Thunfish

Thanks for the review! I probably should make that known with a tidbit earlier on the post but it was meant to represent two different characters. Black lines are from Sunrise, green ones are from Luz. Not sure if I'll keep that as a thing because blind people would struggle with that.

1. Team is off to a great start. What has been the biggest difference? We're going with full cylinders, I think. Last season, we had a shorter roster, which kinda got in the way. 2. What has been the biggest difference between where you played before the VHLM from here? Well... I mean, it's easier to do things-ish, but I kinda dig games on FHM more. 3. Favorite cheat snack? KitKat. Haven't had one in ages, though. 4. You can represent any country that isn't your own, who is it? I'm Brazilian by birth... but if I really had to choose, Estonia. 5. You can change to any position, what is it? I think Defender. 6. Favourite meme? Eh, if you wanna know...

The Dutch boy landed on his bed, a loud sigh emanating from his mouth as he did so. Everything on the way home so far had been rumbling: from getting updated on the terms of the Kings to the news of being elected team captain, not to mention the draft, the one that saw him go fourteenth to the Chicago Phoenix. It was all too hectic and he sure enough could just use a break. But then, he realized that he had already gone through a break, he had already visited his friends and family back in the Netherlands and was now stuck in Mexico for the foreseeable future. A cough. He opened his eyes ever so slightly, noticing a girl. Dark-hair, tanned skin, should be around his age or so. By the two seconds that followed, Sunrise rolled out of the bed, grabbing his bearings back, finding the girl to be not too worried about her situation, which made him even more worried for his own safety. "Who are you? How did you get here?" the blonde asked, trying to find some sort of object for self-defense, only for the girl to play it down. "Will you calm down, gringo? I'm only present to help you with Spanish" She said with a smile on her face, offering her hand for a shake. "My name is Luz, I'm the daughter of the team's secretary. Nice to meet ya." Sunrise rose an eyebrow before clicking two fingers, snapping his memory back up. "Right! I was supposed to get some help with Spanish so that my career wouldn't be in jeopardy or something to the tones of that, yes. But how did you make it inside here? I thought this apartment was well-locked and safe." Luz' smile enlarged as she started to recall her way in. "Well, the team entered in contact with your place's security and they let me in earlier today so that I could be here when you showed up." The Dutch one rose an eyebrow, his thoughts directed towards the subject at hand. While that meant that the situation was probably fine, he couldn't help but worry about his safeness if someone else got ideas about visiting him without warning him, given he was, after all, away from the security of home in Zeeland. By the end of it, he accredited her presence and aid towards the mission of improving his Spanish skills. Hours later, the two were talking normally. It seemed like Sunrise was now opening up to the girl, maybe because he was probably a bit more relaxed from the adventures of the media not too long before that. "So, you've just accepted the offer to play professionally like that? No questions or anything?" Luz asked to him, curiosity on her face. The currently-appointed captain could only reply with a nod before letting out a little laugh thanks to the silliness of the thought. "Yeah. Dreams are a funny thing, aren't them? I just decided to play for a living and... well, here I am." Luz chuckled. "You're a funny guy, y'know that?" Sunrise grinned. "Yeah. Even funnier on ice. You should watch me play one day."

1. Favourite Memory of Sports Growing Up? 2002 FIFA World Cup victory. 2. If you are the Seattle Kraken, do you go younger and save the cap or try to compete right away? I'd do what they seem to have done on the Expansion Draft - make a team of versatile and consistent players. 3. My fiancee and I are both starting new jobs. What is your favourite you have ever had? Updating my dad's stock spreadhseets, I think. 4. Who should be the captain of our team? Uh... I mean... I'm the captain right now... 5. What do you need to do in your role for the Kings to be successful? Score goals, usually. 6. Favourite thing to do when relaxing at home? Kick back with a glass of lemonade while blasting some tunes.

Welcome, man. Gonna need all help we can get.

1. The draft is over and we have added five new players and two returning players to the team. Of those players, who are you most excited to play with? Wouldn't be fair to single out anyone in particular now, would it? 2. The team has assembled a full squad for the first time in a couple seasons. What are your expectations for the team? Well, we should improve from last season as a minimum. Sky is the limit. 3. The VHL is celebrating it's fourteenth birthday. What is your favourite memory you have from one of your previous birthdays? Uh... I joined last season so... I dunno. 4. With the world starting to open up, any big plans upcoming? Not 100% sure. Brazilian government has a talent for screwing up peachy situations. Assuming nothing goes downhill and we don't invent an even more lethal variation of the virus, I'm planning on going with my classmates from French class for some fun downtown at the end of the year. Maybe meet some of my mates over there as well. 5. Who will be our biggest rival this season in my opinion? Anyone that gets in the way. 6. Is there anything management can do (other than be more competent) for you? I mean... if you know someone who's into manga, anime and is a cutie, I won't complain...

