#actually I had a pretty good Valentine's day in 2022 even though I had an intense unrequited crush

[iamonlyhereforthefreefood]

I am so glad I don't have a crush currently so I can actually enjoy Valentines Day instead of being like "I'm going to die alone why must I endure this suffering"

[flvcr]

ᴡᴇꜱᴛᴍᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴀꜱᴋ ₀₀₁ : ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴜʀᴠᴇʏ

𝙬 / 𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙤𝙧

ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴇᴛɪᴇɴɴᴇ

when you think of westmere, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?  

❝ i guess it’s more of a feeling for me ? this sense of warmth. it’s just bits and pieces engrained in my mind of those in town. it’s starting to feel like home for me ? i mean, i’ve moved around a lot, and although i think back on those cities fondly, this is a new one for me. ❞

have you read rw wallace’s books?  if you have, which ones your favorite?

❝  i’ve read through them all, mainly as a result of joining a book club in town - some a couple times more than the others. if i had to choose, i think my favorite one is secret identities. although i’ve marked up corruption and creation a bunch, that one’s pretty solid. i read the first when i moved to new york, and then once i discovered it was inspired by westmere i knew i needed to come visit, and ever since it’s definitely lived up to the hype set in merelake. ❞

what spot is your favorite in town and why?  

❝ favorite ? hm, the gazebo, at night, is a bit surreal. there’s this bit of stillness for a moment that just seems to encompass the entire town, and the very next second the crickets are chirping, it’s almost like you can hear everything yet NOTHING all at the same time. ❞

if you were stranded at night, who’s the first person you’d call and why?

❝ @sebmeier​ . let’s just hope the poor sod isn’t standing beside me this time. oh, cause he’d put the pedal to the vettel. but if he’s with me, @mcttie​ - it’s a given. ❞

how often do you talk to your parents/family?

❝ we text here and there throughout the week, my parents and siblings alike. we have a family group chat, ha, um, but it’s nice. i call my mum on thursdays, we’ll facetime and have a proper meal together. if my siblings are visitng, or dad is around they’ll join too. ❞

how would your best friend describe you?  what about your worst enemy?

❝ probably in the same fashion - an ass that just won’t quit. i’m only kidding. perhaps more along the lines of me being a pain in the ass ? ❞

do you like celebrating birthdays?  what about holidays?

❝ birthdays ? hm, no, well not my own. i do enjoy gift giving though, and writing a card, so i guess i enjoy others birthdays. holidays, eh, it more so depends on the one. i enjoy halloween, that dream-like christmas bubble of time is a bit uncanny, and i’m a proper sucker for valentine’s day. all the others are a bit of a wash. no offense to the easter bunny and what not. ❞

do you believe in ghosts?  aliens?  are you a conspiracy theorist?

❝ ghosts ? definitely. growing up in montpellier, i could’ve sworn there was this girl that used to come and play with me, but a couple years back when i tried to explain her to my parents, they said they had no idea who i was describing. aliens? there’s absolutely no way we’re the highest form of life in this galaxy, if so, that’s awfully depressing. i guess you could say i’m a conspiracy theorist, i mean, i’m not sold on the ideology of lizard people quite yet, but i do often slip into the online void - some of those just ... click, y’know ? ❞

if you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d do?

❝ lately i’ve been thinking of designing some type of rec center filled with after school programs and an ice rink, of course. although, i don’t necessarily need to win the lottery to really set it in motion, i suppose. regardless, i think it’d be a bit exciting to develop a program that’d engage with the youth of westmere, it’s a bit shoddy now, but who knows ? maybe one day it’ll come together. ❞

is the glass half full or half empty?

❝ that all depends on what you’re putting into it, hm ? are you taking or giving ?  ❞

are you more at home in a room full of people or being alone?

❝ of course i enjoy spending time with others, but a room FULL of people sounds a bit nightmarish.  i read this thing about how you become the most like the five people you surround yourself with, but it makes me wonder, at what points are you ever truly yourself ? i figure you can only find out when you’re completely alone. ❞

are you someone who follows a routine every day or prefers the spontaneity of life?

❝ a mix of both ? during training and the hockey season, i think a routine is a bit easier to follow. however, knowing i’m out for the season, i’m looking forward to the spontaneity of life here in westmere. ❞

do you want kids someday?  if you already have kids, would you want more?

❝ i haven’t really thought that far ahead. someday, maybe ? i do enjoy spending time with @salingcr​ and his rugrats, so why not ? yes ? ❞

what’s your go to karaoke song?

❝ runnin’ with the devil - van halen.  ❞

what throwback movie are you crossing your fingers that drive on by will show someday?

❝ meet joe black, although i’m not sure if they ever would due to the length of the film. ❞

what’s your favorite ice cream flavor down at ice queen & king?

❝ mint chocolate chip is a classic, but lately i’ve had a hankering for their mocha almond fudge. can never go wrong there. ❞

ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴇᴛɪᴇɴɴᴇ

if your character grew up in town explain what they think of town and why they still live here. 

— n/a.

if your character moved here at one point or another, explain what they were thinking when they moved.  was it their choice?  a parents?  how did they feel about moving? 

— after being gifted the first of rw wallace’s books while living in new york, etienne knew the town depicted in the story was a place that he desired to be a part of. so, once his lease was up, he opted to move to westmere, commuting to new york during hockey and training season. he’s enjoyed it ever since, definitely no regrets.

what is your character’s earliest memory?

— his earliest memory is from halloween when he was about four years of age. still living in montpellier, his parents took him and his siblings from business to business to do a bit of trick-or-treating, popping in and out of different store fronts asking for candy. that year his parents dressed him up as jason voorhes, finding it comical for his age.

is your character’s family big or small?  what is their relationship with their family like?

— etienne has two older siblings, each of them being two years apart. he and his siblings are very close, as well as his parents - they have a family group chat.  he definitely gets along with his mother the most, the two of them having a virtual dinner on a weekly basis.

is your character the type to have a lot of good friends or a few really close ones?

— etienne has both ?! a solid amount of good friends, and yet also a tight knit group that he feels that he can be a splash more expressive and vulnerable with when the time comes. he does make a point to insert himself in others’ lives, wanting to be there for truly anyone who may need / want him, but he sometimes finds it difficult for himself to open up to that connection.

what is your character’s life philosophy?  how do they see the world?

— with a deep appreciation and love for  matthew mcconaughey this video here basically is etienne’s philosophy / way he sees the world in a six minute nut shell. BUT taking things from it, etienne is very realistic and straight to the point - will tell you what’s wrong / what the problem even if it’s a little blunt and borders on the rude end of things. he just doesn’t think living in some delusional realm is the right move for any one by any means. he may come off having a superiority complex when one is asking for his advice, but it’s just cause at the end of the day he thinks he’s being honest / right and by all means helpful, even if the other person doesn’t want to acknowledge it. aside from that, he has a deep appreciation for all forms of life, the earth included - just treating peeps with kindness and the like !!

what are some goals that your character has?

— in regards to his hockey career, he’d like to be awarded the nhl foundation award. fingers crossed he’ll be cleared to return in the following season if all goes well with his recovery, bc he really wants to go into the playoffs and win the stanley cup. he is also hoping to attend the winter olympics in beijing in 2022. 

what does a typical day in the life of your character look like?  

