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CrazyCaityCat

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About CrazyCaityCat

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  1. Masami never complained about her childhood to anyone. She hid her inner turmoil inside her and did not let it show to those around her. Her first regular season in the VHLM had just come to a close and they were heading to the playoffs. Masami had to prepare mentally for the challenge that faced the team now. The recent fight she’d had with her father though was still weighing heavy on her soul. She was sat in her room in her small apartment, she could see the spectre of her past in front of her eyes, and she could not focus on anything else. When she was a child Masami always had such high expectations set for her. Her mother and father demanded that she do well in her studies, they demanded that she not waste her time on social endeavors like clubs and making friends, they demanded she play the violin and do so perfectly. There was no affection, no care. There was only expectations and discipline when she didn’t meet them. Masami hated it, she hated all of it. She just wanted to a normal life with a caring family, she did not know why she had been cursed with this life but she resented the gods, luck, and the universe for it just to cover all her bases. When she was 11 years old she finally could not take the pressures that her parents had put on her anymore and began to search for ways to rebel. At first she began to neglect her studies, thinking that the freedom she found in doing so would allow her all kinds of opportunities for something different. It didn’t take long though for her homeroom teacher to notice. She called Masami to the staffroom after class and it was like she could see right through to her core. Her sensei told her that she understood that it was very difficult to life up to the expectations of others and that she thought it was a good thing to find your own way in the world. She did think that it was best that Masami find her own reasons for maintaining her studies though, as it would be very sad if she lost her future while she was determining her own path. Her clear, strong, gaze pierced Masami’s heart. She lowered her head and apologized, she also promised to return to her previous level immediately. From that point on she would find her own path, she decided, but that didn’t mean she had to waste her own talents. She began to try out for clubs after school, though it resulted in a fight every time she came home later than usual. When she tried out for Hockey she found that it came naturally to her and she didn’t mind it too much. The natural violence of the sport also appealed to something inside her. It let her get some of her emotions out into the world and be something very different from what had been expected from her. She made a few friends on the team and one of her senpais on the team found out about her talent for music. When the senpai found out she insisted that Masami play for her. Masami explained that she hated the violin and had no intention of playing it anymore. The senpai did not just give up though, she was a bit of a pushy person. For Masami’s 12th birthday she gave her an extravagant gift, an acoustic guitar. She hated the violin because it was thrust upon her, but not wanting to squander the talent she did seem to have for it she accepted the gift. She taught herself how to play and quickly grew quite good. When she did finally play for the senpai, after many times being begged and bribed, the tears that flowed from the senpais eyes at first confused Masami greatly. She thought that maybe she hadn’t performed well enough, that she had disappointed her senpai. That wasn’t it though, it turned out that she had put so much emotion into the performance that her senpai had simply been overwhelmed. This inspired Masami to pour herself into her music. IF she could express her emotions in such a way, if she could get some of the pain, rage, sadness, loneliness, and resentment out into the world, and have it be accepted and even appreciated…that was something she could do nothing but strive for. Hockey became her 2nd focus at that point, but she did still enjoy it and tried her best. She learned to compose music, she learned to write her own lyrics, and she performed as much as she could in public places. She had been lost in these thoughts when her phone began to ring. It was her mother. Another person she did not wish to hear from right now, she needed to focus! Begrudgingly, she answered the phone. Her mother seemed to be playing the “good cop” in the strategy her parents had decided to employ to get her to quit hockey and come home. She claimed she could understand why Masami was being so disobedient, she claimed that she understood what she was going though. She said that one could never replace family and that she needed to do her part for the family now that she was a woman grown. Masami let her speak her piece with a sardonic smirk on her face. When her mother finally stopped Masami was calm. It was time. She could not let the spectre of her past haunt her for the rest of her life. She had friends who loved and supported her, she had Baldur with whatever that