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39oa · 1 year

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f1 rpf graphing & archive insights

intro & prior work

hello! if you're reading this, you may already be familiar with my previous post about graphing hockey rpf ships and visualizing some overarching archive insights (feel free to check it out if you aren't, or alternatively just stick around for this intro). i've been meaning to make an f1 version of that post for a while, especially since i've already done a decent amount of f1 rpf analysis in the past (i have a very rough post i wrote a year ago that can be read here, though fair warning that it really does not make any sense; while i've redone a few viz from it for this post i just figured i'd link it solely because there are other things i didn't bother to recalculate!)

f1 is quite different from many team sports because a large part of my process for hockey was discovering which ships exist in the first place—when there are thousands and thousands of players who have encountered one another at different phases of their careers, it's interesting to see how people are connected and it's what was personally interesting to me about making my hockey graphs. however, with f1's relative pursuit of "exclusivity," barriers to feeder success and a slower-to-change, restrictive grid of 20 drivers, it becomes generally expected that everyone has already interacted with one another in some fashion, or at least exists at most 2 degrees of separation from another driver. because of this, i was less interested in "what relationships between a large set of characters exist?" (as per my hockey post) and more so in "what do the relationships between a small set of characters look like?"

process

my methodology for collecting "ship fic" tries to answer the question: what does shippability really look like on ao3? (the following explanation is adapted from my hockey post:) a perceived limitation i have with character tagging numbers on ao3 is that they don’t exactly reflect holistic ship fic; that is, if lando is tagged as a character in a max/daniel fic, it gets attributed to his character tag but doesn’t actually say anything about how many Relationship Fics exist for him on a whole. my best solution for this was essentially uncovering most of a driver's relationships and summing their individual fic counts to create an approximate # of “relationship fics” for each player. so any kind of shippability graph going forward will use that metric.

i used ao3’s relationship tag search and filtered by canonical in the formula 1 rpf fandom and only pulled relationship* fics (“/” instead of “&”) with a min. of 5 works. ao3’s counts are… Not the most accurate, so my filtering may have fudged some things around or missed a few pairings on the cusp, which again is why all the visuals here are not meant to show everything in the most exact manner but function more so as a “general overview” of ficdom. although i did doublecheck the ship counts so the numbers themselves are accurate as of time of collection.

(*i excluded wag ships, reader ships, threesomes to make my life easier—although i know this affects numbers for certain drivers, team principal/trainer/engineer ships, and any otherwise non-driver ship. i left in a few ships with f2, fe, etc. drivers given that that one character was/is an f1 driver, but non-f1 drivers were obviously excluded from any viz about f1 driver details specifically. this filtering affected some big ships like felipe massa/rob smedley, ot3 combinations of twitch quartet and so on, which i recognize may lower the… accuracy? reliability??? of certain graphs, but i guess the real way to think of the "shippability metric" is as pertaining solely to ship fic with other drivers. although doing more analysis with engineers and principals later down the line could be cool)

also note that since i grouped and summed all fics for every single ship a driver has, and since one fic can be tagged as multiple ships, there will be inevitable overlap/inflation that also lessens the accuracy of the overall number. however, because there's no easy way to discern the presence and overlap of multiship fic for every single driver and every single ship they have, and attempting to do so for a stupid tumblr post would make this an even larger waste of time… just take everything here with a grain of salt!

data for archive overview viz was collected haphazardly over the past few days because i may have procrastinated finishing this post haha. but all ship data for section 2 was specifically collected april 22, 2023.

PART I. f1 rpf archive overview

before i get to ship graphing, here are a few overviews of f1 ficdom growth and where it measures relative to other sports fandoms, since i find the recent american marketability of f1 and its online fandom quite interesting.

first off, here's a graph that shows the cumulative growth of the top 8 sports rpf fandoms from 2011 until now (2023 is obviously incomplete since we're only in may). i've annotated it with some other details, but we can see that f1 experienced major growth after 2019, which is when the first episode of dts was released.

something that fascinated me when making this graph was the recent resurgence of men's football rpf in 2023; while the fandom has remained fairly consistent over the years, i had noticed that its yearly output was on the decline in my old post, and i was especially surprised to see it eclipse even f1 for 2023. turns out that a large driver behind these numbers is its c-fandom, and it reminded me that out of all the sports rpf fandoms, hockey rpf is fairly unpopular amongst chinese sports fans! i wanted to delve into this a little more and look at yearly output trends for the top sports fandoms since 2018, only this time filtered to exclusively english works (a poor approximation for "western" fandom, i know, but a majority of sports fandom on tumblr does create content in english).

another thing i've long been curious about with f1 specifically is—because of how accessible dts and f1 driver marketing are to fans online, does f1 rpf and shipping culture skew a bit more "public" than other fandoms? i'd initially graphed the ratio of public fic on ao3 for hockey because i also wanted to see whether it was on the rise (again, apologies for how many callbacks and references there are in this post to hockey rpf... it's just easy for me to contextualize two familiar sports ficdoms together *__*), but i was surprised to see that it's actually been steadily trending downward for many years now. f1 fic, on the other hand, has steadily been becoming more public since 2016.

another note is that c-ficdom follows different fic-posting etiquette on ao3, and thus chinese-heavy sports rpf fandoms (think table tennis and speed skating) will feature a majority public fic—here's another old graph. since f1 fandom has a relatively larger representation of chinese writers than hockey does, its public ratio falls a little bit if you filter to english-only works, but as of 2023 it remains significantly higher than hockey's!

anyway, onto the actual ship graphing.

my ship collection process yielded 164 ships with 57 drivers, 46 of which have been in f1. all 20 current active f1 drivers have at least one ship with min. 5 fics, though not all of them had a ship that connected them to the 2023 grid. specifically, nyck de vries' only ship at time of collection was with stoffel vandoorne at 56 works.

once again because f1 is so strongly connected, i initially struggled a lot with how i wanted to graph all the ships i'd aggregated—visualizing all of them was just a mess of a million different overlapping edges, not the sprawling tree that branched out more smoothly from players like in hockey. this made me wonder whether it even made sense to graph anything at all... and tbh the jury is still out on whether these are interesting, but regardless here's a visualization of how the current grid is connected (color-coded by team)! i graphed a circular layout and then a "grid-like" layout just for variety lol.

of course, i still wanted to explore how ships with ex-f1 drivers have branched out and show where they connect to drivers on the current grid, especially because not too long ago seb was very much the center of the ficdom ecosystem, and the (based purely on the numbers) segue to today's max/charles split didn't really come to fruition until the dts days. so here's a network of f1 ships with a minimum of 75 works on ao3:

before i go into ship breakdowns, i also have a quick overview of the most "shippable" drivers, aka the drivers with the highest sum of fic from all their respective ships. the second bar chart is color-coded by the count of their unique ships to encapsulate who is more prone to being multi-shipped.

PART II. ship insights

first let's take a look at the most popular f1 ships on ao3, again filtered to driver-only ships.

here's another graph filtered to the current grid only, and then one that shows the 15 ships where one driver isn't and has never been an f1 driver:

for this section, i ended up combining my ship data with a big f1 driver dataset that gave me information on each driver's birth year, points, wins, seasons in f1, nationality... etc., so that's what i'll be using in the rest of the post. disclaimer that i did have to tweak a few things and the data doesn't reflect the most recent races, so please note there might be some slight discrepancies in my visualizations.

anyway—in my hockey post i did a lot of set analysis because i was interested in figuring out what made the players who were part of the ship network different from the general population. with f1, since almost Every Driver has at least one ship and it's a much more representative group, doing a lot of set distributions wasn't that interesting and so i stuck more to pure ship analysis. still, the set isn't completely representative, which i noted by checking the ratios of driver nationalities in my dataset and then in the large database of f1 drivers i merged with (though filtered to debut year >= 2000 to maintain i guess the same "dimensions").

while british and german drivers have been the most common nationalities in f1 since 2000, both in general and in my ship data, it seems that ficdom slightly overrepresents/overships them and then underrepresents brazilian drivers. i was also curious to see the distribution of ships by nationality combination (which is actually quite diverse), and though it once again wasn't surprising that uk/germany was the most common combination given that we've just established the commonality of their driver groups, i found it somewhat interesting to realize just how many ships fall under this umbrella.

i then once again wanted to see what the distribution of age differences looked across ships. the ships i graphed yielded a range of 25 years, with the oldest age difference being 25 years between piastri and webber. tbh, something that's interesting to me about f1 ships is not just how connected current drivers are but also how there is a very strong aspect of cyclicality, wherein long careers in combination with well-established celebrity culture and post-retirement pivots to punditry & mentorship position drivers perfectly to still be easily shipped with any variety of upcoming drivers, hence why we encounter a relatively significant variety of age differences.

of the ships with two f1 drivers, 38% were within 2 years of each other, while 44% had an age difference of 5 years or more.

more experimentally (basically i wanted to use these performance metrics for something!), i tried graphing driver metrics against "shippability" to see whether i could uncover any trends, normalizing to percentile to make it more visually comprehensible.

one thing that was interesting to me is that there is a strong correlation between a driver's points per entry and their number of ship fic; really, this isn't surprising at all because it's basically a reflection of whether they've driven for a big 3 team, and we know that the most popular drivers are from big 3 teams, but then i guess it does become a bit of a chicken and egg question... which is something i'm continuously fascinated by when discussing success and talent in sports fandom, especially in a sport like f1 where there is so little parity and thus "points" do not always quantifiably translate to "talent," making it difficult to gauge why and when a driver's skill becomes consciously appealing to an audience. i don't know but here's that scatterplot.