— a typical day, as of late, for etienne consists of him waking up a touch on the early side to a freshly made pot of coffee, then followed by taking olive on a walk/run around town. after that he will shower, make a bit of breakfast, perhaps check on seb’s chickens ( just to be safe ) and then spend the day either reading or working in his makeshift studio. he enjoys the throwback days offered down at movie magic, so he’ll drop in to watch whatever film is being shown. otherwise, he’s likely with friends - doing whatever can be done in the day. 

what does your characters house/room look like?  is it messy & cluttered or is it neat & organized?

— for a visual, click here ! his house and room altogether are rather neat and organized. if things are  messy, even in the slightest, it’s an indication that something is wrong. he lives with sebastian, and with seb also being rather tidy, the two never have any issues, nor really any conflicting design ideas throughout the home.

what does your character’s typical wardrobe consist of?

— for an overall visual, click here ! etienne enjoys dressing up, give him a lil sweater vest and he’s beaming - he likes to look sharp, and a bit on the clean cut side. he can be a bit adventurous with his wardrobe, but definitely loves a splash of color. on the other side he his more casual looks are a jeans ( flare, skinny, cord ?! the options are endless ), a fun lil graphic tee to spice things up ( he prefers the more ridiculous ones ), and a jacket ?! he’s looking sharp, def won’t be wearing the same thing twice.

what’s a quote that describes your character?

— “ It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. ” ― Theodore Roosevelt

why did you choose your character’s song?  

— etienne has wide range of music taste, having bounced around growing up, he’s had various influences and exposures when it comes to what he enjoys listening to when he’s on his own. he really took a nose dive into rock music when he was practicing and developing his hockey skills - enjoy being on the ice and listening to / mentally playing back a power guitar riff doing a game. overall, rock music is the genre that he finds the most “ fun “ and he can be caught, embarrassingly so, doing his own little variations of air guitar. but he really fell in love with eddie van halen and truly believes he’s one of the best guitarists of all time, so van halen is one of his fav karaoke songs - not only to sing, but to simply act out.

[leonardo-capulet]

Mutual Benefit || Annick & Leo

Who: Annick and Leo

What: After the rather trying Valentine’s Day Party, Annick and Leo talk about things, and then turn to each other for distraction and comfort.

Where: On to way to, and at Annick’s home.

When: Valentine’s Day 2022

Warning: Under this tag is smut. So, if you don’t wanna read smutty things...

Nick didn't drink all that much. Only occasionally, like with Jae. Or a glass of wine with her parents at dinner. But after seeing Cyrus at the party and her jealousy spiking, she'd gotten tipsy pretty fast. She'd misplaced Leo, not that they'd been glued to each other's side but the party was winding down and Nick was feeling the urge to get the hell out of there. She peered around the room, feeling slightly off balance as she attempted to locate him.

Fuck. Fuck Valentine's Day, and fuck this stupid party and seeing Cristian with someone else. He had no right to feel the way he did, he knew that, but the logical part of his brain had long since shut off where the submissive was concerned. It only made things worse when he kept circling back to the fact that he had been the idiot to cause this to happen. He needed to find Nick, the only damn thing making this party worth a damn. His eyes scanned the remaining people in attendance and he went in her direction, as he reached her he saw her slightly off balance and slid an arm around her. Not that he was feeling all that much better, beginning to feel the effects of multiple drinks. "Please tell me that you're ready to get the fuck out of here. I'm not sure I can handle another five minutes of this fucking music." Sure. Blame the music. Not the fact that his ex he was still in love with was not with him.

"More than ready," Nick said, grateful to have Leo's arm around her. It helped ground and comfort her at the same time. She was quite aware that his heart belonged elsewhere. That was okay. Her heart longed for someone else too. Maybe it wasn't love yet but it had been there for a long time. She turned her head and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Please get us out of here."

"Thank God for small miracles." Leo muttered as she agreed she was ready to leave. It was a rare thing for anyone to be able to turn his mood around even in the slightest these days. The quick kiss on the cheek nearly had him pull away, had it been anyone else he certainly would have. A kiss on the cheek would usually pass only with permission, on incredibly rare occasions, or if it was someone he was seeing. Not that he did that very often. Kissing on the lips? Completely out of the question, and he reminded himself she hadn't crossed that line as he nodded at her request and led her out towards a car. "I don't know about you, but I've never been happier to get the hell out of a place. I say that not as an insult either. I swear, had anyone else tried to take me to this thing, I would have left minutes after arriving, and to hell with the date." He helped her into the car before going around and getting in on the other side as he started the car to drive her home he added, "I don't think I can thank you enough... you know, for asking me to this thing. I really did enjoy going with you." He knew she understood how he was feeling, he'd seen the look in her eyes, and the direction her gaze had gone. He wasn't going to make her feel bad, and he certainly wasn't going to point out that he was second best pick.

Nick was happy to have Leo to lean on as he led her back out to the car. "Honestly, I was more than happy to get out of there. And please...don't thank me. I, mean, I'm glad you said yes. I don't think I could have faced that alone." She really liked Leo's company but it was clear that other's loomed large in both their lives. "And I enjoyed your company. Really. You're great." Annick could hear herself beginning to ramble and cut herself off. It would have just gone completely downhill from there.

Her comment had him laugh, “We sound like we’re trying to either convince ourselves, or each other, that we enjoy each other’s company. Which is a little sad, considering you’re one of the very few people I actually enjoy being around these days.” He pulled out of his parking spot and began driving. “So, do you wanna talk about it, or are we going to go with the ‘let’s pretend it never happened’ route?” Leo came to a stop and glanced over at Annick, trying to gauge how she was feeling now that they’d finally gotten away from the party.

"I know I enjoy your company or I wouldn't have asked," Nick said. Feeling distinctly less wobbly now that she was seated. "I am leaning toward the latter but I suppose that isn't fair...same old story, girl crushes on boy. Boy is oblivious. And girl is too awkward to actually say anything after having her heart broken years prior." Nick shrugged. "You have that same look...you know. The heartbroken one. It is okay, I get it."

Leo listened, and then as he began to drive again, he said, “You should just tell him. And I know you’ll say that whole awkwardness prevents you but hear me out. Just tell him. You have nothing to lose. If he doesn’t want to reciprocate, yes, it’ll hurt. But you know what will hurt worse? Not telling him, and never knowing and always asking ‘what if’ when you see him happy with someone else. If you tell him and he turns you down? Then you finally have time to heal and move on. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to fully and truly invest in someone else. So, just do it, Annick. It’s better you do.” He frowned at the fact that he looked heartbroken, even though he was. “If I’m heartbroken, it’s my own fucking fault. And I deserved what I had to deal with tonight because of it.”

Annick sighed. Leo was right, of course. But that didn't make it easy. "Okay okay, stop with your logic and making sense." He said she had nothing to lose. But when you'd already lost so much, it was hard to take that risk again. "He's not exactly the boy next door, Leo. I can't write a note and ask him 'do you like me, check yes or no.'" Annick's frown matched his. "So I was right. You're still in love, aren't you?" Weren't they a pair?"

