#rfa boys

[intr0verted-weird0]

Happy April Fool's Day 😝 2024

[pizzazz-party]

🌈 ENAMEL PIN ANNOUNCEMENT 🌈

Short announcement! Thank you all for your patience.

I’m tentatively planning to finally open the enamel pin shop in mid to late August, for anyone still hoping to grab a Ring pin. As for the Dragaux pins—god, I have to make a proper glamour post, but the design is finally ready! The vector file is prepped and ready to be sent to the pin manufacturer. Admittedly, I’m a little nervous about the colors (enamel tends to bake a lot darker or lighter than you think it will), but that’s something I’ll have to slowly iron out with the manufacturer.

More details (and graphics) to follow soon.

[larsnicklas]

btw personally i reject the narrative that william isn’t bright lol it’s tired and untrue! it’s not that deep i know i know but it’s baffling to me that people don’t see how very clever and calculated (affectionate) he is, even though he puts on a good airhead facade!!

[natasha-in-space]

Sunflowers are one of my favourite flowers and lately ive been thinking of a yooran fic where ray compared yoosung to a sunflower (in the sense that he associates yoosung with sunflowers) and he also says that the way sunflowers follow the sun is similar to the way yoosung follows rika and this keeps on rotating in my head. Do u think yoosung is like a sunflower

First ship fic, whaaat? Anyways, I don't really ship Yooran, but I do think there is a whole lot to explore with their potential dynamic. I know this was probably requested as in Yoosung being in place of MC as a tester, but I decided to take it into a more darker and grounded in canon territory. That is, Mint Eye effectively winning, and taking the rest of the RFA into its ranks. It is also kind of one-sided, but it was definitely a fun little challenge for me to write!

There are now flowers for each of them in this garden.

The reason was a rather straightforward one. The garden simply couldn't be completed without all of Rika's most beloved friends, who she longed to see by her side so badly. With each new member slowly coming to accept true happiness into their hearts, the garden bloomed fuller and brighter. And how could it not? Rika believed that the garden resembled any living creature on this Earth. It needed care, nourishment, and company to grow big and strong in order to survive against the harsh mountain winds and colds. It would grow sad when it was neglected and abandoned, and it would grow happy when it was being cared for and loved.

And now, finally, the garden has been fully completed. Blooming beautifully in the soft moonlight. A living proof of Rika's success in building a prosperous and thriving paradise for all who felt abandoned by the cruel world outside of these secluded walls.

Bluebells for Zen.

Violets for Jaehee.

White chrysanthemums for Jumin.

And sunflowers for Yoosung.

All of them were together now. Blooming and growing happily among the daffodils that were always present in this garden. They are a constant reminder of its selfless creator.

On the other hand, Mr. Ray was a mystery to Yoosung. He was the one who led them all to the truth hidden behind those traitors' many lies, along with MC as his helpful assistant. He was the one who welcomed them to paradise first and guided them into Rika's loving emrace that would open them up to true happiness. And he was the one protecting them all.

Yet, they rarely, if ever, saw him after that. Of course, he was preoccupied with his duties. His contribution to Magenta's prosperity was almost as great as Rika's. But, out of everyone, Yoosung found himself growing ever more curious of the man that his cousin has trusted so much.

He was still unaware of so many things. It was fortunate that Rika was so understanding and considerate of all of them. She didn't scold him once for being too noisy: simply smiling and informing him that she is more than happy to arrange a shared activity for them to bond over.

As long as he doesn't interfere with their work schedule, that's fine by her.

That's how they ended up taking care of the many flowers in this rather huge garden. Yoosung would be completely lost if it weren't for Ray, who gracefully whirled through the many narrow paths sprinkled throughout the flower-filled grounds, like it was his second nature. His steps were one of confidence and precision, and it was hard not to admire him for his excellence.

It was almost a bit of a challenge to try and keep up with him, without losing sight of his magenta blazer in all the other bright colors surrounding them from all sides.

"-Savior has stated that we should check on the pink roses. She's worried some pests might have damaged them from the last time she visited them." Ray's voice was firm and measured as he instructed over his shoulder. Yoosung always found it odd how he spoke to Rika and the rest of the believers in a completely different way. Not to mention MC. It's like he was a completely different person altogether, depending on who he was speaking to. Still, he would be lying if he said he didn't like this confident and measured way of speaking. It made it easy to just let go and follow his lead without thinking much, if at all.

"Pests? I thought we had a few gardeners to take care of the garden?"

Ray scoffs, walking through the flowery bushes at a quick pace, making Yoosung hurry after him. "It would be a shame if their incompetence made Savior upset."

The conversation was not very pleasant, to say the least.

Yoosung sighs as silence resumes between them once more. It's evident that Ray is only doing this because Rika instructed him to. He can't help but wonder why is Ray so disinterested in anything that has to do with them. The only times he has ever seen him get emotionally invested in something, is when he saw him talking to MC next to his workroom, as well as his meetings with Rika. Yet, to the rest of the believers, Ray appeared almost indifferent and cold in his approach.

He decides to take a chance by initiating a conversation on his own accord. Looking at Ray, who had been examining a leaf of the particular rose, it seemed that his attempt had been successful. As, the man paused, his gaze darting off to the side for a moment, before he straightened up again.

"Yes, that is correct. Savior had that in mind since the moment the first flower has been planted. Magenta's garden couldn't be completed without you all here by her side."

Yoosung's heart froze. He was aware that Rika had never left them, of course. Not really. But, to hear the confirmation of her always wanting to reunite them one day... it made him smile.

He will always be thankful to her for exposing him to the truth.

