#I want TSN back

[endingofdramamines]

can’t express how exciting it is that current tv shows and movies r having actors that queerbait offscreen again like this is truly everything to me. bands too

[twobites]

is this something (alt text under cut)

Image 1: Still from The Social Network of Mark leading Eduardo outside the party.

Image 2: Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome talking inside an arena.

Image 3: Transcript from The Social Network. MARK: “I’m afraid if you don’t come out here you’re going to get left behind. I want - I want - I need you out here, please don’t tell him I said that.” EDUARDO: “What did you just say?” MARK: “It’s moving faster than any of us ever even imagined and -” EDUARDO: “What do you mean get left behind?”

Image 4: Still from The Social Network of the above scene.

Image 5: 2015 headline from The Star, “Dylan Strome happy to develop in Connor McDavid’s shadow”

[wereoz]

the way winklevosses & divya were communally screaming crying punching pillows over the website theft and eduardo was shaking over the threat of being sued while mark was just there sending an email or text every few weeks absolutely talking out of his ASS like ummmm sorry dudes i’m so swamped :3…….. the reality that boy was talking from is INCONCEIVABLY false……… *houses adoring voice* you manipulative bitch <33

[cathartidae]

shuffle your queue daily so they never know your next move

[tiger-balm]

Tsn doesn't have all the wjc games available anymore?? Its just blow after blow for me today

[billybob598]

No Idea Who They're Dealing With (Trinity Rodman x Reader)

Ummm, it's like 1am and I just banged out like 2k words?!?!? This was requested by a lovely anon (hope this is kinda what you wanted). I'm gonna go have a nighttime snack real quick so, byeeee. As always, any feedback good or bad welcome. Enjoy!

Word Count: 2k (actually it's like 1987 but that's basically 2k so fuck it)

You hated Trinity Rodman. With a passion. She was always getting the best of you, no matter how hard you tried she always seemed to be one step ahead. The rivalry between the two of you went back to your U-18 days. You played for Canada during the U-18 World Cup, in that tournament you had really shone, putting yourself at the top of the list for up-and-coming Canadian soccer players. While you had done well, Trinity had done even better. You never played against the USA in that tournament, but she beat you out for the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament award. 

The next time your rivalry was rekindled was in the U-20 CONCACAF Championships. Both Canada and the US came top of their groups, respectively. In the semi-finals, the two teams faced off. It was a pretty physical game. Tackles were flying in left and right. Numerous cards were given out. Throughout the match, you and Trinity had been at each other’s throats. It started with just some shoving. Then, it escalated to pulling on each other’s jerseys. The tackles kept getting dirtier and dirtier. It didn’t help that Canada was 2-0 down. At one point, you were both going for the ball, you thought you had definitely beat her to it when you felt a cleat connect with your ankle. You screamed out. Toppling to the ground while clutching your ankle, you knew it was bad. Like, tournament ending bad. With your face buried in the grass, you can hear loud voices, presumably your teammates who had come to defend you. The whistle was being repeatedly blown, but all you could focus on was the immense pain shooting through your leg. 

Trinity was horrified. She hadn’t meant for that to happen. Of course, she was getting frustrated with the physical battle between you. But she really hadn’t meant to hurt you. She had never seen you in so much pain. Your reputation preceded you, everyone knew that you were tough and that if you went down something must be seriously wrong. A number of your teammates came to your aid. They shoved Trinity and got all up in her face. She tuned all of them out, though, preferring to watch the trainers as they started feeling your ankle. When you were on your feet and limping off the field, she wanted to go over and apologize, but one of her teammates dragged her away before she could. 

You had ruptured your Achilles tendon. It took almost six months before you stepped on a soccer pitch again. While Trinity was off becoming a star in the NWSL, you were sitting in physio, fuming. It was mentally and physically exhausting to return to full strength. And when you finally returned you tore it up. At UCLA you established yourself as one of the best players in college soccer. Bev Priestmann was impressed enough to give you a call-up for your first-ever senior national team camp in 2021.

Now, heading into the 2023 SheBelieves Cup you’ve become a regular on the national team. You had played against Trinity a couple of times, but you had tried your best to just ignore her presence altogether. It most certainly confused Trinity. She thought you would be pissed at her and that you would hold a grudge forever. You hadn’t. Actually, it was like Trinity didn’t even exist anymore in your world. Within the Canada camp, there was a lot of things going on. The players, yourself included, were in a dispute with Canada Soccer. Everyone had decided to wear their practice shirts inside out to protest, among other things. Heading into the opening match against the USA, the battle between players and federation was anyone was talking about. Janine and Christine had done an interview with TSN, you hadn’t even spoken publicly about the job action, other than putting the players’ statement on your Instagram. Yet, you were on the receiving end of all the blame coming from Canada Soccer. There had been multiple interviews and statements by Canada Soccer officials and they all stuck to the same narrative, your arrival in the past year or two had changed the mindset within the team. You were the root of this. If it had not been for you, everyone would have been happy still, and the team would not be asking for something that was impossible. You chose to handle this with class, not wanting to stir the pot anymore, you did not respond to those comments. 

The USA had watched all of this happen in complete shock. First of all, the fact that a job action had to be put in motion in the first place. Considering you guys were Olympic champions everyone thought you would have earned a little more respect from your federation. Second, you specifically were enduring most of the public bashing. It was absolutely insane for Canada Soccer to put this all on one player, especially you. This entire fiasco made Trinity’s blood boil. No way they thought they could actually get away with blaming you. When asked by the Canadian team if they would join in making a pre-match protest, they of course agreed.

Soon enough, the two teams were standing in the tunnel, preparing to step out on the pitch. There had been a few hugs given out among the different players. Rapinoe had said some encouraging words to you as she passed by. You didn’t realize how much you needed to hear them until you started to tear up. As the US lines up alongside you, you try your best to not let anyone see the emotion overcoming you. All of a sudden, you feel a hand land on your shoulder. Looking over, you’re surprised to see Trinity Rodman giving you a warm smile.

“Hey, you’re doing a really good job, don’t let them get to you,” Trinity says softly to you. You wipe at your eyes before mumbling out a quick “thanks.” She removes her hand and you immediately miss the contact. Before you can say anything more to her, the refs have started to move forward, with the teams following close behind. The cameras start to click rapidly as Canada’s national team appears wearing the purple “Enough is Enough” shirts. After the anthems, the two teams form a heart around the centre circle. You end up standing beside Trinity. The taller woman’s hand lands on the small of your back, sending shivers up your spine. She notices this and smirks at you. 

That entire game, Canada looks flat. You guys looked like a team that was mentally exhausted, which you were. It was only through pure determination that you were able to put your name on the score sheet. The game finished as a 2-1 US win, it probably should have been more.

When the game ends, you and the rest of the team refuse to do any media and head straight back to the locker rooms. Trinity ends up at the ESPN panel, standing alongside a man she doesn’t recognize and the hosts. It’s only when the hosts introduce the man as the Vice President of Canada Soccer that she realizes what’s going to happen. This was definitely set up by Canada Soccer to continue putting down the players. The hosts ask Trinity a few questions about the match before they address the elephant in the room. For a bit, Trinity thinks that maybe she was wrong. Maybe the vice president wasn’t here to blame the players, maybe he was just here to try to appease the public or something. He wasn’t saying anything too controversial, mostly trying his best to deflect, saying he can’t comment and things like that. For a few minutes, everything is going okay. Until it isn’t.

“Obviously, we only want our women’s teams to thrive. They have shown just how world-class they can be playing against some tough opponents. We just think that some of the demands they’re making are unreasonable. It’s possible that Y/N Y/L/N has gotten some far-reaching goals inside of her teammate's heads. Before, the team was making reasonable demands and we were happy to negotiate with them,” the vice president says with such contempt that Trinity doesn’t know how such an asshole can be elected for anything. 

“Interesting…” ESPN’s host slowly starts to say before Trinity jumps in.