Leo let out a huff that sounded almost as though he wanted to laugh, except he didn’t quite have the energy for it. “I’d just like to see you happy.” He began, and he knew that she was right to an extent. “Nobody ever said it would be easy. But love is never easy, I learned that the hard way. It’s messy. It’s difficult. It’s confusing... but it’s worth it. Just have a conversation with him and let him know. Explain your concerns, be honest and up front. If he’s a decent man, he won’t hold your fears against you. If he’s a piece of shit then it’ll make it easier to move on.” In the end, she just needed to tell him and get it all over with. There was no point in torturing herself with what ifs. Giving advice, however, was far easier than hearing his truths spoken out loud. He inhaled sharply, and cringed. Silence passed for a moment before he finally spoke, and at that his voice was thick and low as if he were afraid to tell someone else and make it more real. “Yes, I’m still in love.” One of his hands pulled away from the steering wheel and rubbed at his chest. “Sometimes I worry I’ll never stop loving him, and I’ll spend my whole life watching him love someone else because of my mistakes... and what’s worse is I know... I know how much he’s worth, and I’ll never be able to go back and do it all differently. I’ll never be able to take back what I did.”

In that moment, Nick wished she'd not said the words out loud. She really liked Leo and she didn't believe for a second that whatever he'd done was so horrible that it couldn't be ammended. And even if he did do something horrible, didn't he deserve forgiveness? Even if she didn't love her ex any more, she'd forgiven him long ago. She still had issues. Forgiving him hadn't made those go away. "Leo...I...I have no idea what happened. But you have to know that if he loved you back...that doesn't just vanish. Even hurt people can still love."

Her words brought back the memory of Cristian in the bathroom at the bar. The emotion that had been on his face. The words he’d said to him. Leo cleared his throat and fought back the pain that rushed through him. “I’m sure... in some way, he might love me. Just, maybe not in love with me.” And wasn’t that the biggest problem. “People don’t generally go back to the ones who left them, Annick... and I left him. I left and didn’t tell him why. Not then. He knows now. It doesn’t matter. He was at that party with someone else, and... that’s the way it should be. He deserves that. He deserves happiness.”

She was hardly the person who should be giving advice on love. She'd loved someone who cheated on her in her own bed. "Maybe. Maybe not. Leaving...I don't think that's the worst thing you can do. But...you know, it's not my business. One last thing though...I was at that party with someone else too. Sometimes things aren't always what they seem."

"Maybe it's not the worst thing that I could have done, but it's pretty bad when the person you leave... never mind." Leo sighed in frustration. "Maybe wasn't what it seemed... but he's moving on." And that hurt him more than he had even imagined that it would. "Can we talk about something else? Anything else. Otherwise, we'll end the night and you'll see me in tears, and I warn you, I hate crying in front of people. I've only done it with one other person."

"Hey fair enough," Nick said, putting up her hands. She wasn't about to make things worse. "Hey did  you see that couple that clashed? I didn't know anyone owned a chartreuse suit."

Grateful that she wasn't going to push the subject any more for the evening, Leo snorted at her comment. "Chartreuse suit. I'm pretty bold with what I wear when I feel like it, but I'm not so sure that I'm that bold. There was bound to be a couple to clash. Do you think they did it on purpose?" He asked, making a turn as he continued driving.

"Good lord, I hope not. I can't wait to see what Jean-Michele has to say about that fashion decision," Nick chuckled looking over at Leo. "Bold suits you. You looked very handsome tonight." Leo was right, they'd made a very striking couple and they got on very well. If their hearts weren't somewhere else..."Thanks for saying yes," Nick said genuinely.

Leo actually let out a short laugh. "I can only imagine what he'll say." He'd been on the receiving end of gossip before, but not for failing to dress well. He glanced over at her and gave her one of his rare smiles. "And you look beautiful." He meant it, she did look incredible. The color she wore looked good on her, and it only enhanced her beauty, in his opinion. "I should be thanking you for asking. Lucky me. Here I thought I'd have to suffer this alone, and instead I got to go with someone whose company I actually enjoy. Then, you also look good. So, at the least you have to allow me to thank you as well."

Nick flushed at the compliment, hearing the sincerity. "I suppose you are right. You're welcome," she said. "So I make a wicked cup of coffee and I make for good company? I feel like I should be getting extra points or a gold star or something," she teased, continuing with humor after once again turning the conversation serious.

A slight smile formed on his face and he nodded in agreement. "A gold star, perhaps, but you definitely deserve some sort of prize." Leo finally pulled up in front of Annick's place, putting the car in park and killing the engine, but not moving. "I'll have to find some way to repay you for your company and coffee. I feel like you've got all the advantage right now." He commented with a smile over in her direction. "Usually, it's supposed to be the other way around."

That smile had melted more then one heart. Nick was sure of it. "I am sure you will figure out a way," she said, letting him take that however he would. She was in no mood to be alone after the evening she...well, they had both had.

There was a moment where Leo considered what she said to him. Certainly, she wasn't suggesting what he thought she was. He hadn't been with anyone since Cristian. He'd only been to the brothel, and even then, his interactions had been more about orders and service to him, not sexual. Still, he felt like they were both in the same place, and God he could use it. The smile on his face became more of a smirk as he narrowed his eyes on her. "I can think of one way, but that would depend on whether you're up for it."

A small shiver ran over her at his look. It held dark promise and she was all for that. "I think you would be surprised what I would be up for...does that mean you are coming in?"

He hadn't expected the question, but there was an anticipation at her request, and he certainly wasn't going to turn it down now. Perhaps, he should have given what they were both going through, but he was never the best at making good decisions. Leo was much better at being selfish. "Yes. That means I'm definitely coming in." He climbed out of the car, and walked around to the passenger side, pulling the door open and holding his hand down to help her out. "Lead the way."

Anticipation was a heady thing and it was coursing through Annick as she took Leo's hand and let him help her from the car. She him up to her small flat, glad that she was an inherently tidy person. "It's small but mine..." she explained unlocking the door and letting him in.  It wasn't huge and modern but cozy. She spent so much time at Brainwash that she didnt need much.

Following behind her, Leo shook his head as she seemingly tried to lower his expectations for what her place looked like. "I assure you, it's fine." She hadn't seen his apartment here. She likely never would. It was small, cramped, he had still refused to unpack and boxes were piled up against the walls. The only signs that he lived in his own apartment were the dishes he'd unpacked, his alcohol, his bed, his clothes, the photo of him and Cristian on his nightstand, and the linen he needed for his bed and showering. It was a huge contrast from his usually extremely tidy self. "I can guarantee you mine is much worse." It didn't matter to him, he was there for her, anyway. Whatever the space looked like, he wouldn't care beyond surveying it to see how best to utilize the space.

Annick let the door swing open and stepped inside, waiting for him to step over the threshold before closing and locking the door behind him. She removed her jacket and hung  it on the coat tree by the door. This was always the part where she wasn't to do next. "It's mine, that is what matters." And no one could take it from her.

As he stepped inside after her, Leo's eyes took in what he could see of her apartment. He flashed her a small smile, "That's all that matters, and you can be proud of that." His eyes landed back on Annick and his brow arched, "That's enough of the small talk, though, don't you think? Now... where's the bedroom?"

Annick didn't bother answering. She pointed to an open doorway off to the side of her main living space, stomach fluttering in anticipation. Her heels clicked across the wood floor as she led him to the bedroom. Inside, she turned to face him. "Now what, Sir?"

His eyes immediately went in the direction Annick pointed in, and then followed her as she went in that direction. The moment that she turned around and asked what was next, he couldn't help the smirk that formed on his face. Now came the fun part, at least for him, and it had been years since he'd had the opportunity to have a submissive this way because he'd denied himself this whole time. Moving towards her slowly, his eyes went from her own, running down the length of her body leisurely, before going back up at the same pace and locking on her gaze as he closed what little space there was between them. His arm wound around her waist pulling her into his body and his lips stopped next to her ear where he spoke low, but firmly, "Now, you'll take off your dress." Before stepping away from her so that he could watch.