similarly, i also wanted to look at years active vs. fic to gauge which drivers have a High Number Of Ship Fic relative to how long they've actually been in f1, basically a rough rework of the "shippability above expected" metric i'd tried exploring in my old f1 post haha. because the set i merged with attributed 1 "year active" to a driver just like, filling in as reserve for a single race, and it also included drivers who maybe raced one season and then never raced again, but then i still wanted to include current rookies in their first season to show where their Potential lies... i settled on filtering to drivers who were or have been active for at least 5 seasons OR who debuted recently and thus have a bit of rookie leeway. there's a decent amount of correlation here, which is again... in f1, the underlying argument for remaining active for many years is that you have to be good enough to keep your seat, so it's expected that if drivers stay on the grid for a long time they will eventually accrue more fandom interest and thus ship fic. still, we can see some drivers who underperform a little relative to their establishedness—bot and per, interestingly also below the trend line in the points/entry graph–and then those who overperform a decent amount, like nor and lec.

this is somewhat interesting to me because i'd tried to make a similar scatterplot with my hockey set and found that there was... basically nooo correlation at all, but i also had to make do with draft year and not gp which i think might move the needle a little bit. regardless, it's just interesting to think about these things in the context of league/grid exclusivity and then other further nuances like the possibilities of making your niche in, for example, the nhl as a 4th line grinder or f1 as a de facto but reliable #2 driver for years down the stretch, and then how all of that impacts or shapes your fandom stock and shippability.

moving on, here's a look at the current top 20 f1 ships and how much of their fic is tagged as fluff or angst! out of all their fic, kimi/seb have the highest fluff ratio at 38.44%, while lewis/nico hold the throne for angst at 34.74%.

lewis/nico are also the most "holistically" tragic ship when you subtract their fluff and angst percentages (by a large margin as well), while jenson/seb are the fluffiest with a difference of 17.38%. really makes you think.

and finally this is a dumb iteration from my old f1 post but i thought this was kind of funny haha so: basically what if teammate point share h2h but the points are their shippability on ao3.

closing thoughts

that's really all i have! again, i don't know whether any of these graphs make sense or are interesting to anyone, but i had fun trying to adapt some of my hockey methodology to f1 and also revisiting the old f1 graphs i'd made last year and getting to recalculate/design them. i know there's a lot more i could have done in examining drivers' old teams since many ships are based on drivers being ex-teammates and not the current grid matchups, but it would have been too much of a headache to figure out so... this is the best i've got. thanks for reading :)

#*m #stats #f1 #kept forgetting i wanted to finish this but i was clearing out my windows going why on earth do i still have tableau open...#i know this is not even remotely interesting but i did my best!

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chilling-seavey · 3 years

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Seasons Change (d.s.) - FIVE

↳ A/N The taglist didn’t work on chapter four so make sure you read that first if you missed it! It’s in the masterlist :)

↳ Summary: Everyone knows everything about everyone in this small rural town in east Connecticut and the handsome single father who owns the farm down the main street seems to always be the talk of the town. Balancing the care of his acreage, raising his school-age son, and coaching the local boys’ hockey team keeps Daniel busy; but his mind never strays far from the expansive and vibrant flower gardens planted outside his farmhouse.

↳ Word Count: 1983

↳ Warnings: This story touches on topics such as loss of loved ones and grief. Nothing too detailed but read at your own discretion x

Blythe always showed up promptly at 8:30am every morning. Sidney greeted her excitedly with chipper barks and a wagging tail and from the dog’s noise, Daniel would look up from his work to see her gliding up the driveway on her bike. He was usually only in the barn at that point in the morning, still preparing his work for the day and getting everything in order so he would head towards the driveway to greet her.

“Morning.” he said politely.

“Good morning.” Blythe smiled, slightly breathless as she got off her bike and walked it over to the side of the barn where he had permitted her to leave it during the day.

Her brown hair was tied back in a smooth ponytail and she petted down the few flyaways that had surfaced during her ride from Jonah’s house. With a sigh, she made sure her bike was resting gently against the side of the barn and then glanced over at Daniel again. He was staring quietly although he didn’t realize it at first.

Blythe didn’t think much of it, “I was thinking of finishing the weeding and the digging today…if that’s okay with you – there’s still a bit left – and then I can start the edging.”

“Yeah.” Daniel nodded, “That’s fine.”

“Great.” she clapped her hands together once. “I’ll get to it then.”

Daniel pulled a half smile as she turned and headed off towards the shed in the backyard. She wore shorts and a colourful t-shirt over her sneakers and had almost a skip in her step as she helped herself to the tools. Daniel took a step back and then another and then bowed his head and turned to head into the barn again.

He wasn’t sure what it was but the sight of her always made him want to cry.

Daniel took a deep breath and pulled on his gloves at his bench before grabbing his trowel and headed out to the fields. He spun his baseball cap around on his head to shield his neck in the rising morning sun as he got to work, getting to his knees in the ploughed soil to continue digging the holes for planting. Usually, he was good at staying focused and getting his work done but his mind seemed to be wandering. He kept catching himself looking over his shoulder towards the main house, expecting to see the waves of shining golden blonde hair working in the gardens under the bright blue skies. The brunette girl knelt there instead had Daniel turning back to his work.

When the sun rose to high noon, the holes had been dug and Daniel paused for lunch. Blythe was still working away in the back gardens, knelt right down in the soil with her tools and gloves. She always brought her lunch and kept it in the basket of her bike under a thin plaid blanket and she ate on the back porch when she got hungry. Daniel ate in the barn or in the house by himself, often sliding Sidney a slice of turkey from his sandwich or a piece of bacon from his salad. Days were lonely when Lennox was at school.

When Daniel finished his lunch and tidied up the kitchen in preparation for dinner later on, he lingered at the kitchen window overlooking the back garden. He watched Blythe work for a few moments, her cheeks flushed in the heat of the midday sun and sweat dampening her soft bangs as she was wrists deep in soil weeding the overgrown garden.

It was always right around lunchtime when Marigold looked her best; the sun at the perfect angle to make her light hair almost glow and her pale blue eyes to sparkle. She’d be covered in soil and sweat and stained with the colours of the earth but that’s how she loved to be…and she’d look up at Daniel as he brought her a cool glass of water or a fresh glass of lemonade with the sweetest adoration.

The deep green eyes that stared up at him almost startled him. He hadn’t realized he had left the kitchen window and he glanced down at the glass of lemonade in his hand and then back to the gardener kneeling beside the patchy garden.

“Hi.” Blythe spoke up to him, slightly breathless in the heat of the early afternoon.

“Hey.” Daniel breathed.

He hesitated. She waited politely for whatever he had come over to speak with her about.

Daniel finally gave her a polite smile and held out the glass to her, “Brought some fresh lemonade for you.”

“Oh.” Blythe grinned, pulling her gloves off to reach to take it, “Thank you so much.”

Daniel only nodded gently in acknowledgement, watching her take a long sip. The ice tinkled against the glass as she drank half of the water in one go, a bit of condensation dripping down her hand. She set it carefully on the grass and slid her glove back on.

Daniel lingered. He didn’t mean to. He watched her hands in Marigold’s gloves as she weeded the garden, working gently and carefully but with trained skill. His heart was hammering in his chest and his breaths fell shallow from his lips as he stared at her working.

Blythe felt his eyes on her and she glanced back up at him. She gave him a polite smile before asking, “Don’t you have work to get back to?”

Daniel, startled out his slight daze, flushed pink and looked to the grass as he cleared his throat, “Yeah. Sorry.”

“That’s okay.” Blythe assured him gently, barely over a whisper as she watched him hurry off across the backyard and he disappeared around the corner of the house towards the barn.

Daniel swore under his breath once he was alone and he leaned himself back against the wooden post in the barn. He silently scolded himself for being creepy with the new hire…staring at her like he was…and he rubbed gently at the tattoo inked into his left forearm.

The light brown mare snorted against his ear from inside the pen he was leaning against and he startled a little but reached around to pat her head as she sniffed into his hair. Marigold’s horse was always the gentler of the two and it was almost as if she knew when something was wrong. Daniel stood there for a moment, staring into his memory and stroking the horse’s mane soothingly.

When he had enough of his wallowing, he took the two horses from the stables and led them out into the fenced pasture just beyond the barn. He rested one boot up on the wooden fence and watched the two horses run off across the grass, their hooves thundering excitedly over the earth. Marigold always loved the horses and Daniel loved watching her with them on sunny days just like that where her hair would shimmer and her laugh would reach to every corner of the property. Baby Lennox on her hip with his little cowboy boots and hat would follow her lead to gently pet his hand over the horse’s nose and then giggle with pride.

Daniel, with his forearms resting on the top of the fence, bowed his head and tipped his baseball cap down over his eyes as he felt tears brimming. He stayed there for a few minutes, trying to compose himself enough to get back to the fields and face the rest of the days work. He had been managing just fine over the previous year; busying himself with work and hockey and Lennox, but with the new addition of the kind-hearted gardener, Daniel felt nearly suffocated on his own property.

He put off planting for another day and, instead, finished the afternoon mucking out the barn as his mind whirled. Daniel ended up trekking down the long driveway to the road to wait impatiently for his son to come home from school. He felt so lost without him sometimes.

Lennox broke into a grin at the sight of his father (and his dog) waiting beside the mailbox as the school bus pulled up at precisely 3:00. He jumped out onto the side of the road, looked both ways before crossing the street, and then ran himself right into Daniel’s arms. Daniel lifted him right up off the ground and Lennox wrapped his arms and legs around him and hugged him tightly.

“I missed you today, Spud.” Daniel whispered.

Lennox giggled, “I missed you too, Daddy.”

Daniel set him back down on his feet and took his backpack while Lennox crouched to pet Sidney in greeting. With the boy’s backpack slung over Daniel’s one shoulder, he and Lennox habitually reached for each other’s hands before they headed back up the tree-lined driveway together.

“Was school good?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah!” Lennox smiled lightly. “We played floor hockey in gym class and I got seven goals.”

“Seven! Well, we all know you’re a hockey star.”

