Sugar Rush - Snippet

Sugar Rush - snippet

Rating: General audience. No ships. Juvenile diabetes, bullying, racism, and sexism. Incorrect medical advice. Excessive use of commas and run-on sentences.

General description: Remus helps one of his summer Cubs navigate how to continue in sports after a diagnosis of Type 1A diabetes. Thanks to @lumosinlove for the characters, @noots-fic-fests for the prompts and cards, and @hazelnoot-analyst for their archive work :)

Remus sifted through his inbox, which was usually pretty quiet during the summer months before training camp kicked off. There would, however, sometimes be the odd e-mail from a parent related to the Cubs teams he coached, so he continued to check his Lions' e-mail everyday. Sure enough, today, he had two e-mails, one from the ice manager about when the Cubs were expected to arrive for their special arena tour the coming week. One from - hmmm - one from the administration forwarding an e-mail from Mr. Sanchez, father to one of the more gifted Cubs Remus has coached in the past three seasons. Lucía had joined their program as a seven year old, and now, at nine, was one of the best skaters and players on the ice. She had worked hard to catch up to the kids who had grown up on the ice, learning to skate as soon as they could walk, and she showed an instinctive grasp of hockey tactics and reading plays on the fly. She had missed last week, and he hoped this wasn't bad news. Remus clicked open the e-mail, scanned it quickly, then let out a breath. It wasn't good news, but it certainly wasn't as bad as he feared. Lucía had just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, and was afraid that she couldn't play hockey anymore. Remus fired out a response, inviting Lucía and her father to a meeting before the next practice. Then, he hit the books. Well, he hit the internet, collecting resources from reliable sites he already knew of and sniffing out some sites with information that might be more accessible to an 8-year old, and some resources in Spanish, just in case. Then he called his buddy Jake, a former NFL tight end Remus had met during his courses at Madison. Jake, a Type 1A diabetic, did a couple of sessions at the university each year for aspiring trainers on how to assist athletes with diabetes, and Remus had stayed in touch. He also fired off an e-mail to Luke Kunin, who had started working with the Madison sports trainers in high school while Remus was finishing up his program, even though Kunin's freshman year was after Remus' graduation. The following Tuesday, Remus felt ready to go. He met Lucía and Mr. Sanchez in the lobby, and ushered them through to his office so they could be assured of privacy. It broke his heart a little to hear Lucía look so defeated when she declared that she couldn't play anymore. Diabetic Mexican girls have no place on the ice, her doctor said. At that, Remus shot a look to Mr. Sanchez, whose jaw had clenched so tight, Remus was afraid he might crack a tooth. "But, you are from Honduras. Lucía, don't believe anything someone says if they can't even get that right once you've told them. Your doctor is very, very, very wrong." "The school says it too, and other players. Only some girls can play hockey, and not brown girls, and not sick brown girls. They say I will get a sugar rush and fall down whenever I skate fast. And they say I will get too fat to skate, only fat Mexicans get diabetes." "I am sorry you had to listen to that. None of what they say is true. I will keep a stronger ear out for that kind of bullying and ask the other coaches to do better too. That kind of attitude does not belong on the ice, in the locker room, or anywhere."

Then, point by point, Remus demolished the false statements, explaining that diabetes is different from a sugar rush, and that with careful management, Lucía can not only play any sport she wants, but excel at it. He shared the tips from Jake and Luke about how to wrap Lucía's new continuous glucose monitor and pump so that they were protected without impeding movement or insulin flow. He talked about nutrition and managing diet in the sense of being aware of how your body was feeling, and learning when and what to eat ahead of expected activities, and how to recognise a low. He shared his stories of working with Kunin, and how the whole World Junior team kept jelly beans in their pockets and on the bench, just in case Kunin needed to quickly raise his blood sugar. He talked about how the discipline and awareness of how her body is feeling that Lucía will develop while managing her diabetes might help her with the work needed to become a professional athlete, if that is a goal she decides to pursue (although nothing can guarantee anyone will make it to a professional, - and doesn't Remus know all about that, he thinks silently to himself - but diabetes certainly shouldn't stop her).

An alarm started to ring from the desk, and noting that it was almost practice time, he gave Lucía a handful of the temporary tattoos Jake had courriered over to him, some a simple blue circle, others the circle with the words Insulin Dependent written underneath. Then he sent Lucía off to change into her gear, but asked Mr. Sanchez to stay behind for a second.

"What your doctor said to Lucía was incredibly inappropriate, damaging, and incorrect. Is there any chance you can switch doctors?"

