Archive of Our Own ^beta

(Various online posts made in the days leading up to the Empirian national qualifying competitions.)

poppy! @skippinginponds: it’s almost empirian nationals time. how are we doing everyone
          ↳ Rex @florefrost: i can’t believe it’s almost time for the fourth games, it feels like the very queer smajor/elizabeth skate was just yesterday 
                  ↳ jane 🌙 @moonblades: i cant believe scott and jimmy havent announced their secret relationship yet
          ↳ willa @witheringdaisies: honestly I feel a lot more relaxed this time. it feels like the whole team from last year is gonna make it cause they have like no competition

24 replies 67 reposts 2.6K likes

falsiefuzzies:
I’m curious as to how the qualifying is going to work at nationals, mainly for the singles, because last year Empiria had like 4 skaters in men’s but then only Gem for women’s, so do they have a certain amount of people they have to pick for each event or can they just send whoever? I don’t know why but now I really want to know the answers to this

(98 notes)

Lena K. @keylena51: I know the qualifiers haven’t even happened yet, but whichever team she decides to compete for, I can’t wait to watch False Symmetry somehow pull off a quad axel
          ↳ allie ⚡ @alkalixel: don’t be ridiculous, she would save it for the actual games not nationals /lh

13 replies 106 reposts 524 likes

——

(A small collection of Instagram stories from various Sempi skaters, all posted after the Empirian qualifier competition announcement.)

Posted to the account shelbygrace20: A selfie of Shelby Grace and Sausage Myth, taken on an ice rink. Shelby is taking the selfie and holding up a peace sign with her other hand, while Sausage is slightly behind her, grinning and doing a double thumbs up. The added text reads “back at it again :) @mythicalsausage”.

Posted to the account mythicalsausage: A repost of Shelby’s story with the added text “We’re gonna win this time!!”

Posted to the account geminitay: A photo of Pearl Moon at a two-person cafe table, taken from the other seat where Gem is presumably sitting. Pearl is holding a coffee cup and looking at the slice of cake on her plate, while a chocolate chip cookie can be seen on Gem’s plate. The added text reads “when she’s down to anger the homophobic committee with you ♥️”

Posted to the account jsolidarity_: A short clip of Jimmy Solidarity at an ice rink, performing a quadruple loop. The added text reads “💪💪💪”.

——

sunshineducks:
every year i root for jimmy solidarity and everyone here clowns on me when he places badly. but this year will be different. i can feel it. jimmy is gonna win this year and then all of you are gonna look like FOOLS

#no but seriously why does everyone forget that he got bronze at his FIRST GAMES #jimmy is so underrated #sempi figure skating #jimmy solidarity

(115 notes)

daretodream03:
it’s nationals day empirians!!! who’s excited?! (it’s me)

(2 notes)

twirlypearlie:
[Screenshot of Gem’s Instagram story]

i’m going crazy guys does this mean what i think it does

#okay i know you’re probably like calm down tilly not everyone is a lesbian #but i KNOW there’s something going on here #this is not just platonic bestie behavior #gem tay #pearl moon #gempearl

(231 notes)

——

(An assortment of headlines posted shortly before the 4th annual Sempi Games.)

“Lizzie Shadow and Joel Beans announced as Empirian flag bearers for Sempi Games opening ceremony” - published in the Mezalea Times

“Reigning pairs champions Pearl Moon and Grian Moon-Watcher withdraw from pairs’ competition for personal reasons” - published on figureskatingworld.com

“Ice dancers Eloise Soup and Oli Orion reveal their engagement” - published in the Noisy Parrot magazine

“Update: Sempi Games Figure Skating Committee meeting to take place after closing ceremonies” - published on the official Sempi Games information website

“Mumbo Jumbo to compete singles at fourth Sempi Games after one-year break” - published in the Boatem Bulletin

——

Oliver @icesk8erboi: Oh how I wish I could watch the opening ceremony live. Why must timezones exist :(
          ↳ kai | 2 DAYS!! @kaitastrophe: dude i feel that. it’s at 2 am for me 😭

5 replies 1 repost 79 likes

marie 🎀 @love4lizzie: shadow and beans are the empirian flag bearers. my life is complete. could you ever ask for anything more? no.
[Girl who is going to be okay meme]

2 replies 0 reposts 34 likes

rina 🩷💜💙 @riaaality: am i crazy or is love in the air this year at the games
          ↳ Daisy @waydownunder4: no you’re so right actually. it’s the year of romance
                  ↳ rina 🩷💜💙 @riaaality: okay good thank you. cause i thought it was just me
          ↳ eveline 💫 @stacysdaughter: you’re not crazy. i’m convinced there’s gonna be like at least 17 cute couple moments per event

68 replies 319 reposts 7.4K likes

farah @watcheringmoons: wdym the moon-watcher siblings aren’t competing this year 
[Thousand-yard stare soldier meme]

17 replies 98 reposts 506 likes

——

(A set of photos taken at the opening ceremony and figure skating short program events at the 4th Sempi Games.)

The first photo is of fWhip Tay, Pix Riffs, and Gem Tay, taken during the Empiria portion of the opening ceremony. The three are smiling and waving to the crowd. 

The second photo is of Katherine Elizabeth and Scott Smajor during their short program. They perform an upright dance spin.

The third photo is of False Symmetry, the Hermittopian flag bearer, during the opening ceremony. She is standing in front of her team and holding the flag with a smile.

The fourth photo is of Shelby Grace and Sausage Myth, taken during their short program. They perform a backward outside death spiral.

The fifth photo is of Scar Goodtimes during his short program. He is mid-air, performing a backflip.

