#Lindis Pass

[acelucky]

Lindis Pass, Wanaka, NZ - May 2023

[downfalldestiny]

Lindis Pass fells like different planet 🏜️ !.

[jeanhm]

Lindis Pass and Roaring Meg

Queenstown and the Remarkables

Coronet Peak

[travelella]

Lindis Pass, New Zealand

Taken by Eugene Quek

[lickmylundqvist]

Goons

[doctormastertardis]

the entire fandom discussion and meta after "Dot and Bubble" aired reminds me of a joke:

"what's a white supremacist's favorite person of color?"

"a poc who is half white, or passes as white of course"

[restbeyondtheriver]

2011 me: Lindi Ortega is so underrated

2023 me: Lindi Ortega is so underrated

[beleth]

Not people wishing ricky september lived like he wouldn't have been as horrible as everyone else from finetown

[diopsidedruzy]

finally not working late tonight so i can actually catch some hockey 😭 i'm still mad i missed the season opener it was such a good game too FUCKKK

[objectivelyimpermanent]

The turn of Lindy Pepper-Bean's character was really well done, and the costuming and set helped with the veneer at the beginning.

Lindy's ineffectualness, never having hugged anyone before Ricky September, and even calling her mother 'Mummy' make her seem childish, affection starved, and vaguely pitiful even as they mark her as spoilt and privileged. However, it is the set dressings themselves that both infantilise Lindy and set up the kind of character depth that we're expecting. The squovals and pastels and bright lighting and simplistic and upbeat interpersonal interactions give the world itself a childish feel, like children's TV, so when Lindy acts selfishly and without depth, it's something that we're sort of primed to give a pass.

One moment I want to highlight as extremely important for this: it's that same scene just before the Doctor reveals that the dot is murdering everyone out of quite understandable disgust. But when Lindy looks at the offline screens of all her dead mutuals, she says 'Oh, my poor friends,' and her tone is so flat. It sounds almost condescending, and it's the sort of expression of sorrow that you'd expect in a kids' show--nothing too real or too intense.

Her facial expression also is only vaguely concerned, which again is the muted, kids'-show sorrow that fits with the set. Her eyes are so wide and white; and, in fact, Lindy's eyes are always very wide and very still. It's either the look of a startled deer or of a Disney princess that has been in costume for 10 hours and wants to go hide from the kids backstage. It has very little emotional depth.

Kids' shows and children's performers have these kinds of muted shows of emotion. However, after the twist, we realise--so do psychopaths.

[orphicdreamers-wp]

I Know The End — Nico Hischier

Summary; In which a rumor started turns into you staring the end of your lifelong dream in the eye

Content Warnings: Blackmail, false accusations of assault, mentions of cancer, mentions of blood, mentions of suicidal thoughts, mentions of death during childbirth, angst, Jack & Luke Hughes acting out of character, pick me fem oc(Julia), Nico being caught in the crossfire, inaccuracies of being banned from the NHL, female NHL player

Pairing: Nico Hischier & Fem Reader

You had always loved hockey, your father held the highest pride in his only daughter enjoying his favorite sport. He’d played hockey briefly for a professional team in Germany when you were really young. So it didn’t come as a surprise to him when you decided you wanted to play hockey as well. He was reserved to let you play, your mother had died a few years earlier. She died during childbirth with your younger brother, Vincent and your dad didn’t want to lose you too. But reluctantly he agreed to let you play, because he saw how much you loved it.

So you played hockey from your seventh year in school and you eventually made it onto the Professional Women’s League’s Boston team for about a year and a half. But that wasn’t where you heart was. Your father had encouraged you to go for the NHL, but he didn’t make it to your draft. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had stopped responding to treatment just weeks before the draft was scheduled. He had passed away the night before you were drafted by the New Jersey Devils.

You knew before you were drafted that playing on a team with a bunch of guys wouldn’t be easy. You knew that you would find yourself the brunt of the jokes and facing a lot of hazing from the men. But you didn’t mind it, as long as you got to do what you loved you didn’t mind if the men who were on your team hated you and the idea of you being there. As time progressed only one of the players really seemed to be okay with your presence, Nico seemed to enjoy being around you. Whenever the team won and would go out to celebrate Nico always kindly extended the invitation to you, knowing the other guys weren’t.

You rarely accepted but whenever you did you found yourself enjoying the time spent with Nico and occasionally the other players when they were in decent enough moods to tolerate you. So it wasn’t a surprise when you and Nico wound up intertwined in each other and eventually became a couple. But that never would have worked out, not in a million years. So you and him broke up and within a month he was already seeing someone new. Her name was Julia, and you liked her enough. She was smart and kind. But if you knew then that she would be the reason your in the position you are you would have never spoken to her.

You were leaned against the boards untaping your stick after practice when your head coach Lindy Ruff approached you, “I need to see you in my office now.” You were taken aback by the urgency in his tone as you could feel eyes on you. You frowned slightly as you made your way to his office. You raised an eyebrow as you walked into a room full of men, you were used to it so you sat down and waited as an uncertain feeling loomed over your head.

Coach Ruff spoke ever so gently, as if he was scared of your reaction to the news he had, “I’m sure you know Comissioner Gary Bettman, Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom, Security Officer Miles Anderson and this is attorney Leslie Ryans.” You furrowed an eyebrow further growing confused, “What’s going on coach?” Coach Ruff blew out a deep breath, “Over the past 2 days a lot of rumors have been circulating regarding you and some unacceptable behavior.” You frowned, “I haven’t seen anything, what are you referring to?”