“And now my class knows it too.” Lennox laughed, kicking at a pebble along the driveway. “And in math we started division and that’s tricky because there’s a lot of steps but I think-”

He faded out as the farmhouse came into view and he saw Blythe working away on edging the overgrown garden with the flat-head shovel. She glanced over as they continued up the front drive and offered a friendly wave.

Lennox looked away.

Daniel gave his hand a squeeze, “Why don’t we eat out for dinner tonight?”

“Just you and me?” Lennox asked.

“Yes…last time I checked I don’t have any other children.” Daniel joked lightly.

Lennox gave him a little smile, “Yes please.”

Daniel leaned down to press a kiss to his head and then ruffled a hand through his hair, “Okay, run inside and get washed up then you can help me brush the horses before we leave.”

Lennox rushed down the foot path to the front porch and stomped up the steps and into the house with Sidney at his heels, not even giving Blythe a second glance. She turned to Daniel as he walked over to her, Lennox’s backpack still slung over his shoulder.

“How was…today?” Daniel asked her.

“It was good. I got a lot done.” she said, sticking the end of the shovel into the soil to lean on the handle and swipe the back of her gloved hand over her forehead. “How about you?”

“It…I…It was slow.” Daniel admitted with a shrug.

“Well, tomorrow’s another day.” Blythe offered optimistically.

Daniel nodded with a small smile, “Yeah.”

They let a momentary silence fall between them as Daniel lingered there again. They both tried to speak at the same time, stopped with nervous laughter, and prompted the other to go ahead.

“Please, you go.” Blythe said.

“I was just going to say you can call it a day early if you want. If you’re at a spot where you want to stop.”

“Sure. Okay, yeah.” Blythe nodded, pulling the shovel back out of the soil. “Thanks.”

“Of course.” Daniel said, watching her return to put the tools in the shed around back.

He stayed in his spot for a moment until the slam of the screen door snapped him back to whatever reality he was trying to avoid. Lennox walked over to the end of the porch where he stood and set his hands on the railing.

“Is she finally leaving?” he asked.

“Yes.” Daniel answered as he walked around the front gardens to step up onto the porch too, “And mind your manners. Mommy and I raised you better than that…giving people attitude for no reason.”

Lennox hid his eyeroll behind his father’s back as Daniel led the way back inside and the seven-year-old shot a glare to Blythe as she rounded the corner on her bicycle and headed down the driveway and out of sight.

Seasons Change Taglist: @stuffofseaveyy @randomlimelightxxx @jonahlovescoffee @hiya-its-amber @hopinglimelight @onlyangelavery @sbrewer21 @bessonsbxtch @viamiasoncrack @the-girl-who-cried-wolf @bessonbae @21burritoseavey

Please click the link in my bio to be added to the taglist!

#🌼#daniel seavey #why dont we #jack avery #jonah marais #corbyn besson #zach herron #why dont we fanfic #daniel seavey fanfic

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thepermanentrainpress · 4 years

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EVERYBODY LOVES FIN: EPISODE 19

Canucks Twitter has never been more passionate, divisive and heavily opinionated; let’s go with an all-encompassing—vibrant. Any fan base is a community of people with thoughts to share, and luckily for others, content to create for a wider audience. I have to admit, I’ve been largely on the outside of Canucks Twitter, merely because I tend to direct my opinions to a TV screen rather than on social media. That being said, lately my sister, Pass it to Bulis contributor and Botchford Project recipient, Natalie Hoy, has been encouraging me to listen to more Canucks-centric podcasts. It’s been a fun time.

2010s: Does Vancouver really need two all-sports radio stations? 2020s: Does Vancouver really need 741 Canucks podcasts?

— Jyrki21 (@Jyrki21)

June 9, 2020

The world of ‘audio blogging’ has only grown over the past few years. Listeners are able to multi-task - exercising, cooking, cleaning, driving or on public transit - while plugged in to a new episode on practically any personal device. It’s a form of entertainment, often interactive, and a perfect creative outlet for amateur (and experienced) broadcasters looking for a new project. There is no shortage of podcasts courtesy of Canucks Twitter, a testament to the commitment and drive of fans, and the accessibility of the art form. With the Qualifying Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs just about underway, there is much to be talked about. Let’s take a look at what’s out there.1

C4 Podcast

Founded: July 2013

Players: Chris Golden (@lyteforce), Anna Forsyth (@aforsyth03),Matt Lee (@mattlee_61)

Premise: The longest-running, active Canucks podcast (birthed from Canucks Hockey Blog) has been on-air for 7 years! Originally co-hosted by Chris and parody song creator Clay Imoo (@CanuckClay), the podcast offers commentary about current Canucks and NHL affairs, prospects, expectations, reminiscing on the team’s past (memories of the retired taco lover Eddie Lack and past playoff runs), and features interviews with guests. This past season, they’ve had Patrick Johnston (The Province), Satiar Shah (Sportsnet 650), Cam Robinson (Elite Prospects, Dobber Prospects) and Dan Murphy (Sportsnet) in the hot seat.

Twitter | Patreon | Discord | Listen

In the "longest-running" #Canucks #PodcastLikeThat, @risingaction joins @aforsyth03 @lyteforce & @mattlee_61 to talk about the summer training camp so far, how the Canucks match against the Wild, Rathbone, Tryamkin and so much more! https://t.co/ACreWPcPWC

— #PodcastLikeThat (@TheC4Podcast)

July 21, 2020

Area 51

Founded: December 2019 (relaunch)

Players: Sean Warren (@SeanyeWest234), Samantha (@samanthacp_), Malcolm Ert (@malcolmert), Bradley Thomas (@bradthomas_96), Eric (@breakawayeric), Bailey Broadbent (@baileybroadcast)

Premise: Area 51 celebrated a relaunch last December since their inception in July 2019, and in May welcomed a team to join host Sean Warren. Aside from their cool, alien conspiracy branding, at the mic they cover a broad range of hockey talk with notable guests (writers and broadcasters in the media, content creators, musicians, WHL players, fellow blog/podcast owners, Canucks Autism Network). I love that they’ve started to cover important topics beyond the gameplay, like anti-racism, inclusivity, and diversity in sports, and have actively sought out the guests to do so.

Twitter | Instagram | Listen

HERE WE GO! @CanuckClay enters A51 in GLCPC to discuss: -Sports debates -Being a hockey media creator -Plan a Vegas trip -Drinking and Parenting tips And complete the famous Guest Shootout! Find out whether Clay is responsible for the Luongo trade!https://t.co/Zg629tWvLG

— Area 51 Hockey Podcast (@Area51Hockey)

July 24, 2020

Cap Space Wins Cups

Founded: February 2020

Players: Hassan Ahmed (@_hassanahmed9), Ahsan Ahmed (@ace103196), Hussain Ahmed (@hussain11ahmed)

Premise: The newly formed podcast has a light, humorous tone - evident by their inaugural episode introduction about their lack of social media followers. They cover quick hits of the Canucks week, roster situations, hockey culture, and of course, cap space. They’ve hosted fellow podcast hosts and media (Satiar Shah, J.D. Burke, Matthew Sekeres, Jeff Paterson), and even a fellow Burnaby kid, Massimo Rizzo. Rizzo was a 2019 Carolina Hurricanes draft pick. It’s clear they have a lot more to share, including takes in on their corresponding blog – see: How the Canucks Can Acquire Dougie Hamilton & Build a Cup Contender. I’ll read anything related to Dougie Hamilton.

Twitter | Instagram | Listen

🚨🚨Another HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT the boys have their own website 🚨🚨https://t.co/JfQXqiXcz2, the site has all the podcast epidoes and links to all their social media. The boys have also started blogging and have 2 big article out already! It’s 100% free sign up on the site to L&C!

— Cap Space Wins Cups Podcast (@capspacecups)

June 21, 2020

The Broadscast

Founded: July 2020

Players: Vanessa Jang (@vanessajang), Georgia Twiss (@georgiatwiss), Samantha (@samanthacp_), Mallory (@sports_lesbian), Danielle Huntley (@danihuntley)

Premise: Your ‘local hockey girl gang’ talks Canucks, sports culture, and soap operas. All 5 hosts have a significant following on Twitter and are bold and uncompromising, which makes for great statements and table chatter. This was written with only their Teaser episode released, but you can expect no shortage of pop culture references, fashion discussion, NHL wives and girlfriends (WAG) and pet content, along with team analysis. It’s trailblazing for a group of females in Vancouver to start their own podcast that’s hockey-focused, meant to be a casual chat amongst friends. They know the team, know their media, can gossip, and are having fun with it.

Twitter | Instagram | Listen

The Broadscast is officially LIVE!! 🎙 Just 5 girls and some light-hearted hockey talk with a soap opera twist. Catch our teaser episode NOW on your podcast medium of choice!https://t.co/91KE8LnOJE pic.twitter.com/XH0fIfhmHy

— The Broadscast (@BroadscastPod)

July 27, 2020

PUCKS ON NET

Founded: September 2013

Players: Ryan Schaap (@schaaptop), Geeta Reddy (@geetanjalireddy), Paul McLellan (@McLellanPaul), Dave McPhail (@PucksOnDave)

Premise: The group of 4 has created a casual, honest atmosphere with their roundtable conversation. They’re good friends, which equates to great camaraderie. They run a ‘contradictory’ fantasy hockey league and don’t talk ‘fancy stats’ (while still being very knowledgeable). I think they’re engaged with their listeners, and relatable as human beings amongst their talk of Tim Hortons NHL trading cards, player safety, current signings and acquisitions, and Green Day at the All-Star Game. Reaching 7 years of consistent hockey talk and recapping the team’s evolution is a feat in its own.

