#field hockey camp

[telltaleanatomicalheart]

how tf do u play basketball like it’s too much running it’s just too much endurance i’m not much of a like active sport type of person i prefer like ballet or gymnastics or like figureskating. i would add ice hockey but i don’t think my back can take it also all that padding would give me an eternal wedgie. i think swimming is cool but i can barley tread water. i’ve just never been tooo athletic. but like there’s nothing wrong with that i just wanna build like endurance or whatever and do the things i like. i feel like swimming would be my thing

[scealaiscoite]

.☽༊˚ three hundred one-word prompts

¹⁾ balcony

²⁾ sunlight

³⁾ voicemail

⁴⁾ hillside

⁵⁾ tent

⁶⁾ lavender

⁷⁾ candle

⁸⁾ hipbone

⁹⁾ bandaid

¹⁰⁾ wrinkle

¹¹⁾ scar

¹²⁾ curtains

¹³⁾ armory

¹⁴⁾ shell

¹⁵⁾ bouquet

¹⁶⁾ necklace

¹⁷⁾ shotgun

¹⁸⁾ apricot

¹⁹⁾ cheek

²⁰⁾ floorboards

²¹⁾ jacket

²²⁾ bruise

²³⁾ flight

²⁴⁾ streetlight

²⁵⁾ carafe

²⁶⁾ lipstick

²⁷⁾ scars

²⁸⁾ poolside

²⁹⁾ cockpit

³⁰⁾ petals

³¹⁾ mirror

³²⁾ lawyer

³³⁾ cloudy

³⁴⁾ butcher

³⁶⁾ bleach

³⁷⁾ sawdust

³⁸⁾ crib

³⁹⁾ ribbon

⁴⁰⁾ wallet

⁴¹⁾ pearls

⁴²⁾ steam

⁴³⁾ chain

⁴⁴⁾ deckhand

⁴⁵⁾ whiskey

⁴⁶⁾ frost

⁴⁷⁾ lace

⁴⁸⁾ camping

⁴⁹⁾ bakery

⁵⁰⁾ traitor

⁵¹⁾ cherries

⁵²⁾ lightning

⁵³⁾ hide

⁵⁴⁾ tattoo

⁵⁵⁾ bonfire

⁵⁶⁾ reverse

⁵⁷⁾ passenger

⁵⁸⁾ speedboat

⁵⁹⁾ bare

⁶⁰⁾ concrete

⁶¹⁾ lieutenant

⁶²⁾ chili

⁶³⁾ tiptoe

⁶⁴⁾ office

⁶⁵⁾ skull

⁶⁶⁾ bikini

⁶⁷⁾ cabinet

⁶⁸⁾ lumber

⁶⁹⁾ laboratory

⁷⁰⁾ paint

⁷¹⁾ arch

⁷²⁾ bitter

⁷³⁾ staircase

⁷⁴⁾ priority

⁷⁵⁾ cell

⁷⁶⁾ subordinate

⁷⁷⁾ tapes

⁷⁸⁾ mangoss

⁷⁹⁾ bralette

⁸⁰⁾ whiplash

⁸¹⁾ syringe

⁸²⁾ cinnamon

⁸³⁾ tequila

⁸⁴⁾ garden

⁸⁵⁾ cigarette

⁸⁶⁾ sofa

⁸⁷⁾ rain

⁸⁸⁾ teammate

⁸⁹⁾ oleander

⁹⁰⁾ boss

⁹¹⁾ pillar

⁹²⁾ amethyst

⁹³⁾ footpath

⁹⁴⁾ driver

⁹⁵⁾ massage

⁹⁶⁾ stitches

⁹⁷⁾ jeans

⁹⁸⁾ brand

⁹⁹⁾ blackout

¹⁰⁰⁾ sunglasses

¹⁰¹⁾ lunar

¹⁰²⁾ velvet

¹⁰³⁾ captain

¹⁰⁴⁾ afternoon

¹⁰⁵⁾ ivy

¹⁰⁶⁾ salty

¹⁰⁷⁾ portrait

¹⁰⁸⁾ strawberries

¹⁰⁹⁾ torn

¹¹⁰⁾ cocktails

¹¹¹⁾ roommate

¹¹²⁾ bridge

¹¹³⁾ table

¹¹⁴⁾ hotel

¹¹⁵⁾ jasmine

¹¹⁶⁾ armchair

¹¹⁷⁾ satin

¹¹⁸⁾ bedsheet

¹¹⁹⁾ hedgerow

¹²⁰⁾ thigh

¹²¹⁾ cliff

¹²²⁾ gravel

¹²³⁾ apartment

¹²⁴⁾ keycard

¹²⁵⁾ coffee

¹²⁶⁾ babysitter

¹²⁷⁾ fire

¹²⁸⁾ chalk

¹²⁹⁾ hurricane

¹³⁰⁾ crickets

¹³¹⁾ amber

¹³²⁾ sherriff

¹³³⁾ lamplight

¹³⁴⁾ flag

¹³⁵⁾ airport

¹³⁶⁾ gasoline

¹³⁷⁾ cherub

¹³⁸⁾ clementine

¹³⁹⁾ scalpel

¹⁴⁰⁾ motel

¹⁴¹⁾ parish

¹⁴²⁾ lighter

¹⁴³⁾ highrise

¹⁴⁴⁾ crowbar

¹⁴⁵⁾ sundress

¹⁴⁶⁾ newspaper

¹⁴⁷⁾ screws

¹⁴⁸⁾ uniform

¹⁴⁹⁾ gold

¹⁵⁰⁾ buckshots

¹⁵¹⁾ coast

¹⁵²⁾ handcuffs

¹⁵³⁾ gunpowder

¹⁵⁴⁾ badge

¹⁵⁵⁾ orchids

¹⁵⁶⁾ chef

¹⁵⁷⁾ levee

¹⁵⁸⁾ tea

¹⁵⁹⁾ helicopter

¹⁶⁰⁾ cemetery

¹⁶¹⁾ ice

¹⁶²⁾ heirloom

¹⁶³⁾ tarpaulin

¹⁶⁴⁾ rural

¹⁶⁵⁾ sergeant

¹⁶⁶⁾ tsunami

¹⁶⁷⁾ lemon

¹⁶⁸⁾ debt

¹⁶⁹⁾ skyscraper

¹⁷⁰⁾ caramel

¹⁷¹⁾ hottub

¹⁷²⁾ rum

¹⁷³⁾ pet

¹⁷⁴⁾ tradition

¹⁷⁵⁾ perfume

¹⁷⁶⁾ bracelet

¹⁷⁷⁾ secretary

¹⁷⁸⁾ degree

¹⁷⁹⁾ braids

¹⁸⁰⁾ prescription

¹⁸¹⁾ invitation

¹⁸²⁾ cocoa

¹⁸³⁾ ransom

¹⁸⁴⁾ boxers

¹⁸⁵⁾ theatre

¹⁸⁶⁾ mascara

¹⁸⁷⁾ sand

¹⁸⁸⁾ collar

¹⁸⁹⁾ shoulder

¹⁹⁰⁾ lipgloss

¹⁹¹⁾ membership

¹⁹²⁾ heatwave

¹⁹³⁾ disco

¹⁹⁴⁾ cabin

¹⁹⁵⁾ popcorn

¹⁹⁶⁾ altar

¹⁹⁷⁾ radio

¹⁹⁸⁾ bayou

¹⁹⁹⁾ bodyguard

²⁰⁰⁾ glitter

²⁰¹⁾ mustache

²⁰²⁾ protector

²⁰³⁾ contacts

²⁰⁴⁾ bullets

²⁰⁵⁾ groceries

²⁰⁶⁾ raspberry

²⁰⁷⁾ microphone

²⁰⁸⁾ coconut

²⁰⁹⁾ villain

²¹⁰⁾ earlobe

²¹¹⁾ purse

²¹²⁾ flood

²¹³⁾ shot

²¹⁴⁾ windbreaker

²¹⁵⁾ granite

²¹⁶⁾ highway

²¹⁷⁾ eggshells

²¹⁸⁾ hoarse

²¹⁹⁾ chocolates

²²⁰⁾ trembling

²²¹⁾ buttercream

²²²⁾ rings

²²³⁾ holster

²²⁴⁾ briefcase

²²⁵⁾ wrist

²²⁶⁾ piercings

²²⁷⁾ cowboy

²²⁸⁾ ashes

²²⁹⁾ ankle

²³⁰⁾ neroli

²³¹⁾ orchard

²³²⁾ tires

²³³⁾ salmon

²³⁴⁾ peaches

²³⁵⁾ rooftop

²³⁶⁾ toast

²³⁷⁾ gala

²³⁸⁾ sage

²³⁹⁾ graduation

²⁴⁰⁾ reporter

²⁴¹⁾ belt

²⁴²⁾ antidote

²⁴³⁾ ship

²⁴⁴⁾ officer

²⁴⁵⁾ wine

²⁴⁶⁾ corridor

²⁴⁷⁾ cold

²⁴⁸⁾ hangover

²⁴⁹⁾ fingertip

²⁵⁰⁾ vintage

²⁵¹⁾ cupcake

²⁵²⁾ saviour

²⁵³⁾ gentleman

²⁵⁴⁾ loan

²⁵⁵⁾ hostage

²⁵⁶⁾ evergreen

²⁵⁷⁾ denial

²⁵⁸⁾ housewife

²⁵⁹⁾ riverbank

²⁶⁰⁾ marshmallows

²⁶¹⁾ books

²⁶²⁾ hockey

²⁶³⁾ lizard

²⁶⁴⁾ silver

²⁶⁵⁾ dinner

²⁶⁶⁾ pear

²⁶⁷⁾ bound

²⁶⁸⁾ waiter

²⁶⁹⁾ tender

²⁷⁰⁾ fallen

²⁷¹⁾ banquet

²⁷²⁾ announcement

²⁷³⁾ roast

²⁷⁴⁾ sneer

²⁷⁵⁾ exes

²⁷⁶⁾ stovetop

²⁷⁷⁾ brass

²⁷⁸⁾ clay

²⁷⁹⁾ valet

²⁸⁰⁾ schoolbus

²⁸¹⁾ exhausted

²⁸²⁾ field

²⁸³⁾ hoodie

²⁸⁴⁾ sugar

²⁸⁵⁾ palmtree

²⁸⁶⁾ burnt

²⁸⁷⁾ diner

²⁸⁸⁾ snake

²⁸⁹⁾ fever

²⁹⁰⁾ domestic

²⁹¹⁾ plaid

²⁹²⁾ wreck

²⁹³⁾ courtyard

²⁹⁴⁾ dozen

²⁹⁵⁾ earphones

²⁹⁶⁾ blueberry

²⁹⁷⁾ anklet

²⁹⁸⁾ shower

²⁹⁹⁾ venom

³⁰⁰⁾ lover

[wlntrsldler]

poisoned mercury | bad reputation

ii. bad reputation by joan jett & the blackhearts 

a/n: andddd we're at chb! reader is mean to luke lol. vaping, smoking, mentions of addiction. crumbs of clarisse x chris!

series masterlist | previous | next

“kid, you really need to look at the bright side,” your dad said, taking a sip of his diet coke. “you get to summer in montauk for free. no paying rent, no worrying about what to eat, the world is your oyster.” 

