#stiches (who i also found on an island i think?)

[skyburger]

WHAT THE HELL NOBODY EVER TOLD ME TWO OF MY FAVE VILLAGERS GOT A LINE STICKER TOGETHER. ive loved tabby for YEARS like since 2019 at LEAST. and these stickers are from 2018 how did i not know !!! i love tabby and boots so much 😭😭😭 TABBY AND BOOTS ANIMAL CROSSING I LOVE YOU SO MUCHHHHH OOMFS FOREVER AND EVER

[mattzerella-sticks]

Cuffed to an Angel - Chapter 2 (Dean/Cas Rom-Com Holiday Story)

Dean Winchester has a lot going for him: he's beloved by his students, he's finished writing his first book, and he's living comfortably in New York City. The only problem is... he's single. That wouldn't bother him much if his family wouldn't be visiting for the holidays. With cuffing season over, Dean has to face his family alone... or will he?

Castiel DiAngelo is a simple detective who hasn't really celebrated Christmas in over 9 years, holidays and family being a sore spot for him. But after taking Dean up on an offer, he finds that you can't really avoid the holidays.

Will these two be able to pull off a seminal holiday trope? Or will certain developments get in the way...

(AO3)

           Dean is never drinking again.

           He knows he said that the last time he went out, but this time he’s going to stick to his word.

           …At least he’ll try.

           “Ugh, my head,” Dean groans, smacking his lips together, “ugh, my mouth.” He tries to get up slowly, every inch of his body screaming in protest. His vision is spinning and just sitting upright is too much of a hassle.

           He kneads at his eyes with his palms, trying to adjust to the morning light. It takes a few minutes, but soon enough Dean can see more than just vague shapes and blurs.

           Like the suspicious glass of water he spies sitting on his nightstand.

           “What?”

           Dean picks it up and takes a sip, then a gulp. Then, he practically drains it of every last drop. He pulls it away and gasps for breath, wiping away some wetness that clung to the side of his mouth.

           “I so needed that…”

           He’s about to put it back down when he soon spies a folded piece of paper that must have been underneath it. Cocking a brow, Dean reaches over and opens it up.

           Dean,

                       I’ll take you up on your offer. Call me when you can.

                                               347-923-8990

           -C.D.

           He blinks at the letter, reading it again, and then a third time. By the sixth time, he looks up and inhales sharply.

           “Shit,” he mutters, “What the fuck did I do last night?”

           His mind is a blur – he doesn’t even remember coming home. One second he was boozing down at his favorite dive and the next thing he remembers is – well, reading the goddamned note.

           ‘C.D…’ Dean thinks, ‘Who are you?’

           Sighing, Dean places the note back onto his nightstand and scrubs both hands down his face. He stands, groaning, and heads towards his bathroom.

           ‘I’ll worry about this later,’ he thinks, ‘First… I need a shower.’

           He undresses, wincing at the musty odor clinging to his undershirt. His jeans aren’t that bad, but they take forever to peel off.

           Soon enough, Dean is stepping under the hot water and sighing in relief. Whereas drinking helps him not think, showers are the complete opposite. His mind shifts into overdrive, and Dean tries to recall what happened the night before.

           Unfortunately, the shower doesn’t help that much. The only other image he can conjure up from the night before is a tan trench coat, which leaves him with more questions than answers.

           “You did a damned good job of getting fucked up, Winchester,” Dean sighs, shutting off the water, “Seriously, A-plus.” He steps out of the shower and reaches for a towel. He pats at his face, looking at it in the mirror. His skin is a little paler than usual – just enough that his freckles stand out as well as the bags under his eyes. He takes the towel and wraps it around his head before reaching behind the mirror for some ibuprofen. He swallows them, and then palms some water from his sink to wash the pills down.

           Slapping his face a few times, Dean steps back into his bedroom to let the cool air dry his body.

           He picks up his jacket and pulls out his phone before picking the note back up. He reads it again, staring at the numbers. He’s playing with his phone – turning it on and off and on and off.

           He makes a decision.

           “You better have a good reason to be calling me, Winchester,” Charlie says, “Like that you’ll be sending me your book, pronto.”

           “I will… later –“

           “Later –“!

           “But, I need to ask you something!”

           “…Make it quick, Dean.”

           “Okay, so… look. Hypothetically, let’s say you get… completely hammered. So much so that you don’t remember anything that happens,” Dean says, pacing his room, “Anyway, you wake up to find a note that says someone is taking you up on your offer and a number. Would you call the number or not?”

           “…Are you telling me you chose to go drinking last night instead of finishing your book?”

           “Charlie I’ll finish the damned book, alright!” Dean shouts, “But first I need to make sure I didn’t do something stupid!”

           “Dean, if drunk you was in control then it was most likely something stupid,” Charlie sighs, “Remember when you had too many Long Island Ice Teas last Halloween and thought all windows were made of Plexiglas?”

           “I might…”

           “Then you remember that we had to spend the rest of the night in the hospital getting stiches for your hand!”

           “Alright, I get it, drunk me isn’t the best at making decisions.”

           Charlie scoffs, “Neither is sober you…”

           “Watch it,” Dean scolds, “Anyway, what should I do? Should I call the number?”

           “Call the random number from the person you don’t remember meeting,” Charlie says, “That sounds like the perfect plan if you want to get murdered in an alley somewhere in New Jersey.”

           “He can’t be that bad,” Dean starts, “I mean, he did bring me back to my apartment.” Dean’s eyes widen. “Crap,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair, “he was in my apartment.”