Coach Ruff slid a folder across the desk and you stared at the papers inside. It was printed out screenshots from a Twitter account. The tweet was from Nico’s current girlfriend, Julia. It went in depth of an alleged assault she experienced because at your hands because you were jealous of her and her relationship with Nico. You frowned as you shut the folder and dropped it on the desk, “Coach you don’t seriously believe I could do that, do you?”

Coach Ruff shook his head, “This was not the decision made by just me Y/N. This was all the coaching staff here’s decision. Along with Director Walkom. But most importantly this was Commissioner Bettman’s decision. It looks bad for the organization. I’m sorry but the only choice I have is to remove you from my roster and tell you that you are barred from the team and the NHL as a whole for the foreseeable future.”

You shook your head as you stood up, feeling your voice raise, “This is unfair to me. You all just sat behind a closed door and unanimously decided that my career and my reputation were worthless while you believed baseless claims about me that have nothing to back them up?” You ran a hand over your damp cheeks, “How the hell is this fair to me?”

Coach Ruff shook his head, “It’s out of my hands. Pack your stuff.” You shook your head, “How can you do this to me? To reach deep inside of me and pull out everything I have ever worked for and throw it on the ground so carelessly? I resent it.”

A sob wracked through your chest as you took a deep breath, “This is bullshit. I shouldn’t have left Germany, I can’t believe your taking the last piece of my dad away from me. I resent that and I resent you all for that.” You opened the door to the office and were met with Nico, Jack and Luke sporting solemn expressions. Your eyes were bloodshot and stained with tears.

You walked past them and began to empty the contents of your locker. Nico spoke quietly, “Are you okay?” You glared at him as you dropped some of you items into the box, “Like you care.” You dropped the last items in your box as you began to untape the photos of you and your dad and your friends in various places. You picked up your box, the past 4 years of your life amounting to a single box. You sighed as you walked past Nico, “Keep your lying ass bitch away from me. Or god help me it won’t be a rumor anymore.”

Nico frowned at your words, “What the hell is she talking about?” Luke let out a defeated sigh, “This.” He handed Nico his phone as Nico slowly digested the information he was reading. He handed Luke his phone as he found himself driving to Julia’s house. The door opened and Julia smiled widely at the sight of her boyfriend, “Hi baby!” Nico’s tense demeanor didn’t shift, “Why would you post that? I know that’s a lie, why?” Julia’s face paled, “Why do you care? It’s not about you!”

Nico scoffed, “Because you just got her fired for good. She’s banned from the NHL, not just fined. This was the most important thing to her. Why would you do that?” Julia’s voice lowered, sounding similar to a small child who was in trouble, “Jack asked me to get rid of her.” Nico’s eyes widened, “What?” Julia’s eyes watered, “Jack told me that if I didn’t find a way to get her off the team he would tell you about me and Dawson.” Nico raised an eyebrow, “What about you and Dawson?” Julia sniffled, “We hooked up at that party Jack threw.” Nico scoffed, “I don’t care. We’re over, fix this.”

A good month had passed and you had finally accepted that you were done in the NHL. You were packing up your apartment in New Jersey so you could move home to Germany with your grandparents and finally start school. Your phone rang, you frowned slightly as you read Nico’s name across the screen and answered, “Hey what’s up?” Nico’s soft voice filled your ears, “Check Twitter.” You frowned as you opened the Twitter app on your phone when Nico hung up.

You frowned as your phone began to ring endlessly, teams leaving voicemails telling you that they’d love to have you, Coach Ruff leaving messages apologizing and asking you to return. A message from Nico made you smile briefly. He told you to do what you already knew to do. You smiled as you typed out a quick response ‘I did. Check Twitter’

[bennie0315]

I might be over thinking but there has been a lot of emphasis on mothers and fathers, or lack thereof, this season.

In the star beast we find Donna and Shaun are now parents to a daughter, Rose.

In Wild blue yonder the not things and Donna going on about Auntie iris and mummy and daddy.

In the giggle the orphan puppets are all alone with their mother, because the father puppet burned on TV. And the TV man who bought stooky bill the puppet said what would mummy think of me now, when he was turned into a puppet, and then Donna surviving because she passed on the metacrisis to her daughter.

In the church on ruby road, Ruby has an adoptive mother because she was abandoned by her real mother at the church and the doctor also talks about being an orphan, not knowing his real parents.

In space babies all the babies are abandoned by their mums and dads and they think ruby and the doctor are their mummy and daddy and again the doctor talks to them about being an orphan himself and the doctor says the machine was mother and father to the babies and the boogie monster because it created both.

In the devils chord Maestro sings a song about her daddy being mean or something, her father being the toymaker. Also Henry arbinger ("harbinger") calls the maestro his daddy 💀

In boom the little girls dad dies by the ambulance and she talks about how her mummy went to heaven.

In 73 yards ruby gets abandoned again but by Carla this time, her adoptive mother.

In Dot and bubble lindy pepper bean talks about her "mommy" who's susan twist.

In rogue the dukes late mother is the portrait on the wall. (also susan twist)

And then in the legend of Ruby Sunday the doctor mensions that he is a father (or not let anyway because wibbly wobbly time wimey) Kate also mensioning her father (the brigadier) telling her stories about the doctor when she was younger. Mel mensions losing her family and now they're investigating rubys birth mother and we uncover some sort of demon thing from a past episode, and then the thing starts naming gods and stuff then says...