——

(A mishmash of social media posts from Sempi skaters.)

Gem Tay @geminitay: She’s a 10 but she can’t land a triple lutz 
[Photo of Gem Tay taken during the short programs. She is down on the ice, having fallen while attempting a triple lutz-triple loop combo.]
          ↳ Pearl Moon @pearlescentmoon: Personally, I think that makes you a 12 :)
                  ↳ Gem Tay @geminitay: Aw, thanks Pearl 🥹

katherineeliz 36m
[An Instagram story from two years ago reposted with the added text “two years ago”. The reposted story is a photo of Katherine Elizabeth and Shelby Grace posing with heart hands in front of the main Sempi Games stadium. Two heart emojis are added in the top right.]

[Carousel of three images: the first photo is of a beach; some palm trees are also in frame. The second photo is a selfie of Grian Moon-Watcher; he is sitting on a beach chair and smiling. The third photo is of a fancy tropical drink on a table; it appears to be taken in a cafe. The post’s location is set to “Miami, Florida”.]
grian_mw 🏖️🌴☀️

Sausage Myth @mythicalsausage: Anyone up to recreate Brokeback Mountain with me?? 😊
          ↳ eloise soup @soupforeloise: hey sausage! hey! what the heck is the context to this!
          ↳ Scott Smajor @smajorskates: 🙋😘
                  ↳ shelby grace 💛 @shelbygrace20: you guys do know these aren’t your private accounts right 😭

ldshadowlady 4h
[A photo of a paved trail with lots of plants along the sides. The sun is shining very brightly and the story has an added clock sticker which says 8:32 AM.]

——

in another life, i would be your girl by moonblades

Figure Skating RPF

No Archive Warnings Apply, Pearl Moon/Gem Tay, Pearl Moon, Gem Tay, Grian Moon-Watcher, Background Characters, Empirian National Skating Team, Angst, Romance, Feelings, Forbidden Love, thats a bit dramatic but like technically its right, break up (basically), sgfsc-typical homophobia, they should have been able to skate together :(

In another universe, maybe they could have been together.

Language: English  Words: 9,673  Chapters: 1/1  Comments: 28  Kudos: 354  Hits: 4,602

The Empirian skating team group chat is completely normal by Anonymous

Figure Skating RPF

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Katherine Elizabeth/Shelby Grace, Jimmy Solidarity/Scott Smajor, Pearl Moon/Gem Tay, Joel Beans/Lizzie Shadow, Katherine Elizabeth & Scott Smajor, Shelby Grace & Sausage Myth, Lizzie Shadow & Jimmy Solidarity, fWhip Tay & Gem Tay, Pearl Moon & Gem Tay & False Symmetry, Grian Moon-Watcher & Mumbo Jumbo & Scar Goodtimes, Everyone & Everyone, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Katherine Elizabeth, Shelby Grace, Jimmy Solidarity, Scott Smajor, Pearl Moon, Gem Tay, Joel Beans, Lizzie Shadow, fWhip Tay, Sausage Myth, Pix Riffs, False Symmetry, Grian Moon-Watcher, Scar Goodtimes, Joey Graceffa, Mumbo Jumbo, Oli Orion, Eloise Soup, Cleo Zombie, Liam H. Bomb, Chatfic, Chatting & Messaging, Author is bad at updating, I wrote this at 2 am, Crack, (both metaphorically and literally), Fluff, Shenanigans, Relationship Drama, Friendship, Bullying, (but in a friendly way), tags will be added as I update the story, I’m just making shit up at this point I have nothing planned out, I SWEAR THIS ISN’T ABANDONED I’M JUST REALLY BAD AT UPDATES

Exactly what the title says. A completely normal group chat :)

Language: English  Words: 345,682  Chapters: 129/?  Comments: 1,647  Kudos: 7,436  Bookmarks: 152  Hits: 36,834

he knows how to love me better by poppiesandlilacs

Figure Skating RPF

No Archive Warnings Apply, Jimmy Solidarity/Scott Smajor, Background Katherine Elizabeth/Shelby Grace, Minor or Background Relationship(s), (i don’t wanna tag the rest sorry), Scott Smajor, Jimmy Solidarity, Katherine Elizabeth, Shelby Grace, Lizzie Shadow, Background Characters, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friendship, First Date, Crushes, Falling in Love, Getting Together, yeah this is just a cute college au i’m not putting angst in here, no beta we die like the committee’s respect after the moon-tay decision

Scott sees a cute boy in his psych class. He doesn’t say anything even though he really wants to. Eventually, his friends bother him enough and Scott asks him out. Things happen.

(or, I just wanted to write a cute college au, so here it is :D)

Language: English  Words: 64,723  Chapters: 21/21  Comments: 246  Kudos: 485  Bookmarks: 37  Hits: 9,286

——

(A section from a transcript of a video filmed behind-the-scenes at the Sempi Games.)

Interviewer (very obviously fWhip Tay, in an overly formal tone): So, Mr. Solidarity, how do you feel about your programs for the upcoming competition events?

Stifled laughter can be heard from the person behind the camera (fWhip), as well as a few others. 

Jimmy Solidarity: You know, I actually feel pretty good! I think they show off my strengths really well, and as long as I don’t screw up anything, I think they’ll get me good scores too!

Interviewer: …Right. And what would you say is the hardest part of your program?

JS: Um, I would probably say the quad lutz? Just because it’s kind of finicky sometimes ‘cause I mess up the rotations.

Sausage Myth (from off-screen): Those are so easy, Jimmy!

JS: Maybe for you!