Nick's eyes never left Leo's as she slid one strap off her shoulder and then the other. She reached behind her and slid the zipper down. a bit before letting it fall past her hips. It left her standing in front of him with heels and delicate lace thong, chest bare as her dress had not allowed for a proper bra. She may be awkward at time but Nick wasn't shy about her body. She could stand without shame, meeting Leo's steady gaze with her own. She stepped out of the circle of her dress at her feet and kicked it aside.

If there was one thing Leo could appreciate, it was a submissive who had confidence. He hated one who put their body down, he didn't mind someone being shy, but he had no patience for someone who couldn't love their own body. It was evident in the way she held his gaze the entire time that she had no qualms with what he was seeing. Leo certainly took in the sight of her, appreciating what he was seeing so far. He would have a closer look in a moment, but first, manners. "Very good." He murmured before crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, before I go any further, we should discuss limits. I need to know what yours are, and I should know if you use a safe word, just in case." He doubted they would need it, but it was always good to know.

Annick felt her body heat as he surveyed her. The questions were comforting and she was appreciative that he asked. "My limits are anything pertaining to the bathroom, isolation and permanent marks." She paused, wondering what he actually had in mind. "My safe word is Java."

With a nod, Leo moved in closer, again, walking towards her slowly. As he came to a stop before her his hand lifted and he grabbed her chin, holding her face so that she was forced to look at him as he spoke. "There is one rule you absolutely will follow with me. You will not kiss me on the lips. Is that understood?" He didn't wait for a response before saying, "Anywhere else is fine, and I'll work within your limits." He stepped back and let his hand travel down from her chin, down her neck, in between her breasts before it came to a rest on her hip. He walked around her slowly in a circle admiring every inch of her, she was stunning, before stopping in front of her again. "Beautiful."

"Yes, Sir, understood," Nick managed, heart racing now that he was touching her. It was not difficult to make that promise, not when he was looking at her with that intensity. His appraisal sent a wave of need through her. She remained still as he walked around her, heart refusing to slow. The compliment pulled color to her cheeks. "Thank you Sir."

He smiled as she thanked him before lifting his hands to her hair to carefully pull it loose. He then grabbed a handful and tugged her head back so that her neck was exposed to him. He leaned in, running his teeth along her skin before his other hand ran along her side, grabbing her hip and he let go of her hair to allow himself to turn her around so her back faced him. Leo pushed her over the bed so that the top half of her body laid on the mattress, he leaned over her, his clothed body pressing against hers. With one hand he tugged at her hair again, "Don't move." Releasing her hair, his fingers trailed over he back before his hand ran over the curve of her bottom and he gave it a slap. He then pushed himself upright, first removing his suit jacket. and then rolled the sleeves of his shirt up. His hands went to his belt and he pulled it out of the loops and folded it in half, giving it a snap. It had been some time since he'd used this on someone. "Do you want me to use this belt on you, Annick? I want to hear you beg for it."

The loosening of her hair was deceptively gentle, something she found to be true as he used her hair to tug back her head. Thankfully, he hadn't told her to be silent. Nick gasped as his teeth grazed her neck.  It had always been a sensitive area. Annick was slight enough that she could easily be maneuvered though Leo's size made it that much easier. She relished that he didn't treat her like she was completely fragile, though instinctively she knew she could trust him not to go too far. His touch was enough to send her senses into overdrive, so much so that when he swatted her ass, she let out a truly embarrassing moan. She missed the weight of his body against her as he stood, the sound of his belt leaving the loops of his pants loud in the otherwise quiet room." "Oh please...please Sir," Annick said, words needy as her masochistic side rose to the surface. "Use your belt, please."

Leo always did love to hear a submissive beg. Even better was how needy it sounded when the words left her lips. It sent a heat through him that drove him. As she finished begging he gave no warning before he placed a carefully aimed strike across her exposed behind. Stepping in he ran his hand over the area in slow circles letting the belt in his dominant hand trail along the length of her spine slowly. He watched her reactions before he stepped back and gave the other side a matching mark from his belt, only to run his hand over that area as well. As his hand ran over her skin he used his foot to kick her legs open, and let his belt run up her inner thigh and teasingly close to her core.

Nick's body was tense as she waited for the blow she knew was coming. She knew she should try to relax but anticipation kept her right on the edge. The sharp sting of leather against her skin pulled out a startled cry, the heat from the blow sending a flood straight to the crotch of her thong. The belt was like an extension of the dominant himself. Everywhere it touched, it left a trail of heat. Another cry at the second blow, this one ending on a wanton moan. She trembled as the leather traced her spine and scrambled to adjust as he widened her stance. The kiss of the belt between her legs pulled a quiet whimper as Annick continued to fight the urge to move.

The sounds she made as he used his belt on her drew a smirk. He absolutely loved hearing the sounds that she was making, and he wanted more. Needed to hear more. "You're doing good." He knew he had set her to a nearly impossible task by demanding she not move. With that, he brought the belt down on the back of her thigh, just under the curve of her ass. Then he did the same to the other side. His free hand reached for her thong, letting his fingers trace the line of it go her center.

The praise did a lot to assure Nick that he was pleased. After all, knowing that she was pleasing the Dominant she was with was the biggest rush. It gave her far more pleasure than anything else. As the belt hit one pale thigh, Annick couldn't help but flinch as she cried out and immediately tried to still herself as the belt landed again. She was definitely going to not be able to sit tomorrow and she was so okay with that. Nick sucked in a harsh breath as his fingers traced the lace between her thighs. "Sir."

Moving towards her, his hips right up against her Leo set the belt next to them as his hands ran over her hips and up her back, he stepped back and one of his hands moved down to spank her again, hard enough to leave another mark on her pale skin. Leo knelt behind her then and let his hands trace the lines of her legs before he leaned forward and bit at the back of one leg, not too hard, and careful to avoid the place where his belt had struck her. His fingers hooked under the band of her thong and slowly pulled it down. "Let's get this off of you." Allowing her to move so that he could pull the last, remaining piece of clothing off of her. Once it was gone, Leo was sure she was steady on her legs again, resting as she had been. He place slow kisses up the back of her thigh, and then the other. "Do you want me to touch you, Annick?" He asked as his fingers brushed close to her core. "I want to hear how much you want it."

Nick wanted more. More contact and Leo delivered. She groaned at the feeling of him pressed flushed against her before another swat saw her crying out. Each successive move on his part elicited another swifter reaction. When his teeth sank into her skin, her legs actually buckled. "Please," Nick whimpered, eyes squeezed shut as pain and pleasure blended and had her soaring higher. "Need you to touch me. Anything...just...please..."

Her begging pleas for more shot through him, driving Leo to do more and get more from her. "Ah, ah.." He warned as her legs buckled at his actions. "I said don't. Move." His hand spanked her firmly with each of his last two words, punctuating his command. They would likely leave his handprint on her, and he was pleased at that thought. However, hearing her beg for more of his touch, he happily obliged. Leo's hands firmly gripped her hips as he leaned forward and let his tongue run from her clit and up along her core in a torturously slow movement. He let out a low groan at her taste as his tongue dipped into her before moving to tease at her clit in slow sweeps.