He observed in silence the glass of strawberry milkshake he had ordered from the restaurant, a small but visible frown on his face while his hands remained interlocked, placed in front of his mouth. A voice cleared near him, causing him to lose his focus towards what was essentially nothing but a dairy product, making him focus on a ginger girl in front of him, her arms crossed. "Ah, right. Sorry, Nikki." Sunrise said before taking a sip of the milkshake. He could remember it now, he and his childhood friends had scheduled to make a nice trip to Amsterdam before going back to Schubbekuteveen and then relocate to wherever fate took them, but his mind was obviously elsewhere. It wasn't even on the draft, either. It was still all going back to his father's words about the farm. He confirmed the workload had gone bigger without him but that it had dawned to him (and the rest of the family) that Sunrise didn't think himself of as a farmer, but as a hockey player, and any effort in trying to bring him back would be useless for now. "Once you're done thinking yourself to be too good for this, Big Papa will welcome you back, boy." Had his father not said that, everything would've been nice and the draft prospect would be surely busy trying to pick up on the news of his friends while also parting them with some knowledge he gained back in Mexico and maybe even some hopes for the draft, maybe even helping a prediction or two. But his dad had to screw it up. He had to say those words. He had to suggest that his boy was stuck up for farm life. Where did that come from? Why did he suddenly think so? Before he could get himself lost in thought again, however, Nikki cleared her throat again. "I swear, Sunrise. What's wrong with you today? Is it because we're not gonna do this again for a while?" The girl inquired. She wasn't wrong, he thought; his entire crew of friends were on their way to figure out their lives - by the time they've made their decision, he was certain he wouldn't be around in person to congratulate them. "I know it can be worrisome but... you know we missed you when you left for hockey." Sunrise shook his head, letting his glass back down before smiling towards his friend. "Nah, I was just thinking about... things, you know. Like, has it ever passed your mind that maybe you're doing something against the needs of others?" To his surprise, the girl nodded while then handwaving it without much of a thought. "Sunrise, we're all farm kids. Anything we do that isn't literally related to living forever in the farm is against the needs and dreams of our relatives. I mean, look at me. I'm moving to Germany, gonna study mechanical engineering and then, hopefully, get to work on motorsports. You get to play hockey for a living, it was your dream, just hold onto it and do your best." "Is he still giving you trouble over his daddy's wishes?" A male voice asked, trying hard to hold onto something between his teeth. Eventually, that voice was followed by a dark-haired, burly teenager, looking somewhat worse for wear after what had to be another rough day on the farm. "I'm already sick of listenin' about it. I get to look up cows' buttholes for a livin', and this guy keeps having a moan about hockey." Nikki frowned, while he himself shrugged. "Watch yourself, Eddie. You know how Sunrise is..." she warned him, only for Eddie to keep his shrug. "You get to play with legends in a couple of years. What your dad thinks? Pffft. Hell to 'im." Sunrise could only nod. "I dunno why I'm so messed up over the words, to be honest with you two... wait, where's the rest of the gang?" The blonde seemed to have only noticed that now. The ginger chuckled. "Nina is readying her stuff to move to Dublin, Marie says she's running a little late because her mother needed help cleaning the house and Aerith is supposed to be attending her programming classes." Eddie completed with a sigh. "Matt is attending a football trial at Rotterdam and he brought his twins with him, the girls apparently wanted to check for openings on a museum... Adelheid and his sister Rose are busy fixing that air-machine again and finally, I think Leona, Cody and Kevin are studying at the police academy right about now." Sunrise nodded. "And I imagine the rest is on the farmside." The two nodded, causing him to merely look upwards, thinking. "Guess if I just stay still, I won't get anywhere in life." He let out, the battle on his head already pushed aside for now.

