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doobea · 6 months

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BORN TO MAKE HISTORY - RIN ITOSHI

synopsis: After his brother takes a nasty fall and calls out before the new season starts, Rin has to step up as your new figure skating partner.

✰ ✰ ✰જ⁀➴ PLAYLIST.

contents: an ice skating au fic (very much yuri on ice inspired), fem!reader, ice skating terms and irl figures thrown around but not that super important, lmao probably inaccurate depictions of figure skating, sfw, kinda enemies to lovers but its really just rin being anti-social and cold, sae is a decent brother in here, characters are in their early-mid 20s, talks about ISU grand prix, mentions of mental health (depression, anxiety, burn out, imposter syndrome), heavy narration, rin centric, multiple parts will be added but no set scheduling of course word count: 4.3K (sigh there will be more) a/n: you know... whenever i feel like i hit a writer's block... thinking about rin always helps me break out of it so thank u...

For as long as Rin can remember, he's always followed in his brother's footsteps.

Whatever that meant being interested in the same shows, books, and sometimes even hobbies, Rin would always be one step behind. It was a long-time habit that he picked up ever since he was little. There was a small running joke that if you wanted to find Rin, all you needed to do was find Sae. If anyone were to ask him why, he would probably shrug and refuse to answer, though his parents would gush on about how much he looks up to his older brother, and… it’s not a complete tall tale.

His brother is talented and not in a ‘he can totally balance a stack of rocks in one try’ type of talented—though Rin is pretty sure that Sae can do that—but in a ‘he’s born with a natural gift to be absolutely perfect at everything he touches’ type of talented. So, regardless if Rin is always one step behind his brother, he knows deep down that it will always be Sae standing on the very top of the podium with a gold medal around his neck.

Sae delved into figure skating at the age of eight, and Rin quickly followed suit. It began on a family night in, the brothers gathered around their small, worn-out television, fixated on the Winter Olympics in muted colors. Although ice skating initially served as mere background noise while their mother knitted, they both felt an undeniable pull.

Rin was only thirteen when he first won silver at his junior debut competition. In that same year, Sae also moved up to the senior-level groups and gave his first professional appearance during the Japan Figure Skating Championships. Unsurprisingly to no one, Sae effortlessly won gold, putting the whole world on notice and overtaking the competition by over 40 points. From that moment forward, Sae was recruited by an international coach and was sent aboard to different training facilities.

It burned in Rin’s memories of all the irregular Facetime calls they would have of Sae giving him a walking tour of the cities he stayed in. New York was too loud and bright. Chongqing felt like something out of a fairytale and a cyberpunk city at the same time. Saint Petersburg was too cold but Sae liked grabbing pirozhki from a street food vendor before practice every morning. Despite being only two years older, he sometimes felt like he was worlds away from his brother’s place.

Still, after everything, Rin looks up to him. It doesn’t bother Rin that he’s always ‘second best’—according to those poorly written sports magazines—because this is something they can bond over, something that only they can understand.

And maybe this is Rin’s motivation to eventually surpass him.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t go exactly how he imagines it.

“You’re going to sub in for me.”

Sae is sitting up on his bed, his right leg bandaged tightly all the way up to his knee, and he’s saying this with his usual straight-laced expression. Their mother has always complained about being unable to read Sae’s emotions and Rin always thought it was pretty amusing growing up. But now, he finally understands what his mother was talking about.

Rin straightens his back in his seat, a colorful plastic chair from their childhood that’s now too small for a person his size, and almost drops his phone. “Did you hit your head too?”

His brother rolls his eyes and continues, “I know you’re taking a break this season but I promised one of my juniors that I would compete with them. Luckily,” and he points to his injured leg, “this isn’t a permanent issue but I think it’ll also be good for you.”

Sae’s injury happened during practice overseas at a training facility in Madrid. It’s a mild ankle and knee sprain from overexertion and stress factors from jumping too often. He was treated briefly before their parents suggested flying back to Japan to fully recover. It’s not uncommon for skaters to suffer from these types of injuries but why does Sae feel the need to bring Rin into this?

During last year’s Grand Prix Final, Rin had barely finished in the top ten. He fumbled with his short program and free skate, failed to land his quad jumps three times, and had a sloppy step sequence, both of which were supposed to be his strong suits. That day, he didn’t bother joining his coach at the kiss and tell, ignored all the swarming paparazzi self-proclaimed journalists, and uninstalled every social media app on his phone. His fans, coaches, and his family were all concerned as to how someone like him was able to fall that low compared to his higher-than-average stats. Rin had blamed it on something he can’t even remember, maybe a stomach bug, he thinks.

Obviously, that wasn’t the case, everyone could see right through the lie but not entirely the truth of it. News outlets flooded the market with headlines shaming him for not living up to his older brother’s standards, not being a good representative for his nation, and that it was all karma for having an ‘unbearable’ personality to work with. His coaches retired after his flimsy performance and all but two of his sponsorships dropped him. Rin hasn’t officially given out a statement regarding anything.

Depression is a hell of a thing to deal with. Rin’s dealt with it in the past when Sae first moved aboard. Luckily, Sae is perceptive to this kind of thing. The daily calls helped, despite the harsh timezone differences, and eventually Rin was able to move past it. The reality of it though, is that depression never really fades away, it’s almost like an addiction. Sometimes it takes hold in a moment of weakness, one that Rin doesn’t even realize he has until it’s too late. Maybe it’s all the rigorous training, all the comparisons to his brother—he tries not to think too much about it.

He didn’t know when the feeling hit him or why it decided to affect him that day.

For the past several months, he’s been spending time gliding around their local ice rink, teaching some kids on the side to keep his mind preoccupied because, if not that, then he’ll probably end up laying in his bed all day. It works and it’s at least a healthy distraction but, at the same time, he can’t shake the gnawing feeling in his chest every time someone mentions his last performance.

Rin feels like he’s hit a wall. A thick, towering, uninviting wall. And he doesn’t know if he’s ready to face his baggage yet.

“I’m not going to do that.” He finally answers and watches as his brother’s face stays unfazed.

“I need you to.” Sae presses on. “You need to get out of whatever rut you’re in. You’re not happy and going back might help. Forget about competing in singles and join pairs.”

Sae might be talented in everything else but, like Rin, he’s bad at choosing his words and comforting. Rin knows what he means though and he can’t exactly blame him. He’s lost weight, most of it being muscle, and whenever he does get back from work, Rin holes up in his room playing horror games all night long. Rinse and repeat.

At least there’s a level of concern and sincerity behind Sae’s tone, unlike the vulture-like glee from the tabloid reporters.

“I’m…” Rin’s throat feels heavy all of a sudden and he struggles to find an excuse.

Instead of answering, he fixates his attention back to his phone, it’s a news article about Sae’s injury and his withdrawal from the skating season. The article also has a photo of you posing next to his brother, elbow resting on his shoulder while your other hand raises a peace sign towards the camera. Rin hasn’t heard much about you, not that he actively keeps up with any of his competitors, but Sae has mentioned your name here and there before since you both share the same coach.

From what Rin knows, you started skating around the same age as him. You won a few local competitions and managed a bronze medal in the women’s singles category during the Japan Skating Championships. Supposedly, this year you’re attempting to take a shot at qualifying for the Grand Prix Final for pairs. With Sae out of the picture, Rin really hopes the responsibility doesn’t fall on him.

The look that Sae is currently shooting at him is making him backtrack his thoughts.

“It’ll be good for you,” his brother reiterates. Sae scoots closer to the edge and plucks the phone out of Rin’s grasp. “Plus, I already told her that you would do it.”