Twitter | Patreon | Instagram | Listen

And on Sunday, Ryan sat down with his old man for Father's Day to talk about growing up playing minor hockey in Calgary, bonding over the Vancouver #Canucks and even his words of wisdom when it comes to talking to your kids about drugs.https://t.co/BaQFM53Yws

— PUCKS ON NET (@Pucksonnetca)

June 24, 2020

The Canucks Conversation

Founded: November 2018

Players: Chris Faber (@ChrisFaber39), David Quadrelli (@Quadrelli)

Premise: Faber was joined by Quads in 2020, and the pair has perhaps the most praised local podcast so far. They’re both BCIT Radio Arts and Entertainment students (and writers for CanucksArmy), and their dedication, preparedness, branding and reporting level are top notch. They break down topics with great chemistry and perception - roster moves, Nikita Tryamkin, Olli Juolevi, and the Judd Brackett situation. Some of their notable guests include Utica Comets Kole Lind and Brogan Rafferty, and ‘bionic’ Finn Sami Salo.

Twitter | Patreon | Instagram | Listen

🎉SURPRISE! 🎉 Episode 91: “Jake Jets out of the lineup” ft.@CraigJButton We dropped our episode early! Craig Button stops by to chat about the NHL and #Canucks prospects. We breakdown the exhibition game against the Jets & some exciting news at the end!https://t.co/NMWBVOU7ko

— Canucks Conversation Podcast (@CanucksConvo)

July 30, 2020

Canucks & Pucks

Founded: April 2019

Players: Matthew Zator (@MatthewZatorSC)

Premise: Matthew Zator, writer for The Hockey Writers and Hockey Ops Director at Overtime Heroics, made a return to the airwaves this past July (after a lengthy regular season hiatus). Since getting back up and running, it’s full steam ahead – Zator has been joined by contributors from The Hockey Writers, The Canuck Way, college hockey newsletter Fresh Ice, and fellow podcast hosts. He has good insight and as a writer who goes into depth about NHL draft picks, the Vancouver Giants, and both the Nucks’ positives and negatives in his work, it gets noticeably transferred to the on-air conversation.

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🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨 Episode 7 ft @CanuckClay, @JDsays2much, and @BaileyAJohnson_! - #Canucks & #mnwild with Jack & Clay - Will Lockwood and Quinn Hughes with Bailey - The Mailbag segment debuts and of course news from the #NHL and @TheHockeyWriter! #THW https://t.co/lW9FQms35P

— Canucks & Pucks Podcast 🏒🎙️ (@CanucksPucks)

July 28, 2020

Canucks Speakeasy

Founded: August 2019

Players: Pete Edwards (@pete_gas), Doug (@dougvenn)

Premise: Pete and Doug are 2 “mildly educated Canucks die-hards” who chat about current team news and trending topics. They’ve covered trade talk, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prospects at the World Juniors, scouting, and the BLM movement. They’re occasionally joined by guests including podcast friends, and fellow fans/Tweeters Chris Conte, Jenna Fabulous and Ray Hatt.

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We're back with Episode 37: Powderkeg. Playoffs, play-ins, Judd and BLM are all discussed. Give'r a listen!https://t.co/dwoEQVNudThttps://t.co/7ZSogAjWsuhttps://t.co/r5HqX26czU pic.twitter.com/QKScnR9Q6G

— Canucks Speakeasy (@CanucksSpeak)

June 4, 2020

The LarschCast

Founded: June 2019

Players: Tej Dhaliwal (@DrTejDhaliwal), Sat Oberoi (@SatOberoi), Nav Dosanjh (@NavDosanjh1983), Ryan Cassels (@cassels_music)

Premise: The Larschcasters are known for their entertaining banter and debates, mostly on hockey and a little NFL. They’ve picked the minds of seasoned media (Scott Oake, James Duthie, Joey Kenward), legendary broadcaster Jim Robson, and former Canucks Kirk McLean, Chris Higgins and Shane O’Brien. They’ve been generating healthy content during the pandemic, including a spirited debate with Minnesota Wild podcast hosts, discussing media personnel moves, prospects, NHL Award contenders, and the toxicity in the Vancouver Canucks market. In June, they released a special with hockey coach/trainer Jennifer Chefero, sharing her story facing sexual abuse and harassment in her career, while candidly discussing women’s rights and sports culture.

Twitter | Facebook | Listen

Episode 61 ft. @hustlerama!#NHLJets centric epi, with an outlook of the Jets vs #flames. Not a lot of love for Calgary in this one😬. Also insights into the #nhlbubble, before ending with #Canucks talk & Rapid Larsch! 🍎:https://t.co/vZ2lyQ9zoO Spotify: https://t.co/XdV1y3ls7V

— The LarschCast (@larschcast)

July 29, 2020

The PP1 Podcast

Founded: October 2019

Players: Brayden Ursel (@bkursel23), Ted (@tee3ree), Ryan Hank (@always90four)

Premise: A tagline like “three guys from Kelowna bringing the heat and spitting the takes” doesn’t need further explanation. Appearing at the beginning of this season, the podcast (which features writers from The Canuck Way and CanucksArmy) has had some nice guests like the Canucks inaugural captain Orland Kurtenbach, retired centre and current Kelowna Rockets Assistant Coach Vern Fiddler, and Paul “Biznasty” Bissonnette. They’ve been nominated for Kelowna Now’s Best Local Podcast, and have a ‘Dudes and Guys’ segment where they pit 2 players against one another and talk it out (criteria is debatable).

Twitter | Listen

Episode 46: Bouncy Castles, Boeser Bombshells, & Backchecking w/ @mattsekeres. We chat Boeser rumours, cap crunch, Rathbone, Tryamkin, Markstrom, Sundin vs. Vanek, the best cold-open since Nikolay Goldobin, and how you can win a #Canucks jersey. https://t.co/KouGJr6GKH

— The PP1 PODCAST (@ThePP1Podcast)

July 15, 2020

The SCT Show

Founded: September 2018

Players: Nam Mann (@CanuckAgent007), Tanbir Rana (@TRana87)

Premise: SCT is Strictly Canucks Talk. Aside from reminiscing about ‘where were you when’ pivotal moments in franchise history occurred and the regular shop talk of performance and #NamStats, they draw in guests to talk about trade value (The Athletic’s Harman Dayal) and stickhandling (specialist/trainer Pavel Barber). They’ve also hosted local defenceman and last year’s 4th overall draft pick Bowen Byram, and hockey analyst/retired winger Anson Carter for a chat about the pressure of the market in Vancouver and the Sedins. Like any good heated debate, there are also trade and Team Tank vs Playoffs scenarios.

Twitter | Listen

.@CanuckAgent007 has a proposal to get Loui Eriksson off the #Canucks books 🤔 EP 14 - Links below ⬇️ 🍎 https://t.co/Z9snNdSuI1 📱 https://t.co/AJILh0IaWJ pic.twitter.com/LZblDE8GLW

— The SCT Show (@SCTShow)

July 17, 2020

Johnny Canuck Talk

Founded: August 2019

Players: Adrian J. Haug (@adrianjhaug), Roy Styles (@roy_styles)

Premise: Takes from 2 arm chair GM’s, the pair discuss a wide variety of topics like losing streaks, hockey safety, report cards, line-ups, and trade deadline. They’ve also shared an insightful chat with Harman Dayal (The Athletic) about his career and the late and great Jason Botchford. It’s laid-back and conversational, with mentions of farmers’ tans, celebrating birthdays during quarantine, and the school system strung across introductions. What’s cool is they record the podcast from near and far away places – Kamloops, BC and Germany (!).

Twitter | Listen

(1) Episode 37 is uploading now! @roy_styles and I talk #Canucks #hockey and @Canucks topics, issues, news, etc. We also talk about the incredible impact our Jim Carey impressions have had on our wives. Yikes. Featuring tweets from: @Canuckgirl20 @TSN1040 @DanRiccio650 pic.twitter.com/6oA7mZh6jb

— Johnny Canuck Talk (@JohnnyCanuckPod)

June 28, 2020

1 This list is not exhaustive, but there is something for everyone and I hope you find your Canucks fix. There can be an argument made that the podcast market is oversaturated, but I like to see it as an opportunity for any fan or audio bird to let their voice be heard! So, don’t be negative about it.

Posted by: Chloe Hoy

#Everybody Loves Fin #Canucks #Vancouver Canucks #Chloe #Canucks Twitter #blog #hockey blog #NHL #nucks #nhl canucks #Podcast #Apple Podcasts #sports #hockey #Podcaster #Spotify Podcast

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psychospeak-blog · 6 years

Text

Won’t Go Slowly // 5

One // Two // Three // Four

A/N: Big thanks to @price-devant-la-cage, @bugheadblueandgold, & @hockeyandstuff91 for beta reading this for me :)

Warnings: Some needle/shot discussion in this one, if you’re bothered by that.

You hated to admit it, but Tyler was right about the date with the history professor. Jeff, it turned out his name was.

It wasn't bad, by any means, but it certainly wasn't good either. He was just so...dry. And he was very nice and tried to keep the conversation going, but there just wasn't any chemistry.

You hated to admit it, but Tyler was right about the date with the history professor. Jeff, it turned out his name was.

It wasn't bad, by any means, but it certainly wasn't good either. He was just so...dry. And he was very nice and tried to keep the conversation going, but there just wasn't any chemistry.

To make things worse, he'd taken you to a fancier restaurant than you were used to. It was lovely, really, but it just wasn't your vibe.

So, now you were were going over to Tyler's for date #2, which still seemed a little ridiculous. As if first dates weren't already intimidating enough, now you were going to have to explain to this guy why he was picking you up at your best friend's house.

You stepped out of your car, grabbing your bag, and making your way into the front door, finding it unlocked,.As per usual.

All three dogs greeted you pretty much as soon as you stepped in the door, tails wagging with excitement.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" You heard Tyler ask as he rounded the corner. Once he sawy you his question was answered and he immediately gave you a once over, letting out a low whistle in appreciation. "You trying to get laid tonight?"