Sausage laughs in the distance, fWhip laughs behind the camera, and Pix can also be heard chuckling. Jimmy pouts as his teammates tease him. At this moment, Scott walks up behind Jimmy and taps him on the shoulder.

Scott Smajor: Hi Jimmy! What are you doing?

Jimmy turns around and smiles when he sees Scott.

JS: Oh, hi Scott! I’m not really doing anything.

fWhip Tay (off-screen): Wooooooow.

Jimmy glares at fWhip/the camera.

SS: Great! I wanna show you something, come on.

Scott grabs Jimmy’s hand and pulls him along. The two move out of frame, and fWhip turns the camera around to face himself.

FT: Well, I guess that concludes our interview, folks! See you next time!

The video ends.

——

greyscale-parrots:
[A clip from fWhip’s behind-the-scenes video of the moment when Scott walks up to Jimmy and he turns around.]

the way jimmy absolutely lit up when he saw scott behind him. they’re so in love

#please dont take this too seriously im just being silly #but lowkey i do feel like theres something more between them #if yk what im saying #jimmy solidarity #scott smajor

(126 notes)

shroomsies:
[A photo of Scott Smajor and Katherine Elizabeth, taken at the end of their short program. They are in a dramatic tango pose; Scott stands upright and is leaning slightly forward, while Katherine is on one leg and leaning backwards. They are looking at each other and smirking.]

my bisexual ass can’t decide which one of them i’d rather be

(546 notes)

insert-username-here:
women’s short program be like

[Black and pink houses meme. The black house has text reading “False skating to Starring Role by MARINA” while the pink house has text reading “Gem skating to Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl by Chappell Roan”.]

queenofskates (reblog):
and the fact that gem was right after false too… talk about mood whiplash

(831 notes)

lavender-laces:
[Screenshots of an Instagram post from the account katherineeliz which is a slideshow of two pictures. The first is a picture of Katherine Elizabeth standing in front of a painted photo booth backdrop which reads “Love is Love” in rainbow colors; the second is a selfie of Katherine smiling and holding up a small lesbian flag. The post date is June 4, the location is set to “GlimmerGrove Pride Parade”, and the caption reads “feeling proud and free 🌈”.]

hi hello sempi skating community. how are we all doing. am i crazy or did katherine elizabeth unprivate this old post and is this her way of coming out

dizzyisabella (reblog):
WHAT HUH HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS

emilyfields (reblog):
i wonder why she decided to make it public now cause it was posted last year, but the bigger question i have is who’s taking the first photo?? she could have just asked a random person but i doubt she would go to pride alone, so it’s probably whoever she went with right??

lavender-laces (reblog):
i’m thinking it’s probably scott, not only cause they’re best friends, but also if their free skate last year means anything, he’s probably also queer (don’t come at me guys i’m saying this because of the symbolism, if you don’t get it read this post i made last year)

emilyfields (reblog):
see that’s what i thought too, but i checked scott’s instagram and he has a post on that same day where he’s in chromia (not glimmergrove) so i don’t think he was there

lavender-laces (reblog):
omg wait. what if it’s katherine’s partner

emilyfields (reblog):
i think you’re onto something here

(5,974 notes)

one-too-many-sodas:
[the same screenshots from the previous post]

KATHERINE ELIZABETH IS A LESBIAN GUYS WE’RE WINNING

(461 notes)

——

(A variety of headlines and photos, published around the time of the men’s singles free skate.)

“Scar Goodtimes scores record-breaking 226.72 points in men’s free skate at 4th Sempi Games” - published in the Helianthia Sun

A photo of fWhip Tay taken during his free skate. He is spinning mid-air while performing a quadruple flip.

“Mumbo Jumbo achieves personal record score after one-year hiatus” - published in Hermittopia Today

A photo of Jimmy Solidarity in the Kiss and Cry, taken after his performance. He reacts to his score, looking surprised but happy.

“Empirians Pix Riffs and Jimmy Solidarity win silver and bronze in men’s figure skating” - published on figureskatingworld.com

——

anna!! 🌿 @gtwanna: not scar doing a backflip in both of his programs 😭 he’s so silly omg i love him 
[Two photos of Scar Goodtimes performing a backflip on ice: one taken during his short program and one taken during his free skate]

11 replies 69 reposts 342 likes

Clara @queenofskates: To those of you getting mad at those of us who think Jimmy and Scott are a couple, I would like to remind you that Scott very clearly called Jimmy ‘love’ at a press conference last year
          ↳ ash @lxvelyhrts: counterpoint: it’s just a culture thing, doesn’t mean they’re together
                  ↳ jane 🌙 @moonblades: counter-counterpoint: they’re gay. also all of these
                  [Three random pictures of Scott Smajor and Jimmy Solidarity together, as well as the clip of them from fWhip’s behind the scenes video]

784 replies 1860 reposts 24.5K likes

naomiiiii @gardengnomie: hey guys did anyone else see false’s instagram story?? i’m really worried about what’s gonna happen :((

3 replies 0 reposts 9 likes

dizzy ☀️ 💛 :D @sunshineducks: jimmy got bronze again!!! i’m so happy for him :)
          ↳ Rex @florefrost: me too omg, he’s done so well this season and i hope people are finally gonna start taking him seriously cause he’s so skilled
                  ↳ dizzy ☀️ 💛 :D @sunshineducks: yessss omg you get me

7 replies 13 reposts 81 likes

Emmett @soursunsets_0806: The men’s free skate in a nutshell:
Pix Riffs: feeling silly :)
fWhip Tay: FEELING SILLYYYY :DDD
Jimmy Solidarity: I Am Experiencing Flashbacks From The Great Rapture Of 1891 When I Was But A Mere Chimney Sweep
[A photo of Pix Riffs, fWhip Tay, and Jimmy Solidarity. Pix and fWhip are smiling and laughing while Jimmy looks terrified.]

