#about: nick calder;

[anunkindncss]

A list of miscellaneous headcanons about my boys, so you can learn about them little by little. Forewarning, almost all muses are listed under here. I'll be marking these as we go along as I come up with these bits and pieces one by one.

Peter Parker: After the tragic loss of Gwen Stacy, Peter becomes deeply invested in mentoring younger heroes, feeling a profound responsibility to guide them away from the mistakes he made. He establishes a support network for emerging vigilantes in New York City, offering training and emotional support to ensure they don't face the same hardships alone.

Jason Todd: Despite his hardened exterior and lethal methods, Jason secretly funds and manages a rehabilitation program for former criminals in Gotham. He believes that some individuals can be redirected towards a better path, reflecting his own struggles with redemption. This initiative operates anonymously, ensuring his reputation as the ruthless Red Hood remains intact.

Nick Calder: Growing up in the Hawkins trailer park, Nick developed a deep fascination with mechanics and engineering. He secretly constructs makeshift gadgets to protect the residents from the town's unexplained phenomena. His resourcefulness becomes invaluable during crises, and he often downplays his contributions to keep attention away from himself.

Rory Byrne: Rory keeps a notebook in his nightstand where he writes unsent letters to the people he’s lost—old friends, fallen brothers-in-arms, even Brooke. It’s his form of therapy, a place to process feelings he can’t say aloud. Some pages are tear-stained; others are rage-fueled confessions of how he's barely holding on.

Max Ward: Max sleeps with the lights on, convinced that the shadows hold something waiting to reclaim him. He rotates motels weekly, never forming attachments, but always leaves behind a warded sigil hidden under the bed in case someone else needs it.

Gavin Bellamy: Gavin keeps his 8-year sobriety chip on the chain around his neck, right next to a dog tag that doesn’t belong to him. It’s a quiet reminder of what he’s lost—and what he refuses to lose again.

Berlioz Bonfamille: Berlioz composes music no one will ever hear. He saves it all in a hidden folder on his laptop under the name “Ghosts.” Every melody is for someone who left too soon, and each note carries grief he’s too proud to express aloud. Dmirti Volkov: Dmitri still wears the watch he stole the night the palace burned—broken hands frozen at the hour his life changed forever. He tells people it’s for luck, for style, for sentiment—but really, it’s a reminder that time stopped when he betrayed someone who trusted him. Despite the charm and the quick wit, Dmitri lives in a constant state of quiet guilt, chasing redemption in subtle ways: a coin slipped into the hand of a hungry child, a forged passport for a refugee, a lie told to protect rather than deceive. He doesn’t believe in heroes—not anymore. But sometimes, when no one’s watching, he tries to be one anyway.

Jim Hawkins: Jim has a habit of charting constellations on scraps of napkins, cargo slips, and old receipts—anything he can get his hands on when the stars are visible. He tells people it’s navigational, but really, it’s his way of grounding himself. Each constellation has a name only he knows, tied to the people who left, the ones who stayed, and the version of himself he’s still trying to outrun. The ache of his father’s absence never quite goes away, but he’s learned to fill the hollow with found family, cosmic wonder, and the thrill of being no one’s shadow but his own. Jim Hawkins is still chasing stars—but now, they chase him back.

Jasper Rechter: Jasper never starts a fire he doesn’t mean to finish. He was raised to obey, trained to protect, but somewhere between the leash and the battlefield, he became something else—something dangerous. Every scar on his knuckles tells a story, and none of them end with mercy. Beneath the temper and bark, though, lies a fierce sense of loyalty—earned in blood, not words. Jasper doesn’t trust easily, but if you’re under his protection, he’ll burn the world before he lets harm come your way. And if he loves you? You’ll never feel cold again… because the hellhound never forgets his flame—or who lit it first.

Oz Kallistos: Oz wears sunglasses long after the stage lights fade—not because he’s hungover (though, often, he is), but because the moon’s reflection makes his eyes flash silver, and he hates the reminder. He built his fame on volume and bravado, convincing the world he’s just another reckless frontman with a good jawline and worse habits. But every lyric he writes in the back of tour buses is about the things he’s too afraid to say: the father who called him a monster, the first time he shifted alone, the fear that no amount of applause will ever fill the quiet. He plays like he’s bulletproof, but every song is a dare—prove me wrong. Love me anyway.

Nathan Caldwell: Nathan keeps his war medals in a locked drawer beneath a loaded pistol—not out of pride, but because both are reminders of the men he’s buried. The detective’s badge on his chest may be polished, but the heart behind it is tarnished beyond repair. He walks crime scenes like battlefields, reading the evidence like a language only trauma speaks fluently. He doesn’t believe in justice—just consequences. Nathan never stays anywhere long, doesn’t do small talk, and never takes off his wedding ring, even though she passed years ago. He solves cases like penance, drinks coffee like it’s keeping him from slipping, and never turns his back on a window. Ghosts have a habit of creeping up when you forget to look over your shoulder.

Christian Black: Christian didn’t even know the weight of his last name until it nearly got him killed. Since then, he’s worn it like armor made of broken glass—sharp, glittering, and dangerous to the touch. There’s old magic in his blood, coiled and waiting, but he doesn’t trust it. He was raised by silence and survival, not spellbooks and legacy. His magic burns hotter when he's angry—wildfire with no control—and though the other wizards call him unstable, Christian calls it honest. He fights not to prove his power, but to protect those who’ve ever called him “mine.” He may not want the crown that history handed him, but he'll set the throne on fire before he lets someone else use it to hurt the people he loves.

Evan Rosier: Evan wears his family crest like a brand—heavy, inherited, and burning against his skin. He was born into bloodshed and expectations, told from a young age that loyalty to the Dark was loyalty to his name. But somewhere along the way—perhaps in a stolen moment beneath the Astronomy Tower, or in the hush between duels—he fell in love with someone the war would never allow him to keep. He hides tenderness beneath cruelty, poetry behind politics, and every time he raises his wand, he wonders if he’s already damned or if there’s still time to be anything else. He’s a Death Eater by blood, but a rebel by heart—and that contradiction might be what kills him in the end.

Sawyer Duquette: Sawyer learned how to suture before he learned how to grieve. Every heartbeat he saves feels like one owed—one his uncle Denny never got to keep. He doesn’t talk about the name he carries, but it follows him down every hospital corridor, whispered behind surgical masks and tight smiles. “Duquette” means tragedy in some circles, miracle in others. To Sawyer, it means pressure. Expectation. Debt. He pushes himself harder than any attending ever could, not out of ambition—but obligation. Late at night, he reviews footage of his own surgeries, looking for mistakes no one else saw. When his hands stop shaking, he goes home to an empty apartment and dreams in flatlines. He never cries. Not even when he should.