           “Do you think he could have stolen something?”

           “If he could have found it,” Dean sighs, “God my place is a mess.”

           “That’s what you’re worried about?” Charlie asks, “Not the fact that a total stranger knows where you live and agreed to something your drunk ass asked them to – but that they saw your mess?”

           “Listen, they could have killed me if they wanted to alright,” Dean sighs, “But instead they take me home and leave me a glass of water for when I wake up. Does that sound like someone who is a murderer or worse… who lives in New Jersey?”

           “…No,” Charlie replies, “So it sounds like you’re gonna call this person?”

           “I guess?” Dean says, sitting down on his bed, “I do want to know who this person is – I have to thank them. Plus, I want to know what kind of offer I made.” His eyes widen, “I hope it wasn’t sexual.”

           “If it was I doubt you’d have been in that bed alone,” Charlie says, “Now shoo, finish checking your facts so I can have something to turn into my boss later today.”

           Dean pulls his phone away from his ear and stares at it. He takes a deep breath before he pounds the number of C.D.

           The ringing seems to go on forever. Dean’s tapping his foot erratically, chewing on his lip, waiting for anyone to answer.

           When they do, he wasn’t expecting… that.

           “Hello?”

           The deep, gravelly voice instantly sends a chill down Dean’s spine. His face flushes.

           “H-hey,” Dean says, swallowing, “Um… this is Dean. I’m just… doing what the note says.” He offers a pitiable laugh.

           “Dean,” the voice continues, confirming Dean’s suspicion, “How are you feeling?”

           “Better,” Dean shrugs, “Woke up awful. Thanks for the water – and for, uh… everything else.”

           “You were a mess at the bar last night,” the man chuckles, “it’d be a crime to let you out of my sight.”

           “Cool, cool,” Dean nods, tapping his feet against the floor, “So, look, about my… offer.”

           “Right,” the man nods, “I was wondering when you’d get to that. Look, we should probably discuss this in person. I don’t have a break until 3 o’clock. Would you care to join me for a late lunch?”

           “No – not at all!” Dean laughs, “I, uh… I’d love to!”

           “Great, you can meet me at…”

           Dean nods, taking a nearby pen and writing the address on the other side of C.D.’s note.

           “I’m really glad you called, Dean,” C.D. says, “I was worried you might wake up and not even remember anything from last night. You were pretty far gone.”

           “Well… what can I say,” Dean laughs, “I got the mind of a steel trap.”

           They bid each other goodbye not too long after that. Dean gulps and leans back on his hands.

           “…Fuck.”

           He doesn’t know why he did that. He had an out – a chance to admit that, not only did he not know what his offer was, but that he also had no clue who he was talking to. The voice did bring back a few other memories, however. They were all words, no visual component to them at all. But whoever he is he was one sassy bastard, that’s for sure.

           Dean gets up and heads towards his drawers. He pulls out some slacks and a Henley and pulls them on, getting dressed for the day. He also chances a look at his alarm clock: 10:23.

           “Thank God I don’t have class until tomorrow,” Dean mutters walking out of his room. He looks around and places his fists on his hips.

           He’s got time to kill, and depending on how the meeting goes, he doesn’t want to have C.D. think he’s a slob.

           Castiel hangs up, smiling down at his phone. The butterflies in his stomach that have been churning since he woke up have calmed down. He’ll admit that he was having second thoughts about his note the second he got into Uber. The drive back was just him listing all the reasons why Dean’s plan wouldn’t work or how it could go wrong.

           But each time he thought of calling it off, he remembered that picture of Dean’s family and Dean’s words.

           He had missed celebrating the holidays with others. After his family practically ex-communicated him, there was no one for him to celebrate with. He didn’t particularly have any friends before, and after… he didn’t try to make any.

           That doesn’t stop his partner.

           “What’cha smiling at Clarence?” Meg asks from her desk. She’s leaning on her hands, smirking at him.

           “Nothing,” he says, pocketing his phone.

           “…Right,” she says, “Because to me it sounded like someone’s got a date.”

           “It’s not a date,” he says, “I am meeting someone, but it’s to discuss a deal –“

           “I’d be careful if I were you,” Meg laughs, leaning back in her seat, “You know how the Chief’s ears perk up when he hears that word.”

           She’s right. Chief Crowley, their boss, while being on the right side of the law just loves things like gambling, bets, and especially deals.”

           “To discuss a… plan,” Castiel chooses his words carefully, “for the holidays.”

           “You holding out on me, Clarence?” Meg frowns, squinting at him, “Just what are you ‘planning’?”

           “Nothing that concerns you, Meg,” Castiel stands, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll get some coffee. Would you like a cup?”

           Meg crosses her arms and pouts. “Black,” she says, “But don’t think this means I’ll stop pestering you!”

           “I’ve lost any hope of that happening,” Castiel fires back, walking away from her. He passes a few other officers, nodding hello before he makes it to the Keurig in the Break Room. It doesn’t take long for the coffee to brew, but he lets his mind drift back to Dean.

           He doesn’t know what Dean will be like sober. But he does have some idea of who he is. The Internet is a wonderful thing and, coupled with his training, he was able to glean a few pieces of information about him.

           Dean wasn’t kidding when he said he was writing a book. There was an entire article about him in the Washington Square News. Apparently the book has been a passion project he was working on since his early days in his PhD program. He was also a professor beloved by all his students. He’s a history professor, but he wasn’t able to determine just what he teaches. Probably because all the reviews from ‘Rate My Professor’ only talk about his gorgeous green eyes and perfect jawline and cute drawl.