"I have already started the process to transfer Lucía to a pediatrician who specialises in juvenile diabetes." "Good. If that doesn't work out, please reach out to us here, and we will try to share more resources and make some connections with organisations the Lions work with regularly. Also, if I may be so bold, please report that doctor to the state board and the US Department of Health and Human Services. I have to head to the ice, but, please, don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any other questions or concerns about Lucía playing hockey. I can set up another meeting like this anytime this summer. Lucía is a gifted player and a great leader on the ice, hockey would be worse off without her playing."

First Frost

Rating: General Audience, no ship unless squinting General description: Leo finds out what happens when a sidewalk frosts over. Cast: Leo Knut, Finn O'Hara, Remus Lupin Thanks to @noots-fic-fests for organising, and @lumosinlove for such lovely characters to play with. ---

“Awww, yikes!”

Leo goes down, grabbing onto the railing as his gangly legs flail out from under him. He starts pulling himself back up, his legs dancing on the slippery pavement as he tries to find traction. Failing, he gives up and scoots on his butt to sit against the railing’s post. Finn collapses with laughter in the doorway.

“Is this why you wanted to get up early and go for a walk before practice, Knut?”, Finn asks as he regains his breath.

“It looks so pretty out, like everything has been etched over by tiny lutins. I forgot elves are also known for being dangerous, luring unsuspecting travelers to their doom,” Leo drawls, looking out over the frosted over shrubbery that lined the path sloping down to the sidewalk and road. “I had read about this, but never seen it before. Our sidewalks are different kinds of booby traps down in Nola.”

“This is your first ever frost? That does explain how a professional hockey player can’t manage to walk on a tiny dusting of ice,” Finn teases as he helps Leo lever himself up off the ground and shuffle back to safe ground. “Grip with your toes, grip with your toes.” Finn twirls the car keys around one finger. “Tell ya what. I’ll drive us to practice and park in the outdoor lot instead of the spot in the garage, and you can practice on a flat surface.” He throws his arm around Leo’s waist and starts steering him towards the stairwell. “You’ll get plenty of opportunities to see frost up close and personal this winter here in Gryffindor, I promise.”

Leo leans in to the support Finn is giving him, hoping Finn can’t feel his heartbeat speeding up at the casual contact initiated by his shorter teammate. He blows lightly on his palms, happy he had had the forethought to put on his light knit gloves before venturing out onto the treacherous pavement. The last thing he needed was scraped up hands, he’s still getting used to his new Lions blocker and glove.

In the car, Leo presses his forehead to the window, watching the frosted landscape pass by, marvelling as they pass through the park across from the arena.

Finn pulls into an empty space in the near-deserted parking lot, about halfway between the subway station exit and the arena’s entry. Hopping out of the car, he yells out to the lone walker leaving the subway, “Loops! Come watch a baby deer learn to walk!” He dashes around the hood to open Leo’s door before he can do it himself.

Remus comes striding over, and offers Leo a hand to get out of the car. “Oh right, I guess you aren’t used to walking on frost yet. It’s a vital skill up here, especially if you aren’t planning on getting your own car.”

Leo leans lightly on Remus, gripping his forearm tightly as Leo’s feet threaten to betray him on the slippery concrete. “Thanks Loops. I haven’t got the trick of it yet.”

Finn butts in, “I told him the trick is to grip with your toes.” Loops joins in, chanting with Finn, “Grip with your toes, grips with your toes!”  The two look at each other, give a high five, “Ya man!”.

“I am so lost right now”, comments Leo, still struggling to find his footing while Remus shakes with laughter next to him.

“Kiss my lucky egg?” Finn asks.

“Some people say you know you can’t believe”, Remus starts off, with Finn joining in for “Hey Jamaica, we got a bobsled team.”

Leo looks at them both, completely bewildered. “I am definitely missing the reference. Seriously, how do I do this?”

“Aw, sorry Knut. Here, for now, practice sliding your feet along as though you are skating, just with smaller strides.” Finn steps out in front, demonstrating, then Remus slowly slides one foot forward and waits for Leo to copy him.

“You got this Knut, you are a professional hockey player, you can skate. It’s just like skating,” Remus adds, guiding Leo into another step forward.

The three make their way slowly to the rink’s entrance, Leo chanting the whole time under his breath, “I’m a hockey player, I can do this. I’m a hockey player, I can do this.”

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” Remus said, adjusting the focus on his camera.

Sirius snorted. “I don’t think Wayne Gretzky was talking about photography with that one, Re.”