Without even responding, you turned on your heel, heading back towards the front door, but Tyler caught your wrist, "Where are you going?"

"Home," you said, "To get changed."

"Why?" he asked, frowning, "You look great."

"You just said I looked like I was trying to get laid!" Which was not the look you were going for. You'd put a lot of work into the outfit, actually, selecting a deep blue maxi dress with thin white stripes that hung over your body like a column, except from where it was cinched at the waist. The straps were thin around your shoulders, but it had a high neck, so it wasn't like you were showing off cleavage. You'd kept your make-up and hair simple, pulling half of it back and letting the other half fall on your shoulders. You had thought it was the perfect first date option.

Apparently not.

"I meant you looked cute-hot or classy-hot not...slutty hot?" He said, like he wasn't quite sure what to call it, "Don't change."

"You're sure?" You asked tentatively, nerves creeping into your voice.

"Positive," he nodded, "And no pressure, right? You're only just meeting your future husband tonight."

"God," you rolled your eyes, sitting down on the couch, and Gerry immediately started jumping on you.

"See," Tyler said, sliding onto the couch next to you, "he thinks you look pretty."

You laughed, petting the dog behind the ears, "So are you going to tell me anything about this guy, or am I going in completely blind?"

" Well," Tyler started, setting his hands on his knees and leaning forward, "his name is Mark. He's a software developer. And he doesn't have a wife or kids." He was looking at you like you were supposed to be impressed with this fact. In fact, Tyler looked more excited than you felt, which was really weird.

"That's all you know about him?" You gawked.

"Of course not," he assured you, "he ran a marathon last year, and you run. He likes food, and you love baking. You could make him cookies. He also likes watching movies. You like watching movies."

You raised your eyebrows, and you wanted to run your hand over your face, but you'd probably smudge your make-up, so you held back. "You do realize that literally everyone likes food, right? And I'm pretty sure 90% of the guys on that thing have 'watching movies' listed as a hobby."

"Well, I can't find out everything for you," Tyler said, "he did seem to have a great personality though. He's pretty funny, and he seems pretty easy going too, plus he’s good looking.”

You laughed at the last comment, running your hands over your thighs and trying to calm your nerves. It really wasn't like you, honestly, to go on one yet alone two blind dates. But you'd realized that you'd have to start putting yourself out there, no matter how strange it might seem. But that didn't mean first dates got any less nerve wracking.

You'd set up Danielle calling you with a fake emergency, as you always did, but you were now starting to regret agreeing to Tyler's plan to have your date pick you up from here, because that meant you didn't have your car. Not to mention, you'd now have to try to explain to this guy why he was picking you up from another guy's house.

And you didn't want to tell him what you were doing, obviously, lest he feel like a pawn in your dating game. Really, you were just trying to get out of your comfort zone.

" What are we going to tell him?" You asked in alarm.

"Huh?" Tyler asked, looking over at you and clearly confused.

" What are we going to tell that guy...Mark, about why you're here?"

"Oh, I'm your roommate," he shrugged, "You live here."

"I'm your roommate?"

"Mhmm," he said, "That way he knows you have someone waiting up for you."

"Tyler, you don't have to..."

"Too bad, I am," he said with finality, then smiled playfully, poking you in the side, "Besides, you need to tell me all about it afterwards."

He looked at his watch and then sighed, running a hand over his face, "He's late," Tyler mumbled, setting his feet up on the ottoman, "You should have all your dates pick you up from my place."

"What? Why?" you asked with a laugh.

"So I can assess them, " he said, settling back onto the couch, "intimidate them a little bit."

"Intimidate them?" you asked, "Tyler, I'm not one of your sisters."

"Duh," he said, sticking his tongue out at you and then waving his hand, "But the same standards still apply. Mostly. And I generally don't tell my sister she looks hot."

"Standards?" you asked, "God, don't you remember what happened the last time you told Candace she couldn't date that guy? And you think that's going to work on me?"

"Nope," he replied, "But you can't blame a guy for trying."

Finally, you saw a car pull into the driveway and started to hurriedly lint roll dog hair off your dress, smoothing the fabric down when you were done, just before there was a knock at the door.

"So, yeah, just text me if you decide to go back to his place," Tyler said, raising his eyebrows suggestively as there was a second knock at the door.

"Tyler!" you said, swatting him on the arm and rushing to the front door, pulling it open, to reveal a man standing there who was just poised to knock again. "Hi, sorry, my roommate was stopping me from getting to the door."

You looked at him as you spoke and he was, as Tyler had said, good looking, actually. He was slim, hair swept all off to the side, and he had a nice smile. "That's okay," Mark said, "Sorry I'm late,. I got kind of turned around."

"That's alright," you said brightly, turning your head to glare briefly at Tyler, who was standing there watching your interaction with his arms crossed, realizing that he probably hadn't even given the poor guy directions.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Mark said, and you let out a little 'oh' when he stepped forward, giving you a hug.

When you pulled back, you saw Tyler step towards you, arms still crossed, extending his hand when he got close, "Hey, I'm Tyler."

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I know," Mike said, and you could see his eyes widen slightly, even though he tried to hide it.

Oh god.

And then, of course, they were talking about hockey. And then, somehow, the conversation turned to some golf course you'd never even heard of, and then they were having an in-depth discussion about what club to use off the tee on the seventh hole, and you were just standing there, bored out of your mind.

Finally, you caught Tyler's eye, and his gaze flipped back to you quickly, as if he just remembered you were there. "Oh, uh, you two should probably get going."

Mike somehow seemed surprised to see you still standing there, "Oh, right."

"Don't keep her out too late!" Tyler yelled as you made your way out the door, and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes.

"I mean, I saw the picture you had with Tyler Seguin on your profile, but I didn't think you actually knew him," Mark said after you'd pulled off Tyler's street.

"Yep," you said simply, looking out the window and wondering briefly if he was going to refer to Tyler as 'Tyler Seguin' from here on out. You bit your lip, holding back the tidbit that it had actually been Tyler he'd been talking to the whole time, not you, for worry the guy might lose his mind.

" You look nice," he said, glancing down at your dress even thought you were sitting down and the seatbelt was cutting into the fabric. You frowned, pulling out a piece of blonde dog hair that was woven through an area on your dress that was dark blue.

"Thanks," you smiled softly, looking over at him as he drove, "You do, too."

Thankfully the restaurant you were headed to was actually quite close, which made your nerves calm a bit, knowing that you could walk back to Tyler's quite easily.

Mark pulled out your chair for you, a gesture which was very much not necessary but you appreciated his thoughtfulness. "So," he said, once he had sat down and the waitress had taken your drink orders, "What do you do for a living?"

" I'm an academic advisor," you said, stopping yourself before you said 'at The University of Toronto' because you realized he probably didn't need to know where you worked, not yet, at least. You were so used to dating guys that you met naturally or through friends, bit on a dating site, so you had to remind yourself of this fact.

" Oh?" He said, leaning forward as if he was interested. "What subject?"

"Humanities and social sciences," you said, thanking the waitress as she delivered your drink, and you took a sip.

"I hated university," Mark said, and you pursed your lips, waiting for him to realize what he had said but he didn't.

" Well, I like working there," you said, and then you asked him about what type oif software development he did. It turned out he worked for a construction company and he talked, at length, about how he created a program for inventory management, billing, and payroll. It sounded boring, quite honestly, but you followed along because you always found it interesting to learn what people did at their jobs.

"How long have you been living with Tyler Seguin?" Mark asked.

Oh my God, he was actually doing the thing you were worried about.

" Oh...uhhh.. a year? Two?" You were such a horrible liar and hoped he pick up on it, "We don't really live together, not really, since he's not really there often? But, I mean, we've been friends for a long time so, I just kind of watch his house?"

"Makes sense," Mark said, nodding, and then the conversation fell silent and you were trying to wrack your brain for conversation topics. "So, who's your team?"

"My team?" You repeated, because you were instantly thinking that he was asking you whether you were gay or not, but your rational brain was telling you that shouldn't be the case.

"Your hockey team," he said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh, I don't really watch hockey. I mean, I'll watch if it's on, but..." you were absentmindedly using your straw to stir your drink.

Mark's eyes widened from across the table, "But you're...?"

"Friends with Tyler?" you asked, "Yeah, but I've been known him since high school. I'm not friends with him just because he plays hockey."

Mark seemed to find this concept difficult to comprehend for some reason but, luckily, you remembered that Tyler had told you he'd run a marathon, so you brought that up. Not that running was much of a conversation topic, other than the fact that you both did it. Although, you certainly were never running a marathon, so you really didn't care too much about hearing about the hell of that.

The rest of the dinner went much like the first portion, although you were kind of beginning to realize that dinner wasn't the best option for a first date.

When he finally dropped you back off at Tyler's house, you were actually quite relieved that the date was over. Mark walked you to the door which was all very nice and lovely, but you were already pretty certain you weren't going to see him again. You opened the door as you were waving goodbye, and stepped inside, basically walking straight into Tyler's chest.

"Jesus christ," you mumbled under your breath.

Tyler laughed a little, stepping back so you could come inside, looking down at you as you bent to slip your sandals off, wiggling your toes that were now free of their confines. "You didn't even kiss him goodnight," he said, his bottom lip sticking out like he was pouting.

"Yeah, I usually don't kiss on the first date," you said. Unless it was super good, of course.

"Classy," Tyler responded, his eyebrows raised.

And then you thought about how he would even have known that you didn't kiss Mark. "Were you watching through the window?"

"Mhmm," he confirmed, "I was going to turn the porch lights on if he tried to feel you up," he added with a laugh.

You rolled your eyes, making your way further into the house so you could flop on the couch, "Trust me, the only person he wanted to feel up was you."

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked with a laugh, following you into the living room.

"He was, like, obsessed with you," you said, running a hand over your face, slouched on the couch, "All he wanted to do was talk about you."