“Or maybe, you guys have just been taking the entire team for push-overs and they, including Y/N, have finally realized their worth. That they are deserving of more than just whatever you have left in the bank account. Also, if you’re going to start publicly bashing Y/N, then you better know that she’s not going to back down without a fight and that she is going to come at you guys with everything she has. You have no fucking idea who you’re dealing with.”

This leaves everyone on the panel in a little bit of shock. Trinity decides that she doesn’t feel like being interviewed anymore. She gives the mic back and then walks off, not having the slightest clue about why she did that. As she gets closer to the US locker room, she stops in her tracks when she hears a voice.

“What the hell did you do that for?” She takes a deep breath before turning around to be met with your beautiful face.

“Uhh, I don’t know,” she stutters out.

“Trinity, you just blew up at a Canada Soccer official and swore on national television. You must know why.” There’s something about how her name sounds coming off your tongue that drives Trinity crazy. 

“Y/N…” she starts as she takes a step towards you. You can feel a blush creeping up your neck as the space between the two of you closes.

“Yeah?” Your voice comes out small and it only encourages Trinity. She takes another step closer, at this point you’re chests are close to touching. Trinity is looking down at you with a smirk that makes your knees weak. It doesn’t help that she’s got probably five inches on you so, you feel incredibly small this close to her.

“I’ve never really hated you, y’know?” Her voice is so smooth, it makes your stomach do flips.

“Oh yeah?” You say not daring to take your eyes off of hers. She starts to lean in slowly. 

“Yeah,” she whispers against your lips before connecting them. Her hands go to your waist, pulling you as close as possible to her. Your fingers find their way into her hair, giving it a light tug. Her lips were like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. They were soft and perfect and moved perfectly against yours. You couldn’t believe what was happening, not too long ago you swore you hated her, but now, she was too good of a kisser to even think about hating her. Soon, you both pull away. She leans her forehead against yours.

“When do you guys leave for the next game?” The American asks quietly.

“I think two days from now,” you reply, “why?”

“Do you want to go on a date with me, say tomorrow?” You can’t help the grin that takes over your face.

“Thought you’d never ask.” You kiss her one last time before entangling your fingers with hers. “I’m not sure you have any idea who you’re dealing with, though,” you joke. Trinity just laughs.

“Trust me, I know exactly who I’m dealing with,” she says with a chuckle. You smile one last time at her before moving to head back to your own locker room. But, she pulls you back and presses a firm kiss on your forehead, then she decides you are free to go. 

When you were named to the World Cup roster, the first person you called was your girlfriend.

“The world has no idea who they’re dealing with, babe.”

[thenhlteaissuperhot]

not disagreeing with you, just want to know how exactly is the bruins cabin the healthiest or what has chara done so revolutionary

Chara has banned the word "rookie" from the locker room because he believes that everyone on the roster is a part of the team in the same exact way, no matter whether someone has played hundreds of games with the Bruins and is going to be a hall of Famer with a retired jersey or is yet to experience his debut in the league and the team. Because of that, they have also banned the rookie lap tradition.

He has also made all the European guys, who don't have English as their first language, talk in English in both the locker room and on the ice so everyone would understand each other and there wouldn't be any language barrier or fragmentation among the guys, saying that they can talk in their native languages with their countrymen when hanging out with each other, but not when it comes to matters that involve the entire team - mind you, Chara himself comes from Europe, he is Slovakian, so this wasn't a case of an American being annoyed by the guys speaking Swedish, Czech, and so on around him.

To make the foreign guys feel welcome, he has also learned how to greet each player individually in their native language - a small gesture, but one that definitely is heart-warming in your eyes if you come to the NHL without confidence in your English language skills and homesick, hundreds of miles away from where you come from.

Back in 2021, Bergeron made the entire team sit down and watch the 25-minute TSN interview with Kyle Beach, saying that while it was hard for everyone, it was crucial to go through it together as a team to showcase that there is a safe space in Boston to come out with this sort of stuff and ask for help or counseling if anything similar happens to anyone of the team.

Brad Marchand has come forward on numerous occasions, standing up for and supporting the LGBT community:

"I want to stand up for what I believe in, and I don't think it's right when people say things or bash people because of their sexual orientation. I have friends who are in gay relationships, and I don't think it's right for people to be against that. Everyone is allowed to find love whatever way that is."

When he was asked if the Bruins would accept a player that has come out, he responded:

"Guys would accept that, no question. We're a team in the [dressing] room and a family. It doesn't matter what different beliefs guys have, or where they come from, or whatever the case may be. Guys would accept it. Again, in the room, we're a family."

Charlie McAvoy has also been vocally supporting the matter, even attending the Pride Parades in Boston, despite all the backlash many fans sent his way after seeing the photos.

You can hate Boston for how they sometimes act on the ice and how their fans act on social media, I don't deny that Brad is a bloody rat more than often, whom I would have detested wholeheartedly if he wasn't on my team, but you have to admit that Bruins have the healthiest environment in the cabin and the most mature and considerate core in the league.

Plus they play good hockey too and Boston as a city is gorgeous, so if I found myself being a professional hockey player in another life, the Bruins would definitely be my dream destination.

[notfreetoday]

MPW Ep 3 Subtitle Corrections

EP 1 || EP 2 Cultural/Language Tidbits: EP 2

Same translation disclaimer applies. Thanks again for indulging my crazy long t/n, please keep geeking out with me in the notes!

We've got a change of director this episode - to Funabiki Shinju (twitter linked here) who was the scriptwriter for Jack Frost. This date is also a drama-only episode and does not appear in the manga. So, we have quite a few ad-libs here! I'll point out these out, as well as any interesting comments by the director and the producer from the Ep 3 twitter space as we go on. (Due to tumblr's image space limitations, some of these scenes will have no pics, just a description)

Ep 3, let's go! (If you read nothing in this post, please just read Yoh's monologue)

Since this is the theme of this episode, and Yoh's favourite word, let's talk a little more about it. I've mentioned it previously, but both "嫌い (kirai)" and "大嫌い (dai kirai)" are often translated as "hate/really hate", when they really function more as the opposite of "(suki)", ie "to like". That said, the amount of emotional weight this word carries depends on the context. It can accurately convey the pain/anger of hating someone, but it can also be used very mildly. For eg, it's often used by kids in the "I hate homework/vegetables/the rain/etc" form, or by teens/young adults in the "I don't want everyone to hate me" form, as opposed to other synonyms. When introducing yourself/getting to know someone, it's not uncommon to be asked "what are your suki/kirai?"

In other words, overuse of this word can actually come off as slightly childish, because kids/young people are usually the ones using this word to reject small things/express themselves. Yoh's constant insistence that he hates Segasaki pretty much sounds like this - which is why Man-san expresses doubt about it, and why when Segasaki repeats this line back to Yoh, Yoh understands that Segasaki is teasing him. (The word "love" is considered too heavy and precious of a concept to be thrown around easily, so "suki" is the default go to even in committed relationships.)

Y: 相変わらずすごいよ、この人の外面モード。 Y: As always, this person's "public mode" is amazing.

"外面 (soto zura)" literally refers to the "outside face", and when used to describe a person means someone who puts up a certain personality/attitude depending on who they're speaking to/the situation.

The reason Yoh's saying this is because Segasaki is speaking to him in a much nicer way than he usually does at home 🤣He's using plain forms yes, but he's also praising him and smiling at him and actually saying a whole, proper sentence as opposed to the one-word sickness he has at home🤣 This is most obvious right before Segasaki leaves, when he warns Yoh to be careful when drawing other people - he says "気をつけてね~ (ki o tsukete ne~)", ending with a ne~ which is sweet and cute and which he almost never does with Yoh at home 🤣🤣

Twitter Space Note (TSN): They decided that since they finally got to shoot an "outdoor scene" for Yoh, they'd try to make him look a little more fashionable with a shirt instead of a hoodie 🤣

Y: いってらっしゃい Y: Itterasshai - this is a standard greeting that you say when someone is leaving the house (or the office, if they're going out on a business errand). Basically, the one leaving says "ittekimasu" and the one staying behind says "itterasshai". They mean "(I'll) go and come back/Go safely and return well" When returning, you say "tadaima" and the one welcoming you back says "okaerinasai" meaning: "(I have) just now (returned)/ (you have) returned safely". Unlike Yoh, Segasaki does none of these standard greetings (which Yoh complained about in Ep 1 whilst chopping onions).

