was right, with no real idea of what it meant. I got peace, but it wasn't the freedom from earthly cares that most of the other souls have." Xena gazed wryly at her soulmate. "We knew our connection was strong. Boy, is it ever."

Gabrielle smiled gently. "So it is partly my fault."

Xena rolled her eyes. "Maybe so. Happy now?"

"Infinitely. Tell me more."

Xena glared. "You know, I always suspected you were the evil one." She begrudged a lop-sided grin, accompanied by a kiss to Gabrielle's forehead. "I'm such a ninny," she sighed, relaxing back onto the bed and nudging Gabrielle back to her chest.

"At first everything was fine. You needed me more then - I mean, to help you through indecision or ' or through your pain at losing me like that. As you got stronger, you needed more space to figure out things on your own. I didn't mind knowing less and less of your thoughts. It was fun being surprised. I could see how good you felt learning just how much you're capable of. And you had Marta and Singer with you, and later Eve. It touched my heart to see how you supported each other, how they came to treasure you as I do."

"But?" Gabrielle prodded softly as Xena fell silent.

"That's when I started checking out the other spirit realms. I figured it was time for me to find a ' an 'existence,' as you call it ' for myself, till we met up again in another life. But it wasn't enough. I was still drawn to you, to your world. Except there wasn't much for me there either."

Gabrielle nodded. "I see. These last couple of years must've been really tough for you, with me so focused on my grand plans."

Xena kissed the beloved blond head. "And it's coming together wonderfully. I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it."

"But you felt left out. Invisible."

"Worse," Xena admitted. "As much as I wanted that dream fulfilled, I feared it would mean exactly what I said I wanted for you." Xena closed her eyes. "A life of your own."

"Oh, Xena. You mean without you? Without thinking of you or needing you?"

"Yeah," Xena murmured, so softly Gabrielle barely heard her. "I pictured you with such a full life, surrounded by people who needed you. Saying 'thank you' to my urn, then storing it away in some cupboard where it belongs."

Gabrielle raised up again and took Xena's face in her hands. "Xena, I want you with me tomorrow. I'm working on a couple of documents that I must do by myself. But if you promise to be quiet, not to crawl up my arm or otherwise startle the life out of me, you can visit in whatever form you like."

"Could I tickle your toes, maybe as an ant?"

"Only if I'm not writing or trying to have a serious conversation with someone. Deal?"

Xena grinned. "Deal."

*****

Gabrielle dotted the last "i" and crossed the final "t" on the all-important document she'd been worrying over the last couple of days. She surveyed the completed scrolls on her desk. "Done," she said to herself with satisfaction and more than a modicum of relief. "And not a moment too soon."

She threw a kiss to the fly on the wall, which, as agreed, had stayed out of her hair. It zipped across the room a few times, did a series of intricate dive bombs, buzzed some laps around her head, then finally came to rest on her shoulder.

"I know, I know," she laughed. "Must've been Tartarus having to sit still that long. I hope the wait is worth it." The fly fluttered its wings excitedly. Gabrielle had spent the last couple nights with Xena, but hadn't told the warrior everything about her plans. She knew Xena was bursting to see all that Gabrielle had wrought. "Go on, now. I'll be out in a little while. I've got a couple things to do that won't be helped if I'm lulled into those enchantingly beady eyes." She wasn't sure how, but the fly managed what appeared to be indignation before it winged its way through the door.

Gabrielle walked into her sleeping quarters. She donned her most impressive Amazon leathers, which just happened to complement the purple sash she draped across her shoulder. She stood before her mirror, making sure every hair was in place. She gazed into the eyes that smiled back at her, green with confidence and serenity. "This is for you," she murmured. "And you," she said, stroking the gold "X" at the top of the sash. "For both of us."

"Gabrielle? You here?" It was Marta.

Gabrielle walked back into her office. "Yes. Is it time?"

Marta gasped. "Oh, Gabrielle, you look positively beautiful!"

"Thank you. I figured if there was any time to pull out all the stops, this was it."

"All the dignitaries are here. Singer said we can start the tours as soon as you're ready."

"All right, then," Gabrielle said, straightening her shoulders and striding for the door. "Let's do it."

*****

Even Gabrielle was stunned. The presentation platform seemed more like an Athenian stage than a structure cobbled together on the outskirts of Amazonia. Large strips of purple and gold satin hung at intervals from a tall frame mounted on the floor. Bouquets of flowers in every hue ringed and softened the edges. Girls with purple sashes stood at ramrod attention on either side of a long purple runner that led to and covered the few steps up to the platform. At the top gleamed a podium painted in gold. Gabrielle gave a sideways look at Marta and Eve, wondering which one of them was guilty of this flair for the dramatic. Both beamed back at her with no shame whatsoever.

"Gabrielle's coming!" someone yelled. The large assemblage began to quiet. Gabrielle proceeded down the carpet, the girls along her path saluting her in succession as she passed. When she reached the top step and turned, the blaring of trumpets startled her into nearly taking an ignominious tumble down the steps she'd just climbed. Teeth gritted behind her smile, she vowed never again to tell anyone to use their imagination.

Gabrielle stood in front of the podium and gazed lovingly at those gathered before her. "I am Gabrielle. It is with great pride and humility that I invite you to see what wonders you have helped create. Welcome," she said, spreading out her arms. "Welcome to the Village of Dreams - your home whenever you need it."

A roar of approval met her words. She waited for the din to quiet, thankful that it gave her a few moments to stem the tears streaming down her face and to find the voice that threatened to choke into silence. Marta and Eve made their way to the platform to flank her. She squeezed their hands in appreciation. She nodded at the third presence she felt at her back. Eyes still brimming, she cleared her throat and forged on.

"This afternoon, you'll have a chance to sample what the Village has to offer." Gabrielle took a deep breath as she surveyed the neat new buildings within eyesight. She pointed to her left. "That way is the hospice. It has healers to care for mind, body and spirit. Over there is the library. Its scrolls, tapestries and other works will take you on journeys to lands from every part of the world." Gabrielle gestured to an area behind the platform. "That section is devoted to developing the talents of girls and young women. They will be on the practice field throughout the afternoon, demonstrating their leadership and physical skills. Most of the smaller huts you see in the residential area will serve as quarters for refugees from disaster, abuse and bigotry."