Jayden Desai: Jayden dyes his hair every time he feels like he’s losing control—turquoise when he's chasing freedom, indigo when he's heartbroken, silver when he wants to disappear. His art is loud, unapologetically messy, and full of contradictions—painted prayers layered with curse words, mandalas cracked down the middle, saints with bleeding knuckles. Raised in tradition, but fueled by rebellion, Jayden walks the tightrope between honoring his roots and carving out something all his own. He loves too deeply, feels too much, and paints like it’s the only way he knows how to survive. There are half-finished canvases all over his apartment, just like there are half-healed pieces of himself he's still learning to hold with grace.

Lucas Graves: Lucas doesn’t talk much, but he notices everything. The subtle shift in someone's voice when they're lying. The way grief lingers in the corners of a room. The shadow of a truth no one else is willing to see. He keeps journals—not case notes, but reflections, sketches of strangers he watches from park benches, poems about the broken beauty of people just trying to get through the day. He became a detective not for justice, but for understanding. Solving puzzles is easier than understanding people, but he’s trying. Bit by bit. One cigarette break, one cracked case, one late-night coffee conversation at a time. He’s not lonely, not exactly—he just hasn’t found anyone who feels real enough to stay.

Baz Garza: Baz never wanted the gift—it showed up in whispers and flickering lights, in cold spots and bleeding headaches. Now he can’t turn it off. Spirits follow him like stray dogs, clawing for attention, confession, vengeance. He drinks too much and sleeps too little, stuffing cotton in his ears like that’ll keep the voices out. He solves cases no one else can because the dead won’t shut up until he does. And even then, some linger. Baz is sarcastic, guarded, always five seconds away from walking out the door—but underneath it all, he wants to help. Even if it kills him. Even if it already has, in some ways. His biggest secret? He talks back to the ghosts. Not because he has to. But because some of them are the only ones who’ve ever listened.

Gil Hernandez: Gil shifts like he drives—too fast, too reckless, and always with his foot slammed on the gas. He’s the kind of guy who jumps into burning buildings without thinking twice, not because he’s brave, but because he hasn’t learned how to slow down. The fire department taught him control; the wolf taught him instinct. Neither taught him how to chill. He’s got a hero complex, a heart too big for his chest, and zero poker face when he’s mad (or in love). His temper burns hot, but so does his loyalty—and once he claims someone as his, they’re protected for life. The hardest thing for Gil? Realizing he doesn’t always have to fight to prove he belongs. Sometimes the bravest thing is just... breathing.

Gar Logan: Gar laughs the loudest so no one hears the silence he grew up in. He’s the team’s comic relief, the heart, the glue—and it’s all intentional. Every joke, every ridiculous transformation, every bright green grin is armor against the truth: that survival came with scars. His shifts are harder when he’s anxious, his form stutters when he’s grieving, and the animal he turns into most often when he’s alone? A house cat—quiet, curled up, seeking comfort. But push come to shove, Gar will always fight for the people he loves, even if it breaks him. He’s not just the wild card. He’s the one who stays. The one who loves hardest. The one who remembers—even when it hurts.

Asher Coleman: Asher doesn’t talk about who he was. Not the temples, the staff entwined with serpents, or the father who struck him down for giving mortals too much hope. These days, he goes by Dr. Coleman, blending into hospitals where miracles come with insurance codes and grief lives under fluorescent lights. He heals without flair now—no gold light, no divine epiphanies—just steady hands and ancient knowledge buried under a white coat. But sometimes, when he’s alone in the OR and the patient flatlines, he feels the old magic stir. And sometimes… he lets it. Not out of pride. Out of guilt. Asher heals others with divine grace, but forgiveness—for himself, for the past—is the one cure he still can’t conjure.

[mitchbeck]

WOLF PACK DROP SEASON FINALE 4-2 TO BRUINS

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack concluded their 2023-24 regular season on Sunday afternoon at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. A third-period tally from the home side proved the difference, as the Bruins took a 4-2 decision. Patrick Brown drove down the right-wing side before threading a pass to the front of the net for Nick Zabaneh. Zabaneh, playing in his first professional hockey game after signing a professional tryout agreement earlier in the day, beat Dylan Garand at 11:11 of the third period. His first career goal proved to be the game-winner. The Wolf Pack would surrender the game’s first goal for the second straight day. Trevor Kuntar rushed to the net this time, getting inside on a defenseman. Kuntar went to the backhand and stuffed home his tenth season goal at 13:29. For the second straight game, the Wolf Pack responded quickly. Victor Mancini threaded a pass to Anton Blidh on the left-wing side, who worked his way into the left-wing circle. Blidh then fed Jake Leschyshyn in front, who buried his eighth season goal at 16:14. 1:28 later, Blake Hillman gave the Wolf Pack their first lead of the hockey game. Off a faceoff win, Mac Hollowell fed Hillman at the point. With Riley Nash and Alex Belzile providing screens in front, Hillman fired a shot into traffic that eluded Brandon Bussi to make it a 2-1 game at 17:42. Nash, who won the faceoff, was awarded the secondary assist. Georgii Merkulov’s team-leading 29th goal of the season got the Bruins even 5:41 into the middle stanza. Garand denied Mason Lohrei’s blast from the high slot, but the rebound came right to Merkulov at the top of the crease. The All-Star forward smashed home the rebound, sending the sides to the final frame with a 2-2 score. Zabaneh’s tally at 11:11 broke the tie for good, restoring the Bruins' lead. Merkulov then completed the first 30-goal season of his career at 18:38, hitting an empty net to seal the deal. The Wolf Pack opens the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs this Thursday night! Game 1 of the club’s best-of-three First Round series will occur at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Wolf Pack battle the Charlotte Checkers. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. For playoff information, please visit hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information. About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOWLINGS Read the full article

[bloodybusiness]

Nick gave a small scoff at the mention of hunting down the perpetrator. Truth be told, he hadn't cared so much to look further into it. His own fault for leaving the bottle out, someone likely had several drinks then tried to hide it; he should have known better given the people they were surrounded by. In the world of crime, it was a petty matter. Though the idea of Suresh hunting anyone down over such a small offense was almost laughable had Nick been in the mood. "And do what, exactly? Thank them? Give them their own bottle?" It wasn't exactly some secret how Suresh felt about his drinking habits.

Not that he was always drunk, there were still moments of stone cold sobriety. And always the first thing he'd point to if anyone mentioned it. That and his high tolerance.

Calder? Well, he supposed he'd make sure no one intervened and heaven help whoever did. One of the people Nick didn't care to oversee given the nature of that business. "Laissez les bons temps rouler, eh, bête?" A ghost of a smile as he got comfortable in his seat once more to resume work. A ghost of his usual self when he wasn't seething. Likely it would last for the next day or two though the man was usually careful to not let it snap on those not involved. "See if you can get me a keychain over there. I'll pay you back."

Suresh had seen Nick at his lowest. This was not that. Exhausted and angry. But not at the end of his tether. Lucky for the book keeper. Suresh's desire for efficiency and finesse almost boded better for the man than other possible options. An execution style shooting over a the side of a boat somewhere. Or into some newly poured foundation. The man would survive the mistake so far. Again lucky.