"there is incensor, the god of disaster and her children called doubt and dread and standing on high is the mother and father and other of them all."

The Maybe I'm just crazy, yeah I think I'm losing my marbles, this is bonkers 😂even for me, but there is definitely a theme here.

[nicohischierz]

twins??: nico hischier x devs!player

tagging: @ivy-34, @francesfarhadi, @hzstry8, @cixrosie, @itsnotgray, @estapa94, @trevs-swiftie, @heartz4hischif you want to join the taglist let me know!!

"this is really good shea," you praised the boy.

the newest member of the hischier household was showing off his newly acquired cooking skills. it was also because nobody was in the mood to cook.

seamus had decided to join the devils after completing his four years at michigan. saira was now two years old and thrilled to have another 'brother' along with connor.

the little girl had started speaking occasionally, her first words being "con-con".

saira sat on your lap as you fed her some of seamus eggs, taking bites for yourself as well when a wave of nausea hit you. you passed your daughter to her father and ran to the nearest bathroom.

the boys could hear the sound of your retches and promptly pushed the eggs away from them. "hey I had nothing to do with that," he whined.

nico placed saira on the floor before following you to the bathroom. "schatz, are you okay?" he asked, peering his head around the door.

you flushed the toilet and washed your mouth before facing your fiance.

"do you think we can make an appointment with doctor michaels?” you whispered.

nico stared at you.

"dr michaels? your ob/gyn. why do you need to see your ob/gyn?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

it took a second for your words to click in his mind before nico was wrapping you up in his arms. nico bent down and kissed your lips.

"are you sure?" nico asked, gently pressing a hand to your stomach.

you shrugged. "i took two tests, one said negative and the other was positive. then when lindy was talking about dates I realised I missed my period, so I got to wondering if I was actually pregnant or not," you explained.

nico brought you in for another kiss. “whatever she says, we do this together” he promised.

you nodded and kissed him one more time before going out to your friends.

isla gave you a look asking if you were okay and you nodded. “do you guys think you can watch saira for a bit? neeks and i are going to the doctors for a quick check up,” you asked your friend.

“woah why can’t connor and i watch her?” seamus asked, just as he dropped a pan. the boy smiled sheepishly and turned away.

“is everything okay?” connor asked.

you nodded and squeezed his arm. “i’ve just not been feeling well so we’re going to see what’s wrong,” you told them before grabbing your things.

the group stayed in your home, looking after your children whilst you and nico headed to your appointment.

“well y/n, i’d like to say congratulations on your pregnancy,” dr michaels congratulated when she checked the ultrasound.

nico grabbed your hand and kissed your knuckles.

“if you see over here, this is baby number one and right there is baby number two,” she pointed towards your two babies.

“hold on did you just say baby number two?”

“twins?”

you and nico asked. dr michaels looked at the two of you and smiled.

“i’d say you’ve got a week of hockey left at best,” she advised.

you and nico looked to each other.

it wasn’t ideal that you were pregnant in the middle of the season but you and nico knew what you had to do.

“is everything okay?” connor asked as soon as you guys walked into your apartment. timo had saira laying on his chest as the two of them slept. isla and jack were looking at baby’s names for their little boy whilst luke was on the phone with his girlfriend.

nico handed him the ultrasound and smiled.

isla caught sight of it and squealed.

“no way!” she ran over to you and hugged you.

you nodded and hugged her, tears streaming down your face.

“we’re having twins,” nico announced.

[alice-blogs-things]

It took me a while, but I think I'm finally getting on board with the "they're in a TV show" theory for s14. I think it took the latest preview from Rogue to finally get it, honestly. Because I'd gathered that the other episodes were drawing inspiration from other shows, but I wasn’t as familiar with the ones being referenced, so I couldn't really see how far those influences went.

Dot and Bubble was when I started to get it, cause I've watched enough Black Mirror to see the influences all over the episode. Not just in the pastel toxic positivity vibes reminiscent of Nosedive, or even in the "What if your tech turned against you" element that's in a lot of episodes. But the "twist" of Lindy being a genuinely horrible person, not just a spoilt, immature brat, is also a twist Black Mirror have done in the past. The reveal that makes us question whether this person we'd been following along with deserved our sympathy in the first place features in a few episodes- Shut Up And Dance was one that came to mind especially.

But until I saw that Rogue sneak peek, I had thought it was just a coincidence. I'd thought the reference to Bridgerton in the trailer was just because they were in Regency high society and that was Ruby’s main point of reference for that. But the costumes we've seen so far, the dialogue, and of course, the orchestra playing Bad Guy in the background, there's no way this influence is coincidental. It has to be on purpose.

Which then begs the question- what, ultimately, does it all mean? Where is it all leading? The TV show theory is holding more and more water for me with each passing week, but I would be curious if they go there, or if it's something else entirely.

[hockeylovee12]

Crossing Enemy Lines

Chapter Three

Luke Hughes x Original Character

Warnings: Cussing, some toxic family dynamics, mentions of being used

A/N: I got really lazy writing this chapter so it may be a bit bumpy, but I hope you guys enjoy it. Chapter 4 will probably be out within the next week

November 12th, 2023

The sounds of blades slicing through a frozen surface fill the small practice rink in Newark, as the New Jersey Devils take the ice for their 9 AM practice. 