"So you spent the entire time talking about me?" he asked, and you didn't even have to look up to know he had a bemused grin on his face.

"No, I spent the entire time trying to direct him to topics other than what you were like in high school, or what you like to do in your spare time," you said.

Much to your chagrin, Tyler started giggling. Like, seriously giggling, and you lifted your hand from where it had been on your face, opening one eye.

"I'm glad you think this is so amusing," you said dryly, petting Marshall who had jumped up on the couch beside you, "I should have just sent you with him and stayed here with these guys."

"He seemed great though, when he was here."

"That's because he was more interested in having a bromance with you than a romance with me," you said, which only got Tyler laughing again, and you just gave him an annoyed look.

He wrapped his arm around you, pulling your head to his chest, as he usually did. "I'm sorry, babe," he said, even though you could still feel him laughing, which really wasn't making his words seem genuine. When he pulled back, he looked at you, "In my defense, it was my first time using Bumble as you, and I may have swiped right on a couple of guys that weren't right for you, but I'll improve, if you want me to?"

"Yeah, yeah okay," you said, reminding yourself of these new changes you were trying to make in your dating life, "Just no more dating talk tonight," you said.

You turned your head, looking towards the direction of his kitchen, "Can I make muffins, here?"

"Umm...yeah," Tyler said, like it was obvious and you shouldn't have even asked, "Only if I can have some though."

"Of course," you said, making your way into the kitchen, Tyler trailing after you. When you stood up from grabbing a mixing bowl, he was looking down at you, leaning against the opposite counter.

"Last time you made muffins, you gave some to my dad and not me," he said, exaggerating a pout, "and it really bummed me out."

"What?" you asked, and then remembered, "Oh, that's because you brought them to me. You could have taken some."

"I was going to," he confessed, "But you just had surgery and I was trying to be nice." He was looking at you like he was expecting to be praised for the fact that he didn't take any of the muffins you made. Yet, when he actually did something considerate, like bringing over the dogs for you or stocking your fridge, he acted like it was no big deal.

He leaned against the counter, alternating between watching you and doing something on his phone as you mixed the batter, and you were humming along to the soft music in the background.

"Hey, Y/N?"

"Hmm...?" you asked, looking up from where you were placing the muffin liners in the tin.

"Just for the record, was the guy I picked out better, or did you like boring history professor more?" He was looking at you hopefully.

You were tempted to lie, really, but you couldn't, "Umm...yours? If I had to choose," you answered, ignoring his fist pump of victory.

You sighed, holding your wrist in one hand, trying to steady the shaking, eyes transfixed on the meaty part of your thigh. You took another deep breath, wrapping your hand harder around the injectable pen and tried to go again, only to stop just when the needle was about to hit your skin.

You bent forward trying to take a few deep breaths because now you were starting to feel lightheaded thanks to the fact that you had been holding your breath without realizing it.

You shook your head, because this was getting ridiculous. You'd managed to give yourself six of these shots already but, by now, your leg was sore, and all of sudden you just couldn't handle it anymore.

It didn't help that you hated needles anyway. Honestly, you were pretty impressed you even managed to do what you had, considering you felt like you were going to pass out when you'd had your blood taken at the fertility clinic.

You tried once more, but didn't even get halfway to your leg before you chickened out. Sighing, you picked up your phone, dialing Danielle's number.

"Hey," she picked up almost immediately, and you launched into your ask.

"I totally would," she explained, "But I'm still at the office. But you could come by, if you want?"

You rest your head in your hands, knowing that her office was 45 minutes from your place. "No, that's okay, I'll figure it out."

"You sure?" she asked, even though you could hear voices in the background, and knew that she was probably staying late to work on a case, as sometimes happened in her job as a paralegal.

"Yep," you said, "We still on for brunch tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," she said, and you let her go fairly quickly knowing she need to get back to work.

You sat there, looking back and forth between the medication and your exposed leg, realizing full well that you wouldn't be able to do it. Unfortunately, both your mom and sister lived 30 minutes away, which seemed ridiculous for something that would take all of 2 minutes.

You picked up your phone, knowing that Tyler was home, because he'd invited you over earlier, but you weren't really sure if you'd have the energy for it. He did say that he would help you with this, though, although this was way different than giving you a ride to the doctor's office. Taking a breath, you picked up your phone, sending a text.

You: Can you help me with something? Please?

Tyler: Yeah. You wanna come here?

Tyler: Or you need me to come there?

I'll come to you, you typed, knowing that the five minutes it took to drive to his house would be better for your mind than sitting there waiting for him.

Tyler: Kkk.

You took another breath, grabbing your bag and driving over there, trying to relax, which wasn't working very well.

There were quite a lot of voices, in the house once you arrived, but you found Tyler pretty much immediately. He smiled at you briefly, waiting for the conversation to come to a natural lull and ducked out, turning off to to the side to face you, "What's up?"

"Uh..." you said, looking at the various faces around you, "Can we go somewhere else?"

Tyler's eyes studied you for a moment before he said, "Yeah, sure," grabbing you by the elbow, and leading you to his bedroom. Once there, he looked at you expectantly, but you were eyeing the open door, so he raised his eyebrows a little, stepping forward to shut it.

"This is a little weird," you stated.

"Okay?" He asked, his head slightly tilted to the side.

"Could you...would you...give me a shot?"

Even though your eyes were focused on his chest, you could see his chin jut foward. "Give you a shot?"

"Yeah, for the egg retrieval," you said, "to get my eggs frozen."

His eyes flicked to yours then, and a soft smile came across his face. "Yeah? You're doing that?"

"I told you I was."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you had actually started the process," he said, even though you were 100% sure that you had, because you very distinctly remembered telling him that you had an appointment at the clinic, "Where do I have to give you this shot? Is it in your ass? It's in your ass, isn't it?"

"No," you laughed, "in my thigh."

He gave you an impish smile and then made a motion like he was about to roll up his sleeves, only he realized he was wearing a short sleeved T-shirt so he didn't have any sleeves to roll up. "Okay, what do I do?"

"There's a video," you said, grabbing your phone and pulling it up, passing it over to him, "Can you watch it...over there?" you asked, gesturing towards the opposite side of the room.

He gave you an interesting look, "I really don't like needles," you said, shivering, "I don't want to hear it again."

"'K," he said simply, basically blocking himself into a corner to watch the video, while you sat down on the side of his bed, pulling out what you needed from your bags and double checking the right dose was set up, rearranging your dress over your legs so the right area was exposed, tucking the rest of the fabric between your legs. You took an alcohol wipe out, sanitizing the area.

"Fuck, that looks sore, babe," Tyler said suddenly, appearing next to you and running his fingers gently over your skin.

"I just cleaned that," you said, with a huff, digging out another alcohol pad.

"Sorry," he replied, "You've been giving them to yourself?"

"Yeah. I just, I don't know, I'm kind of freaking out a bit tonight. And Danielle's still at work and my mom and my sister are..."

"I got it," he said, like it was no problem, like he was less bothered by it than giving you a ride to the airport at 5AM. Like he didn't know why you didn't just ask him in the first place. "I'm just gonna wash my hands, 'k?"

"Yeah," you said, as he went into the ensuite bathroom, noticing his excessive use of "'k". "Tyler, have you been drinking?"

"I've had, like, two sips of beer. I'm good," he said, and you could see him drying his hands off on a towel, making his way back to you. You held out the injection pen and he took it, looking it over.

"I already did everything," you said, "I just need you to...stick it." You shut your eyes, grimacing at the thought, making the motion with your hand.

You instinctively turned your head away, but you could see him dancing around you as if trying to figure out the best way to approach this, bending his knees and then standing up again, moving from one side to another. "I think this is...you're down too low," he said, "C'mon, come in here."

You followed him into the ensuite bathroom, and he pointed at the counter, "Sit up there."

You used your hands to boost you up, and he stepped to you as soon as your butt hit the counter, his hand going to the hem of your dress. "You have underwear on, right?" he smirked even as he flicked the bottom of your dress up.

"Tyler!" you scolded, even though you'd considered this before you'd come over, checking to make sure you where wearing a pair of plain navy blue panties that kept everything covered.

"Chill," he said, " his other hand going to rest on the counter, "I'm trying to make you laugh. You're nervous."

Like you weren't aware that you were nervous.

"You ready?" he asked, and you nodded, squeezing your eyes shut, "Okay. 3, 2..."

"No!" you screamed, gripping his wrist hard and pulling it away before you could even realize what you were doing, but he was already backing up, raising his hands up like he was innocent, even though you could very clearly see the needle in his hand. "Sorry," you mumbled, running your hands over your face.

"That's okay," he said.

"Can you not count down?" you asked, "Just...stick it in me." You squeezed your eyes shut when you heard what you just said, bracing yourself for a 'that's what she said' joke, but nothing came. When you opened your eyes again, Tyler looked surprisingly serious, using free hand to flip his hat backwards, stepping even closer to you this time, between your legs. You turned your head away from the side of the needle, your cheek practically pressed against his chest and, if you opened your eyes, all you would expect to see would be the black fabric of his shirt. Your hand went up, braced on his back, because you needed something to hold onto.

"Okay?" he asked, and you felt like you could hear it through his body rather than coming from his mouth.

"Mhmm..." you agreed, still prepping yourself. You knew his hand was close to your leg and you expected to feel the needle at any second, but nothing came. And, all that you could hear was him breathing, which was kind of heavy, now that you paid attention to it.

"Are you okay?" you asked.

"Yeah," he said, laughing slightly, "I just don't really like needles."

You swallowed hard, and you were still practically tangled up with him and didn't think you could move even if you wanted to, and you could hear water dripping from the tap, that's how quiet it was. "Well, I can..."

"I got it," he said steadily, "Just breathe."