Annick whimpered as his hand landed against her already sore ass. The move had truly been involuntary but was in no position to argue even if she wanted to. A low moan issued from her throat as his tongue parted her lips and found the most intimate part of her. She was soaked already and his wicked tongue drew another flood of wetness to her core.

Leo smirked against her as he heard her moan, pulling away he immediately replaced his tongue with his fingers. Slipping a finger into her, moving in and out of her slowly. Leo turned his head so his lips brushed the back of her thigh, and then he nipped at the skin there before saying, "You will tell me when you're about to come." In the mean time, he was going to enjoy getting her there. Removing his hands, he gripped her hips again, his mouth going back to work, his tongue moving into her just as his finger had been moments before.

Nick could feel the curve of his lips against her body. The gentle brush of lips against her thigh was in direct contrast to the way his finger moved inside her and the sharp nip that came after. "Yes sir," Nick replied, breath coming out low and breathy. The wicked slide of his tongue into her made her grasp the sheets tighter, knuckles white as she staved off her orgasm.

Sitting back, Leo’s hands ran over the marks that he’d made on her skin from his belt and hand with a satisfied smirk on his face. “Come here, Annick. Sit on the edge of the bed for me.” He commanded with a low steady voice, kneeling patiently for her to change her position.

With slow movements born of the soreness in her ass, Annick did as she was told, perching on the edge of the bed. "Like this, Sir?"

He knew it likely wasn’t comfortable to sit the way she was, but Leo wanted to remind her of what he’d done previously. “Yes.” His hands drifted up her legs. “You’re being very good for me. Remember, tell me when you’re about to come.” He hooked one arm under her knee and lifted it onto his shoulder. Nipping at her inner thigh he also added, “This time, you can move, or touch me if you like.” With that he slid a finger into her as his tongue once again found her clit.

It took all of five seconds of Leo's mouth working her over again before Nick's fingers were sliding into his hair with a sigh, thrilled to finally have an anchor. Unfortunately it didn't keep her from racing towards release. Leo was far too skilled for her to last very long. "Sir, Sir, too much...close..." she cried as she fought to keep her hips in check.

It was easy for Leo to lose himself in what he was doing, the taste of her, and the feel of her fingers in his hair. It had been far too long since he’d had any submissive holding onto him this way and he had missed that feeling. At her cries Leo stopped immediately, looking up at her. “Good girl.” Leo came to stand before her, his fingers getting a hold of her hair before pulling so that he could trail kisses up her neck. Taking a step back, he pulled away and met her eyes and crooked his finger to gesture for her to come to him. “On your knees, right here. Your turn.” He pointed to the space before him.

Annick slid off the bed and to her knees, the praise fueling her movements even as she tried to calm her breathing. She looked up from her position below him, hands resting on her knees as she waited for further instruction.

Leo's fingers were gentle at first, sliding into her hair as she knelt before him. He felt some of the stress and strain ease from him as he looked at her before him on her knees in a perfect submissive position. His fingers tightened in her hair as his other hand went to his pants. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. "Pull them down." Leo instructed.

Nick unconsciously licked her dry lips as Leo's hand tightened in her hair. She followed his directions to the letter, eager to earn his praise again. Nimble fingers hooked in his waist band and slid his trousers over his hips.

Fingers slipped into her hair again as he watched her follow through on his instructions. Leo took a moment to kick his shoes off, and kick aside those and his pants before tugging at Annick's hair that he still held onto so she was forced to look up at him saying, "Underwear, too."

Nick whimpered as he tugged her hair, eyes travelling up until her eyes were once again locked with his. Her fingers curled in the waist of his underwear in order to ease them down over his hips.

A smirk pulled at his features at the whimper that Annick made. With his other hand he cupped her chin, still looking her in the eye as he ran his thumb over her lips. “Now use that pretty mouth of yours to suck.”

Nick didn't hesitate. Her tongue darted out and traveled the path his thumb had drawn over her lip. Since Leo didn't seem to be in the mood for any teasing, Nick didn't bother trying to draw anything out. She leaned in, hand reaching to wrap around his cock as she drew him into her mouth delighting in the heavy weight of him on her tongue.

As her mouth wrapped around him Leo allowed his eyelids to close with a low groan escaping him. His fingers tightened in her hair, exhibiting some control for now, allowing her to do as she would for the time being and just enjoying the feel of her mouth on him. His eyes opened again, watching her every move. "What a good girl." He praised, letting his fingers run through her hair before replacing them and getting another tight grip on it again.

Every bit of praise from his mouth pushed her a little farther into her submission. It also continued to fuel her desire to be better, do more. She bobbed her head rhythmically, gazed turned up as she took as much as she could.

Another moan escaped him as Leo’s eyes too in the sight of her pleasing him. Her eyes locking on him made him smirk before both hands grabbed her hair tightly, and taking control of the pace, moving in and drawing back from her mouth. His head fell back with a low groan, “Fuck.”

Annick revelled in his moan, body responding in kind. She relaxed as best she could when he took control though her hands reached to brace themselves against his muscular thighs. Wide, watery eyes watched as his head fell back and her own moan reverberated around his length, making her sound a little ridiculous though she hardly cared at the moment. Her current world was narrowed to pleasing him and that was enough.

It had been too damn long since Leo had done something like this, and he felt himself getting close to the edge quicker than he’d anticipated. Like hell was he going to finish now. He pulled her head back from him and met her gaze. “I want to fuck you, so are you good, or am I going to need a condom?” Admittedly, he didn’t normally ask subs in the past when he was a whole lot less careful. He would either purposely take care of himself, or he’d assume. For Annick? He actually did care.

Nick looked up, eyes glazed and lips red and swollen from use. "I am good. I have an implant and am clean." She bit her lip, body still thrumming with need. "Fuck me...sir. please."

He could have thanked God that she was good to go, not that he expected any different, but he needed to check. Her begging made him burn with that need he'd pushed back so long. "Get on the bed and lay back." He commanded, releasing his hold on her to allow her to move.

At the order, Annick scrambled to obey. The begging had been sincere. She needed this as much as it seemed he did. Moving quickly she lay back on her bed, breath already coming faster.

Leo stepped away from his clothes as she moved to the bed, then wasted no time climbing on it and closing the space between them. His left hand skimmed up the back of one leg, starting at the ankle, and stopping behind her knee to pull it around his hip as he braced himself with his other arm, hovering over her. With that he thrust himself inside her with a groan, not bothering with being gentle at this point. He needed this release. As he began to move inside her he hooked her leg around his waist and let go. Leo grabbed one hand pinning it over her head, then did the same with the other.

No gentleness we needed or wanted.  Annick held her breath as he settled over her, holding her breath in anticipation. As he entered her, she cried out in pleasure, body arching toward his even as he pinned her down. Since her hands were unusable, her legs wrapped around him tightly.

Letting out a moan as her legs wrapped around him, Leo kept up his pace, and lost himself quickly in the feel of her around him. He dipped his head down, his lips finding her neck, placing a kiss there before his teeth scraped over the skin and he nipped at it gently at first. Moving to another spot to do the same, a little harder this time as he slowly released his hold on her arms, wanting to feel her touch him.

Nick's body welcomed everything Leo gave her. She moaned wantonly at the feel of his teeth, hoping she'd have a reminder later. As he released his hold, her hand greedily reach for him, needing to feel the warm of his skin and tangle slender fingers into his hair. Purposefully she clenched, needing to draw out more from him.