He couldn't resist his curiosity. Taking a small step towards the white-haired hacker, he brought up the question that had been on his mind for some time now. "Is there a flower that represents... me?"

Ray returns his gaze, as if he were observing him silently. Despite this, his expression remained neutral. He nods, folding his arms behind his back as he stands to face him. He almost looked like a prince, standing with his back straight like that. "There is. There is a flower for each of you."

"Can I see it?" Instantly, Yoosung perks up and takes another step closer, almost instinctively.

Ray quirks a brow, a slight change in his expression that didn't escape Yoosung's attention. Was he taken aback? Curious? Or maybe just annoyed with him getting nosy instead focusing on the job? It was difficult to read. Ray was like a book that was closed tightly, with its cover blank or fully scratched out, preventing you from even reading its title, much less its contents. Yet, for some reason, Yoosung found himself wanting to read that book more and more with each passing day.

Nodding, the hacker instructs the other man to follow him with a quick shake of his head. "I suppose the Savior wouldn't mind you learning of that."

As they walked, Yoosung was deeply in thought. What is it that made him so interested in Ray? It's not like they worked together. Or even knew one another. Their ranks were all they had.

Oh, but he was aware of the reason.

Ray was by Rika's side during those years when they were apart. He was the one who knew so many things that Yoosung didn't.

There was a part of him that felt guilty and ashamed. Rika has given them everything they need to know. She has provided them with the whole truth about that liar V and that traitor Luciel. She has given them what nobody else could. Eternal happiness.

Yet, despite everything, another small part of him, the tiniest, quietest part of him, was still in desperate need of answers.

And they were all in Ray's possession.

"-There they are."

He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost bumped into the other man's back, making him scurry off with an embarrassed flush to his cheeks. Ray either didn't notice his clumsy stunt or didn't care about it. Yoosung followed his gaze to the flowers his attention was directed at.

He squints and raises his brows in confusion. "Sunflowers?"

Ray nods. "Sunflowers represent many things. But, they mostly hold the meaning of lasting happiness and loyalty."

He seemed quite knowledgeable about the topic. Yoosung came up to the large flowers, his fingers tracing over the stem of one of them thoughtfully. Lasting happiness and loyalty... is that how Rika thought of him? Such a sentiment made him smile.

What made him believe V's shameless lies in the first place? Of course she never died. He knew it in his heart.

"There is... more to it, though."

Ray adds, his voice sounding quieter this time around.

"More?"

The other man is now standing close to him, their shoulders touching ever so slightly. Ray doesn't seem to notice or think anything of it, but Yoosung finds himself becoming rather flustered at the sudden proximity, staring up at the hacker with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"Sunflowers always follow the sun, wherever they turn. With no exceptions, no setbacks. My Savior told me that their unwavering loyalty to the sun reminded her of you. And, once you joined our paradise, she knew for sure that you will never stray from her." Ray turns to look at him in the eyes, his gaze strangely methodical. It causes him to gulp nervously. "-Sunflowers are lost without their sun. They cannot survive without its guidance. A sunflower without its sun there to tell it where to look, is lost and wilted. It will continue to wilt in misery until its sun comes back to show it where to turn."

Yoosung's breath grows shaky. He may have been bad at catching allegories, but this one was pretty on the nose. It left behind a bitter taste in his mouth.

"...I suppose a sunflower really is... my flower."

For some reason, that admission felt heavy in his gut. Like a bag of rocks settling deep within his body, pulling him down with their weight.

"You should be grateful that our Savior will always be there to guide you from now on. You will never feel the absence of her gentle hand again. Isn't that what you always wanted? To be told what to do."

"...Savior is too kind."

[amee-racle-ofmyown]

I know it was posted literally a year ago, but I just wanted to say that I really loved "things you said when you thought I was asleep." Such good fluff for our overlooked boy 🥹

oh my goodness has it really been that long? it has :0 sure doesn't feel like it lol

thank you so much for letting me know, that's really sweet🥺💖 I'm glad you liked it!!

SE Saeran deserves so much love, happiness and peace, guy's been through it q-q

[graytalents]

Going through the part in Saeran’s route where you finally come back to the RFA after 2 days and I missed all of them so much oh my godddddd

[kkarmiic]

# ‘GN!READER VALENTINES WITH THE MYSTIC MESSENGER BOYS

🫐 ‘ CONTENT AND WARNINGS

\\ synopsis: what 707, yoosung, zen and jumin would do for valentines!

‘+ genre: fluff

*# warnings: proposal mention in jumins part

# ‘JUMIN

He’s a big romantic with wealth, this man wouldn’t stop at any lengths to make this valentines perfect for you.

Wakes you up with breakfast in bed, a bouquet of roses sitting in the middle of the tray, with your favourite food(s) around it.

A perfect start to your perfect valentines.

He’s even more sweet the whole day, boxes of chocolates and a card, all high end.

He lets it be known how much he appreciates and loves you, and how he’s so grateful you joined RFA and how grateful he is that you two met.

Elizabeth also gets spoiled on Valentine’s Day but shhh…

Gifts you jewellery, outfits, shoes.

Doesn’t expect anything back from you, but if you do get him something, no matter how small it is, he will be ridiculously happy.

When it’s time for dinner, he takes you to a fancy restaurant, will make sure to shower you in compliments about your outfit.

Let’s you pick anything off the menu, ensuring that he will pay for it.

He’d be the type to propose to you on valentines, and so if you’re not already married/engaged, he’d be there, down on one knee at dinner with a ring box in hand.

