Thunfish

To examine the circumstances around one, oneself has to be able to observe the situation around them with the look of an outsider. So far, the Dutch winger Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen couldn't see the events around him as anything besides peculiar. From what he was told, he had been selected for one of the skill events and the All-Star games themselves, something that sounded rather funny in retrospect, for he had spent the past seasons trying to battle the tides of opposition to what was essentially fated as repeated failure. Yet, here he was, perhaps due to rules of elimination, serving as an All-Star for his beleaguered Chicagoans. Luz insisted that it was an advantageous situation, a moment of pride for him but it didn't quite land on him that well. He rated his honour more on things that were related to the team he was supposed to defend, after all, not the team he was selected to be on a technicality. The more he thought about it, the more it tasted odd, the more it felt off. And he already felt that by the skills competition bit, where after essentially being placed last in the list and given a jersey that, to his chagrin, didn't even have his surname written right on it; he decided to amuse himself by touring the entirety of the rink as "preparation", passing the puck off, goofing off a bit while taking in the sights and then scoring to a flat thud.
 
Once the pleasantries were over, Sunrise skipped into the night, only making sure to take his girlfriend with him back home. He exchanged some words with the owner of the house he was staying at (a rather usual occurrence that started once she returned from a business trip back in Australia) before going to bed. While Luz remained in very good spirits after the whole ordeal, saying that it was a dream come true and that she was pretty pleased to see him doing his best on ice, the Dutchman might as well have clocked out in the early hours of the day and he probably wouldn't have missed it all that much. Sure was a fun sight to see people relaxing and fans that were willing to eat the most basic things up like it meant the world to them but it all packed inside his mind to a jarring point.
 
It was a big moment, wasn't it? Then why was it so superfluous? Why did it feel like something that just happened for the sake of it? Why was he not taking in the heat of the event? Was it all just meant to be some sort of curiosity, a side event to the regularities of another year in North America, away from his friends and family? It was the sort of thing that kept him at night. The kind of stuff he couldn't quite shake off, the lack of help from Luz also meant that this was something new to her as well.
 
His thoughts warped in circles before he finally conceded the point and went to sleep. The next day was war. Again.

It's only one t, mate.

I'd offer three Portuguese classes (regarding pronouns, verbs and insults each) for charity.
 
Classes would be handled via writing sessions on Discord but only on January (because family).

I'd offer three Portuguese classes (regarding pronouns, verbs and insults each) for charity.
 
Classes would be handled via writing sessions on Discord but only on January (because family).

I'd offer three Portuguese classes (regarding pronouns, verbs and insults each) for charity.
 
Classes would be handled via writing sessions on Discord but only on January (because family).

It didn't take much time after he left the arena he'd be playing in for his phone to ring and loud noises to come from the other side of the call. His family was certainly excited by the news, even if they had been rather sudden to pretty much everyone. The whole thing went by like a blur: Saturday saw him still in the comfort of sweet Cologne, Sunday had him talk contract details at Chicago with a couple of suitcases while some of his belongings were on their way to his temporary home in North America.
 
Unlike previous circumstances at Mexico City (which served as a way for him to study abroad and learn new things) and Cologne (which he was already certain he'd be living in once his playing time was over), Chicago was not a destination that he probably wouldn't stay in for long. Not like it was a bad place or anything like that, he'd never say such a thing from an organization or anything of the kind. Rather, he knew he would only be allowed to play another five seasons before he had to call it a day. As a Dutch gentleman, he still preferred to attend university near his home and Cologne remained as his preferred destination.
 
Much as he hated to think of it this way, his time in the United States had an expiration date and he knew that very well. Funny, come to think of it, he couldn't feel himself being that old or that hurt. He celebrated a birthday when Luz and him moved to Cologne but that was about it. Then again, he couldn't help but wonder how much of a wreck he could end up as if he stuck around for far longer than those eight seasons. Was time supposed to be that slow? Was it supposed to feel like a mere cup of coffee of sorts? He couldn't really tell.
 
Still, Luz remained optimistic as ever. Surely, she rationalized, the city would have some sort of fun attraction that they could both enjoy while they were staying there. Besides, if three seasons flew so quickly, another five probably would take just as fast to pass by. Besides, it's not like they were entirely alone in this new land - Luz was sure the two would make quick friends with the team's roster and soon enough, they would be calling this place a home away from home.
 
