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lgcmanager · 5 months

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NOVA MISSION 004

SCHEDULE TYPE: TRIMESTER ( PART 1 OUT OF 2 ) SCHEDULE RESTRICTIONS: cannot be paired with another trimester schedule, unless stated otherwise. for reference as to whether your muse is eligible for this event, please click over HERE.

early morning, on JANUAR 18, the members of NOVA are met by their manager, GEUM SHINHYE, straight in their living room. as always, the caring manager comes in with the girls' morning drinks order. in addition to this, today is also a tray of pastries for the group to enjoy. "good morning girls! did you have a nice break?" she begins, spending the next several minutes asking each girl what they did and chatting casually with them. once the conversation dies down, he finally returns to the day's matters "alright, as always, let's begin with the basics first.” she calls out each of the girl’s name and hands them a folder containing all of the necessary information that they needed to know.

DOWNTIME

"we are aware that you've spent the last 6 months working nonstop and a week break cannot be enough for you to recharge. so i'm here to deliver the good news that until FEBRUARY 25, you'll be on a REST schedule. this means that, your work commitment will be kept pretty low, and outside of those we only expect you to clock in TWENTY HOURS at the agency. TEN of these will be spent training on your own or with the assistance of coaches and the TEN others will be spent practicing together to keep your performances polished.

training aside, on JANUARY 22 you'll have a photoshoot and cf shoot for LEVI'S spring and summer campains. congratulations on the contract extension!"

BIRTHDAYS LIVESTREAMS

"on FEBRUARY 15, our ROMIROLL (kim nayoung and watanabe miyu) will have a joint on hour LIVESTREAM to celebrate their birthdays. since the other girls will NOT appear during the live, they will be in charge of decorating the unnies' cake. i count on you four to make it extra pretty!"

SUPER✰NOVA

"last month, we begun filming your newest youtube series, however, we didn't have time to do a proper introducting for it. this shall be done on JANUARY 29. to the viewers, you will film what will the first episode of this series. for the occasion, you'll be dressed in HANBOK to welcome the LUNAR NEW YEAR and share warm wishes to the viewers. the show will begin airing on FEBRUARY 9.

as i've explained previously, the goal of the show is for you to take on various challenges and spread happiness. so, during the next several weeks you will each film TWO episodes INDIVIDUALLY. the FIRST will be to demonstrate a HOBBY or SKILL THAT YOU EXCEL AT. there are almost no limits to what skill you may demonstrate; we only ask you for it to not be performance related (i.e; dancing, singing, lyric writing...). the second episode will have you challenge a NEW HOBBY or SKILL that you have never tried before. once again, sky is the limit here, though once again, nothing performance related. it would also be ideal if you could show results within the episode of what you've learned within an episode (ooc note: about 4 hours of practicing the skill)."

NOVASCOPE

"the new season of NOVASCOPE has begun since DECEMBER 4. the fans have expressed their happiness at surviving this 'content drough'" shinhye notes with amusement.

EPISODE 1 (DECEMBER 4): "floral sense" recording behind the scenes [MITZI]

EPISODE 2 (DECEMBER 11): second mini-album recording

EPISODE 3 (DECEMBER 18): first week of promotions behind the scenes

EPISODE 4 (DECEMBER 25): second mini-album dance rehearsals

EPISODE 5 (JANUARY 1): year end activities behind the scenes part 1

EPISODE 6 (JANUARY 8): year end activities behind the scenes part 2

EPISODE 7 (JANUARY 15): 'ASAP' filming of the 6 versions behind the scenes

EPISODE 8 (JANUARY 22): PASSION5 behind the scenes [MILAN, MITZI, NABI, NAYOUNG]

EPISODE 9 (JANUARY 29): 'GENERATION' and 'MY TIME (DRAW)' filming behind the scenes

EPISODE 10 (FEBRUARY 5): 'DITTO' filming behind the scenes

EPISODE 11 (FEBRUARY 12): HOLLY'S COFFEE behind the scenes [MINSEO]

EPISODE 12 (FEBRUARY 19): HEALING BIRD behind the scenes [SKYE]

as always, SHINHYE will be filming content for the show throughout during the schedules, including following NAYOUNG and MILAN during their solo schedules.

REQUIREMENTS

SUPER✰NOVA: write a 300+ word solo about your muse EITHER demonstrating their MASTERED HOBBY or trying a NEW HOBBY for +6 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +3 NOTORIETY !

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:novamission for everything pertaining to this mission. you have until MARCH 30 at 11:59PM EDT to complete the requirements and validate your points. please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog.