relationship meant to her, she had her music, and she had her own path. She explained to her mother that she would not be coming back, further that she would no longer be in contact with her parents. She said that she would find her own way in life, and it would not have anything to do with her hateful parents. She would move forward on her own strength and with her own talents and she would find some way to be happy. Happy. That elusive emotion that she’d longed for her entire life. What was it like to be happy? Well… as she blocked her parents numbers in her phone she thought that whatever it looked like to be happy she’d someday see it. She’d find a way to get there. Her first step was to finish this season, to do her best to win in the playoffs for her team, and her teammates. She had found the resolve she needed to deal with her parents, finally. She was now going to have to find the resolve to move forward on her path without the baggage of her past. Inspired, she went to her desk and wrote a new song. This song, there was something about it. She knew that it was the best song she’d ever written. It had so much of her raw emotion infused into every line. She just needed to find the right time and place to perform it. 1197 words
  2. 1. I don't know really, that's a question for those in charge of that sort of thing. I have full faith and trust in those who are managing this team to do what is best for us all. 2. I understand that this team was the best in the league during the regular season. That means that we are going to have to do our very best to be able to compete with them. For that reason I'm going to be devoting all of my free time to practice this week. I want to do my very best out there. 3. Hmm, mascots are very fun in Japan, not so serious as they are here. I have always been a very big fan of cow mascots. They are just so cute and for some reason every person who sees a cow must moo at it. It's human nature. 4. My pick is Baldur. He's just so incredible out there. He leads our team to victory and I think he's the best player in the VHLM. 5. I don't know, I haven't really thought to much about this. I know some scouts have been watching our games, and I've been interviewed a few times. I don't really have a preference I don't think, but mostly...I'm just going to be very sad to leave behind my teammates from Halifax. 6. There is a a little Italian restaurant near the arena, Ristorante a Mano, that has the most amazing food I've ever had. Growing up in Japan I'd never had proper Italian food before. At first, I was a little hesitant to try it, but I'm so glad I did. Their conchiglioni is very, very good.
  3. 1. Well, I want to learn English better. We are taught it in school in Japan but it's a very difficult subject and I think living here in Halifax will give me an opportunity to learn it much better. 2. Sometimes when I was younger my mother would make Kintokimame as a side in my bento. It was a very nice side dish. I'm sure Bryn would not have that on the menu already so I'd suggest that. 3. The competition is very fierce. I think I'd love to win a cup but our team may not be able to compete with MIssisuaga. I know we will try our best though! 4. Oh, well... I would ask Baldur for help of course. He's a very reliable person and I would be sure to get the boat back with his help. 5. Rory sized duck? I don't think I understand. How could a duck get so big? Why would Rory be fighting it? How would there be so many Rory's? This scenario is very confusing. 6. I don't even know what is a dillo dillo. It sounds really annoying though. Perhaps we could simply convince him to change his ways? I wouldn't want any of the team to be removed from the locker room.
  4. 1. I can't speak for everyone else but I know I've made some mistakes here and there with my poke checks, resulting in some unnecessary tripping penalties. Sometimes the game just moves so fast and you see an opportunity that looks perfect, you put your stick out there and all of a sudden it's in the skates. It's something I need to work on getting better at. 2. Oh, I haven't given a speech since 2nd year. I am not really an expert in anything but the thing I know the most about is music. I suppose I could give a speech about the Japanese music industry and it's focus on idol creation and exploitation. 3. Oh, I wouldn't ever reject a gift! I'm not sure what I'd do with so many beans, I'm afraid I couldn't eat a can of beans every day. Maybe a local food pantry might be a good idea? 4. I've been doing okay, I started off pretty good, then I slumped a little bit, now I'm performing pretty well again. I am mostly just trying to make sure I keep trying to get better. 5. I don't know about how to compare teams really. I trust the management of the team to put us in a position to succeed. If we make the playoffs it will be because we made the most of the opportunities that the team has given us as players. If we don't, then we'll only have ourselves to blame. 7. Well, this is going to be tough. There are so many wonderfully deserving causes out there that I would like to try and promote. If I had to pick just one I think I'd do a PSA on child hunger and how it's a very real problem in even advanced countries like Japan, Canada, and the USA.