           They’re not wrong – but he wants to find out things he doesn’t already know.

           “You like your coffee cold, Detective?”

           Castiel startles, turning to find Chief Crowley behind him. He’s got a brow raised and is smirking at him.

           “Sorry, Chief,” Castiel mutters, pulling the coffee cups away. He heads towards the cream and sugar while Crowley gets his coffee. Crowley drums his fingers on the counter, waiting, while Castiel rips open a packet of sugar. Then another, and another: after his fifth packet he adds the cream.

           “It’s not like you to be distracted,” Crowley starts, “Is there something on your mind?”

           “No, Chief,” he says, “nothing that’s important.”

           “Well that’s good, seeing as I need your mind to be sharp.”

           “Chief?”

           “I just dropped a case on your desk. You and Masters need to look into a robbery on 44th and 8th. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

           “We’ll get right on that.”

           “Glad to hear,” Crowley smirks. He takes a sip of his piping hot coffee, and then turns on his heel. “Pray you’ll be done before your date!”

           Castiel gapes after him.

           “…How does he do that?”

           Dean stands rooted to the spot, staring at the place C.D. asked him to meet at. He pulls out the note from earlier and looks down at the address. It matches the one he put into his phone that led him there, and the numbers both match the street numbers and the building’s numbers.

           It’s a small deli, wedged between a Starbucks and a gift shop. Dean pockets the note again and enters. He wipes his boots across the carpet and pulls his hat off, looking around. No one he sees sparks any memory.

           But he does see a menu, and that jumpstarts his stomach. It gurgles, and he pats at it.

           “Don’t worry buddy,” he whispers, “I’ll get ya something.” Even though it’s past lunchtime, he wasn’t able to eat anything. His mind was too focused on either his book or on cleaning or C.D.

           “What will you have?”

           Dean’s searching the menu until his eyes land on exactly what he wants. “I’ll have the hamburger deluxe – medium well,” he tells the girl, “and can you make the fries curly fries?”

           “That’ll be an extra $0.75.”

           “Worth it.”

           Dean steps back, but hits into a solid figure. Dean turns.

           “Sorry – woah…”

           Dean is stunned. The man he had banged into was… gorgeous. There was no other way to describe him. His dark hair was styled messily, as if he spent the entire morning just raking his fingers through it. He’s rocking a serious five o’clock shadow and was blessed with a soft-looking pair of lips. And his eyes… there’s no name for the shade of blue they are.

           Dean’s trying to regain his senses, but he’s soon floored yet again when the man smiles at him.

           “Hello Dean,” he says, ��I’m happy to see you again.”

           ‘Holy crap,’ Dean thinks, ‘he’s C.D.?’

           “Yeah,” Dean mumbles, blushing, “It’s great seeing you, too…”

           C.D. tilts his head, squinting. “Is something the matter?”

           “No, no, it’s just…” Dean bites his lip, “you look… really good today.”

           “Thank you,” he nods, “Would you like to join me?” He motions to a nearby table in the back – out of sight from nearly everyone.

           ‘No wonder I didn’t see him,’ Dean thinks before looking at C.D. and jerking his thumb at the counter, “In a minute, waiting for my food.”

           He glances behind Dean then nods at him, before returning to his seat, “I’ll be here when you get it.”

           Dean nods in return; turning around so C.D. won’t see the fierce blush he’s working up. He starts to sway, trying as hard as he could to remember anything about last night before he has to talk even more to C.D.

           …Like his name, for starters.

           Time isn’t on his side, because just as he starts to focus, the girl is calling out his order, handing him his tin. Dean takes it and grimaces before moving towards C.D.’s table.

           C.D. looks up from his own sandwich as Dean makes his way over and smiles. It’s a chicken club, and it looks pretty damn tasty.

           ‘Maybe I should have gotten that.’

           “I know,” C.D. chuckles, wiping at his mouth, “the food here is really good. Plus, it offers a discount for officers.”

           “So you’re a cop?” Dean asks, getting his food out.

           “Well… used to be,” C.D. shrugs, “I’m a detective.”

           “No friggin’ way,” Dean gapes, eyes widening, “That’s so cool!” His eyes light up, “Is that what the ‘D’ stands for in your note?”

           C.D. blushes and looks away. He scratches at his cheek and smiles. “My apologies, that’s just how I usually sign off on messages. They’re my initials – the… ‘D’ is for my last name, DiAngelo.”

           “DiAngelo?” Dean chuckles, swallowing around a piece of his burger, “Fitting… you sure do got the face of an angel.”

           DiAngelo’s blush grows only fiercer. “Just as precocious now as you were drunk I see,” he mumbles.

           “What can I say,” Dean shrugs, taking another bite of his burger, chewing, “I’m a charmer.”

           DiAngelo raises a brow.

           “Wha’” Dean says, bits of food flying out of his mouth, “Got somethin’ on my face?”

           “Never mind,” DiAngelo says, taking a bite of his own sandwich. They sit and eat, neither wishing to speak next. It’s an awkward silence, filled with stolen glances and worried thoughts.

           “So,” DiAngelo starts again, “About your… book!”

           “My book?” Dean asks.

           “Yes… your book,” DiAngelo says, deflating, “you said you were writing it… how far along are you?”

           “Just finished it actually,” Dean chuckles, “Checked a few facts, made some edits, and I shipped it to my editor who will no doubt tear it to shreds and re-structure it before sending it to the press –“ He stops, as if a huge weight has settled into his stomach. “Was… was that what my offer was about,” Dean asks, “Did I… promise you a copy of my book?”