TITLE: MUSE NAME ∙ NOVA MISSION 004 - SUPER✰NOVA: +6 ( skill points distribution ), +3 notoriety [ LINK ] - MASTERED/NEW HOBBY: please specify the hobby/skill that you have NOT written about (i.e, if your solo is about the mastered hobby, specify which new hobby they have tried. this is for the episodes listing).

WRITING CHALLENGE ( OPTIONAL )

the writing challenge has made an appearance once again! here's a reminder of the rules: any thread replies ( with a minimum of 8 lines ) written between TODAY until MARCH 30, 2024 11:59PM EDT will be counted. text threads will not count for this challenge unless the post includes a paragraph of at least 8 lines. as for starters, you can only write a maximum of TWO for this to count.

in addition to that, instead of the posts counting for points like we typically do, this will help with your group’s comeback ( when it happens ) and music chart rankings! if you are interested in doing this, please tag all of the posts as lgc:wc003 and you have until MARCH 30, 2024 11:59PM EDT to participate and submit your posts for this event. when you’re done, please submit the form below to the lgcpoints blog:

TITLE: MUSE NAME ∙ WRITING CHALLENGE 003 - POSTS COMPLETED: [ # of posts; do include how many starters were written in case you wrote one ] - POSTS: [ link all of the posts ]

#lgc:event #lgc:q12024 #lgc:novamission

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daisynik7 · 4 months

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✨WIFEY✨ I’M BACK (again) and much has changed, i’ve done a 180 of my schedule so waiting to see if that sticks, but i’m feeling better (if you exclude the period cramps 🤡) but February has been pretty good so far, i should clarify i wasn’t the one hospitalized but a family member who isn’t the most comfortable with English so i stayed with them to be translator, but all is well like i said discharge was a few days ago and they’re feeling much better!

thank you for your well wishes and sweetness, i’m still taking you up on all your kind offerings regardless, i need them 🥲 i am sending you just as much!

hope this year brings you more small and big meaningful moments that you can always cherish and look at with a good feeling, get-togethers with friends, and i hope you’re weekend with your boyfriend went well!

how was your weekend? well spent at the very least, even if you did nothing:) anything special going on this week? as always so proud of you! 🫶🏼 i’m prepping for a Lunar New Year spread given that i’ve taken off the last few years, i'm a bit rusty so we’ll see how that goes.

i don’t how much the weather has shifted since you wrote me, hoping it’s just getting warmer for you but i still hope you’re keeping warm<3 the weather has been kinda wack here, warm days and cold days, forecast says it’s going to rain, which it does, but then it snows all night which i had no knowledge of but ok😅

i missed you so very much, you’re love was very much felt and as always the storm has passed so i just look at the past and take what lessons i’ve learned and move on and i hope you’re able to do the same with any mishaps in your life, especially those that you can’t always control :) i love YOU my darling daisy i hope today and this week goes amazing for you, thank you for being you there isn’t much more i’d know how to articulate how much you mean to me 🥹

loooooong overdue: but i come with bouquets of flowers for the prettiest snookums in the whole universe!<3 💐💐💐

SNOOKUMS! I'm so happy to hear from you! While I've missed you immensely, I'm happy to hear that you're doing well and being very productive! I hope you're taking enough breaks though and not burning yourself out too much. also, so sorry for the misunderstanding! Very glad to hear your family member is doing better now. ❤️

Thank you for your well wishes and positive vibes as always! I'm learning to cherish all the little moments I'm so lucky to experience in life. I know at times, I can take these small moments for granted, so I'm trying to be better at appreciating them more!

Happy February! And an early Happy Valentine's to my most special Valentine! And Happy Lunar New Year! What's the spread looking like so far? I can't wait to hear about all the delicious dishes you'll be preparing in celebration!

The biggest news from me is that my brother just got engaged! Him and his girlfriend (now fiancée) have been traveling all over Asia the past month and he proposed to her in Japan. It was very sweet and romantic. They are coming back home in a few days and we will celebrate with dinner somewhere!

We had a pretty bad storm last night, but I think we're in the clear now. Still pretty cold during the mornings and nights, but nothing too drastic! Hope you're staying warm and cozy during those snowy nights!

Sending you all my love as usual, all my kisses, all my snuggles, and only the best, most positive vibes for my wifey. Thank you for always making me feel so loved, I appreciate and love you more than these silly words of mine can articulate. Take care of yourself! ❤️ love you so much thea

#my lovely thea #lovely moots #wifey's love letters

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marebear-and-her-digidiary · 7 months

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November 2023 Goals Update

Extra long this month, very busy month and it's not even over but I thought I'd get this together early!