That and they were quite literally not alone indeed, they were staying at the mansion of a Dutch businesswoman from the village. They weren't exactly sure who this really was: in retrospect, she was an old friend of Sunrise's father but she had left at a young age and only really kept tabs with her home village via letters and only somewhat recently, she had been able to talk in video call. Alas, the two weren't around when that happened, so they really were going on luck.
 
And thus, the two waited outside of the hockey arena for this person.
 
What a way to arrive.

It didn't take much time after he left the arena he'd be playing in for his phone to ring and loud noises to come from the other side of the call. His family was certainly excited by the news, even if they had been rather sudden to pretty much everyone. The whole thing went by like a blur: Saturday saw him still in the comfort of sweet Cologne, Sunday had him talk contract details at Chicago with a couple of suitcases while some of his belongings were on their way to his temporary home in North America.
 
Unlike previous circumstances at Mexico City (which served as a way for him to study abroad and learn new things) and Cologne (which he was already certain he'd be living in once his playing time was over), Chicago was not a destination that he probably wouldn't stay in for long. Not like it was a bad place or anything like that, he'd never say such a thing from an organization or anything of the kind. Rather, he knew he would only be allowed to play another five seasons before he had to call it a day. As a Dutch gentleman, he still preferred to attend university near his home and Cologne remained as his preferred destination.
 
Much as he hated to think of it this way, his time in the United States had an expiration date and he knew that very well. Funny, come to think of it, he couldn't feel himself being that old or that hurt. He celebrated a birthday when Luz and him moved to Cologne but that was about it. Then again, he couldn't help but wonder how much of a wreck he could end up as if he stuck around for far longer than those eight seasons. Was time supposed to be that slow? Was it supposed to feel like a mere cup of coffee of sorts? He couldn't really tell.
 
Still, Luz remained optimistic as ever. Surely, she rationalized, the city would have some sort of fun attraction that they could both enjoy while they were staying there. Besides, if three seasons flew so quickly, another five probably would take just as fast to pass by. Besides, it's not like they were entirely alone in this new land - Luz was sure the two would make quick friends with the team's roster and soon enough, they would be calling this place a home away from home.
 
That and they were quite literally not alone indeed, they were staying at the mansion of a Dutch businesswoman from the village. They weren't exactly sure who this really was: in retrospect, she was an old friend of Sunrise's father but she had left at a young age and only really kept tabs with her home village via letters and only somewhat recently, she had been able to talk in video call. Alas, the two weren't around when that happened, so they really were going on luck.
 
And thus, the two waited outside of the hockey arena for this person.
 
What a way to arrive.

Ah, hey, I remember that! Think I have their logo somewhere in my notebook still.
 
Oh, I also liked the article, pretty nice.

Guide:
Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's girlfriend, Luz.
 
As time got closer and closer to midnight, a light kept the inhabitants inside one of the many apartments downtown awoke. With the cold weather outside to keep them inside and as close as they possibly could be by that point, the international couple of Sunrise and Luz chose to ignore the late hours by going through a marathon of movies. Movies, instead of games, for Luz complained about pressing buttons on a controller with the cold air around them. For Sunrise, it was a way to get his head out of the loop he had been in: 17 goals in 64 games felt like somewhat of a bad taste although not entirely his own fault. Luz insisted that he was on a higher level now and thus had to work his way back up again, something that Sunrise understood but still felt a bit bad for it.
 
Hence, why they were now watching movies. Then again, the two had to admit things had gone a bit off a hill. They apparently were watching a Brazilian movie, given the Portuguese title and what looked to be Rio de Janeiro in the 1980s. The protagonist by now was dressed as a priest, giving a suitcase full of toys to a child in the middle of the beach. Sunrise took a very good look at the subtitles, looking back at Luz. "So, you're getting any of this?" The Mexican nodded, huddling up close to him. "Yeah, it's perfectly simple. The hero is a TV star and he's doing a show to raise funds for a child in order to then trade said funds for the information of where the villains took the monkey, which happens to be the pet of the love interest and the condition the small gentleman said he needed to recover in order to be given the power to do good."
 
Luz looked back at the screen while Sunrise seemed to do a double take. "...And now, he's dressed as a lady to lose the villains because they figured out what he was up to and... Uh... He went into the sea." The Dutch player rose an eyebrow. "And you reckon people in Brazil surf in drag?" She replied with a slight shrug, kissing his cheek. "I think we should probably consider watching a different movie. One that's more on our speed. As in, we can actually understand what's going on."
 