           DiAngelo blinks at him. His face betrays no emotion, and Dean can’t help but let his mind whirlwind out of control. That weight has become a black hole, sucking up all the good feelings he had about this. He’s not even hungry anymore, pushing his food away.

           “Look, I’ll find out when that is later,” Dean starts, getting up, “I have your number so –“

           “No!”            DiAngelo’s hand shoots out and grabs Dean’s wrist, trapping him.

           “I’m… sorry,” DiAngelo starts, face turned away, “I didn’t mean to… I should have…” He looks up, “Do you remember what happened last night?”

           Dean gnaws at his lip again. “No,” he says slowly, “To be honest… I don’t even know your name.”

           DiAngelo looks pained, but soon enough he hides it so Dean can’t see it anymore.

           “Then where are my manners,” DiAngelo says, letting go, “I… should have introduced myself properly. My name is Castiel DiAngelo.”

           Dean settles back down and raises a brow at Castiel.

           “That’s a pretty fancy name there, Cas,” he chuckles, then freezes, looking up at Castiel, “Shit, are you okay with that? Or are you one of those guys who hates nicknames.”

           “No I… I don’t mind,” Castiel says, blushing, “In fact, Cas was much easier for you when you were drunk as well.”

           “Sorry if I butchered it –“

           “You tried,” Castiel shrugs, “Some people don’t bother.”

           “Cool… cool.”

           Dean picks at his fries while Castiel cleans up his own meal. Dean hazards a look at Castiel – Cas – through his lashes. His motions are awkward and choppy, like he doesn’t know what to do with his body.

           “So,” Dean says, scratching at his neck, “What happened when I was…”

           “Wasted?”

           “Under the influence,” Dean glares, pressing his mouth into a hard line.

           “Well,” Cas starts, folding his hands in front of his face, “I don’t know about most of your evening… but by the time I met you, you were… really gone. You tried to flirt… really badly.”

           “Now hold on –“

           “And you could also barely stand. I… took you home so I wouldn’t feel guilty if I had just abandoned you there.”

           “Ouch,” Dean mutters weakly, “It wasn’t because of my good looks?”

           “You don’t need me to tell you how attractive you are,” Castiel says, “Your students already do enough of that.”

           “…How do you know –“

           “Anyway,” Cas continues, blushing, “After I got you to your apartment I helped you undress and got you some water and I left…”

           “After…”

           “After….”

           “After writing me that note,” Dean says, pulling it out, “Where you said that you… agreed? To an offer I made you?”

           “Look, Dean,” Cas starts, “I just wanted to make sure you were alive in the morning – you were far gone and I was feeling a little tipsy, so I don’t think we can really hold ourselves to anything we might have said when we were drunk –“

           “What did I say?” Dean demands, leaning forward on the table.

           “Really, Dean, it’s –“

           “What… did… I… say?”

           “You – uh, you proposed that we…” Castiel motions between the two of them, “we should… pretend to be together for the… for the holidays.”

           You could drop a pin between them – that’s how silent it was. Dean didn’t have a pin, so he just dropped his jaw instead.

           “You,” Dean starts, “You agreed to do that? To date me?”

           “Only for the holidays,” Cas continues, looking away, “You said that it’d be the perfect way to both come out to your family and let them think you’re doing okay.”

           Dean squints, “And what are you getting from this?”

           “Look, it doesn’t matter,” Cas says, “Obviously you’re having second thoughts –“

           “I’m not.”

           Cas does a double take. Now he’s having a hard time keeping his chin from hitting the table.

           “You’re,” Cas gulps, “You’re not?”

           “I mean – maybe?” Dean shrugs, “This plan seems a bit too-much like a cheesy Hallmark movie you usually see playing this time of year but… if it works on TV?”

           “So you think we should still do this?”

           “I mean – you look like you’d be one hell of a catch Cas,” Dean smiles, “And you already said yes. So… might as well see if we can make this work.”

           “You are… very trusting,” Cas laughs, his whole body shaking in mirth.

           “Trusting’s a nice word,” Dean shrugs, “Most people would just call me an idiot.”

           “I don’t know,” Cas says, “if anyone here is the idiot, it’s probably me.”

           “Hey,” Dean chuckles, “no take-backs!”

           “I know,” Cas sighs, looking at his watch, “Listen, I’ll have to return to my shift soon. You have my number… I have yours. Do you know when your family will be coming?”

           “I… I should, shouldn’t I?”

           “Why don’t you text me a time for us to meet,” Cas says standing up, “We can work out more of the details later.”

           “That sounds great, Cas!” Dean joins him, picking up his trash. They exit, standing inches apart in the middle of the sidewalk.

           “Here’s to hoping this goes off well,” Dean says, grinning.

           “As well as it can given the situation,” Cas says, rolling his eyes.

           They stand there, unsure of what to do next. Dean is flexing his hand, debating if a handshake would be the appropriate way to end a meeting with someone who is agreeing to be his – quote unquote boyfriend.

           “Should we –“

           “Are you okay if I –“

           They stop, giggling at having interrupted each other.

           “I’m just going to,” Cas steps forward, into Dean’s space. Dean feels his heart stop, and he can’t stop gazing into Cas’s eyes. Cas doesn’t stop, and quickly pecks Dean on the lips. He hovers near Dean’s face after, looking at Dean strangely.

           “Was that,” Cas starts, licking his lips, “Was that okay?”