2023 Goals

Recurring:

Pilates/workout(use the mats and equipment you own!!!) - No

Grow out my hair!! No dying, cutting or heat tools.- ❌

Get outside to stargaze once a week.- Yes!! Getting colder now though so it'll be the end of this! Just getting out for the big lunar events for the rest of the year!

Tasks:

Read 9 books- 4/9 complete!! I have not much inspiration on my bookshelf right now. I might just go ahead and re-read my fav!

Get my G2!- ❌ I cancelled it, I'm just not in a good place to do it. Hoping to get it done by the end of next year though! I got time hehe, this was added as a maybe for this year!

Play Persona 5 Tactica- Working on it, it's good but I'm feeling so underwhelmed with it tbh.

Play Star Ocean 2 Remake- ✅ DONE!! We got the platinum trophy too 😎

Complete:

Finish bathroom walls- ✅

Organise the craft room closet- ✅

Get the mending pile in order!! ✅

Complete one model kit- ✅

Get two more houseplants- ✅ 7- String of Hearts variegated and normal, String of Turtles, String of Pearls, Pearls and Jade pothos, mini Rubber plant, neon pothos

Sew two staple garments-✅

Organisational systems for each room (making fabric bins and other things!)- ✅

Play Dead Space Remake- ✅

Highlights:

Turned 24!! I'm so ready to keep ageing and moving forward. I feel the happiest and most secure in myself than I have felt in years. This year has been really embracing the multiple facets that make me “me”. I'm so excited for this decade, there's many big life events to come and I'm just so happy for all of the progress I've made and how I can be the best version of myself now and for my future.

Painted the bathroom door beige! Next year I’d love to touch up the pink paint in the bathroom and work on the kitschy forest mural pieces! I wanna add more purple/red/browns in there!!

I started a new creative project with a local friend! So excited to see what we make together.

Switched up the living room curtains to the white and lavender floral ones and it's so bright and welcoming there! I can't wait to have guests over to show them hehehehe

I stocked up on a bit of makeup, clothing, and, Lush hair bar products again, love them!!

I had Cristal for the first time!! We had a bottle gifted to us and ugh I've been spoiled, it's so good!

Christian got me a copy of the sewing book that taught me much of what I know today! So happy to look at my bookshelf and have small chunks of the books that I read over and over again.

Hubby also got me a brass mouse and a brass unicorn picture frame that were also my childhood decor pieces! I feel like my twenties so far have been collecting much of my favourite childhood decor pieces that I've lost over the years so my kids can have them! I can't wait until my future little ones can be able to grow up in a home with things I grew up with.

My in-laws got me a lava lamp(neon green wax and driftwood pattern base) and a pair of these really cute white knit embroidered half gloves for my birthday!

Sewing area was redone and cute as heck! I'm using my 1960s sewing table now and I loooove it.

I've been bonding with Coach Beard so much this month, I love my little Bearded Dragon friend so much hehehehe

I re-organized our china cabinet and it looks so nice! I'm so happy to have a row of books on top of the cabinet itself too!!

We had our car break down for the first time. We got a maintenance appointment to check things out! Not too worried, just gotta wait to find out more!

I've been working on my 2024 goal list! I've been working at separating my goals into different categories. I love having them listed by hobby and specific projects. I’m also adding some personal goals I'll have in my private journal! I've also been able to pull things specifically from my 5 year goals which feels great! I've been able to check off goals from the long term goal list over the past few years and I'm so excited to build onto it and recognize the progress I've made these past few years. Who would have thought the thing that has been suggested to me in therapy on and off for the past ten years would help me if I was consistent, LOL. These yearly goals have helped me find my footing and feel confident in my decisions and myself. I'm struggling with the decision to keep them on my blog next year though, but I still have time to decide! Only just over a month left of 2023 😁

#marebear 2023 #2023 goals

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mlwritersguild · 2 years

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adrinette drabble collection

@alexseanchai, @queer-cosette, @valiantlyjollynightmare, @maggies-scribblings, @2manyfandoms2count

oranges (for luck) by @alexseanchai

"Oranges! Oranges for everyone! Happy Lunar New Year! Live long and prosp—aaah!"

"Let me help with those, Marinette. Isn't your name pronounced 'chéng' exactly like 'orange' and 'success'? So we don't need oranges for success. Just you."

"Ah, heh heh, good thing I brought oranges! Not limes! I'm even worse at pick-up limes!"