Sunrise nodded. Perhaps, this was something he needed to do life in general. Trying to fit things in his own speed and patterns - getting acquainted with the world around him while still making sure everything was comparable to what he already had done in the past. Maybe, once he was able to fully approach things while comparing it to his junior days, he would also have a decent way into good performances again. Maybe that would be the trick and the thing to work towards, come next season. For now, he was to enjoy the rest and relaxation of being near his lover... for hockey would be back sooner than later.

Guide:
Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's girlfriend, Luz.
 
Luz asked with her usual enthusiasm, "Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen, what are your plans for life after your VHL career?" as if she already knew the answer she was gonna get from him but still had some curiosity as to what he was going to say. This week, the league had chosen to send forms for pretty much everyone to talk about their future, possibly with the idea of supporting ex-players through retirement. Not like it mattered much for Sunrise himself, he entered the league early and would likely retire in his mid-20s. That said, he knew he would have to humour them regardless of that.
 
"Well, I think I have said this in the past but... I guess I can talk about it again," he started his answer with a peaceful look on his face. "I want to be a chemist. Mainly, I want to work towards the development of new green alternatives for energy and construction. As such, I study during the off-season so that I'm not too lost once I'm done playing and thus have the time to fully pursuit that goal I have. Additionally, reaching such a goal would bring much respect and rejoicing to the village of Schubbekuteveen, so that's also a plus."
 
Luz curled her lips, as if he had managed to forget something important. And sure enough, he could already tell what it was. "And I do plan to marry a certain girl before I retire, too." The Mexican girl replied with an innocent look on her face, as if she couldn't tell who he was talking about. "A girl that spends all her time with me, plays games, sleeps by my side... and taught me Spanish", he added while also grabbing an apple from the fruit basket nearby and then taking a healthy bite. Luz let out laughter but agreed. "I think your plans are pretty good... But you forgot something else."
 
Luz smirked, while Sunrise merely scratched his head, thinking on what he could've forgotten. "You forgot to ask me about my dreams, you buffoon." He blinked, nodding. "Yeah, that's true. I didn't ask you about your dreams, very sorry about that. Can you tell me it now, then?" Luz grinned, taking a seat on the couch with a triumphant sigh. "I want to be a Spanish teacher. Simple as that. I want to help people learn Spanish. It's how I met you and what I want to be known by."
 
She wasn't wrong, that's how he had met her - as someone appointed to help him out with the language. Sure, his Spanish was a bit rough and all but she had done a good job - maybe this was her area after all. "And if that fails, I want to stick with you so that I have someone I can constantly beat on videogames and then have you cook for me." She let out a playful laughter, to which Sunrise shook a negative with his head.
 
"Sure, I'll take you on," he replied with a little smirk, walking away to another room. She celebrated with a grin, writing up what he had said for his dream. "Always!"

Guide:
Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's girlfriend, Luz.
 
Luz asked with her usual enthusiasm, "Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen, what are your plans for life after your VHL career?" as if she already knew the answer she was gonna get from him but still had some curiosity as to what he was going to say. This week, the league had chosen to send forms for pretty much everyone to talk about their future, possibly with the idea of supporting ex-players through retirement. Not like it mattered much for Sunrise himself, he entered the league early and would likely retire in his mid-20s. That said, he knew he would have to humour them regardless of that.
 
"Well, I think I have said this in the past but... I guess I can talk about it again," he started his answer with a peaceful look on his face. "I want to be a chemist. Mainly, I want to work towards the development of new green alternatives for energy and construction. As such, I study during the off-season so that I'm not too lost once I'm done playing and thus have the time to fully pursuit that goal I have. Additionally, reaching such a goal would bring much respect and rejoicing to the village of Schubbekuteveen, so that's also a plus."
 
Luz curled her lips, as if he had managed to forget something important. And sure enough, he could already tell what it was. "And I do plan to marry a certain girl before I retire, too." The Mexican girl replied with an innocent look on her face, as if she couldn't tell who he was talking about. "A girl that spends all her time with me, plays games, sleeps by my side... and taught me Spanish", he added while also grabbing an apple from the fruit basket nearby and then taking a healthy bite. Luz let out laughter but agreed. "I think your plans are pretty good... But you forgot something else."
 