Gabrielle put an arm around the waists of the two young women beside her. "Marta and Eve will be your guides. We'll meet back here before sunset for the official ceremony. Enjoy."

*****

The Village of Dreams couldn't have opened to a more perfect day. The late Spring sun warmed the celebrants just enough to allow those from both the hottest and coldest climes to wear their traditional garb. The rainbow of faces and costumes blended naturally in the wooded oasis verdant with wildlife. Birds and a nearby waterfall added their voices to the symphony of sounds emanating from varied instruments and throats throughout the compound. Open grassy areas joined the practice and planting fields with the housing and activity sections. Large trees protected the roughly circular layout and provided shade in strategically located relaxation spots. A communion-meditation hall centered the village, its cone-shaped roof alive with fluttering bright ribbons that beckoned any and all to join in.

Gabrielle peered out from behind one of the drapes on the presentation platform, which she had surreptitiously mounted again shortly after the tours began. It was a dream all right - one she still couldn't believe was real. But the people milling about had believed in it - in her - even when she had doubts. Some had begun sending her items and preparing for their trip here before the first public structure had been raised.

She noted the ebony-skinned guests conversing with Amazons outside the hospice. They were representatives from M'Lila's homeland. Word reached there long ago about how the abducted young woman had been freed by a warlord turned hero who later became known for "the pinch" and bronze swirls she'd borrowed from M'Lila. Singer had found M'Lila's people on one of his voyages. They felt honored to participate in efforts that Gabrielle credited M'Lila for helping inspire.

Near the refugee section, a clump of men and a Centaur seemed to be arguing the finer points of hut construction. Many were children of violence who knew intimately of the need for safe havens. Virgil had watched his father, Joxer, die at the hand of Xena's daughter Eve. Ephiny's son Xenon had barely escaped the massacre that wiped out his people because they walked on four legs rather than two. Next to him stood Borias' son Belach - the perpetrator of that heinous deed as well as grandfather to Xenon's own son. Belach donated most of the funds needed for these homes, the first of which had been inhabited by Xenon's little family.

Gabrielle swept her gaze over to a small group of women talking with her sister Lilla in front of the communion hall. She recognized one as Lao Ma's daughter Pao Ssu and another as the Norse Valkyrie Grinhilda. The other women appeared to be from Japa. Gabrielle's eyes misted when she realized they were probably relatives of the souls Xena had died freeing. She felt a gentle caress across her cheek, a whisper in her ear, knowing it to be more than the light breeze that stirred the ribbons atop the communion hall. She closed her eyes and folded her arms around the satin drape, hugging it to her. It meant so much to see dreams come together like this, to share it all with Xena. She wondered, not for the first time, how a body could ache with so much with joy.

*****

Lamps and firelight now supplemented the sun's dimming glow. Laughter, drums and savory scents filled the early evening air. Youngsters squirmed impatiently, while adults shifted where they sat with barely contained anticipation. They watched the procession of dignitaries and honorees file to the presentation platform. Gabrielle smiled down at them. They were all like children at a magic show. She hoped they didn't lose their wonder and enthusiasm when they realized what lay behind maintaining its reality.

Singer stepped to the podium. "May we have your attention please!" he boomed in his resonantly deep voice. Once he had everyone's attention, he graced them with a moving song he'd composed especially for the occasion. Gabrielle grinned at him with the usual affection. The multi-talented sailor had been a rock to her since she'd met him on the ship from Japa. She and Marta had journeyed with him, waited eagerly for him to meet them in various ports, relied on him to spread word of their project and to help build their dream. He'd been the first to help her free Xena to more than a memory of what couldn't be and to free herself for the possibilities of what could.

"Thank you," Gabrielle said to him when he had finished. She hugged the surprisingly bashful man of the world. "`Listen For The Sound Behind' is beautiful." She glanced at her shoulder and whispered, "We couldn't have asked for a more fitting song."

Singer smiled conspiratorially. "My pleasure," he whispered back. "I thought she'd like it."

Gabrielle walked over to the podium, which was piled with scrolls. "All right," she shouted with a mischievous grin, "let's seal this deal!" The crowed laughed in agreement.

"Will the representatives please step forward."

One by one, representatives from the surrounding communities approached the podium, including Gabrielle's niece Sarah from Poteidaia, Xena's nephew Xoris from Amphipolis, Singer's brother Lyceus from Lythos, and the Amazon Queen Cyane.

"You have all read through these treaties, correct?" They nodded. "Then I will simply summarize their contents for all present." They nodded again.

"Let's begin with the defense agreement," Gabrielle said, selecting the top scroll. "Your people have agreed to establish a combined force to protect the area, each other and, especially, the Village of Dreams. Are there any objections to the terms outlined for the composition, leadership or duties of this force?" No one objected. "I call for signatures to this copy, which will be kept in the Village. We will provide duplicates to be signed later this evening, which each of you can take with you." The representatives signed.

Gabrielle held up a second scroll. "This trade agreement covers the goods and services that will be exchanged between the Village and your communities. Each community has been designated to provide the Village with a particular resource, such as food, transportation, building supplies or skills. In return, the village will provide a haven for those of you in need, including the care of orphans until they become of age. You will also have full access to our library, communion hall and grounds when they are not in use by the Village. Are there any objections to the conditions set forth in this document?" There were none, so everyone signed.

"This next document is the key to all we dreamed of accomplishing today. It is a pledge to support the principles governing this Village, which seek to promote peace, safety, understanding, and growth. No one will be turned away because of who they are. This is not a sanctuary for those seeking to escape punishment for some crime. However, individuals' rights to privacy and voluntary departure will be respected unless the agreed upon documentation or the Village council establishes otherwise."

