alpine skiing - slalom
This was Luciferin’s third year competing in the alpine skiing event in the Winter Games, and he was determined to come into the competition this year with a more chill mindset. The first year he competed, he was consumed by first-time jitters, but still managed to pull off a bronze medal in the event. The second time, however, following his previous success, he felt an immense amount of pressure to meet or even exceed the last year’s accomplishment, letting his drive to do well take over the more enjoyable parts of the competition. When he found out he hadn’t placed in the event the second time around, at first he was disappointed, but then he began to feel the pressure to succeed again melt away.
Since he no longer had a legacy to uphold, he took a more relaxed approach to preparing for this year’s Games, reconnecting to the things he loved about the sport in the first place. And when it came time for his turn on the slopes, he decided to really try to enjoy the moment, not worrying about the results.
Tamago had really been looking forward to hockey season, after mainly hanging up his armor in favor of an apron over the past year. He loved his current role in the clan, but he would be lying if he said there weren’t still days he yearned for the adrenaline rush that only battle or spirited competition could bring!
He decided to round back up what his brother Wilt had taken to calling the “dream team”, consisting of Tamago, his three younger brothers Piranha, Oxylus, and the aforementioned Wilt, along with his other clanmates Melochite and Charybdis.
Bones had once again been in charge of signing all of the members up for their respective events, and true to her nature as a massive procrastinator, she waited as long as possible, so everyone’s time slots ended up being on the last day. Tamago took the extra time to squeeze in a few more practices before their first match on the last day, but he also had the added stress of keeping the team focused for the entire week and not letting them get too distracted with the other festivities happening around them.
ski jumping
Vlieger was happy to be back competing again, taking the previous year off to rest and work on his technique. Though he loved ski jumping (or any activity that involved soaring to great heights really) simply for the way it made him feel, he did think himself to be quite good at it, so he enjoyed having the chance to measure his skills up against other dragons. He spent the week leading up to his shot at the medals brushing up on his techniques, trying to perfect the minutiae of what particular contortion of his limbs would lead to the most aerodynamic shape, or how to get the absolute most power when launching himself in the air.
cross-country skiing
Scilla’s favorite time of year had always been the Crystalline Gala. From the time she was a hatchling, seeing the Southern Icefield come alive with clans from all around Sornieth, to now, being a part of one of those visiting clans; she savored any chance she got to return to her home flight’s territory. She wasn’t the most competitive dragon, so the main reason she even decided to once again participate in the cross-country skiing event was just to get some time to reconnect with the place she once called home.
Though she never forgot her goal to cross the terrain in the shortest amount of time, she also didn’t waste a moment of her journey not taking in the beautiful scenery of her old home. The chill of the crisp air filling her lungs, the snow crunching underneath her skis, the scent of pine that seemed to linger in the air at all times, she cherished all of it as she made her way towards the finish line.
luge
As a newer member of the clan, Bartholomy had not yet competed in the Winter Games, but her fiery competitive spirit had her jumping at the chance when it was presented to her by her clanmates. When surveying the list of available events, she was immediately drawn to luge. Though she had never even heard of the sport before preparing for the Games, her brief time spent training had her feeling hopeful about her chances at a medal. She knew that what she lacked in size and experience, she more than made up for in agility and quick reflexes, and she certainly wasn’t a dragon that was afraid of being knocked around a bit.
She readied herself at the top of the course, adrenaline buzzing through every scale on her body, and set off flying the second she heard the signal to go. She whipped around every twist and turn at mind-bending speeds, finishing with a new personal best time. No matter what her final place in the competition would be, nothing could even compare to the joy she felt just competing.
figure skating
When the discussions of who wanted to compete in this year’s Winter Games began to spread throughout the clan, all it took was one shared look between Mizutamari and Valntyne to know that they would be returning to compete again as a pair. From the moment they first began training together the year prior, they knew they had something special. Mizu’s perfectionism and attention to detail were matched perfectly by Val’s ear for music and dazzling choreography skills.
They hadn’t actually won a medal the year before, but they came close, and both of them hoped that with the added experience of previous competition and the further strengthening of their bond, they had a good shot at the podium this time around. Their shiny new routine, choreographed by Val and perfected by Mizu, alongside their successful training sessions had them feeling confident as they prepared to take to the ice once again.
i guess i’m keeping with the tradition of submitting all of my entries last minute lol. i just stuck all of them in one giant post again so i don’t clog up the thread =^.^=
(( p.s. thanks for running this as always, i have such a good time writing these silly little entries every year :D ))