"Ugh, Dupain-Cheng, nobody wants any of your fruit salad. Look, Adrikins, I brought—"

"Chloé, stop. If nobody else wants a lucky orange, I'll take as many as I can get. How long do they last, a few weeks? Marinette success oranges for breakfast through Valentine's. Sweet."

haircut (for safety) by @alexseanchai

"Friendly warning, kitty, if you go downstairs right now Maman will draft you to help with spring cleaning."

"Do you think if I tell her I'm hiding from overexcited fans with Valentine's dreams, she'll let me stay and help for several hours? At least that's honest work! —Why are kwamis cutting your hair?"

"It's annoyingly long, and Luka and Juleka have a gig tonight and dates tomorrow, and after that is Lunar New Year when it's unlucky."

"Yeah, let's not chance cutting off good fortune. I'm bigger than the scissors and I listen when the stylists talk—I could help?"

drop everything now (meet me in the pouring rain) by @queer-cosette

Valentine’s day has so far been a success:

- Pink carnations for Marinette (she loved them, thank you for the rec, Alya!)

- A wonderful meal at an ambient yet kitschy restaurant

- Conversation that had never paused or slowed

- And some excellent hand-holding action on the walk home.

Only one thing left on his Valentine’s to-do list…

He stops. She stops too.

“Adrien?”

He leans down.

Her lashes flutter.

Lips puckering…

The heavens open.

No! Everything was going so faultlessly…

But Marinette is grinning.

“I always wanted to kiss a handsome boy in the rain.”

And then she does so.

(It’s perfect.)

to show that you know me is the best gift of all by @queer-cosette

Removing her thimble and habitually sucking her finger, Marinette stands up and steps back to admire the finished quilt: a map of Paris done in pale pinks and soft greens, and here and there she’s embroidered tiny red pawprints - each one marking a location significant to their lives. She hopes Adrien likes it when he sees it on their bed.

He calls her from the kitchen at that moment; when she enters he’s grinning and holding a dish of her favourite homemade butternut squash risotto despite his lack of cooking experience, and she knows she can’t possibly love him more.

Nested boxes by @2manyfandoms2count

“Adriennnn, we agreed to do something small for Valentine's this year!” Marinette pouted as her boyfriend handed her a giant parcel, her fingers nonetheless itching to tear the wrapping.

"And I promise I respected that." Adrien's eyes sparkled

"What are you up to?" Marinette squinted, five nested boxes in.

Adrien chuckled at her impatience.

He leaned closer when Marinette finally reached the last small, velveteen ring box.

“See? Tiny." Adrien revealed its contents for her.

She looked up with tear-filled eyes. His smile wobbled with emotion.

"My Lady, will you do me the honour of officially making me Mr Bug?”

Sugar Sweet by @valiantlyjollynightmare

She miscalculated, she thinks, staring at the mess on the floor.

Adrien shifts beside her and she looks at him. His eyes sparkle with mirth and soon enough he's laughing. She joins in—it's all she can do, really.

He came home early.

"You scared me!"

He's giddy. "Are you making this for me?"

“Something sweet for my sweet husband.”

From behind, he wraps his arms around her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder. “You’re the sweetest, anyway.”

He presses a kiss to her shoulder.

“The sugar on the floor is even sweeter," she hums. "You clean that, though.”

Sweet tooth by @2manyfandoms2count

Hushed voices outside of her bedroom woke Marinette on a fine Saturday morning.

“I wonder what that’s about,” she chuckled as she rolled straight into her husband’s arms, who kissed her lazily.

“Let’s find out, shall we?” Adrien replied before calling the disturbance in.

“Joyeuse Saint Valentin, Maman!” The kids jumped on the bed, Emma handing her a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

“Thank you, my loves.” Marinette kissed each of her temporary bedmates, lingering for her permanent one.

Empty wrappings greeted her when she finally opened her gift.

“Kids!” Adrien exclaimed.

“What? You said we could eat them for breakfast!”

Paper (for Forgetfulness) by @maggies-scribblings

Marinette falls onto her bed, exhausted.

She wouldn’t trade her life for anything. Still…

Television’s a mindless distraction, until an ad reminds her.

“Valentine's!”

“Marinette?”

Adrien comes to her, embraces her soothingly and kisses her tears away.

“Shh, my love.”

“I… forgot!” She always remembered.

“Happy Valentine's Day!” He whispers, offering an envelope.

“Plane tickets?” She looks up, then spots their packed bags. “What about the kids?”

“They’re with Sabine. You need a break.”

“But—”

He provides another envelope, full of handmade coupons, and winks!

“Pay me back with these.”

They kiss, as lovingly as ever, and her worries disappear.