Y: だからね、気持ちが通じ合った*っていう描写が必要だと思うんだよおれは Y: だからこそ、体が盛り上がる**、的な？ M: はーん。中高生処女みたいなこといってろ Original: Y: That's why I think it's necessary to depict the feeling of "mutual understanding" Y: That's how the physical aspect also gets exciting... or something like that? M: Hmm.. talking about it like a high school virgin, huh? Mine: Y: So that's why, I think it's important - showing that (the characters') have this unspoken understanding* of each other's feelings. Y: It's precisely because of that, that you get physically excited** - something like that? M: Mm.... you're saying things a high-school virgin would say **体が盛り上がる - literally, "the body gets excited/heated up/lively etc" - given that they are talking about erotica, he probably means physically aroused here, but this term also works to explain the feeling of excitement or emotion just swelling in your chest for eg *通じ合った - is not just "mutual understanding" - it specifically refers to a situation in which both parties understand each other without having to say a word - like when you look at someone and just get them, or like in sports, you just look at your team mate and you know.

This is an important distinction because in this line, Yoh again emphasizes "I" - at the end of the sentence he ends off with the pronoun "俺 (ore)" marked by the subject particle "は (wa)" - which means that in this sentence Yoh is emphasizing that this is his opinion - that he himself thinks it's important to show that 2 people simply get each other, because that's exactly what translates to that sensation you feel in your body. This is what Yoh wants - he wants to understand Segasaki, and he wants Segasaki to understand him, without them having to actually say anything. Which at the moment, only Segasaki is achieving, ironically.

[ Man-san's dialogue, where she says "a sex scene follows]

TSN: Man-san actually only says “se-“ here, and then mutes herself (because they’re in public). In the script, it was supposed to be the full “sex” word, but they weren't sure whether it would be ok (it's not clear whether they mean ok for the actress to say this or ok for the show in general) so in the end it became "se-". Yes it's an odd place to be concerned about given the whole Ep2 but #Japan

Again, the word here used is “kirai” but translated as “dislike” instead of hate 😉

TSN: Between this scene and the start of the next scene, they praised how Acchan uses his eyes to convey Yoh's dejection and how he expresses Yoh's emotions very sensitively through his gaze (and I agree!)

TSN: The director mentioned that she had thought it would look good if Segasaki to put his hand up like this on the ceiling partition, but the moment Kouhei walked in, he just did it naturally without her having to say anything, and so she was really amazed.

S: じゃ、出かけるぞ (Jya, dekakeru zo) S: Then, we’re going out.

“Let’s go out” would be more of "じゃ、でかけましょう (Jya, dekakemashou)" – by using the ending form “(-ma)shou”, the listener is included in the action of going out as an equal to the speaker, the same way “let’s” is used in English. It is by far the most common way Japanese people make a statement without trying to sound too overbearing. But here, Segasaki once again demonstrates his habit of simply stating what they’re going to do, and speaking for Yoh. The sentence-final particle “zo” at the end of his sentence is an assertive one that doesn’t leave much room for argument.

TSN: Again they talked about how they emphasised to Acchan to do the housework improperly, since Yoh isn't supposed to be good at it. Also, when Yoh thinks, "what's with this, all of a sudden?", the director asked that he move his hands "more" as he folded the clothes, like he was still happy to be asked out.

Y: デート自体ないんだよ Y: I’ve never even been on a date.

Y: 俺、いま一体何してんだろう Y: What am I even doing right now?

Yoh’s not wondering what they’re doing, he’s questioning his own actions, like "why am I even here, doing this, what am I supposed to do" etc, because you know, he's never even been on a date before and he has no clue whether this actually is one.

[The scene with the 2 of them on the bench, and Segasaki asks Yoh what he'd like to eat]

TSN: The script only went up to Yoh answering that he wanted to eat “Chinese food”, and this whole bit afterward just happened naturally when they let the camera run.

Yoh says “たっか(taka)!” which is short for “高い(takai)” aka “expensive!” but his voice is so cute here I’m dying. (It really is bloody expensive, these things are usually anywhere between 180 yen – 300 yen pre-pandemic. Even with the big one they have here, I don’t think anyone would sell this above 500 yen)

TSN: They said they searched for a 1200 yen steamed pork bun but couldn’t find one, and in actuality the store sells them at a really reasonable price, so to please go give it a try 🤣🤣

[The scene of them walking and sharing the chicken cutlet]

TSN: This scene, as well as them walking along they alley way looking at the shops, was mostly ad-libbed (which is probably why we see Acchan smiling so much here hahaha I’m guessing the question about which he liked better was probably an adlib, which surprised Acchan). For the alleyway, they were told that their conversation was not going to be used, so they were quite relaxed (and that explains the audio fade out lol)

[The scene of them drinking Boba/Bubble Tea]

About Gyaru - when Boba/Bubble Tea first came to Japan, it became pretty popular amongst Gyaru, and quickly became associated with Gyaru culture - hence why they both felt it was something only Gyaru drank. It's similar to the idea that only ladies eat sweets/desserts that was briefly mentioned in OFC (which makes Nozue feel awkward about 2 men eating cake in a dessert cafe) - here they mean they both felt too embarrassed to try Boba out before due to the idea that it's a "Gyaru" drink (and I love how Yoh looks at Segasaki then, like he only just realises that even Segasaki might get embarrassed/feel awkward sometimes).

S: 乗るぞ (noru zo)

Again, this is “we’re riding it” instead of “let’s”.

Y: 思ったよりすごく透明で Y: (The cabin) is more transparent than I thought

The floor of the cabin is actually clear, so you can see right down through to the bottom, which is why Yoh is a little freaked out here. Not because he thought glass wasn’t transparent.

TSN: Acchan is also afraid of heights, so the stiffness you see here is real, he really didn’t like it, but they went 4 rounds in total to finish this scene. (Kouhei apparently was fine and enjoyed looking right through the glass, though I can’t remember which interview this was mentioned in, sorry!)

S: ほら S: See?

ほら (hora) is commonly used to draw the listener’s attention to something, so here Segasaki really just means “look (I was right)”

TSN: They apparently redid the scene where Segasaki dismisses the store attendant many times so they could make sure it was done in a way that looked natural and wouldn’t be off-putting.

We’re back to one of Segasaki’s humming sounds – the “hmm…?” here again conveys the “oh, really/is that so?” sort of lazy drawl that can easily be mistaken as Segasaki being bored – which is why Yoh immediately suggests they go do their own thing.

Y: そっちも、好きなところいっていいから Y: You too, it’s okay (if you go) to the places you like so…

Yoh uses “そっち” here to refer to Segasaki - which literally means “your/that side” and is another way in which Yoh avoids addressing Segasaki directly (remember, in Japan we don’t like being direct, and “you” is sometimes too direct).

Fun fact: Depending on which part of Japan you’re in, this can either be seen as a totally normal way of speaking, or it might annoy you a little to be referred to as if you were an object/place, or you might feel like the speaker was treating you a little like an “outsider”. The divide in opinion seems to be somewhere between the northeast regions, and the western regions. Tokyo and the rest of the Kantou region (where the show is based, judging by the lack of an obvious accent) are sort of 50-50.

Y: もしあれ*だったら、あ、あの、こっちはこっちで、好きにやってるし Original: Y: Ah, if you want to. Well… we’re both doing our own things… Mine: Y: If (you feel) that way*, then, ah, umm, I can… do as I like, by myself too...