Gabrielle paused and turned to the onlookers. Her hand slid up to stroke the gold "X" at her shoulder. When she began speaking again, her voice was heavy with emotion.

"I have known those who should have had the innocence of babes, who instead had rage in their hearts and came to harm nearly everyone in sight. I have known those who harmed, yet had love in their hearts and came to defend nearly everyone in sight. I won't promise you that we can always tell the difference, because sometimes those people may be one and the same. I can only say that, if I hadn't tried, we probably wouldn't be here today. I ask you to think long and hard before you commit to do likewise."

A hush settled over the assemblage. They knew Gabrielle was putting her faith - their faith - on the line. A line that went straight through the heart of a certain Warrior Princess' legacy. Most knew of Xena through hearsay and believed the good parts because they believed in Gabrielle. Some believed the good because that's all they had experienced. A few had been touched by both the bad and the good. Regardless, Xena seemed larger than life, a mystery, a phantom that wouldn't show up at their door to either threaten or save them. But their neighbors - well, that was a different matter.

Many on and around the platform stole glances at their fellow celebrants. Some had fought against each other, been long-time rivals or even mortal enemies. Had competed for land, fortune or mates. Others held conflicting beliefs about everything from divine wisdom to whom one should bed. It dawned on them that this day wasn't really about a dead woman. It was about them. Whether they could trust enough to fulfill the spirit of the treaties they signed. Truly support a Village of Dreams that might harbor their fears along with their hopes.

Gabrielle inhaled deeply, wanting to breathe Xena's presence inside through every pore of her being. This had to be about the living for it to work. They needed to face themselves and their faith in others. To believe in themselves, not just in her or Xena. And so she waited, buoyed by the love and trust it was her quest to share.

"Stop! Let us through! You people are fools to listen to that woman!"

Gabrielle didn't have to look up to recognize this potential pin prick. Melop. A warlord turned politician who'd used his rag-tag "associates" to bully the entire region into accepting him as "governor." He'd taxed, extorted and terrorized the people at will -- until Gabrielle's arrival. When he learned of her activities, he pronounced her a dangerous cultist and sent emissaries to persuade her to move elsewhere. They limped back bloodied and bruised. Word of Gabrielle's successful defiance enabled her to organize a motley crew of Amazons and local villagers who convinced him they could do without his services.

With force no longer a viable option, Melop resorted to the usual divisive tactics, dredging up and fueling every old feud or bias he could. In the end, he proved to be his own downfall. Gabrielle's inter-village defense force discovered they shared common goals and learned that some "strange" ideas weren't so bad after all. The concrete threat Melop presented to their well being contributed greatly to the widespread energy and commitment that succeeded in building the Village of Dreams.

Having made his living off his victims' insecurities, Melop figured those to be his best weapon against Gabrielle's idealism. He'd swaggered into the Village with about ten cronies - enough to make a scene, but too few to have a "fair" fight with the seasoned Amazon warriors closing in menacingly on the unarmed interlopers.

"I thought this was supposed to be open to everyone!" Melop yelled at Gabrielle. "I'm one of the people. I deserve to be heard, yet you send these unnatural women in to crush us like bugs."

BZZZZZZZ.

Gabrielle turned away from the big pest in front of her to a smaller one buzzing angrily near her ear. A wasp. "No!" she said, louder than she intended. A hush fell over the assemblage, as all eyes focused on her. She cleared her throat and looked out. "I'll handle this," she instructed, signaling to the Amazons to move away from Melop's group. One of the representatives on the platform cautiously approached her to warn her about the wasp, but it flew off on its own at Gabrielle's command to the Village guards.

"Melop." Gabrielle made the name sound like something that smelled bad. "I wondered when we'd have the pleasure of your company. Please excuse our welcoming party if they were a bit overzealous. You had something to say?"

Melop stood tall and leered at the celebrants. "See what she's brought you to. You used to think for yourselves. Now you listen to a ' woman ' who follows in the footsteps of a murderer. You looked out for yourselves, protected your own. Now you get in bed with people you despise. You had morals and a way of life that your ancestors died for. Now you want to study heathens and teach womenfolk how to destroy your families. I upheld the values that allowed you all to carry on as you have for centuries. This so-called Village of Dreams will become a nightmare of chaos and back-stabbing. Come to your senses before it's too late. Leave this place with me tonight, and tomorrow we will restore it to the peacefully uninhabited valley it was before it became haunted by that woman and her gods forsaken ghost."

People murmured and shifted uneasily in their seats. They looked from Melos to Gabrielle, waiting for the latter to say something. She stood with her arms folded, looking at them.

Suddenly Belach stood. "My men slaughtered his people," he said, pointing to Xenon, "because I didn't want my daughter to be with his kind. I became the villain I wrongly accused my father of being. Now my grandson must learn true honor and integrity from the one enemy I failed to kill. I can't bring those Centaurs back, but I can make sure there's at least one place where people like that will be safe from people like me." Belach locked eyes with Xenon. Xenon nodded. Belach nodded back and resumed his seat.

Another man rose. "I am Kellum from the village of Balsus. My family has a farm that borders sheep land in Lythos. We've feuded for generations with our neighbors, each side accusing the other of thievery, godlessness and worse. We lost nearly all our possessions in last year's terrible storm. If it hadn't been for our neighbors lending us clothes, our new baby might have died."

Before Kellum could sit, a woman stood. "And if it hadn't been for Kellum's family, ours might have starved." Soon others were up on their feet, revealing how they'd been wrong about someone, or someone had been wrong about them. A few walked over to each other and embraced. Those still seated looked on in amazement or exchanged opinions with the person next to them. Melop could only watch with his mouth open.

Gabrielle turned to see those on the platform equally engaged. While she was more than happy to be forgotten in the melee, she was becoming concerned about how to get things on track again. She searched the crowd until she finally saw Marta. Marta smiled and gave her the "okay" sign, then resumed talking with the woman beside her. Gabrielle shouted and waved her hands until she got Marta's attention. Marta gestured for her to calm down and gave her the "okay" sign again. Gabrielle sighed in frustration. Then was nearly blown off her feet by the sudden blaring of trumpets. She noted with satisfaction that she wasn't the only one. "Heh," she chuckled to herself. "Maybe imagination isn't so bad after all."