Flowers (to remember) by @maggies-scribblings

Adrien’s always been the earlybird – Marinette, the sleepyhead.

She drowsily returns his light kiss before he exits their cottage, uncharacteristically empty of grandchildren.

Leaving her hurts, but his destination’s worthwhile: ‘their’ brook, surrounded by wildflowers, to pick one for each year together.

Their first Valentine's, unwittingly sharing poems and a kiss.

The oranges, the haircut… kissing in the rain.

The quilt they still cuddle in… proposing, baking disasters, pilfered chocolates…

He smiles, tearing up.

The forgotten Valentine's Day, their well-deserved break.

Her memory’s fading. Maybe it's age, fatigue, or…

Whatever follows, he knows they’ll be together.

Against the world.

Forever.

#ml writers guild #february event 2022 #maggies-scribblings #valiantlyjollynightmare #queer-cosette #alexseanchai #2manyfandoms2count #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fic #ml fic #ml drabble #drabble #adrinette #adrinette fic #adrinette drabble #lovesquare #lovesquare fic #mlb #miraculous

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stargazer-sims · 2 years

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Journal Entry #42

previously…

Victor

I hope everyone had a great Winterfest! Ours was relatively low-key, but it was fun.

First things first... before I get sidetracked, let me show you my gorgeous Winterfest present from Yuri. He'd been hinting about giving me something special, but I had absolutely no idea it was going to be something like this.

Isn't it beautiful? This kimono and haori were entirely handmade by Seiji's mother, who is a professional tailor. I love the colours and that it has maple leaves on it. It feels really special to have something like this designed specifically for me.

At first, I felt slightly worried about wearing it because I'm not Japanese, but Yuri did his best to assure me that it'd be perfectly acceptable, and that nobody would think I was doing cultural appropriation or something offensive like that. There are appropriate times and places to wear it, obviously, so as long as I stick to those, I think I'll be okay.

I wore it when we all gathered at Seiji's family's house for omisoka on New Year's Eve, and when we visited the shrine on New Year's day. Mrs. Hinamori was thrilled to see me in it, and kept telling me that I was doing justice to her creation.

Just as a side note, in case you were wondering, Japan celebrates the new year on January first, the same as we do in Canada, although the culture and traditions are different . A lot of other countries in Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is usually a little later in January or early in February.

Right. Now that I’ve showed you my one-of-a-kind kimono, we can get back to the update, such as it is. There hasn't been all that much going on for us since our last update, which I realize was a few weeks ago, but we’re definitely not complaining about life being quiet for once.

Yuki spent Winterfest Eve and part of Winterfest morning with us. We had a fantastic time, dressing in our matching pyjamas, playing games and singing songs. Yuki fell asleep in Yuri’s bed while he was reading us a Winterfest story, and we just let her stay there, snuggled comfortably between us. On Winterfest morning, after breakfast and presents, Yuri took her home while I stayed here to get ready for our dinner guests.

In the afternoon, Sakura and Takeshi came over, as well as Taka and Fox, and Fox's twin sister Clancy who was here visiting him for the holidays. Seiji and his parents were at his grandparents' estate in the country for Winterfest, so he didn't join us. We all missed him, and even Clancy asked about him. If I didn't know better, I'd say there's a small spark of something there.

Yuri says I'm being silly, of course. Seiji barely speaks English, and I'm pretty sure Clancy's only Japanese words are konnichiwa and arigato gozaimasu. They can't possibly have any kind of relationship if they can't even talk to each other. But, I mean... Taka's taking language classes now, trying to improve his English for Fox, and it's astounding how quickly Fox is picking up Japanese just by talking with his host family every day as well as hanging out with us. Maybe Seiji and Clancy will be interested enough to start learning each other's languages, too. It could happen, right?

Yuri says I shouldn't meddle, which I'm trying not to do, but I just want everyone I care about to be happy. That's not unreasonable, is it?

I think one of the reasons things have been more stable for us lately is that since returning to Mt. Komorebi, Yuri and I have been trying to distance ourselves from his family's problems. Amazingly, we've been pretty successful in our efforts. We’ve made it to this point in January without being dragged into anything, after all. We still get regular gossip from Yuki, and we listen to what she has to say about everything, but that's about as far into it as we're willing to get. Neither of us is really interested in Hana's pregnancy drama or Mr. Okamoto's alleged affair with the former housekeeper and how he kicked her to the curb when he found out she’s also expecting.