I'll save you lot the hassle, but happy birthday to the league nonetheless, hahah

I have a suspicion that offer of a NHL 21 copy and jersey won't include delivering it to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Hard to avoid Phoenix being brought up as that's literally the major reason to say he wasn't right. Atlanta also comes to mind. It does validate that good teams do well because they're good which... yes, that's usually how that works.

Four boys and six girls observed a Mexico City Kings jersey hanging on the wall of the main room inside the van de Schubbekuteveen house. Their ages varied, the eldest one being ten while the youngest one, a little girl, couldn't have more than four years in this planet. Soon, someone behind then cleared their throat. The kids cheered almost in unison with a loud yell of "Sunrise!" before nearly tackling him to the floor. "G-Guys, hold on, calm down... I ain't gonna be leaving here any time soon, calm down, I just wanted a good look at my own hockey jersey since dad put it up there without telling me he was going to even do that", he explained while carefully plucking out the little kids from over him. Eventually, one of the kids gathered enough courage to properly ask about his time in Mexico. Sunrise chuckled, taking a seat near the hanged jersey with a smile on his face. Sunrise had a couple of tales about his time in Mexico, every now and then mentioning his time on the ice as a player for the Kings, relating tales about the people whom he had met on the minors and how they had all changed his perspective in one way or another towards the way he saw things as. "So, big brother", started one of the girls, a blonde one that shouldn't be older than nine years old, with an inquisitive look towards her older brethren, "are you coming back for good?". Sunrise blinked, a bit surprised with the question and why it was being made by one of his younger sisters. Was the farm struggling without him? Surely not, that wouldn't make any sense in the slightest, his parents said things were going to be fine either way, with him either at the farm or away playing hockey for a living - why would that change? "Say, Athena", Sunrise formalized his plans to his sister, trying to start a subtle search on the subject. "Has father said anything about the farm needing some help? Anything that he would need me around but can't really talk due to reasons of bravado?", he finished asking. Athena, unsurprisingly for a little child, tilted her head and replied with a question of her own. "What is a bravado? Is it something you can eat? How does it taste? Hopefully, it's like my chocolate milk!" The young left winger shook his head, letting the little girl go. He sighed, staring at the slow departure of the Sun as it crawled towards the skyline. Was it right of him to move away from the family's farm life for this pro hockey journey? Or maybe by doing so, he was doing the right thing, getting his home village's name out there under his father's most sincere request. He heard a buzz on his phone. An e-mail from one of the interested parties for the draft. The boy sighed, answering everything carefully and patiently. Perhaps, his father would indeed be proud about him but the uncertainty certainly stung.

Eh, don't worry. I'm sure you'll get it next time.

1. Which season was your first in the VHL? Uh... I haven't played in the majors yet. My first season in the minors was this one. 2. Which season was your best? Why? I only played this past one so... this past one, I guess. 3. Which season did you win the most trophies (team or individual)? What are the name of the trophies? Won nothing so far, but that's because I'm starting out somewhat. 4. How many season your first player took to go in the VHL? What did you do to accomplished that? I haven't played in the majors yet. 5. What is your favorite name you saw in the VHL as of right now? Mine, I guess. 6. Would you like to have a managment role (VHL commissioner, VHLM commissioner, GM, AGM, etc.)? If yes, which one? Nah, I'm cool.

I should've said that I don't really mind wherever or whenever I get drafted but thanks for the opportunity for a talk. Sorry that it was on a rush, but I did arrive in French class at time that day.