Rin’s eyes widen. “You did what?”

Sae hums, and taps his fingers away at the screen, before handing it back to him with your contact information placed in. “She’s actually on her way over here.”

“I haven’t even—”

Sae throws a hand up. “No, you don’t get a choice, Rin.”

Despite being three years younger than Sae, you had no issues barging into his room, suitcase in hand and hair in a frenzy. Rin is still seated, having to process his brother’s ridiculous request and now having to make himself semi-presentable to you. He also eyes the suitcase because… there’s no way that you’re actually staying with them right?

“Hope the flight here wasn’t too rough,” His brother starts casually.

Your cheeks are puffed out, eyes slightly baggy from the presumably restless flight, and you let out an exasperated sigh. “I hope you know that I didn’t tell coach about any of this.”

“Any of what?” Sae asks slowly. Now Rin is internally panicking.

Your eyes fall on him and they sparkle in recognition for a brief moment before you turn your attention back to his brother. “Um, that I flew all the way from Madrid to Tokyo?”

“I thought you said he approved of it.” Sae looks visibly annoyed.

You give a sheepish shrug and try to smile. “Yeah, I might’ve lied a bit.” It looks like you can’t decide if you want to be embarrassed by this fact or want to burst into tears.

Now it’s Sae’s turn to sigh. “Well, you’re already here so there’s no point. I’ll come up with something if Ego asks.”

You’ve made yourself practically at home within the next hour. Sae had told you that you could transform their home office space into your bedroom for the next several months in preparation for the competition, much to Rin’s protests. Right now, your makeshift living space composes of a shitty air mattress that Rin had in his closet since childhood and one of Sae’s extra pillows and blankets. You still need an actual mattress and a bedframe, and Rin doesn’t know if he wants to suggest the local hardware shop down the street. Because, if he does do that, it’ll mean he’ll be accepting his fate for the next upcoming year.

“Are you guys both hungry for dinner? I can whip up something real quick!” You’re saying this as if you’ve been living with them forever. It throws Rin off but Sae is unphased by your informality.

“Pork katsu curry sounds nice.” Sae muses from the living room couch. He’s streaming a figure skating compilation video from the previous Winter Olympics on the TV while jotting down some notes on his phone. “Why don’t you help her out, Rin?”

“Do I have to?”

“Yeah,” and Sae lifts his eyes away from the screen to give him a knowing look. “You have to.”

Three protein shakes. A pack of half-eaten grapes. And two boxes of forgotten leftovers from god knows how long ago. There’s not much in Rin’s fridge. His parents have been traveling around the world ever since he got back and usually, Rin would just get himself takeout to save some time. When he rummages through his pantry, he almost feels embarrassed by how barren it feels. A box of cup ramen, some curry cubes, and a small bag of rice on the bottom. It would honestly be better just to order takeout than to bother cooking up something less satisfying.

“We should—”

“Let’s go to the store!” Of course, you offer that up. Rin can feel his shoulders immediately tensing when he sees you grabbing your jacket and wallet.

Sae throws him another penetrating gaze and Rin recedes. “Give me a second.” And maybe a drink or two.

You’re the complete opposite of what Rin expected.

Bright, bubbly, and almost downright annoying. It reminds him of how he used to act when he was younger.

The first few minutes of the walk are silent not because Rin doesn’t know what to say but because he doesn’t want to say anything. His mind drifts off to an MMO he’s been currently playing with two of his ‘friends’ that he made during his last competition — if you count only exchanging numbers for the sake of playing games and talking about nothing else. That’s what friends do, right? It’s evening and, if it weren’t for Sae and you, he could be online right now, clearing a dungeon with them. This week is a double drop event and he’s going to miss out on it because you want to buy katsu curry ingredients.

After passing the third block in the neighborhood, you start to see a few local shops and grocery stores lined up down an alleyway. There are more locals around, some are walking their dogs, others sweeping the sides of their house entrances. You decide to take this time to finally talk to him.

“Who’s your favorite skater?” It comes out as a blurt like you’ve been holding it in.

Rin blinks. “What kind of question is that?”

“A normal one,” You pick up a small shopping cart by the entrance and make a beeline towards the produce section. “Plus it can tell you a lot about a person.”

Can it really? “You first then,” Rin tells you.

You answer without much thought, throwing a couple of apples and potatoes into the cart. “Has to be Nathan Chen! He’s super bold and flashy with his programs.” He’s heard of him before, Rin thinks he’s around the same age as his brother.

“Yuzuru Hanyu.” He answers right after.

You make a noise, and Rin assumes it’s a good one by the way you’re smiling. “I can definitely see that, he’s really elegant when he skates.”

The two of you fall silent again but it’s a bit bearable. You finish off by buying pork, onions, and a few soft drinks before heading over to the self-checkout. Rin pays for the entirety of the grocery run since it’s mainly his fault for having an empty fridge. If he had kept up with a healthier lifestyle then maybe he wouldn’t be in this current mess.

Dinner, for all things considered, doesn’t go horribly. It’s been months since Rin has picked up a knife, let alone use his cutting board, and you’re nice enough to show him how to properly score meat. And yeah, he just learned what scoring meant outside of sports. He’s learning a lot today.

Adding apple chunks to the curry really made an immense difference. Tastes a lot sweeter but also comforting. The pork comes out crispy and tender enough for him to easily bite through and practically melts on his tongue. Maybe he should get back into cooking soon.

Sae wipes his mouth before setting down his utensils. “I’ve also taken the liberty to coach you guys too, so don’t let me down.”

You blink. Rin looks like he’s going to drop his fork on his plate. He seems to catch himself though, and for just a moment. Your heads both tip to the side, and there’s a strange moment of eye contact, one where you are nervously glancing at Sae, and Sae is caught in a strange back-and-forth with Rin.

Yeah, Rin is learning more today compared to the average person.

The next day at the ice rink is a surreal experience for Rin. A year ago, when he did skate professionally, he was used to practicing alone or occasionally sharing the rink with a few other skaters, but now there's a new dynamic—a pair dynamic. You and him. The thought alone sends shivers down his spine, and not the good kind.

Sae is sitting on the side, his injured leg propped up on a chair, and he's observing with a critical eye. Rin can feel the pressure, not just from the expectation of his brother, but also from the fact that you're now involved. His comfort zone has been invaded.

“Let's start with some basic warm-up moves,” Sae suggests, and Rin reluctantly nods.

The two of you glide on the ice, trying to synchronize your movements to a random classical tune that his brother placed on shuffle. Claire de Lune—he’s warmed up to this song plenty of times before. It's awkward at first, the pacing and speed is off, and you’re both too tensed to initiate physical contact.

“You need to trust each other,” Sae instructs, his voice echoing in the cold rink.

Rin shoots him a dirty glare. Trust has never been his strong suit, especially not with someone new.

You decide to break the ice, quite literally, by attempting a lift. Rin braces himself as you come at him with speed, and then, in a moment that feels like slow motion, he lifts you off the ground. Success. You're now spinning in the air, and Rin is holding his breath, hoping he doesn't drop you.

“That was good, Rin!” you exclaim when you land back on the ice.

He's slightly out of breath, both from the physical exertion and the anxiety that came with it. “Yeah, great,” he mutters, avoiding eye contact.

After what seems like an eternity, Rin begins to find a rhythm. It's still not perfect, he’s not used to skinship so he can tell his grip around you is either too firm or barely there. Sae’s a rough teacher and quite possibly the king at micromanaging, the two of you bond quietly over the fact. Rin also learns that you’re pretty good at hydroblading and the Biellmann spin. Well, you’re pretty good at a lot of things. He’s surprised that you haven’t tried out for more international competitions prior.