Gabrielle strode back to the podium. The crowd had recovered from their startlement sufficiently enough to give her their attention. "So," she grinned, "should I take that as a yes?"

"YESSSSSSS!" the onlookers yelled back.

"And you?" she asked the representatives. "Are you prepared to approve the document before you?" In response, each representative walked over and signed.

"Melop? I believe you have your answer. Perhaps those women you admire so much can escort your entourage to safety. We wouldn't want it said we allowed you to be attacked by heathen beliefs." Gabrielle smiled evilly. "Or wasps." She waited until Melop was lead none too gently away, before clasping her hands together and addressing the crowd. "Well, enough for the intermission. Let's get back to the main show, shall we?"

Gabrielle turned to those on the platform. "By agreeing to the principles of the Village of Dreams, you have cleared the way to honor some of its first fruits." She beckoned to the small group of girls with purple sashes who had been standing quietly on the platform throughout the proceedings. They marched with dignity to stand to one side of the podium. Gabrielle turned back the audience.

"Of everything we do today, nothing fills my heart more than recognizing young people dedicated to embodying the honor, perseverance, compassion, and excellence of the Warrior Princess who is my inspiration for the Village of Dreams. A little over a year ago, I came to some of you and explained a plan for developing such girls. I told you that we would instruct them in a variety of disciplines - from philosophy and the arts, to practical skills for nurturing and protecting life. You trusted us with your children. Today, we recognize them for striving to be exactly what we hoped."

She gestured to about 50 girls with purple sashes seated around the platform. They rose. Gabrielle addressed them.

"Each of you has faithfully attended sessions here at least twice a month, often more. You have passed a rigorous test in mental and physical skills. You have pledged to serve yourselves, your families and your communities with respect in whatever capacity you choose."

Gabrielle looked out at the audience. "Brothers and sisters, I now officially present to you the first class of Xena Scouts!"

Everyone grinned and clapped, including the Scouts. Gabrielle addressed the girls again.

"Some of you will continue seeking higher levels of accomplishment. Some may choose to petition for acceptance into the Amazon Nation. All of you will leave knowing that you are more prepared for whatever life presents. Go forth, proudly, in the name of one of the truest, noblest warriors of all time."

Fifty hands went up in salute. "YES, LEADER GABRIELLE," fifty voices shouted. An astonished Gabrielle watched the Scouts strike their fists into their chests, as they chanted, "XENA! XENA! XENA!" They stopped in unison, gazed a long moment at Gabrielle in silent tribute, then resumed their seats.

For what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, Gabrielle found herself struggling to maintain her composure. "Thank you," she said, her eyes glistening. "Now, let's hope I can get through the rest of the program without some of you having to use your skills to save me from drowning in my own tears."

The Scouts and the crowd laughed. "That's okay," someone in the back yelled. "We've got all night."

"Ha! Maybe you do, but I don't," Gabrielle responded, smiling. "Besides, I'm anxious to get to the second part of my favorite activity." She turned to the Scouts on the platform. "I will now award badges of merit to those who have distinguished themselves in a particular area."

She called each girl forward and pinned various symbols on their purple sashes - a quill for scholarship, a staff for martial arts, a bird for nature studies, a hammer for building skills, a dinar for commercial projects, and a bundle of wheat for farming and homemaking. Singling out three in their late teens, she said, "These young women have excelled at leadership. They are prepared to head troops in their hometowns, as well as to journey to other places which have expressed interest in the Scouts." Gabrielle pinned an insignia above the gold "X" on their sashes. "Wear this chakram with pride. We entrust you with nurturing Xenas for the future."

Gabrielle addressed the crowd. "Sisters and brothers, please join me in congratulating all the girls and young women who represent what the Village of Dreams stands for."

The guests rose and gave the Scouts a long, appreciative ovation. When the applause dwindled, Gabrielle announced, "This concludes the formal ceremonies. Please join us for food and celebration in the -" She paused, puzzled, as she noticed Eve making an unscheduled trip to the platform, carrying a long bundle wrapped in brown cloth. "Um, hold on. It seems we're not quite finished yet."

Eve walked to stand beside Gabrielle. "Greetings," she said to the audience. "I am Eve, daughter of Xena by blood and of Gabrielle by adoption. Gabrielle has given so much to us. She's wanted nothing in return except our happiness and prosperity. I would like to present her with a gift in gratitude for this day."

Eve unwrapped the bundle and held up the contents for everyone to see. "This exquisite tapestry is from Japa. It depicts Xena's battle with the evil spirit Yodoshi and how my mothers made the decision to put others above themselves. The people of Higuchi sent this to honor the love that saved the lives and souls of their village."

Gabrielle listened, fingers pressed to her lips. In the silence that followed Eve's words, she reached out and touched the tapestry. She traced some of the figures that represented her and Xena, as though reliving the events portrayed. Finally she took the tapestry and held it to her body, mouth trembling. Eve placed her hands on Gabrielle's shoulders and bent to hear some whispered instructions.

Eve smiled and turned to face their guests. "Gabrielle apologizes for her uncharacteristic loss of words. She thanks all of us for our generosity, especially the people of Higuchi." Eve signaled to some drummers in the back, who began tapping their instruments lightly. "She says we've had enough crying for one day. Please -- eat, drink and be merry!"

As one, the guests brought their hands to their foreheads, then their fists to their chests in the Amazon salute. Like the Scouts, they stood silently a long moment, paying their respect to Gabrielle, before moving to pick their way to the refreshment area.

"Gabrielle? Are you all right? I didn't mean to upset you."

Gabrielle was leaning against the podium, seemingly a million miles away. She focused on Eve. "What? Oh, yes, sorry. I'll be fine." She slowly rolled the tapestry and stood it against the podium. "Come here, you naughty girl," she scolded, holding her arms open to Eve. "Marta hinted you had a secret," she said, hugging Eve tightly. "This makes everything complete. For Xena and for me."