Luz smirked, while Sunrise merely scratched his head, thinking on what he could've forgotten. "You forgot to ask me about my dreams, you buffoon." He blinked, nodding. "Yeah, that's true. I didn't ask you about your dreams, very sorry about that. Can you tell me it now, then?" Luz grinned, taking a seat on the couch with a triumphant sigh. "I want to be a Spanish teacher. Simple as that. I want to help people learn Spanish. It's how I met you and what I want to be known by."
 
She wasn't wrong, that's how he had met her - as someone appointed to help him out with the language. Sure, his Spanish was a bit rough and all but she had done a good job - maybe this was her area after all. "And if that fails, I want to stick with you so that I have someone I can constantly beat on videogames and then have you cook for me." She let out a playful laughter, to which Sunrise shook a negative with his head.
 
"Sure, I'll take you on," he replied with a little smirk, walking away to another room. She celebrated with a grin, writing up what he had said for his dream. "Always!"

Pretty cool stuff, not gonna lie. You could've just called it like "Thoughts about X" or something, not saying this as a review, just to save the need to explain why it isn't a podcast.

Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's Spanish teacher and new friend, Luz.
 
Once he opened the door, Sunrise was rather shocked. Luz, who came in after him, was just as surprised: everything they brought in from Mexico was placed perfectly, right in the same place they should've been but in this new apartment. He knew his agent knew some folks but that seemed like the kind of work a bunch of ninja would've made... at least, that's what Luz herself suggested as she sat down on the couch, still as good as it was back in Mexico.
 
Unlike their former location, Cologne was more extreme in weather, something they could tell from the rain currently pouring outside. From what the Dutchman could get, the German city had a rather varied climate, something that did sit reasonably well with him but he found it a bit funny that Mexico City was apparently far more pleasant than where he is at now. The news hit him while he was at Zeeland along with his family, introducing them to his girlfriend. He got to enjoy some downtime with his local friends, talked about new things and the stuff that hasn't changed back home and then, there it was. Round 3, Pick 13. He was off to play for the Express, one of the six inaugural teams of the VHL's European Section.
"Sucks that your dad couldn't get a franchise to Schubbekuteveen, eh?" The blonde shook his head, throwing himself on their bed once he realized she may have picked onto his father's quirks a bit. "Don't listen to every single thing dad tells you: he has some crazy ideas about getting the name of our hometown out there. Besides, the league preferred major cities or places with hockey experience." He chuckled, stretching on bed before adding further info. "Schubbekuteveen has a football team and that's about it, I fear."
 
She grinned, walking up to him. "And I take you're too tired from our trip all the way from there to here to do anything else." He nodded, but still pushed himself up from bed. "Well, I thought of taking a break after all this but we could do anything else, the season is coming in a while." Luz dashed towards the television set, looking for her boyfriend's trusty game box. Sure enough, it was there, intact and working, by the looks of it. She pulled out her favourite one and started to assemble it in such quick fashion that by the time Sunrise got to seat by her side, she already held a controller.
 
"Oh, that reminds me." Luz perked up after a couple of rounds. "You know the team you'll play for wears green, right?" A grin started to form in her face, even more mischievous than usual. "Yeah... I know I look better in orange or red but if that's the team's colours, I can't really do much about it. Hopefully, you'll be able to understand such a circumstance." Sunrise replied in a short burst, probably to try and not lose focus from the game itself.
 
"...You're gonna look like Link."
 
Sunrise stopped, losing.
 
"...You fiend."

1. Malmo and Miami have won the cups, were they your favorites going into the playoffs? Or did you have another team in mind?
Not really, I didn't pay much attention towards the majors given I'm not there.
2. The NFL season has started for anyone who watches football, who is your team? And after week one what are your thoughts on how this season will go for you?
The Jets suck like usual, not looking forward to them but I imagine the football will be fine.
3. There is alot of great people and great GM's in this league, from your experience who is the best GM you've ever played under? This could be current or any GM's in the past.
I'm familiar with Advantage from Mexico. Guy's cool.
4. If you don't watch the NFL or if you do, what sports do you watch and which one is your favorite?
Well, as a Brazilian, I watch soccer rather often but I've been avoiding the local main league because I got fed up of their shenanigans. My local team got knocked out from the fourth tier, sadly.
5. What is your favorite board game and why?
Risk.
6. What is your favorite restaurant? 
I dunno, Subway.
7. Do you play Fortnite? If you do what are your thoughts on the new season?
Nah, hate it with a passion.
8. What is your favorite gaming system?
PlayStation 2, helped me through some rougher patches.
9. This is my first time making a press conference. How did I do? Also give me some thoughts on what you would like me to make these more exciting so we aren't answering the same questions? 
I think it's good, don't worry 'bout it.