“i don’t understand why i have to spend the entire summer here,” you glared at him, close to ripping your hair out. 

“you’re smarter than that,” he replied, placing his can down on his table. he kicked back in his chair, letting his sandal-covered feet prop up on his desk. his aloha shirt wrinkled as he placed his arms crossed behind his head. he was taking his camp manager role too seriously. “you got put on probation by your field hockey coach.” 

your eyes narrowed, “and?” 

“... for punching a teammate.” 

“who deserved it!” you argued, huffing as you sat on the seat across from him. if there wasn’t a desk separating you from your dad, you were sure you would’ve strangled him with the camp necklace around his neck. “i promised you i’d be on my best behavior, but no. you decided that i needed to be glued to camp all summer.” 

“listen,” he leaned over on his desk, “the girl probably deserved it, but you still got kicked out from summer conditioning, kid– from the top field hockey team in the country! not everyone gets to attend unc but you did and you fucked that opportunity, so until you can prove to me that you have your shit together, you’re stuck in montauk.” 

“gods, you’re ridiculous!” you howled, getting up from your seat. “i hate you.” 

“love you!” he called out, chuckling to himself. you got your dramatic flair from him so he couldn’t fault you too much for your reaction. he probably would’ve reacted way worse if he was in your position. 

“yeah, yeah,” you yelled back, already out of his office. “love ya, too.” 

you walked out into the campgrounds, still huffing and puffing at your interaction with your dad. groups of children and teenagers were checking in for the summer. it amazed you how popular camp half blood became over the years. your dad wanted to create a summer camp for aspiring musicians and creatives to meet others and learn from professionals. he already had the network for it given that he used to be a hot-shot producer in the mid-nineties until he fell into his addiction. 

your dad never talked much about those dark moments in his life, and not many people knew about it, but he was happy to tell you about what came after it; meeting your mom, falling in love, and having you. his sobriety became his top priority when you were born, after you and your mom, of course. camp half blood started out as a dream your dad had when you were still a child, unsure of what you were passionate about, and he hoped you’d fall in love with music the same way he did. right before you turned four, he opened camp half blood. he said he wanted to have the place up and running and established by the time you were old enough to join. but alas, when you turned six and still had no musical or creative bone in your body, your dad’s hopes of having a musical protégé as a daughter were shattered. 

he bounced back from it though when he saw how passionate you were about field hockey. the second you picked up a stick, he saw your eyes brighten and he knew it was lights out from then on. he attended all of your games, bought you the best gear for the sport, and supported you in any way he could. you were thankful for that, for him, but you also knew that he probably would’ve preferred a kid he could talk music with. you saw it when he bragged about the new artists he signed to olympus records or when he talked about the kids at camp half blood. 

you took a sharp right turn at the corner of the dining hall, making a beeline to the secret spot by the lake that you stumbled across when you were fourteen. it was the place you retreated to whenever you and your dad fought while you were at camp. fights and arguments between you two happened often. your mom said it was because you were too similar for your own good. it was true. you and your dad were both stubborn, hot-headed, and unable to accept when you were wrong, but it also meant that you and your dad understood each other on a level that not many father-daughter duos did. 

even though you refused to tell him–or anyone for that matter– why the altercation with your teammate happened, your dad was on your side. he always was. 

you sat on the worn out bench, years of weather damage evident on the wood, taking out your cherry ice vape from your pocket. it was a vice you picked up in college. you weren’t proud of it, and it definitely started affecting your ability to play, but the stress of being a student-athlete, plus all the commotion with your probation started to get to you. 

you stared out into the view, appreciating the way the trees framed the lake in a picturesque way. camp half blood was beautiful; nature everywhere, there was utter silence except for the sound of water and birds chirping when you got far enough away from the noise and chatter of the campers, and the weather in the summer months was perfect. you let the smoke escape your lips, watching as the cloud dissipated into the air. 

“oh, my bad. i didn’t realize someone would be out here.” 

you turned around to see a boy, an unlit cigarette hanging from the corner of his lips. he wore a black, tight-fitting t-shirt and gray sweatpants. there was a silver chain hanging around his neck with a pendant tucked underneath his shirt. his tussled curls peeked under his backwards yankees cap. 

“spot’s taken,” you said, facing the view once more. you took a deep breath, sliding your vape in the pocket of the hoodie you wore. “go somewhere else.” 

“that thing’s gonna kill you, y’know.” either the boy didn’t hear you or he didn’t care enough to listen because he slid on the bench next to you, taking out a lighter for his cigarette. he closed his eyes, letting the nicotine into his system, “that has like chemicals and shit.” 

you scoffed, “like your cig is any better.” 

“i know what i’m putting in my body,” he shrugged. he motioned aimlessly in your direction, “you don’t know what’s in there. it hasn’t been around long enough for us to know the long term effects.” 

“‘m not planning to be doing this long term.”

“sure,” he smiled at you, unconvinced. “i’m luke.” 

you stared at his outstretched hand, shaking your head, “i’m not interested.” 

“i was just trying to be polite.” 

“if you want to be polite, find another spot to smoke.” 

luke eyed you, undeterred by your hostility. he leaned back on the bench, taking another puff, “nah, i’m good right here.” 

you took out your vape again knowing that you’ll need it to get through this conversation. the two of you sat in silence as you both smoked, letting the smell of the cigarette mix in with the artificial cherry scent. you tried your best to ignore the boy beside you, but it was hard to when he was so close to you. the bench seemed much larger when you were fourteen, when you were alone as its only occupier. 

“so five star, tough day?” 

“what did you call me?” 

“five star,” luke nodded to your hoodie, flicking off the ashes on his cigarette. “your unc field hockey hoodie? like five star recruit.” 

you looked down at your sweater, completely forgetting that you were wearing your team merchandise. you tugged on the collar awkwardly, suddenly feeling like you were exposed. “oh.” 

“so, tough day?” 

you glared at him, “what makes you say that?” 

“well, for starters, it’s the first day of camp and you’re by yourself away from where all the fun shit is happening, smoking a fucking– what is that? strawberry?”

“cherry ice,” you corrected. 

“cherry ice vape,” luke continued, “and you’re biting my head off for trying to start a conversation.” 

“maybe i’m having a bad day because a boy disrupted my me-time and decided to start a fucking conversation when i obviously want to be alone.” 

luke chuckled, pointing to the cigarette between his fingers, “relax, i’ll get out of your hair after this one.” 

“don’t make it a habit.” 

“what? smoking?” he asked, a boyish smile on his face. “already a habit of mine.” 

“interupting my me-time,” you replied, blowing out rings with the smoke in your mouth. “i don’t care what you do to your body.” 

“should we exchange numbers and coordinate when we’ll be using the spot?” 

you rolled your eyes at the teasing tone of his voice. this guy just doesn’t quit, “no, because you won’t be coming back here.” 

“i dunno,” luke looked out into the lake, a soft smile on his face. “i like it here. it’s pretty.” 

“i was here first.” you weren’t backing down. this was your spot. your secret spot, at that. not many campers ventured this far out into the woods, too afraid to get caught by their counselors and get in trouble, or too scared to get lost in the maze of trees. 

“sharing is caring, y’know,” his tone was playful.

you looked at him, no emotion on your features. you studied his face, furrowing your eyebrows like you were trying to place him. he looked familiar like you’d seen his face before. his eyes were big and brown, innocent looking compared to the smirk on his lips. a scar ran down the side of his face, subtle, but noticeable if you looked hard enough. it was slightly discolored compared to the rest of his face. his jaw sharp and cheekbones defined, with beginnings of a summer blush dusted across the bridge of his nose and the high points of his face. behind his ear, a small tattoo of the number “4” was hidden under his curls. his ears were pierced, two, small diamond studs on each earlobe. 

you’d seen him before, but you just couldn’t remember where and when for the life of you. 

you blinked, “i don’t like to share.” 

he threw the butt of his cigarette on the floor, gently stomping out the remnants of it with the tip of his converse convered feet, “noted.” 

you watched as he got up, keeping his promise of leaving you alone after one cigarette. the smirk on his face remained as he turned to face you before he left, “see you around, five star.” 

you made an noncommittal noise, not missing the sound of a deep rumble from his chest as he laughed at your dismissal. you watched him disappear into the trees, noting how his back flexed under his tight shirt as he cleared a path to avoid ducking under stray branches. 

you waited around twenty minutes before getting up to leave. you didn’t want to risk running into luke again, just in case he got lost on his way back. you were not going to lead him back to the safety of camp. if he got lost after trying to take over your spot, then so be it. that wasn’t your problem. 

as you entered the main campgrounds, you saw clarisse, a teammate of yours, who also got put on probation for coming to your defense, leaning against a tree trunk by the registration table. she needed a summer job and housing since she wasn’t allowed to come to practices and live on campus during her probation period, and you were quick to recommend her to your dad to be a camp counselor for the summer. thankfully, your dad was kind enough to say yes. at least you wouldn’t be alone all summer. 

you walked over to her, smiling kindly at the young kids you ran into on the way, excited out of their minds to be away from home for the next few months. “what’s up, la rue?” 

she smacked your arm, “why didn’t you tell me?” 

“ow,” you winced, clutching your upper arm. the girl was strong. there were many moments where you were thankful that you played for the same team. you did not want to be the poor girl who stood in clarisse’s way when she was in the zone. “tell you what?” 

“poisoned mercury!” she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest, “why didn’t you tell me they were gonna be here this summer?” 

“oh,” you rolled your eyes, “i didn’t think it was a big deal.” 

“not everyone grew up around celebrities, y/n,” clarisse reminded you, shaking her head. “sometimes, i forget that you did. you don’t talk about it as much as i would if i grew up like you.” 

“yeah, well, it’s not all glitz and glamor, to be honest.” 

you thought about your last relationship– a boy from california that you met during one of your dad’s work trips. it was a whirlwind summer romance that ended in a lot of heartbreak and a promise to yourself that you would never, ever date another musician again. your dad did try to warn you about him, subtly, of course, since he knew better than to butt into a teenage girl’s relationship. the boy had been begging your dad for a record deal for ages and he thought that by dating you, he’d get one step closer to his goal. your dad dangled the possibility of a record deal in front of him like a carrot, his own personal entertainment since he saw right through the boy, and ended up blacklisting him from the industry after he broke your heart. 

a little extreme? sure, but it wasn’t like he was that talented anyway. you still cringe when you remember his terrible rendition of “grenade” by bruno mars. 

“do you know when they get here?” clarisse asked, snapping you out of your thoughts. 

“i dunno, don’t care,” you shrugged, “when did you become such a huge fan?” 

“since i saw how hot their bassist is,” she laughed, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. “seriously, y/n, chris rodriguez is fine.” 

“enough, there are kids around,” you shoved her playfully, laughing as you motioned for her to follow you into the cabin you were staying in. “i didn’t know they were gonna be here, actually.” 

“your dad didn’t tell you?” 