The feel of her fingers in his hair was near enough to have him moan, until she tugged and a loud moan tore from him, spurring him on. “Harder. Pull harder.” He demanded as his hips met hers harder than before, loving the roughness. His fingers wound into her hair as well, pulling her head to the side to expose her neck more and he bit at her neck before sucking on the exposed skin, leaving marks behind that would be visible in the coming days.

Nick had no problem conceding to that demand. Not when his lips and teeth sought to mark her and every thrust brought her closer to the edge. She gave back nearly as good as she got, nails biting into his skin on the next harsh thrust.

Feeling Annick’s nails in his skin, he groaned. After a few more hard thrusts, he hooked his arm around one of her legs, drawing it up over his shoulder as he repositioned. Getting more leverage so he could go deeper, he turned his face to nip at her leg on his shoulder where he could reach. “Fuck...” he let out as the change in position brought him even closer to the edge.

Nick gasped at the change in position, other leg remaining wrapped around his hip. Heat continued to build as he fucked her until she rode that fine edge of release. She fought it back, nails contining to dig into his skin. "C-can't...please...so close..." Nick's words were closer to babble at this point as she did her best to put the brakes on her release.

As much as Leo wanted that release. He wanted to make her wait just a little longer. Pulling out quickly, he slid her leg off his shoulder before roughly turning her over onto her stomach and pulling her hips up so she was on her knees. Without warning he positioned himself and swiftly entered her pulling her hips into his with a curse that filled the silence. He reached forward, grabbing her hair once again and pulling her head back as he leaned over her and bit at her shoulder. “Beg. Beg for me to let you come.”

Annick hadn't expected the movement but didn't fight it. It was thrilling really that Leo was able to move her with such ease. Her own cry overrode his curse as he entered her, soaked folds easily welcoming his length back into her body. The sharp pain of having her head pulled back brought tears to her eyes. "F-fuck...please...please Sir," Nick sobbed, tears threatening to spill over even as her body demanded release.

She couldn’t see the smirk that crossed his features as she begged. He didn’t give her permission immediately, however, letting his hips work against her for a little longer before he knew he was reaching the end of his own control. His free hand went around her hip, his fingers finding her sensitive bud, teasing it to help bring about the orgasm he was seeking from her. “Come for me, now, Annick.” The command sounding more like a growl.

Nick had a white-knuckled grip on the sheets underneath her. It took every ounce of her willpower to keep hanging on and not let the pleasure overtake her. Another cry issued from her as he found her clit and it took only that little bit of contact and his permission for her to shatter apart spectacularly.

Seeing her come undone from his actions, Leo let out a moan. He could feel her tighten around him, drawing him closer to his own release. Seeking his own end, his hands went to her hips, gripping tightly as his hips drove into hers. It wasn't much longer, now that he wasn't trying to maintain control, that he cried out, "FUCK!" His hips slowing as he rode out the waves of his own orgasm before collapsing over her back for just a moment before, rather ungracefully, removing himself and falling onto his back next to her with a satisfied groan.

There was just something about when a partner lost control that sent a rush through Annick. She had caused that pleasure. That feeling was nearly always better than her own release. She felt the weight of him for a moment before he was gone and she was left empty. It would bother her later, maybe. But now, she collapsed herself, head buried in her arms.

Turning his head to look over at her, Leo had a fleeting moment where he worried whether he might have been too rough, but then pushed the thought aside. "How're you feeling?" He asked with genuine concern. "Do you need me to take care of where I used my belt on you?" Those would likely be the most painful of the areas, as he hadn't been gentle with his lashes.

Annick turned her head, a loopy sort of smile on her face. "I feel amazing," she said still a bit dazed. "I should be fine. I can't see back there though. I have some arnica in the bathroom if you could help me with that." It hadn't been so intense she was at risk of dropping. She was good with feeling very bruise left behind but better safe than sorry. "How are you feeling? No regrets?"

Leaning over towards her, he took a look and nodded. "You should be good, but I'll go get it anyway." He was about to push himself out of bed when her question hit him. He lifted a brow at her, an easy smirk on his face. "Oh please. Regrets? Absolutely not." He bent down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Be right back, I'm gonna get that stuff for you." He said gently before hopping out of bed and going to the bathroom, finding what he needed and returning. As he settled himself next to her, opening the container he asked, "What about you? Any regrets?" Even if Leo wasn't the sort of man to have regrets, she might have some. Didn't hurt to check.

"Absolutely none." She regretted lots of things she had done on her life but this was not one. They'd both needed it. A connection if even for a moment. That it was with someone that she was beginning to think of as a dear friend only made it better.

A small smile broke on his face, "Good." He said as he reached out to apply some arnica on her skin. Once finished, he closed the container and sighed. "I should probably get going." There was a part of him that nearly asked unless she wanted him to stay. In truth, he'd gotten used to contact after being with someone, after having been with Cristian. He actually missed that proximity, but there was another part of him that felt ready to jump out of his skin at the idea of how intimate that could get. He got up, replacing the container and when he entered the room again he began getting dressed, his eyes looking over at Annick until he finished and climbed back on the bed next to her. "Let me know if you need anything, okay? Wanna talk to me, if you just want company. Whatever you need, and I don't care what time it is. You know where to reach me." Leo said, reaching out to brush her hair back and offered her a smile. "And thank you again, for tonight, for asking me to go with you. All of it."

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: 2019 Free Agency

The wise words of noted NHL insider Elliotte Friedman go “When you’re drowning in this league other teams don’t throw you a life jacket, they throw you an anchor.” In spite of a handful of decent to great players getting traded in the last few weeks for peanuts, generally speaking it’s very hard to pull off a trade that is a lopsided win for your team. Free Agency is worse. Free Agency is like opening a septic tank looking for a diamond ring and jumping in expecting not to get covered in shit. The last big Free Agency signing the Sabres pulled off was Kyle Okposo. All the off-ice stuff you want to say about the Sex Man aside: that contract sucks ass. It was bad the moment it was signed. That’s what most free agency signings are like. Jason Botterill approaches this offseason publicly saying he wants to focus more on the trade avenue. That’s smart. I’d prefer he not give out too much money in free agency like his predecessor did with Okposo. However we are a fanbase that has run out of patience eight years out of the playoffs. Significant roster moves are paramount right now. How we got here is actually pretty simple. The tank worked (let’s not relitigate it) and rebuild 1.0 was accelerated by Tim Murray with the Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane signings at the cost of a wave of prospects and picks. Rebuild 1.0 failed. That failed initial rebuild was what brought Kyle Okposo here as a free agent. He’s now our very own salary cap albatross circling in the skies above the nearly dead Buffalo Sabres that were so stripped down in the tank they’re aimless even with some talent on the roster. We’ve all run out of patience. Rebuild 2.0 under Jason Botterill has gone better but, and this is a big but, the second half collapse of last season was decisive. It ended Phil Housley’s coaching career in Buffalo, and it burned a lot of the fan goodwill Jason Botterill had held onto through the legendarily bad season that earned us Rasmus Dahlin. Another bad season probably costs Botterill his job. This is the situation that gave birth to the buzzword of Sabres twitter: “Roster Surgery”. Bill Schake analyzed it best. Chad DeDominicis’ right hand man essentially said roster surgery is a great way to put it because there is so few tradeable assets left on this team it will take some cunning, creative moves to make real change. It’s truly surgery of the roster because its hard. It’s going to be harder than it’s ever been in the Eichel Era this summer to make this team look competitive past Valentine’s Day. So what changes do we have to talk about as we enter the long, dull portion of the NHL hockey calendar?