“Y/N you make me the happiest man alive, I’ve never felt so free than with you, would you do the honour of being my spouse?”

Something awfully sweet like that. Valentines with Jumin are the best.

# ‘ZEN

I imagine he’d take a day off of work, and while not as romantic as Jumin, he would try his damn hardest to make the day about you.

Flowers, your favourite flowers, in the morning when he comes over to see you, along with a valentines teddy bear that’s probably way too big to fit in your bed.

A card with a sweet note telling you how much he appreciates and loves you.

Will play music and dance around with you in your front room.

And if you get him something in return, he’d softly smile, telling you just how wonderful you truly are.

Lunch at a quaint cafe, ordering sweet treats for the two of you, definitely trying out their valentines special.

He’d take you to the cinemas or a theatre to watch something, obviously romantic, maybe a rom-com.

When you come home, he’d run you a nice warm bath with scented candles and bubbles.

He treats you like royalty the whole day.

# ‘YOOSUNG

He’s a broke student; please have mercy.

You two definitely have an indoors date.

But he gives you a stuffed toy and a valentines card at first, and then for the rest of the day?

You start by cooking breakfast together, waffles, pancakes, probably with scoops of icecream.

He apologised for not being able to do much more, but I doubt you’re angry.

If you get him something, he will be jumping up and down in glee.

If you’re a gamer like him, he’d probably set up some games for you to play, and sets up a nice date night there.

It’s super sweet, he carries you in any game you two play, trying to make sure to enjoy your time.

But if you’re not a gamer, expect movies and cuddles.

He’d put on your favourite movie, grabbing the warmest and cosiest blanket he owns, fully sets up a pillow fort for you two to watch it in.

He really loves spending the day with you, even though it’s not fancy, it’s still nice.

# ‘707

Okay, I feel like there’s two ways this could go so I’ll do both.

But no matter what, he’d get you chocolates and or icecream to start your day.

If you get him something, he’d be grinning like mad, just so thankful he has you in his life.

First off, a movie date at home.

I imagine he has one of those big projector things and so he projects it onto a blank wall.

Puts in a movie he thinks you’d both enjoy, it doesn’t even have to be a romantic movie, it can be horror or whatever aslong as he knows you would like it.

But that’s if it’s later in the relationship; he’s a major introvert and would definitely feel more comfortable inside.

However, if it’s earlier in the relationship, he would push himself out of his comfort zone to impress you more.

Takes you to a theme park!!

Probably makes you go on all the big and scary rides (sorry).

But he takes those photobooth pictures with you! And they’re so cute.

Definitely has one where you’re kissing.

Would put it on his wall/in his phone case.

He just loves looking at you.

I also feel like, whether it’s movies or a theme park, he would take you star gazing after.

I’m not sure why, it just feels like a very him thing to do.

Tells you all about the different constellations and what they represent.

He’s so lovely.

POSTED BY: APOLLO

[marshmallowprotection]

i gotta request a fiction about giving ray a hug on day 4. our boy deserves all of the hugs and that analysis was heartbreaking 💔😭

Ray was trembling like a leaf caught in the summer breeze, and all you wanted to do was embrace him. Yet, you didn't want to crowd him or touch him without his express consent. V cornered him, and the very sight of that man standing a mere few feet away from you had set him off. You weren't sure what to believe about the RFA and their validity, of the truths and lies you'd been told, but seeing how Ray reacted told you all you needed to know for now.

Something in this place was a lie, but Ray's fear wasn't a lie.

He was genuinely terrified of V.

"Ray," you gentle voice tried to reach out to him as you sat in front of him. "Ray, can you hear me?"

His face was buried in his hands as he sobbed. The sounds of harsh wheezing and coughing followed. Even if he could hear you, whatever seeing V had done to him wasn't going to go away anytime soon. He tried to puff out his chest and protect you, but the longer V stood in front of you, the harder it was for him to remain strong. Whatever V had done to him... whatever pain he experienced... it had to be one of the worst moments of his life if his response rendered him unable to see the forest through the trees.

What happened?

You tried again, "Ray?"

His sobbing hadn't died down, but he peaked at you through his fingers and instantly looked away when you saw how red and puffy his eyes had become. He'd already looked exhausted when you first saw him earlier in the night, but now it was written all over his face... had he even slept before meeting up with you? Had he stopped to close his eyes?

You knew he had a headache the night before and popped a few caffeine pills to help the pain, but that probably meant he stayed awake instead of resting.

No wonder this was so hard on him. His body wasn't taken care of the way it needed to be, and that must've made this emotional backlash even harder on him. Seeing V set him off, but he couldn't do anything to protect either of you because of his exhaustion, and whatever the harsh memories did to him. It wasn't his fault. You didn't blame him for not being able to protect the two of you. V should've backed off when you warned him to stop.

Why didn't he stop when he causing obvious duress?

Why?

"Ray, honey, it's okay, I'm not upset," you coaxed him. You weren't sure how else to reach him but you knew he wouldn't get any better by crying himself to sleep. "We're safe now, he's long gone and the guards are going to capture him before he gets away so you don't have to be afraid of him hurting you or me ever again. You did your best to protect us. Thank you."

He whimpered. The sound broke your heart but what could you do to help him? He didn't have the energy to explain. He promised you that he would explain everything later, once you were safe, just before he showed up and frightened Ray to the core. You knew you would talk to you about it when he was ready, but... this was different. You just wanted to know how to help.

"Can I hold you?"

Shame bled across his features.

"I want to, Ray. I really want to hold you so you can feel safe again—so, I can feel safe again," you insisted. You knew he would be more likely to listen to your request if you told him it would help you. "Please?"