           “Yeah,” Dean whispers, voice warbled. He clears his throat, “I mean, we’ll have to work on it but… good start.”

           “Okay,” Cas smiles, stepping back. “I’ll just,” he jerks his thumb behind him, “I have to –“

           “’S’all good,” Dean chuckles, “Get back to work.”

           “Okay,” Cas says, nodding, “Okay. Goodbye, Dean.”

           “See ya, Cas.”

           Dean watches Cas walk away, his tan trench coat fanning out behind him as if they were wings. When he sees it disappear behind the corner, he slumps over and lets out a strangled breath.

           ‘Holy crap,’ Dean thinks, ‘What the hell did I just do?’

           This seems like such a terrible idea – a classic Drunk Dean idea. But… the detective with the heavenly blue eyes and the sexiest voice Dean’s ever heard decided to go along with it. He doesn’t know why he said yes but… that doesn’t matter to him so much. Maybe he actually wantsto spend more time with him?

           It’s not like Dean’s lonely – he’s got friends. But when Cas kissed him it was… it was… it was something. It wasn’t the best kiss – it felt too ‘middle school crush’ and was over all too quickly. But he’s still reeling from it so… Dean doesn’t know what to think.

           All he knows is that he wants to be close to Cas, for as long as he’ll let him. Since, as Cas reminded him, it would only be for the holidays. Because obviously Cas needs something from Dean as much as Dean needs something from him.

           ‘That’s all this is, Winchester,’ Dean thinks sadly, walking back to where he left Baby, ‘Besides, you aren’t lucky enough to land a guy like him anyway…’

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON VOLUME 6 PART 2

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Player and Coaches alike are making moves these days and more announcements are expected. PLAYER AND COACHING MOVEMENT Former Hartford Whaler, Dave Tippett, gave up a luxurious job of creating the new Seattle NHL team to hop behind the bench of the talented, but underachieving Edmonton Oilers as he signed a multi-year deal with the team's new GM Ken Holland, who he himself was just hired from the Detroit Red Wings. Ex Bridgeport Sound Tiger and ex-Hartford Wolf Pack, Chris Bourque makes his third foray to Europe signing with EHC Munich (Germany-DEL) for next season. In 794 games, Bourque leaves the AHL with 746 points, good for tenth place in AHL history.  The son of Hall-of-Famer, Ray Bourque, has several scoring titles, made many All-Star teams, has been the regular season MVP, the playoff MVP, and won several Calder Cups. He is a sure-fire first ballot AHL Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible. Ex-Pack Chris McCarthy re-signs with the Hershey Bears on a one-year AHL deal for next season. Goalie Harri Sateri leaves the Grand Rapids Griffins for Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia-KHL). Grayson Downing, who split the year with the Colorado Eagles and the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) signs with Esbjerg (Denmark-DHL). Tomas Hyka, who's started the AHL Calder Cup Finals, leaves for Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL) next season and Filip Pyrochta leaves the Milwaukee Admirals and heads back to HC Brno (Czech Republic-CEL). Its official defenseman Adam Ollas Mattsson is leaving the Stockton Heat to go to Malmo IF (Sweden-SHL). Brett Walchyka leaves the Rockford IceHogs for Esbjerg (Denmark-DHL). Mike McMurty leaves Stockton for HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia-SLEL) and ex-Sound Tiger, David Ullstrom, leaves the Tucson Roadrunners and signs with Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL). That makes for 32 AHL’ers that have left for Europe and 19 of 31 AHL teams have lost at least one player thus far to Europe. Stephon Williams, an ex-Sound Tiger goalie, signs with SC Bietigheim-Bissen (Germany DEL-2) for next year. Josh Norris has left Michigan (Big-10) after his sophomore year and signed a two-way, three-year ELC deal with the Ottawa Senators. Ryan Black of Northern Michigan (WCHA) signs with HC Briancon (France-FREL). Joining him is Felix Chamberland of Canisius College (AHA) and Chris Moquin of Southern New Hampshire University (CCC). He heads to the Sydney Bears (Australia-AIHKL) that makes 31 collegians that have signed with European teams and 217 overall in total have signed pro deals. There are college hockey coaching changes as well. Merrimack (HE) hires the long-time Division III head coach of Plattsburgh State, (SUNYAC) Bob Emery, as their Director of Hockey Operations. Former AHL’er Karl Goehring was named the new assistant coach with North Dakota (NCHC) University Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) announces it's moving its team’s home games from the Sullivan Arena to the on-campus Wells Fargo Center in a cost-cutting move with a state budget crisis in Alaska. Ex-CT Whale Kelsey Tessier departs Vienna (Austria-EBEL) and heads back to Sweden. He will lace them up for Vasteras IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) in the fall. Ex-Sound Tiger Mike Halmo leaves Ilves Tampere (Finland-FEL) to Iserlohn (Germany-DEL). Ex-Pack David Stich leaves KLH Chomutov (Czech Republic-CEL) signs with HC Litvinov (Czech Republic-CEL) for next year. Ex-Pack, Kyle Beach, departs Tolzer Lowen (Germany DEL-2) for DVTK (Romania-EBEL). Ben Lake (Sacred Heart University) stays in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) going from Coventry (England) to Belfast (Northern Ireland). Defenseman Mike Cichy of New Hartford and born in New Britain, has re-signed with GKS Tychy (Poland-PZIHL). The lowest level of minor league hockey, the Federal Hockey League (FHL), has added two more teams in addition to the Danbury Colonials. The latest team is the Columbus (GA) River Dragons. The city last had a minor pro team, the Columbus Cottonmouth of the SPHL, but that team ceased operations in 2016. The new team hired the old team's head coach/GM as former New Haven Nighthawk, and Whaler draft pick, Jerome Bechard, joins as the VP of Public Relations. No coaching staff has been hired yet. The other team that will be joining the league will be the Delaware Thunder who also have no coaching staff but does have a mini-roster listed with Ray Boudiette (Redding) on the roster. The Canadian National Junior A tournament concluded in Brooks, Alberta. The host Brook Bandits (AJHL) took home the title winning the series and the final game by the same score. They beating the Prince George Spruce Kings 4-3 in the final and won the series 4-3 as well. Six teams competed and some familiar names were involved, the Oakville Blades (OJHL) have Jamie Storr, the former LA King, as head coach and his two player development coaches are former player Jamie Allison and ex-Sound Tiger Rob Hisey. The Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL) has Ethan Manderville on the roster. He's the son of former Whaler, Kent Manderville, and the team’s assistant coach is former CT Whale, Ryan Garlock. Former Nighthawk Mark Ferner has stepped down GM/head coach of the Vernon Vipers (BCHL). The QJAAAHL has renamed and they saw former Danbury Trasher, Dustin Traylen, sell the team which was once known as the St. Lazare Revolution. They moved last year and become the Lac (Lake) St. Louis Revolution and are now under new ownership and will be called the West Island Shamrocks. The league is also relocating a team to St. Georges-de-Beauce which is along the Maine and Canadian border. The Hershey Bears have signed Steve Whitney, the younger brother of former Wolf Pack captain and Sound Tiger, Joe Whitney. They've also added goalie Parker Milner (Avon Old Fames) to one year AHL deals for 2019-20. Michael McCosh, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk and Senator Shawn McCosh, commits to the New Mexico Ice Wolves (NAHL) for next year. Remember former Yale University (ECACHL) assistant coach, Dan Poliziani Sr.? He who served under the late Tim Taylor for 11 years in the late 1980s and in the 1990s. His son, Dan Poliziani Jr., graduated from a Canadian college, Ryerson University (OUAA), and signs a deal with Dunkirk (France-Division-2). The elder Poliziani is a head coach with the Canadian high school team called Stanstead College in Quebec (CAHS/MPHL) which is just over the Vermont-Canada border on I-91. Their arena is called the Pat Burns Arena. Prior to his passing, Burns was present for the groundbreaking to make a new hockey rink at the school and sadly passed away a month later in November 2010. Poliziani Sr. played for Yale for four years (1978-1982) was the captain his senior year and had 131 points in 101 games. THE BALDWINS If you think Howard Baldwin Sr. has learned his lessons and changed his ways read these astonishing accounts of their shenanigans that dates back to their CT Whale days. Simply amazing! Read it HERE With that background in mind, we can now return to the facts of this case. In the district court, the Baldwins did not dispute that the amended 2005 tax return they claim to have mailed in June 2011 was never received by the IRS. The Baldwins, therefore, sought to rely on the common-law mailbox rule to establish that the document was presumptively delivered to the IRS in June 2011, shortly after they mailed it. They offered the testimony of two of their employees, who had been tasked with mailing the document on the Baldwins’ behalf. The employees explained that they deposited the amended 2005 return in the mail at the post office in Hartford, Connecticut, on June 21, 2011. Under the common-law mailbox rule, that testimony, if credited by the court, would give rise to a rebuttable presumption that the amended return was delivered to the IRS well before the October 15, 2011, deadline. The district court credited the testimony of the Baldwins’ employees and found, on the basis of the common-law mailbox rule, that the Baldwins’ claim for a refund had been timely filed. Read the full article