SCHUBBEKUTEVEEN, ZEELAND, THE NETHERLANDS - The favourite son of his very own village, hockey player Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen has just arrived in Amsterdam after his first season as a hockey player. Currently contracted to the Mexico City Kings of the Victory Hockey League Minors, Sunrise took the off-season break in order to take a little break, visit his relatives in the backcountry of Zeeland and then return to regular activities in the world of ice hockey, based after whatever happens on the draft, which he plans to watch from home. He arrived in the Eindhoven Airport and only accepted interviews a couple of days later, as he wished to enjoy his time in the farm first. Once he finally opened up for questions, the left winger decided to answer several questions on a row, mostly questions from his home region about the sport of hockey and the cultural clash between his old, peaceful and somewhat boring home of Schubbekuteveen and his current living place, the capital city of Mexico and its much more lively lifestyle. His general opinion was, and to quote him word by word, "it was a bigger shock in the start but once you get used to it, there's nothing you can't really manage with enough effort, time and love for the game and, thankfully, I got that last one by the ton". He was also asked about how did he see his performance on his debut season, to which he seemed rather non-fussed about, saying that it was a pleasure to debut for Mexico City to begin with and that he was fine with his performance although, to quote his own words, "as a professional, I wished to do more, but that's more on me as a player than the team itself, they gave me every tool to improve and I will be looking into reaching a higher level of play next season". Whenever he was asked about what was his higher point in his career so far, he simply shrugged, smiling afterwards while adding "the playoffs, it feels... special and unique, the sort of stuff you only hear about in books, reports and interviews, granted the real big dance is in the majors". And then, it came time to talk about the VHL Draft, that one event that Sunrise seemed to be the most adamant about, for reasons he chose to mostly keep to himself, although he did privy to his family members and some of his closest friends from the village that he was worried the major teams would see him more as a curiosity than an actual respectable, quality player. To the press, he tried to be blunt, stating that "focusing on such matters as a Draft is really just a distressing matter that I would rather not get hold up on because I prefer to look towards the future and to how I can improve so that whoever gets me, ends up getting a really competent player that can help their squad to reach silverware". Like many other players who were in the minors this season, Sunrise will be watching the Draft from his hometown, hoping for that phone call to come sooner than later.

Them's fighting words, playa.

1. With our season over, what are your plans for the off-season? I'll mostly be trying some experimental things for the time being, I believe. Hopefully, we'll be back in quality fashion for our next go around the wheel. 2. When a team beats you in the playoffs, do you prefer to see them win the cup or fall short the next round? I think the most honourable thing is to lose to a team who will, in the end, win it all. 3. What are your goals for next season? Be productive, be competent and be regular. 4. What six VHLE cities do you want to see represented? Paris, Thun, Munich, Lisbon, Milan and Edinburgh. 5. Tampa Bay Lightning are up 2-0 on Montreal. Any chance Habs come back? Never say never in these kinds of things. I do doubt it in any case. 6. Describe your season in 3 words. Needs more improvement.

Wanted to try my hand at a somewhat suspicious character.

In all fairness, a monochrome logo can work perfectly fine for Paris and then you'd only have to recolour it in whatever shade you want. It does look like the mime is cheering someone as well, which is nice.

+10 Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen

1. What kind of noise do you see us making in the playoffs? Well, we fought hard, I reckon. Can't ask much else from a team developing itself. 2. Predict Round 1 vs Yukon Well, we went the whole mile but we didn't end up going through. 3. Who needs to be the MVP of the series for us to beat Yukon? Anyone would've been grand. 4. Who was our MVP during the season? Does Stonebridge count? 5. Best highlight of the season for yourself? Getting drafted was fun. 6. The Kings have a ton of draft picks this offseason...Who would you like to see management bring in? Eh, anyone good sounds good.

Eh, Discord for me would be grand. My account's on the VHL server as is. Sorry for the late reply, I was kinda cooling off from uni stress.

1. Any parting words for Darth Kaprizov after the trade this week? Wish you do well at your new team, man. Had fun the couple of weeks we were in the same team, y'see. 2. Any welcoming words to Deke Rike, who will become our newest 1st Line Center? Hope you have fun as a member of the Kings! 3. The team has been winning a lot more lately and has been competitive in general. What is the main reason for this? I did unearth some rabbit feet the other day... 4. Which NHL player do you compare your player to? Not a particularly good one. 5. You can give Mexico City a new team name. What is it? Los Técnicos de la Ciudad de México, named after the term for a "good guy" wrestler or a face. 6. Use three words to describe your starting goaltender, Bastian Greiss. A good lad.

I did see some criticism of the name Révolution. Personally, given my logo used a similar name, I'd argue that it's a name that holds enough of a threat and is also very much relevant for the region itself. As for not going with somewhere like Chamonix, Paris holds more relevance in terms of global importance than them, so it's easy to understand why they're an option.

1. Would you want to play in the VHLE or would you rather skip and go straight to the VHL? Honestly, whatever comes next, I welcome it. I'm not a picky person at all. 2. What are your goals before your career is over? Have plenty of fun, I reckon. 3. Hardest part about adjusting to the league? Doing everything, but that's a thing with other leagues as well, in any case. Nothing wrong here. 4. Favourite way to exercise besides hockey? Soccer, hands down. 5. You are now in charge of music in the room...what's on the playlist? Mostly Weezer. 6. Who is winning the Stanley Cup? Not Detroit, sadly.