Well… Rasmus Ristolainen was the one big tradeable asset I was alluding to… and this past weekend… the Sabres signed Marcus Johansson. Ok so, the trade we’ve been waiting for didn’t happen before the posting of this article. Lord knows it will after this goes up and I’ll have to wait until the Offseason Retrospective to write about it. But let’s not poo-poo a great signing just because it’s not a trade we want. In fact, this specific blog is called 2019 Free Agency so let’s talk about Free Agents for a bit. Marcus Johansson, apart from adding yet another Swede to one of the most swede-heavy rosters in the National Hockey League, adds much needed left-wing depth to the top six. He’s considered a veteran at 28 and has only gotten to twenty goals twice in his nine seasons in the NHL. Nonetheless he was kind of the best guy left to add to the wing for the Sabres once July 1st came and went with pretty much only AHL-level moves. Johansson is defensively responsible and gets those zone entries which is something this team needs guys not named Jack Eichel to do better. Also he is apparently known for his versatility. He hasn’t played at center in recent seasons but that is a trick in the hat knowing Casey Mittelstadt may still not be ready for that 2C slot. That is the topic of some Sabres twitter debate but it seems rather immaterial right now to me with so much offseason left to go. The natural next topic of conversation here feels like it should be Jimmy Vesey and Colin Miller. However, those are technically trades although they were so well extracted they almost feel like signings. As I said earlier, I’m all for not giving up too much money in free agency, particularly if the team isn’t exactly “going for it” right now.  So how about I rattle off the free agent signings Jason Botterill did make on July 1st in spite of most of them being long shots for the NHL roster: Goalie Andrew Hammond, Center Curtis Lazar, defenseman John Gilmour, Jean-Sebastien Dea and sorta Dalton Smith (Smith was an Amerk this past season and was resigning technically). Those first two guys are the ones you’re thinking of. Andrew Hammond was the “Hamburgler” in Ottawa a few seasons ago and Curtis Lazar was the guy who ate a hamburger off the ice during that same craze. Just like the Ottawa Senators both guys have not been all that good since. Hammond is the better of the two and is probably going to platoon it in net with Ukko Pekka-Lukkonen in Rochester this coming season. Lazar… is worth a shot I guess. John Gilmour was one of the better AHL defensemen for the Hartford Wolfpack last season and I’m told has the best chance of the group to make the big club. The other two guys I just don’t feel any need to talk about. That feeling is not because they’re minor league moves: you dipsticks complaining about the Front Office making moves mostly helping Rochester need to cool your jets and count your blessings! Take a good hard long look at that Okposo contract and then shut up!

I spent most of last year’s Free Agency article ranting about the Ryan O’Reilly trade. After how his season ended this year that whole conversation turned into a toxic waste dump a la your local minor league baseball franchise announcing a Pride Night on Facebook to absolutely terrible comments from the most bigoted boomers on the internet. I won’t be addressing O’Reilly because I feel we’ve done that to death. This is Buffalo Hockey though so of course there is another retread conversation fraught with potential toxicity to talk about: Jimmy Vesey. First things first, don’t hold three years ago against him. That move for his negotiating rights was the kind of stupid but exciting move that Tim Murray specialized in. That saga doesn’t matter now because Vesey is an established pro now and if we’re being totally real here the players don’t care. Jack Eichel is just happy to have another BU guy, I’m sure! Bury those bad takes next to your Leino jerseys. Nothing screams top line about Vesey’s game so don’t pencil him in right next to Eichel as if it’s a sure thing. I’ve heard him called a middle six acquisition which I think is a great way to put it. We’ll see what Training Camp holds for him. Colin Miller on the other hand you can definitely pencil in as a top four pairing defenseman. He isn’t clearly the best line mate for Rasmus Dahlin but he’s a strong candidate. His trade to Buffalo for a 2021 second round pick and a 2022 fifth round pick is Botts picking on a team in cap jail more than what you might call highway robbery. It’s kinda funny that team in cap jail is the Vegas Golden Knights but after the 2018-2019 St. Louis Blues happened I’m sure they’ll be back in the Final next year. On this team Miller is second only to Rasmus Dahlin on the defensive depth chart and top of the right-handed side of that chart. There are four right-handed defenseman who are NHL likely now beyond Miller: Brandon Montour, Zach Bogosian and Rasmus Ristolainen. The talk about a Ristolainen trade went up naturally after the Miller trade and yes, I’m still on the fence about it. I don’t need him gone, especially with a new coach coming in, but I don’t want 2022 to get here and everyone in the league know he’s ass and end up trading him for a couple of late round picks. If we’re going to get a king’s ransom for Ristolainen, it’s probably this summer or the 2020 trade deadline at the absolute latest. By the time you’re reading this the deal may already be done. Oh, I forgot to mention the Miller trade pissed off Leafs fans! I love pissing off Leafs fans. Fuck them, right?

So there it is: New Look Sabres 2019 Free Agency! Well… how about some fun signings not related to the Sabres? Even after the Leafs traded away Nazem Kadri for a decent to good defenseman there are still smart folks up there saying the Leafs are worse man-for-man compared to last year. Delicious! Robin Lehner openly declared his displeasure for how the Islanders let him go before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks. That’s interesting on two levels because the Isles probably aren’t done this offseason in a big way and Lehner now goes from a great defensive team on Long Island to a very porous defensive system in Chicago. We’ll see how it works out for him; I kinda want him to succeed still but one way or another we’ll see if last season was a fluke or not. Tyler Ennis singed with the Ottawa Senators. That maybe the one weirder jersey to see him in then Toronto. Finally Mike Smith goes from Flames to Oilers while Cam Talbot goes from Oilers to Flames. Should we call that Albertan Roulette? Bringing back home to Buffalo please like, share and comment on this blog. Get that hype going for the new season. I won’t be writing much on this blog until late August, but I think that’s okay because we all could use a break from Hockey. Also if you really want my Sabres takes you can always get them @UttaroSports on twitter. In the meantime, enjoy the summer! Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for reading.

P.S. Linus Ullmark was among the Sabres who filed for salary arbitration. I could’ve used this PS to talk about Remi Elie electing for arbitration which is much more humorous but Ullmark is my boy, so I hope everything goes over well for him come these hearings in… August. Huh. Let the long summer begin!

[eldritchsurveys]

921.

5k Survey XXXIX

2001. Can you believe that we have only gotten through two fifths of this survey so far? >> I can believe that, yes. 2002. What is your opinion of Dave Coulier? >> I don’t know who he is. 2003. If you were to a write a Choose Your Own Adventure book, what would it be about? >> I wouldn’t. I like playing Choice of Games games, though, which are kind of like modern-day choose your own adventure stories. 2004. What was your best find from a flea market, garage sale, ebay or thrift store? >> I couldn’t possibly remember one now. 2005. What do you not have enough money for right now? >> I don’t have enough money for a lot of things. There’s about $60 in my bank account last I checked, and I still have some subs that haven’t been renewed yet, so all told I think I have about $30 worth of money that is completely free.