Yuki seems happy that it's just her and her dad at home now. It sounds like they've been doing a lot of things together, including cooking and housecleaning. According to Yuki, even chores are fun when she and her dad do them as a team. They've been doing actual fun things as well, like sledding, skating, baking cookies and playing music together. Yuki says she's teaching her dad to ski. Honestly, I'd be shocked if he didn't already know how, but I'm glad he's pretending not to know so that his daughter can feel like she's helping him learn an important skill.

I'm not sure how Yuri feels, hearing about all Yuki's adventures with their father. I think he's pleased that Yuki is having such a great time, but there's something else underlying his happiness. I can't tell if it's sadness or anger, or maybe a mixture of both. Maybe it's resentment because he wishes his dad would do those things with him.

Yuri doesn't like to talk about his relationship with his father, or their lack of a real relationship, because the whole thing is too emotionally painful for him. All he ever wanted was for his dad to love him and accept him for who he is instead of treating him like an inconvenience and a disappointment, so I can imagine how much it must hurt to know his dad is bonding with Yuki the way he wishes he would’ve bonded with him.

I wish Yuri's dad would love him the way my mom loves me. Like, I've never once questioned her feelings for me. She loves me so hard, I can feel it from ten thousand kilometers away. Every time I talk to her, it's there in her voice and her attitude. It's in her body language when we video chat. I can hardly wait till we get home in the spring, so she can hug me with one of those super tight hugs that says I never want to let you go.

Sometimes I wonder if my father would love me like that if he were still alive. I often tell myself he would, because I think that's the kind of guy he was; open and ready to give something good to everyone he met. And you know what? The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced Julian also loves me that way, like the son he never had. I'm sure Mom loves Ellie like a daughter, too.

At first, I wasn't certain I liked the idea of Mom and Julian getting married, but now I'm more than okay with it because it occurred to me that we're essentially a family already, in all the ways that matter, and I think we have been all along. So, why not make it official?

On the subject of Mom and Julian, they were supposed to be coming for a visit, along with Ellie and Leo, but in light of their wedding, our big move and our Selvadoradan excursion being put on hold for the moment, everyone's decided to stay put. Last week Mom told me that she and Julian want to give their travel money to me and Yuri to help with the down payment on our haunted house. I'm not even joking when I tell you I cried over that. But, you guys know me. I cry over everything.

As for Ellie and Leo, they're using some of their travel money to move out of their respective parents' houses and get a place together. During Winterfest, they finally worked up the courage to tell each other how they feel, and they're now an actual couple. They called me and Yuri to tell us about it, and needless to say we were very excited for them.

Ellie says Julian is relieved that she's moving out, mostly because he wants to sell his house and move in with Mom. I'm glad Julian is moving into Mom's place. Julian's house isn't all that far away from Mom's, so it'd be totally fine if she'd decided to move in with him, but Mom's is right across the street from the home Yuri and I are trying to purchase, and I like the idea of being that close to my mother when we settle in Willow Creek. I like that we’ll be near enough to see each other in person every day, but that we’ll be under different roofs and free to carry on with our own lives.

In other news, there was an amateur snowboarding competition held here in Mt. Komorebi last weekend. Seiji, Sakura and I all decided to sign up for it, and we were shocked that the organizers actually let us.

Me and Seiji are international-level competitors and Sakura was too, until she retired after last season. Amateur competitions are good experience, which is the main reason we sometimes try to enter them, but it feels kinda wrong to seriously put ourselves up against a bunch of amateur enthusiasts who were just out there to have a good time. To be fair to the other competitors, we asked the organizers to tell the judges not to use our scores for the medal placement, which they agreed to, so maybe that's why they let us enter.

A really great thing about this competition was that Seiji and I didn't need to worry too much about our performances, even if our scores had been counted with everyone else's. This wasn't a qualifier for the All-Japan Snowboarding Championship, so it was the perfect chance for us to enjoy ourselves and maybe show off a little. I'll bet all of you know exactly who I was showing off for.

On the first morning of the competition, which was Saturday, Sakura and Takeshi stopped by our place for tea and a pep talk on their way up the mountain. If I didn't mention it before, Sakura and I work together at the fitness center, but we've been friends for longer than either of us have worked there. We met not long after I arrived, and I think I won her over immediately by praising her hot pink snowboard, Senbazuru. I didn't know he had a name at first, though. I was riding my old board, Silver Storm, at the time and being the snowboarding-obsessed nerd that I am, I introduced both myself and him. Sakura said I was crazy, and then told me her board also had a name. We laughed like idiots, and I think we were instantly bonded for life.

This season, Sakura is also my coach, which is beyond awesome. Last season was tough because Seiji and I had the same coach, and it sometimes felt like we were competing for his attention. Seiji said it felt kind of like a threesome, which is something I really don't want to contemplate. Anyway, Seiji is still with him. Meanwhile, Sakura has been kicking my butt into shape as best she can, considering the chaos and all the interruptions to my training schedule.