By the end of the day, both of you are exhausted—well, you look fine, it’s more like Rin feels like his quads are about to burn off. This is the most he’s done physically and with his career in the last several months. Sae, with his usual unreadable expression, nods approvingly.

“You’ve got potential,” he comments, and Rin is unsure if it's a compliment or just a statement of fact. “So, what’s the theme?”

Right. They need to figure out that first before deciding on anything else. Rin has always struggled with coming up with themes and settles with essentially the same one every year since he feels comfortable with it. The past years he’s played around with ‘solitude’, ‘dormant’, and ‘night’—and all of his programs contained dark, moody instrumentals that went along with it.

You’re shuffling awkwardly by the benches, fiddling with your gym bag, and raise a hesitant hand. “How do we feel about ‘love’?”

Rin tightens his lips. “Isn’t that kind of vague?”

“Weren’t all of your themes the same?” Sae shoots back and it makes him quiet. “What songs did you have in mind?”

You’re quick to pull out your phone, a playlist pops up with songs that you’ve either wanted to skate or skated to. The song choices aren’t bad, most of them being soundtracks from musicals and pop artists.

“This Love.”

Rin lets out a loud scoff. “Guess you’re into that sappy stuff.” He remembers one of his skating colleagues was floating around the idea of skating to that song when they first jumped into a relationship but decided to shelve it once they found another person.

“It’s a good song,” You say with a huff, to which Rin only rolls his eyes.

“Guys,” Sae claps his hands three times, a signal that Rin recognizes from his earlier childhood days of basically saying ‘shut the fuck up’. “I need you to work together.”

Your index finger jabs into Rin’s ribcage. He manages to hold back every fiber in his body to not yell at you, especially not when Sae is staring right at him. “If you’re going to make a comeback, I think maybe you should get back on social media again to promote!”

“I’ll sleep on it.” He says with a clenched jaw and furrowed brow.

“We’ll see you later back home, gonna do a couple of laps around the neighborhood before we end the night.” You’re lacing up your sneakers while Sae grabs his car keys. Rin assumes his brother is just going to be ‘encouraging you’ from the driver’s seat. Classic big brother move.

“Sure thing,” It’s the tone that says he’s decided. He’s done. End of discussion. Rin just really wants to lay in his bed right now.

As he walks home, Rin mulls over your suggestion and decides to reinstall some of his social media apps. Surprisingly enough, he still remembers his passwords (he definitely does not have the same password for everything, nope) and immediately logs onto Instagram, fighting back the weird twists and turns in his stomach as the app slowly loads.

There are maybe over a hundred notifications in his DMs, most of which are from random strangers giving half-assed ‘advice’ on how he can be a better skater and some messages from people he’s skated against asking how he was doing. He starts from the bottom of his inbox and recognizes a few of their usernames.

itsyoiboi — sent ten months ago are you doing alright? let me know if you need anything

hyo.chigiri — sent nine months ago Just checking up on you. Coach told me that you left.

megugu_skates— sent nine months ago (。┰ω┰。) rinrinrin!! dont tell me ur quitting for good?? =͟͟͞͞ =͟͟͞͞ ﾍ ( ´ Д `)ﾉ (⋟﹏⋞) u have to come back!!

baroushouei — sent eight months ago Hey, get your head out of your ass. We’re all worried about you.

Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. Rin semi-appericates the sentiment but he didn’t ask for it. He doesn’t need any of them checking up on him for the sake of it. None of them were ever close to him so why bother?

He eventually reaches back to the top of his inbox. What Rin didn’t expect was to see a message from you.

yn.is.here — sent a week ago um hi there!! sorry we haven’t officially met before but your brother said you’ll be able to help me compete in skate pairs?? he told me that you’re thinking about coming back this season. sorry if this comes off as weird!

Ugh, of course, his brother would plan this whole thing behind his back. It doesn’t surprise him, and it explains why any of this is happening.

When he finally gets back home, he kicks off his shoes and heads straight to his bedroom. Rin plops and eases his back into the mattress, thumb rummaging through his photo album and trying to find a dumb professional photo to post on his page for stupid promotion purposes. He’s about to pick out an old photo from nearly two years ago when your text notification pops up. You sent over ten attachments—guess Sae took photos and videos from today’s practice run.

Rin shifts through the options before settling on a photo with the two of you in it. You’re both gliding side by side, hands barely touching. He looks scruffy, well he looks scruffy in all of them, the smile he tried to make came out more like a scowl, while you look like a complete natural—what’s new? On top of his skating, Rin needs to work on smiling and his skincare routine next.

Rin uploads the picture with a simple caption, ‘im back’, and turns off his notifications. He’ll worry about the lousy reporters tomorrow morning.

[DISCUSSION THREAD] Rin Itoshi's Icy Resurgence, Unraveling the Mystery Girl, and the Journey Without His Brother by [MOD] Dooby

In the world of figure skating, Rin Itoshi is no stranger to both triumphs and challenges. The seasoned skater, known for his graceful performances and technical prowess, recently made headlines by returning to the ice after a brief hiatus. Taking the place of his brother in the figure skating pairs category, Rin has partnered with the talented and rising star, Y/N, to form an unexpected yet promising duo.

[yurio.fan.cl0b] - 17 minutes ago he’s going to make an embarrassment out of himself AGAIN just go back into hiding [VICChan] - 15 minutes ago Lololol he thinks that piggybacking off another skater it’ll guarantee a gold medal lolol who is even y/n anyway… never heard of her???? [porkkatsu] - 14 minutes ago shes a nobody just like rin *shrugs* [ISAGINUMBERONE] - 12 minutes ago ^ been a rin itoshi fan since day one — i believe that he’ll make a great comeback!! rin if you’re reading this please ignore the haters! [itsJJStyleX0X0] - 9 minutes ago are you actually an idiot? there’s no way that they’re going to take gold, not at the level he’s currently at. compared to his brother, rin’s past performance was sloppy and weak. if he’s going to win gold then he’ll probably end up doping himself [SaeItoshisWIFE] - 7 minutes ago Can we please refrain from spreading rumors like this? Doping is a serious accusation to make…

next rink!

a/n: ok... i meant to keep this in my drafts until i finish it but then i realized it would've been like... way too long with the number of scenes i wanted to write.... so here's some content until the next part bleh >:(( i need to fixate on one project at a time but at the same time i love sharing stuff w you guys haha

#blue lock #bllk #blue lock imagines #bllk x reader #blue lock x reader #itoshi rin #rin itoshi #itoshi rin x reader #rin itoshi x reader #blue lock x female reader #heavily inspired by yuri on ice duh #rin is katsuki yuri here (kinda)#also posted during the grand prix figure skating comp!!#cw: depression #cw: mental health

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xxgoblin-dumplingxx · 6 months

Note

Jason would 100% see his partner readying a hockey or sports romance and immediately feel the need to try playing said sport despite being the in the top three fittest people in the world

Jason peeked over your shoulder and smirked a little. No one could say you didn't read. But you definitely weren't reading classics.

Not that he blamed you. Working in a kitchen was both physically and mentally demanding. So when you did read, it was to relax. To unwind and rest your brain.

Apparently, the flavor of the day was a grizzled, hunky ex-hockey player who was annoyed at an ex-figure skater with a heart of gold who was interrupting his drill time with her little girls in tutus.

He idly wondered, as he shifted the coffee table over to vacuum the floor if you'd ever been skating. Or to a hockey game.