You weren't sure whether he was talking to you or himself, but soon enough you found you were both breathing deeply in unison. You paid attention to that dripping of the tap, trying to figure out if it was slowing down, while simultaneous trying to figure out if the clean smell surrounding you was from his laundry detergent or his soap.

You jumped slightly when you felt the needle pierce your skin, but then tears sprung to your eyes because it stung like a bitch, and you cried out your face scrunching up.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Tyler said, his free arm hooking under yours, steadying you. "I'm almost done, okay? I'm so sorry."

You were gripping the back of his shirt in your hand, trying to stay still. Once he was done, he pulled it out of you quickly, and practically tossed the thing across the room, pulling away from you except for that arm at your side, grabbing for the gauze, and you saw a line of blood starting to run down your leg before he pressed the gauze to it, covering it with his palm.

"Shit," he said, pulling it away to look at it, and then replacing it. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," you said, hands gripping the counter and trying to regain your breath, "Some of them are worse than others, I don't know why. I guess if it hits a bad spot?"

He was leaning towards you on the counter, still holding the gauze at your leg, looking at you curiously, and you noticed that his eyes looked strangely glassy and wet. "You're crying," he said softly, taking his hand off the counter and raising it to brush a finger across your cheek, brushing a tear away.

But you weren't, not really. "It was stinging," you explained, "it makes my eyes water."

He nodded, but didn't change his position, so you pulled your arm between your body's gripping his wrist and pulling it off you, seeing that it had stopped bleeding. You pulled the gauze from his fingers, standing up and then smoothing your dress back into place, going to gather everything and get it cleaned up.

He was standing in the middle of the bathroom now,eyes following your movements, and it was oddly quiet, other than the noise from what you were doing. "You need anything?" he asked, "Ice or..?"

"I'm good," you said, as you packed everything back up. You saw him move to run a hand over his face or through his hair and you reached for it quickly, "Wash your hands."

"Oh,h. Right." he said quietly, looking down at his hand where there was a smudge of blood near his wrist. He stepped to the sink, and you heard the running sound of water, followed by the pumping noise of the soap dispenser, which sounded like it was close to empty.

Having gathered everything, you started walking back to his bedroom, suddenly coming to a stop and leaning forward slightly when he walked straight into you, making a small noise, his forearm crossed in frontm of you as if to stop you from following before he pulled back. "You alright?"

"Mhmm,," you confirmed, trying to swallow, "the medication just makes me feel kind of sick. It's worse at night."

"You think you're gonna throw up?" he asked a slight undertone of alarm in his voice, his hand going to your arm.

You shook your head 'no' and then realized it was not a good idea. "As long as I don't move," you said.

He hummed, his hand still around your arm, moving you gently into the bedroom until you were next to the bed, "Lay down for a bit."

"I'm..."

"Just lay down for a bit," he instructed, "It'd make me feel better. Please?"

And you agreed, letting him direct you onto the bed, because putting your head on a pillow and shutting your eyes for just a moment sounded like a good plan. So you did just that, pulling your knees to your chest and just trying to breathe. You could sense he was still standing there, but thought you might be imagining it until you felt his fingers curl just a little in your hair, which was really soothing, actually.

"I think it's the hormones," you said, "I always feel sick when I take birth control. I guess I'm just sensitive?"

"Okay," he said simply.

You quickly felt sleepy, and started to feel goosebumps pop up on your body as you reached that place between sleep and wake, since you were still laying on top of the covers. You could hear Tyler walking away and shifted just slightly, getting a little more comfortable, but them you felt a blanket fall on top of you. "I'll be back in a bit, okay?" Tyler said gently, and you realized his head was extremely close to yours. You felt something on the side of your head, but you couldn't identify if it was his fingers or his lips.

"Mhmm..." you agreed, and you felt another brush through your hair, this time this was definately his fingers.

The next thing you knew, you were opening your eyes to a completely pitch black room, and realized the sun must have set several hours ago. You could feel a warm dog at your feet, but your attention was directed towards the movement to your right, and you opened your eyes to see a bare chest in front of you, the blankets being pulled over it.

You squinted, pushing yourself up on your forearms and realizing where you where. "I should..." you started, but before you could even finish 'go home', Tyler interrupted you.

"Go back to sleep?" he asked, "Yeah, you should."

And then he was pulling the actual covers out from underneath you and, because you were so warm and tired, you were tucking your legs under them, pulling that blanket he'd placed on your earlier around you. Although, apparently, he wasn't satisfied with it, because he fixed it around you, leaving his laying over you, and you could feel him shift down into bed a little further. You did the same, adjusting the pillow underneath you, falling back to sleep quickly.

#wont go slowly #tyler seguin imagine #tyler seguin #series #nhl imagines #nhl imagine #hockey imagines #hockey imagine

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years

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Major Link Soccer: From football to hockey, Petr Cech

Tons of soccer news including new teams in USL One, Messi’s career plans, a fan banned from Tigres, and much more. Also the end is pretty much people magazine since it is links about the Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy feud.

They plan on rivaling Portland, Atlanta, and Seattle in attendance. Chicago Fire vow to add star power for Soldier Field return: “We’ll fill this stadium” | MLSsoccer.com Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto is fully confident the club can fill its new Soldier Field home and become a real contender in MLS.

The Romanian plays for FCSB in the Romanian top division. REPORT: NYCFC looking to sign Florinel Coman from FCSB – Hudson River Blue The star Romanian prospect has been linked to the Bronx Blues for what would be a team record transfer fee.

Heads up, no Roldan. Bad list. Warshaw: MLS’ best defensive midfielders who deserve your respect | MLSsoccer.com If there is a time-honored tradition in sports, it’s constantly failing to give the proper respect to heroes who don’t make the highlights. In soccer, those heroes are the defensive midfielders.

As long as they keep violence, racism, and homophobia out of the sport, this is good with me. USL takes a hands-off approach to political speech from its fans and clubs – The Athletic ($) While MLS tried to regulate political speech from fans, the USL commissioner elected for a different approach

Miami’s will play in Ft. Lauderdale and New England did not announce where they will play. Inter Miami FC, New England Revolution Launch League One Clubs The two clus will join Union Omaha in League One as expansion teams next year.

Make sure you also read part one of Cole’s interview. Lisa Cole on women in coaching: there’s different standards for men and women – All For XI “We’re let go easier and it’s harder for us to get hired.” — Part two of All For XI’s interview with Antigua and Barbuda’s coach.

Scalping can make good money, it is also illegal so…. maybe you know…don’t do it? The Ticket: One man’s descent into the underworld of sports – SBNation.com I ducked behind a food stand, checked my burner phone, and stashed $20,000 in my money belt. The churrasco smoke made for good cover.

Congrats! Saint Kitts and Nevis march to first Concacaf WOQC appearance Saint Kitts and Nevis march to first Concacaf WOQC appearance

Spain already gives tax breaks for soccer players so if you are still not paying your taxes, that’s sad. Xabi Alonso in Madrid court for tax evasion faces €4m fine Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was in Madrid court on Wednesday to face charges of tax fraud after opting not to accept a plea bargain.

FIFA must stand strong on this. Fifa will ‘stand firm’ on women’s access to Iran matches – BBC Sport Fifa says it is “firm and committed” over women’s access to football matches in Iran despite claims quicker action could have saved the life of an activist.

Monaco has sold plenty of their top players during this run. The fall of Monaco: From Champions League semi-finals to brink of relegation – BBC Sport A little over two years ago Monaco were a poster club for attacking football and excellent recruitment – so why are they now battling relegation?

Even if Joey Barton didn’t actually cause bodily harm, let’s face it, you believed he did it. Joey Barton pleads not guilty to actual bodily harm | UK news | The Guardian Joey Barton, manager of Fleetwood Town, will stand trial after pleading not guilty to a charge of assaulting Daniel Stendel, his Barnsley counterpart, when the teams met in League One last season.

The incident took place while Huerta was taking selfies at a game between the Houston Dash and Tigres Feminil. The fan is being sued and will be banned for life by the club. Tigres to ban ‘pseudo fan’ who allegedly groped USA player Sofia Huerta after game | Football | The Guardian Mexican club Tigres says it intends to ban a supporter for life after he appeared to grope USA international Sofia Huerta after a friendly match.

A 80-year old man passed away after falling down steps in 2017. Manchester United take safety action after death of fan at Old Trafford | Football | The Guardian Manchester United say they have taken steps to improve fan safety following the death of a supporter after a fall at Old Trafford two years ago.

This comes days after news that Messi almost left in 2013. Messi: ‘My idea is to retire at Barça’ Barça’s captain acknowledged in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC1 that he and his family are very happy in Barcelona and that the team can ‘win everything’.

Neville doesn’t do a bad job but he could be better and seems to be wanted by no one. Phil Neville says he can handle the criticism – but he can’t | The Guardian On Tuesday night the England manager accused one reporter of wanting him sacked when that was not the case, and at this rate he is talking himself out of the job.

Players opening up about mental health is crucial to break the stigma for everyone. Emma Mitchell: Arsenal defender opens up on mental health – BBC Sport As Arsenal’s players popped the champagne corks in celebration after clinching the Women’s Super League title in April, the tears in Emma Mitchell’s eyes were not tears of joy.

From soccer keeper to hockey keeper. Ex-Chelsea, Arsenal GK Petr Cech inks deal with English hockey team Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has signed a one-year deal with an English semiprofessional ice hockey team.

With the amount of starpower Bayern Munich has, it is very possible Muller falls to the bench even if he is playing in top form. Thomas Muller: I’m too ambitious for Bayern Munich bench Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has said he is “too ambitious” for a role on the bench at the Bundesliga club.

Three straight articles about the Coleen Rooney-Rebekah Vardy feud. When you want gossip, this has all of the parts you want. Coleen Rooney accuses Rebekah Vardy of leaking stories to Sun | Media | The Guardian Wife of Wayne Rooney claims fellow footballer’s wife passed on her private Instagram posts

Want a full explainer, they’ve got one. Rebekah Vardy-Coleen Rooney Instagram feud: Why the football wives are fighting – Vox Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney are feuding on Instagram. Everything you need to know, explained.