Sakura and Takeshi were on the go early. They turned up at our place just as I was putting breakfast on the table. Unfortunately they didn't have time to stay long, because Sakura needed to take Takeshi to work — he's a paramedic with the Mountain Patrol — so I put their tea into travel mugs which Sakura promised to return to us later.

As they were leaving, Sakura offered to transport my gear for me. Naturally, I wasn't going to refuse that offer. With my stuff going up the mountain in Sakura's truck, that meant Yuri and I could enjoy a nice walk without me having to carry anything.

You ever have one of those moments where you suddenly stop and think, 'I'm incredibly content with my life right now'? That was me on Saturday morning. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, with just enough cloud cover that the snow wasn't blindingly bright, and it wasn't too cold or windy. There'd been a fresh snowfall overnight, and everything around us was glistening and magical as Yuri and I strolled up the quiet Kiyomatsu Point road, hand in hand.

"You're in a good mood," Yuri observed. "I don't think I've ever seen you this calm and relaxed on the morning of a competition."

"I don't really see it as a competition," I said. "Just an exhibition. There's nothing to lose. And I am in a good mood. How could I not be in a good mood when I'm out here with you?"

"This is nice, isn't it? I'm going to miss walking here with you."

"We may be moving, but we're not leaving forever," I said. "We'll come back for visits, and when we do, we'll have our walks. Plus, we can do this every day until spring if you want. Every day you're feeling up to it, that is."

He smiled. "I'd like that."

"We'll find quiet places to walk in Willow Creek, too."

"I know," he said. "I'm looking forward to that, but it doesn't change how I feel about this place. It's part of me, just as much as your hometown is part of you, and it's difficult to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Please, don't be." He squeezed my hand. "I want to go with you and help you chase your dreams. You deserve to get back some of the things you gave up when you came here for me."

"But, what about your dreams?"

He stopped walking, and gently pulled me to a stop beside him. Turning to face me, he gazed at me and said, "You are my dream, Victor. The only thing I ever wanted was to be loved the way you love me. Maybe I'll come up with a future goal of my own once we're in Canada, but for right now, I just want to be with you and watch you reach yours."

"Thank you," I said, because there were no better words in my head.

Since our visit to Willow Creek in the autumn, I've noticed a big change in Yuri. I don't know exactly how to describe it except to say that he's less clingy than he used to be. No... that's not right. He's still clingy, but not in as much of a selfish, jealous way as before. He's been putting my needs ahead of his way more often, and I've got to say it's doing wonders for us as a couple.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

We resumed walking after that, and our conversation turned to lighter things, like our plans to go to our favourite tea house with our friends this evening, and what we were going to get for Taka as a gift for his twenty-sixth birthday at the end of January. We recently found out that Fox's birthday is in January too, and he's also going to be twenty-six. We discussed the possibility of getting them something matching, and Yuri thought matching coffee mugs would be a good idea. I suggested that we could do them up in a cute little basket with some sugar-free snacks for Fox and some of the expensive coffee beans Taka likes. Yuri said he'd be in charge of decorating the basket, which is undoubtedly the wisest option. He has a better eye for that sort of thing than I do. My talents lie elsewhere.

Up on the mountain, the trail conditions were flawless. We couldn't have asked for a better day.

We found Sakura, and then went to retrieve Elsa and my other gear. Yuri carried my helmet. Whenever he's able to come and watch, we have kind of a pre-competition ritual that we do. He carries something of mine, usually my helmet or wrist guards, and we walk together as far as we can. Then, just before I head up to the top of the run and he goes off to the spectator area, he puts that bit of equipment on me.

"Don't break your neck."

"Arms and legs are okay though, right?" is my typical response.

It's kind of a dark joke, I know, and it probably fits into the category of what my uncle Stephen would call 'gallows humour'. But, here's the thing. Snowboarding is an extremely dangerous sport, especially in the alpine events. If a person doesn't know what they're doing or they're not completely focused, they can get seriously hurt or even killed, and regardless of whether you’re paying attention or not, accidents can still happen. Like, you're whipping down the side of the mountain at speeds that are almost as fast as a car would travel on the highway, except you don't have a seatbelt or an airbag to protect you if you crash. Broken arms or legs are a real possibility. Broken necks, too.

Yuri and I both know this all too well. A friend of his died in a snowboarding accident about three years ago. She suffered a broken neck and a catastrophic brain injury. Back home, I used to be acquainted with a guy who wiped out and injured his spine. He uses a wheelchair these days.