2 replies 19 reposts 156 likes

——

(An Instagram story posted to the account falsesymmetry on February 14th.)

The story is a selfie mode video taken by False Symmetry. She is outside somewhere and talking to the camera. The transcript of the video is as follows:

“Hi everyone. So, uh, it’s been a weird couple of days for me, but I wanted to come on here and explain some things, because I think we’re all a bit confused. I mean, I know I’m certainly confused, but yeah.

So I’m sure you’ve all seen the various news articles, but if you haven’t, here’s what’s happening. Basically, after my short program, someone - and I don’t know who, unfortunately - went to the Conduct Committee and filed a report, where they, uh, accused me of using a couple of different steroids during my last skate. I can’t really say too much about it right now, ‘cause they’re gonna have to do an investigation and drug tests, and some other things, but whoever made the report was very thorough. Like, the officials showed it to me, and it looked pretty scary.

The main reason I’m here, though, is ‘cause I wanted to let you all know that I’m not gonna be able to compete until they clear me again. I’m really, like- gosh, I shouldn’t swear on here (she chuckles, then sighs) - I’m upset. ‘Cause like, I know I didn’t use anything, and they can ask my coach and the team and everyone, but they still have to do all the tests and investigation and stuff ‘cause it’s just like the procedure or whatever. Also, for some reason, they said they won’t be able to do a drug test for another couple days, so that’s quite annoying.

I’m really hoping it can all get cleared up soon. I know a lot of people have been wanting to see what I’ve got planned for the free skate, and I really want to show you all, but I think right now it’s out of my hands unfortunately. But yeah, I wanted to at least tell you all what’s been happening on my end, because it’s very much been a lot of chaos. So, um, yeah, that’s that, and I guess I’ll try to keep you all updated if anything changes.”

Throughout the entire video, False looks worried and fidgets with her hair a couple of times. Towards the end, she frowns before stopping the recording.

——

(Instagram posts made by various Sempi skaters on February 14th.)

[Carousel of two images: the first photo is of Scott Smajor and Jimmy Solidarity sitting on a bench; Scott is resting his head on Jimmy’s shoulder. The second photo is of Scott and Jimmy in front of a fountain; they are kissing. “Strawberry Blond” by Mitski is added to the post.]
smajorskates Happy Valentine’s Day to my handsome boyfriend :)
jsolidarity_ :) love you ❤️ (liked by author)
katherineeliz you guys are so cute omg (liked by author)

[A photo of Jimmy Solidarity and Scott Smajor, taken from behind them. The two are holding hands and walking through a street of shops. The sky is dark, but the photo’s lighting is warm, and there are strings of fairy lights visible in the frame.]
jsolidarity_ happy valentine’s day :)
smajorskates ❤️ (liked by author)
ldshadowlady So happy for you two :) (liked by author)

[Carousel of six images: the first photo is of Gem Tay and Pearl Moon sitting on a swingset; they are facing each other and laughing. The second photo is a selfie of Gem and Pearl at a theme park; they are sitting in a ferris wheel cabin and smiling. The third photo is of Gem, taken from behind; she is turned around slightly and smiling towards the camera, where an outstretched hand (presumably Pearl’s) can be seen holding a bouquet of flowers in Gem’s direction. The fourth photo is of two ice cream cones, one strawberry and one mint chocolate chip; the hands holding them have matching sun and moon bracelets. The fifth photo is a photo strip from a photo booth; in the top photo, Gem and Pearl are smiling at each other, and in the bottom photo, they are kissing. The sixth photo is of Gem and Pearl at the 1st Sempi Games; they are hugging each other after their free skate. “we fell in love in october” by girl in red is added to the post.]
geminitay happy valentine’s day pearl! i love you so much ♥️
pearlescentmoon Aww, I love you too Gem 🥹♥️ (liked by author)
falsesymmetry You two are incredible, this is so cute (liked by author)

[A selfie of Pearl Moon and Gem Tay. Gem is smiling and has her eyes closed while Pearl kisses her on the cheek.]
pearlescentmoon Happy Valentine’s Day ♥️
geminitay :) happy valentine’s day (liked by author)
shelbygrace20 you guys are adorable!!! (liked by author)

[A photo of Joel Beans and Lizzie Shadow. They are smiling and posing in a garden.]
smallishbeans Happy Valentine’s Day to my lovely wife
ldshadowlady Happy Valentine’s Day babe :) (liked by author)
jsolidarity_ yeah!!! literally the definition of romance right here!! (liked by author)

——

sempiskateslut:
GEMPEARL IS REAL HOLY SHIT 

mediocrityrules (reblog):
i can’t tell if this is just you in denial or not 😭

sempiskateslut (reblog):
BESTIE IM BEING SO FR RN I SWEAR IM NOT MAKING THIS UP

mediocrityrules (reblog):
omg yeah wait they’re actually together. holy shit

(9 notes)

karalynn 🌻 @dawnofhelianthia: what do you mean scott and jimmy just announced their secret relationship. what do you mean gem and pearl announced theirs too. what do you MEAN it’s VALENTINE’S DAY oh my gosh absolutely none of these people are normal 😭 lowkey why i love them though