“i’ve been on a strict ‘no talking, unless it’s yelling’ rule with my dad the past few months,” you explained, entering your room and closing the door behind you. your bags were messily thrown across the floor, bed unmade, and walls empty. you didn’t get around to decorating and putting things in their place before you gave your dad a piece of your mind. “and i refused to accept that i would be staying here all summer.” 

“it’s not that bad so far,” she moved your training bag from your bed, sitting on it, “the kids are adorable little music nerds. i don’t think they’ll cause too much trouble.” 

“for your sake, ares cabin head counselor, i really hope they don’t,” you teased, beginning to put your things away. “i’m not worried about the kids, actually. it’s more of the people our age that i’m worried about. musicians can be such dicks.” 

“true,” she agreed, “do you remember the kid who acted like he was hot shit when he performed at the fall concert at unc?” 

“yes!” you let out a belly laugh, “the one who shamelessly flirted with lena?”

clarisse nodded, falling on your bed in a fit of laughter, “then ran away when he saw charlie.” 

“i mean charlie is a scary-looking dude,” you commented, taking off your hoodie and stuffing it into one of the drawers. you fixed the camp half blood shirt you wore under it, “big ass linebacker.” 

“but the biggest teddy bear.” 

“the biggest,” you grinned, thinking about your friends back on campus. you already missed them and your crazy, late-night adventures in your college town. you and clarisse met charlie the summer before your freshman year at unc during athlete orientation. he shyly asked if he could sit next to you and clarisse in the back row, not wanting to block the view for people behind him if he were to sit in the front. he was a timid guy for someone who could probably bulldoze you and clarisse without breaking a sweat. 

he introduced you to his girlfriend, silena, when the school year started, and the four of you became inseparable ever since. you were glad you found a friend group in college, one that you could trust and depend on. 

“and this is the cabin where you all will be staying.” 

you looked back at clarisse, eyes widening as you heard your dad’s voice in the living room of the cabin. he didn’t tell you that someone other than clarisse was going to be staying in the cabin with you. 

“there are six rooms in total. one master and five others. there are three bathrooms. one’s in the master and the other two are out here. this is the living room and the small kitchen is down the hall,” he continued to explain, “my daughter has dibs on the master bedroom, though, so tough luck for you guys.” 

“i didn’t know you had a daughter, mr. d.” it was a boy’s voice.

“yeah, i do, y/n,” your dad said. you can practically hear the smile in his voice. “she doesn’t like the limelight so i don’t bring her up too much. i’ll introduce you guys to her when i see her.” 

“chris, put that down!” another voice. this time it was a woman. she sounded older, and tired, like she’d said that phrase a million times before. “sorry about them, mr. d. they may all be of age, but i swear it still feels like they’re kids.” 

your dad laughed, “trust me, i get it, may. my little girl is turning 19 soon, but she’d give her 12-year-old self a run for her money.” 

“i call this room!” 

“travis, you can’t just call dibs on rooms when the rest of us haven’t gotten a chance to take a look around.” 

“you snooze, you lose, rodriguez.” 

clarisse jolted from your bed, jaw hanging as she put the puzzle pieces together. she pointed at the door, whispering, “is that poisoned mercury?” 

your dad was in the middle of a conversation with the woman, may, when you opened your bedroom door to investigate. he was nodding along to what she was saying, taking mental notes of her words. you walked towards them, giving may a polite smile when she noticed you coming their way. 

“speak of the devil,” your dad clapped his hands, placing a hand on your back to guide you into the conversation. “may, this is my daughter, y/n. y/n, this is may castellan, poisoned mercury’s manager.” 

you held out your hand, “nice to meet you.” 

“oh god, a teenager with manners,” she exhaled, immediately accepting your handshake, “pleasure to meet you.” 

“you know we can still hear you, right, mama c?” a boy with curly hair peeked his head out from the room beside clarisse’s. he was wearing a white tank top, his tanned skin adorned with patchwork tattoos on full display. he had a pearl necklace around his neck, a charm of the band’s logo resting between his collarbones. he had a wide smile as if he wore his emotions proudly on his face. “these walls are thin.” 

“you were supposed to hear me, chris,” she replied, rolling her eyes jokingly. 

you tilted your head, analyzing the boy. you understood what clarisse meant. he wasn’t your type, but he was definitely hers. she always did like the golden retriever type. you raised your arm, giving him a small wave, “hey, i’m y/n.” 

“it’s the famous y/n!” you turned around at the sound of your name to see a boy with dark hair and a vintage iron maiden shirt on. he was leaning against his doorframe, toned arms flexed as he stuffed his hands in his front pockets. “travis.” 

another boy, looking eerily similar to travis popped his head out his door at the sounds of introductions. you cocked an eyebrow, “are you guys tw–”

the boy shook his head, stating “no we’re not,” at the same time as travis nodded, “yes we are.” 

you looked at may for help. she shook her head, throwing a pointed look at travis, “they are not. travis is older than connor by a year.” 

“which one of you fuckers stole my charger?” 

you froze in your spot. you knew that voice. your mind started connecting the dots then– luke castellan, lead singer of poisoned mercury. you’d seen pictures of him on your twitter timeline from both your friends from college and from home. he seemed to be the topic of conversation every week because there was a new thing to write about. his wild rockstar adventures were a crowd favorite. 

you once heard that he had a pet monkey that he bought with his first check from their album sales, but tmz reported it so it wasn’t the most reliable source. the last article you saw about luke was titled “leaving a trail of broken hearts: luke castellan’s extensive dating history and how they ended.” typical. 

“oh, luke, i want you to meet my daughter,” your dad beamed, none the wiser. he placed his hands on your shoulders, twisting your body to face the boy. 

you pursed your lips, biting the inside of your cheek. so much for him getting lost.

“five star, nice to see you again,” luke’s eyes lit up, the corner of his lips quirking up in a smile, “looks like we’re roommates.”

[tencrushesperday]

Country Girl (Shake it for me)

matt rempe x reader

warnings : mentions of alcohol, sexual innuendoes, 454 word

no idea where i even got the idea, but let’s not forget our boy is a hockey player from calgary (he would probably laugh in my face for mentioning luke bryan out of all the country artists possible)

It was finally summer and you had Matt all to yourself. Now that your classes were over and he was done for the season, he had asked you to tag along to Michigan to meet with some of his hockey buddies at a country festival.

You had turned over the whole city looking for a specific pair of red cowboy boots. Your suitcase was packed with jean shorts, cute tops and sundresses. You planned on stealing Matt’s flannels and hoodies in case it was cold in Michigan (and his cowboy hat too obviously).

The camping site was set near the festival fields. You were the furthest thing from a country girl, born and raised in New York, with a lawyer mother and a father working in finance. So you had thought about offering Matt to pay for a hotel a bit further from the festival but he was so happy to be camping with his friends you couldn’t get on your high horses and sound like a prick.

You were already on your what? sixth? seventh? beer of the day and it was barely 5pm. If you couldn’t sing along to the lyrics, you were giving it your all in your moves.

Matt took you on his shoulders at some point and you were sure people behind you hated you both but you’re too buzzed to care.

You couldn’t believe your ears when Luke Bryan came on the stage. You felt ridiculous for only knowing this guy. You were jumping around as soon as Country Girl started playing.

You took Matt’s hands and made him jump in a circle with you, then he spun you around on the lyrics “spin me around this big ole barn” and you threw your head back in a laugh. Your white sundress was fly around you at the movements.

Your hips were swaying around on the guitar riffs and then you beckoned him closer with your finger till you could grab his white t-shirt.

He was so hot with his cowboy hat.

You knew your boyfriend was hot but he was looking particularly delicious in his country boy attire.

His shirt still in your hand, you pulled him even closer with a drunk smile on your face. He was mirroring a just as enamoured expression. You couldn’t help but take the hat off of his head and put it on yours while looking up at him through your lashes.

One eyebrow raised, he was giving you that “Are you sure?” look. So you got on your tippy toes and whispered in his ear “Don’t worry cowboy you’ll get a ride later”, the smirk audible in your words.

Later that night, you both disappeared from the party and went to “take a walk” by the lake as Matt had so expertly put when his friends asked.

[peachhcs]

Hiii!!

I was wondering if you could write something for samy and will based on this article: https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/my-man-mireille-boutin-on-michael-pezzetta?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=CHCcontent&utm_content=EN-0514-MyMan

Basically the nhl team’s media people asking the players’ significant other questions about them. Thanks so much :))

my girl: will smith on samy hughes

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

nhl elite prospects interviews will about samy & their relationship!

1k words

this was suppperr cute to write. i swear will’s a yapper when it comes to talking about samy. i switched it from the article so it was will talking about samy, hope u don’t mind, but i loved this request!!

au masterlist

"we've been best friends since we were kids. everything just makes more sense when i'm around her."

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN — samy hughes is known for her tough offense on the soccer field.

but off the field, she's the "best person i've ever known," according to her boyfriend, will smith, a boston college forward.

while in san jose for a development camp, the nhl elite prospects were able to catch up with smith to ask him how he's been doing, including how his new relationship's been treating him.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR DYNAMIC GROWING UP.

it's funny because we never hung out by ourselves a lot when we were kids. i was pretty attached to her older brothers [quinn, jack, and luke] and she was attached to my sister [grace smith], so we never really hung out that much until we were older. although, we always got along. when we did hang out we enjoyed talking to one another and poking fun as if we were siblings. we really didn't get closer until i moved up to plymouth for the usntdp.

WHAT CHANGED YOUR RELATIONSHIP FROM FAMILIAL TO ROMANTIC?

at least for me, as i got older, my feelings started changing towards her. i started seeing her as an annoying sister less and less and the more we hung out when i was in michigan, the more attached i grew i guess. we started just..doing stupid stuff together and i just really liked hanging out with her. all the times where i thought the things we did together was just a sibling dynamic, i slowly realized it was a lot more than that.

WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO ON YOUR FIRST DATE?

i took her out to dinner in ann arbor and then we walked around for a bit before sitting on a bench and just talking for hours. it was definitely weird at first, but we eased into one another and it was fun getting to know her on a different level than what i've always known her as.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU MOST TO HER?

her personality for sure. she's super outgoing, always knows what she wants, very independent, super caring. we're very similar in many aspects, hence why we're best friends. she looks up to her brothers a lot which i admire because i also look up to them. i also enjoy her extensive knowledge of hockey because of her family, so it's easy talking about the game with her. she's just always been someone i go to when i need a shoulder to lean on and it's just so easy with her, you know? i love getting to call her so we can talk about our days together.

OF COURSE, HOCKEY'S IN SAMY'S ROOTS. DO YOU GET HER ON THE ICE WITH YOU EVER?

oh yeah, 100%. whenever we're back at michigan or in boston, we're on the ice. she's the one dragging me outside sometimes so we can play 1v1 or something. she's always had that love for hockey even if she doesn't play competitively anymore. i also love seeing her out there because it's what bonded us when we were kids, so it's nice still getting to go out and do it with her. somehow she still beats me too. she doesn't play for 4 months and then we're back on the ice together she scores 3 goals before i can even get the puck in my possession. the guys chirp at me whenever that happens if they're around.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATCH HER SOCCER GAMES?

every single one of them are on my computer. it doesn't matter what i'm doing. as soon as the live stream starts, i'm booting it up to watch. the guys love watching her play, so i always get to turn it on the tv and then we scream at the stream for two hours together.