Eve broke apart and smiled through her tears. "I pray so. I'll talk to you about interpreting it on our way to dinner. You'll be '. Oh, look," she whispered.

Gabrielle glanced down to see a golden butterfly perched atop the tapestry. It fluttered over to Eve's shoulder. Both women smiled. Gabrielle reached her hand to the butterfly, and it walked onto her finger. They watched as it seemed to preen, then finally flutter off gracefully to follow the crowd headed to the food and wine.

"My," Gabrielle said. "Wonders never cease. You think maybe it's trying to tell us to shut up and get something to eat?"

*****

The day over at last, Gabrielle sat wearily in her office, soaking up the welcome silence. She'd made sure the guests were safely ensconced in their quarters, that all was prepared as it should be for the next morning's breakfast and closing activities. Marta and Eve had assured her that she could relax now, that they had everything under control. She glanced around, relieved to see her desk cleared and all extraneous paraphernalia removed. Sighing contentedly, she stretched and reached across the desk to retrieve Xena's urn. She caressed it fondly before carefully storing it in a carry bag which she took with her into her sleeping room and placed behind the curtain that covered her clothing closet.

Gabrielle felt exhilarated, despite her tired feet and a slight headache. She did some deep breathing exercises to calm her whirring thoughts. She wanted to see Xena as soon as possible tonight, as they had much to discuss. She lay on her bed with anticipation and closed her eyes, letting herself drift into the one dream she'd never tire of having.

"Xena?"

"I'm here."

"Where? I can't see you."

"I - I don't want to intrude."

"Intrude? Xena, you can't intrude on a conversation you're supposed to be a party to."

"I meant intrude on any conversations you were having with yourself. It's been a long day. An important day. I've gotten a lot more sensitive to your need to be alone with your thoughts at times like this."

"Are you a fly on the wall?"

A chuckle in the darkness. "No."

"A spidah? Gnat, wasp or something equally unsavory?"

"No, I'm considering it, not likely, that depends."

"Well, get over here so I can see for myself."

Xena appeared next to the bed, a smile playing at her lips.

"Hmmm." Gabrielle slowly examined the tall figure from head to toe, then in reverse. "You look savory enough to me." She patted the bed. "Sit."

Xena eased down onto the bed, her hands in her lap, eyes on Gabrielle. Waiting.

Gabrielle rolled to her side and propped her head on her hand, looking up at her very serious friend. "We're awfully formal tonight," she teased.

Xena gave her a little smile. "It was a big day for me too. Awesome, in fact." She looked past Gabrielle thoughtfully. "I used to wonder what you meant when you told me what is was like watching me lead armies or leap across oceans. Hearing people applaud me when I saved their children. I guess I took it for granted, because I didn't see it as that extraordinary, the way you did." Her eyes returned lovingly to her soulmate. "I understand now. I felt it today. It was like watching the woman of my dreams." She slid her hand across the bed. Gabrielle grasped it, too moved to do or say anything else.

"Everything's in place now. Your life is full with work and people who need you."

"Yes," Gabrielle agreed, her eyes brimming with emotion.

"I see you've ' you've packed up my urn."

Gabrielle blinked. "Um ' yes, I did."

"Seems you're ready at last to move on."

"Yes, I believe so."

Xena swallowed, finally moving to Gabrielle and pulling her soulmate into a mighty hug. "I am so honored that you let me share in this. You've given my life more meaning and existence in death than I ever could when I was breathing and kicking." Xena smiled wryly. "I'd tell you I can now die a happy woman, but I'm afraid it'd be a bit redundant."

Gabrielle pulled away to give Xena a long stare. "Is that supposed to be some kind of farewell speech?"

"I'll always be here when you need me. That won't ever change."

"But you're expecting that my thoughts of you will be packed away now, sort of like your ashes."

"Yeah, I guess so. I understand that. Like I said before, it's what I'd dreamed for you."

"Xena?"

"Yeah?"

"You're right. You can be such a ninny sometimes."

Xena's brows shot up. "What?"

"You heard me." Gabrielle rested her head on Xena's shoulder. "Remember back in Japa when I said it wasn't right for you to stay dead?"

"Gabrielle, I thought we were past that. We agreed -"

"Xena?"

"Yeah?"

"You're interrupting me again."

"Oh. Sorry. Once a pest, always a pest."

"Not necessarily. We'll work on that. Now, as I was saying '." Gabrielle readjusted herself to think more comfortably. "I'm not sure I was talking about justice or even the greater good. I've gone over and over that moment for four years. I believe I felt it wasn't right because it wasn't meant for you to stay dead."

Xena frowned. "You mean like fate or destiny? I told you when Caesar tried to change our lives that I believe things happen precisely as they should. As much as I'd love to be here with you in the flesh, I still believe that." She looked down at Gabrielle. "Don't you?"

"Sort of. I can't deny there's been some good to this. You got to respect yourself in a way you might not have otherwise. I got to prove to myself - and you - that I could carry on, even prosper, on my own. Neither of us has to worry so much about your shadow anymore."

Xena gave Gabrielle a squeeze. "True. It was worth it to me if only for that."

"I'll give you that," Gabrielle said, squeezing Xena back. "It's the staying dead part I'm still having problems with."

Xena sighed heavily. "Gabrielle, I know I promised not to fight you on that, but --"

"No, if I remember correctly, you said you'd try to be happy if that made me happy." Gabrielle paused for Xena's exasperated huff. "Hear me out, okay?"

"Fine."

"I wasn't stuck in trying to bring your body back. I was trying to make sense of what happened. I've talked to holy people, shamans, healers - you name it - everywhere I've traveled. When I found Eve in India and told her about it, she was devastated. Nothing in Eli's or anybody else's teachings seemed to explain why those trapped souls needed to be avenged, especially after you risked your life to eliminate Yodoshi's evil spirit and free the souls. Eve sent inquiries to a priest she knows in Japa. She was a little surprised to hear back that the people of Higuchi mourned you as a hero."