[seolhysns]

um 1-50 do it for me

1. selfie

sdjflak i’ll link to one of my most recent selfies that i haven’t posted here, which you can find here.

2. what would you name your future kids?

i don’t particularly have any plans to have children. i’m open to the idea of adopting, but i’ve honestly not thought much about that.

3. do you miss anyone?

um just my family ?? but other than that, like i always tell her, i always miss steph.

4. what are you looking forward to?

the summer quarter to end so i can have a little break & also for autumn weather.

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?

STEPH !! she’s the cutest person in the world & i love her.

6. is it hard for you to get over someone?

depends on the person, usually. for example, it was easy to get over my best friend from high school because she treated me like shit all throughout last year & once i was over it, i’ve moved on n never looked back.

7. what was your life like last year?

a little more adventurous, i’d say ?? i moved out pretty quickly, made the decision to enroll in school after like a week or two, i got drunk a few times, i was a little more adventurous. but it’s helped me become more comfortable in my skin.

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?

can’t say i have.

9. who did you last see in person?

well, my roommate is just a few feet away from me ?? n my house mate is next door. but other than that, i saw the neighbors earlier.

10. are you good at hiding your feelings?

for the most part, yes. i’m pretty good at managing my feelings, and if i need time apart, i tend to walk away n cry on my own or take a walk.

11. are you listening to music right now?

no, i paused it all. i was listening to aoa ( as i always do ).

12. what is something you want right now?

off the top of my head ?? a hot dog.

13. how do you feel right now?

content. happy that i’m talking to steph tbh.

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?

i can’t tell u the last time anyone’s hugged me. despite how i am to my friends on here, i’m not that affectionate in person.