Ray didn't run away. He made a noise that sounded like confirmation, so you decided to press your luck and embrace him. If he jolted out of your hug or pushed you away, you knew you wouldn't pressure him to do more than that. He didn't push you away, and though it took a very painful moment of sobbing before he moved, you held him gently, so very gently, as to show him that you would never keep him locked up. His sobs became louder but his arms wormed their way around your middle after you gave him that peace.

His face was buried against your chest, desperate for the sound of your heartbeat, as you pressed your lips against the top of his head, whispering sweet nothings to your precious Ray.

Even if this place wasn't what it seemed, you knew whatever had frightened Ray was real and he needed you to be there for him as it seemed like nobody else could be.

[cheritzteam]

[Mystic Messenger] Yoosung★ Birthday Events Announcement

Hello, this is Cheritz.

The icy winter has passed, and spring is aiming for a chance to make its debut for the year with its warm breeze and green sprouts greeting us from round the corner.

What comes to your mind when you think of March?

A picnic on a good-weathered afternoon, roads of full-bloomed cherry blossoms….

And Yoosung★, the RFA’s forever sweetheart, who was also born in March!

On March 12, our birthday boy Yoosung★ will make an appearance on Twitter to share “memories” with you.

Are you ready to meet him?

Then, check the notice below for more information 😉

< ① Yoosung★ Birthday Event : Schooldays of March >

March is the month the new school year starts in Korea, and many students would feel both excitement and nervousness.

Looking back, there were experiences that could only be had at the time.

Notes passed to and from friends, the friendly chats on the way back home, field trips with the whole class…

What if Yoosung★ and the other RFA members had been there with you?

Share with us the school days of your dreams with the hashtag #Schooldays_with_Yoosung on Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram for a chance to win 300 hourglasses⌛! 

In addition, there is a Bonus Event⌛ to celebrate Yoosung★’s birthday!

Celebrate his birthday with the hashtag #Happy_Birthday_Yoosung to enter a raffle to win the prize of 50 hourglasses♥

Last but not least, some Yoosung★ merchandise will go on sale, so don’t miss your chance to get your goodies at a discounted price★ if you had been hesitating!

Cheritz Market sale : March 3 (Thu) 2PM KST ~ March 16 (Thu) 2PM KST

< ② In-game Event >

Access Mystic Messenger for the following period to check out Yoosung★’s birthday title illustration! Enjoy the game with Yoosung’s cute image on the main screen and wish him a happy birthday >ㅁ<

Title illustration available during : March 8 (Wed) KST ~ March 21 (Tue) 2PM KST

We hope you’ll enjoy the March events we’ve prepared, and send you our gratitude in advance for participating in Yoosung★’s birthday event.

May happiness be with you always in the spring of March!

Thank you!

Cheritz.

[nolanhattrick]

if you want to go more into the utah thing, pls do

okay, so i feel the need to preface all of this with

tij iginla deserved to be drafted high in the first round. i'm glad he went high in the first round. he worked hard to earn the place he was drafted. that being said, i do not think his technical ability is the only reason utah drafted him.

let's take a look at utah's owners.

the smiths are mormon, and follow most standard hypocritical mormon doctrine. they have five children and live in provo. can't find much on ashley but ryan went to business school at BYU provo because his dad worked there before he got cancer and also that's what good little mormon boys are expected to do after they go on their colonizer missions to brown countries.

link to the archived deseret interview, written by the mormon church

he often speaks to church officials about money and tech, since he owns multiple businesses in the tech space and owns four sports franchises. the above link is an interview he did with a mormon elder about allocation of church funds. from the horse's mouth, they admit to hoarding billions of dollars and wanting to convert essentially the entire african continent to mormonism for clout.

now. this is where we get into tij's selection.

if you aren't as autistic about mormon history as i am, tl;dr up until about like pshhh iirc it was like 10 or 15 years ago it was literally like not possible for black mormons to hold positions of power in the church. mormon children were taught that dark skin was a sign of being "cut off from god" (lamanites) and depending on where you lived, that if you weren't white, you wouldn't be able to reach the highest level of heaven (in mormonism there are different tiers of the afterlife - three levels of heaven [celestial, terrestrial, and telestial] and then "outer darkness" which is basically just hell. you can only reach the celestial kingdom if you're the perfect mormon and pretty much anyone goes to the telestial kingdom, even like. rapists and murderers. you go to outer darkness if you defy god to his face basically. mormons are wild. yes i am judging you) which is like beaten into you from birth to be the worst fucking thing in the world because if you don't reach the highest level of glory you're separated from your family in the afterlife, and that would suck! that's what you spent your entire life trying to do! so by default getting denied that simply because you produce more melanin is. rancid!

so. career mormons, as i call them - or mormons that come from long lineages of pre-established mormons, especially utah or texas or idaho mormons (like ryan's family, and i'm going to assume ashley's family) - they very very very often have deep racism beat into them practically since birth. they might not think so, but it's there, and it comes out at the wildest times in the wildest ways. like, i grew up in an area with a LARGE mormon minority. a group of mormons tried to lynch one of my friends as a "joke". they literally tried to fucking lynch him. one of the only black kids in the area. because they thought it was funny, and couldn't conceptualize why that was wrong or why that action - committed by that specific religion, too - carried immense weight.

moving onto the hockey part of the ask.

i stared at coyotes stats for way too long last night.

tij iginla is a left shot forward.

we all know arizona was uhh. not the greatest when they made their exit from the league. tij put up some gorgeous numbers when he finished out this year in the w, and if he does well at development camp i think he does have a very good chance at being a name on the roster. i do.