Probably not. Sherri was a good mom but, it's not like there'd been much floating around for extras when you were a kid. And what there was, she tried to spend on trips- even if it was just a little road trip someplace. You'd seen a lot of the country out a car window. As a copilot. Passing snacks and reading maps.

Still... maybe it was a date idea.

It felt like forever since he'd taken you out somewhere fun. And he knew that with the holidays coming up that if he didn't take you out on a date date soon, you wouldn't have the time or energy to do much more than fall into the bed and pass out.

Time to make a plan he guessed. And hope that Alfred would be down to run interference for him- now that the cat was out of the bag his siblings were fascinated by you and it was hard to be romantic when the Demon Spawn was lurking in the shadows and Steph and Cass where taking notes behind upside down magazines.

You didn't mind but.

Ugh. It was getting old.

#jason todd #ask answered #minors dni #jason todd x reader #reader insert #EC!reader

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minhosimthings · 4 months

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Blackberries

Synopsis: When Seungmin takes you to a cat cafe

Pairings: Bf!Seungmin × gn!reader

Warnings: when I say this is the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff

A/N: fullfiling @like-a-diamondinthesky 's fantasies and writing this because ✨ obviously ✨.

The skies and the clouds high up in the heavens reminded you of him. The sweet honey, harvested freshly from the buzzing bees at your mother's flower farm reminded you of him. Hell, even the flowers reminded you of him.

But there was nothing in this world that reminded you more of Seungmin than puppies.

The little critters playing in the windows of the adoption centres, with their tongues stuck out and their ears flailing away into eternity, it was almost as if Seungmin had beem one and had been turned into a human by some witch. Atleast that was Hyunjin's theory.

So when Seungmin had proposed, out of the blue, to go to a new cat cafe which had opened down the street, it was safe to say you were more confused than Newton when the apple hit his head.

"A cat cafe?" You questioned, raising a brow at Seungmin, who sat nonchalantly, solving a crossword puzzle in his magazine.

"You're literally suggesting that we go to a cat cafe?"

"Well unless you're hard of hearing-" Seungmin poked his cheek with his tongue, eyes not once faltering from the magazine, "yes. I want to go to a cat cafe."

"This is suspicious." You narrowed your eyes like a detective, playfully creeping upto him akin to a cat, and staring at him.

"Darling if you want to know whether or not I'm on drugs, don't worry, because I'm not." Seungmin chuckled, his gaze finally shifting to you. He brought his lips down to your forehead and gently pecked it, getting up afterwards and strolling down the hallway into your bedroom.

"Are you going to keep staring at me like that or are you going to get ready, darling?" Seungmin cracked a small smile to your figure lying on the couch trying to figure out why exactly a puppy was being interested by cats.

"Y-yeah I'll get ready." You sauntered off the couch, your mind still unable to wrap itself around Seungmin's sudden epiphany.

Seungmin never had an eye for cats much. Or any feline really. He even had proof, videos on top of videos of him bickering with the biggest cat in his life, Minho.

But something about you, the way you adored them, bending down hurriedly to run your fingers through their beautiful coats whenever you'd see a stray one, it warmed his heart more than any fire in this world could.

And you never failed to bring up cats in any and every conversation.

Whether it was failing to ice skate in the winters, "Seungmin this snowflake looks like a cat!"

Or gulping down wine after a long day, "this wine smells like my sister's cat."

Or even hanging up fairy lights, "You know what would be a good investment?" You'd say, admiring all of the pretty sparkling lights, "Cat shaped lights, just imagine the-" you wouldn't get to finish the sentence however, before Seungmin pressed his lips to yours, unable to control himself over your adorable mouth.

"Well howdy beautiful." Seungmin leaned against the the door, eyes full of his fast beating heart. "Please tell me you're not thinking of a cowboy job now." You laughed, finishing the last touches of your hair, and striding over to him.

"I think I'd look pretty good in a hat, don't you?" He joked, wrapping an arm around your waist as you locked the door to your house and hid the key somewhere no one would find it.

"Nuh uh, you're not walking on that side of the road darling." Seungmin spun you on your heel, placing himself on the side nearer to the traffic ridden road. "Aww you care about me?" You giggled, ruffling Seungmin's already messy hair again.

Seungmin was intoxicated by you. The way the moonlight fell on your eyes, the way your perfume perfectly mixed with the sweet scent of the evening dew, the melodious way your voice would harmonise with the songs of the night birds. Seungmin had always heard about the notion that a healthy relationship is where two independent people just make a deal that they will help the other person be the best version of themselves. And Seungmin was convinced that meeting you made the personalities he had often hidden away, shine. You loved every version of him, every universe in which he existed. And he couldn't have been more thankful of that.

"So this is what a cat cafe looks like huh?" You stared in awe at the all the balls of furs playing with their tails on the floor.

"Im glad you like it." Seungmin pressed a feathery kiss to the side of your head, "Should we find a table then?"

Walking throught the warm carpeted floor, with hundreds of cats following your tail, you sat down by a table at the window, where a tiny black kitten slept, its mouth drawling across its face and it's tiny paws stretched out.

"It's so adorable." You scrunched your hands together, too overcome with cuteness agression.

"Hey there!" A cheery voice sounded in your ear, "What can I get both of you?"

After placing your orders and learning that the cat cafe was set up by its owner to double as an adoption centre, Seungmin picked the tiny black kitten into his hands. He was gentle with the creature, carefully adjusting it to his grasp.

"I wonder what its name is." Seungmin thought out loud, his eyes widened at the sight of the kitten blinking up at him with its tiny pupils.

"The waitress said they didn't have names." You hummed, stroking a lazy Scottish Fold in your arms. You saw Seungmin's face visibly drop at your words, his eyes going back to the kitten.

"Thunderbolt?" He chuckled, stroking the mangled coat of the kitten with his ring finger, "That would be a pretty name."

"Seungmin it's a cat, not a rock band." You giggled, your heart melting as the kitten let out a small but audible meow.

"Hmm Blackberry then." Seungmin smiled up at you with his teeth on display, "You love blackberries." "Well that I do." The cat on your lap shifted a bit as you ran your hands through its silky coat, "But tell me one thing; are you honestly thinking about adopting that tiny little kitten?"

Seungmin's eyes looked up at yours, cocking a brow. "Why? Have you not been wanting one for a long time?"

"You hate cats." "I don't hate them."

Seungmin argued back, carefully setting the kitten back on the table where it stood on its four paws and yawned with it's adorable mouth opening to show its barely growing fangs.

"You really want to adopt it?" You asked, your eyes filling with tears for some reason, "Really Minnie?"

"Hey hey don't cry." Seungmin cooed at you, caressing your cheeks with his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

You didn't know whether it was the sweet atmosphere of the cafe, or maybe it was just you, but your heart melted like snow on the first spring day, feeling Seungmin embrace you in his arms.

He was a cornucopia, a mystery, a puzzle that you would have to take hours to solve. But he was your mystery, and he always made sure you knew that, whether it was surprising you with dates to unlikely places, or even naming a kitten 'Blackberry'.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

"I love you most."

"Meow."

Your eyes shifted to the tiny kitten looking up at you with confusion, making you giggle.

"Let's not argue about who loves whom most in front of our child shall we?"

"He's our child now is he?" Seungmin pressed his nose to yours, sinking the stars in his eyes into your being.

"Yep." You let out a laugh, not being able to say anything more, and sinking into Seungmin's warm comforting love, knowing that he won't ever let go, until the stars rain down from the heavens.

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justlookfrightened · 9 months

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Invisibility

A teeny Zimbits ficlet

“Hmm. Jack, if you could have a superpower, what would it be?”