0 replies 4 reposts 28 likes

love4lizzie:
[Guy standing in the corner of the party meme. Scott Smajor and Jimmy Solidarity’s faces are edited onto one couple while Gem Tay and Pearl Moon’s are edited onto the other. False Symmetry’s face is edited onto the guy in the corner, with added text that reads “they don’t know i got falsely accused of doping and am currently under investigation”]

i’m very sorry if this is offensive but this is basically my understanding of today

twirlypearlie (reblog):
they probably did know about the investigation and stuff but this is fucking hilarious

watchering-moons (reblog):
i can’t get over how insanely the timing lined up where false decided to talk about it on valentine’s day and it just so happens that not one but TWO couples decide to announce their relationships. and they also all happen to be friends with each other and with false. they get to be all cute and sappy meanwhile she is going through it 😭

(3,742 notes)

rina 🩷💜💙 @riaaality: scott and katherine really skated *that* short program to rule #34 by fish in a birdcage and the press STILL looked at them and went “yeah they’re definitely a couple”
          ↳ marie 🎀 @love4lizzie: i feel like the falsettos skate last year was their way of trying to dispel the rumors and because THAT somehow wasn’t enough not only did they do THIS katherine also came out publicly and THEN scott announced his relationship with a man
                  ↳ rina 🩷💜💙 @riaaality: watch this somehow still not be enough to stop the rumors 😭
                  ↳ jane 🌙 @moonblades: love how jimmy is just “a man” here lmao /lh
          ↳ ella :) @empiriella: tbf they do really look like they’re about to kiss here so i can kind of see why the press is so confused lol
          [A photo of Scott Smajor and Katherine Elizabeth taken during their short program. They are facing each other during a step sequence and are very close together. Both of them are smirking.]

143 replies 716 reposts 11.9K likes

willa @witheringdaisies: wait a sec if false, pearl, and gem have all been best friends for years now, how long has false been third wheeling them? i’m so curious about this because how long have they been keeping this a secret?? how long have they been together????
          ↳ Lena K. @keylena51: I’m looking at this picture from the first games and I feel like False has probably been the third wheel for the past few years…
          [A photo of False Symmetry, Gem Tay, and Pearl Moon, taken during the 1st Sempi Games. The three are posing; Gem and Pearl are leaning towards each other and making a heart with their hands while False is awkwardly standing next to them and holding up a peace sign.]
                    ↳ willa @witheringdaisies: holy shit i never realized just how awkward false looks in this photo 😭

7 replies 24 reposts 413 likes

poppiesandlilacs:
i might be alone on valentine’s day again this year but it doesn’t matter because my favorite figure skaters are gay

(538 notes)

——

(Parts of a transcript of a broadcast interview with various ice dance teams, held after the ice dance free skate.)

Interviewer: Now, if you don’t mind me asking, what inspired your song choice for your program tonight?

Eloise Soup and Oli Orion share a look. No one can quite tell what it means.

OO: It was a very easy choice! One morning, I asked El if we could skate to that song, ‘cause I thought it would be a fun time, and she said yes without a fight!

ES: For the record, Oli says morning, but what he’s not telling you is that it was three in the morning. And he woke me up just to ask me that. So while I did say yes, just know that it was in a half-asleep haze. I honestly can’t even remember agreeing to it.

OO: Okay, but you do agree it was a fun time, right?

ES: Oh absolutely. It was so much fun and I’m so glad you suggested it.

Interviewer: I would also like to add, your costumes are incredible.

Eloise and Oli look down at their outfits and smile. They are dressed as Roxie Hart and Billy Flynn from the musical Chicago, respectively.

OO: Why thank you very much! I wanted to do it for all of my fellow theatre kids out there. To any of you watching, just know we’re with you!

ES: Oh my gosh, don’t say that, Oli. Now everyone’s gonna call us nerds!

OO: Oh, but we are nerds, El!

ES: You’re such an idiot. You’re lucky I love you.

Oli grins. Eloise sighs and rolls her eyes with a smile.

Interviewer: How do you think people are going to react to this performance of yours?

Katherine Elizabeth and Scott Smajor look at each other, then back to the interviewer. Katherine speaks up first.

KE: You know, I don’t think it’ll be too different from any of our other ones. We just did what we always do, and I hope people liked it.

SS: From my understanding, if they liked it, there’ll be a trending hashtag tomorrow, and the whole thing will be edits of our skate with little heart filters.

KE: Scott, how do you know these things?

He smiles and ignores her.

SS: Then again, my name was already trending on Twitter this morning, so who knows honestly.

KE: Oh, come on. You know exactly why that happened.

Interviewer: It’s very interesting that you bring that up actually, because there was something I wanted to ask you two about.

KE: What’s that?

Interviewer: Scott, this morning, you made a certain announcement on your social media. I wanted to ask: did that announcement cause any issues between the two of you, and did it affect your performance in any way?

A pause. Scott narrows his eyes slightly while Katherine glares at the interviewer.

SS: I’m very sorry, but how exactly is this relevant?

Interviewer: It’s just a simple question, and I know lots of people are wondering-

Katherine sits up in her chair. She looks furious.

KE: No, I’m not letting you finish that sentence. This is unacceptable. Every single time Scott and I skate, I absolutely dread the interviews, and do you want to know why? Because every single time, all you people can think to ask about is mine and Scott’s love lives, and that’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to skate, and if I do an interview, I want to talk about my skating. 

Forgive my language, but I sure as hell hope you’re coming up with these questions off the top of your head, because that would mean that your network has at least some decency to remain professional. There is absolutely zero reason for any of you to bring this up at all, let alone with the frequency which you do. I’m aware there are many rules to ice dance, but being romantically involved with your partner has never been a requirement, because it has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Scott chuckles as Katherine continues her answer. The interviewer looks mortified.