Keeping a very cool head had been how Suresh had made it through his turbulent family. Through school. How he had made it through prison. It was so ingrained he didn't know how to do anything else. Living his life as like he was in the third-person. A safe distance from his own emotions and the emotions of others. Occasionally feelings broke through or he allowed himself to feel the whole thing.

At the correction he gave a small bow of his head, another small release of tension. "I know." Suresh met the pointed look and cracked a small unapologetic smile. The comment about the watered down booze made Suresh mutter something about Nick's liver in French. "When I come back I'll hunt down the person that watered down your booze." And give them a bonus. He said nothing about the lack of food probably also assisting how angry Nick had gotten. He knew better.

His hand was at the door when the question came. He turned his head, "Calder." He was efficient and suitably imposing. He paused and then said, "Four days and I'll have this sorted. But I'll keep you updated." It didn't occur to him to say anything so trite as 'I'll be fine.'

[st-louis]

i always enjoy reading eric engels’ thoughts.

[ao3feed-larry]

The Greenback Boogie

by LewisWilliamStyles

Louis is a Name Partner at Brown Tomlinson, a prestigious law firm in NYC.

Harry is about to start a job as an Associate in said firm.

When they see each other on Harry's first day of work, it was not the first time they met.

The Suits inspired AU no one asked for.

Words: 28151, Chapters: 8/8, Language: English

Fandoms: One Direction (Band)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Perrie Edwards, Sophia Smith, Shawn Mendes, Nick Grimshaw, Simon Cowell, Gigi Hadid, Mentions of - Character, Kendall Jenner, Florence Pugh, Greg James, Eleanor Calder, Mitch Rowland, Sarah Jones, Ben Winston, James Corden, Original Characters

Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne/Sophia Smith, Perrie Edwards/Zayn Malik, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne

Additional Tags: Explicit Sexual Content, Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Lawyer Louis Tomlinson, Lawyer Harry Styles, Top Louis Tomlinson, Top Harry Styles, Bottom Louis Tomlinson, Bottom Harry Styles, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Light Angst, Spanking, Anxiety Attacks, Past Character Death, Skinny Dipping, Alcohol, Drug Use, New York City, Harvard University

via AO3 works tagged 'Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson' https://ift.tt/CbqXecK

[workingforitallthetime]

Ok…now you have got me wanting to know your thoughts on Blanks/Bean. If you’d like to share.

(I watched him play junior hockey-Bean that is- and I was impressed with his style of play)

i just think their completely opposite stories are compelling, you know? bean’s this pedigreed WHL all-star team canada first round draft pick calder cup winner, and yet he hasn’t lived up to expectations in the nhl and was eventually let go by the franchise that drafted him. nick’s the persistently underrated product of high school hockey and junior A and a college walk-on, and yet he’s arrived in the nhl to immediate success and fan adoration. i could see jake being resentful, or i could see nick being the wake-up call jake needs (as jake’s game the other night would certainly suggest.) either way i think they should kiss about it.

[anunkindncss]

Nick Calder stared at her for a second after her last words, jaw slack like he was still processing how fast the whole thing had spun out of control. The anger she’d thrown at him, the exhaustion lining her face, the way her voice cracked just enough at the edges—like it always did when she was trying too hard to sound stronger than she felt. He sighed. One of those long, quiet exhales that let a little guilt slip out with it. His hand ran through his already-messy hair, grease still clinging beneath his nails from the car he’d been working on when she’d snapped right back at him, blowing down all of his own irritation like some category 5. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, glancing away for a beat, then looking back at her with a softer expression, not wanting her to think he was gonna be an ass. “I didn’t mean that. What I said before. About leaving you there.” He rubbed the back of his neck, voice low now, maybe even a little embarrassed. “That was a dick thing to say. I just—hell, I just don’t know how to help sometimes. I hate seeing you run yourself into the ground.” He took a slow step toward her, eyes dropping briefly to the ground, then flicking back up. “You think caring about yourself is selfish, Nance? It’s not. Not when you’re trying to carry the weight of all this on your own. Not when you’re the only one who still gives a damn about asking the right questions. Pouring over books and maps and shit that'll never make a lick of sense to me.” His mouth twitched at the edge—somewhere between a smile and a frown. “You know I get it, right? The not sleeping. The dreams. The guilt that crawls out of the cracks when you finally slow down. I’m not trying to fix you. I just—don’t wanna see you disappear into this mess. This game of life plays heavy on the heart. Loving people makes it tough, but loneliness? That makes it twice as hard.” Then he turned, walked over to the couch, grabbed the worn-out quilt his aunt had given him last Christmas. A bunch of reds and oranges, frayed at the edges but still warm. He crossed back and held it out to her with both hands, no push this time, no more advice. “Next time you pass out, I’ll make sure you’re covered. Just… try not to make it on the damn floor again. Bad for your back.” A half-smile. “And I’d never leave you there. You know that.”

Argue. Oh how Nancy loved to do it. Like an Olympic sport for her, she rarely backed down. Everyone that knew her could blame her little brother Mike for it, just as relentless as she was when it came to bickering. Their spouts had their mother almost pulling her hair out in frustration trying, and failing, to get them both to stop. Sanctuary found when both either stormed off to the rooms, echoes of slammed doors ringing through the house, or left the house, Nancy with the squealing tires of her car announcing her departure, or Mike screaming one last insult before pedaling off.

So when Nick called out her long hours researching for answers about the Upside Down and whatever monsters that hellhole could bring next… naturally, Nancy got defensive. Someone else having her best interest at heart? No, she took that as a callout for her being weak.

Rest. Nancy couldn’t think of the last time she’d had it. Brain constantly active, it was easier to just stay awake until sleep came to her by complete surprise. When she blinked and oops, hours had passed. Even then… Nancy felt anxious about it. Dreams were now full of nightmares, rarely peaceful, filled with the sound of Barb screaming her name in the background and Nancy stuck in the Upside Down trying to find her best friend. She couldn’t let anyone else go through that trauma… or go through it again.

Especially Nick.

“So then LEAVE, Nick! I’ve never asked you to take care of me!” Oh, Nancy instantly regretted those words. Immediate to push away rather than accept any help or concern, a negative trait of hers, stubborn as all hell. It begged the question of why was she like this? Having done the same with others. Her own family. Friends. Steve. Jonathan.

Teeth ground together, jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. Nick was someone she didn’t want to lose, accidentally caught up in this mess by association with her or being in the trailer park where Eddie and Max both loved, she didn’t know. Taking a steadying breath, nimble fingers reached up through chestnut curls and scrunched handfuls in frustration. Misdirected toward someone just trying to help. “I can’t… rest. Because when I do, things happen. I relax a little bit, go through with my own selfishness thinking of myself, and then something happens that reminds me why I shouldn’t.” Barb when she’d gotten lost in Steve. “Honestly if I’m passed out on the floor? I should be left there. I’ve slept in weirder places.” Smirking a bit at the memories, Nancy flashed softened sky blues toward him. “I mean a blanket’s appreciated if you do find me like that?”