  5. 1. Oh my goodness! What an immense honor! There are so many worthy causes and I know I can only pick one. I have decided that we should support the Halifax Helping Hands Food Pantry. No one should be starving in this rich and fabulous city of ours. 2. Ummm...I'm am sorry but my English isn't so good. Did you say pirate? Ummm...I wouldn't be too good as a pirate I think. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone so I'd probably just sail the ship around and visit different places and see the world. Would that work okay? 3. I don't mind playing for any specific other team if I had to but I'm really happy in Halifax and I'm very glad I get to play here. The other members of the team are truly wonderful and I am so thankful for them. 4. The VHL teams are sort of intimidating to me, in all honesty. I haven't heard from any of them yet and I'm just hoping I don't get too nervous and say something really embarrassing to one of them. I will gladly play for any VHL team, but I do have hopes for a certain one. I just am not able to say right now which one that is. 5. Yrwy has always had this weird thing with beans. He's always seen eating them in the locker room. He says he's Nan buys them for him and so he has to eat them but I think he secretly is just very happy to eat beans all the time. I have tried them, because he's offered them for free to the team sometimes. They are good, especially the kind with the little sausages in there, but I wouldn't want to eat that every day. A varied diet is much better for your health! 6. I love the time I've spent in the Halifax Locker Room. The team is so wonderful, they accepted me without question and I am very grateful to them all. Baldur has just been the absolute best and has encouraged me in a lot of ways. I'm very thankful for this team.
  6. Nothing was quite working right recently. She was in a weird rut and couldn’t quite get out of it. Masami knew it was going to be fine…probably. It had to be fine! Her recent performances in the VHLM left something to be desired, and she hadn’t been able to sing recently anywhere but the locker room because it was snowing a lot. Even when she did get the chance to perform for her teammates something felt off about it, she felt an odd disconnect, an unsatisfying note was hidden somewhere in her soul and she couldn’t quite find it. Everyone politely listened and gave applause when she’d finish after the games but it was obvious that she wasn’t connecting with them the way she had been before. Her raw emotion was still there, but there was just something…off. Masami sat and pondered this as she watched the snow slowly drift down out the window of her apartment. She yearned for her music to be like it was, she desperately wanted to start playing better too. Something about that thought struck her as not quite right though. Yearning. She yearned for something, yes, but she was missing it. That was the key to everything, she just had to figure out what this longing feeling inside her was for and she’d be able to get back to normal, she was sure of it. She closed her eyes and tried to think. What was it that she was missing? What was it that was hidden from her own conscious mind, this discordant note that she felt within her own soul. As she sat desperately trying to think of what it was her phone began to ring. It was her father. He hadn’t called her in about 2 months, since she had decided to enter the VHLM against his wishes. She looked at her phone in disbelief for a moment then picked up the phone. Her father told her that he had called to urge her to come back, to stop this nonsense about hockey in a foreign country. He told her he’d been noting her recent struggles and that it just proved that she didn’t belong there. She was clearly not good enough to play in the VHL, she needed to come home. Masami was speechless at first. Then she felt her anger rising. She began to tell her father what she thought of his “request” but he interrupted her part way through and began shouting. He said that she had always been a disappointment as a daughter and that she finally had the chance to do what was right for the family. He demanded she return home immediately and to be prepared to meet with the man that had been arranged for her. Masami was stunned. The man who had been arranged for her? Her father had arranged a marriage for her? Was he out of his mind? Almost no one did that anymore, and then it was supposed to be mainly for the elite. There was no way that she was going to be subjected to this antiquated practice! She told her father she would never marry anyone unless she fell in love with them herself and that she had no intention of returning. He began shouting at her about how hard he’d worked for the family, and how she needed to be a good daughter and do her duty. Masami wasn’t about to take that abuse though and hung up on him. Her emotions were boiling over. She was so..so…angry? Sad? Disappointed? All of those things. She had never had the closest relationship with her father but this? Demanding she abandon her dreams and return for an arranged marriage? This was