KE: For the record, and I am only saying this because I know you all will not stop asking until we give you a clear answer, Scott and I are not a couple. Our love lives have no connection to our careers, and they are absolutely not acceptable topics for interview questions.

I’m honestly baffled as to why I have to be the one to explain this to you. 

Katherine gets up and exits the area, still glaring at the interviewer. Scott is trying to stop himself from laughing. The interviewer turns to him.

Interviewer: Scott, do you think you could give an answer?

Scott’s expression changes instantly. He stares blankly at the interviewer.

SS: I’m sorry, did you not hear a word of what she just said?

Scott scoffs, gets up, and leaves. The interview ends.

——

(A series of messages sent to a Twitter group chat over the course of the pairs free skate.)

🤨🤨🤨

10:32 PM

isa 🫐 !: it’s pairs time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m very excited if you can’t tell

isa 🫐 !: holy shit shadowbeans are going first

isa 🫐 !: ugh i love this program so muchhhhhhhhhh

isa 🫐 !: okay well theyre winning bc how do you beat literal perfection

isa 🫐 !: im so lonely. why do they get to be this adorable. its not fair :(

isa 🫐 !: i have the sudden urge to go to home depot

isa 🫐 !: not the commentators mentioning the moon-watcher absence 😭 

isa 🫐 !: that was such a clean skate im surprised theyre only in 3rd

isa 🫐 !: omg im losing it over the random cuts to the others. why are they adding reaction shots

isa 🫐 !: ouch that looked like it HURT

isa 🫐 !: ok its another ad break so im gonna grab a snack cause im hungry

isa 🫐 !: i have a donut 😋

isa 🫐 !: donut gone ☹️

isa 🫐 !: ITS SAUSAGE AND SHELBY AHH IM SO EXCITED THIS IS GONNA BE SO GOOD

isa 🫐 !: their song choices are always fire omg

isa 🫐 !: and the costumes too like help girl i want that dress

isa 🫐 !: oh those twizzles were crispppp

isa 🫐 !: wait. no way

isa 🫐 !: HOLY SHIT?? TRIPLE AXEL??????

isa 🫐 !: THEY LANDED IT TOO

isa 🫐 !: WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING

isa 🫐 !: im gonna be so shocked if they dont break the wr

isa 🫐 !: THEY DID IT OMGGG 

isa 🫐!: IM SO HAPPY FOR THEM

isa 🫐 !: i lowkey feel so bad for the pair after them though 😭

isa 🫐 !: like how do you just go skate after that

isa 🫐 !: that was so fun omg

isa 🫐 !: im so happy but im gonna go sleep now cause its like 2am

isa 🫐 !: byeeeeee :D

6:14 AM

marie 🎀: what the

——

one-too-many-sodas:
the figure skating is great and all but my favorite part of the sempi games is how much more traffic i get on my hit website figureskatingworld.com

shroomsies (reblog):
WAIT THAT’S YOUR WEBSITE ????

one-too-many-sodas (reblog):
YEAH LMAO 
it’s my little side project :)

(75 notes)

vera ☃️ @veraonice: he’s so unserious omg i love him
[A photo of Scott Smajor during the ice dance interview. He is looking off to the side, covering his mouth and trying not to laugh.]
          ↳ Daisy @waydownunder4: it really shows how long they’ve been friends cause he knows she’s right and he has nothing to add so he’s just letting her do her thing and enjoying the show
                    ↳ vera ☃️ @veraonice: fr someone get him some popcorn immediately

37 replies 296 reposts 1.7K likes

sunshineducks:
SAUSAGE AND SHELBY WON GOLD IM SO HAPPY FOR THEM

(13 notes)

moonblades:
all the skaters on the empirian team are so insanely talented because the top two pairs are both from empiria and there was only a 0.37 point difference between their total scores. insane performances from all of them too, that was such a good event

(417 notes)

marie 🎀 @love4lizzie: tfw you wake up to 26 messages in a group chat because your friend decided to stay up until 2am to watch the pairs event
          ↳ marie 🎀 @love4lizzie: this is targeted btw

3 replies 0 reposts 19 likes

——

(A section from an article posted 12 hours before the women’s free skate.)

Hermittopia skater False Symmetry cleared to compete in free skate after negative drug test result  ·  February 17th

False Symmetry, the three-time women’s figure skating champion from Hermittopia, has been cleared to compete in the women’s free skate tonight.

Symmetry placed first in the short program event on February 12th with a score of 81.39. A few hours after the event, an anonymous party filed a report to the Sempi Games Conduct Committee accusing Symmetry of using various substances to assist her performance. She addressed the situation on her Instagram account on the 14th, explaining the allegation and stating that she did not use any substances and was waiting for a drug test.

The Conduct Committee announced Symmetry’s clearance this morning after she tested negative for all banned substances yesterday. She shared the announcement on her social media accounts and was met with many positive reactions from fans. Symmetry is the favorite to win the women’s singles event.

——

empiriella:
the stupidest part of all of this is how false has literally been so vocal about how much she’s against doping and the use of drugs in sports and whatnot and yet this still happened

greyscale-parrots (reblog):
to be fair if there’s one thing we know about sempi figure skating it’s that the press and officials never give a shit about what the skaters actually say

(273 notes)

——

(A handful of social media posts made after the women’s free skate.)

queenofskates:
[A short clip from False Symmetry’s free skate. She successfully performs a quadruple axel, fully rotated and cleanly landed, then continues into the next element of her program. The Succession theme (her selected music) plays in the background.]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

#she’s literally insane for this omg #imagine being falsely accused of doping and only being cleared the morning of the free skate #and then going on to land the LITERAL HARDEST JUMP KNOWN TO THIS SPORT #and then also skating a flawless program around it??? #absolute fucking icon behavior holy shit #false symmetry #sempi games #figure skating

(145 notes)

tilly!!!! @twirlypearlie: gem holding up heart hands in the kiss and cry… just like pearl always does… what if i said gem is saying hi to pearl through the camera 🥺
[A photo of Gem Tay sitting in the Kiss and Cry, waiting for her scores. She is smiling at the camera and holding up heart hands.]