15. personality description

oh god ... uh i’m creative, passionate, ambitious, loyal & individualistic ?? i can be a little too critical at times, and sometimes come off really rude with the way i handle things. i’m a very private person, who comes off very shy, yet standoffish to strangers, but i’m really outspoken, blunt, n sometimes dramatic. i can tend to be a bit of a Mom bc i basically assumed the mom role growing up to take care of my siblings n i’m very stern, sometimes not very flexible n moody. 

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?

all the time, but i know when to hold my tongue for the most part.

17. opinion on insecurities.

everyone has them, u wouldn’t be human if u didn’t. u can either live with it, or try to better it.

18. do you miss how things were a year ago?

no.

19. have you ever been to New York?

i’ve only been out of state once, and it was to nevada.

20. what is your favourite song at the moment?

it changes all the time. i’ve been listening to remember by 9muses a lot lately. also mirror by fiestar. but 10 seconds by aoa is one of my all time faves lately.

21. age and birthday?

23 & july 7.

22. description of crush.

steph is the cutest person in the world n i love my wife more than anyone n anything.

23. fear(s)

heights, snakes, mice/rats, sharks, the dark, etc.

24. height

5′4

25. role model

eh idk if i’d say i have one.

26. idol(s)

uh this probably isn’t what this means, but seolhyun, yuta, momo, ten & jaehyun are my favorite idols atm.

27. things i hate

lol like racists, transphobes, homophobes, etc idk what else to say.

28. i’ll love you if…

not to be that person, but if u give me food dlskjaf that always puts me in a good mood.

29. favourite film(s)

selena, sleeping beauty, pocahontas, scooby doo on zombie island, lilo & stich, probably others.

30. favourite tv show(s)

buffy right now.

31. 3 random facts

uh i’m a fashion design student, the tips of my hair are brown & i have full lips.

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys?

i can’t even name a male friend off the top of my head.

33. something you want to learn

i want to learn how to dance.

34. most embarrassing moment

the time i almost got ran over by a bed on wheels used as a stage prop is the first thing that comes to mind, but i’m sure there are more.

35. favourite subject

in high school, it was drama. now, it’s patternmaking. i mean, u have to keep in mind, i go to art school n take mostly fashion classes.

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?

get a good job in my field, pay off student loans & be happy ??

37. favourite actor/actress

i can’t really name one off the top of my head ??

38. favourite comedian(s)

lol uhhhh ??

39. favourite sport(s)

dance ??

40. favourite memory

i can’t really think of one in particular tbh. i’m not that sentimental. 

41. relationship status

i’m single, but all that matters is that i’m married to steph.

42. favourite book(s)

the foxhole court comes to mind.

43. favourite song ever

oh god uh ... just for the sake of this question, i’m gonna say 10 seconds.

44. age you get mistaken for

like 20.

45. how you found out about your idol

i found out abt seolhyun bc i saw her in a cf n went wow she’s so pretty n a friend at the time looked at it n went “oh i think that’s seolhyun from aoa” so i immediately looked up aoa n lo n behold.

46. what my last text message says

funny bc my mom texted as i was writing this n she sent a meme with laughing emojis saying it was my sister.

47. turn ons

i’m not really a sexual person. but i’ve always liked suspenders, i like the ripped jeans + fishnet leggings look, i love tennis skirts. i feel like i’m not even listing turn ons. what’s a turn on like idk i’m so bad at this.

48. turn offs

i get turned off by people a lot when they say stupid n ignorant things.

49. where i want to be right now

nowhere in particular ?? it’s late n i’m in bed ... right where i wanna be.

50. favourite picture of your idol

one of my all time favorites at the moment is this.

[bluboothalassophile]

I LOVEEEE YOUR WORK! your writing is fantastic and I love reading it. Can I request raex where Jason is showing off Raven's scratch marks on his back. Thank you so much. ☺️☺️☺️☺️

I’m glad you enjoy the stories! =) And I hope this works for you.

Obvious…

The first time Dick saw thescratches on Jason’s back was when they were sparring, Jason had reluctantlyagreed, and it was hotter than the hinges of hell, both of them were shirtless.And that’s when Dick saw them, Jason had clobbered him hard in the jaw then andsent him reeling before he could ask about them. Though he supposed now that wasthe first obvious clue.

The mysterious scratches hadstarted about three years ago. Dick had wanted to pry into it, mostly becausehe didn’t even know what Jason did with his civilian time, however, there wasnever a chance to ask, and Jason didn’t seem to care about the scratches.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Bruce first saw the scratches amorning Jason had stayed the night and was up and cooking. Something had beenon his second son’s mind; however, Jason was mum on the subject on his mind.Bruce had never thought too much about what Jason did in his civilian time,mostly because he was afraid that by asking he would scare Jason off, and thatwas the last thing Bruce wanted.

But it didn’t stop the wellingcuriosity about what Jason did in his off time. About the person who hadinflicted those marks.

Still Bruce only made a coffee andsat at the table reading the stock reports as Jason quietly continued hiscooking.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Tim’s first encounter with Jason’smysterious scratches was when he was trying stich an impatient Jason up. Hisbrother had been shot in the back, on the way to buy supplies as a civilian ofall things. Yeah, drugged Jason was docile but the moment he sobered up hewould not be happy.

The scratches were light, variousstages of healing and Tim was curious about just what his brother did as acivilian. He didn’t get the courage to ask, for that would be too personal for Jasonand Jason was just coming around to the idea of being their brother again.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Damian had first noticed the scratcheswhen Todd was changing. They weren’t anything special, nothing he hadn’t seen ahundred different times on his father or Dick. However, considering how secretiveTodd was about his civilian time Damian was curious.