Bitty looked up from his phone to ask the question of Jack, who was making an omelet for breakfast. It was one of Jack’s favorite things, to cook for Bitty, especially when there was a morning when they could both sleep (or not-sleep) in, and then cook and sit and eat and drink coffee and clean up together before even considering starting their day.

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “Mind reading, maybe? So people wouldn’t be so confusing all the time.”

Bitty considered the mess of motivations that had made him do anything from adding ginger to a peach pie to kissing Jack on the ice after he won the Stanley Cup.

“I’m not sure knowing what people are thinking would make things less confusing, sweet pea,” Bitty said.

“What about you?” Jack asked. “What superpower would you have?”

“Invisibility,” Bitty replied immediately.

“You didn’t even think about that,” Jack said. “Anyway, why would you want to be invisible?”

“Why not?” Bitty said. “If you’re invisible, no one can hurt you.”

“Huh.” Jack gave a dissatisfied sort of grunt, and turned back to the eggs.

Bitty didn’t know why Jack was bothered. He’d always thought invisibility would be the best superpower for him, ever since he first considered the question.

He’d been in high school, clinging to the end of the bench at the lunch table where all the misfits sat. Well, the misfits-but-not-outcasts. It had a couple of band geeks, the one cheerleader who never sat with the rest, the kid who was always the stage manager and never on stage for the drama productions. The only student in Bitty’s class who played on the rec league hockey team had invited Bitty to join them, and Bitty was doing his best to not be relegated (again) to outcast status.

One of the girls — Bitty thought it was the cheerleader, but his memory might be faulty — had read the question out of a quiz in a magazine, and most people had answered things like flying or having super strength or x-ray vision.

Then someone said they’d like to be invisible, in order to do whatever they wanted and never get caught, and Bitty had thought the idea of not being seen sounded like a kind of heaven. Not that he wanted to avoid the blame for any misdeeds; he just didn’t want to be seen. If the football players couldn’t see him, they couldn’t push him into lockers or trip him near the top of the stairs. His Algebra II teacher couldn’t call him to the front of the room to solve impossible problems. If Coach couldn’t see him, he couldn’t “playfully” cuff him on the back of the head and ask when he’d find a girlfriend.

He’d miss his mama’s hugs, he thought. But maybe the power would allow him to be visible when he wanted to be, or maybe mama would just understand, and hug him when he told her he was there.

Ever since then, “invisibility” had been his stock answer to the superpower question. Even though there were no longer any football players dogging his steps, the idea of going through life unobserved, and thus uncriticized, had a more than passing appeal.

Apparently, his answer sparked more than passing thoughts in Jack, who brought it up as soon as breakfast was ready.

“I’d really miss being able to see you, bud,” Jack said.

“Yeah?” Bitty asked, purposely looking up at Jack through his eyelashes. “See something you like?”

“Always,” Jack said, “But I didn’t mean like that. I meant, I don’t like the idea of a world where you just disappeared. And I don’t understand how you can say you would want that, either. You’re always out there, whether it’s online or on the ice. You figure skated. You did a sport where, literally, everyone was looking at you because you were the only one to look at.”

“And I stopped doing that sport, because when people noticed, they decided I’d make a good tackling dummy,” Bitty said. “Figure skating was different. When I was on the ice, I was alone, and no one could get to me. No one could touch me. And when I make videos online, it’s kind of the same. No one can hurt me. Even if someone is rude in the comments, I can block them and move on. Aren’t there times you would have liked to be invisible, with the way people have invaded your privacy?”

“Sure, sometimes,” Jack answered. “But not for long. And I remember that the problem is their behavior, not my existence.”

“I never said I didn’t want to exist,” Bitty said. “I just want people to leave me alone.”

“Even me?” Jack’s voice was small.

“Never you,” Bitty said. “Well … there were some times my freshman year. But not now. I want people to live my life and keep their nastiness to themselves. And my life includes you.”

“That’s good,” Jack said. “And for the record, I think it’s good that people can see you. I think they need to see you, because you are strong and determined and good. Sorry if that sounds corny. I don’t mean it to be. I really believe that you are good, and people need to see that.”

Bitty was nearly tearing up.

“Oh, come on,” Bitty said. “Don’t be so nice to me! You’re gonna make me cry. I do appreciate that’s how you feel. And maybe … maybe it is different now. Now that we’re together, and I don’t feel alone.”

“So, if not invisibility, then what?”

“Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to fly?”

#my fic #omg check please #zimbits

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canmom · 9 months

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Animation Night 164: Yaoi, Yuri

The fashion on Tumblr lately has been to divide everything in the world into yaoi and yuri, hasn't it? Well, tonight we don't need to make any abstract stretches of the imagination: it's time for anime where boys kiss boys and girls kiss girls.

So. Five minutes ago, before Tumblr deleted it, this post was off to a pretty good start! I was happily explaining about the differences of nuance between 少年愛 shōnen-ai, 耽美 tanbi, ジュネ june, やおい yaoi and ボーイズラブ bōizu rabu on the one hand, and on the other, why 薔薇 bara (rose) isn't a genre title but nevertheless the editor of 薔薇族 Barazoku ('rose tribe') magazine coined 百合 yuri as a distaff counterpart, the 'lily tribe', and that really caught on.

I was starting in on a brief sketch of some history, how Tokugawa Japan was super gay and had a defined set of social rules for gay relationships in the form of 男色 nanshoku, but this was squashed by the Meiji restoration, and thus gay manga became a subgenre cultivating its own specific otaku audience.

So then I was gonna tell you about how the early shōjo manga focusing on gay relationships, taking the old term shōnen-ai [which originally referred to pederasty], were quite nerdy and literary, but the subgenre rapidly grew in the 70s and 80s, cultivating an otaku audience of its own - primarily women termed, somewhat disparagingly, 婦女子 fujoshi but this demographic breakdown is certainly not absolute and there is a term for male fans, which is 普段し fudanshi. We coulda gone into the whole world of doujinshi, of the massive convention comiket; I coulda cracked open Kimi Rito's History of Hentai Manga for some interesting tidbits about how certain images become encoded as symbols and then reused routinely in manga.

And you know, I might have talked about how this is distinct from manga aimed at gay readers in gay magazines (like the above mentioned 薔薇族 Barazoku) which might be termed ゲイ漫画 gei manga. Perhaps we might mention here the upcoming adaptation of gay manga meme sensation kuso miso technique:

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I was maybe gonna talk a little about some of the older genre conventions of BL; the masc top or 攻め seme and the effeminate bottom or 浮け uke; maybe a little about how yaoi fandom got exported into anime fan culture in the West and the strange phenomenon of the 'yaoi paddle'.

...well, it looks like I managed to skim over all that anyway. Spite works wonders for typing speed, it turns out. But believe me, that's really just surface level stuff. We're working on a followup to the legend of Animation Night 69, so we'll be able to get in a lot deeper in a few weeks~

Anyway, even today, BL and yuri works rarely get adapted into anime in a particularly high profile way. But 'rarely' is not never! In Animation Nights past, well: on Animation Night 69 we watched the delightful 風と木の詩 Kaze to Ki no Uta (The Song of Wind and Trees), an OVA adapting the seminal (ha ha) shōjo manga about a French twink at boarding school. That was the direction of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, known also for Venus Wars and definitely the subject of a future Animation Night, it was as moving and melodramatic as you could hope from 70s shōjo. Sayo Yamamoto (AN36) brought us the incredibly charming figure gay skating series Yuri on Ice; and then of course Kunihiko Ikuhara (AN155), bless his heart, made his always bold statements on yuri with Yurikuma Arashi ('Lesbian Bear Storm') and BL with Sarazanmai, which I will surely cover if we ever reach the point where we're like 'let's marathon a TV anime' again ;p

Tonight though? We'll be looking at a couple of relatively recent films on both sides of the fence.