Why do I keep imagining a bear saying that?

Let's do well, Europe.

Let's do well, Europe.

Guide:
Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's Spanish teacher and new friend, Luz.
Red bold lines are from Sunrise's sister, Mooncalf.
 
Sunrise stared at the clock. A free day, one after quite a while in fact, and he was feeling tired. A feeling that usually didn't really hit him. Maybe, it was all from sleeping in the couch. He had yet to spring for buying a new bed ever since his old one had been taken by a certain girl. An invader to his home throne. Not like it mattered, Sunrise thought, sooner or later, he would have to go up to the next level and then, he was off to wherever they were gonna take him. He had no idea of what to make of the girl. Luz was definitively a pleasant person to be with, even if she seemed to lack a proper knowledge of what most people would call personal limits.
 
Last week, he had to keep her from trying to shower with him, something that he was pretty sure would count as a crime in a couple of countries and the girl had even tried to drag him to bed once. Granted, it would've meant resting his body on somewhere less bumpy but still, a man had to keep his principles. Luz was a nice friend and he was fine with having her as a good friend but it seemed that recently, she had other thoughts.
 
Still, life was fine and he was certain that things would remain fine as long as he was able to keep her presence in his house out of his family's knowledge. He heard a loud yawn from the other room. Luz had finally woke up, adjusting her make-shift pajamas (one of his hockey jerseys that she seemed to have taken a hold of under finders-keepers rule and a pair of comfy shorts) before flashing him a pearly smile. "You know you shouldn't sleep on the couch every night..." she noted, finger wagging. "Well, we only have one bed and I'm too nice to not let you have it."
 
Luz giggled. "Well, silly, why don't you just sleep with me, then? I don't bite." Sunrise shook his head, to which she crossed her arms in response. "I'd rather not. We're friends..." The girl walked up to him, staring hard towards his eyes, to which he merely let out a little chuckle. "Uh... What is it?" Her face got ever closer towards him, the girl even stretching her hands towards the Dutch.
 
The noises of a key shoving itself into the door could be heard, the door itself opening wide. A blonde stood, purse on hand. She was statuesque, taller than the boy and definitively taller than Luz. Her eyes widened and she let out a squeal. "Ahhh! My little brother is dating?"
 
(...)
 
"What do you mean, you're not?" The lady asked with a cross look on her face. "You're living together, you're sleeping near each other, you're fine that she's here and she wants to be here all the time, right?" Luz nodded while Sunrise remained without saying much. The girl was his older sister, Mooncalf. Technically, she was the only notorious person from the village before he was able to get a shot at playing hockey and with good reason, she worked as a model. Not a major model but she still seemed to have an easy time getting bookings here and there. She was also planning on acting, which leads to the reason she was there...
 
"So, uh... why are you here, sis?" She grinned, a little chuckle leaving her mouth. "I'm gonna study to be an actress here in Mexico, little brother." Sunrise blinked, thinking about it. "Oh, I'm sure you'll do well, miss..."
 
The model smiled. "Mooncalf. But you can call me sis. That's what you're going for, right?" Sunrise could only watch while his sister essentially did most of the work of getting each detail across with Luz, almost like a cardboard of himself. He felt tired.
 
Soon, he got up from his seat on the table, collapsing onto his own bed, a groan leaving his mouth. "See, Luz, he likes you so much he's already gearing up for a night together." Sunrise could only raise a hand to protest before simply giving up. "Eh, sure. Let's give this dating thing a try." The room fell into silence.
 
"Good by me" was all he heard before being tackled by Luz with a large grin on her face.
 
(...)
 
Sunrise woke up three hours later, noticing that he couldn't feel his left arm. As he motioned to try and get his arm out, he heard a little groan. He then noticed Luz's frame over his limb, realizing that it was going to be a bit hard to free himself from her. He sneaked his arm out carefully, avoiding any new reactions from her. Still, he couldn't help but realize that she was actually rather cute from that angle: a smile on her face, a strand of hair covering one of her eyes, her expression as she slept looked rather cute as well.
 