@anunkindncss sent — “I'm not going to stand here and argue with you about how much you need to get some rest. If I find you passed out on the floor I'm leaving you there.” ( Nick to Nancy )

[omgchyeahplease]

hi nick!! either "what's a revenge cake?" (*pie) or "I know it’s my job, but I swear, if you ask me to make another dozen donuts, I will not hesitate to kill you." <3

Bitty is going to murder Jack Zimmermann, legendary winner of both the Calder and NHL Fan Award “Best Instagram Follow” for his geese portraits, infamous yellow sneaker cryptid, owner of an ass that could fell gods, and Itty Bitty Bites regular. 

He is going to murder him, all of Providence will mourn, the Seattle Schooners will declare Bitty their chosen saviour, and the Falconers will put a hit out on him for taking out their Alternate Captain and best player acquisition since Alexei Mashkov took the league by storm. 

“I know it’s my job,” Bitty says, taking a deep, steadying breath, and pasting on his best bless-your-heart smile, “but I swear, if you ask me to make another dozen custom puck donuts, I will not hesitate to kill you.” 

Zimmermann just kind of gapes at him. 

“I liked the protein powder cupcakes. The solid blue cake – no decorations, just blue from filling to batter to icing – was amusing. But I literally cannot make another batch of solid, undecorated grey donuts. I can’t.”

“I can pay extra?” he asks. 

Bitty runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “It’s about the creativity, Zimmermann.”

“You know who I–”

“Of course I know, most of my staff are former hockey bros. I’m a former hockey player, although a bro is perhaps a bit far.” He sighs. “The point is, I can do so much better, you’ve seen – heck, you’ve tasted – what I can do. Why the hell do you keep putting me through the donut ordeal again?”

Zimmermann is kind of quiet for a moment. Then, “Did you have any pregame superstitions?” 

Whatever Bitty expected, it certainly wasn’t that. “I have a Beyoncé playlist I used to run through while taping my sticks?” 

“Okay,” Zimmermann says, “your puck donuts are kind of like my Beyoncé playlist.” 

This man, Bitty thinks. 

[marmolita]

dear tumblr, I cannot keep up with as many fandom social media outlets as there are right now, so I keep falling behind on tumblr, but since I am here now here are my thoughts on this trade deadline monday! which you probably don't care about but too bad you're following me and you get them anyway!

Stars collecting more Finns? Specifically Vatanen who was last season's Canes deadline pickup and was a beast in playoffs? Yeah I'm cool with that.

I was gonna joke about him being a dad friend except first off he's only 29 and second Esa is already somehow the dad even though he's only a year older than Kivi and two years older than Roope

Apparently Miro showed up to watch Roope's instagram live today and dropped some eyes emojis in the chat and I need more content guys pls

Canes trades, also fine by me I think. Fleury was fine but I wasn't super attached to him. I enjoy the fact that they were like "hey we keep getting stomped in playoffs because we don't have a big tough guy to muscle everyone out of the way so Aho et al can do their thing" so they went out and got a big tough guy to muscle people out of the way and create space. Good move, Canes.

Taylor/Tyler full circle completion. I hope Taylor brings his curse to the Bruins because if the Bruins end up in the cup final and it happens to be against the Canes (wacky that that could occur this year, but it could!), and the Bruins win, I might ragequit all of hockey

I guess some big names got moved around in other teams! but I gotta be honest I don't really care

okay wait I guess there's one I kind of care about and that's Nick Foligno becoming part of the Maple Leafs dad collection....or is it the Mitch Marner dad collection?

and yeah okay I guess I care about Matthew Tkachuk losing his buddies

Avs made a lot of moves but I honestly haven't even been following them this season. They never play my other teams and west division games are all on when I'm going to sleep. Shrug. I'll care when we're in the playoffs.

Tyler maybe coming back in two weeks???????????? /insert a hundred eyes emojis

JASON ROBERTSON FOR CALDER

I hope Dylan Larkin welcomes the new guys to the Wings in the sluttiest possible way

this meme post kills me because it's true

Miro and Roope been looking GOOD in the stars miscellaneous photos as seen here

the smut4smut deadline has passed and I filled my two assignments but I'm still working on a treat for one of my recips and I want to finish it in time but WHAT IF I DON'T, alas, it's half the omegaverse tripping me up and half the playoff timeline

[anunkindncss]

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: Nicholas Calder

Nickname(s): Nick, Mr. mom

Age: 22 (Verse Dependent)

Date of Birth: May 4th

Hometown: Hawkins, IN

Current Location: Hawkins, IN (verse dependent)

Gender: cis male.

Pronouns: he/his.

Orientation: bisexual.

Occupation: mechanic.

Living Arrangements: Motorhome. 

Language(s) Spoken: english.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE 

Face Claim: jeremy allen white.

Hair Colour: brownish blonde.

Eye Colour: blue.

Height: 5'11”

Tattoos: x, x, x.

Piercings: both ears.

Clothing Style: blue collar, white tees, suspenders, jeans.

PERSONALITY

Label: the guardian.

Positive Traits: patient, understanding, kind-hearted.

Negative Traits: naive, reckless, patronizing.

Hobbies: tinkering, reading, baseball.

FAMILY

Father: unknown.

Mother: Linda Calder (missing)

Sibling(s): N/A.

Children: N/A.

Pet(s): Blue (great dane).

Family’s Financial Status: lower class.

EXTRA

Zodiac Sign: Taurus.

Species: Human.

Fandom: Stranger Things.

BIOGRAPHY:

Nick has always believed in one thing: what's meant to be will simply be. Born to a mother who didn't want him, and no discernible father to raise him, Nick relied on his wits and the kindness of those around him. Fortunately in the trailer park, kindness was offered freely to those in need. And with Nick's mother constantly in and out, Nick needed a ton of it.

One of the other residents of the Hawkins Trailer Park noticed Nick probably needed something to do, something that kept him out of trouble and away from his mother. So he began showing the boy how to work on engines. The old man used to tell Nick stories of how he was once a sailor and saw the world. But how he missed out on so much giving himself to just one thing. He made Nick swear to have endless passion and love for many things, and room in his heart for people. But to always work for all of the above.

Nick agreed easily. He was always trying to look after those around him, even those his own age like Eddie Munson. It didn't always end with total success but he became known, and well liked among the others who were deemed mistfits or lost.

When his mother finally decided she'd had enough playing mom, leaving Nick with the trailer home at 16, Nick did what he knew how to do. He worked. Apprenticing under a local mechanic, Nick easily became one of the more well liked in the shop. He saved every scrap of penny, and the old man helped as well, making sure Nick had enough to get by and sharing meals. Before long, Nick opened his own shop on the other side of town, right by the Park, and started living his life as he'd promised. Full of love, passion, and people.

[trail-of-harts]

✘Three people here you want to fight and why?