For the BL wing, we have the film 海辺のエトランゼ Umibe no Étranger, aka L'étranger de la Plage or Stranger by the Shore. Kanna Kii, the mangaka, had previously worked as an animator at Studio Hibari, a small anime studio that dates back to the late 70s and broadly seems to specialise in shōjo. Kii returned there to design characters and supervise the film, and evidently Hibari were very excited to adapt the work of their alumnus, because they absolutely spared no effort.

The story centres on orphaned highschooler Mio and his neighbour Shun, an aspiring gay novelist on a remote island in Okinawa. The pair grew close three years before the start of the story, but Mio had to leave Okinawa; we join him now as he returns to that same shore, still holding feelings for Shun.

I'll admit, I don't know a ton about this movie - but it comes highly recommended by kvin who described it as one of an 'oasis' of strong BL works released around 2020. And the clips I've seen - well, they're the gifs used in this post, really nicely drawn scenes of affection. So I'm pretty excited!

Our yuri wing... well, there's a few good choices for yuri TV shows I could show you, but tonight it's late and we need something short and sweet, and that really narrows the field! What I have is あさがおと加瀬さん。Asagao to Kase-san [Kase-san and the Morning Glories], a one hour OVA adapting the manga 加瀬さん Kase-san by Hiromi Takashima. The OVA starts partway into the manga, when plant nerd Yui Yamada has already started dating her crush, the athletic Tomoka Kase. It follows the trials of the girls' relationship as they are coming towards the end of their time at school - relatively low-key, slice of life first relationship typea thing.

The animae was adapted by studio Zexcs under the direction of Takuya Satō, who you might remember as director of the first part of Armitage III [AN153]. Zexcs spun out of JC Staff at the end of the 90s, and they've been pretty busy since then - for me their most notable creation is Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil), a truly unique rotoscope anime with an incredibly engaging, tense story about teenagers and the imp of the perverse... which sadly never got the love it deserved! yes I'm still beating this drum!

Anyway, while I have not been able to find a ton of production information, I am told at least that Kase-san was a passion project for Satō - evidently a yuri fan given he also took on the adaptation of Otherside Picnic. It began first with five-minute web adaptation Kase-san and the Morning Glories in 2018 that's more of a musical montage of moments from the series, which was then able to be expanded the next year into an hour-long OVA...

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A lot of romance stories focus on the characters getting together, so it's interesting that this one skips right over those chapters of the manga and gets going once the characters are already together, focusing more on the trials of an ongoing relationship between two goofy hormonal kids trying to figure out if this is just a class S thing or something that they want to last. A great deal of effort is put towards character animation, intimacy, the little flinches and reactions. You can read a little discussion about it here on ANN.

So! With apologies for the late start once more (T_T), it's time to begin! Animation Night will shortly be live at twitch.tv/canmom, and I hope you'll join me for a gay old time~

#Youtube #animation night #long overdue subject and i wish i had had more time to do it justice

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taizi · 1 year

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If you’d like another Rise prompt, maybe something about Donnie’s battleshell? If that’s too vague, maybe its origins, or maybe what Splinter thinks about it?

this is also set in the human splinter au <3

When Donatello was a baby, Yoshi didn’t worry quite as much about his soft shell. He and his brothers were all the same sort of fragile, questionable mutation and its potential effects aside, and Yoshi panicked over each of them an equal amount.

They played hard. They always wanted to climb and run and tumble. Yoshi is inclined to blame the ooze that psychotic goat-man alchemist pumped them full of, because blaming him is neat and comfortable and makes Yoshi feel warm inside.

But Yoshi has also spent a not-insignificant amount of his fortune on parenting books and magazine subscriptions, and according to the experts, children are just tiny crazy people who will run at full-speed into a wall multiple times for no reason.

Which is fine. Yoshi has been a papa for almost four years now and it’s quite possible that he’ll never want to be anything else ever again for as long as he lives. His boys have secured their place in his heart and no amount of broken windows or crayon-scribbled walls or gutted kitchen appliances (???) will change that.

The problem is that Donatello’s shell doesn’t afford him the same protection that his brothers’ do. He’s as fast and strong as the other three, and easily twice as smart, but he’s just not as hardy.

Yoshi has no idea what he would do without his credit card and his talent manager-turned-reluctant-godmother. Between the two of them, he has an answer for everything.

“I don’t want to,” Donatello announces before Yoshi has even opened his mouth.

“You don’t want to go roller-skating?” he says, affecting a tone of complete surprise. It causes Donatello’s chubby face to fold into an epic pout, which is adorable, which makes up for how frustrating he can be when he digs his little heels in about something.

“No, papa, I want to go. But I don’t want to wear that dum-dum thing.”

“Your Auntie Hala is going to cry for days and days when I tell her how much you hate the present she got you,” Yoshi tells him solemnly.

Donatello considers this. Then he says, “Don’t tell her.”

Ah, logic Yoshi can’t actually find fault with. He never would have guessed he’d spend his early thirties losing so many arguments with a turtle toddler.

“You are wise beyond your years,” he says, wondering what it will look like when Donatello is a teenager, and whether or not Yoshi will survive it.

The ‘dum-dum thing’ in question is a modified back brace, meant for children with spinal disorders. Yoshi is pretty sure this qualifies. The reason Donatello hates it so much is the modifications Yoshi made to it; namely, the memory foam cover for his leathery carapace. It’s bulky and it slows him down and he hates falling behind the other three. Lately he’s taken to sitting out of their games because he would rather tinker by himself than wear the brace.

Yoshi is a little worried about that. He hasn’t come up with a way to make everyone happy yet, and he’s losing sleep trying to figure it out.

Leonardo pokes his head through the doorway. “Papa you said we were going,” he whines. “How come we’re not?”

“Negotiations have broken down,” Yoshi says, kneading his forehead with his palm.

“Dunno what that is,” Leonardo declares and visibly puts it out of his mind as not his problem. “Don-don, come on. We’re gonna skate.”

“No,” Donatello declares. His mouth is screwed up, brow furrowed, fully ready to be a little monster about it. “I don’t want to go if I have to wear the dumb fake shell.”

Leonardo tips his head to one side, considering this. It’s no secret to his brothers that Donatello has no fondness for the brace. This usually culminates in one or three of them helping him to escape it, and then hiding it somewhere stupid for Yoshi to find like the world’s worst Easter Egg hunt.

“We’re twins,” Leonardo says with all the unyielding certainty of a schoolteacher discussing matters with an obstinate child. “So we have to share. I’ll wear it, and then Donnie will wear it, and then it’s fair.”

Somehow—Yoshi can’t believe this, but somehow the logic goes to work. Donatello’s expression shifts from mullish to thoughtful. The most stubborn little treasure in Yoshi’s entire life is giving ground.

“It’s fair,” he agrees. He and Leonardo turn their big brown eyes up to Yoshi expectantly.

Honestly, Yoshi can’t believe he’s not going to have to wrestle Donatello into the brace for once in their lives. He’s a little embarrassed his second youngest child thought of this neat little solution before him. It costs him absolutely nothing to agree, and he straps the brace onto Leonardo’s back instead. When they get to the rink, one that Yoshi has unapologetically rented out for the afternoon so his kids can play freely, they’ll switch, and Donatello will wear it while the four of them turn inline skating into a contact sport.