*that way - this refers to that sort of awkward, uncomfortable feeling you get that is hard to describe when you’ve been put on the spot. So, this makes it clear that Yoh is offering Segasaki an “out” from this uncomfortable, weird position he thinks Segasaki is in.

Similar to his earlier sentence, Yoh refers to himself as “こっち (this side)”, and the phrase he uses pretty much means “I can entertain myself”. This is an example of kizukai – or at least, what Yoh thinks is kizukai - which is a concept where you do your best to think of the other person’s needs and wants, so you can anticipate what help they might need and so you don’t inadvertently inconvenience them. Ok, now get ready for some mental gymnastics:

From Yoh's POV, Segasaki wants to buy clothes, and has brought Yoh along to carry the bags. Therefore, Segasaki’s offer to buy him a shirt, and asking him if he is having fun, is Segasaki’s kizukai – Segasaki is going out of his way to make sure Yoh is taken care of. But! Yoh doesn’t want Segasaki to feel inconvenienced (similar to how in EP 2, Yoh said he doesn’t want Segasaki to dislike him), so he instead almost reflexively rejects Segasaki’s offer, then encourages Segasaki to go enjoy himself, and in response to Segasaki’s “Ha!?”, doubles down and says he’s totally ok by himself - This is Yoh’s kizukai.

Tired yet? This is a normal consideration in daily interactions! You can see why the phrase “yokei na kizukai (excessive/unwanted kizukai)” also exists in Japanese lolol 🤣

S: ああ。せっかくの休日に、大嫌いな俺*と一緒にいてのはたのしくない？ Original: S: Ah. So spending a day with someone you hate on your precious day off isn’t enjoyable? Mine: S: Ah. On your precious day off, being together with me – who you hate* – isn’t fun?

*“大嫌いな俺 (dai kirai na ore)” is literally “the ‘me’ that you hate”, or “me who is hated by you” - emphasis on "me", the person standing right in front of you.

Y: いや、それは…違。。。あ、その。。。 Y: No, that’s…not-…- ah.. um…

“A, so” again.

S: 五時にここ集合*な (goji ni koko shuugou *na) S: We’ll meet here at 5, *yea?

*Ending with “na” is softer than “zo” – this statement is still pretty much an order, as with his other statements that ended with “zo”, but it’s gentler, and softens the fact that he’s walking away from Yoh here.

TSN: Pretty much everyone was just going on and on about “oh, poor thing!” in response to Segasaki getting rejected and chased away, and how even though he’s sad here he’s still sweet and gentle with Yoh. Yes, that’s right, everyone loves Segasaki.

[The scene of Yoh spilling water on his shirt]

TSN: This was apparently pretty difficult to shoot in a way the camera could see the water spilling, but the wardrobe team came to the rescue with hairdryers so they could keep reshooting 🤣🤣

S: じゃ、帰んぞ  (Jya, kaen zo) S: Then, we’re going back

“zo” is back! Sorry for being so pedantic about tiny things like this, but I do think it gives us insight into Segasaki's character and how he may be feeling.

This line is the most important correction in this post.

Y: 本当はさ、ずっと、ささいな表情とか、しぐさとか、 俺が言うこと聞くとちょっと嬉しそうにするのとか、 晴れの予報を告げる優しい声とか、 全部バカみたいに俺ばっかり。 毎日俺ばっかり心臓大暴れさせてるみたいで　 嫌だった Y: むかつくとこ拾い集めて　大嫌いだって思ってないと　 その気持ちの不釣り合いに　息ができなくなってしまいそうで 嫌だった Y: 嫌いじゃない　嫌いじゃないよ Original: Y: Actually, all these times, your expressions, gestures, the way you look kind of happy when you listen to me, and your gentle voice forecasting good weather. All of them, make my heart beat as if it’s coming out. I don’t like it. Y: I gathered everything that annoyed me, thinking that if I didn’t, the imbalance of my feelings would suffocate me. I don’t like it. Y: I don’t hate you. I really don’t. Mine: Y: In truth, all this while, the little expressions you make, the gestures you do, the way you seem just that little bit happier when I listen to you, and the gentle voice with which you announce the sunny weather… All of that - like an idiot, it's just me who… It feels like it's just me whose heart has been made to pound and race wildly and - I didn't like that. Y: If I didn't gather up all the things that frustrated me and told myself "I hate this" then, the disparity (between us) in those feelings would suffocate me, making me feel like I could hardly breathe and - I didn't like that. Y: I don't hate you. I really don't hate you.

TSN: This was ad-libbed too. It just happened that the metal post was coming up in between them as they walked, and Acchan saw it and planned to go around it, because he felt that emotionally there was a gap forming between Yoh and Segasaki at this point. But right as he was about to do that, Kouhei grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him over, which Acchan was really surprised by, because they both had the same thought to ad-lib something about that post, and they both did it as their characters would do it, but it was the exact opposite action. The director said that when the 2 were walking back towards the start point they were both smiling a little, and then asked the director “how was that?” to which she replied “It’s really great!”, and then Acchan looked a little frustrated (in a sorta arrgh I got it wrong sort of way) whereas Kouhei was all “I was definitely right” (Acchan mentioned he was abit worried about the ad-lib, so I’m guessing they both were discussing as they walked back and finally decided to settle it by asking the director hahaha)

Y: すいません S: なにが Y: その。。。いろいろ S: だからなにが Original: Y: I’m sorry S: For what? Y: Well, for everything S: What do you mean? Mine: Y: I’m sorry S: About what? Y: That… for many things S: And (I said,), about what?

Yoh uses the formal "すいません (suimasen)" here, as opposed to his usual and more casual "gomen" or "gomen nasai", because this line is important to him, and he means it. "Sorry" in Japanese does not always carry the meaning of regret/remorse - it can be used to express gratitude as well. You''ll often here people say "Sorry that you had to (go through the trouble)" after they've accepted a gift, or "Sorry, I've caused you much trouble" as a way of thanking someone for their care. So, Yoh says "sorry" here after accepting Segasaki's gift, which could be seen as a thank you, but he also means he's sorry that he's like this, that he can't be honest/straightforward about his feelings (a theme that is brought up in Ep 4), that Segasaki has to care for him like this etc. "For many things" is a common way to encompass all of these mixed feelings, and yet not say them out directly.

Y: どうせ口じゃ、うまく言えないから Original: No matter what, I don’t dare say it Mine: Since I can't get the words out of my mouth properly anyway

S: よくできました (yoku dekimashita)

This is a formal way of saying “well done”, and if you did well in your work/test in elementary school you’d get a stamp that says just this, or your teacher would draw you a flower. The more elaborate the flower, the better you did. This is the only time thus far that Segasaki has said anything formal to Yoh at all. The sudden shift, and the imagery this phrase evokes – a literal stamp of approval – emphasises not just Segasaki’s approval, but also his role in Yoh’s life (ie, his role as Yoh’s provider, or well, maybe keeper is more accurate. Honestly Dom makes the most sense, but I’m not qualified to talk about that so see @lutawolf posts for more!). We’ll talk more about how both Segasaki and Yoh acknowledge the power dynamic between them in the way the speak in the language analysis post (that will come after this, before Ep 4's).

Y: この人、もしかして本当はめっちゃ俺のこと。。。？ Y: This person… could it be that he actually…really is… …me?

Y: 信じていい？ Y: Is it ok if I believe? sue me, I think believe and trust carry different nuances.

S: よかったな* (yokatta *na) S: シーツ買ったからいっぱいできんじゃん、大好きなセックス S: まあ　残念ながら　相手は大嫌いな俺**ですけど Original: S: Great, S: with more sheets, we can do it more often. Your beloved sex S: Well, unfortunately the other person is someone you hate Mine: S: Isn't this nice* S: Since you bought more sheets, we can do it a lot - the sex that you love so much S: Well, unfortunately, your partner is me - who you hate **so much

*The use of "na" here is slightly different from the one earlier - here it is used more for emphasis, and the downward tone carries a hint of mockery.