"As opposed to rejoicing that a criminal had finally been punished." Xena placed her fingers against Gabrielle's protesting lips. "I'm only saying the coin had two sides; it was a toss-up as to which one they'd see." She smiled gently. "Not everyone flips it so it always lands up, the way you do."

Gabrielle ducked her head. "Um, well, sometimes you can have a hand in something even when you're just going along minding your own business."

"Oh?" Xena asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, see I went to the Ghost Killer's memorial service. I felt a special bond with him, I guess because he'd understand the real sacrifice you'd made." Gabrielle exhaled a deep breath. "The true loss."

"Yes," Xena said quietly, "He trusted the love and courage in your heart that was the key. He understood your sacrifice as well."

Gabrielle nodded her head against Xena's chest. "He'd told his family how you'd agreed to work with him and that he'd given me the secret to bringing you back. They expressed regret that I'd run out of time. I said I hadn't, that you'd chosen to stay dead so the lost souls could have peace. They looked at me strangely, but didn't say anything, just backed away, bowing. They must've told their neighbors."

"I couldn't believe representatives came from Japa. That tapestry they sent was stunning."

Gabrielle smiled against Xena's chest. "More than you know. Eve's friend heard about the tapestry and told the villagers I'd probably like it for the library. She wanted to surprise me with it at the ceremony, so didn't tell me it had arrived yet. A note came with it, explaining that a seer had woven it, that every scene has a certain significance. Apparently Eve's been examining it in minute detail. She saw something puzzling that she wanted to talk to me about after the presentation."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. It shows you and me with our hands on your urn, just before you told me not to immerse it in the water that would restore your body. Then it looks like you're somewhere with what must be the freed souls, looking down on me standing alone." Gabrielle paused. "But it doesn't end there."

"It doesn't?" Xena asked, not sure she wanted to know how it did end.

"Uh uh. The souls appear to be pushing you away."

Xena swallowed. "They don't want me?"

Gabrielle chuckled softly. "We're not sure why," she responded diplomatically. "They do seem to be pushing you toward a blond figure with its arms outstretched."

If Xena had had a beating heart, it would've been thumping or skipping. She swallowed again. "Is the blond figure '. Is she '."

"Dead? I certainly hope not." Gabrielle smiled impishly. "At least not while she's still got that deliciously firm body, those defined -"

"Grrrrrr."

"Okay, okay," Gabrielle relented, laughing. "She's looking up. Her arms stretch up. The souls seem to be pushing you down toward her arms, her world. The last scene shows you walking off with her into the sunset."

Xena lay silent, absentmindedly stroking Gabrielle's arm. Finally she asked, "Does it show how to make that ending happen?"

"Eve's friend thinks the seer may know. That's why I packed your urn. We're going back to Japa."

Xena gently disengaged from Gabrielle and scooted up to prop herself against the wall. "Are you sure that's what you want? You said yourself everything is finally the way you wanted. Why leave all this for what may be false hope and more heartache?"

Gabrielle raised herself up to rest against her soulmate. She reached over and turned Xena's face toward her. "Xena, I planned to start that quest even before I knew about the tapestry."

"You did?"

"Yes. It's why I've been working so hard to put things in place, to make sure there are others to carry on this work. It's a base for Eve and Marta, for me. I've received invitations from all over the world to help establish other villages like this. I planned to combine that with searching for insights to bring you back. Maybe do a little barding here, butt-kicking there, along the way. The only thing that might have stopped me was you."

"Me?"

"I didn't realize you could think all this would ever replace you." Gabrielle turned away. "But I can see why. I think maybe that's what I was trying to do at first. I accepted that you did what you felt you had to. But questions kept nagging at me. Why did it still feel wrong? Why couldn't anybody explain the spiritual basis? Was there no forgiveness possible in those freed souls? Was it, in truth, to appease the living? But those were my questions. I didn't want to disturb your sense of peace unless the answers would make you 'whole' in every sense."

Xena pulled her soulmate closer and grinned. "In other words, you missed me."

"Grrrrr." Gabrielle whacked Xena lightly across the midsection. "The issue is that I didn't know how much you missed me, not until you started ' bugging ' me like that. And when you admitted you were bored, I didn't feel so selfish about wanting to bring you back. The tapestry confirmed what I felt all along, except now we've got somewhere to focus."

Xena shook her head. "Amazing."

Gabrielle nodded. "Yep, amazing."

The two sat a few moments, side by side, each contemplating the possibilities that lay ahead.

"So when do we start?"

Gabrielle nearly choked with laughter. She gave her soulmate a long, grateful hug. "Not tonight, that's for sure. Some of us need sleep."

"Will I get to be more active on this quest? More involved in your thoughts and decisions?"

"Yesssss." Gabrielle smirked. "Your advanced wisdom could be useful. After all, I figure I'm still at least a couple of years younger than you."

Xena smirked. "All the more enticing to gnats and bees."

"Speaking of which, that was lovely how you appeared at the ceremony."

Xena grinned malevolently "It'd've been even lovelier if you'd let me sting the bastard. Um, not that I had any doubts you could handle him, of course."

"I meant the butterfly, after Eve gave me the tapestry."

"Oh, yeah, wasn't that something the way it showed up like that? Made me think of Lao Ma."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that wasn't you?"

"Do I get points if I say it was?" Xena noticed she was getting an exasperated glare instead. "Pffff. Not creepy-crawly enough for my tastes. Too flimsy to do dive bombs."

"Xena, I swear I don't know how anybody can be such balm to my soul and still be so -"

"Like a fly in the ointment? Bwahahahahahaha!"

"Xena?"

"Hey, fair is fair. You said yourself you're partly responsible that my otherworldly retirement home wasn't the paradise advertised."

"Xena."

"Yes, my dear, sweet, forgiving, irreplaceable, eternal soulmate?"

"You know how I said you'd been cleansed to the point of invisibility?"

"Vaguely."

"That hasn't quite worked out like I thought either. It may be that you can take the fly out of the darkness, but that you can't take the darkness out of the fly. Which may not bode well if - when - we get your body back."