And nearly a decade down the road, when Donatello is building advanced technology the way other kids his age are building blanket forts out of the couch cushions and Yoshi’s best sheets (re: his siblings) and he has long-since traded the brace for an armored shell of his own design, he goes from absolutely refusing to put it on to pretty much never letting anyone see him without it, ever, or else.

Because no son of Yoshi’s would understand the idea of a happy middle ground. It’s all or nothing, go big or go home in this house.

This is when the twin thing continues to save the day.

“Oh Telloooooooo,” Leonardo sing-songs, audible throughout the entire house, “Shell Time!”

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Donatello replies, but it’s a token resistance at best.

And when Yoshi wanders that way to check on things a few minutes later, he’ll find the boys in the garage. Donatello is chattering a-mile-a-minute at Raphael about the computer he’s building, and his older brother is nodding along agreeably even though he clearly isn’t absorbing a single word. Leonardo is sprawled on his plastron, head pillowed on his folded arms, letting Michelangelo go to town with glittery stickers.

Donatello’s soft shell will be covered by nothing but the blanket Raphael tossed over his shoulders, and Leonardo will wear the battle shell just long enough for his twin to relax his spine and sit without pain—because fair is fair.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #lou jitsu #hamato yoshi #hamato donatello #ratdad #disaster twins #my writing #iwillkeepfighting #tmnt fic #prompt #human splinter au

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wrestlingisfake · 7 months

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Saw this on Twitter, from a 1983 issue of Gong magazine. I'm trying to use Google Translate (and a little common sense) to figure out who everybody is.

Hulk Hogan (roller skating in California)

Bruiser Brody (riding the space shuttle, piloted by a gorilla)

Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. (falling off a horse)

Fritz, Kevin, Kerry, and David Von Erich (standing together in Texas)

Ric Flair (literally jet-flying, wearing the NWA world title)

Harley Race (in Missouri, punching out the Funks' horse)

Ted DiBiase and the Junkyard Dog (dressed like jazz guys, to represent New Orleans and Mid-South)

Verne Gagne (in Minnesota, giving the thumbs up)

Nick Bockwinkel (holding the AWA world title)

Dick the Bruiser (dressed like a Chicago gangster)

Jerry Lawler (dressed like Elvis because he's in Memphis; a curious foreshadowing of his cousin becoming Honky Tonk Man in 1986)

Stan Hansen (wearing a cowboy hat, standing in Georgia)

Ricky Steamboat (in the Carolinas, pointing at Lawler)

Andre the Giant (standing between Canada and New York)

Dusty Rhodes (representing Florida, riding the surfboard)

Bob Backlund (swinging off the Statue of Liberty, wearing the WWF world title)

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alwayshappyhoursomewhere · 9 months

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Compilation of translation snippets I did about interviews published on kiss&cry magazine vol.49, all about Shoma and One Piece on Ice (also posted on twt and here as backup)

Keiji and Koshiro on Shoma:

Keiji: Shoma isn't really Luffy's type, but you can tell that he's trying his best to become Luffy, and that he's enjoying it. He is absorbing more and more and trying to overcome the "wall" of doing moves that he has never done before, moves that are unlike him. When I see that, it makes me want to work even harder.

Koshiro: at the beginning I couldn't imagine Shoma doing Luffy's "full of energy!” movements, so I was like "Do your best (laugh)”, but during rehearsals there were many scenes where I thought, "Oh, it's Luffy! (laugh). I am sure that everyone will be satisfied with Luffy. There are music, dialogue, and people other than himself, so timing is important, but he writes down the flow in his notebook and reviews it. He is taking Luffy really seriously.”

Do you feel any change in Uno since the rehearsals for "One Piece on Ice" started?

Keiji: "Yes, I feel it, he seems to be enjoying it. I think things are going to get harder from now on, but one of the things I'm looking forward to is seeing how Shoma changes as a result of that. I want to be by his side to support him, because he is under the heaviest pressure as the leader.

Shoma’s interview:

How did you feel when you were offered the role?

I have performed to music before, but I’ve never played a story or a character, so at first I thought, "Am I really the right person for this? I was puzzled, but I was happy that they chose me out of so many people. Now that I've been given the job, I will continue to search for what I can do to make it as great as possible, and I will give it my all.

How long did it take you from the time you were offered to the time you decided to appear in the show?

I didn't need think about it for very long. I'm relatively good at figure skating as a sport, as an athlete, and I think I'm doing a good job at it, but I think I'm far from the ideal figure skater that everyone has in their mind. Of course, figure skating is fascinating as a sport in itself, but I think one of its charms is that you focus on one skater and watch their performance and growth, which in a sense is like treating them like idols. I am not good at that part, so I don't know what kind of figure skater I will be when I leave competition someday. I hope that the experience I will gain from One Piece on Ice will give me a clue about that.

Did you get that idea from winning the World Championships for the second time?

There are many reasons, but I think that is one of them. I used to compete with my eyes fixed on the ‘top’, but now that I've achieved results, I asked myself, "What do I want to do next?”, and I thought that I wanted to embody more strongly the charm of figure skating. I have been able to do things my own way in both competitions and ice shows, and that will never change, but I've also started to think that I want to show the audience what they want to see. One Piece on Ice is a show in which I play a character that I’ve never played before, and that’s a new challenge for me. I would like to develop my ability of expression, where I feel I am lacking the most.

Do you feel more "excited" or "pressured" in anticipation of this new challenge?

I would say it's 6:4 in favor of anxiety (bitter smile). Of course I am very much looking forward to it, but I am not sure how much of my accumulated experience I will be able to put to use. I think that because fans love "ONE PIECE" so much, they will look at it more harshly than non-fans when it is adapted into something other than a manga or anime. I am a fan myself, so I understand how they feel. I know I can't satisfy all of them, but I still hope that I can show them something as good as possible.

In "ONE PIECE ON ICE", the " Alabasta Arc" will be depicted. Do you have a favorite scene?

I have read the Alabasta Arc many times. I think my favorite scene is the story of Crocodile and Bibi, and my favorite part of the story is when Bibi faces various conflicts and stands up to protect what he wants to protect with a strong heart. It makes me think about a lot of things."

Your rinkmate from Champéry, Switzerland, Koshiro Shimada, plays the role of Sanji. Have you talked to him about being cast in the show?

I was really happy he was cast. I think Koshiro likes "One Piece" the most out of all the skaters, and back when the rest of the cast had not yet been decided, I had hoped that he would be cast, so I was happy when he was chosen to play the role. He has very long legs just like Sanji. Koshiro also said, "For the first time, I appreciated the length of my legs" (Laughs). I believe that Koshiro-kun is good at playing characters, so I am not worried about anything.

What do you think you and Luffy have in common?

I am not the kind of person who can make people smile like Luffy, so our personalities are far apart. The only thing we have in common is that we both like meat (laughs).

I thought that Luffy's proactive attitude toward difficulties seems to overlap with yours.

I think that a life without difficulties would be boring. In order to get something that you think is unattainable you have to practice a lot, and then you finally get it, and that's when you feel happy and satisfied, I think. So, I am forcing myself to say this, but I would be happy if I could compare myself with Luffy in that way.

You mentioned that in your figure skating programs, you express the melody or sound itself, not the story behind the music. This time, you will be playing a character in a story with a plot, how do you approach it?

I've never really done this before... Fortunately, it's a work that I know well and love, but I'm not sure how I'll be able to express myself in it... I don't know. I think my job will be to take the intentions of the director, Ms. Kahori Kanaya, and the choreographer, Mr. Kenji Miyamoto, and see how faithfully I can reproduce them. I can't see the whole picture yet, but I will just give it my all and do my best.