Again, Segasaki uses the same "the me who you hate" phrasing as he did earlier, emphasizing to Yoh once again that Segasaki is the one Yoh hates. Except here, he also ends off the sentence with "ですけど (desukedo)", and the whole phrasing of this line too, from the word "unfortunately" onwards, just feels business-like. As before, the shift in style gives the statement more weight- Segasaki is really not letting Yoh get away with this line here, and Yoh feels this acutely. The sharpness of the line makes him turn away abruptly in shock and even some anger.

S: お前が好きにしていいって言うんだから S: 好きにさせてもらうけど　*な (na)？ S: お前　本当バーカ Original: S: You told me to do as I like, S: then I’ll do what I want. Okay? S: You really are… an idiot Mine: S: You said I could do as I wish so, S: I'll gratefully do as I please... *yea? S: You're...really an idiot

*The "na" used here is similar to the one Segasaki used when telling Yoh to meet back at 5, in that it assumes the listener will agree with the speaker. This time it's not so much used to soften an imperative, but rather, to soften the teasing of the preceeding line - "I'll gratefully do as I please".

The phrase used here is "~させてもらう (~sasete morau)". "Sasete" means "to do" something, with the permission of the other person, and "morau" means "to receive (with thanks/gratefulness)" so together this phrase means that you're going to "do something (with the permission of the other person)", and you are thankful to have received that permission. It's usually used for things like asking your boss "May I please go home early with your kind permission" sorta thing, or telling someone that you "ate a meal someone provided for you that you are grateful for".

So here, Segasaki is pretty much saying "I'll do as I please since you so kindly told me I could, didn't you?" which is why he smirks as he says it.

/////

And we're finally done with EP 3!! Finally! Now I can finally talk about their general speech styles and what it means when they choose to switch between them. Thanks for joining me! Also, shout out to @eralkfang for tagging me in their meta post - I'm really glad these posts are helpful that way!!

[cecexsblog]

White Ferrari (L.Hughes)

Warnings: angst on Luke’s part, other then that just fluff

Pairings: Luke Hughes x Reader

a/n: Aversion where Luke and the USA team lose the world Juniors after Luke is picked for a shoot out in over time and ends up missing the net. Based on that one really emotional interview of Jack after he lost but instead it’s Luke.

I sat in the stands and watched as Luke goes for the net, crossing my fingers and watching with one eye wishing and hoping he makes it. I see him maneuver his way close to the night to tap it in, winding up and shooting, going straight for the goalies pad. Part of the crowd cheering, part of it sighing with grief. I watched Team Canada rush off their bench to their goalie congratulating each other on another World Juniors win. I look over to see Luke kneeling on the ice, head in his mitts. I was told earlier that whatever happens at the end of the game to just meet Luke at home because he’ll be too busy with interviews afterwards, wind or lose. My friend grabbed me by the arm and told me it’s time to go, I just stared at him for another second, I could see his face all red and glistening from tears. It made me want to cry. I felt awful just leaving him there but I knew I could comfort him when he got home.

On my 30 minute drive home I kept notifications on for ESPN, NHL, Sports Net, any sports app that Luke could possibly appear on. All of a sudden as I pull up in my drive way I see that TSN had posted a video titled “Emotional Luke Hughes reflects on Team USA’s loss in the gold medal game” I quickly get inside and sit down on our couch to watch the interview.

“It’s sad, you don’t really want to go through this again” I hear Luke speak, while his voice slightly cracks on the other end of my phone. Every so often I notice his lip quiver, going unnoticed by the interviewers around him.

~

At the arena

“I just want to go home” Luke says to his agent as he steps away from the cameras. “I just want to see y/n.”

“Luke you can’t, you have 4 more interviews to do, plus pack up all your equipment from the past few months” his agent says. Luke doesn’t care. He takes his skates and the top part of his gear off and puts a hoodie and his shoes on not bothering to take his shin bad or shorts off.

“Luke! Luke! How do you feel about missing in your first real shoot out?!?!” An interviewer yells at him. He just shoves them away making his way for the door and get to his car.

Back at the apartment

I sit at home making hot chocolate and waiting for Luke to get back. Bracing myself for either extreme anger or extreme sadness. I sit down on the couch and watch Sports Net watching the highlights from the game when I hear the door into the apartment open.

“Hello” I call. No response. Just the sound of a bag hitting the floor and someone taking their shoes off. I walk around the corner to see Luke standing there miserable with his eyes all blood shot from crying.

“Come here” I say putting my arms out for him to come hug me. He walks over and slinks his arms around my waist and crouching down to nudge his head underneath my chin. I slowly rub his back and we make our way to the couch. I lay on my back with my head propped up as he lays on my stomach drawing circles on the skin of my stomach. My hand running through his curls. I hear a sob come from his mouth and sniffles from his nose.

“Lu?” I quietly say. He looks up at me with tears streaming down his face. “Oh Lu, it’s okay baby” I say while he brings his head up to my neck and cuddles into me more. The weight of him relaxing me even though he’s sad.

“It’s embarrassing” he whispers with a sniffle afterwards. “I can’t believe I missed. I can’t believe I’m the reason we lost”

“Lu my love, it’s not your fault” I say while tracing my fingers down his face. “You had so much pressure put on you for being so young. Don’t think it’s your fault my love”

More sniffling comes from Luke and a little nod. I kiss his head through all his curls.

“Look at me” I whisper. He moves to look directly at me. Eyes and lips all puffy. I lean in and gently kiss his lips. Him melting into it like it’s the only thing keeping him going. My hands tangle into his hair, his around my waist and back. The kiss was deep and passionate yet chastened. I pull away for a second but right away begin to kiss all over his face, peppering him with kisses. A smile growing on his face. “There’s my happy boy” his face immediately drops, me instantly hoping he’s being sarcastic. As soon as I begin to second guess myself he pounces back onto me and attacks me by planting kisses all over my face and neck and chest.

“I made you hot chocolate by the way” I end up randomly saying. Immediately making him stop. When he stand up he waits in front me on the couch, back facing me like he’s waiting for something.

“Are you getting on?” He says, as if I should know to hop on his back or something.

I hop on his back, slinging my arms around his neck as he walks to the kitchen and pours himself some hot chocolate. His face still puffy. I jump down and he leans against the counter. I walk up between his legs and hold his face, wiping away the dried tears.

“I hope you know I love you” I whisper. He smiles against my hands.

“I love you too” he whispers while kissing my hand.

<3

a/n: sorry this is kind of short again. I just had this idea and didn’t want it to get taken or lose it. I hope you guys like it:)

[miru-has-thoughts]

How To Watch Professional Wrestling (2023)

Hello people of earth, Jupiter, and wrestling Tumblr! I’ve seen many posts here asking about where to watch professional wrestling. After a few weeks of research and speaking with my buddies who work for various television networks, and those who navigate the interwebs, I have compiled a list on where you can watch your favorite wrestlers without breaking the bank in this economy!

I’ll first talk about the legal ways. 

WWE (for those in the states)

-For those in the states, to watch WWE live, you can get traditional cable, satellite or a streaming service with live tv that includes the USA network. (Fox is a free channel so every live tv service has Fox). I would suggest Youtube TV b/c you get a lot of bang for your buck, but it can be expensive if you do not watch a lot of channels. The other alternative is sling tv, which if I remember is much cheaper than YTTV (about $40). 

-Regular Hulu offers Raw and Smackdown, but it’s available next day.

-The other place you can get your WWE content is Peacock, though the problem is there is no live content and the episodes are uploaded after a month. Peacock is only useful for PLEs and to watch the back catalog of WWE ($5.99/month).

-There is an option to livestream the USA Network on their app and website HOWEVER, you do need a TV provider to access so it defeats the purpose. 

*What I will say is this option is useful for those who live in the West, have cable/streaming service and want to watch Raw live.