insane! She absolutely could not believe this. She felt like she was going to explode. She needed to talk to someone, she needed a friend right now. As that thought hit her she knew exactly who to call. In a little café near downtown she sat waiting for Baldur, she’d ordered a tea and was attempting very hard to not look like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. When she saw him approaching her table she had a moment where she wanted to just completely lose it and start crying in public. She restrained herself though, largely because she also noticed that she had a strange sense of anticipation when she saw him that she didn’t really understand. Baldur greeted her warmly and ordered himself a coffee when the waiter came. She didn’t know where to begin so she sat silently looking at her tea. Baldur took the initiative and began to talk about hockey. He could talk about hockey all day, he was so passionate about it and he had so much to say. Masami felt herself calming down as she chatted with him and after about an hour, and a couple of refills of their drinks, she felt like she could finally talk about what had happened. She told him about the phone call with her father, about his demands and about how she was so angry and sad. She also told him that she’d been feeling really out of sorts recently and felt like there was something she was missing and couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. Baldur listened attentively; he let her get it all out on the table. When she was done he told her that she was a very lovely young woman, and that she was valid and amazing just the way she was. He didn’t try to fix her problems for her, or cheerlead her by saying she’d done nothing to deserve this. He simply looked on warmly and didn’t judge her, he accepted her and told her she was cared for. She was an integral part of the team and he’d be very sad if she ever had to leave hockey. Masami felt like this was exactly what she needed. She wasn’t looking for Baldur to rescue her, just...to be a good listener and let her express these emotions that were raging inside her. She felt much more calm after having talked with him. She apologized for taking up so much of his evening, as it was nearing 9pm local time, and thanked him for being such a wonderful friend. He gave her a parting hug and told her he’d be willing to listen to her anytime, because she was a very good friend of his. Back at home, Masami felt like she had let a load off her back that had been crushing her and making it hard to breathe. She was so glad that Baldur had agreed to meet. They’d never met outside the rink before, just the two of them. She truly felt like Baldur was one of the coolest, nicest people she’d ever met and she was extremely happy to be his friend. She hadn’t solved all her problems tonight but she was very glad that she’d at least had Baldur to talk to. Something was still nagging at the back of her mind about what she’d been looking for, and that sensation was even more profound after tonight, but she didn’t have any answers yet so she set it aside and tried to get some sleep for today, hoping that tomorrow would bring answers. 1221 words
  7. Masami was waiting for the rain to stop. She couldn’t perform in her usual spot out in front of the 21’st stadium when it was raining. She was bored. She really wanted to play. Either her guitar, or out on the ice. She began to reminisce on her time in hockey while she waited. She had started playing ice hockey as soon as she could, there was a league for kids in her hometown of Hokkaido. It wasn’t a super popular sport in the rest of Japan, but there was a certain following in the northern part of the country. She found immediately that she was quite a bit…larger than the rest of the girls on the team. She was only 12 years old but she was already about an inch taller than most of the other girls and a bit bulkier. At first they tried to put her in as a goalie but it turned out that she just wasn’t very good at it. She was used at all the other positions as well but when she got the chance to be a defensemen she really found her stride. When she was in high school there she was able to join the high school team and compete in regional events. It turned out that she was actually quite good at playing defense. Her poke check became legendary. She could strip the puck from anyone. She also showed quite a bit of potential on offense, putting up a team record 50 assists when she was in her first year. The next season she was seen as a team leader and had some kouhai’s that really looked up to her. She was made a team captain as only a second year. She felt that it was her responsibility to lead her team into the future and really leave a grand legacy. Instead, she got injured. In only the 3rd game of the season Masami was blindsided by an opposing player and the check knocked her out cold. She woke up some time later in hospital. She did not know much about concussions but the doctors tried to explain it to her. It was all just so hard to think though, that she largely forgot everything they said. Masami’s parents insisted