“And I’m pretty sure whoever said “Communicate to score” wasn’t talking about how you use it either,” retorted Remus. “But you won’t hear me complain…”

Gryffindor Lions Refuse to Take a Step Backwards

Sirius Black, Remus Lupin Gryffindor Lions Captain and Forward TOPLINE Gryffindor Lions refuse to accept NHL's ban on Pride tape for their sticks. Albus Dumbledore, team owner, says he will personally cover any fines the team receives for their violations of uniform rules relating to diversity and equality theme nights. Past and present team members have offered to cover fines for any players on other teams who also visibly show their support on ice. Main Article We, and our whole Lions organization, categorically refuse to comply with the "guidelines" outlined in the NHL's memo sent out to all teams last night dictating what gear and uniforms can be worn on the ice for themed events. We will continue to use Pride tape in regular games and at our Pride Night, as will many of our teammates. We are grateful for the support from Lion's owner Albus Dumbledore, who reached out to Coach Weasley and the rest of the team to tell us that he would personally cover any fines we received for uniform violations relating to diversity and equality events this season. We have established a fund to cover any fines received by players on other teams who also continue to show their support with Pride tape or other uniform "violations". Any players wanting to contribute to the fund can reach out to us or the #Hockey4All foundation.

The NHL is taking a step backwards with their decision to ban visible on-ice support for diversity and equality initiatives. We can't support that. We have been open about our disappointment with the league's announcement last June to ban commemorative jerseys, and strongly condemn this latest attack by the league on the rights of players. We also want to take this opportunity to express our disappointment in the league's reinstatement of Arsenius Malfoy as assistant coach to the Slytherin Snakes. [Editorial note: Mr. Malfoy was proven to be responsible for the pictures which outed Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin in January 2020, and received a $50,000 fine and a one-year suspension from the league.] The outpouring of support we received from players, coaches, and fans following our outing has been greater than we ever imagined. I (Sirius) can't express how much it meant to see fellow players showing their support with Pride tape at the All-Star game the morning after I was outed. (Link to All-Star pre-game warm-up) Up until then, I hadn't realized how much support and acceptance there was among players, and that open, visible on-ice support was a turning point for me. I know it was for others too. The argument put forward by Commissioner Bettman and others that players are encouraged to "express themselves off the ice" is bullshit. Our platform comes from what we do on the ice, and on the ice is where we can best express our support for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The tape we use doesn't affect how we play hockey, but it can mean so much to our fans and younger players questioning whether they have a place in hockey. If the league aims to "keep the focus on the game", why are they choosing to take a stand that they know will be more of a "distraction" than the tape that we and many other players have used without any impact on our performance for the past season and a half?

We understand that not all players support us, and we don't think that any player should be forced to use Pride tape or wear a Pride jersey. That is not what we are arguing for - we are arguing for our right to show our support.

📖The Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (@cbbag_bookarts) is inviting kindred spirits to participate in a juried, travelling exhibition! Share your connection to "Maud" and register now! For more information, visit www.cbbag.ca/ Kindred_Spirits.

— LMM Institute

Tumblr artists and friends: in case you haven’t heard of this opportunity! I’ve seen sooo many gorgeous Maud works on here, it’s actually quite staggering! You’re all immensely gifted. If you’re interested, there’s an open call for art (they’re looking for any and every kind, just a big old variety being sought) surrounding any of Maud’s current public domain (see: HERE for art submission ideas and guidelines) novels, essays, and short stories. I believe they’re looking for book covers and bindings, especially!

Resurrection - drabble

Rating: General audience. Someone singing in the shower. Hymns. French. Description: Logan Tremblay is not the only one who messes around with song lyrics. Set around the time of part xxi in Sweater Weather by @lumosinlove. Thanks to @lumosinlove, @hazelnoot-analyst, @noots-fic-fests, and @1-800-shedevil (line divider)

Finn O'Hara grabbed the body wash bottle, spun around on his heel, brought the container up to his mouth, and started belting, "Res-sur-rection TIME! Come on!" A deeper, false-baritone voice comes out of the guest bedroom, "It's a resurrection." "Yahoo!", yelled two voices in near perfect unison and harmony. In the kitchen, Leo looks over at Logan with a look of shock. "Alex est ici? Depuis quand?" Logan replies, "Hier soir. C'était presque minuit. Il n'a pas voulu resté à l'hôtel avec Haley et Ramsey."

Head canon that Finn randomly singing bits of church songs or playing with lyrics is so normal that Leo doesn't even bat an eye at that, he just thought he would have heard Alex come in. All of the O'Hara's are lovely, but none of them are what you could call quiet.

Y'see, Alex and Finn would get packed off to their church youth group as kids to expend any extra energy, and also sang in the choir until they left for college. Alex sang in the choir at university each year when the hockey season had ended. The youth group songs being catchy as heck, the greatest hits would inevitably get air time when Finn and Alex were together. Their rendition of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus would bring you to tears. On the other hand, OKN was a bad influence on Finn, and the first time he came home and sang Res-erection-time in the shower over Thanksgiving break, he had to clean up all of the coffee Haley spat out over the breakfast island. Logan helped.