This has history even, years of history. Wayne Rooney ‘warned’ Jamie Vardy about wife Rebekah in England showdown talks in 2016 – Mirror Online Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen has claimed fellow WAG Rebekah has secretly sold details about her personal life to the press

7:00 AM – Kazakhstan v. Cyprus – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

9:00 AM – Belarus v. Estonia – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+, TUDN

11:30 AM – Serbia v. Paraguay – Friendly – ESPN+

11:45 AM – Netherlands v. Northern Ireland – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+, TUDN

11:45 AM – Slovakia v. Wales – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

11:45 AM – Croatia v. Hungary – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

11:45 AM – Latvia v. Poland – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

11:45 AM – North Macedonia v. Slovenia – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

11:45 AM – Austria v. Israel – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

11:45 AM – Russia v. Scotland – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

11:45 AM – Belgium v. San Marino – UEFA Euro Qualifying – ESPN+

11:45 AM – Kosovo v. Gibraltar – Friendly – ESPN+

4:00 PM – Trinidad & Tobago v. Honduras – CONCACAF Nations League – TUDN

6:00 PM – Haiti v. Costa Rica – CONCACAF Nations League – TUDN

6:00 PM – El Paso Locomotive v. Austin Bold – USL Championship – ESPN+

Tons of NCAA Men’s and Women’s soccer from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM kickoffs on ESPN+, ACC Network, SEC Network, Fox Sports GO, and FoxSports.com

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chilling-seavey · 3 years

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Seasons Change (d.s.) - FOUR

↳ A/N Protective Lennox is not to be challenged.

↳ Word Count: 1673

↳ Warnings: This story touches on topics such as loss of loved ones and grief. Nothing too detailed but read at your own discretion x

Lennox didn’t mind school. Being in second grade he actually enjoyed spending the days with his friends and learning about new things. Plus, he always loved to come home and tell his father everything he was taught in the day. Coming home was innocently Lennox’s favourite part of any weekday.

The elementary school was a few miles out of town and housed a few of the neighbouring towns’ children as well so the school bus always drove Lennox and the other children of Lincoln to and from school every day. The bus ride over the dirt roads towards the farms were the best part and the children cheered over every bump. When the familiar white painted mailbox came into view – painted with blue curling lettering spelling ‘Seavey’ on the side – Lennox was gathering his backpack and saying his goodbyes to his friends.

Jack’s daughter headed to the farm on the left and Lennox looked both ways before crossing the street and then took off up the garden lined drive of his home. Sidney always met him at the mailbox and the pup ran right after him up the long driveway, his tail wagging excitedly.

Daniel was usually in the field when Lennox got home from school but before the boy could even so much as look for him, his eyes locked on a woman on his front lawn. Lennox stopped in his tracks in the middle of the driveway and stared at for a moment. She was on her knees by the front gardens with her back to him and gloved hands digging in the soil. A few wilted or dead flowers laid on the grass beside her, dug out of the garden and left to be thrown out.

Lennox’s soft face narrowed into annoyance and concern and he stomped up the front path with his dog at his side. He stopped a few paces away from the brunette woman and stared at her, disbelieving, and wondering who permitted her to even step foot on their property. The shadow his small body cast over her had her glancing up at him and Lennox’s eyes only narrowed.

“That’s Mommy’s garden.” he stated sternly.

Blythe hesitated for a moment, surprised by the appearance of the young boy whom she had yet to meet until that moment. She glanced passed him to the fields where Daniel was still working away to plant the yearly crop. Deciding to make the best of a situation, she sat back on her knees and took off one of her garden gloves and held her hand out to the boy.

“You must be Lennox. I’m Blythe. I’m just helping to clean up the gardens for-”

Lennox stomped past her, ignoring her offer at a handshake, and crouched down to pick up one of the wilted and dug up plants that rested on the grass.

“You’re ruining it!” he scolded. “You can’t take them out.”

“Well, these ones are dead so I was going to plant some fresh-”

“Just cuz they’re dead doesn’t mean you get rid of them!” Lennox snapped. “I’m telling Daddy.”

And with a wilted plant in one hand and more furious determination on the seven-year-old’s face than you can imagine, he ran off across the yard and over the gravel driveway and right towards the fields. Blythe, it being her first day, was a little frightened at the fact that she was just being tattled on by the boss’ son, despite the fact that Daniel had permitted her to dig up any plants that could not be saved. She checked her watch that read she only had thirty minutes left in the day. She sighed.

“Daddy!” Lennox shouted, running onto the ploughed field and down one of the rows.

Daniel was on his knees in the fresh soil, blue work jeans stained in grass and mud and his white tank top was no different, his gloved hands still caked in soil up his arm until it looked like the marigold tattoo on his forearm was truly sprouting out of the earth.

“Dad!” Lennox yelled again as he approached his father who was digging holes for planting in steady rows.

Lennox was careful where he stepped, staying to one row as he ran over to him. Daniel left his trowel in the soil and quickly held up his left arm to stop his son’s barreling run with a hand against his stomach before he could completely run him over.

“Woah, Spud. Careful.” Daniel chuckled tiredly. “How was school?”

Panting with breathlessness after running across most of the property, Lennox shoved the wilted plant in Daniel’s face, “That girl is ruining Mommy’s flowers! Look!”

“That gir-” Daniel’s momentary confusion settled into realization. It had completely slipped his mind to tell his son about the new hire. He sighed, wiping his arm across his sweaty forehead and held out his hand for the plant. Lennox handed it to him. “Okay, Spud…she’s not ruining the gardens. Remember I said we were going to need to hire someone to fix them?”

“But she doesn’t need to dig everything up!” Lennox argued loudly.

Daniel stood up from the field and picked up his trowel and gloves, “I told her to plant the exact same plants in the exact same spots where she dug them up. It’s going to be the exact same. Now come on, I’ll introduce you properly; she’s very nice.”

Lennox trudged after his father back down the field and towards the farmhouse, his backpack still on and a deep frown still present on his face. Daniel set the trowel and his gloves on the work bench just inside the barn and then continued on their way to the main gardens. Lennox followed him obediently.

As the two boys approached, Blythe stood up from her work, obvious nervousness on her face. She only hoped she wouldn’t be fired on her first day.

“It seems you met my son.” Daniel said, setting a hand on Lennox’s head and pet his frazzled hair from his face. Lennox only frowned up at her.

“Yes. Briefly.” Blythe said with a kind smile, trying to ignore the glare from the seven-year-old.

Daniel glanced down at his son, “Spud, this is Blythe. Blythe, Lennox.”

“Nice to meet you.” Blythe said to the boy, “I’ve heard good things about you.”

Lennox stared at her.

“Come on, Spud. Be a gentleman.” Daniel nudged him.

With a huff, the seven-year-old held out his hand and Blythe smiled widely to take his loose handshake. Daniel patted his shoulder proudly and then looked back over at the young woman.

“Sorry about the plant.” he passed it back to her, “It must have slipped my mind to keep him updated with what we’re doing with the gardens.”

“That’s alright.” Blythe assured them.

Daniel looked down at his son, “What do you say, Spud?”

Lennox narrowed his eyes but huffed out a quiet, “Sorry.”

“All good.” Blythe said.

There was a pause and Daniel set his hands on his hips, “Well…I guess that’s all for today then. I should let you go home.”

“Alright.” Blythe bent down to pick up the few tools she was using. “I’ll just tuck these back away and get going.”

“Same time tomorrow then?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah.” Blythe looked up at him with a smile, “8:30.”

“Great.” Daniel nodded, letting his own tight smile come to his lips.

Lennox glanced between them with narrowed eyes and then followed after Daniel back into the farmhouse after they said their goodbyes. Sidney joined them inside and accompanied Lennox upstairs to his room to put his backpack away and wash his hands. The boy looked out his side window to watch Blythe emerge from the backyard and she retrieved her bicycle from the side of the barn. When she continued to the front yard, Lennox hurried over to his window seat and peered out his window to the front of the house to watch her get on her bike and push off down the drive towards the road. He stared until she was gone from view and then waited as if to make sure she wasn’t coming back.

“What are you doing?”

Daniel’s voice from the doorway startled him and Lennox spun around quickly with wide blue eyes.

He shuffled off his window seat and hurried back over to his desk to gather his homework, “Nothin’.”

“Okay. Hurry up and get your homework done so we can eat. Hockey’s tonight.”

“Yep.” Lennox answered without looking up as he pulled his notebooks from his backpack.

Daniel lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching his son sit himself at his desk and flip open his workbooks. He bit his lip, a strange feeling of almost nervousness bubbling up inside him. He hoped he was making the right choice hiring Blythe. Lennox would warm up to her, he was sure.

“Spud.”

Lennox turned to look at his father from across the room, “Yeah?”

Daniel wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say…he hadn’t realized he had even called him at first…and he stared at his son’s expectant gaze. He looked so much like Marigold when he was like that: surprised, impatient, waiting. His lips slightly parted, eyebrows raised…staring at him as if the next words he would say would be the most important verse.

Daniel only shook his head ever so gently, “Nothing.”

Lennox didn’t speak much that evening. Dinner was quiet and no matter how much Daniel asked about his day he was met with dry responses. It only rose Daniel’s stresses. Hockey practice seemed fine; Lennox worked just as hard as ever and made a few tricky goals, although he was quiet in the change room and he didn’t seem to meet Daniel’s eye.

Once they were sitting in the truck after leaving the arena, Daniel offered his son a gentle, honest, and reassuring, “Mommy would have been proud of your practice today.”

Lennox leaned on the window ledge and watched the few houses pass by as they drove back towards the farm. He didn’t reply.

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