7 replies 53 reposts 118 likes

farah @watcheringmoons: absolute queen shit i tell you. quite literally no one else is doing it like her
[Clip of False Symmetry performing a quad axel]

12 replies 176 reposts 1.6K likes

daretodream03:
HI HELLO IS NO ONE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FUCKING QUAD AXEL

riaaality (reblog):
bestie idk about you but literally everyone on my dash is talking about it 😭

(64 notes)

falsesymmetry:
not sure why everyone's talking about me like i did something when gem and pearl are right there. we should be talking about them

sempiskateslut (reblog):
is this how i find out false symmetry has a fucking tumblr account

(743 notes)

falsesymmetry:
not sure why everyone's talking about me like i did something when gem and pearl are right there. we should be talking about them

mediocrityrules (reblog):
FALSE SYMMETRY?????? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE

(743 notes)

falsesymmetry:
not sure why everyone's talking about me like i did something when gem and pearl are right there. we should be talking about them

poppiesandlilacs (reblog):
i can’t with how nonchalant shes being as if she didnt land a fucking QUADRUPLE AXEL. false symmetry the woman that you are

(743 notes)

——

(A playlist on the official Sempi Games YouTube channel containing videos of all the skaters’ gala performances.)

Gala Exhibition | 4th Sempi Games
Sempi Games · Playlist · 13 videos · 47,253 views

Gala Exhibition - Figure Skating | 4th Sempi Games Replay · 2:32:40
Scott Smajor and Katherine Elizabeth’s Figure Skating Gala to “Abracadabra” | 4th Sempi Games Replay · 4:17
Gem Tay’s “Break the Ice” at Figure Skating Gala | 4th Sempi Games Replay · 3:44
Shelby Grace and Sausage Myth skate to Femininomenon by Chappell Roan | 4th Sempi Games Replay · 3:38
Empiria men’s figure skating team performs to Without Me at Figure Skating Gala | 4th Sempi Games Replay · 4:52
False Symmetry’s Figure Skating Gala Performance to “Hard Times” | 4th Sempi Games Replay · 3:03
+ 7 other videos

——

Rex @florefrost: so can we all agree that this was an insane games or what
          ↳ maddie is crashing out @maddiehatter14: no literally because wdym the empirian team had their silly relationship shenanigans (and katherine coming out!!) meanwhile false was accused of using performance enhancing substances
                    ↳ Rex @florefrost: and then grian’s been in florida the whole time while pearl is nowhere to be found 😭

4 replies 17 reposts 811 likes

Oliver @icesk8erboi: SCOTT AND KATH GALA SKATE TO ABRACADABRA GUYS THIS IS NOT A DRILL

0 replies 1 repost 15 likes

naomiiiii @gardengnomie: false is so funny for that music choice actually. “hard times” oh i'm sure. tell me all about it girl

8 replies 44 reposts 1.3K likes

——

(Some social media posts made by various Sempi skaters after the closing ceremonies.)

[A selfie of False Symmetry and Gem Tay at the closing ceremonies. False is wearing the Hermittopian parade uniform and Gem is wearing the Empirian uniform. False has a gold medal around her neck while Gem has a silver one. They are both smiling at the camera and holding their medals up, False is taking the selfie.]
falsesymmetry Another one for the collection :)
geminitay we are so good at this (liked by author)
pearlescentmoon hell yeah!! Sorry I couldn’t be there with you guys :( (liked by author)

Pearl Moon @pearlescentmoon: For everyone asking why I wasn’t at this year’s Games, it’s because the SGFSC told me that I couldn’t compete if I wanted to speak at the committee meeting. I chose to withdraw because I didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to advocate for a very important change that needs to be made in our sport.
Thank you for understanding :)
          ↳ Gem Tay @geminitay: So proud of you ♥️

mythicalsausage 15h 
[A selfie of Sausage Myth, Pix Riffs, fWhip Tay, Shelby Grace, and Gem Tay at the closing ceremonies. All of them are wearing the Empirian parade uniform. Sausage is taking the selfie and grinning, fWhip is holding up a peace sign, and Pix, Shelby, and Gem are holding up their medals and smiling. The added text reads “Best dressed team award when??? @pixlriffs @fwhip_tay @shelbygrace20 @geminitay”.]

[A photo of Katherine Elizabeth taken during the exhibition gala. She is performing a layback spin.]
shelbygrace20 my girlfriend is so cool :)
katherineeliz :D ❤️

fWhip Tay @fwhip_tay: One of these days I will actually win a medal
[A selfie of fWhip Tay, Sausage Myth, Gem Tay, and Pix Riffs at the closing ceremonies. fWhip is in the center taking the selfie while Sausage, Gem, and Pix are standing behind him. fWhip is frowning while Sausage, Gem, and Pix are holding their medals up to the camera and grinning.]
          ↳ Sausage Myth @mythicalsausage: Next year!! I believe in you!! ☺️

——

dizzyisabella:
obsessed with how sempi games has been trending for like 5 days straight. the sequence of events has been so crazy we literally will not shut up about it

[A screenshot of the Tumblr explore page that shows the trending tags. The screenshot is cropped to focus on the #sempi games tag which is at the number one spot.]