Head Coach Lindy Ruff, gathers his players on center ice, his stern expression a clear indication of his displeasure with the personnel occupying the sea of red and white jerseys in front of him.

"Listen up boys," Ruff barks, his voice echoing off the boards, "We let in seven goals on Thursday! That's unacceptable" 

Luke flinches at the reminder of Thursday's game, His mind recalling the feeling of disappointment he felt, followed by the memory of meeting Jordan. 

"We can't be giving up chances like that, especially not to the Rangers" Ruff continues, his tone growing more frustrated "Jacob Trouba and his boys had a field day out there" 

A surge of anger courses through Luke's veins at the mention of Jacob Trouba, prompting more unwelcome memories of Jordan to run through his mind. 

Lindy continues his speech-which Luke has lost all interest in- as he feels himself getting more and more aggravated with each passing second, as the image of Jordan storming out of the cafe, plays on a loop in his head.

Then the loud sound of Ruff's whistle pierces through the air, signaling the beginning of practice. "Alright, let's start with some one-on-one battle drills," Ruff announces. "Luke, Mercer, you're up first. Let's see who comes out on top."

Luke takes a breath and skates towards the blue line, lining up in front of Dawson. As the whistle blows, they engage in a battle for the puck, sticks clashing and skates cutting through the ice. Luke tries to channel his frustration into the drill, using his body positioning to shield the puck while Dawson tries to exploit any openings in his defense.

"Good work, boys!" Ruff shouts. "Keep battling! Don't be lazy!" 

The drill continues with each pairing taking a turn, and for a moment Luke's mind drifts back to Jordan. 

He's mad, no he's pissed, he's pissed with the way things happened. He's pissed, that Jordan's last name is Trouba, he's pissed that out of all the fucking people he could've met, the one person, the one fucking person he works up the courage to talk to, to form a genuine fucking connection with, is the one fucking person he can't have. 

A sigh escapes Luke's lips as he regains focus, and Ruff transitions the team into backchecking drills. "Forwards, I want to see you hustling back to help out your defensemen," he instructs. "Backcheck like your life depends on it!"

Luke throws himself into the drill, chasing down opposing forwards with a burning intensity. He disrupts passes and applies pressure, determined to shut down any offensive attempts.

But even as he pushes himself physically, he can't escape the nagging thoughts in his mind. He wants answers, he wants answers, to questions he doesn't even know how to ask.

He's mad, he's confused, and he's sad.

He’s sad that he met a girl he really likes and he can’t date her, he can’t hang out with her, he probably shouldn’t even talk her, and he’s sad that even if he could talk to her she probably wouldn’t wanna talk to him, because he's an idiot who fucked things up. 

"Hughes, good hustle! That's what I wanna see in a game" Ruff praises. "Keep it up!"

Another sigh escapes his lips, as he continues pushing himself. 

Halfway through practice, Ruff calls a five-minute water break. As the players gather around the bench, Dawson skates over to Luke with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Casanova! How'd it go with the girl you met the other night?"

Luke's jaw clenches. "Shut it, Dawson," he warns, his tone sharp.

John raises an eyebrow. "Ooh, touchy subject. Looks like our boy struck out."

"I said, shut it," Luke snaps, his patience wearing thin. The guys exchange glances, sensing the tension radiating from him.

Ruff blows his whistle, and moves the team to the net for some net-front presence drills. "Defensemen, your job is to clear the crease and make life difficult for the opposing forwards," he explains. "Forwards, battle for position and look for those dirty goals."

Luke positions himself in front of the net, engaging in physical battles with his teammates, and his mind wanders slightly, he wonders what they would say, if they knew, knew that the girl he met in the bar is Jacob Trouba’s sister. He knows they would tell him he can’t see her again, even though that bridge has already been burned. 

But it’s like a part of him doesn’t know why, no actually that’s a lie, he knows why, he knows the rules, even if they’re unwritten,  you don’t date an opponent's sister, doesn’t matter the sport, the league, or the team, and if there was a rulebook for the NHL, the message No Devils player should date a Rangers sister would probably be bolded in red at the top of every page.  

"Box out, Hughes! What are you doing?!" Ruff yells. "Don't let them establish position!" 

Luke hesitates, trying to regain his composure, when one more thought comes, a small, tiny thought racing through his mind, a thought that causes goosebumps on his skin, a thought he's trying desperately to ignore, whispering maybe, just maybe, it’s worth it. Maybe?

The practice continues with passing drills, the players focusing on crisp, tape-to-tape passes. Luke tries to lose himself in the familiar rhythms of the game, but his mind keeps wandering back to Jordan. 

A few of his teammates shoot him concerned glances, almost every time they notice a change in his focus, but each time he shakes off their glances, and their reassuring words telling him to focus on practice or asking if he's alright because the one thing he knows for certain, is that even though their relationship is over, his teammates never need to know is that he went on a date with the enemies sister, or that she won't leave his mind. 

Then as practice nears its end, Ruff has the team skate lines, something Luke knows he can't fuck up.

The players line up on the goal line, their chests heaving and sweat dripping from their brows.

"Alright, boys, let's finish strong!" Ruff bellows. "On the whistle, skate to the red line and back. Keep pushing until I say stop!"

The shrill sound of the whistle pierces the air, and the players take off, their skates pounding against the ice.

They push themselves to the limit, legs burning and lungs screaming for air, as they continue to skate back and forth. 