i don't think he was the smartest choice for them technically, though.

like, come the fuck on.

and like i get that they're. they still have all summer. it's whatever. but out of their thirteen forwards, nine are left shots. they are not hurting for him!!

and like. okay. you could argue like. of those, bh and bo38 are rfa at the end of this season, mc53 and ak15 and mm63 and jm22 are ufa next season, they're practically bled dry for RWs.

and they have signed defensemen since day one of the draft. unsure how td33 is going to do with his injury over the summer, but if he comes back they'll be at the numbers they need.

i still don't think he was the pick utah needed technically. i don't think he was the perfect fit. i think the owners decided for the franchise and were able to justify it well enough with his numbers to themselves and everyone else to make it work, but i really truly deep down think that part of it was "look at us we are a brand new team. we are two perfect people that wear cool youth pastor clothes to fancy pants events. we're so hip and chill, we're going to make this black kid's dreams come true by drafting him higher than his dad. we're going to make him the face of the Utah Hockey Club" and then IMMEDIATELY put him in a fucking jersey that says property of. like that is deranged.

i know from an outsider's perspective this all can seem very reach-y but when you have lived with these people and been inside their minds and been raised inside the culture it is all very very thought out. it's deliberate. everything these people do is intentional. so i really honestly can't see these people doing this for any other reason than to make themselves look good. yes, i think tij is a very talented hockey player that deserved to be drafted high in the first round. but i think he belongs somewhere else, somewhere that will treat him well and somewhere he will be safe. because i guarantee you, he is not safe on that team. not when ryan and ashley smith own it.

[coffee-at-annies]

So you’re new to hockey and ppl keep mentioning this big scary thing called the Trade Deadline (TDL).

What is it? It’s the last day of the regular season that teams can make trades and the traded players are eligible to play for their new teams. Trades can still happen but the players can’t play so you only really see it for AHL players.

What are trades? When two teams trade resources between then during off-season, preseason, and regular season.

Resources? Those are human people! You are correct and wrong. Trades come in a lot of shapes in sizes but will usually include one of four things:

the contract for a major league (NHL) player

the contract for a minor league (AHL) player

the rights for non-NHL/AHL players (sometimes considered prospects tho that can apply to any NHL-hopeful players still considered developing)

(prospects include college players under contract, players in lower leagues like the WHL or QMJHL who have been drafted but aren’t old enough for the AHL, players still playing over seas, etc) (and yes usually ahl players but I wanted to be specific)

Draft picks for the upcoming draft(s) (ie eventually a shiny new boy)

There’s a bunch of stuff that goes into trades beyond just “I give you all of our bad players you give us all of your best players” despite the way fans and the media talk about trades. Stuff like roster limits, the salary cap, no trade clauses, etc and this is where you get things like salary retention or conditional picks. I don’t understand all of it. I am not a contract lawyer.

Why trade players? To make your team better or to set up your team for the future.

To make your team better: obviously adding more good players will help push your team from good to great. Especially if you’re trying to make a deep run in the playoffs and need depth scoring or are worried about injuries.

Set your team up for the future: there’s 32 teams and not 32 playoff spots. Many teams won’t make it. Team that think they won’t make it will trade their good players, usually those on an expiring contract to teams that are looking to make a playoff push because they can get a lot of stuff in return. That stuff could be other players that may fit better on their team, but it’s usually also draft picks so the team can draft shiny new boys that could grow up into being the best player on their team.

But wait! Some trades make my team worse! Yeah that’s because of a thing called the salary cap. Sometimes you have to get rid of a player to be able to afford a new player. That’s why trades usually include players going each way, money out and money in. Sometimes this means you make a trade with a second team to make cap space before making that trade with the first team.

What do you mean by expiring contracts? Contracts have limits. They end. At the end of them you have to get the player to agree to sign another contract with you, usually considered an extension of their current contract, especially if they sign the new one before the official end date. This is what a contract extension is. If you don’t think they will sign, then it makes sense to trade them during the season to get a return on investment because otherwise they can say no thanks to any contract you offer and they’re gone during free agency and you have nothing to show for it. (That is if they’re a UFA - unrestricted free agent. RFA - restricted free agent - is a status for new/young players in the league and it means there’s more nonsense around what a team is required to do before you can just walk away).

(Gonna get into pens specific stuff now sorry if you’re on another team and were finding this helpful).

This is why everyone thinks we’re going to trade Jake Guentzel btw. A) he’s a very good player. B) he’s in an expiring contract (1UFA). C) if he doesn’t want to re-sign with us (aka extend his current contract) then we can’t stop him from leaving and there’s 7 years down the drain with nothing to show for it. (that’s a lie he has a cup ring). D) people like to speculate about trades. E) people love to be like what if you gave us your good player and we gave you our bad player and remember Jake is a very good player. F) the pens kind of suck right now. we aren’t playing well enough to guarantee the playoffs. we don’t have a lot of trade capital (prospects and draft picks) to go out and get better players (plus we’re up against the salary cap). and we don’t have a lot of boys who are good that it makes sense to trade away. G) enter Jake Guentzel.