He reached out for his cellphone once he heard it buzz. It was even a bigger alarm that something went up when he realized the apparel was basically shaking five times every minute. Something must have happened with his folks or something, Sunrise thought, because he couldn't see his relatives bothering him that much about any other possible thing. Then the realization hit it. His sister was there. His sister was a notorious phone user. And she was also pretty good at sharing secrets one would rather not have shared.
 
He scrolled through his phone in a quick fashion, noticing the amount of messages received. His mother had been the most talkative of the bunch, essentially giving him guidelines on just about anything. His father was also very talkative, insisting that he should make her aware that "the control of the county was restricted to only male heirs" and his hometown friends all had essentially acknowledged the news and congratulated him. "God, did she tell we were engaged or dating?"
 
"Hnnng... what's that about engaging?"
 
(1008 words, claimable for the week ending August 29th and then September 8th)

Guide:
Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's Spanish teacher and new friend, Luz.
 
His eyes sped through the lines, each one detailing a piece of information about each individual bit of the elemental table. To his credit, Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen was probably one of the finest students from his little village back in Zeeland and the move to Mexico was not going to get in the way. He studied after training sessions and even games, if it meant it would keep his mind working, he was all for it. Of course, his grades were pretty good all across the board, with the obligatory exception of Spanish - he took all other exams in English, a language he was somewhat more familiar with but Spanish had been picked as a language for his time in Mexico and he also didn't mind the idea of getting acquainted with a new language. 
 
"Hey, Sunrise!" And then his eyes darted above from the book, looking at Luz, who was once again just crashing at his place. Wearing one of his hockey jerseys. Exactly the one he was supposed to wear for the game against Halifax at home. "I'll have you know I'll need that cleaned by tomorrow." He noted while she grumbled. "Come on, I want to be an example of a good captain. Kinda hard to do that when you're only 16." The Mexican girl grumbled more, sitting by his side before taking a peek at what he was reading. "Chemistry? You study that?"
 
Sunrise reacted with a smile, nodding in silence. The girl laughed, which caused him to lower his book again. "What's funny? School is pretty important." His gentle note was answered to by even more laughter, Luz shooting back that "You're the first person I've ever seen that somehow still studies while playing for a living, you know." Sunrise nodded, a shrug following. "Well... I mean, it's a condition dad made, you remember. But then again, I guess I like it. I mean..." He closed the book, chuckling a little bit. "I wanted to be a chemist, if hockey didn't work out. In fact, I'm considering getting a degree while I'm playing for Chicago. Something to do when I'm retired from the sport."
 
He then took a good look at Luz, a little smile on his face. "Are you this close to me just because the weather is a bit cold today or do you need to learn something for your own Chemistry classes?" The girl hid a bit of a blush on her face, grumbling more. "Maybe I do need some help with my exams, since I'm too busy making sure you do well on your Spanish ones and chill out every now and then." He seemed to be in thought for a second in response. "Well, if you need my help, I'll gladly assist you. It wouldn't be too much of an issue for me after all."
 
And thus, the two spent the rest of the afternoon studying Chemistry. He obviously insisted in having his jersey back cleaned. A captain has to have his principles, after all.

This is an absolute banger. I really like the effects used here, they give the image a sort of motion-esque aura to it and that really helps the player stand out or just generate hype, I guess? My only complaint would be the font for the team name, which is a little bit hard to read, given the size of the image and whatnot. I'd avoid this sort of handwritten font because it's usually harder to sort out than some normal Arial-esque stuff. Still, great stuff in spite of that little bit. 10/10

Review:
 
Very original spot. Although I want to know more about the relationship now between Sunrise and Luz. Consider turning this into a series! If you've already done that, then AMAZING! You're ahead of me, but then I would suggest linking past series posts to the latest episode too! Constructively, A Main Title and an Image would have shored up the presentation, but I love the Legend. That allows the reader to read the conversation more fluidly. Fun spot @Thunfish  9/10

Guide:
Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's Spanish teacher and new friend, Luz.
 
Sunrise left the arena on his own pace, before being stopped right on his tracks from the yells of a familiar voice. "Hey, Sunrise!"
 
The blonde turned around, finding his Spanish language teacher Luz, decked in proper Mexico City Kings' fan apparel with a large smile on her face. It helped the team had beaten the Ottawa Lynx by a large margin and he himself had a field day against the Canadian team. "Ah, Luz. Thought I'd find you at home again somehow." The Mexican girl grinned, nodding. "Had that in mind but since I've seen you already, think we could go together to your place, right?" By now, he was starting to get a tad curious as to why she was showing up that often on his place. "...Is your dad OK with that? I mean... you show up pretty often, next thing I know, you got a..."
 