Until finally, Ruff raises his hand, motioning for the players to gather around. 

"Alright, boys, that's enough for today," Ruff says, his tone softening slightly. "Good job. Hit the showers. We're leaving for Detroit at 11."

 *****

Jordan's eyes begin fluttering open, her body still wrapped in a cocoon of cozy blankets and sheets, embracing her in what feels like a warm hug. 

She reaches for her phone, squinting as she checks the time: 11:04. 

Memories of yesterday's date with Luke flood her mind, and a wave of disappointment washes over her.

With a sigh, she swipes away the notifications, her mind still groggy, and swings her legs over the side of the bed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before standing up and making her way to the living room.

As she walks, she can't help but feel upset and angry about how things ended with Luke. She really liked him, and their connection had been undeniable.

But the fact that he couldn't see past the rivalry between his team and her brother's? It's stupid, it's frustrating and it's disappointing.

"Hey, Jordy," Jacob greets her as she enters the living room.

To her surprise, Jacob is sitting on the couch, his attention focused on the TV. He had been away the previous two days, the Rangers having a back-to-back with the second half being an away game in Pittsburg.

"Hey, when did you get home?" Jordan asks, her voice still thick with sleep as she settles onto the couch beside him.

"Not till about one this morning" Jacob explains. Jordan nods, knowing she was still awake at that time, and probably too distracted by her thoughts to hear him come into the apartment. 

"How was Pittsburgh?" She asks 

"Eh, same old, same old. We got the win, so that's what matters." Jacob nudges her gently. "So, Kelly told me you had a date yesterday. How'd it go?"

Jordan shrugs, not particularly wanting to delve into the details. "It was fine," she says noncommittally.

Jacob raises an eyebrow. "Just fine? Do I need to beat someone up?" he jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

A small smile tugs at the corner of Jordan's mouth. "No, no. It just... didn't go well, that's all."

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" Jacob prods gently, concern evident in his voice.

Jordan shakes her head. "I'm sure. It's not a big deal."

Jacob studies her for a moment before deciding not to push further. "Alright, well, in that case, you and I are going to lunch. Come on, my treat."

Jordan lets out a small laugh, appreciating her brother's attempt to cheer her up, "Alright just let me get dressed and brush my teeth" Jordan says

She heads back to her room to get dressed, choosing a comfortable outfit for their outing.

Then the siblings make their way to a local restaurant, not too far from their apartment, the aroma of freshly cooked food and the buzz of conversation enveloping them as they step inside. They settle into a booth, perusing the menu as they wait for their server.

Once they place their orders-a salad with Salmon for Jacob and a club sandwich with fries for Jordan-Jacob leans back, his eyes fixed on Jordan. "So how's NYU treating you?" he asks, with genuine interest in his voice.

Jordan brightens a little, "It's great," she gushes, launching into a detailed account of her classes and the new friends she's made.

Soon their food arrives, and they begin eating.

Their conversation naturally shifts to hockey, with Jacob recounting the details of the Rangers' recent games. "-But the game against the Devils was great, but intense cus they're all a bunch of softies" he remarks, oblivious to the way Jordan tenses slightly at the mention of Luke's team. "Pretty sure half their players threatened to cut my head off before the third period. But the Devils are all fucking talk, the scored one goal, and kept complaining for hits we made, but the fucking lost anyway, and with the way they were playing, a power play wouldn't have made any difference."

Jordan forces a laugh, trying to push away the thoughts of Luke that inevitably surface. "Yeah, that's crazy. Y'all really hate the Devils?"

Jacob, laughs before responding "Well of course, we're supposed to plus, they're all assholes so who would wanna like them"

"Yeah, right" Jordan says

Jacob continues to talk about the game, but Jordan finds herself only half-listening, her mind drifting back to Luke and their ill-fated date. She can't help but wonder what he's doing now if he's thinking about her too.

Noticing her distraction, Jacob pauses. "Hey, you okay?"

Snapping back to the present, Jordan nods. "Yeah, sorry. Just got lost in thought for a second."

"No worries." Jacob takes a sip of his drink before changing the subject. "So, Thanksgiving is coming up. Kelly and I were thinking of hosting the team at our place this year. You're still cool with that, right?"

Jordan's heart skips a beat at the thought of being in the same room as a bunch of Rangers players, but she knows she can't say no, well actually she could but, she won't. "Yeah, of course. That sounds great."

"Awesome. It'll be fun, having everyone together like that. And who knows, maybe you'll even meet someone new." Jacob winks playfully.

Jordan scoffs playfully, "You'd want me to date a Ranger?"

Jacob shrugs "Nah probably not, but if you did I would be okay with it, as long as it's a Ranger, though, otherwise find a different sport"

Jordan forces a laugh, her thoughts once again turning to Luke.

If only her brother knew the truth, the truth that she's already met a guy who plays hockey, a guy who wears a different crest on his jersey, a guy who keeps running through her mind.

 *****

The Detroit skyline looms in the distance as the New Jersey Devils' plane touches down on the runway. The team disembarks, collecting their luggage and boarding the team bus that will take them to their hotel. 

As a rookie on an entry-level contract, Luke shares a room with his teammate, Alex Holtz. 

Once in their room, Luke puts his stuff down and flops onto the bed.

He begins absentmindedly scrolling through his phone, when a knock at the door interrupts his mindless browsing, and he gets up to answer it.