SPEAKING OF THE GUYS, WE HEARD SHE HAS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR LINEMATES AS WELL.

leno and perreault absolutely adore her which i think is really sweet. i was a little worried when i first introduced all of them back when we moved to mich, but the three of them grew close really quickly. sometimes i think they're more excited to see her than i am and that's saying a lot.

WE HEARD HUGHES IS A GREAT COOK. HAS SHE COOKED ANYTHING FOR YOU?

when we're at the lake house she loves cooking all of us breakfast. she makes a great omelette and french toast, like, the best i've ever had. we all go crazy for her breakfast in the mornings.

DO YOU GUYS EVER TRAIN TOGETHER DURING THE SUMMER LIKE RUNNING OR WORKING OUT?

i'm not a huge runner, but sometimes i will run with her when she goes out, or i'd bike along side her. our training schedules are pretty different, but when we're in the offseason we'd occasionally hit the gym together or do some casual workouts that won't kill us. she knows what the hockey training is like so it's no stranger to her when she does follow my lead. soccer, on the other hand, is a lot more sprints and footwork which is sometimes helpful for me.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF SAMY'S BEST QUALITIES?

shes a huge team player. she's always looking out for those girls on her soccer team, helping them run drills, being someone to talk to—i really admire her for that. she's got a real big heart too. her love is so contagious. she's dependable, trustworthy, kind, beautiful—the list could go on coming from me.

ANY LAST WORDS YOU WANT US TO ADD?

i love her, haha. our parents knew way before us that we would end up together before we even knew. we've been best friends since we were kids. everything just makes more sense when i'm around her. this is probably corny, but i wanna spend the rest of my life with her. she's my rock.

[brittany-and-lewis]

as the sports nerd to end all sports nerds, ive aways found it fascinating what “home” is to each sport. in football, its the stadium; old trafford, camp nou, anfield. home is your field where they chant your name and sing songs daily. where you have laughed and wept and won and lost. but its not that for hockey. for hockey, and basketball and the nfl, its the city they play in; chicago, montreal, cleveland, pittsburgh. its about bringing glory back to the very city itself. and for f1, your home is your team. your engineers, designers, mechanics. tp, teammate, race engineer. think of how leclerc bleeds for ferrari, how hamilton built mercedes with his own two hands, how norris will always run papaya and max will always be redbull’s demon.

[enigmatist17]

Major Lennox stood beside Ironhide as they waited for the newest arrivals to Earth, the N.E.S.T commander curious this time rather than a bit jumpy as he usually was. Optimus and Ratchet were waiting a few feet away, the three Cybertronians within Lennox's immediate area completely silent. They all had been, actually, when Ratchet confirmed who was coming with a sad shake of his head a few weeks back, saying only one word that had the other Autobots that littered N.E.S.T headquarters subdued for weeks now.

Prowl

It was clearly a name that most were familiar with, and as Lennox watched the three new arrivals crash in the area they had been directed to, a sudden feeling of utter despair had him sagging against Ironhide with a wheeze. One bot crash-landed a few feet away from the trailer Optimus had brought along, the familiar whirring of a transformation sequence turning what looked like a pod into a twenty-foot-tall robot. Ratchet approached the newcomer speaking their native language, Lennox awed as always at how...musical it sounded to him, the new arrival pointing towards one of the other landing spots with a shake of their head. Ironhide had already moved to greet a second bot, this one a little bit shorter than the first bot, and gestured wildly in the same direction the other had, worried chirps littering the musical speech Ironhide was responding with.

The third bot had yet to transform. Optimus Prime had knelt down beside them, remaining silent as he placed a hand on the still-cooling metal with a noise that rumbled in Lennox's chest. The new bot speaking with Ironhide moved to join the Prime with more chirps and some clicking noises, the Autobot leader resting his free hand on their shoulder with a soft shake of his head.

"C'mon Will, we've got a while." Looking up the bot who had become family since their arrival just over two years ago, the major nodded and accompanied Ironhide to the small campsite he'd set up the day before. While they could roughly track where Cybertronian newcomers would land, arrival times were still a shot in the dark, one arrival taking over a week to land, much to Epps' dismay. Lennox never minded camping out; Ironhide's company was usually enough to ward off the boredom, the truck even allowing him to call his family or watch sports on the convenient screen inside his cabin, giddy when he eventually got Ironhide obsessed with hockey.

"If you don't mind my asking, what's wrong with the last guy?" Will knelt beside a firepit he'd made the night before to set a new fire, the crackling of the growing flame breaking the silence.

"His name is Prowl," the bot eventually said, giving a slight wave to someone behind the human. "You remember Jazz?"

"Of course." It was hard to forget the mech who had tried to take down Megatron despite being outgunned and how long his fellow soldiers grieved and continued to grieve when all was said and done.

"Well, Jazz and Prowl were...were...hm." Ironhide lapsed into silence, watching the soldier open one of his field rations to cook for himself, giving the mech whatever time he needed. "As best as I understand, for your understanding, they were married, bound to each other by body an' soul."

"You mean this literally." Will kept his eyes on his meal prep, Ironhide shifting above him in slight surprise.

"Mhm, best translation I can give you is bondin', something that is the most intimate gesture a Cybertronian can do for the one they love. It comes with a cost, however, when one side dies..."

"The other can feel it." Will looked up with a sympathetic expression, eyeing the general area where Optimus still remained. "Is Prowl going to survive?"

"...I don't know. I've heard of mechs who don't last the night after their bonded dies, others who are driven into insanity until they offline themselves...the fact Prowl is still around is beyond me." The weapons specialist shook his head, and for a while, neither of them spoke as Will went through the motions, processing what he'd been told. He'd seen Ironhide's Spark once after a Decepticon got a lucky hit off, the glowing mass underneath all that heavy armor so ethereal Lennox would never find the words that could describe what was effectively his soul.

"Will he be alright?"

"....I don't know, all we can do is be there for him." Lennox nodded as he settled in for the wait ahead, heart aching for the mech who had finally arrived to their new home.

Only to arrive too late.

[octuscle]

Hey Chronivac, my buddy just gave me this hockey stick and when I touched it I felt this electric shock and my brain is start to get fuzzy. I think he said he got it from you but the writing looks… I don’t know… Swedish maybe? Can you explain what’s happening here?

Whatever happened… You're dead tired. You have to use the field hockey stick as a support so you don't fall over. Your evening routine of facial care, brushing your teeth and so on has to be canceled. You barely manage to take out your contact lenses. Then you fall onto your sofa. And fall asleep.

Your cell phone rings. You stand upright in bed. Shit, did you oversleep? Your watch shows 05:00. You sleepily answer the call. It's your trainer. He says that he just wanted to ask if you would like to meet at the bus station or if you would like to drop by beforehand and you drive to the bus station together.

Shit! You overslept. You're going to training camp. Departure from the bus station at 06:00. You tell the coach that you are already on your way to the bus station. Little white lie. And then you make sure you get going. Thank God your bags were already packed. And you don't have to shower. You style your hair a little and then make sure you get a cab.

Of course you are the last one. Everyone is already on the bus when you finally arrive. Yes, you're sometimes a bit of a dork in everyday life. But on the ice, you're a god. It doesn't matter that you get on the bus to roars of laughter. Coach grins "So you were already on your way?" You give him a fist bump and say "Kind of".

[leonardperreault]

OK

last night @toasttt11 and i did some brainstorming for a new Quinn AU

heres what we/i have so far:

Piper Olsen

Born in New York, New York on April 15th, 1999; when her dad, ryan, is playing for the New York Rangers

Her mother died when she was 4 of cancer

After her dad retires he begins coaching. Starting at the University of Michigan as an assistant coach in 2010, under the iconic red berenson, then is announced as the NTDP U18 head coach in 2015 for the 2015-2016 season. At the end of the 2018-2019, season he was asked to be the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, which is where he currently stays.

She was 11 when they moved to Canton, Michigan

She is a dual athlete doing both Field Hockey and Lacrosse

She is committed to play both at OSU much to her dad, quinn and the hughes' families chagrin but that's where her mom went so she's going there too

Piper x Quinn

piper meets quinn at the USA NTDP tryout camp in the summer of 2014, which she traveled to with her dad

they don't see each other again until they end up in many classes together their junior year of high school

then quinn begins to see her everywhere at the rink at team events everywhere

so a friendship blossoms

its not until the summer when quinn travels back to toronto that they both realize that they miss each other

so after a few awkward months there senior year quinn works up the courage to ask her out

there relationship there freshman year of college is a hard adjustment, but quinn makes it to many of her games and she does the same for him

they last SO LONG because of the rough first year of long distance

the hughes family x piper and ryan olsen

Ryan is why jack and luke are so insistent on also playing in the NTDP.

Jim has worked with Ryan in the past as a coach and always admired his work when he was at umich in development (zach hyman comes to mind) and Quinn never shuts up about him

When Ellen meets Piper for the first time, she immediately understands why her son didn't shut up about her the summer before

Jim loves piper because she works so hard. he admires the kind of athlete she is

and jack and luke are obsessed with her always going to her games especially luke who is always a short drive away during her time at college

[scotianostra]

On 6th November 2014 Colonel Sir Ronald Thomas Stewart Macpherson known to his friends as Tommy, and his enemies as the "Kilted Killer"passed away.

Tommy was born October 4th 1920 in Edinburgh, the was youngest of seven children of Sir Thomas Stewart Macpherson and Helen Cameron, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy prep school before Cargilfield, in Barnton. At 14, he went to Fettes College, where he joined the Officers' Training Corps. He also attended Trinity College, Oxford, where he was awarded a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.Tommy represented Oxford at rugby, hockey and athletics and was also an international student athlete at 1500 metres. His older brother, Phil was captain of Scotland's first Grand Slam winning rugby side in 1925.

At the outbreak of WWII Macpherson was commissioned in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders before joining the commandos a year later, he was captured by Italian troops during a reconnaissance on the headquarters of Field Marshal Rommel in North Africa, after two failed escape attempts they sent him to, another camp at Gavi, near Genoa, then onto several Stalags, during which of course he tried again to escape!!! He was almost shot this time it was a countermand from the German Officer that saved him. By 1943 he was in Stalag XVIII-A in Austria and on September 21st after several attempts he managed to make good his escape.

Macpherson and 3 others managed to travel to Sweden via Bromberg and Gdynia before flying back to Kinloss, Scotland on 4th November 1943, two years after he had been captured in Egypt.

BUT!! Yes men like Mcpherson rarely lay on their laurel, he was seconded to a special operation named “Jedburgh”. Under this operation three man units were to be dropped into occupied Europe to carry out sabotage and guerrilla warfare, acting as a high-profile focus for the local resistance.

Two days after the Allies had stormed the Normandy beaches, he was parachuted behind enemy lines in France wearing his Highlander’s battledress aye, including his kilt. The unit was tasked with liaising with French resistance and causing mayhem and boy was he successful, the Germans soon had wanted posters plastered all across France with a 300,000 franc bounty placed describing and he was described as "A bandit masquerading as a Scottish officer and extremely dangerous to the citizens of France". His appearance caused quite a stir among the local Resistance fighters, many who had never seen a man in a kilt before. One excited young man even mistook him for a French officer’s wife!