Xena's brows furrowed. "It's true," she said seriously, "we haven't really talked about what we might be getting if I'm mortal again. Are you ' are you sure it's worth the risk?"

Gabrielle pulled her soulmate's head down and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'd bet your enchantingly beady little eyes it is. Good enough?"

"For now." Xena wriggled down to a prone position, pulling Gabrielle with her. She smiled to herself. Yep, the butterfly was a nice touch, but even in death she had a certain stoic image to maintain.

Gabrielle yawned and snuggled into her soulmate. She smiled to herself. That butterfly had been the perfect touch. Yes, even in death, Xena couldn't resist doing the right thing.

[bocciaraf]

A sporting account… on Tumblr?

Bit of an experiment, this. Hopefully not a mistake.

Hello. I’m Rafael. I play boccia, which is a Paralympic sport (e.g., a sport which is in the Paralympics, like goalball, wheelchair rugby, etc). It’s a cousin of pétanque, lawn bowls, curling, and all those other sports whose ancient ancestor is someone going “I bet I can get my rock closer to that pebble over there than you can get yours”. Boccia is played indoors, in a space almost exactly the same size as a badminton court, as individuals, in pairs, or teams of 3. In the UK the overwhelming emphasis is on individual play, although pairs and teams competition is growing in global significance.

I’m a member of the newly reformed England squad, run by our governing body Boccia England, and I’m classified as a BC3 athlete - that means that instead of throwing or kicking the balls, we roll them down a ramp instead. The ramp is positioned, and balls set up on it for us, by a Ramp Operator - for me, that’s either one of my personal assistants, or increasingly, my partner. The RO isn’t allowed to see what’s going on on the court, they have to keep their back to it at all times during matchplay - they’re only allowed to physically help, not tactically help.

Playing boccia changed my life - I’ve always been a competitive person but until I discovered the sport in 2012, aged 27, had not only no access to participate in sports but no idea that a sport I could meaningfully play even existed. My sporting career is a direct legacy of the 2012 London Paralympics; it was the presentation of the Boccia UK Squad at the opening ceremony which resulted in the penny dropping. I was at my first club session within a few weeks, and attended my first competition a few weeks after that - I won a bronze medal, and was hooked.

My breakout year was the 2018-2019 season; our last complete season before the pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. That year I zoomed my way through the Heathcoat Cup national finals - our ‘second division’ competition, a precious space for beginner and improving players to learn their trade without getting steamrollered by the pros - which qualified me directly into the BE Cup Finals, which is the de facto England national championship. I won my pool, unbeaten, and ultimately came 4th, which saw me begin the 2019-2020 season ranked 5th in England, behind two international athletes and two England players.

After that came a funny couple of years; half a season and two bronze medals in BE Cup Qualifiers before the pandemic stopped everything, and then a heavily modified “Back to Boccia” season for 2021-2022, at which I won the gold medal at two of the three Back To Boccia Cup events, went and won the qualifying tournament for the German National Boccia Championships in Düsseldorf - broadening my horizons as a dual national - before being selected for my very first Boccia UK Challenger. The Challengers are events run by BUK to provide the UK national squad, and selected others from the home countries, with additional formal competition experience. At the Gloucester Challenger there were 4 Boccia UK-supported athletes; two men from the World Class Programme and two women being supported in their development with coaching and world-class equipment, including Paralympian Scott McCowan, who had come 4th in Tokyo just nine months earlier. I beat all four UK athletes, and ultimately came second to my England colleague Matt Berry. That silver medal is my greatest achievement, to date. Matt and I followed that up with another one-two finish at the special, pandemic-edition competition run within the talent pathway as a substitute for the England national championships, which resulted in my being selected for my very first UK National Championships, where I lost only to the two McCowan brothers, Paralympians both, and ultimately came 6th. Just a fortnight later I was in Berlin, where I won the silver medal in the German National Championships.

I’ve just kicked off the 2022-2023 season with a very solid 5th place at the first BE Cup qualifier competition, and I’m off up to the SMILE Boccia Open tomorrow, to train up a shiny new personal assistant as a ramp operator. Wish us luck!

http://www.rafaelyoung.co.uk

[teneguine]

@duskroine sent: 

A chance at discovery of one’s self-worth had caused them to miss their father’s last birthday. And the birthday before that. Even during the war, when each day was reached with hands painted under bruises, it was difficult to place attention on a single figure of the army. Even for a single day. Even if that individual was of their own blood and name.

Fate was not kind to them then. Not when one battle would threaten their chance to open their eyes the next day— even if that day was the date of their father’s birth. It is because of this memory that Ophelia prepares the gift weeks beforehand. Tying locks of wheaten blond into a ponytail to reduce the danger of taking fire to any strands. Under the eye of moonlight and a companion of skill, they work diligently.

The gift is done on the morning of birth. Dusk seeks out dark in the early hours of dawn, cloak drawn over their build due to the quick arrival from village to monastery. Surely, sneaking out for days on end would damage the reputation they’ve built up, but…

“Chosen father?” Ophelia asks, thankfully catching the sight of Owain stepping outside of his room now instead of having to hunt him down throughout the hallways. A journey that didn’t seem very appreciated after all the work that has exhausted their mind. “Dusk has come forth with greetings of a delightfully celebrated day!”

Nervousness twitches their smile but Ophelia ignores it. Two steps forward, there’s still space in front of them. They lower their cloak’s hood and wipe a grease stain from their cheek— it doesn’t come off quite right. “For many moons, among the lifespan I have grown into upon this continent’s horrid seasons, the stars lit a treasure in the midst of my path. This treasure, blessed by the constellations of a goddess, is my gift to you.”

As they speak, they untie the long cloth hanging from their hip. Covering falls to the ground and the sound of metal unclipping uncovers the draw of a raised sheath. One of leather and gold buckles, tightly latched over seams and patches of bronze.