Jack stands in the hallway, an expectant look on his face.

"You ready to go?" Jack asks.

Luke blinks, confused. "Where?"

Jack gives him a look. "To see Mom and Dad. We're getting lunch. Did you forget?"

Rolling his eyes, Luke tries to play it off, even though he really did forget "No, I just need a few minutes to get dressed."

"Alright, hurry up. I'm gonna call an Uber." Jack turns to leave.

"Okay," Luke replies, closing the door. He quickly changes into a pair of black jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a flannel before grabbing his stuff and saying bye to Alex.

The brothers meet up in the lobby and climb into the waiting Uber.

As they drive through the familiar streets of Detroit, Luke remains quiet, lost in thought as he watches the scenery pass by.

They arrive at the restaurant and spot their parents, Jim and Ellen, already seated at a table. Ellen waves them over, standing up to give each of her sons a warm hug. They sit down and place their orders, falling into easy conversation.

"So, boys, how's the season going so far?" Jim asks, taking a sip of his water.

"It's been good, Dad," Jack replies. "We've had a few tough losses, but overall, the team is really coming together."

Ellen smiles. "That's great to hear. And how about you, Luke? How are you adjusting to life in the NHL?"

Luke shrugs. "It's been a learning curve, but I feel like I'm starting to find my footing."

The conversation turns to family updates and upcoming holiday plans until Jack casually lets it slip that Luke had a date yesterday. 

Ellen's eyes light up. "Ooh, a date? Give me the details!"

Luke shoots Jack a glare before turning to his mother. "It was just a date, Mom. It didn't work out. I don't really want to talk about it."

Jim leans forward, curiosity piqued. "Why not? What happened?"

"It just didn't work out, Dad. Can we please drop it?" Luke pleads, feeling uncomfortable.

"Oh, come on, Luke," Ellen says, her tone gentle. "We're just curious. It's not every day you go on a date." 

Luke sighs, somewhat fighting the sarcastic urge to thank his mother, for bringing that detail to light.

"Seriously, Luke it's been a while since you've had a girlfriend" Jack states 

This time the sarcastic quip isn't fought back as he responds "Thank you, Sherlock" 

"We're just saying Luke, it might be nice for you to have someone" His mom adds

Luke sighs, he thinks it would be nice too, but unfortunately that hasn't happened yet,

"I know can we just drop it" Luke states, his voice raising slightly. 

An awkward silence falls over the table.

After a moment, Jim clears his throat. "So, that game against the Rangers." he says, shifting the topic, which unknowingly causes just as much frustration for Luke, as their previous one, especially considering how Jim chooses to approach the conversation.

Jim leans forward, his expression serious. "Luke, You seemed a bit off"

Luke shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "It was a tough match, Dad. The Rangers are a strong team."

"That's no excuse," Jim counters. "You can't let the other team dictate your play. You need to be more aggressive, take control of the game."

"I'm trying, Dad," Luke sighs, feeling the familiar pressure of his father's expectations weighing on him.

Jim continues, "And what about that turnover in the second period? You can't be making mistakes like that, especially not in your own zone. The other team is just gonna eat that up and score on you"

Luke feels his frustration rising. "I know, Dad. I'm working on it."

Ellen, sensing the tension, tries to intervene. "Jim, honey, I'm sure Luke is doing his best. It's not easy being a rookie in the NHL."

But Jim is undeterred. "The best players find a way to rise above the challenges. If you want to make a name for yourself in this league, Luke, you need to be better."

Jack, noticing Luke's clenched jaw, attempts to diffuse the situation. "Come on, Dad. Luke's been putting in a lot of hard work. His coach has been giving him good feedback. Plus he's producing well"

"Hard work is important," Jim acknowledges, " and he is producing well, but don't forget you're a defenseman, points mean nothing, if you keep giving easy goals away."

Luke's frustration boils over. "I got it," he snaps, his voice louder than intended.

An awkward silence falls over the table again and Jack nudges Luke, silently telling him to calm down. 

"So, Mom, how's the garden coming along?" Jack asks, steering the conversation to safer ground.

Ellen smiles, grateful for the diversion. "Oh, it's going great," she gushes, launching into a detailed description. 

The rest of the lunch passes more pleasantly, as they finish their food, and stick to more neutral topics. 

Then the check arrives, and Jim insists on paying, waving away Luke and Jack's protests. They say their goodbyes, Ellen hugging her sons tightly and making them-specifically Jack-promise to call more often, before they go their separate ways. 

In the Uber back to the hotel, Jack nudges Luke. "You alright, man? You seem a bit more on edge. You usually don't let dad get to you like that?"

Luke sighs, rubbing his face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind."

Jack nods, silently clapping his brother on the back. 

They arrive back at the hotel and Luke makes his way to his room, before lying down on the bed, his mind still reeling from the ups and downs of the day. 

His phone buzzes with a new notification, he picks it up, seeing the contact name, it's one of his best friends Dylan Duke: Hey man, we still on for dinner tonight with Mark and Ethan at 8? 

Luke types out a quick reply: Yeah, see you then.

He sets his phone aside and closes his eyes, trying to calm his swirling thoughts.

 *****

Jordan sits at her desk, a textbook open in front of her and a pen poised in her hand. She's been staring at the same page for the past half hour, the words blurring together as her mind wanders back to Luke. 