WWE (International)

-Most countries have the WWE Network but it is very similar to Peacock in that there is no live content

* This is b/c of broadcasting rights with other stations that stops WWE from putting Raw and Smackdown up straight away like the PPVs 

-WWE also has deals with broadcasting channels around the world, but they more or less work similarly to Peacock.

SO, for the U.S folks, the best way to watch WWE legally and for cheap would be to purchase Sling TV and Peacock to get the full experience that will run you ~$45-55/month.

International folks would benefit from getting a VPN and doing the same (Sling + Peacock)

….

AEW (stateside)

-Again the best way to watch AEW is cable/live TV. The best options here would be Youtube TV and Sling. 

-There is a TBS app, but like the USA Network app, you need a subscription to cable/live tv, and honestly the app lags and is very faulty. Would not recommend. 

-For PPVs, you can purchase from traditional cable providers/satellite ($50/PPV)

-The other one is Bleacher Report (Ditto).

-You can also watch at certain Bar/Restaurants and Movie Theaters which could be a cheaper alternative to buying the PPV, though not every place in the U.S offers this, so make sure you check with your local Dave & Busters, Tom’s Watch Bar, and movie theaters.

(AEW International)

-Now we are in murky waters as AEW has given the rights to a few apps for different parts of the world (besides watching it by cable)

-Canada has TSN, Latin America is getting stuck with ViX, others have DAZN, and the rest are still on Fite TV.

-All these options have faults. TSN is expensive with cable and if you want to watch Collision you need the TSN app and that’s expensive as well. 

-ViX, while the cheapest option of all mentioned, is a joke of an app. Those that have used it reported it’s difficult to find AEW on the app. You HAVE to watch it live as there is no VOD, no back catalog, and the commentary is only in Spanish.There is also no PiP, in fact they don’t even air the fight when they throw to commercial, it just goes to a “we’ll be right back screen”.

-DAZN is expensive, misses shows, starts late, and is buggy. It’s also inflated with commercials before, after and in the middle of the show and the video quality is garbage.

-For anyone with Fite, you get the live stream but you have to wait 30 days for the VOD. Though you do have access to the back catalog.

*This is due to AEW’s deals with the streaming platforms above.

-Fite UK really is the old faithful as you can pay for AEW+ to watch live, get  VOD next day, have access to the back catalog and no PiP.

-PPVs can be purchased and watched through traditional satellite/cable provider

-YouTube (Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, France, UK, South Korea)

-PPV.com (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland)

-SKY Germany

-SKY Italia

-DAZN (UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Mexico, Brazil, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Bulgaria)

-You can also buy through Fite (pretty much anyone)

…

Ok, so now you have all this info but you still don’t know what’s best for you? I would say if you want to watch both WWE + AEW, go with the live TV option. If you just want AEW, get yourself a VPN and go with Fite UK. This applies to Americans and International folks!

For PPV, the best option is Fite as when you purchase it, you have it for life and can replay it as much as you want. You also have the luxury of being able to watch on 2 devices simultaneously, so if you can’t fork out the money for a PPV, perhaps buddy up with someone, pay half and watch together on separate devices. 

-PPVs on UK fite are £13.99 each (about $16 American) and fite NZ are $20 American.

*If you cannot afford a VPN, the two free VPNs I recommend are Proton VPN and Urban VPN.

OK so now you have the legal ways of watching wrestling, but now you’re probably saying, “but Jei! This is great and all, but I don’t have money!”. Well my friend, this is where I give you a lifejacket and show you how to navigate the deep waters of the interwebs, and by the time you finish reading this, you will know how to be a damn great pirate!

-What you will DEFINITELY need is a good ad blocker 

-International folks, use a VPN that can connect to a US server.

Websites that have live streams, back catalog, PPVs, and wrestling from many promotions:

- Wrestling Network

- Wrestling Live

- PWrestling

- Watch Wrestling

- All Wrestling

- Watch Wrestling 24

- Watch Wrestling Up

*a lot of these have pesky ads you have to deal with and sometimes streams break in between, but since it’s free… Well, beggars can’t be choosers. Some will ask you to sign up, they are not asking for money, but if you are not comfortable sharing info, choose another site.

-Also while searching some of these sites, I came across a list from a website called Techlazy, and a person named Nagama Ansari compiled a list with more sites and gives an overview on sites I mentioned and others. I’ll link it here.

Well folks, if you made it this far, congratulations on successfully being able to navigate legal and pirated waters. In all seriousness, if you made it this far, I want to thank you for finding this helpful. I recently came back into the wrestling fold and the people in this community have been nothing but positive and friendly both in person and in real life. The best way I can give back to all of you is by using my knowledge working in television and journalism as well as using my network to help make it easier for all of you to enjoy what we love without worrying about paying a fortune to watch what you want.

Also, I am one of thousands of people getting screwed over by television monopolies and streaming services, so this is my petty way to get back at them! 

[jackhues]

goalie goals - (b's version)

note: this takes place on NOV/30/23

buttercup's world! au masterlist

buttercupsworld

liked by _connorbedard, stephmarner, alexned_ & others

buttercupsworld: WHAT WAS THAT?? A GOALIE GOAL!!

that's right you losers, this is not a drill!! tristan 'GOAL SCORER' jarry just scored a GOALIE GOAL! absolutely insane shit from my fav guy, and hella deserving of that helmet! love you jarry <3

shoutout dad for starting the comeback... but y so serious with da celly? still, this old man saw that tsn guy say there's no way he's getting 50+ and decided the first thing he's gonna do is prove him wrong (y'all i'm joking, he hasn't seen the video. no one show it to him or else he's actually going to go insane. might be nice seeing goals, but i have to live with him while he's being insane 😭)

also geno, are you happy now??! i put you on here twice, once with your face and once with your back (bcz you don't like looking at the camera for some reason)

honorary mention to mitchelly marner for getting a hattrick + so winner for the leafs. woo! (in that london knights jumbotron voice)

view comments

mackinnon.29: well i'm TOTALLY not screenshotting this caption to blackmail you

buttercupsworld: try me. i'll hurt you 🔫

tjarry35: thanks kid! how many posts have i starred in season? 2 already. no one's near my level 😌

erikkarlsson65: i've been in like 3

buttercupsworld: only bcz you keep touching dad's face

marner_93: wow, you actually made a sweet comment for me... that, i don't know how to feel. is this a first?

buttercupsworld: now that i have your attention... IN A FREAKING FISHBOWL?? MARNIE ARE YOU CRAZY??? you looked like a hamster

marner_93: ... there it is

buttercupsworld: you also look like a zhou zhou pet

mackinnon.29: a WHAT??!

buttercupsworld: search it up

stephmarner: i just searched that up and i hate to say it babe, but you do

buttercupsworld: HAHA STEPH YOU'RE MARRIED TO A ZHOU ZHOU PET

penguins: FIRST EVER GOALIE GOAL IN PENGUIN HISTORY!!

buttercupsworld: NO ONE DOES IT LIKE JARRY (flower and ned, i love you two very much, you're just not the stars of this one)

e.malkin71geno: not good enough, i need face

buttercupsworld: then show your face

e.malkin71geno: i want better pictures next time

buttercupsworld: okay okay fine

---

tags: @woodruff-edwards , @austinbutlerscaresme , @svechnikovvv ,  @hockeyboysarehot , @mysticaldonkey ,  @lam-ila ,  @babydollmarauders , @starjoyyy , @kjohnson-91  , @moldenhauers, @hischierdevils, @jackhughesily , @panarin10 , @equallyshaw , @power2myheart , @lynnismypseudonym , @beccaiscold , @akengii , @nowandkei , @cinnamonpancakes ,  @mitchymainer ,  @lifeofpriya , @marshmallow-babe, @hughesx3 , @emsully2002  ,  @starsandhughes , @huggy-hischier73 ,  @doglady5678 , @thatoneblog , @exonct07 @hughesmedicine , @qwanelledingele , @mindless-rock , @ireadthensuetheauthors , @huggy-hischier94, @slaythehousedownboots , @diary-of-jj , @fandom-oneshots-etc , @ajbird18 , @cherrysodadevils , @cixrosie , @iikximii , @xcicix , @wbkz3gras , @cole-mcward48 , @starjoyyy , @eagerkya , @idontlikelizards , @trevzeags11 , @al-lie-cat , @kjohnson-91 , @bitchy55 , @privatemythss

join my taglist!