Calder, for obvious reasons

Nick cause I think it’d be fun

Jackie cause...I mean come on I gotta at this point right?! If I loose I loose but for fucks sake you can’t just go about saying things without proving them.

[salvadoerena]

Who are your favourite OCs?

Listen. I have so many OCs it’s not even funny so I’m going to have to narrow it down to top 9 because that’s the smallest unit I can make in some vague but non-representative order.

Seraetia

James Nigel Kirkland

Pirate Captain, navy admiral defectee

Trauma re: identity and autonomy.

Out for revenge but unsure if it’s for himself or others, or if it will make him feel better

Just wants to feel normal again

Loves lots, but relationships are complicated for obvious reasons

Twunk

“Unfortunately, I have a conscience.”

James is one of those characters that I have SO much to say about that I absolutely blank out anytime someone asks. I’ve got a side blog dedicated to seraetia tho.

Misses Abel Dearly

Robert Jones (note: the image is a winged AU)

“I want that twunk obliterated”

Outwardly Sophisticated gay man in a het marriage for the power and job security, but he absolutely hates it. Having an affair with his son’s tutor.

He legitimately despises where he is in life, never wanted a wife (obviously) and never wanted a son, but he’s too afraid of change to do anything about it

Humble beginnings that don’t excuse current actions

Basically one of James’ foils; he’s the one who helped train him when James became admiral.

Yes I took a lot of inspiration from Flint and Silver Black Sails except instead of being in love these two hate each other

He would be a cubs fan irl

Inside he’s a messy disaster with dead siblings

Abel Calder Jones 

Robert’s son. So obviously he’s already doomed.

Family trauma. Robert ignores his existence and his mother, Beatrice, treats him like a doll or a prop

Obsessed with his image (thanks parents)

Was engaged to James, but James ended up breaking it off with him when Abel refused to leave the Navy. Then James stabbed him because he was going to force James to stay.

Anger issues that he never addresses

Current Navy admiral--not as good as James not for lack of skill, but because his entire admiralty is based off of spite and contempt for James, and also some heartbreak. Thinks if he ones up James then maybe he’ll come back.

Still very much in love with James but it’s irreversibly tarnished and intertwined with his bitterness and contempt for everything James has done and come to represent (i.e: his failures)

William Byrne

i love him

he’s a repressed bisexual whose first relationship did not leave him with a healthy understanding of boundaries which makes navigating his relationship with emmanuel so much more difficult

cares a lot about what his family thinks (for now)

would have a pet pig 100% without a doubt

house husband who craves domesticity

whenever i listen to “Teir Abhaile Riu” by celtic woman I always daydream about how he ends up meeting Emmanuel at a bar, they hit it off, he runs away from his home (stealing a horse to do so) and joins the crew and like takes the first steps to embracing himself

he still holds onto a coin/necklace from his first boyfriend, mirek, due to guilt and unresolved feelings, but eventually he’ll just drop it somewhere once he finally comes to term with things

quartermaster of the ellina and james’ best friend and confidant 

Jean “Rasstrelnikov” Utkin

he knits

boatswain

transguy who thought one way of being perceived as a man would be to pick a ridiculously hypermasculine nick name (rasstrelnikov AKA “the executioner”) but only he calls himself that. most other pirates know him by Caladian Tiger (top scars looking like stripes. he’s a furry though so he’s like. secretly pleased by it)

his main priority is his brother, Pasha, and by extension their step-sister, Katherine, who he holds a grudge against because he hates her mother (his step-mom) and because Kathy is....stubborn in her ways (don’t worry she gets better)

best friend is Beni. they had a mutual crush on each other that ended up going no where because neither acted on it and then they moved on. he’s now in love with a member of a rival ship, Thomas, who is basically a socks-n-sandals bard man

he loved economics and business but hates capitalism. don’t ask him how that’s possible he’ll just call you mean names and say “i just think they’re interesting”

he’s a jerk and i love him

D&D

Dolores Vryakina

i love her

love love love love love love lover her

she’s got a chicken named Nahreena and they’re best friends

she’s a dragonborn bard with a southern accent who plays the balalaika.

she’s got a fairly good moral compass, but has some anger issues. she’s basically a bardbarian because this was my first dnd character and i didn’t know how to balance stats lol a legitimate herbo if i do say so myself

she loves lots and has a habit of making little hats for people. one time she cast speak with animals and managed to get out of a fight with a pit of snakes by asking politely. helped avoid a fight with two stone dragons by asking politely. gave a child scoliosis trying to help him escape from a magic fight club. froze a man and used his decapitated head to hit his fellow bandit, then cast shatter on the frozen body. 

she was a chicken farmer/tavern bartender before everything started out!! now she’s an adventurer who’s gotten roped into saving a kingdom.

she cares deeply about her party members, Ilian, Charthos, and Rilzir, even though she (thinks) knows they don’t care as deeply about her. it makes her feel a bit inadequate at times.

the chicken controls her (no she doesn’t) (yes she does) (no) (but yes) (who knows!)

Welcome to Irth

Cyril Gonzalez

vampire-witch. in irth all witches have a specific magical medium (like paint or music or some such thing). cyril’s is tea leaves. essentially, what they do is “divine” an outcome based off the tea leaves, and their divination casts a spell. ex: cyril tosses some leaves in their cup and goes “hmm. tea leaves say i’ll get a refill” and their cup refills with whatever they were drinking

they’re a small business owner. they’ve got a tea shop called TragiTea that also doubles as their house. they run the night shift, and their best friend (possibly 👀 more  👀 👀) lonelletha+her sister thelma run the day shift. cyril has not hired anyone else because quite frankly their standards are stupid high and they don’t trust others. this leads to some, uh, varying hours in their shop.

when lonnie is kidnapped, they end up travelling with dominick in order to get her back

very mean, very sarcastic, very huge jerk. to put it in layman’s terms: the epitome of a tsundere

spoiler: they fall in love with dominick

Dominick Salazar

peryton-cervitaur

catholic

he is MEGA shy and stutters a lot because of it. he’s got some uh, self-worth issues going on in there, which cyril does not help with in the beginning

in love with lonnie

cyril absolutely hates him (at first  👀 👀). but that’s fine because he hates them too, at the very least he’s not fond of them. cyril’s mean to him (JEALOUSYYYYY TAKIN OOOOVER MEEEE) until he ends up saving them one time.

his arc is basically realizing he has to advocate for himself even if no one else does, and that just because people tell him he’s one thing doesn’t mean he is (similar to lonnie’s arc)

he’s a gym rat but in a polite way

i feel like he’d run a flower shop. he doesn’t, but he has that energy.

gets mind controlled at one point because i cannot behave and i love the trope (ends up fighting cyril before cyril can break him out of it)

spoiler: he falls in love with cyril

Lonelletha Rainsford

the cutest lil faun you ever did she

flowers in her hair that keep her in good health and good company. faun hair does not grow back, so if she cuts it, she loses those flowers. they’re VERY useful magical items though ( 👀 👀 👀 )

i love pulling her out of irth and using her as a therapist for all my seraetia aus just because she’s got therapist energy even though she, herself, desperately needs one

her arc is essentially coming to view herself as someone worthy of love and respect, and that her maturity isn’t something that defines her

she is TINY

i love her she dresses like an 80s jazzercise instructor

has a boyfriend named Estaban (Estafan? i kept forgetting his name and ended up writing both in my scripts lol)

catholic

double spoiler: she ends up with cyril and dominick (polyam rights am i right?)