On one occasion when a German staff car was approaching a level crossing Macpherson booby-trapped the barrier arm so it crashed down on the vehicle, decapitating the local commandant and his driver.

Macpherson’s finest hour came that summer in 1944, around 23,000 hardened German troops were travelling to Normandy so it was imperative that they were stopped, or at least, delayed. A small band of the French resistance held a vital bridge in the Loire valley, preventing them from passing. But with 23,000 soldiers, there was only going to be one victor if it came to a battle. Armed with this information, Macpherson stole a German jeep and drove through ten miles of enemy soldiers, until he reached their field headquarters.

Stepping out of the vehicle, the star of so many wanted posters demanded an audience with the commanding officer, Major General Elster. Elster was stunned. The king of bluff, Macpherson cooly informed Elster that he had 20,000 of his own men nearby, along with tanks and RAF bombers waiting in the wings. Surrender, laddie, or die he threatened, Tommy was only 21 at the time!

Of course, this was all complete and utter guff but Elster fell for it, hook, line and sinker. 23,000 enemy soldiers, spearheaded by the feared SS Panzer Division, had waved the white flag to MacPherson.

With France freed from Nazi rule, Tommy was quickly dispatched to Italy to do it all again. It was here that he faced a new enemy, Yugoslavian leader Tito, who was intent on taking parts of Italy. Given Macpherson’s tried and tested methods of killing sprees, blowing bridges and destroying supplies and communications, a second bounty was placed on his head.

After the war he continued to serve in the territorials for a number of years, he also loved his rugby and was a regular player at fly-half for London Scottish as skipper of the 2nd XV but playing mostly for the 1st XV.from 1946 to 1955 when he hung up his boots.

There’s a wee bit more about this very brave man here. https://dirkdeklein.net/2016/03/11/forgotten-history-major-tommy-macpherson/

[puckpocketed]

excerpted LA Kings prospect updates from In The Pipeline - by John Hoven (link / archive link) published 24th December, 2024.

Some really interesting stuff in here, some narratives of interest (including a guy that played shutdown minutes against M.Celebrini and W.Smith's respective lines during last year's Frozen Four) scuttling up and hoarding it on here for safekeeping. Article covers a bunch more prospects but i just grabbed what jumped out at me - any emphasis mine.

First and foremost: BOYWONDER!!! am not kidding when I say im fighting for my fucking life to find updates on this kid <3

Aatu Jamsen – There may not be a more exciting player to talk about in this entire article. That’s not to say he’s the biggest or the most skilled but he’ll make you move to the edge of your seat when he hops over the boards. Another in a long line of seventh-round draft picks, the lanky forward came over from Finland this summer after two successful seasons in Liiga. Known primarily as a winger, Sturm has been using him more and more as a center this season, something the Reign coach says he likes because it gives Jamsen more puck touches. He was instantly noticeable when he first came over for Development Camp a few years ago and scored both years he played at the Rookie Faceoff. More on Jamsen – As if on cue to our point above, the wiry 6-foot-2 forward capped off his weekend with a Gordie Howe hat trick on Sunday night in Ontario.

like hes sooo darlingcreature to me. exactly the type of all-flash, all-personality player i ADORE!! hope ontreign make playoffs and he drops a mixtape <3

muddling my way through the rest under the cut

Kirill Kirsanov – Even the most ardent Kings fan likely knows very little about Kirsanov, yet that should begin to change soon. At the 2021 NHL Draft, the Kings selected only four players, with Mark Yannetti (Director of Amateur Scouting) saying the team went for ‘quality over quantity’ that year. Along with Kirsanov, LA took Brandt Clarke, Francesco Pinelli and Samuel Helenius in 2021 – just to give you a small flavor of the company he was in. Now 22 years old, the 6-foot-2 left shot was in LA for Development Camp this past summer but was limited to off-ice activity only following knee surgery the month prior. One key thing to know is that legendary Russian hockey icon Igor Larionov has become Kirsanov’s mentor (and was even in LA with him over the summer). He’s helping guide the young blueliner on and off the ice as he grows professionally.

secret prospect... little guy who has imprinted on someone very famous who i dont really know about <3 good for him... i love learning there was some guy in the system i didnt know existed. by the by, would KILL to pick their brains about the drafting strategy mentioned here. Frankie P is tearing it up in ontreign and of course SamHel getting time in the NHL + not looking out of place at all sayin a LOT here about what they think Kirsanov can be

Jared Woolley – Yannetti and his staff typically have a field day in the latter two rounds, and Woolley looks to be the latest in a long line of those gems. After being a bit of a hidden secret in the OHL last season, only getting into about half the games for a deep London Knights club that went all the way to the Memorial Cup, the word is now out on the 6-foot-5 left shot; he’s really good. Among the top echelon of players at Development Camp in July – something that isn’t often said about 18-year-olds at their first NHL camp — Woolley has put his physical, heavy game on full display this season (including three fights thus far). He also has a strong defensive approach, which is one of the many reasons coaches love him. This season, reports say he’s trying to do more and more with the puck, yielding good but somewhat uneven results. Kings management are believed to have encouraged this type of growth this season, wanting to see him push the boundaries of what he may have thought he was capable of at this point. All in all, he looks like a pro player and is rocketing up the LA prospect rankings.

EYE!! LOVE !! when players change and grow their game. i love it so bad. to know exactly who you are and decide you are capable of more, to reach for the STARS.....!!!!!!!!!!!! augh... <3 I hope Woolley gets everything he's after and more. Also christ alive the London Knights have a lot of NHL prospects .

Jared Wright – Saying Wright can do no wrong may be overplayed, but it’s true. He’s such a smooth skater, look for that to be his calling card over the next few years. Similar to Connors, his production will come at important times, not all the time. This season, Wright is one of only two DU players to play every game who has yet to commit a penalty (the other, coincidentally, is Reeder). During last year’s NCAA playoffs, Wright was tasked with holding off guys like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, which he did and then still found time to score himself. He gets good reads off the puck, creates havoc and generates opportunities for others on the ice, even on nights when he doesn’t show up on the score sheet. Most players need to be on the power play to get points in college hockey. Wright was on it last year, and even started there this year, but hasn't been getting time with the man advantage most of the season. Thus, his minutes are hard — he's getting shutdown matchups vs. top lines and is playing on DU's first penalty kill unit.

I will be honest i do NOT watch DU games for this guy. but maybe I should?? I love good defence, i love shutdown defence. I love demoralising the opponent by giving up literally nothing and denying them everything <3 The LA Kings' suffocating defense runs through their forwards and he absolutely has a place here if this is his game!! The lack of penalties and defensive responsibility... hes like a bitty Kopitar <3

edit: ALSO I NEED HIM TO MAKE IT TO THE NHL SO WSH AND MACKLINI CAN LOOK HIM IN THE EYE AND WITHER BECAUSE HE STOLE THEIR FROZEN FOUR DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Koehn Ziemmer – He had an outside shot at playing in the AHL this season before it was ultimately decided one more year in the WHL would be most beneficial – especially after missing nearly all of last season following ankle surgery. Selected by LA in the third round (2023), Ziemmer can flat-out score goals. He really excels with the puck on his stick. If he’s not filling the back of the net, the 6-foot-1 right shot has solid secondary playmaking abilities. Perhaps that’s why he’s been utilized at center quite often this season, after being primarily a winger for most of his time in Prince George the past four years. Similar to guys like Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson at similar stages in their careers, once Ziemmer adjusts to the physical training component of being a pro, he’ll be an NHL player because he brings multiple attributes to the table. He’s hit a lot of centennial markers for his WHL career so far this season: 200 GP, 100 G, 100 A, and 200 points. More on Ziemmer – He’s earned the nickname "Pizza Delivery Boy," because when Prince George scores five goals at home, fans get a free pizza. Of the 16 home games played by the Cougars, they’ve hit that mark six times – with Ziemmer scoring the "Pizza Goal" four times.

PIZZA BOY!!!! PIZZA BOY GET IN MY POCKET <3 HI. I did watch a Cougars match where he scored the game tying goal to take them to OT for my weekly Wednesday Night in the Dub liveblog. I was rather distracted on account of all the seething i was doing @ joshua ravensbergen (cougars goalie.. my nemesis.... unwillingly endeared to him now........) BUT i was rooting for him <3

[chirpingfromthebox]

Interview with Taylor Heise: After the first practice in Toronto for mini-camp

You can find the video for the interview here! Be sure to show them a little love with a view or a like or comment and support journalism of the game.

Also if you're looking for some quality screenshots of excellent Heise faces, look no further! She's definitely pumped for the new season.

As per usual Heise is a very tricky person to transcribe, because she talks extremely fast, but I love y'all, so I'll embrace the challenge.

Like usual the transcription is under the break.

----------------

----------------

HOW WAS YOUR OFF-SEASON?

Great. I got to go to a lot of different places and do a lot of fun things. I think that’s one thing our team did really well this year, was go out. You know, you give all you’ve got for seven months and you can, in that last six that you have left [someone double-check that math], you wanna make sure that you have a really good summer and are coming in with your mental health high and being ready to go. So I think we’re really excited. But for me, I spent a lot of time with my family and friends and got to travel.

I went to Telluride, Colorado. That was probably the highlight of my summer. Did a lot of training with Grace Zumwinkle—actually we train everyday together. So we’re usually in the same area 24/7. She keeps me going and keeps me humble in the things that I’m doing.

HOW WERE THE ESPY’S?

That was unreal. Definitely an experience of a lifetime. You’re used to just sitting on your couch and watching that. But being there in person and seeing all the crazy, you know- I would say famous people. I’m sitting there and you’re like ‘I’m a small fish in a big pond.’

But the ESPY’s were super cool. I had- my boyfriend came with me. And just having, like, Hilary Knight was there. And just having different people that you can experience that with and just honestly take it all in and be there present in the moment was really cool. And I got to talk to Cam Newton. I talked to some people- you just expect you’re never gonna talk to in your entire life. So, it was cool.

WHO WERE YOU THE MOST STARSTRUCK BY?

Allyson Felix actually came right in front of me in this picture line. She had to go onstage and I was like, ‘By all means. Head on in there, girl!’ So she looked amazing. And she’s just someone- I love watching track and field and she’s been someone that has kicked ass for a really long time.

There’s was a lot of other people as well, some people I’ve seen on TikTok, and some people that are social media famous, that was another crazy experience. Just eyes wide open the entire time, pretty much.

HOW MUCH HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE BEING DRAFTED FIRST OVERALL?

I want to say a lot, but at the end of the day I’ve just been doing a lot of the same things that make me happy. And, you know, training. I’ve trained every summer, I rarely take more than 2 weeks off after the season—this year a little bit more. I was a little injured this past year, so working through that. And you know, you take that with a grain of salt and you just move on with what you’re doing. And I think this summer, just taking everything from last season and digesting it. And saying, that was a lot about everything was the first. The first this, the first that. This year we’re gonna focus on hockey and I think it’s gonna be something that you’re not gonna have seen from a lot people. I think a lot of people are gonna pop off onto the scene for us.