She leans back in her chair, a heavy sigh escaping her lips, as she recalls the nervous smile, on his face, when they met on Thursday, it was cute, charming, just like his laugh, and his hazel eyes, or his competitiveness during their game of pool, that was just the right amount of cockiness to keep him from coming off as arrogant. She can't lie, she felt a connection with him, a connection she hasn't felt in a really long time. 

And just like last time, her last name ruined everything, it's ridiculous, that a stupid rivalry caused all this, a stupid rivalry she's not even a part of, ok well yes her last name, but like not her.

Jordan reaches for her phone, her fingers hovering over his contact. She wants to text him, tell him she's not her brother, and her life shouldn't be dictated because of it, she wants to tell him that, she really fucking wants to.

But how would she even say that? "Sorry my brother is your team's biggest rival, but I don't have a problem with the Devils so can we still date?"

She laughs bitterly at the thought. It sounds ridiculous, even to her own ears.

And yet, a part of her doesn't care. A part of her wants to do it anyway, say fuck it.

But she knows it's not that simple. She knows the unwritten rules, the lines that can't be crossed, blah, blah, blah, they're stupid.

Her mind wanders to past relationships, to the boys who only saw her as a stepping stone, a way to get their foot in the door with the Rangers. She remembers the hurt, the betrayal, the feeling of being used.

But with Luke, she thought'd it'd be different outcome, but the outcomes the same, just took a different route, a route still dictated by her fucking last name. 

Luke had been a breath of fresh air, someone who seemed to genuinely care about her, who made her feel seen and heard. And now, she may have lost him forever.

A single tear slips down her cheek, and she quickly wipes it away, not wanting to let herself wallow in self-pity.

"Jordan!" Jacob's voice echoes from the kitchen, startling her out of her thoughts. "Dinner's ready!"

She takes a deep breath, composing herself before responding, "Be right there!"

With one last glance at her phone, she sets it down on the desk, the screen still displaying Luke's contact. She knows she can't text him, can't reach out, no matter how much she wants to.

 *****

Around 7:45 Luke leaves the hotel to meet up with Dylan, Ethan and Mark. They decide on a sushi restaurant that's walking distance from Luke's hotel. 

As they settle into their seats, the conversation quickly turns to life at Michigan.

"Man, you should see the new freshmen," Dylan says, a grin on his face. "They're a riot, especially this one kid from Canada. He's always trying to impress the girls with his accent. It's hilarious."

Ethan laughs, shaking his head. "Remember that party last weekend? I swear, I've never seen someone drink that much and still be standing."

Mark chimes in, recounting a particularly memorable moment from their latest hockey practice. "And then Coach just lost it, started yelling at everyone to get their acts together. I thought he was gonna blow a gasket."

As his friends continue to share stories and updates, Luke finds himself only half-listening. His mind keeps drifting back to Jordan and the way things ended between them. He also can't shake the feeling of nostalgia, missing the carefree days of college life.

Dylan notices Luke's distraction and nudges him. "Hey, man, what's up? You're too cool for us now that you're in the NHL?"

Luke snaps out of his thoughts, looking at his friend. "Of course not," he says, a small smile on his face.

Dylan grins, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Just kidding, dude. But seriously, what's going on? You seem a little off."

Luke hesitates for a moment before opening up. "I met this girl on Friday, and I really liked her. We went out yesterday, but things took a turn for the worse." He doesn't mention her last name, keeping that detail to himself.

His friends listen intently as Luke continues. "We got into a disagreement about something, and it kind of ended everything."

Mark leans forward, his eyes sympathetic. "Do you like her? I mean, really like her?"

Luke nods, a wistful expression on his face. "Yeah, a lot."

Ethan places a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Then it shouldn't matter, man. If you care about each other, you can work through whatever the problem is."

Dylan suddenly looks serious, a rare occurrence for him. "Hold up, she doesn't hate hockey, does she?"

Luke can't help but chuckle at the question. "No, she doesn't hate hockey."

"Then Ethan's right," Dylan says, a smile returning to his face. "Whatever the issue is, you guys can figure it out."

Mark and Ethan nod in agreement, encouraging Luke to reach out to Jordan and try to make amends.

"I don't know, man" Luke says, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "What if she doesn't want to hear from me?"

"You won't know unless you try," Mark points out. "Just send her a text, see how she responds. What's the worst that could happen?"

Luke considers their advice, his mind racing with possibilities, before he lets out a chuckle "When the hell did you guys get brains?" He jokes.

"Junior year apparently" Dylan remarks, resulting in a laugh from the table. 

The conversation shifts back to lighter topics, as they finish up their meal, before remaining at the table, for at least another hour, before Luke has to get back to the hotel, for room checks. 

Once back in his room, he notices Alex already asleep, always an early sleeper, unlike himself, so Luke quietly changes into his sweats and a t- shirt, before lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He replays his friends' words in his head, contemplating texting her. 

And in a moment of impulse, he grabs his phone, his fingers hovering over the screen. Before he can second-guess himself, he types out a simple message to Jordan: I'm sorry.

He hits send, his heart pounding in his chest as he waits for a response that may never come.

A/N I hope you enjoyed reading! Feel free to send me any comments about this story, if you like it, I'd love to hear them!

[toasttt11]

introducing clementine

Clementine Faye Bedard the first born of Melanie and Jim Bedard, born on August 31, 2002.

Clementine has always loved the ice since her parents set a barely one year old Clementine on the ice and she has never wanted to leave the ice since, hockey has always been what she loves.