2006. Do you believe that Teras for Fears were right when they said, “Everybody wants to rule the world?” >> I don’t believe Tears for Fears was right about that, since I for one have sub-zero desire to rule the world. Or any part of the world. Or anything at all, I don’t want to rule shit. 2007. What is the design on your beach towel? >> I don’t have a beach towel. Or-- wait, I do, but I never use it as a beach towel so I forgot that was what its original purpose was, lol. It’s hanging on my wardrobe and I use it to dry off when I wake up covered in sweat, as I tend to. 2008. What stirs something deep and animalistic inside you? >> I feel like my answer to this might be a bit much for the average viewer, lol. 2009. Have you ever cross dressed (even as a joke)? >> ... Here’s the thing, I’ve worn clothes that were marketed to both genders, but not in a camp or theatrical or even particularly gender-conscious sense. I just... wear what I feel like wearing. Period. 2010. Do you own anything with a rainbow on it? >> I don’t think so. Sparrow’s the one with the rainbow stuff. 2011. What would be the worst object for a child to take on a long car ride with you? >> I can think of a lot of things, and all of them are noisy. Why do almost all the children’s toys sold nowadays make fucking noise? 2012. What’s the best Beatles song in your opinion? >> I can’t really think of too many I enjoy, to be honest. I am the Walrus can be fun. Oh, and Hey Jude, I like Hey Jude. I actually have that one saved to my Spotify, which is a real first for me and Beatles songs. 2013. Why do you suppose that diary sites are more popular with females than males? >> I have no idea and at this point I don’t regard it as important. I personally know of two males that take surveys, and I myself don’t have a gender at all, so there’s that. 2014. What do these color combinations remind you of: orange and pink: Tequila sunrise. Although I’m not even sure I’m properly remembering what a tequila sunrise looks like. pink and green: Watermelon. green and gold: I have no associations for this. purple and gold: New Orleans. Also, those were our wedding colours. (Our wedding happened in NOLA, for the record.) gold and red: Christmas decorations. red and white: Candy canes. blue and grey: Ocean-themed things, maybe. I don’t have a direct association for this colour combination despite the fact that I like it a lot. 2015. What is one selfish thing you tend to do? >> I mean, I... put myself first? I guess? 2016. When do you think technology will catch up with the Jetson’s? >> Well, the Jetsons was fiction, so... 2017. What made you laugh today? >> A lot of things. It’s evening so there’s a lot of data that I don’t feel like sorting through. 2018. Do you ever stick your entries in any of the diary circles? >> --- 2019. Can you freestyle rap? >> I cannot. 2020. Are you: stylish? I have my own sense of style, and that’s stylish to me. chic? This word means nothing to me. I’m going to assume I am not. smart? This word is too fraught with weird connotations to mean anything useful to me. I try to be conscientious about how I use my brain and how I absorb and interpret information. That’s all. 2021. Do you find you self only buying brand name products? >> Not as a rule. I’ll buy from a certain brand if I trust its quality level, of course. 2022. Would you ever want to buy an article of clothing or an accessory because you saw a celebrity wear it? >> Absolutely not. 2023. What song do you feel the sexiest dancing to? >> I’m not sure I’ve ever felt particularly sexy whilst dancing. 2024. Who do you know who looks silly when they dance? >> Sparrow, heh. :p But it’s good, I like it when people get a little silly when dancing. It should be fun. 2025. Sweaty sex or clean sex? >> What the fuck is clean sex? One of the things that put me off of (outworld) sex is how messy it is. ...I guess Inworld sex is kind of clean being that it doesn’t happen in this reality. So, yeah, clean sex for me. :p 2026. Which is more important to you: being kind or being right? >> Historically, I think being right has been more important to me. I’m only now starting to see how that gets in the way of actually learning and experiencing instead of just trying to be the smartest, most put-together person in the room. (I also learned recently that it’s something that often comes with attachment disorder, particularly that of the detached, avoidant variety. So that’s probably where mine came from.) 2027. Can you do any special dances like swing, tap, or ballroom? >> I can’t. I would love to take lessons, because I love dancing, but I don’t have that kind of income. 2028. Are you scared of monsters? >> No, I gravitate to monsters, particularly of the fictional variety. 2029. Who would you like to remind people of? >> --- 2030. Do you walk to school or do you bring your lunch? >> --- 2031. Rate your skills from one to ten (10 = you are the best at it): socializing: making friends: working with computers: arts: crafts: dancing: skating: talking other people into things: writing: living life to the fullest each day: cooking: gardening: cleaning up after yourself: playing poker: surviving in the woods: managing your time: attracting the opposite sex (or same sex if you prefer)? 2032. Have you ever been to an indian reservation? >> I might have when I was very young, but otherwise, no. 2033. What is going to happen tomorrow that you can celebrate, even if it’s a little thing? >> I mean, I guess I’d celebrate waking up in the morning, because that’d mean I’m still alive and still have an opportunity to... you know, have good experiences. Or whatever. 2034. Do you save things for special occasions or is everyday a special occasion? >> Neither, really. I just... kind of consume things when I feel like I’m ready to consume them. 2035. What is one thing you are terrible at: >> I can’t think of anything right now. 2036. What’s your favorite: rap song: Since I don’t have one single favourite anything, especially when it comes to music, I’ll name one song I really like for each category. HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar. country song: Hope to Die by Orville Peck. industrial song: Survivalism by Nine Inch Nails. cover song: Stargazer by Dream Theater (originally by Dio). punk song: Hall of Mirrors by The Distillers. odd song: Skullcrusher Mountain by Jonathan Coulton. 2037. What do you get your teacher or your boss for the holidays? >> (This concept is so bizarre to me.) 2038. Do you like to read books by Virgina Wolfe? >> I’ve never read anything by Virginia Woolf. I barely know anything about her. 2039. What is your favorite tv show from when you were a kid? >> I don’t know that I had one. 2040. What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake. What do you imagine? >> I imagine William Blake was an interesting person. His work fascinates me. 2041. What has been passed down through at least two generations to you? >> Generational trauma, most likely. 2042. Do we live in a particularly bad age for romance? >> I don’t know, I’m not terribly interested in romance myself so I haven’t noticed any trends in how it’s going these days. 2043. Have you ever cheated on someone? >> Yes. Do you believe that once someone is a cheater they can never be trusted? >> I obviously do not believe that. 2044. Have you ever gone: christmas caroling? pumpkin picking? Yes. on a hay wagon ride? Yes. on a romantic valentine’s day date? Well, I suppose it was “romantic”. I wasn’t concerned with that. to a new year’s eve party? Yes. to a memorial day parade?  to the Macy’s thanksgiving day parade? Fuck that, even when I lived like two blocks away from part of the parade route I’d still have rather watched it on television than go anywhere near it in person. to search for gold coins on st patrick’s day? 2045. Have you ever done any modeling? >> No. 2046. Would you consider yourself to be psychologically damaged? >> Well, yes. 2047. How aware are you of the reasons behind your actions and words? >> I can be a little too aware of it at times; it can get in the way of acting naturally. 2048. What is the sickest you ever drank or drugged yourself? >> I mean, I’ve spent a goodly part of a night dazed and intermittently puking. I was new to drinking then and it was pretty educational. 2049. Would you prefer it if clothing was optional? >> I would not prefer that. 2050. What is one interesting fact about you: >> Did I already use the “I was born with twelve fingers” fact in this survey? I don’t think so, so there you go.