[thornescratch]

ALEX OVECHKIN

Obviously it was a special moment to win the Calder, because it was a big battle between me and Crosby. I had more points than him, but I felt like, "He is Canadian, and he is probably going to win it." We went there just for fun. Of course my family was there and my agent was there, and I was like, "Whatever. Whatever happens, happens."

And when I won it, I didn't even prepare my speech because I was a hundred percent sure Sid was going to get it. And I was shocked. As soon as I won it, I was shocked. I was like, "Holy moly, what do I have to say?" My speech was tremendous, I think. And Olie won, and we drafted Nicky.

As soon as you look back and remember all of the moments we have had together, we have had ups and downs. We have had good nights, we have bad nights. We have good days, bad days. But it doesn't matter what happened, we always kind of look back because we knew it's me and him that was going to carry this team until the moment when we won. That was something special, because basically we built this franchise. I was first guy who came into the league, and he was second. This is my 15th [season] and him the same. It's crazy how times fly, but that's something special that me and him are still here together. Of course, different guys have come in and lots of talent has come into the league and to the team, but it's not the same. Me and him came to the team when it was rebuilding. They built a new organization, a new franchise, and it's something special.

TED LEONSIS

I'll never forget when we had this season ticket holder event, and there was all this speculation. We did a good job of keeping it quiet, and I said, "I have good news and I have bad news. What you've been reading about Alex signing a five-year extension, it's just not true." And it was like, "Oh, he's leaving - there was already chatter: Montreal and all the Canadian teams." And then I said, "He's staying for 13 years!" and the place went nuts.

...I remember we had the announcement, and Nick drove him here and was hanging out with him. And that - I think - compelled [Nick] to say, "Well, I want to be here. I'll do 10 years." And so then you have your two first-round picks - both bedrock guys - committed to the community long term.

OLIE KOLZIG It's still so hard to put it into words. I mean, it was so surreal and I think it still is. Watching the [Cup] Final this past June and seeing St. Louis celebrate, I just put myself back at T-Mobile Arena. We had the countdown, and we had the whole staff up there, and we were just jumping around like we were little kids. And then we went down on the ice.

I still can't really put it into words. It was obviously one of the most special moments I will ever feel. But I think that really the coolest part of that whole day and that whole night was when Ovi came over. We hadn't really connected on the ice at all; he was doing his photo opps and he had his family there. He was getting ready to leave the ice with the Stanley Cup, and out of the corner of his eye he saw me, and he turned right around and skated over to me with the Cup. He said, "Can you believe we did this, bitch?" And he handed it to me. To me, that was my favorite moment of that whole run, that whole experience.

This entire article is just a fantastic love letter to and description of how the Ovechkin era got started, starting with the Caps winning the lottery and including quotes from a ton of old teammates and it’s so, so Ovi, from freaking out over winning the Calder and drafting Nicky to handing the Cup to Olie Kolzig, the goalie he grew up with.

“Can you believe we did this, bitch?” What an icon.

[ao3feed-larry]

Mystery to Me

by ReverseAsile

Harry is a normal 17-year-old, he’s the football captain, practically an open book. And he’s starting to develop an interest in solving mysteries.

Louis’ a 17-year-old with many secrets you wouldn’t have guessed he had unless you were friends with him—not many were. There was something off about the boy.

But there’s only one mystery Harry’s interested in solving and Louis isn’t giving answers so easily.

Words: 8094, Chapters: 5/?, Language: English

Fandoms: One Direction (Band)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: M/M

Characters: Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Ed Sheeran, Nick Grimshaw, Eleanor Calder, Gigi Hadid, Camille Rowe, Kendall Jenner, Maya Henry, Sophia Smith

Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Gigi Hadid/Zayn Malik

Additional Tags: The Rippers, The Author Regrets Nothing, Pining, Love, Harry falls for Louis first, Mysterious Louis Tomlinson, Death, Biker Gang, Drugs, Zayn Malik & Louis Tomlinson Friendship, Teenage One Direction, Alternate Universe - No One Direction, OT5 Friendship (One Direction), Mystery, Louis is on a first name basis with the teachers, Louis and Liam are twins, Liam is a new student, Niall Horan & Harry Styles Friendship, Larry Stylinson Is Real

via AO3 works tagged 'Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson' https://ift.tt/eTU4xEl

[bobby-hockey]

THE HOCKEY PROJECT: A Catalog

Truly, the number of hockey boys I write is absurd. Under the cut you’ll find a description of all the ‘arcs’--or mini-WIPs--within the Hockey Project. (If you see this reblogged, it means there’s been an update, and there are more hockey boys. Feel free to ask to be tagged for a specific arc, or for all of them.) 

1984 The year? 1984. The Winter Olympics? Underway. Jolene Pattison? America’s best goalie.

405 face-off Avery Hope plays for the Seattle Thunderbirds at one end of the I-405. Nick Jagers plays for the Everett Silvertips at the other. A love song for the greater Seattle region.

bar down Jason has been half in love with Conrad, his liney, since they were kids. It's fine.

beaut Dylan Beaubouee gets hit and, for the first time in his life, doesn't immediately get back up. Hundreds of miles away, his ex d-partner Simon Sarkarian overdoses. Together, they recover.

birdcage Quintino Raineri doesn't belong here. In a single night the NHL team he had been drafted to was reduced to only a handful of players, and Quin went from being Harvard's goalie to playing for an honest to god NHL team. One of his fellow NCAA-turned-NHL athletes, Jesse Kovaks, former captain of the Michigan State Spartans, gets it. Like fish out of water, they become friends.

blue line pinch River Dawson, a solid but troubled defenseman, ends up in hotter water than he expects. Three weeks, a phone call, and a plane ride later he's in Port Sterling with a baby on his hip. But there's one person he didn't account for—his new defense partner, who takes no shit and no prisoners.

bottle rocket Toby McCallum is the only girl McCallum. The only girl on her hockey team. The only girl allowed in the boys' changing room—well, not anymore, since rink management pitched a fit about there being a girl in the boys' room, and now Toby has to use the girls' locker room. Enter Stacy Watanabe, a figure skater whose team practices at the same time the hockey team does.

dangle & deke Zach Reddall, as the Port Sterling Skimmers' play-by-play announcer, isn't supposed to hate any of the Skimmers, but fuck if Bradford Chandler, every single frat boy distilled into a single terrible human being, doesn't get on his nerves. A story about growth, potential, and learning to unlearn.