“Where’d you get those scratches?”Damian asked, his brother spared him a glance.

“Hm?”

“The scratches,” Damian repeated.

“Met a wild cat,” Todd answered andpulled a shirt on before walking away. Damian wasn’t certain if his brother wasserious or not. One thing was clear though, Todd had something going on in hiscivilian time.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Alfred first saw the scratchesabout four months before Miss Roth walked into the Manor with Damian. Jason wasnot happy about having been cornered for stitches for a knife wound on hisshoulder, however Cass and he had won and Jason had sat there scowling as hetook the stitches.

Alfred had wondered just what his elusivegrandson was up to and if the person who had left the marks was good to him.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Jason was up at the god awful hourof six in the morning after having gone to bed at about four, Raven had leftthirty minutes ago to get to an interview at seven, and she was had classes allday, and the afternoon with the Titans.  Therewas a knock on his door which had him groaning.

Three months since his family hadfound out about him and Raven, and they didn’t leave them alone. Stephanie andCass had taken to coming over whenever the hell they wanted, Raven didn’t seemto mind. Tim came over every other day for lunch and shit. Damian just poppedup at random, which Jason didn’t like at all because it was like the demonspawn was purposely playing cock block when he came over. Dick popped in once aweek on his way home, and Jason wanted to punch him. And since Raven and Brucehad sorted things out between them (yeah, he didn’t get that one, but they wereapparently alright, which demolished his hope of Bruce staying away because hewas dating a demon), Bruce came over once a week also. And Al stopped bywhenever he damn well pleased (not that Jason minded that one so much).

Grumbling and rubbing his eyes hemoved to the door, not bothering with a shirt because he was too fucking tired,and it was April, and about now was when his sleep died. Yanking open his openhe fond himself glaring at Bruce and Dick.

“What?” he asked as he pinched thebridge of his nose and tried to clear his sleep addled head. Right about nowwould be a good moment to have his empath girlfriend; perhaps she could knockhim out.

“We come bearing gifts,” Dickoffered and Jason snatched the paper bag away from Dick as his brother and fatherwalked into his apartment.

“What is it?” Jason yawned as hewalked to his kitchen and put on the coffee, his back to them as he tried toclear his head of the sleep and nightmares which were starting up again. Fuckdid he hate April, he hated it. Thank god for Raven, else he’d have shatteredcompletely last year when the Joker had escaped and been prowling New York forhim, this was after an earlier encounter where Jason had almost snapped, andthe clown had almost killed him; again. Yeah, that was a real sucker punch tothe gut which had him running like a coward because he couldn’t handle it ifthe Joker killed him again. Bruce had of course caught the fucker, but Jason waspretty sure Raven had been a step away from murdering the clown for him.

That or truly making the clowninsane and unleashing all that empathetic pain she had stored up over theyears.

“Just coming to check in on you,”Dick said and Jason turned to glare at Dick, who was staring at his back.

“What!? Good fucking God! Do I havesomething on my back, a tramp stamp I don’t know about, what the fuck are youstaring at!?” he spat out as he poured himself a mug of coffee and turned toglare at Dick.

“No, just… I didn’t think Raven tobe the type to do that,” Dick chuckled.

“I know how to kill you and make itlook like an accident, Dickhead, I advise you to shut up while I’m too tired toretaliate,” he warned.

“We’re happy for you Jase,” Brucesaid calmly, sitting at his island.

“Uh-huh,” he muttered sleepily ashe sipped the Arabic brew Talia had gotten him addicted to when he’d beentraining under her supervision. The Middle East might not be his favorite placein the world, however, they knew how to do their coffee.

“Seriously, we didn’t think you hada sex life, or civilian life,” Dick said and Jason frowned as his head came uptiredly.

“And why would this be of concernto you? Either of you?” Jason asked exhaustedly and took another strong sip ofhis coffee, letting it burn his tongue.

“Because we worry about you Jason,and we want you happy,” Dick gave the gooey answer. “And I didn’t think youknew how sex worked.”

Jason snorted as he rolled hiseyes. “Please, if I told you half of what I know about sex you would run awayand become monks. And my sex life has nothing to do with either of you so buttout.”

~~~*~*~*~~~

Dick and Bruce both left Jason aboutan hour after they had arrived, when it was clear he was falling asleep andwanted to be alone.

“Well, that answers the big questionabout all the scratches he’s had over the years,” Dick mused dryly.

Bruce said nothing.

“Oh, come on, you must have beencurious to. Was it a guy? Was it a woman? Was he dating? Was he just doingrandom hook ups? And don’t deny that you were curious!” Dick accused. So muchabout Jason was a mystery that it was hard not to wonder about what his babybrother was doing. And yeah, it had crossed his mind once or twice that Jason mightbe gay, especially with some of his flippant, downright sassy replies, but atthe same time his brother was a shameless flirt with the girls so…

“I’m just happy he didn’t slam thedoor in our faces, but yes, it’s good to know he’s in a committed relationship,”Bruce said. “And it does explain the scratch marks.”

Dick smirked, oh he was going tohave so much fun being a big brother about this and tormenting Jason about it.Then again, Jason might lash out and disappear again, however, he might notstray far from Raven if what they had seen was anything to go on.

“Guess we should have known abouthim and Rae, those marks are kind of a big flashing neon sign,” Dick chuckled.

“None of us wanted to scare himaway,” Bruce pointed out dryly.

“True.”