that she quit hockey and do something more appropriate for a girl her age. Masami flat out refused. She was a very strong willed girl, she wasn’t going to let anyone stop her from doing the things she cared about. The problem was, the doctor wouldn’t tell her school that she had permission to play. It seemed that some of her symptoms had lingered and would not stop. The waves of dizziness and nausea, the momentary loss of balance from time to time, all of it was so minor. She couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t let her play. It wasn’t until the season was nearly over that she was medically cleared to play again. By that point the team had been thoroughly beaten by most of the other teams in the region without their star player. When she became a third year Masami was determined that she’d do something to make her graduating senpais proud of her, so that her time with the team was not a waste, so that they could know they left the team in good hands. She was spectacular in her final season with the team. She led the team in every major offensive category and she retained that legendary poke check that had made her so good at offense. There were rumors that she was going to be scouted by a professional team that year but no one on the team put much stock in that. Girls from Japan didn’t really make professional hockey teams. When the season had finished Masami’s team was indisputably the best team in Hokkaido, and some said the best team in Japan. She felt a huge amount of pride. She had accomplished her goal. When a few of the senpais came to visit the team just before graduation they praised them all for their hard work and said that they were very proud. Masami felt like she could have died just then and would have been perfectly fulfilled. When she graduated she was very sad that she was no longer going to be playing hockey, she had been accepted to a university in southern Japan which did not have a hockey team, but she was very happy with her kouhais determination to continue the legacy that she had left them. Two days after graduation she received a few letters in the mail. She had not expected any mail so she was quite surprised. Then she was absolutely shocked when she opened them to find that they were invites to join teams in the VHLM! She had a bunch of offers actually, and she didn’t know what to do. She was supposed to pack her things and go to university in a few days and now, all of a sudden, she had the opportunity to change the trajectory of her entire life. She knew what her parents would say. They were so happy that she had finished her hockey career. She thought about it all that night, and all the next day wondering what to do. Finally, she decided that university would always be there, an offer to join the VHLM would not be. She informed her parents, who took it…poorly. At the end of the argument her father said he’d disown her if she played hockey again. Masami was not one to be deterred though. She stood straight and tall, and looked at her father and told him she was going to play hockey. She didn’t know why she chose Halifax, maybe it was because it was such an exotic place to her. She’d never even heard of it before. She was very glad, looking back, that she did choose it though. Just then, Masami realized that the rain had stopped, and she could go and play her guitar for a little while. She refocused on the here and now, and stepped out from the awning she’d been standing under with her guitar. She was going to play today! 1038 Words
  8. Transaction ID: 20577702181879478 Doubles week 5 Uncapped TPE
  9. 1. Well, I think that our offense has been outstanding so far. I think we, especially me, have some work to do on defense but I am really excited that the team is doing well! 2. I would never question that! That's not fair for me to judge at all. What is good for us players isn't the same as whats good for the team all the time so I think it's my job to just trust the judgment of the management and that they are doing the best they can. 3. I've been playing my guitar in the locker room after every game. I don't know if it helps the team win, especially since it's after the games, but it helps me settle down after the games and I really feel like the team is connecting with it! 4. Oh! Well...umm. If I'm going on vacation I'd like to go back to Japan, stay in a really nice Onsen and just relax, but I don't know if dylan would like that. Is he the type to like more exciting vacations? I will ask him tomorrow! 5. I have put a lot of work into my defensive play but I haven't been seeing the results there that I'd like to see. On offense though I've been doing incredibly well! I may not be scoring myself a lot but I'm getting a ton of assists and that makes me very happy! 6. I don't have very many aspirations for the team other than I really want everyone to enjoy themselves and have lots of fun playing the game! I have a personal aspiration for off the ice, but I don't think I'd like to share that just yet. On the ice, I'd really like to get my +/- up a little bit higher and just help the team as much as i can.