(42 notes)

ella :) @empiriella: the empirian skating team playing a game called “how many couples can we fit in one national team”
          ↳ karalynn 🌻 @dawnofhelianthia: honestly i can’t even act surprised about shelby and katherine. like it makes complete sense idk what else to say

5 replies 21 reposts 619 likes

witheringdaisies:
the allegations weren’t true, so i guess you could say they were f… false… get it…

witheringdaisies (reblog):
FALSE REBLOGGED THIS??? HELLO????

(135 notes)

Clara @queenofskates: Jimmy really put the wipe out in wipe out. Lmao
[A clip from Jimmy Solidarity’s short program. He performs a triple toe loop but falls on the landing. “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris (his selected music) plays in the background.]

2 replies 84 reposts 587 likes

moonblades:
before we all go into our post-games crashout i wanted to say it’s been so much fun going crazy with you all the past couple weeks <3 i can’t wait to see all the clips and gifs of whatever insane shit they say at the press conference tomorrow

(687 notes)

——

(A portion of a transcript of a press conference with the Empirian skating team, held the day after the closing ceremonies at the 4th Sempi Games.)

Interviewer 1: Okay, this next question is for everyone, so we’ll go down the line: if you don’t mind sharing, what were the inspirations behind each of your programs? Lizzie, Joel- since you guys are at the end, we’ll start with you.

Lizzie smiles at Joel before answering.

Lizzie Shadow: Well, our past few programs before this Games were all pretty elaborate with a lot of elements we weren’t really used to, and we did like those programs, but we wanted to do something more simple this time. We definitely kept some harder elements, but the program is overall a little less complicated and focuses more on our skills.

Joel Beans: Yeah, that was kind of where we started out, and then when we picked a theme for the programs, it was kind of a question of like, what story can we tell without having to do anything crazy to make it good? So we settled on doing something really sweet and romantic, ‘cause- well, we’re already like that with each other, so it made it easier to be in the right space for it.

The rest of the team and the audience applauds.

LS: And, it turns out romance ended up kind of becoming a theme of this Games, so that worked out really well.

Interviewer 1: Could you elaborate on that?

LS: (smirking) Actually, I think some of my teammates would be more than happy to.

She looks directly at Jimmy, who puts his hands up in a “don’t look at me” gesture and scoffs.

Jimmy Solidarity: Okay, it wasn’t just me-

LS: Oh, but I’m sure you have something to say about that, right?

JS: Just for that, I’m not going to answer.

Scott Smajor: You know, I think Lizzie is simply talking about Gem’s little gesture to Pearl in the Kiss and Cry.

Scott looks over at Gem who simply raises an eyebrow.

Gem Tay: (chuckling) Sure, Scott, if that’s what helps you sleep at night.

Interviewer 2: Gem, if you don’t mind, we have a question for you.

GT: Go for it.

Interviewer 2: The other day, your partner Pearl shared that the reason she withdrew from this year’s Games was to attend the Figure Skating Committee meeting, specifically to advocate for a change in pairs rules. Was this something you two discussed and did it play a part in your Valentine’s Day announcement?

The table goes silent as everyone processes the question. fWhip and Sausage, sitting on either side of Gem, begin to interject, but she waves them off.

GT: It’s fine, guys. So, this is probably obvious, but Pearl went to the meeting to campaign for the removal of the Moon-Tay rule in pairs. Considering the rule is about and named for both me and her, it’s fair to assume this involves me, but the decision to withdraw was hers alone, and when she told me, I supported her.

The team cheers for Gem’s answer while the audience applauds.

GT: And, as for the Valentine’s Day thing, that was mostly something that me, Pearl, Scott, and Jimmy thought would be funny to do, but I also felt like it was a good way to take some of the heat off of False.

fWhip Tay: Oh my god, I hate that she had to go through that. I remember she was already so stressed about her program and I was honestly worried she was going to explode after the report happened.

Pix Riffs: I don’t want to speak too much on her situation while she isn’t here, but I think the fact that someone felt threatened by her enough to attempt a sabotage just speaks to her immense skill, and I genuinely think she might be the best person currently in this sport.

Sausage Myth: False, if you’re watching this, the whole Empirian team loves you and we think you rock!

The team cheers and applauds.

FT: Alright, does anyone have a lighter question? I wanna keep this energy going.

Interviewer 3: I’ve got one.

SM: Hell yeah!

Interviewer 3: Sausage, Shelby, as a huge Chappell Roan fan myself, I just wanted to ask, what inspired your guys’ gala program and music choice?

SM: You wanna know something interesting? It was actually Katherine who suggested it.

Katherine Elizabeth: Shelby was playing the album all the time, so when she told me you guys couldn’t decide on a song, I was like, why don’t you pick the one that you haven’t stopped listening to?

Shelby Grace: Katherine says this as if she wasn’t also constantly playing the album.

KE: I never said I wasn’t!

SS: Yeah, Katherine also suggested a Chappell song for our gala skate, but then I said we should do Abracadabra and she was like, yeah, that’s a way better idea.

SG: I think this just proves we all have great music tastes.

Everyone chuckles.

Interviewer 4: Alright, we’re just about getting to the end here, so does anyone have anything else they’d like to say?

PR: This is for all of you guys at this table: I’m so proud of all of us. Everyone did so well this year, and I’m not just talking about our results, I genuinely think all of us enjoyed ourselves more than we ever have despite all the things that happened, and I’m just so glad we get to be here.

JB: All of that is correct, but I want to add one more thing: Empiria is the best, and we will sweep the podiums next year.

JS: Yeah we will!

The team cheers and the audience applauds. The conference ends.