I’m not saying we will trade Jake, just trying to give an explanation of people think we might. There’s as many reasons not to trade him as there are reasons to trade him. A) he’s Sidney Crosby’s favorite winger. B) he’s one of our top goal scorers. C) the modified no-trade-list (m-ntc) means he has a list of 12 teams we can’t trade him to. he can be traded but if the top team that wants him is the top of his no trade list, well that trade isn’t going to happen. D) he’s injured. he’s eligible to come off ltir immediately after the trade deadline but that could discourage interested teams. E) he may cost too much to trade. Dubas may not get a price that he thinks is worth trading Jake for. not every trade is guaranteed. F) finally, we don’t actually know how contract talk is going with his agent. he loves the city. he’s one of the faces of our team. he loves playing with Sid. the reason to trade him is if Dubas doesn’t think we can re-sign him and we don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can answer any questions

[itsdrawingmen]

Random Yoosung headcanons:

Has the cutest moles on his face. And body. Just a lot of moles in general.

Sleeps in pyjamas always.

He expresses his feelings exactly the way he feels them, and while they may sound cheesy, that is only because they are really this big and dramatic. He does honest to god react to everything.

More empathetic than is good for him. Always thinks of others' feelings before his own.

He is VERY not squeamish. Like, blood, shit, pus, wounds, bugs, dirt, — you name it, he can handle it. Yes, he's a medical student/medical professional, a veterinarian in the making, which kind of forces him to learn that, but he's just generally not squeamish.

He's also into trying things for himself before forming opinions, even weird things.

At the same time, he's a huge softie, and he can absolutely NOT tolerate any human-inflicted violence. He will not watch horror or (realistic) war movies, he becomes absolutely devastated after treating animals traumatized by humans, and if he sees someone hurting someone else, if he doesn't rush to intervene he beats himself up about it forever.

He's very body positive in that he's completely fine with all the things the human body does (blood, fat, sweat, hair, you name it), but also in that he romanticises everything about his beloved people: he finds their features beautiful because they're theirs.

He always feels like he isn't doing enough. His parents never really told him he was good (they didn't want to spoil him) or supported his emotions (boys don't cry), then came Rika, then RFA, and basically all his life he's been surrounded by people who were better than him. And he just grew up without really feeling like he was good at anything. Because of this, he's dependent on instant gratification and prone to debilitating depressive episodes, and this is partially the same place his self-sacrifice comes from. Raised on heroic media, he feels that the only way for him to ever do something that counts is to sacrifice himself.

He thrives on others' encouragement, and he's always craved it from his parents, but the attention they would give him was mostly nagging and punishments, so he internalized that love is pain, people hurt those they love, and that, most importantly, you need to deserve love.

His learned reaction to danger is fawning. When he is mistreated, his default course of action is to smile and take it. If he does ever get offended, it's on the others' behalf. It takes him a while to unlearn.

Forever remains far from traditional masculinity, and learns to embrace that fact.

Extremely loving and tender in bed. He likes pleasing more than he likes being pleased. In general, lovemaking to him is about emotions and connection, an expression of love, and orgasms are mainly a sweet bonus.

He likes his hair being pet and his scalp being touched. Having his hair washed is an absolutely heavenly experience for him.

Over the years dyeing his hair, he has developed an interest in hairdressing, so he would wash/braid/dye others' hair with pleasure.

[stormy-sketches]

Oh Zenny~

Had to draw him next in the series since I’m going down his route right now. On day 9 and OH BOY! Anyways more RFA members to come!

[natasha-in-space]

Alright, I'm gonna babble a bit on my thoughts and observations with the magnificent CG's we got for the Choi boys' birthday this year 'round! And, boy, what beautiful CG's they are. I acknowledge that some had problems with them, but I honestly couldn't be happier. Both of them made me feel giddy for two days in a row! The artist did a fantastic job, and it's a treat to still get some new content from Cheritz. Now, let's start with Saeyoung!

God, do I adore the soft, domestic feel of this one. It's peaceful, intimate, and tender in a way that sharing a special moment with the one you love is. I am a sucker for simple domestic moments of romance, so even I admittedly swooned at this one!

Since it's dark outside, we have two options. It's either a small private celebration between you two after he spent the day with his brother and RFA, or you're congratulating him as soon as the clock strikes midnight. I find both options equally sweet and fitting! Either way, you are sharing a small private moment with him, with just you two for a small while. I believe he would be deeply grateful for that.

It looks like he's gotten himself a place out in the city! Isn't that a lovely thing to see? I do think he'll keep his bunker, whether it's for potential emergencies or just for safekeeping, but I always loved the idea of Saeyoung creating a new home for himself, however that may look like. It is logical for his new apartment to have large windows that are high enough to see the night sky. It's very much Saeyoung. And it's very much Saeran, too! During the day, Saeran enjoys the warm sunlight and vast clouds, while Saeyoung enjoys looking at the stars and teaching you about space at night.

He made sure his new home had windows because his bunker didn't have any. A reminder of his new freedom to live out a peaceful life with his family without needing to look over his shoulder at every step.

We have some gifts laid out in the background! The interpretation of whether this is from you, Saeran, or RFA is up to you. I like the latter option. It does make you think what kind of gifts would everyone prepare for him! Lots of funny and/or sweet ideas to think about.

There are also lots of frames hung up on the wall and laid out on the shelves. It made me giggle. Because of course, Saeyoung would litter his home with photos of you once he gets the freedom to do so. It's even a bit excessive, but how can you complain? This man was terrified of having evidence of his own existence out in the world for years. Not to mention that he was not allowed to have any reminders of the people he loved, as he was afraid of their safety.

Of course, he will make sure to surround himself with reminders of a brighter future now that he can. Selfies with you, photos of Saeran reading a book or cooking, and outings with the RFA. All such precious moments he doesn't want to take for granted.