So I’m excited and my life has definitely changed. You know, I bought a house, I kinda settled down in Minnesota for right now and it’s just been really fun to kinda live the dream that I always wanted. And I’m kinda doing that right now. So I would say just continue to work hard because all this can go away in a second if you stop working hard and doing the things that make you good and the things that make you stand out.

I think just for me, just continuing to focus on those little things, but also remember that I’m here to have fun and I’m here to be a good teammate for my players and my team and my coaches and everything like that.

[Not sure what the question was here]

Yeah, I think all teams. I think it’s gonna be a lot of people on the scene this year that you either haven’t heard of or just players that have- you know last year I think every team was really good and every team this year is gonna be even better considering they’re getting more players on each team coming out of the NCAA and other places.

I think just for our team, like we’ve had such solid goaltending for so long and, you know, I think last year there was some lulls in that, but that comes with the territory. In those games we didn’t play well. And you can’t have a goalie that’s gonna back you up 24/7. I think both of our goaltenders—all four of them actually—right now are looking really good. And just on the forward side of things, Kendall—after having a baby last year and having all that—she still did what she needed to do. But I think this year she’s got that mindset of gonna turn things around and go out there and have fun.

Honestly, I’ve just been really pumped to see everyone out there, honestly. I just think everyone’s gonna have a really good time and take everything with a grain of salt, because you never know when it’s gonna be your last game. You never know when you’re gonna get hurt, you never know when you’re gonna be out there playing. So take everything for granted. [I’m just going to assume she was talking so fast the “don’t” got lost in the shuffle on that last sentence?]

DOES THE TEAM HAVE A TARGET ON ITS BACK?

I don’t think it needs to be said. Obviously we have that target and pressure’s a privilege. We’ve said that. It’s easier said than done. I think going out there everyone’s gonna give us their best and I don’t think that’s even gonna have to do with us winning. I think that’s simply gonna have to do with rivalries from last year, every team being really good, and just having the sense of urgency that this team won. We’re gonna kick their butts. That’s just how it’s gonna go. That’s how it’s always been. It’s a rivalry, every team’s gonna have one with every other team, I would say.

It’s exciting to just have a league where there’s no days off. Literally no days off. Unless you’re not at the rink, that can be your day off, but every time you’re playing a team I just think that it’s important that you give it your best. And everyone’s gonna give us their best as well.

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR INJURY?

Yeah, it’s just lower body injury and I’ve went through it a little bit. Timing: not great. But at the end of the day it’s something you gotta go through and I think last year my shoulder injury couldn’t have come at a better time. Would I have wanted it to not happen? Absolutely. But when it did I had that perspective of sitting in the stands and kind of seeing that I got a little too caught up in the details of things and I think when I came back that love of the game shot back up in me and I was having 0 trouble going out there and having fun.

So you just gotta remember that everything happens for a reason. I have a faith-based background. Everything happens and you just gotta get through it. And I have great teammates and great best friends that have kept that—as well as family—that have kept me up. ‘Cause you know, shit happens. At the end of the day, it just is what it is. And you know, I’m excited to be back out there with my girls and with the coaching staff. It’s been exciting and I’m moving up every single day.

WHERE DO YOUR POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND GENEROSITY COME FROM?

Absolutely my parents. They have raised me to be that person that- you know you think of that person, that little girl, that little boy, that you’re signing for? Like, that was me. And I didn’t necessarily have that because I wasn’t in the hockey background. I grew up playing basketball and I would have loved to have Steph Curry to sign my shoes. That’s kind of the thing I would have had as a kid, but now being able to come up, and I’ve purposely picked to go up on the concourse. And I know that some people will go, ‘Probably shouldn’t go up there. You’re gonna get stuck for 2 hours.’

But for me, in those days, even when you’re having a bad day and you had a bad game, going up there might be the best thing for me. Because I get to see all these girls who don’t care about the score. They couldn’t give a less of a crap that you lost 4 to 0. But they’re just excited to see you, they’re excited to get you to sign the sweatshirt that their mom made on Etsy. Just so many fun things you get to experience. And it keeps you humble. 'Cause you go up there and you’re like, ‘oh, this sucks.’ You see a sign that’s like, this kid put in 2 hours of work after school writing this sign for me. It’s just easy. My parents always raised me to be- to go out there and do that extra thing. Whether that be my stick handling, shooting, on the ice, off the ice, or if that’s talking to someone who wants something. Whether that be advice or just a signature or a hug. I’m always there for that.

[I can confirm that she wasn't lying when she said she likes to go up to the concourse after games! Typically at Minnesota home games they have an autograph table and 3 of the team members are chosen for it. But players are free to come up anyway. And Heise regularly comes up to chat with people. Just, honestly, meeting Heise is exactly what you would hope it would be. I have yet to see a fan walk away from meeting her without a big smile.]

HAVE YOU CIRCLED THE GAME AGAINST TORONTO IN MINI-CAMP?

I think that either way we’re gonna go out there and- every team’s gonna have a rivalry and you’re gonna pick it. Honestly ours might be Boston, it might be Toronto, it might be New York. I just think it’s gonna come down to who’s gonna come down to who’s gonna be out there playing a game we don’t like. Or say that at the end of the year things got a little chippy. You’re probably gonna take that into next year. Like I have a thought from last year that I’m ready to get after when I get back. I’m not gonna say what it was. But I think everyone’s gonna have that. And I know that they probably circled it and for us we’re just gonna go out there and trying to figure out lines and figure out powerplay, we’re trying to figure out our team. Obviously you’re there to be competitive and you’re there to win. But it’s just more important to get things together and to play as a team and make sure everyone’s feeling their best.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST DRILL YOUR TEAM DID?

Knockout. That one’s called Knockout and I actually grew up playing that in basketball. You dribble and you try to knock someone’s ball out. It’s the same thing in hockey. We usually go two lines- in between the blue lines, but Ken had it between the red and the blue today. So lots of bodies, short amount of time. You’re there to protect the puck. If your puck goes outside the blue or the red you’re out. Usually you come up with- like Grace and I will be partners and we’ll be like, ‘We’re not gonna hit each other’s puck out.”

You come up with alliances, I guess is the word. Survivor of the fittest. As well as who has the best- the most people on their side. But yeah, practice is, you know, the day before games we usually do about the same thing. It’s easy for everyone to get enough flow, to know what they’re doing. We don’t even have to say what’s going on. A little bit now, just with new people and new things. But practice was great today. I think we’re getting used to playing with people. We just got our lines. So, it’s all over the place. It’s definitely looking really good and it gives me a lot of perspective on how this season’s gonna go.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEW PLAYERS?

I can go through all three.

I think Claire [Thompson] is someone that, obviously, you go out and you show what you got at the Olympics. That’s what you want to do. And she came out and blew everyone out of the water. For someone who is so smart, I could ask her any question in the book and she’s gonna answer it very honestly, with a very educational based background. So you can tell that on the ice. She’s very analytical. She goes through what she thinks is right and she’s never gonna make that bad play. She’s gonna make the right play 9 times out of 10. And she’s really good at puck protecting. She can get shots through. She’s played at the highest level. Not worried about her at all.

I think Britta’s someone I’ve played with for awhile. I’ve played with her at the World Championships last year. She’s a big body. She can tip. She’s got this bandwidth of can play a 200ft game and is gonna work on all those skills at all time. She’s competitive. You don’t really want to get up in a ring against her.

So her and then Klára. I don’t know if you were watching practices much, but she had like 3 snipes today that were...you can tell that I’ve played against her on Czech and she’s just unreal. She brings this competitive nature, but she’s a little smaller, but she can shoot the puck. I’m excited to see her snipe a few goals this year for sure.

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE LINE THAT YOU’RE ON?

Absolutely. Obviously that’s how we ended. I am more than happy to play with anyone. And I think this team is very able to shift around. We did a lot of shifting last year. We’re just excited to continue the legacy we started. But to continue to ramp it.

[doryythebutterfly]

to do list for this afternoon + evening

3 december 2024

shower

wash my hair

pm skincare and teeth care

do the dishes

➥ put clean dishes away

➥ put dirty dishes in the dishwasher

make a glow-up plan (I will be posting this later)

get routines in order (I will also be posting these)

➥ morning

➥ night

search for some basic field hockey exercises to do at home

search for some basic online ballet classes/videos

6 min thin thighs workout by Gloria song

practice writing some hiragana

work on any short story for my writing tumble

transfer my edited prologue from my book to Google Docs

start writing chapter 14 of my current wip

read any of my books

journal about the camp I went to recently

journal about Moana 2 that I saw with my friend

[wlntrsldler]

poisoned mercury | close as strangers (post chb)

a/n: okayyyy so i didn't give them an angst ending but i had to give into the angst monster at least once for this series so here's a bonus chapter for poisoned mercury. miscommunication galore. long distance is hard! two dumbasses in love!

song: close as strangers by 5sos

series masterlist | previous | next

"i'll talk to you tomorrow, yeah?" luke whispered, trying not to wake his bandmates up. the tour bus was large enough to house them while they were on the road, but it didn't really give the privacy he hoped for. chris was just across the narrow walkway from him and luke could hear his soft snores through the thin curtain that separated them. 

luke felt his heart hammering in his chest when you didn't reply to him. he could still hear your breaths through the phone and you were just talking to him a second ago, so he knew you were still awake. you both had equally busy lives which meant that your phone calls were getting shorter and shorter each day. luke knew it was because you were booked with school and tournaments for field hockey and he was always exhausted after each meeting now that the band was working on their second album. luke knew all of this, but it didn't stop him from missing you. he was lucky to get a ten-minute call with you nowadays. 

"baby?" he tried again, chewing on his bottom lip. he turned to face the ceiling of his bunk, the light from his phone casting a shadow on his face as he waited for you to say something. anything. "can i call you tomorrow?" 

you sighed, "i don't know, luke. i have a busy day. it's a travel game tomorrow so i don't know if i'll be up late." 

"oh," he cleared his throat, trying to hide his disappointment. he felt a little stupid that there were tears pooling in his eyes. so you can't talk tomorrow, it shouldn't be a big deal, right? except that luke felt like you were pulling away from him. little by little. and he didn't know how to stop it. it wasn't like he could drop everything to show up at your doorstep and fix things with you. if it was up to him, he would do it in a heartbeat, but you'd probably get mad at him for it, for abandoning his responsibilities as the lead singer of the most popular band in the world. not to mention the boys would be livid and mr. d and his mom would be equally furious. 

"sorry, maybe next week?" 

"yeah, sure," he replied, thankful that you weren't on facetime tonight. he didn't want you to see his face. "alright, i'll let you get some rest. go kill it tomorrow. g'night, five star." 