dump and chase They met at hockey camp years ago, back when Jack McCallum was a nobody from a small town in Oregon and Phillip DeCoteau was a rising star from Toronto. Now, they face each other as equals on the ice, and both face the things they've never talked about.

five for fighting Karel Krejčí gets divorced, moves halfway across the country, sleeps around, plays hockey, gets hurt, starts fights, gets hurt more, and falls in love.

gloves off  After the bus crash that irrevocably changes the Washington Capitals, everything is different. Mally and Tamps adjust. 

gongshow Sasha Molchalin tells him that in three months he'll die, which is the weirdest chirp Clarence Taylor has possibly ever heard. Three months later, the team bus gets hit by a semi. Clarence Taylor is dead for three minutes, and then he's comatose, and then he's spiritually linked to his fucking rival, which is like. That's great. Like his day couldn't get any worse.

lighting the lamp What happens when problematic coaching practices are systematic, not incidental? And what happens to the kids who've moved on? For Kirby and Nordy, signing to a Port Sterling Skimmers team in turmoil after the toxic nature of the University of Michigan's men's hockey program was exposed almost feels like escape--almost. But unlearning the things the University of Michigan taught them is a longer and harder battle than anyone anticipates, and the journey has only just begun.

odd man rush At the end of his Calder-worthy rookie season, breakout forward Jeremy Fitzpatrick gets traded from the struggling Vancouver Canucks to the hopeless Port Sterling Skimmers, bringing with him versatility, high scoring capability, and something that could divide the hockey world straight down the middle.

save selection Johnathan Dickinson is better known for his Tumblr blog than for his goaltending, which is how he likes it. He doesn't need to be good at goaltending to be good at goalie analysis, and analysis--and GIFs of goalies losing their shit--is what his blog is known for. But then the Flyers backup gets sent down, Johnny gets pulled up, and he has to learn how to cover for himself--and fast.

scramble At 5′5″, Mitty is the shortest player in the NHL. At 6′10″, Marty is the tallest. They are teammates, best friends, and partners in crime. 

sharpshooter Dallas Lee falls in love hard and fast and easy, and falling in love with Selby Montague is no different. But then there's the problem of Reese Holowinski, and also the fact that they're all teammates.

splitting the d Patty-and-Dunks, defensemen for the Seattle Thunderbirds, are inseparable--or, at least, that's what everyone thinks. Truthfully, they've been split before, and they'll be split again, but they'll find their way home to each other--somehow they always do.

stay in the crease Bryan Weaver doesn't go into the season expecting anything different from his rookie backup, especially since he managed to run off the last three. If he functionally adopts the kid, it's nobody's business but his own.

tape to tape What happens at Junior Worlds should stay at Junior Worlds. Right? Unfortunately, that's not the case for Finland native Tahvo Kyllonen—the year after the Junior Worlds tournament where he developed the world's most poorly timed crush on American Chase Atkins, they both end up playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and—even better—playing on the same goddamn line. Now if Chase would stop smiling at Tahvo like that, that would be fantastic.

tic-tac-toe Carson “Kitty” Kittka is a sweet rookie in the brutal world of professional hockey. Elias Koskela, captain of the Port Sterling Skimmers, is a little worried. Just a little bit. 

top shelf Everyone keeps saying the starting goalie for the Flames, Andrej Novik, is a nice guy, but Matthew Klatzky, his backup, doesn't see it. Like, really doesn't see it.

[awayfromthedesk]

In the soil, underwater and on the table. A look into small food production in Monterey County during shelter in place.

By Marielle Argueza, Nick Rahaim and Ivan Garcia

Standing knee deep in rows of fennel, Mackenzie Leek, a vegetable farmer, grabs a bulb by the fibrous stalk, pulling it swiftly from the soil. She inspects the plant’s pale green layers before pulling out a knife to slice off the uneven bits “Everyone grows celery here,” she says. “No one grows fennel. That’s why I wanted to do it,” she says.

Except for her fennel and some carrots, the growing is sparse, with half her lot unplanted for now. But organic farming takes time and patience—except maybe during a pandemic.

Before the economic shock of COVID-19, 27-year-old Leek, was in between decision making. Her two-acre plot which she rents from the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, or ALBA, is where she grows vegetables for her business Basanti Organics. But the small dimensions of her farm restrict her from expanding her business in different ways like opening a farmers market stall, or selling to restaurants. 

Most of her operations are wholesale to Coke Farms in San Juan Bautista, just like of fellow ALBA neighbors.The other, much smaller side, is her CSA deliveries, or community supported agriculture, in which she prepares a box of her vegetables for customers on a weekly basis. On top of that there was a time crunch. She only has around two more years on the land before her lease runs out.

By the beginning of 2020, she started considering shutting down the CSA. “I was seriously thinking about stopping,” she says. “It didn’t make [monetary] sense. I’m only one person on this farm.”

But in early March with shelter in place orders from the county, her subscriptions to her CSA shot up. She went from having 48 customers to 59 in a matter of a couple weeks, which is big for a single-worker farm. She attributes the rise to people’s reticence to go to grocery stores and farmers markets. “I don’t know, maybe people who used to buy their food at the grocery stores are scared now,” she says. But she also thinks it has something to do with an entire demographic who have effectively stopped participating in the mainstream economy: seniors. “Little old ladies,” says Leek. “Most of my customers are these older ladies in Carmel Valley. So I drop their vegetables right on their doorstep.” 

While business is good now, she is hesitant to celebrate her success, because it all hinges on uncertainty. “Yeah, it’s really weird. In a lot of ways it’s good for me, but I wonder what’s going to happen after this whole thing is over.” Sheltering in place, at least tentatively for Monterey County ends on May 3. 

Leek is a very small piece of the greater picture that is Monterey County’s  $4.25 billion agricultural industry. As food production is essential work during the pandemic, even she and her two-acre plot business, are exposing consumers—who may not have previously given a second thought about where their food comes from—to what it takes to put food on the table. In just a matter of weeks for Leek, it has meant making real-time decisions like keeping her CSA going, but it is also a waiting game. She’s not alone, every local food-related industry from local fishing to the burgeoning restaurant scene has been adapting, but also bracing for the impact that will inevitably follow. Many small businesses, like Leek’s farm, are predicting it will be very ungraceful on their part.

“People will really see how important it is to support local producers,” she says. “That’s my hope anyway.”

--

On a sunny day in early April, Calder Deyerle motors his boat back to Moss Landing with a load of sablefish. He spots a pod of killer whales feeding on a baby gray whale. Schools of anchovies rise from the depths of the water and are closely followed by hungry sea birds.

After a decade of ecological flux, spurred by the climate-driven marine heatwave, commonly called the “blob,” followed by a strong El Niño, life on the waters of the Monterey Bay has settled back into a rhythm of normalcy. It’s on land where fishermen and women like Deyerle face unprecedented uncertainty as COVID-19 has left seafood markets in disarray.