Knowing there will be many people who don't usually watch figure skating, what do you want to convey to them?

"I think it is important to reproduce the ideal of Mr. Kahori and Mr. Kenji, in terms of the distinctive appeal of figure skating. I hope to be able to show no less than what they envisioned, but it's really unknown.... First of all, I would like to concentrate on the daily training in front of me.

Thank you very much. Finally, do you have a message for the fans who are going to see "One Piece on Ice"?

I don't know how I will be feeling right before the show, but I may be more nervous than at the Olympics or the World Championships (laugh). Because this is something I don't usually do, I am sure I will feel things like anxiety and impatience, but I hope that I will be able to feel a sense of accomplishment as I take on this challenge with all my might. And on top of that, I would like to polish my expressiveness. think this will be a new challenge for all the performers. I hope we can all work together to create a good show, so please come and see it."

from Kenji Miyamoto’s interview:

How do you work on the choreography?

I listen to the scene Kanaya-san [t/n: the director] wants to create, think about how to incorporate it into the skating on the spot, and improvise the choreography. If there is a difference from Kanaya's image, she will politely explain to me that she wants me to reduce the speed more, or that her image of the emotion is different, so she is very helpful.

Shoma Uno plays the main character, Luffy. What do you see as the similarities between the two of them?

"Maybe that he walks in a straight line towards the goal. He doesn't give up, doesn't compromise, keeps his eyes on one point and pushes forward. This is my impression of Shoma's usual practice, and I think the same can be said for Luffy.

How is Shoma Uno doing?

He is trying his best. From the choreography on the ground (off-ice?), he is moving his body as hard as he can, almost to the point of falling down, as if he were trying to reach his limit. I also feel that his facial expressions are becoming more expressive, so I am looking forward to seeing his growth in the future.

I watched the rehearsal of the "rebel dance scene". What did you pay attention to?

“It's a choreography full of speed that conveys the sense of dynamism that is unique to skating. Also, the rebels led by Koza share the same anger, so I was particular about expressing that they seem to be moving separately, but on the other hand, they are somehow in sync with each other. We also expressed the battle scene and the emotions of the characters in the center of gravity shift and edge work of the skating.

#shoma uno #figure skating #one piece on ice #one piece on ice 2023 #koshiro shimada #keiji tanaka #kenji miyamoto #shoma seems to be thriving with opoi #love that for him #my translation

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salantami · 2 months

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Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1932 Waiters watching Sonie Heine skate, Grand Hotel Dining Room, St. Moritz, Switzerland 1932

Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champion (1931–1936). Henie has won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies' figure skater.

Alfred Eisenstaedt (December 6, 1898 – August 23, 1995) was a German-born American photographer and photojournalist. He began his career in Germany prior to World War II but achieved prominence as a staff photographer for Life magazine after moving to the U.S. Life featured more than 90 of his pictures on its covers, and more than 2,500 of his photo stories were published.

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gogogogolev · 4 months

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Stephen’s interview at 2023 Skate America, published in World Figure Skating Magazine No. 99.

Stephen Gogolev 11th place men

I want to prove it to myself as well

WFSM: Reflecting on Skate America, how was it?

SG: It’s a disappointing result, but it’s a sport so sometimes there are bad times. I want to work harder in practice. The American audience gave me a boost; I think it gave me energy in terms of expression.

WFSM: This season’s free skate is choreographed by Benoît Richaud.

SG: He showed me several pieces of music; I chose three pieces from them that we joined together to create this program. It was very interesting to create a program with him that felt completely different from anything I had ever done before. I couldn’t get used to the music at first but it became fun while practising it, and I started to think I wanted to do my best to skate this free skate.

WFSM: What kind of preparation have you done for this season?

SG: Right now I’m training in California but this summer I went to Toronto and took part in the Canadian National Team Camp.¹ At the camp you skate your short and free in the style of a competition. It’s a way of getting feedback from the judges – there I got advice from the judges about spin positions, choreography, and step sequences.

WFSM: With Mr. Keegan Messing’s² retirement it’s time for a generational change for the Canadian men, isn’t it?

SG: Of course my goal is to become Canadian champion within a few years. But there are still competitions until then, and I want to do my best regardless of the competition.

WFSM: Have you met any of Canada’s retired star skaters?

SG: I see them on various occasions such as at the Canadian Championships. For example: recently when I went to Granite Club in Toronto I met Kurt Browning who congratulated me on my 3rd place finish at Autumn Classic International.

WFSM: Are medals an incentive?

SG: Of course, this is my first medal in senior international competition; I think it gave me confidence that I can do more.

WFSM: Are you currently a university student?

SG: I go to University of California Irvine. My major is political science. I decided on it because it was a field I was interested in.

WFSM: When do you think you are the happiest?

SG: I’m not sure. I think it’s probably when I’m busy. Of course I’m happy spending time with family or playing tennis, but I’m the type of person who feels fulfilled when I’m busy.

WFSM: Your goals for this season are?

SG: I want to fight so that I can properly show what I am capable of. I want to prove to myself that I can do it, prove that I can go beyond my limits. I think it will be good if I can gain experience in international competitions.³

WFSM: Do you enjoy competitions?

SG: I have come to enjoy them over the last few years. I can meet friends as well as new people. It’s nice to cheer on my friends.

(October 22, 2023 interview on the final day of Skate America)

Interview, text: Editorial department Text by World Figure Skating

Photo caption, left: Born December 22, 2004 in Toronto. At the age of 13 he landed a variety of quads, winning the 2018 Junior Grand Prix Final. After that he went through a period of injury; presently he is training with Arutiunian. 13th place at the 2023 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

Notes:

High Performance Camp, held at the end of August in Mississauga, ON.

Keegan was named politely with the -san suffix.

This is stated as - he hopes to get more experience competing internationally. Literally translating to ‘pile up experience’.

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Despite how sad he looks in that photo Stephen answered the questions clearly. That’s good to see.

Stephen never goes in much detail about what is going on with him. But occasionally we get small amounts of info. Here we see that he is addressing his belief in himself. It's never been about a lack or loss of talent for him, he just needs to get his self-confidence back.

Kurt’s continued support of Stephen is invaluable. Kurt mentioned he’s known Stephen since he was 8 years old, before he moved to North America, and he hasn’t forgotten him since. You just have to love Kurt and all that he does for this sport.

Also it's nice to finally hear about what Stephen’s studying. It would be interesting to get his thoughts on current international affairs, but he would not share anything with strangers. I am wondering now what he plans to do after undergrad. Perhaps studying law? Public service, or public office? We got one answer, but more questions have now popped up. He’s a smart guy so I am sure he will succeed no matter what he plans to do.

This interview was over two pages which I have just stitched together in the image above. Here is a bonus image from 2023 Grand Prix de France which was shared as part of a collage from that event on another page. The caption states Stephen was 7th in the men's event. Photo credit: Manabu Takahashi/Shutterz

Thank you to World Figure Skating Magazine for interviewing Stephen. This was an insightful and considerate interview.

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Disclosure: The content of this interview went from English to Japanese and now back to English. I may have lost something in translation. Though I try to ensure the nuance of the conversation has been captured in the translation, I welcome any corrections. Please link back to this interview if you share it as I may edit it.

If you would like to purchase this magazine with international shipping you may do so through Amazon Japan, CD Japan, HMV & Books, or Honto.

Happy new year to you all, and may 2024 be a fantastic year for all of us.

#stephen gogolev #SkAm23 #GPFrance23 #2023 2024 season #interview

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