As many have already pointed out, the cake is from Saeran! Ain't that sweet? The first time I noticed it, I glowed with joy because I adore the idea of Saeran making something by hand for his older brother. Saeyoung was always the giver and protector in their relationship, back when they were kids... Now, they can start over with more balance. And Saeran can also take care of his brother. I can't help but think of him spending hours in the kitchen, making sure everything is perfect, and that's just... so damn heartwarming. I love these two and their love for each other. They deserve to be together without fear.

@marshmallowprotection went over the details of the cake very thoroughly in her post, so I won't go over it personally, but, oh my God, of course Saeran would put in small meaningful details into his cake. It's so much like him. From the flowers to cherries and whatever that is written in that envelope. I am certain that Saeyoung will likely shed tears upon reading it. Heck, Saeran can just scribble out a big 'Happy birthday Hyung :)' on there, and it'll make him cry just as much.

Saeyoung is unfamiliar with being taken care of or appreciated. It will take him some time to stop getting emotional over the smallest things when it comes to his family.

Speaking about the CG as a whole, I love how relaxed and tender he looks. It's nothing fancy, just a black shirt and jeans. That's what makes it so soft and domestic for me. It's just you and Saeyoung. In your home. Being together and cherishing each other. And that's better than any grand display.

We get to see more of Saeyoung's arms!!! I always love when they splice up some things that are very much true to canon. While it doesn't make any sense at all to make Yoosung or Saeran muscular jocks, it's very much in line with Saeyoung. It's easy for those arms to lift you up and hold you tight! I also actually like that he's visibly broad in here. I know it's not everyone's interpretation, but it makes him actually look, y'know, older. Even though he'll be 21 forever, it's pleasant to imagine him in his late twenties or early thirties. I know most of my guy friends got very broad in the shoulders once they hit their middle twenties lmao

I also very like MC's dress. It's super cute and comfortable. And that watch on Saeyoung's wrist? Another nice touch. I don't know why, but I always pictured him into watches lol. Mostly because he seems to have a soft spot for anything technical. It's easy to see him being fascinated by the inner workings of different watch models. He's such a nerd (affectionate)

Look at that giddy smile! He's such a cutie. Love to see him be all happy like that. Also his hair is once again super red. I'm telling you, it changes color depending on his mood. It's my biggest theory in whole MM storyline/j

AND NOW ONTO THE MAN HIMSELF, THE ONE I'VE BEEN BENDING MY KNEE FOR EVER SINCE I SAW HIM, THE ONE I IMPLODED MY DM'S OVER-

Ahem

Yes. We got an actual official Unknown/MC CG. The fandom exploded. I know I saw it, I know you saw it, we all saw it. Unknown took the fandom by storm, and he knows it. Look at that smirk. I even saw quite a few old MM artists thinking of coming back just because of him lmao

That's the power this man holds.

Alright, my incessant ramblings aside, this CG looks absolutely ethereal. And it's pretty much intentional. Goes in line with Unknown's aesthetic, too. I know we all love to lovingly call him the king of edge that he is, but from what we see of him? He'll probably put you in something similar. He is your guardian angel, after all. The one who will lead you to a true paradise you couldn't even hope to reach by yourself. He is your loving shepherd, and you are his precious lamb.

The placement of Unknown in such a graceful environment makes sense.

So, Unknown's cake has strawberries AND blueberries on it. No wonder many people instantly remembered the birthday CG from two years ago! It's a nice and interesting comeback. Once again, redirecting you to @marshmallowprotection analysis post for the in-depth on it, because she lays it out beautifully! I'll just say that it's intriguing to note that besides strawberries, blueberries appear to be another confirmed favorite of Saeran's. I know I love my blueberries.

Here's to hoping that this is a fake cake, because if I see food drowning like that, I would riot, no matter how beautiful and enticing Unknown may look 😔 You're eating that cake, mister! You are not wasting it for a pretty aesthetic!! It also begs the question who made the cake in the first place, and Kait puts out a very interesting thought that this is, in fact, a photoshoot. It's also comforting to think that MC was behind it. Just because I'm a sucker for the idea of Unknown getting spoiled for once in his lifetime. He also seemed to be rather yearning in his birthday chats that you can purchase, so it's a sweet thought for me.

MC is absolutely gorgeous here. I have zero complaints. Unknown is one lucky man, and he knows it. Her skin is perfectly complimented by that shade of pink, and she looks like a nymph or something. I also love how flowy the dress is. You can just tell how soft that fabric is to the touch, and I am on my knees both for this MC and the artist for all their hard work. Also!!! MC has an actual eye visible for once! Always a nice and rare surprise.

The dress is pretty revealing, too, and I couldn't stop giggling once I actually noticed that. What can I say? Unknown knows his tastes, and I sure respect him for that. As I said in another post, her lap is definitely not the only thing he lays his head on, and I am, frankly, jealous of him.

All that to say.... guys. MC is just a stand-in. She doesn't look like 90% of the player base. Heck, I look nothing like this MC! Please don't be discouraged just by how she appears in certain CG's! There are plenty of guys, queer folks and women who look nothing like her, who love and adore Saeran as a character. And you know what? All of you would be loved and appreciated by Saeran. Whatever weight, whatever gender, whatever skin color you are. Your own unique appearance will make you just as ethereal next to him. Because it's you.

Saeran has the same love for you as you have for him. Unknown included!

Now onto the man himself..... God.... how gorgeous he is...... I know I felt like I was falling in love with him all over again when I saw him, pfft-

Who is Unknown without his belts and chokers? Once again, Unknown knows what he likes, and I respect the hell out of it. You go king!

Need I say that they gave him freaking EARRINGS???? I know I wouldn't be freaking out about that as much, if it wasn't a fan thing for years. And now he gets the earrings we all knew he deserves in canon. Life could be a dream.