  10. Masami had this teammate. Baldur. He was a very interesting person she thought. He came from a place called Faroe and she had never heard of this place in her life. She was fascinated to learn more about his culture mostly because he displayed it so prominently. Before the games he got really excited and started playing Faroese music and chanting along really loud! At first it was a bit intimidating but then Masami found herself really intrigued by this music, and mostly by the passion with which Baldur expressed his feelings by chanting along. She found she really enjoyed listening to him booming his voice in the locker room before games now. She didn’t know what she was going to do exactly, but she was sure she wanted to have people in the locker room feel her passion the same way everyone felt Baldur’s. She was just so desperate to convey her raw emotions and express herself. After playing their last game and winning, though Masami didn’t feel like she played her best, she sat down in the locker room with her guitar. She began to play, lightly strumming at first, and then began to really get into it. The locker room hadn’t heard her play before, she’d always done it in private or out in front of the rink, never for the team. As she began to feel the music she closed her eyes and let her fingers dance across the strings. She sang a song in her native Japanese, and she could feel her raw emotion inside her in a way that she never felt it when she wasn’t singing. She didn’t realize but the entire team had stopped what they were doing in the locker room and listened to this girl from a far away land sing her heart out. No one on the team spoke Japanese besides Masami, so no one understood the lyrics, but there was no doubt that her song had reached them as she finished the last note on her favorite love song and opened her eyes to see that so many of her teammates were looking at her with wonder in their eyes. At first, with everyone staring at her quietly, she didn’t know if maybe she had offended them or made them upset by suddenly singing. She realized too that as she had gotten lost in her music she had been singing really loudly. She began to panic, thinking that she should bow and apologize profusely for her rudeness. Just as she shot up and was about to bow Baldur began to laugh. Soon he was roaring in laughter and wiping tears from his eyes. Masami had no idea why he was laughing, she wondered briefly if he might have been making fun of her. She began to feel like her music had been rejected and felt a crushing weight in her heart. If her music was rejected…she didn’t know how to handle that. People often ignored her music, but no one had ever reacted like this before. No one had made fun of her music or rejected it like this. Masami began to feel like she was going to cry. She looked at Baldur and asked him why he laughed at her. His response was to rush over to her, she braced herself for it just in time as it was a shock, and he hugged her. He gave her the biggest, most enveloping hug that she’d ever had. While he was hugging her he said to her that he was just moved by her music and didn’t know how to express it other than to laugh in enjoyment. He said he meant no offense and thought she was an amazing singer and could play the guitar beautifully. Masami began to cry a bit, she didn’t know why exactly, something about this really was affecting her more than she felt was reasonable, but she just felt so…accepted and that was something she didn’t really have much in her life. As Baldur hugged her he spoke out to the rest of the team and told them that he thought Masami was a wonderful musician and that she should play after every game, and if anyone had a problem with that they’d have to answer to him. Masami did not know what to do with herself. Here was this person, from a culture she’d never heard of, from a different part of the world, complimenting her music. He was even defending her right to play in the locker room. When Baldur finally released his hug she kept looking down at the ground. She realized she was also profoundly embarrassed by his display. She was very, very happy, but also very, very, embarrassed. He put his hands on her shoulders and told her to look at him. When she did manage to look up he looked her right in the eyes and said, “Keep your head high girl, you are amazing and you should know it! Declare it to all the world proudly and I will be there to make sure that they know it is true!” These words were very confusing to Masami but she was very happy nonetheless. Someone had accepted her music, even seemed to thoroughly enjoy it! She felt wonderful that evening, though every time she thought of Baldur hugging her she would find herself looking down and blushing. It wasn’t like she had never been hugged before, but not usually in public, by a person she didn’t know that well. It was a very strange experience for sure. That night she dreamed of being in the locker room playing her music, and everyone feeling it, but then her parents were there. With their faces full of disapproval, obviously barely tolerating her existence, they stared. She woke up in a start, and couldn’t stop her heart beating so fast that it felt like it would burst right through her chest. Eventually she managed to calm down by strumming her guitar and humming. This was her private ritual that she did when she needed to be comforted. Just her, her guitar, and the sound of her voice. That was all she needed for now. That was all she could expect for the future. 10 1044 words
  11. 1. I think dylan needs to take a more active leadership role now that he has a letter. He is a great guy and I think just needs some initiative to push him into a real spotlight role on the team. 2. I don't really have many expectations for the season. I just want to do my best and help the team win. If that means we do something amazing then that's great, but I won't be putting all my chips in on it. 3. I always see him eating some pre game. I asked him why but I think my English is not so good so I didn't understand. It sounded like he said he'd have to eat them because there were an infinite number of beans? That would be scary. 4. I like to play my guitar every day, but especially on game days. I sing ballads mostly, but recently with Baldur Poulsen being so exuberant in their chants before games I've become really intrigued. This Faroese music is so new and different to me, and I can't shake the feeling that there is something really special about it. 5. Baldur. 100%. Actually, that was a bit embarrassing for me to say so directly, I just think he's a really good person and I want to see him on the ice as much as I can. 7. I have been writing songs non stop since I came to Halifax. It is cold here always, but it was back home too so I'm still able to perform on the street for people to hear my music. Lately I think I even have a couple of people who I can call regulars. They are always going by the rink at around the same time, I assume for work, and then they stop and listen to me for a while every time they go past. I'm very happy about that.
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