"goodnight," you said, ending the call as soon as the last syllable left your lips. 

luke groaned quietly, tossing his phone on the foot of his bed. he knew long distance was going to be difficult. it's been months since he last saw you, months since he was at camp half blood, sleeping in your bed and waking up to the feeling of your lips peppering kisses on his face. maybe he shouldn't have gotten so attached so fast, but it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter. 

he got out from his bunk, tucking his feet into his slippers and made his way to the living room area of the bus. he sat on the couch, peering out the window to watch the empty roads ahead. they were on their way to nashville to meet with a producer that mr. d recommended. the second album was almost done, but it was missing something and none of them wanted to put out a record that didn't meet their expectations. 

mr. d was already in tennessee waiting for them. he'd flown in from houston a few days ago with luke's mom and the rest of the poisoned mercury team while the boys were in atlanta for a movie premiere. they decided that a road trip was needed to de-stress after the glitz and buzz of the red carpet. it was nice to have some alone time with the boys. in their tour bus, luke felt like they were back in connecticut, just four friends fucking around, writing music, and eating junk food until their stomachs hurt. 

he turned on the tv, switching to some random channel that he wasn't paying attention to. he just needed some noise to drown out his thoughts, but that didn't seem to work. all he could think of was you, his five star, and how much he missed you. luke wondered if you were having second thoughts about this whole thing. maybe he'd been too optimistic about things; maybe you weren't on the same page as he was; maybe you realized that it was too difficult to be with him. 

a shiver ran down his spine as he spiraled into his thoughts. admitting to himself that something was wrong between the two of you left a bitter taste in his mouth because he didn't want to believe it. he saw you as his endgame, like nobody else in the world could compare to you, and to think that you may not feel the same about him... well, it was a difficult pill to swallow.

he wondered if he came on too strong, showed his cards too early, and seemed too clingy and lovestruck before it was deemed appropriate. you'd only been together, officially at least, for four months, most of which were long distance, but luke knew he was a goner for you way before that. 

he silently cursed as the chill of the december air hit his skin. he should've worn a hoodie. he grabbed the small throw blanket draped over the armchair and placed it around his shoulders. he wished he got to see you over thanksgiving break because maybe you two wouldn't be in this rocky situation right now, but your coach ordered you and clarisse to stay on campus over break to sharpen your skills since you missed summer training. luke and chris were less than pleased with the idea, but they knew it was out of their control. 

luke fell asleep on the couch that night after succumbing to the tiredness in his body. the sun was beginning to rise by the time his eyelids fluttered shut. he hoped that he'd wake up to a text from you, but when he woke up to the sound of the bus screeching to a halt in nashville, he realized it was the hope that kills. 

-

“are you guys going to the fall concert?” silena asked, poking her head out of the bathroom. she was part of the planning committee for the unc fall semester concert and she’d been stressing over the logistics of it for weeks. 

“lena, if we even tried to miss it, you’d kill us,” clarisse chuckled, putting on a coat of mascara. “you’ve been talking about this since we got back.” 

the three of you were getting ready in your dorm. you and clarisse were roommates this year, thank gods for athlete privileges, and silena lived in the building next door in a single since she was an ra. how she had the time to be an ra, be a member of the music festival planning committee, and be a full-time student was truly beyond your comprehension. 

“lena, calm down. it’ll be good,” you squeezed her shoulders as you passed by behind her, grabbing your lipgloss from the counter. “and even if it sucks, half the people in the crowd are either drunk or high or both and will probably not remember it.” 

“true,” she snorted, curling the final piece of her hair. she unplugged her hair curler and gave herself one last look in the mirror, “i’ll see you guys there? i gotta go make sure shit didn’t hit the fan.” 

you and clarisse nodded as silena said her goodbyes. you dabbed on some lipgloss, glancing down at your phone every few seconds. clarisse side-eyed you, unable to hide her smile, “you waitin’ for a text?” 

“shut up,” you rolled your eyes at her teasing tone. she didn't really know that your relationship was a little muddy at the moment. you weren’t the best at talking about your feelings and it felt wrong to talk about your relationship drama when clarisse and chris seemed to be going strong. “they’re supposed to land in los angeles ten minutes ago.” 

“their flight probably got delayed, y/n,” she replied, “happens all the time.” 

“no, i know, but just wanna make sure they’re safe, y’know?” 

clarisse crossed her arms over her chest, “they’re safe or he’s safe?” 

you ignored her question, opting to busy yourself with the weather app on your phone to avoid any follow-up questions, “how are you not checking your phone for a text from chris right now?” 

she shrugged, “he always knocks out on long flights so i don’t expect a text until he gets to their hotel.” 

“how are you and chris, by the way? i know we live together and shit, but i feel like we haven’t gotten to talk about it in detail since we’re always so tired from school and practice.” 

“we’re good,” clarisse hummed, “just miss him loads, though. i haven’t seen him since we left camp– what? four, almost five, months ago?” 

you were in the same boat, kind of. you and luke hadn’t seen each other in months and you were getting antsy. they’d been on the road for the past few months, meeting with producers and fulfilling their contractual obligations. they hadn’t been in a set location long enough for you to be able to fly out to see luke, even just for a weekend. 

at first, there were movie dates where you’d order each other food and eat and watch the movie on facetime together. there were weekly phone calls and daily texts, but nothing compares to the real thing. being with luke in person was something that you were craving. camp half blood spoiled you with having him all for yourself and now that you were back in school and he’s out in the world, it was beginning to weigh on you. 

you missed him. a lot. 

you missed kissing him and feeling his lips break out into a smile when you’d mumble something stupid. you missed feeling his arms around you, hugging you from behind while you got ready for the day. you even missed waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of him scribbling random lyrics on pieces of scrap paper he found in your room when he slept over. 

long distance is hard and sure, luke wouldn’t be the type to cheat or do anything to jeopardize your relationship, but it still didn’t stop a knot from forming in your stomach every time a picture of him or the band popped up on your social media with a gorgeous singer, actor, or model that they ran into on the red carpet. what if he realizes one day that he wants someone who lives the same life as him? wild and adventurous, not tied down by school or sports? 

a part of you felt silly for being so insecure about things. it was too early in the relationship to have this conversation, isn’t it? you knew that your avoidance of the topic was starting to affect your relationship with luke, as much as you wished it didn’t, but what if the minute you voice your concerns, he’ll realize that being with you was more than he bargained for? after all, you weren’t the same five star with all the time in her hands, care-free, and relaxed that he met at camp. there was a chance that luke would call it quits on this if you said anything and it felt like too big of a risk to take. 

your phone buzzed on the counter, indicating a text.

from: luke <3 

‘landed and jetlagged. gonna sleep for a few. enjoy the concert babe!’ 

you hearted the message and slipped your phone into your back pocket after sending him a quick goodnight text. the three dots popped up for a second, then in a blink, they disappeared. read at 8:43 pm. 

“you ready?” 

you snapped out of your thoughts at the sound of clarisse’s voice. you nodded and grabbed your small purse before heading out the door. you ran into a group of your teammates who were heading to the amphitheater across campus for the concert. the walk seemed to fly by as they cracked jokes and shared stories about random things. you stayed silent for the most part, only laughing along when it seemed like the right time, but your mind was somewhere else. your mind was in los angeles. 

by the time you got to the venue, you and clarisse separated from the group to enter the vip tent, courtesy of silena. a small crowd was beginning to form in front of the stage, taking up the grassy field. charlie was already at the tent, sipping on an ipa when he saw the two of you. his face broke out into a wide smile, giving you and clarisse a quick hug before leading you to the seats he saved. 

“season’s looking promising for you guys, charlie,” you commented, accepting the high noon he offered. “the team’s looking good out there.” 

“thanks,” he beamed, “don’t think we’re on the level of national champs just yet like you guys, but we’re trying!” 

“you guys are doing great,” clarisse chimed in, “the energy in the stadium is electric this year. makes me love college.” 

“are you telling me the papers and tests aren’t what makes you love college, la rue?” charlie teased. 

she snorted, “oh yeah, because i just love staying up until 1 am writing a paper on greek mythology for classics 101.”

the three of you fell into a comfortable conversation about the class you were all taking. it was a prerequisite class that most athletes choose to take because the professor was flexible with deadlines when it came to athletes. it was helpful especially when a team has to play beyond their season for tournaments or championships. about ten minutes before the opening act got on stage, silena rushed into the tent.

“guys, please you need to come with me. i need your help,” she said frantically. she was nervously tugging on her ‘staff’ badge around her neck, already halfway out of the tent as she waited for the three of you to follow her. “please, it’s an emergency.” 

“woah, lena, what’s going on?” you asked, getting up to comfort her. you followed her through the crowd, grabbing clarisse’s hand to keep her close. 

silena shook her head, continuing her march through the sea of people, “just come with me, i’ll explain when we get backstage.” 

you and clarisse looked at each other, feeling bad for silena. she put in her blood, sweat, and tears into this concert and you knew that she would beat herself up over it if something went wrong. silena always put her all into the projects she’s passionate about, but sometimes things outside of her control happen and unfortunately, she blames herself for it. 

in the whirlwind of ‘excuse me’s’ and ‘sorry’s’, the four of you managed to make your way backstage. it was chaotic. people were running around everywhere making sure everything was set for the opening act. the girl who was opening the concert was waiting by the wings, her guitar strapped across her chest as she took some deep breaths. the crowd wasn’t full yet, but you knew that if you were in that position, you’d still be sweating buckets. going out there on stage to perform for strangers was nerve-racking. you didn’t know how luke did it. you admired that about him. 

“lena, are you gonna tell us what’s going on?” clarisse questioned, picking up the pace of her steps to match silena. 

silena stopped in front of a door, slowly turning to face you and clarisse. suddenly, her stressed facade faded as she twisted the doorknob, “why don’t you see for yourself?” 

if you weren’t so confused about what was going on, you would’ve seen charlie lift his can up to his lips to hide his smile at how proud he was of his girlfriend for her acting skills. when the door opened, your heart stopped. 

luke was here. 

he stood in the middle of the room beside chris with a nervous smile on his face. he was wearing a black leather jacket on top of a white tank top and black pants. his poisoned mercury chain hung from his neck, shining under the overhead lights. his hands were stuffed in his front pockets, shy and timid, as he waited for your reaction. 

clarisse screamed when it hit her that chris was actually here. she ran to him and nearly tackled him to the floor. chris wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and laughed as she giggled into his neck. the two of them shared a heartfelt reunion before rushing out of the room to get some privacy. the sound of the door shutting behind you made you blink.

luke cleared his throat, right hand scratching the back of his neck, “hey, five star.” 

the nickname brought you back to your senses. you ran to him, engulfing him in a tight hug with an ‘umph.’ at first, luke was tense under your touch, unsure if you’d be happy with his surprise, but quickly, he melted into you. he buried his face in the crook of your neck, sighing in content as your familiar scent surrounded him. he felt sparks coursing through his veins as you hugged him tighter and all he could think about was how good it felt to have you in his arms again. his mind was still reeling at your reaction. he didn’t expect you to run to him like this, especially not when it felt like you’d been avoiding his calls over the last few weeks. 

“what are you doing here?” you asked him, pulling away to hold his face in your hands. your eyes twinkled as you raked over his face, still in disbelief that he was actually in front of you. “you’re supposed to be in la.”

luke couldn’t stop the lopsided smile on his face, “well, i lied? we were in nashville recording with your dad and he mentioned that he didn’t schedule a session for us this weekend in case me and chris wanted to take a trip to north carolina, so here we are.” 

you ran your thumbs over his cheekbones, whispering, “here you are.” 