Clementine had always been more of a guarded person especially with meeting new people, she more of a quiet person but with the right people she can open up and be a bit louder, she’s just the type of her person who enjoys listening rather than talking.

Clementine has Heterochromia, one blue and one hazel colored eyes. When she was young she didn’t really like it just ignored it but as her younger siblings grew up they were always telling her how cool and pretty her eyes were so she grew to love her eyes and never hid them.

When her sister was born she was so happy to finally have someone else to play hockey with but Madison didn’t like playing or anything to do with the ice, so when Clementine showed Connor how to play and he loved it she was so happy she had someone to play with now.

Clementine and Connor has always had a very easy relationship because of hockey, they understand each other extremely well but that doesn’t mean Madison isn’t just as close to her siblings they just enjoy other things together.

Connor has always loved hockey because of his oldest sister, Clementine truly passed on her passion to her little brother who wanted to play and be just like his sister. Connor ended up picking the number 98 inspired by his sister who plays with the number 89.

Madison has always looked up to her older sister, always wanting to be more like her big sister and enjoyed anytime she had to spend with her, Madison has always been the academic sibling and easily passed her sibling in that category something the two had always been very proud of her for.

Growing up playing on boy hockey teams Clementine didn’t usually get any respect and a lot of the players ignored her if they weren’t on the ice, she had a lot of coaches not be supportive of her being on the team and trying to play her at least as possible. When she got drafted to the devils in 2020 she was pleasantly surprised how welcoming the whole team and staff was to her, and how they treated her with a lot of respect and kindness.

When she was drafted to the Vancouver Giants she was very happy that was the team that picked her as she could stay home and not have to move away from her family, she got to see more of her siblings growing up then she would if she had to move for another team.

Carter in the last game of the 2018-2019 WHL season had shot the puck into the goal giving them the overtime win in the championship game but as she shot the puck she was smashed into the boards by someone who was two times the weight and height of her and her elbow went into boards catching all her weight.

Her elbow was dislocated and had multiple fractures and breaks, she got a surgery done right away and was in a cast and sling for three months before the doctor realized it wasn’t healing correctly and she has another surgery getting more screws put it, she was out for another six months wearing a brace the whole time and ended up missing half of the season of her draft year. When the doctors saw her injury and how bad it they didn’t know if she would ever be able to play hockey again.

During the nine months she wasn’t allowed to move her elbow she still practiced every day, she starred shooting her hockey stick with the other hand and one handed as well, she ended up starting to switch up a lot of on her stick and she stuck with a no curve on her blade at all, when she was allowed to play again her shot became even more insane, she could shoot with either hand and either side of her blade, she was the perfect center.

Lindy Ruff had joined the devils a few months before the 2020 draft and he already knew who he wanted it on the team, Clementine Bedard. He had watched out for young players for awhile and Clementine had been on his radar for years now and he was always impressed seeing her play, he never had a problem with her being a girl as she plays better than most boys he’s seen.

Clementine has met Alex on all the different zooms they had for the draft instead of anything in person because of Covid, they started texting a little bit before both getting distracted by the draft. Alex had went to the AHL and Clementine had her first season in the NHL (2020-2021). Then Alex joined the New Jersey Devils team at the end of the 2021-2022 session and the two become closer than before and reconnecting with each other.

Nico, Jack and Clementine just seemed to click together when they all met and the three definitely got closest the fastest. Nico and Jack had quickly grown to love Clementine like a little sister and have gotten very protective of her.

Jesper, Nico, Jack and Clementine all worked insanely well together and Lindy quickly noticed that, making most of the lines have two of them one and two on the other.

Clementine always played well with any line as she has insane ability to seem to make the line she plays on play really well together, she seems to just make most lines on the ice click well when she joins them, So Lindy like to move her around a lot of the lines for games.

Dawson, Daws and Clementine all met a few months before the draft and ended up playing the World Junior Championship together, they are got pretty close and it was cool to realize they all got drafted to the same team.

Nico had recommended his apartment building when he heard Clementine was trying to find a good apartment to move into in New Jersey in 2020. Alex ended up moving into the building in the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. Jack ended moving at the end of the 2022 season into the apartment building, needing a new place to live but also wanted to be close to his best friend. John accidentally picked the same building as well when he moved from Pittsburgh. Dawson didn’t even realize when he asked for help moving in he had picked the same apartment building as all of them. Luke moved in with Jack when he came to Jersey making so many of the team live in the same building.

Braden Schneider and Clementine had always had an interesting relationship, they met when they played against each other in WHL, Braden was always flirting with Clementine and she was always annoyed by him. They ended up playing together for Team Canada for a couple tournaments.

Being close to the beach growing up Clementine grew to love surfing, as it was something so different from Hockey. When she moved to New Jersey she brought many of her surfboards with her and she always would go surfing on her days off and Nico ended up joining her a lot of the times and usually Jack as well but he mostly just ended up sleeping on a towel on the beach as the two surfed. Clementine has dragged almost all of her team at least once to go surfing with her.

Clementine has always been sweeter to the younger players who joined after her as they reminded her of her own siblings Luke quickly adored Clementine adopting her as his big sister, she helped him figure out a lot of stuff and always is there for him. Clementine really helped Simon out as he moved to the New Jersey Devils during the middle of the season and was very welcoming to him. She would stay after practice late to continue to keep practicing with the rookies and would help them clean up the ice.