He noticed the girl carrying a suitcase, blinking. "...suitcase to bring your stuff in." He rose an eyebrow, examining it while the girl seemed a bit stressed. "F-Father says it's fine, come on." She walked past him, suitcase and all, towards the waiting car. "C'mon! I wanna talk about how you did tonight." Sunrise mulled over his thoughts before simply shrugging and following her, sitting by her side on the car that was to take them to his home.
 
"Man, you played like crazy tonight!" Luz said with a large smile on her face, gesturing with her hands over every word that left her mouth. "You hit all sorts of shots, I'm amazed you only got like four goals in, you could totally get way more than that!" The Dutch one simply shrugged, letting out a chuckle or two as he formed his answer, "Might've scored more but their goalkeepers had other ideas, I guess. Can't really blame them, can you?"
 
Luz only laughed more before looking him straight on his face. "Uh... may I ask? What's your secret? You've been having a really good time this season, what changed?" Sunrise looked a bit skeptically at her, a smirk forming on the corner of his mouth. "And here I thought you would claim it to be your influence." The two laughed. "Alright, I shall explain it. So, as you may remember, I lived in a farm when I was back home and that's where I stayed during vacations. Figured I'd get some practice in and then dad said he had a couple of cabbage heads that could use some smacking around."
 
Silence. "...You practiced with cabbage?" The reply came with a chuckle. "Well, frozen lettuce heads. Dad forgot them on the washing pond and they froze up just before I arrived." The blonde sighed, shaking his head. "Hitting them about was a 'more fun' way to get out the ice bits and I guess using it for aim at the farm's old improvised soccer goal bars did the deed." Luz blinked while Sunrise proudly added, "And now you know how you score in hockey. Just pretend it's a cabbage."

Guide:
Black bold lines are from Sunrise.
Green bold lines are from Sunrise's Spanish teacher and new friend, Luz.
 
Sunrise left the arena on his own pace, before being stopped right on his tracks from the yells of a familiar voice. "Hey, Sunrise!"
 
The blonde turned around, finding his Spanish language teacher Luz, decked in proper Mexico City Kings' fan apparel with a large smile on her face. It helped the team had beaten the Ottawa Lynx by a large margin and he himself had a field day against the Canadian team. "Ah, Luz. Thought I'd find you at home again somehow." The Mexican girl grinned, nodding. "Had that in mind but since I've seen you already, think we could go together to your place, right?" By now, he was starting to get a tad curious as to why she was showing up that often on his place. "...Is your dad OK with that? I mean... you show up pretty often, next thing I know, you got a..."
 
He noticed the girl carrying a suitcase, blinking. "...suitcase to bring your stuff in." He rose an eyebrow, examining it while the girl seemed a bit stressed. "F-Father says it's fine, come on." She walked past him, suitcase and all, towards the waiting car. "C'mon! I wanna talk about how you did tonight." Sunrise mulled over his thoughts before simply shrugging and following her, sitting by her side on the car that was to take them to his home.
 
"Man, you played like crazy tonight!" Luz said with a large smile on her face, gesturing with her hands over every word that left her mouth. "You hit all sorts of shots, I'm amazed you only got like four goals in, you could totally get way more than that!" The Dutch one simply shrugged, letting out a chuckle or two as he formed his answer, "Might've scored more but their goalkeepers had other ideas, I guess. Can't really blame them, can you?"
 
Luz only laughed more before looking him straight on his face. "Uh... may I ask? What's your secret? You've been having a really good time this season, what changed?" Sunrise looked a bit skeptically at her, a smirk forming on the corner of his mouth. "And here I thought you would claim it to be your influence." The two laughed. "Alright, I shall explain it. So, as you may remember, I lived in a farm when I was back home and that's where I stayed during vacations. Figured I'd get some practice in and then dad said he had a couple of cabbage heads that could use some smacking around."
 
Silence. "...You practiced with cabbage?" The reply came with a chuckle. "Well, frozen lettuce heads. Dad forgot them on the washing pond and they froze up just before I arrived." The blonde sighed, shaking his head. "Hitting them about was a 'more fun' way to get out the ice bits and I guess using it for aim at the farm's old improvised soccer goal bars did the deed." Luz blinked while Sunrise proudly added, "And now you know how you score in hockey. Just pretend it's a cabbage."

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. 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...