“Welcome to your arsenal of darkness—” In a flash of threatric, Ophelia raises the sheath diagonal before them and slowly begins to reveal the sword within. First the hilt, a golden material too reflectant to be titled as iron but whatever metal it is, matches the lining of the sheath’s sides. Then, with a pull of their wrist, the entire sword is revealed. Wrist flicks the weapon forward, blade aimed at Owain’s chest.

“WHOOOSH! I present thee: ABYSS’S VALOR!!”

The dark leather of the sheath holds nothing to the engravings that line the blade’s face. Of a language that, rightfully so, is known to them. Immediately recognizable to Owain’s eyes. A pause brings out Ophelia’s doubt, they tuck the blade back into the sheath and step closer, holding it out for Owain to take. The essence of protection magic is recognizable even from the distance they stand at now.

“But, um.. This is more than a gift. I want to apologize,” Ophelia mumbles, gaze cast at the sword and not at him. “I went through your equipment long ago and…” Another pause, they seem to shrink. Lowering their shoulders and attempting to make themselves smaller in perception.

“Ylisse,” is what they say, “I wanted to… incorporate memory of it into the blade but I… was not sure of its language.” Or culture. Or even geography. Because it is Owain’s home before it will ever be hers. Ophelia nods to the sword, “I searched through your belongings in hopes of finding something to write into the metals and while I found nothing, I did see… well…”

Again, she only gestures for Owain to unsheathe the blade now that he holds it. In formal Nohrian, a secondary language to him but a primary for her, there lies the words in script:

The Story of Dark, Dusk, and Lissa.

"I am... deeply sorry if this act has overstepped a boundary between Chosen father and daughter." A small but apologetic smile settles onto her lips, albeit a bit nervously. "I can have a new sword forged within the next few weeks if you prefer it to be redone as such..."

//via the birthday asks that were lost when i got locked out of his old blog; if anyone else still has one that they’d like me to answer, let me know!

Early mornings are a staple in Owain’s life. On more occasions than he can count had he been forced to be up before the crack of dawn, lest that crack splinter and give way to revealing light. Light which, in the future, could spell one’s doom. For bathing in light was to be made a target for Risen, and if they spotted you, they won half the battle. He’s no stranger to sleeping in, either (everyone has their lazy days) but the fact remains that a sunrise is often accompanied by Owain’s wake-up cry.

And besides, he prefers training when nobody else is awake. 

So to see Ophelia at his door is a genuine surprise for him. That there is something wrong is among his first thoughts, but that idea is shot down when they mention a special day. The End of the Last Holy War? The Day of Devotion? No, what sort of holiday could it be...

“Many moons...” he repeats, and then it hits him. “Chosen Second, surely this cannot mean-” And it does. On this day twenty-two years ago (time relative to him, of course), the universe was bestowed one Owain Dark. Whether that was a curse or a blessing is yet to be seen, but one thing remains certain: Ophelia remembered. Shock colors his face as they continue, shaking off any morning drowsiness with a dropped jaw and wide eyes.

WHOOOSH! There it is, held before him in the hands of another: Abyss’s Valor. Owain is slow to take the sword at first, believing for a moment that he is still dreaming or seeing tricks of the light, but when it rests comfortably in his hands, he’s reminded that this is real. It feels of a decent weight--not too heavy or too light--and can be deftly maneuvered by him even undrawn. When he does pull out for the second time, though, he appreciates its craftsmanship. The metal is unlike anything of standard munitions--shining and well-tempered enough to make a grown man cry. And when his eyes gloss over the inscription, when they read the hallowed words written by his kin, they well up with tears.

“This,” he sniffs, cheeks burning red and powerless to stop a flood of tears, “Crimson Ophelia, this is nothing to apologize for! You have crafted for your father (with your own two hands, might I add!) his most mythic armament! For a thousand thousand years shall I cherish this gift! It will be the stalwart defender of our home, passed down for generations unlimited! If ever a Chosen One is lost, Abyss’s Valor shall shine and light their way.” 

He doesn’t even bother re-sheathing it, choosing instead to throw his body onto his child’s. Their frame is held tight against his--maybe a little too tight--and the sloppy mix of cried tears and running snot makes contact with their hair. Owain doesn’t care. He’ll wipe it off when he’s done. For now, Ophelia ought to know how appreciative he is of their gift. “Thank you, o blessed kin of mine,” he whispers, “It’s perfect.” 

The hug lasts for what feels like half the time it took Ophelia to make the damn thing, but eventually breaks. When it does, Owain is sure to run his sleeve and then his clean fingers through their hair, adoring the effort his child puts into everything. He’s quite jealous, if he’s being honest with himself. Sometimes Ophelia manages to find ways to outdo even him, and he’s supposed to be the greatest. But as he looks upon them now and his smile turns wide, he realizes that this feeling is simply part of being a father. To raise a generation more successful than his, that is the true mark of parenthood. 

“Now then... You mentioned not knowing of Ylisse’s language, yes? Wait here, Warrior Chosen by the Stars. I have something you may wish to see.” It is fortunate that this exchange takes place just outside Owain’s bedroom, for he has the ability to turn around and retrieve that special something. His sword is mounted above his desk, displayed in a way where both the ornate sheathe and decorated blade are visible. When he returns to Ophelia though, he holds a book. A dusty old book, with a title so faded he almost mistook it for another. 

“Behold!” he extends it out to them, intended for their hands to take, “The Manual of Justice! Written entirely in the tongue of Ylisse, it is a collection of only the most legendary and harrowing of names. Stygian epithets line its margins, divine monikers marking each chapter. It is the construction of my fabled vocabulary: the very vocabulary used to pen my Book of Supreme Fatal Divine Names.” He trusts they remember that one. It, too, holds a special place in his heart, but is mostly written in Nohrian dialect. Odin figures it best to have multiple written records of his genius, so that no matter where one may originate, they can draw inspiration from his epic tales. 

“We shall comb its contents together, and I will use it to teach you the language of my home. Take heart, Ophelia of the Glittering Stars, that when it is time to visit, you’ll be able to finish all the castle’s tomes in a week!”