So, even though we joke around, it's not because we're taking it lightly. It's actually the opposite. We need something to loosen the tension, because laughing is always better than panicking.

Before we parted ways, Yuri put my helmet on me. "I'll see you later," he said, once we'd done our little routine. "Be safe."

I leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. "I'll see you in a little while. I've got the third position in line, so I'll be close to the beginning. I'll come and find you, and then we can grab a hot drink and then see if we can catch Seiji in one of his events, okay?"

"Okay," he said. "When is Sakura's event?"

"Women's Super-G is this afternoon."

"Do you think she'll be all right?"

"Sakura can handle herself," I said. "She'll put on a masterclass for everybody here today."

And she absolutely did. She nailed it, and she would've taken first place if her score had counted. In my opinion, she probably could've competed for one more season if she'd wanted to, but I also respect her decision to take her doctors' advice and retire. The next injury might not be so easy to recover from, and I feel like it makes more sense for her to retire on her own terms than to be forced into it because she literally can't ride any more.

I'm going to reach that point some day myself, where I'll have to decide that it's time to stop competing. I don't like thinking about it because sometimes I feel like snowboarding is the only thing I'm really good at, and I don't know what I'll fill my time with that makes me feel as self-confident and satisfied and alive as snowboarding does. I'm concerned that if I don't figure something out, I'm going to end up being one of those people who wastes away inside, remembering the glory days and wishing they could get that feeling back.

Yuri says I'm good at lots of things. He says I'll find my new passion, but honestly, I'm really scared that I won't. Don't get me wrong; I'm looking forward to starting university in September and eventually becoming a physical therapist, but I'm worried that I won't do well enough in school. Even if I manage to graduate, what If I don't love my chosen profession? Or what if I suck at it?

If I could've captured a fragment of last Saturday, with all the exhilaration, optimism and positive energy that went with it, I would have. I'd freeze time in that perfect moment and hold onto it until I was emotionally and psychologically ready to let go and move on. But, of course I couldn't. Life marches forward, whether we're ready or not.

Oh... I guess I should tell you that I finished first in my event, if you were curious. Seiji placed in the top three of both his events, but not first in either of them, which was kind of surprising. There are some very talented up-and-coming freestyle boarders around here, it seems.

At the end of the day, Yuri and I decided to go home for a while instead of hanging out in the public square and eating stuff from the food stalls. I needed a hot shower, a change of clothes and a decent meal. Yuri said he needed a nap and a snack, and I wanted to make sure he got some protein into him, which would 've been challenging with all the high-carb junk food they sell in the square.

Seiji and Sakura caught up with us at the square’s exit, and said they'd see us later at the tea house. Seiji was going to his parents' place for food first, and Sakura was planning to wait for Takeshi so they could go home together to eat as well. We all agreed that seven o'clock was a good time for tea and desserts, and Yuri texted Taka to see if he'd be off work by then so that he and Fox could join us.

With our tea party organized, we went our separate ways. Yuri and I retraced our path along Kiyomatsu Point Road, once again holding hands. I kept glancing at him, pleased to see that he didn't look as tired as I expected he would.

"You were amazing out there today," he said, and his enthusiasm shone through his entire expression.

"It's because you were watching," I said. "I always do better when I know you're watching. That's how I know I'm gonna crush it in the All-Japan qualifier in two weeks. 'cause you're going to be there."

"Unless something terrible happens to intervene, I'll be there," he affirmed. "I wouldn't want to miss it, and I promised you I'd be there, didn't I?"

"Like what? The only reason I can think of that'd keep you away would be if you're sick."

"I'd have to be too ill to get out of bed."

"If you were too ill to get out of bed, I wouldn't be going to the competition either," I told him. "I couldn't leave you alone like that."

"Let's hope for that not to happen," he said. "Let's hope we're both feeling our best."

"If this is going to be my year to win a medal at All-Japan, and to make it to the FIS Championship next year, everything has to go right.”

“Is it pointless for me to tell you not to worry about it?”

“You can tell me, but I’m probably still going to worry,” I said. “Just wish me luck.”

“Always,” he said. “You know I always hope you’ll do well. I’m your number one fan.”

“I love that.”

“I’m glad.” He clasped my hand in both of his, and gazed earnestly at me. “Fingers crossed that everything goes according to the plan.”

I nodded and echoed, “Fingers crossed.”

#ts4 #sims 4 #eagames #snowy escape #victorandyuri #victor nelson #yuri okamoto #victorsworldadventures #stargazersims

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