[cecoeur]

hi just wanted to share! we thought that Daniel had a problem with his radio, but he was just fully locked in

https://x.com/F1Help/status/1814679865678794834?t=OKm5R1egKWfSHZGcKF_ajw&s=19

Before I start, I need you to know that the level of pettiness I'm about to stoop to is not directed at you, Anon, but at F1TV who robbed me of Pierre praising Daniel for that insane lap at the end of Q1 (I will literally never forgive them). Anyway, I love you for giving me this opportunity to be so extra.

I'm putting the rest of this under a cut because I'm including a screenshot and video analysis...because I'm insane.

To orient us, here is a screenshot of Daniel's steering wheel from an interview he did at the Canadian GP with TSN. The red button within the yellow box is his radio button. When he presses that, a light comes on to indicate that he is being received (very much in the same way your run of the mill walkie talkie works...just vastly more expensive).

Now, here is a video from qualifying. The first 26 seconds is radio after Daniel's first few laps in Q1 where we were hearing transmissions from both Daniel and Pierre. These include the typical instructions and position updates from Pierre. When Daniel "isn't using his radio much" we usually hear an "understood" from him in response. Here, he gives that but also answers a few of Pierre's questions regarding the issues with the car in those first couple push laps. I've (poorly) added some arrows to point out when Daniel pushes his radio button to talk. One thing to note here is that there is a massive delay. This is pretty typical although today it was especially bad.

You can see Daniel pushing the radio button a little more clearly when he's in the garage at (1:55). But we can't hear the conversation because the car is plugged in and not broadcasting the radio to everyone.

Directly following his last push lap in Q1, you can see Daniel push his radio button a couple of time (1:39 and 1:23 he pushes it on to start talking) but even accounting for the delays we experienced earlier, you don't hear him talk. Daniel pushes the radio button again (1:02) as he's being wheeled into the garage after Q1 but again, we hear nothing.

This continues through Q2 and Q3 but the best showcase of his radio not working is the red flag for Yuki's crash. You'd expect to hear some back and forth between Daniel and Pierre and you can see Daniel push his radio button multiple times but we hear none of it.

In closing, F1TV are lying liars who lie.

[thepromptnetwork]

We're back with the TSN TPN MINI-BANG interest check! Here's the pitch. Think up a premise or pick up inspiration from an old TPN prompt, sign up, & get writing this summer/winter. 📝 Aim for 20k+ (minimum 10k, no max) 🗓️1 June - 31 August 2024 (3 months) 📚 Trope? Ship? Your choice💻

[cowboysandpilots]

For the Love of Hockey— Ch. 1

Disclaimer: I love hockey, and I love watching it, but I have absolutely no idea of the inner workings of the NHL, what it's like to play on a team or the rules and regulations of any hockey association. Please take everything I write in this fic with a grain of salt, as I've taken a lot of creative liberties to make the story work out as I want and have planned.

A/N- Hi, I'm so happy you're here. :) If you would like to support me and my writing, please remember to hit the reblog button, as Tumblr has no algorithm and likes (while appreciated) do nothing to get creators work seen. If you would like to support me further, please consider donating to my Ko-Fi. If you're curious about where your support would go, I'm currently at $80/$200 for my monthly groceries, so any support would go towards that. :)

Amazing hockey text divider was made by: @writercole ❤️ (If you have your Tumblr palette set on goth rave, it may be a little hard to see)

Bradley Bradshaw is a legacy player. His dad played hockey, both his uncles played hockey, and if he had any brothers, he's sure that they would've played too. It's not that he doesn't love the game; he does; it's just that he's under so much pressure, and he can never seem to live up to it. He plays it safe; he doesn't rush the puck or take illegal hits. He has a clean record with zero minutes in the penalty box, and he's very proud of that.

He may not be the best player, but he's got the best sportsmanship, and no matter what fans or reporters say, no one can take that away Until Hangman comes along. The man gets under his skin like no other. He's a cocky rookie, first year in the NHL and the talk of the town. He has no respect for the older players and no problems breaking the rules. He has more penalty minutes than any other rookie in the league, and somehow, people love him for it.

The first time that Bradley sees Jake's smug grin, it's on the TV. He doesn't know the kid, has never played against him, but the way he's boasting about the team he got drafted to and the way he's answering every reporter's questions like he's god's gift to hockey, has Bradley's blood boiling. He clicks off the TV and chucks his remote to the other side of his couch; he should go to bed; he's got training in the morning anyway.

Despite his best efforts, Bradley can't get to sleep. He gravitates toward his phone, which is what always happens, even though the blue light makes his tired eyes burn. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew that the internet would be full of praise, love and ridiculous fawning for the rookie whose teammates had dubbed 'Hangman; he still opens Twitter and scrolls through his feed. It's like he can't help it, and why he chose to focus on this asshole instead of sleep, he'll never know.

The morning practice, surprisingly, isn't hell, even though Bradley barely slept and has to listen to his teammates go on and on about Hangman.

"What do you think about the new guy, Roo?" Mickey asks once they're off the ice and all crowded in the locker room.

"Don't think about him at all," Bradley answers coolly, passing him to get to the showers;— That's a lie. He spent last night scowling at his phone. He had to stop doing that; he needed to focus on this year's season and helping his team make it to the Stanley Cup. What kind of captain would he be if he let some cocky rookie get to him? It wasn't even guaranteed that the two teams would play against each other.

As Bradley's terrible luck would have it, the media coverage and general hysteria about Jake "Hangman" Seresin only got worse. The kid could apparently do no wrong, which only made his insufferable ego so much bigger. It gets to the point where Bradley doesn't even watch TSN anymore because Jake's smugness is practically dripping through his flatscreen; it makes his skin burn.

By some sort of miracle, Bradley has three days of blissful silence. Well, silence from hearing about Hangman anyway. Three days off to travel and get settled into a new city for another away game where he bonds with his team, doesn't watch the news, and spends most of his time on the ice. It's amazing. It's the most calm Bradley has felt in his life.

Much to the dismay of their coach, part of the team's bonding consists of going out to drink. Bradley, as captain, makes the case to Iceman, their coach, who got and kept that nickname when he, himself, played in the NHL.

"C'mon Ice, it's called team building!" Bradley grins. It was true that the team was a lot looser and in better spirits after a night out as long as they kept themselves in check and made sure the hangovers wouldn't be too bad.

Ice couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. He knew all too well what a team could get up to on a night out. It's not that he didn't trust Bradley; he did. It was hard to say no to the kid, and it didn't help that he was his uncle. Or really, his Godfather but Bradley's been calling him uncle since he was a kid, of course not anymore, now it's 'Ice' or 'Coach' and sometimes when he's in trouble, it's 'Sir'. He guesses that's how none of the other players know, he's sure that they would give Bradley a hard time if they knew so it was always an unspoken rule that neither of them would say anything.

"You'll look after them, won't you? Make sure that no one gets too drunk and nothing happens to your team?" Ice always calls the team Bradley's team, always emphasizes it when he's talking about being a role model. That's what the captain's for for everyone else to look up to, but Bradley had to admit that it was a little draining. Sometimes, he wanted to let loose like the rest of them.

Bradley nods. As always, he'll make sure that nothing gets broken, bones or otherwise, and no one gets arrested. "I'll make sure." He nods dutifully.