“The markets are shot,” he says. “Most of the fishermen are shut down right now, they just don’t have anyone to sell their catch to.”

The small port of Moss Landing is quiet with restaurants shuttered, the normal flow of sightseers disrupted by orders to shelter in place, and marine science institutions like Moss Landing Marine Labs and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute closed. Commercial fishing is deemed an essential business, so fishermen and women try to stay on the water bringing sustainable, wild-caught seafood to consumers. Yet, how local catch is delivered to those customers has fundamentally changed.

Around 80 percent of seafood caught in the United State that is sold domestically is delivered to restaurants, says Noah Oppenheim, the outgoing executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. With most restaurants closed the bottom has dropped out of the market. Some fishermen have kept their boats tied up because they have no one to buy their catch, Deyerle says. Others like Deyerle are earning less for what they harvest.

Deyerle hails from a fishing family and typically fishes around a small fleet of Deyerle boats captained by his father, uncle and younger brother. The family also owns the Sea Harvest restaurants and markets in Carmel Monterey. The markets remain open and the restaurants are serving food to-go, but business has slowed down significantly since the state imposed lockdowns to slow the spread of the novel  coronavirus.

Real Good Fish, a Moss Landing-based community-supported fishery that delivers boxes of fresh, locally caught seafood direct to consumers, has seen a sharp spike in business in recent weeks, says owner Alan Lovewell. But, the increased sales seen by Real Good Fish, and other direct-to-consumer businesses like Ocean2Table and H&H Fresh Fish in Santa Cruz, haven’t come close to making up for the lost demand from restaurant closures.

“There are fishermen who need jobs, they want to go fishing and there are still people who want their fish,” Lovewell says. “But without the restaurant market it’s still really tough.” 

Deyerle sells some of his blackcod to Real Good Fish, but both he and Lovewell say there’s more fish coming from fishermen than CSFs can handle. Another formerly lucrative market for Deyerle is selling live sablefish and thornyhead rockfish to Asian buyers in San Jose, but those sales have dropped off significantly. Most of his catch is now being frozen for the Japanese export market, but it’s less profitable yielding around a third of the value as local purchases.

There’s still activity on the Monterey Bay, squid have shown up and with them most of the California squid fleet, Deyerle says. Almost all of the squid caught in California is exported and that market already faced significant shocks through President Donald Trump’s trade war with China.

Most fishermen are now looking ahead to the salmon season on the Monterey Bay, set to open May 1. After four years of wet winters filling streams and allowing returning salmon to spawn, 2019 was the best salmon season in two decades. This year was expected to be another strong season until the economic impacts of the pandemic struck. Now fishermen fear there won’t be enough buyers to support the local catch and that the prices they can sell California king salmon will leave them in the red.

“Everything with COVID-19 is so fluid it's hard to make predictions right now,” Deyerle says. “But my main question right now is ‘what the heck are we going to do with the salmon once we catch them?’”

Organizations like the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust have stepped in to try to connect consumers to fishermen in this time of crisis. The nonprofit has compiled a local catch guide where people support the local seafood economy while also providing themselves with a tasty, nutritious meal.

--

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced restaurants to radically change how they do businesses. 

For Villa Azteca, a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Old Town Salinas, this change prompted an end to the days of packed dining rooms, chalkboard specials and mimosas for Sunday brunch.

Adilenny Alvarez, the daughter of chef and owner Susana Alvararez, usually manages the payroll and serves. Since shelter-in-place has prohibited in-restaurant dining her duties have expanded to taking orders, prep work and developing recipe ideas. The change is clear to her.

“Right now our business is totally different than when people were able to come in,” Alvarez says. “It’s obviously slower but luckily we’ve been getting support from takeout orders.”

That support comes in the form of take-out orders can't compare to the consistent business from being open. Though evenings, especially Fridays, garner a sufficient amount of orders Alvarez notes midweek, days are sometimes too slow to stay open for. 

One saving grace has been an increased use of the restaurant's Instagram. 

“We are managing by staying active on social media,” Alvarez explains. “This has given some opportunity for my mom’s creative side to come out.”

Susana’s menu receives praise for adding innovation to traditional Mexican dishes and she continues this practice amidst the pandemic. Recent posts on Villa Azteca’s Instagram include a tall glass of vegan horchata made from oats and coconut and beer-battered cauliflower tacos nestled in bright green tortillas made with spinach. Since the shelter-in-place orders took effect in Monterey County, their Instagram has averaged four new posts a day. The content isn’t relegated to recipes either. One post features an image of trays of rice and birria delivered to the emergency departments of the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital as a display of gratitude. 

A March 27 video post from chef Susana explains the choice to stay open.

“As you know we are living in difficult times,” Susana says in Spanish. “My main concern is my employees and for them we are offering orders for take out.”

The initial announcement of shelter-in-place compelled feelings of uncertainty from some of Villa Azteca’s small staff. 

“The first few days it was really hectic here,” Adilenny says. “Me and my brother had to step up and take calls for orders because we had to cut on some floor staff.”

Now, nearly three weeks since restaurants have shut their doors to diners, Adilenny feels that she’s getting used to what is normal for now. 

A reliable access to fresh ingredients has helped ease the transition amidst so much change. Fresh produce staples like citrus and cauliflower are largely bought from Fresh Market Produce off East Alisal. And with business down due to closing the dining room, Villa Azteca isn’t suffering a shortage in its inventory. 

While the family behind Villa Azteca finds ways to remain open amidst this global crisis, Adilenny suggests ways the community can support their effort and their staff.

“The biggest way people can help now is just order from us if you can,” Adilenny says. “Because getting orders is what keeps us open.” 

--

On one of the bumpy dirt roads that criss-crosses over the ALBA land, a controlled burn sends soft billows of grey smoke into the air. Two plots away, workers sit on the back of their pickup taking a break from planting, while Mackenzie Leek greets her nextdoor farming neighbor. They talk about equipment and he helps her load the wheelbarrow into the bed of her Toyota Tacoma. 

“Not much has changed for them,” says Leek of her neighbors and their working conditions. She explains that though there are now new workplace rules, sometimes it’s impossible on a farm to keep six feet away, or bring a clean mask to work when there are none to buy. 

She has options at least. She knows she can make an extra profit, even if it’s for the short term. Many of the neighboring farmers around her, who are undocumented immigrants, don’t have the choice of starting a public facing business. 

With few lucrative economic prospects, and few other businesses open and hiring, farming to supply wholesale buyers is their only feasible option to make a living. That means, explains Leek, they can’t stop working or choose to stay home safe. “What else can they do? They have families,” she says.

She can commiserate as a one-woman farm—she is both the boss calling the shots and 90 percent of the time, the only worker. While the pandemic has forced business owners to make decisions, often without any planning, she hasn’t lost perspective. Hardwork puts food on the table, no matter who is making a profit. 

She points to her neighbors from her plot. “They’re here from when the sun goes up and don’t leave sometimes until the sun is way down.”