“god, i missed you so much,” he said, voice breaking. “you have no idea how hard it’s been.” 

you gulped, your hold on his face faltering a bit. if luke wasn’t on edge, he wouldn’t have noticed the falter in your step, but he felt the slight hesitation in your actions. your warm touch slowly peeled away from his face and he instantly regretted saying those words. here he goes being clingy again. he removed his hands from your waist, clearing his throat. he sat on the couch, motioning for you to sit beside him. he tried to keep his hands to himself when you left a space between the two of you. 

“i still can’t believe you’re really here,” you said, staring at him. you wanted to lean over and hold him in your arms again, but there was a weird tension in the air that made you feel queasy. “i feel like i’m dreaming right now.” 

“i hope you’re not mad that i’m here,” luke looked down at his lap, flexing his hands. he had to keep his hands busy or else he’d surely reach for yours and he didn’t want to come on too strong. he had to keep his distance. he didn’t want to scare you off any more than he already did. “there was just an opening in the schedule and i-i wanted to see you.” 

“i’m not mad at all.” 

“good, good,” he replied. silence. he forced himself to look up from his lap, twisting his body to face you. he bit his bottom lip, trying to build up the courage to ask his next question. “are we okay?” 

“we’re okay.” 

“okay because i feel like things have been different between us lately,” he pursed his lips, looking at you with sad eyes. his tongue poked out the corner of his lips, eyes darting between you and the wall behind you. “i don’t know. i feel like we haven’t talked in ages, y’know? and i know you’re busy and you have a great life here that i’m not really a part of, but uh, i wanna be, y’know? i don’t know much about school or field hockey, but it’s important to you and you’re important to me so i wanna hear about it.” 

he was met with more silence. luke continued, “maybe i’m asking for too much when i ask you to let me be a part of this life, but uh, i miss you? and i just feel like i’m losing you and that’s the last thing i want. so you gotta give me something, five star. tell me what i can do to be better.” 

“if you need me to back off, i’ll do it, you know? you call the shots. you tell me what you need from me, and i’ll do it, okay? i just– i can’t lose this. i don’t wanna lose you,” luke mumbled. “maybe this is all in my head too. i don’t know anymore.” 

you shuddered, lip quivering, “i feel like i’m holding you back.” 

“what?” 

“come on, luke,” you flicked away the tear that trickled down your cheek, “you’re out there in the world doing what you love. meeting new people. living your life and i don’t want to hold you back from that. we met each other when i didn’t have all these responsibilities and who i was at camp is not who i am here and i know you love those impromptu adventures and trips and spontaneity. a-and i can’t give that to you.” 

“you deserve someone who can live this life with you and i’m stuck here for two more years, luke. i can’t do that,” it was getting hard to breathe. your throat felt like it was closing up, cutting off your airflow. you’d been putting off this conversation for weeks. it didn’t feel right to talk about this over the phone, and you thought that you had a few more weeks to figure out what to say to him when you saw him for winter break, but he was here now. “you deserve more than facetime calls and text messages, and that’s all i can offer.” 

“is this–” he paused, licking his lips. “is this not what you want anymore?” 

“what?” 

“this, us? is this just not what you want anymore?” 

an involuntary laugh escaped you as you wiped under your eye, “castellan, i don’t think i could stop wanting you even if i wanted to. and you know when we first met, i really wanted to.” 

luke moved closer to you, just an inch or two, trying to gauge your reaction. you didn’t move away, which he took as a good sign, “i’m confused. why do you sound like you want to end this then?” 

“i don’t want you to settle for this,” you sighed, “i know what you deserve and it isn’t this.” 

“bullshit.” 

you furrowed your eyebrows, looking at him in disbelief, “what?” 

“i’m sorry, five star, but that’s bullshit,” a small smile was tugging on his lips. he reached over to place a hand over yours. his fingers traced your knuckles, running the pads of his fingers across the familiar ridges of your skin. “i don’t understand how after all this time you still don’t realize that all i want is you. it’s ridiculous, really.” 

“it’s ridiculous?” 

“it’s ridiculous,” he chuckled wetly. his other hand rubbed at his eyes, clearing his foggy vision. “our situation isn’t ideal, i know that, but i’d take long distance with you over anything else with anyone else. don’t you get it, five star? you’re it for me. if this isn’t what you want anymore, i’ll accept that. but if you’re only doing this because you don’t think i want this… five star, i want it all with you. long distance. phone calls. text messages. weekend trips when we can get them. distance has nothing on how i feel about you.” 

leave it to luke castellan to make you blush. you shyly looked at him, eyes twinkling with something more than either of you bargained for when you first met in that secret spot you call yours, “how do you feel about me?” 

“i’m not gonna say it right now because i don’t want to have the first time be while we’re in a fight,” luke laughed. the air was starting to clear. “but i have a feeling you know.” 

“i know,” you squeezed his hand three times, “i do too.” 

“will you put me out of my misery and kiss me please?” 

“always so fucking dramatic,” you scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes, but you leaned over and pressed your lips to his.

[mpregeminem]

Okay here are some antics I think the BTR boys would get up to source: I’m a certified minnesotan who goes to duluth a few times a year

-the main mall in duluth is the miller hill mall. Totally generic, average mall, but it’s pretty much the main thing teens will do during the winter. I think they would get banned for life by starting a food fight in the cafeteria and they’d keep coming up with disguises to use and then subsequently getting banned again. there's also a mall called fitgers which is pretty cool because it used to be a brewery. i've only been there a few times so idk as much about it alas.

-speaking of malls, at some point they would come to minneapolis (i assume for say a hockey trip for example) and go to the mall of america. It’s the biggest mall in the western hemisphere and theres a zillion stores so you can imagine all the antics there. But in particular, they have an amusement park. It is currently nickelodeon universe but i think at the time it would’ve still been camp snoopy. I think they would have gotten banned by climbing up the rides and breaking something.

-While in minneapolis, i think they would’ve gone to the sculpture garden (it’s free). I think they would somehow make the cherry break off from the famous spoonbridge and cherry fountain

-They would also go to the science museum for sure. I think they would manage to knock over a dinosaur skeleton. But also they’d also just have all kinds of general antics. For example, they have a thing that blasts you with air to replicate sneezing and they’d 100% do that to each other. I can elaborate on this more I went to this museum sooo much as a kid but this is already gonna be so long lmao.

-While still in the area, they’d go to Valleyfair, which is like the main amusement park around here. Again, generic amusement park antics. But I also think they’d come around halloween, when they do ValleyScare, which is when they have like, haunted houses and scare actors and whatnot

-Going back to duluth, they would DEFINITELY spend time around canal park in the warmer months. It’s like this little touristy/shopping center in duluth. There’s a bunch of little shops and restaurants and a couple museums (including the irvin museum which is like a big ass historic boat and also as an aside they do like a haunted ship thing around halloween) around there. There’s a lakewalk they could walk along, there’s a lighthouse you can walk up to, and also there’s this like semi-submerged structure in the lake that people like to jump off of in the summer. 

-Also in the canal park area is the aerial lift bridge. The whole bridge lifts up when boats are gonna pass under. The guys would 100% get in trouble for trying to stay on the bridge while it’s going up

-Theres also this like, family fun center in canal park called adventure zone that i remember going to as a kid. it has like, an arcade and laser tag and stuff like that. obviously they would get kicked out of there almost immediately

-Theres a tower in duluth called enger tower that at least one of them would definitely fall out of and break an arm or something

-there’s a famous mansion called the glensheen mansion. Notoriously, there were some murders that happened there and tour guides aren’t supposed to talk about it during the tours (they’re usually okay fielding questions about after the tour) so I would imagine they would pester the poor tour guide about the murders/ghosts until the guide snapped asjhds

-less like, antic-y, but there used to be record shop called electric fetus that they probably would have gone to

-i think they would’ve been banned from the lake superior zoo for trying to pet the animals or something but i suppose that could happen at any zoo

- the downtown duluth area is on a really steep hill so i imagine in winter after it snowed they’d try to sled down it and almost get hit by cars

-Grandma’s marathon ends in canal park, so i think they’d fake like they ran the whole marathon to impress girls or something sadjhhka

-there are a lot of parks including state parks so i could imagine them getting like lost in the woods or whatever. in general in minnesota/duluth theres a lot of outdoorsy stuff like skiing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, boating, jetskiing, ATVing, snowmobiling, that sort of stuff. fishing is really big because we have a zillion lakes lol. i was always a dork who just wanted to stay inside as a teen lol but teenage boys i knew growing up tended towards doing those outdoors stuff.

-an aside but i know the guys are hockey players so it's probably good to know the minnesota hockey team is the minnesota wild. im not a big hockey person but my understanding is they are incredibly mid.

hope this helps with your band yaoi bestie <3 obviously this is a non-exhaustive list but this is the big stuff that came to mind.

@partiallypearl @cant-get-enough-btr-forever @myloveforhergoeson @mpregloganmitchell @mpregkendallknight @btr-rewatch @bishounenbtr tagging you guys because you might be interested in their minnesota antics from a reliable source (my good friend penny)

penny i love love that you wrote all this i felt like i was taking a little tour with you around the cities <333

THEY HAD CAMP SNOOPY ARE YOU KIDDING ME... that's adorable, they definetly would've managed to catch that big snoopy on fire orrr get really trashed one night and try to steal it skdjsh (it seems huge on that picture so the idea of the guys clumsily trying to climb it to take it with them is cracking me up).

i remember you mentioning the spoonbridge once!! don't remember the context lol, i didn't know it was an entire garden waow.. yeah that cherry would suffer some damage with them around for sure.

that science museum looks like so much fun 😭 i think logan would ask them to go and they'd do it for him but end up having a blast together. if you do feel like telling more about what you liked about it as a kid please do bc im charmed by this place.

that picture of canal park's submerged structure is making me crazy bc those guys jumping into the lake could totally be them... one thing in general about these guys is they canonically Love the outdoors, they like to camp, the beach and they seemed to take well to california's warmer weather, i can see them taking any chance they got back home to enjoy the sun and the water without freezing their toes off lol. they also wanted to take snowboarding lessons according to the show (but james' mom made them take ballet instead <3), they'd take advantage of any change of adrenaline. the rush, one could say 🤨

THAT MANSION!! idk if you got that far but there's a ghost episode in season 1, and they obviously try to bust it. this would be right up their alley. i can see them plotting to split during the tour so they can catch that sucker (kendall's plan, brought on by carlos' request/begging skdjshs)

fun fact!!

but the fact that they're mid makes it so much funnier to me 😭😭😭 another mutual also told me the maple leafs are kinda hated? i honestly can see kendall choosing these teams out of spite as a young teen skdjdhd "oh you think they suck? well now i want in even more :)"

I LOVE THISSSSS thank you for taking the time to write it bestie ❤️❤️

[freddie-77-ao3]

been going through my notes and if anyone wants a list of extracurricular activities drew does (in addition to camp stuff)

Science club

Chemistry club

Book club

track and field (hurdles and pole vaulting specifically)

archery team

rugby

gymnastics

lacrosse

ballet

ice hockey

soccer