He also has a cross. Which is a rather... interesting choice. Once again, @marshmallowprotection goes over it in detail in her post. Another fun personal interpretation I had (bc I love giving a darker vibe to things) is that perhaps this image is taken after Saeyoung got captured by Mint Eye. Unknown takes and wears his brother's cross as a mockery of his brother's faith and as a declaration of his triumph. I must say, though, that's, like.... 99% not what is intended here, and just my personal fun musings.

I also find it both hot and hilarious that Unknown has his shirt open like that. He saw his brother's CG and went: 'oh hell no, I can do better'. He's so extra, and I adore him. I also don't think he's muscular here???? He's not depicted as broad or buff. I think people just misinterpret the art style a bit. He doesn't really have any prominent muscle here, and it looks significantly different to Saeyoung's CG. I think the artist just either didn't have much time to flesh it out (an issue Kait goes in detail over), or they had trouble with depicting what they wanted to depict. Or I'm just talking out of my ass here, and they really did make him jacked, but my eyes will continue to willfully choose to not see that 😔

All that to say, I definitely went feral over this guy showing so much skin, and the desire to BITE is strong with this one.

He'll be on my mind first the rest of the year. What an absolute treat.

It's so much like Unknown to be all snazzy and cordial with you. I love how they showcased his mannerisms here. It's irrelevant whether you interpret it as cunning or genuinely affectionate here. That smirk is very much Unknown, and we all know it. I wanna smooch his cheeks so bad. Kait also went over the flower analysis in her post, so I highly advice you to check it out!!

In summary, I couldn't be happier with what we got this year. This is everything I ever wanted and more. Will be definitely writing individual pieces for these, because how can I not?

[mystic-headcanons]

the rfa at the eras tour

this is entirely self indulgent LMAO but here's how the characters would be @ the eras tour.

zen would love the concert. while he may not listen to all of her music, he very much enjoyed the entire set and especially loved how happy you were to be there. probably wouldn't join in on any of the chants or trade any bracelets, but instead looks at you with a smile every time you do. definitely takes a lot of pictures of you, and taylor, and then the both of you because your matching outfits are just the cutest. his favorite era would either be lover-- he can't help but look at you throughout the entirety of lover-- or 1989, because the visuals and the sound just completely enrapture him.

yoosung would just be happy to be there! knows her earlier stuff, but doesn't really know anything beyond 1989. goes feral over the fearless era, and screams almost as loud as you along to love story. if there's a proposal at your concert, you can bet he'd be crying while witnessing it-- and also a little jealous that he didn't think of the same idea. poor boy almost dies during vigilante shit-- his face is redder than a tomato and he chokes on his spit as he tries to look anywhere but the stage. you take many photos of this.

saeyoung is almost as excited as you are. he lives for anything that lets him dress up. he sat there making hundreds of friendship bracelets for you, spent hours shopping both online and in person for the perfect matching outfits, learned every chant and every song so he could fully enjoy the experience with you. and he did! however, any video anyone within five feet of him took would be unusable because he'd he screaming at the top of his lungs. holds you close during the lover and speak now era and definitely cries at one point during the show. fills up the entirety of his phone storage with only pictures and videos of you and him or just you.

jumin is. not having a good time. LMAO this man doesn't like huge crowds like that, and doesn't know most of the songs and craves the quiet comfort of his home. however, one look at you has him relaxing and a small, soft smile taking over his tense features. this was entirely for you, of course, and seeing you so happy and excited was enough to quiet any discomfort he might've felt. doesn't take any photos or videos, but he'll let you pull him down for selfies. the only video he has from that night is the one you sent to him of him kissing the crown of your head during lover.

jaehee is just excited to be there with you! she's a casual fan of taylor swift-- she doesn't really fangirl over anyone that's not zen-- so she probably won't know any of the chants, and definitely won't trade any bracelets, but she'll happily dress up with you. sings along under her breath to the songs that she knows, and just nods along to the ones that she doesn't. really likes the midnights era- and especially vigilante shit. blushes whenever you hold her hand or kiss her cheek or sing to her during the love songs. she takes one or two photos.

saeran absolutely refuses to go with you at first. attending a three and a half hour concert with thousands of people attending sounds like his own personal hell, but when you go to ask saeyoung to accompany you, saeran finally relents. "fine!" he'll grumble, "no need to ask my idiot brother. i'll go with you." you...hadn't suggested that to make him change his mind, but. a win is a win! he doesn't do any of the chants or any of the bracelets, and doesn't dress up. (or, at least, he doesn't wear anything he wouldn't usually wear, but. it's looks pretty reputation era, so you're happy.) despite his grumbling and his anxiety, saeran really did love seeing you so happy and carefree. is surprised by how much he enjoyed the reputation era, and ignores your smug look as he adds the songs to his playlist later on. refuses to take any pictures or videos, and will only be in a few for you.

[distinguisheddingus]

Since I started playing Mystic Messenger again I feel very inspired... So I had a this idea for a story with High School AU/Soulmate AU.

I thought about a story where MC goes to the same high school as the RFA members. She is a normal girl, with a quiet life, until one day she ends up accidentally touching one of the boys (I'm undecided between Zen and Jumin) and strange memories are awakened in her, like deja vous about her and the boy, about their life together in many possible scenarios. And from that moment her life changes forever. The memories become clearer and clearer and somehow she connects the dots and remembers everything about their life together. Every time MC and the boy meet, they fall in love and live a happy life until... he accidentally dies and everything starts all over again. And so MC understands that his mission is to save her soulmate life, at any cost.