The day goes by in a blur after that, and when he gets back to his hotel room, Bradley takes a much-needed shower. He almost collapses into his bed with just the damp towel around his hips, but not before there's a knock on his hotel door. He pulls on his briefs, a nice pair of jeans and runs his fingers through his curls before he walks up to the door and pulls it open. The person who is standing on the other side is not to he expects.

"Hey, Bob." He offers easily.

The man makes no attempt to hide the fact that he's looking Bradley up and down but not in the way of checking him out, more like the way he's judging Bradley, buttoning up his Hawaiian shirt. "Are you wearing that to the bar?"

"I was planning on it. Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, just... you want to meet girls, right?" Bob gives a small and teasing smile. He has a way of making jokes that are just on the edge of mean but somehow never make Bradley angry.

"Ha-ha," He huffs sarcastically. "I can't be a designated driver if I leave with a girl, now can I?" Bradley has to admit that he would like to meet someone, but it wasn't really on the top of his priority list.

The bar is much too loud and crowded for a sober Bradley. The sound of the bass buzzes behind his eyes, and it makes him want to slip his sunglasses on, but there are only two types of people who wear sunglasses inside, blind people and douchebags. Bradley was neither.

He was making his way back to the bar for a second round at his teammate's request when he was knocked into. He doesn't exactly know what happened, but he knows he wasn't carrying a drink, so why is his shirt all wet? "Fuck." He grunts, looking down to assess the damage.

"What the hell, man? You know you owe me a drink." The voice is accusatory, like the entire thing was Bradley's fault and not the guy whose words are slurring enough; he probably didn't need that drink anyway.

Bradley looks up, lips parted, ready to tell the asshole off, except he recognizes that asshole; it's the same one who's been lighting up his TV screen and making him roll his eyes so much he's surprised they're not stuck. Jake Seresin.

A/N- Thanks so much for reading! Right now, this fic is looking like it's gonna have at least 10 chapters, and because I'm a crazy person, I've already started outlining a sequel. Lol until next time, friends. 💕

Tagging people who said they were interested: @cryinginthebronco @jojobeaner @rigmarole-07 @agent-elle @nerdygirl1234 @milobyelo @callsign-crow @itshoneywhatever @flowersonmymind1016 @seresinning @bloodanddiamonds

[workingforitallthetime]

I would be super interested in hearing more of your thoughts on the bedard athletic article... i read it just now and. hmm.

OK we’re back for Part II, the Bedard/Fantilli parenting part! (Part I here.)

I previously squawked about being jarred by the subhead in the Star: “But Connor Bedard’s story was always more about raising a happy and grounded child than a star.” But now that I’ve processed both articles, it’s not necessarily off-base. The Bedards clearly do very much care about raising a happy and grounded child. It’s just that their philosophy about how to accomplish that outcome seems to be focused around making sure Connor has everything that Connor thinks he needs.

There’s presumably a difference between everything that Connor thinks that he needs and everything Connor actually needs, just like there is with any teenager. So what really stands out to me in both of these articles is the many examples of how the Bedard parents seemingly do not ever go against Connor’s decisions around hockey, even when they’ve had (or arguably should have had) legitimate misgivings. Some examples from the Toronto Star article:

Melanie didn’t think Connor should apply for exceptional status, to the point where she was losing sleep over it. Connor “told her how upset he’d be if she blocked his goals,” and she caved. (The quote is from The Athletic but Melanie’s emotions get more attention in the Star.)

This quote from dad about little kid Connor going to open ice: “He’d stay there eight hours at a time,” says Tom. “More, sometimes. He’d come off, eat, go back on. His feet would be literally bleeding. I would go on once in a while, but normally I would just let him do his thing.” Like… maybe it’s time to make your kid take a break if his feet are literally bleeding????

Ah, the Hawaiian vacation, the trip that Connor refused to go on unless he could take his hockey gear and keep practicing. There’s a series of choices there as a parent. Not only are you acceding to your kid’s demands to play hockey in the midst of your one and only family vacation ever, you’re actively facilitating his demands by paying to check his goddamned gear bag and leaving your own relaxing lounge by the pool/on the beach to drive him to the only rink on the island (which I’m fairly confident was not walking distance from any resort they may have been staying at.) Like!!! That is such a series of choices!!! All made in the service of allowing your hockey-obsessed kid to have exactly what he wants, rather than deciding that perhaps it would be good for him and for your whole family to have a tiny little vacation from his life’s obsession!!! (Much of the information in this paragraph is based on the TSN spot, which has the most detail about this trip.)

I think it’s super interesting that the coach of the Pats says he’s tried to dial Connor back (making him take days off, against Connor’s wishes) but apparently his family never has.

This is not the Fantilli family shared decisonmaking model, where all four of them talk about collectively making every decision about what Adam’s path has been. (And also extol the importance of family vacations.) In the Bedard family, Connor is driving the bus and his parents have decided that their role is to support him as he decides how best to follow his dreams.

I was absolutely gobsmacked by this quote:

Melanie moved to Regina to be Connor’s billet the past two seasons, because nobody knew what it would be like for a kid of his calibre, and as Paddock puts it, “His whole preparations are based around perfection, and she’s the only one that knows it.” 

Moving because you don’t want your 15-year-old to live with strangers would be completely understandable. Moving because you are the only person who can possibly live up to your 15-year-old’s standards of perfection and you don’t want him to have to live a life where everything is not exactly perfect for him is FUCKING BANANAS.

Of course, there’s a Fantilli contrast here too. I’m thinking of the interview where Adam said his performance coach therapist helped him “turn rituals into routines.” Learning how to cope when it is not possible to have everything run exactly according to your standards of perfection seems like a fairly important life lesson for your kid to learn if you want him to be happy and grounded. (Most parents start teaching that around the time their two-year-old throws a tantrum because the purple cup is in the dishwasher so they have to drink their apple juice from the green cup.) But maybe it’s less important if your version of “happy” is that your kid gets everything he wants.

It’s interesting that there’s a common thread between the Bedards and Fantillis of some distaste for the minor hockey scene. (“Melanie had already started staying away from the games after experiencing the fierce currents of youth hockey on the moneyed North Shore.”) The Fantillis dealt with that by finding a different path that took their kids out of that system entirely, and the Bedards don’t even seem to have considered that option. Connor wanted exceptional status in the CHL and that’s what Connor got.

And maybe that’s connected to another interesting Bedard/Fantilli contrast. The Fantills, in describing their shared decisionmaking model, always seem to radiate confidence that they’ve made the right decisions, even when those decisions have been hard or haven’t been popular. See, e.g., Julia emphasizing in Adam’s TSN spot that “it was about making the right decision for each son,” or Giuliano evangelizing the prep school route in the Gulo Gulo article, or Adam explaining, “It’s probably about a week-long process for every decision that we make and I don’t think we’ve made a wrong decision so far.” But the Bedards, apparently, have some self-doubt about letting Connor drive the bus:

Bedard’s parents still worry. Melanie worries about school taking a relative back seat — in the room at the Brandt Centre, a chart of Hamlet’s characters is the only real indication it’s a classroom. Tom thinks about the kids of the people he works with, and how they’re growing up.

“Their kids play hockey, but they hunt, they fish, they motorcycle, they snowmobile and they’re good at all of them,” he says. “But they’re not great at any of them. But is that better in the long run? Maybe it is.”

sources: The Athletic, the Toronto Star, TSN, Gulo Gulo,

[marnz]

I don't want to get my hopes on aaron sorkin new tsn sequel something script because his ass keeps lying about a tsn sequel since 2019 -ish and never really do it

oh, hopes? Hopes are not up. Hopes are down. The only way I can handle TSN is if it is a fossil beautifully preserved inside amber. An alternate universe that never advances past 2012. Solidly fiction devoid of Cambridge analytica, instagram, and trump. Sorkin linking TSN to January 6th nukes that. And like if this movie does get made and the gang gets back together I will become a mad woman. And I will be compelled to write fic! No, that way lies ruin, I need Sorkin to not do this.