Nyx

Fourth and final claim for week ending in 03/31

1. I missed the awards, I'm sort of swamped atm with school/work and haven't had a chance to look yet :// Congrats to everyone who won though! 2. Definitely curved and always backwards. Makes me feel like an undercover cop or something wearing them forward lol 3. Maybe Courage the Cowardly Dog. Used to love that one growing up, but Regular Show was a staple for me as well 4. Not at the moment, but I'd like to. Manga, anime/video game memorabilia, that sorta thing definitely interests me. Really expensive market though, especially when importing goods from overseas. 5. Solid color - probably the most disgusting color that just completely doesn't match the team colors just to mess with the other squad. Could definitely rock a lime green helmet 6. Whichever the sim engine has a preference for, though that's definitely not something it takes into account

Third claim for week ending in 3/24

Having finally settled down in his . . . humble apartment in Rome, he scribbled in a notebook on the desk in his living room which, well, also happened to be his bedroom. And his kitchen. Underneath some pencil marks spelling out an introductory phrase in English, he wrote out another phrase just underneath. "Ciao il mio nome è Tyler," he trailed off, a hand to his forehead. The language barrier was something that had been troubling him - without the Gladiators organization helping to acquire his apartment, he'd be sleeping out on the streets, no doubt. Shaking his head, he got back into his notebook not allowing himself to grow distracted. Just as he picked up his pencil from his desk, he shot out of his chair in shock as the chime of his ringtone filled the room. Who the hell is calling at this time of night?' He thought, annoyed that he'd been disturbed once again. "I swear whoever called, I'm going to give them a piece of my-" He froze as he picked up the call and heard the voice on the other end. "Hello, is this Tyler Lawson?" The voice asked, to which Tyler confirmed. "Please hold for [USA Manager name] for the World Junior Championship." His eyes grew wide as he removed his phone from his ear to look at the phone in disbelief over what he was hearing. 'Did they say Team USA?' He thought, 'No shot - there's no way.' If he had any more doubts, it was shattered quickly as the team manager informed him of their interest in him playing for the squad, should he be interested. "Yes!" He shouted, "Uh - definitely, I'd . . . uh, it would be an honor, amazing really, I . . . yes, I'd love to." He stammered, his words stumbling over themselves as words were flowing out of his mouth uncontrollably. He winced knowing that the other tenants would likely complain of his outburst just now - what an impression to make on his first night, huh? As the other side of the phone assured him they'd keep and touch and clicked off the call, Lawson couldn't help yet another outburst as he punched the air excitedly. "USA! USA! USA!" He chanted in his celebration, a smile plastered across his face that he couldn't shake off even if he wanted to. During his chanting, though, a man from the floor beneath him began yelling loudly at him in Italian, and from the little knowledge he DID have on the language, he could tell they weren't very friendly words. "I, err, sorry!" He yelled back before resting his head in his hands. "Damnit," he muttered before tossing himself onto his bed, laying on his back. He couldn't help but to just stare at the ceiling thinking about this new opportunity - no, he wouldn't be getting much rest tonight, he thought.

Thank you very much! I really love to write longer forms of media over here as I feel it allows more cohesive storytelling than if I were to split it up over a few weeks or just through writing shorter pieces. I'm happy you enjoyed it, I appreciate you taking the time to read it

This is really high praise coming from you, thank you so much! Playing for Sam is going to be really awesome, but I can say the same for you with Riga - they've got an amazing user in you, it's almost crazy the amount of accolades you have under your belt in such a short time. I can't wait to see what else you end up doing for this community, I feel like you've already accomplished a lot and made a huge mark with both your player and your multiple GM gigs and I'm honestly very excited to see your future in the league.

With all the effort we've all seen from you on the forums, the discord, and just within the league entirely, I have zero doubt in my mind that you will! Keep up the fantastic work - I can't wait to see what kind of career you'll end up with as a GM and a player! Best of luck

Second claim for week ending in 3/17

Thank you so much! My favorite part of these sim leagues is world building with my players so it's really awesome to hear that. Hope all goes well for you in the upcoming season as well!

Thanks for the mention! Great piece, it takes a lot of time, dedication, and attention to detail as well as a little bit of imagination to come up with realistic trade scenarios like you have.

As Tyler Lawson, former Houston Bulls centreman was selected with the fourteenth overall pick by the Helinski Titans, he was initially really nervous at the prospect. He was to live and play in a foreign country and it all seemed extremely daunting for him - it was something that was weighing on his shoulders even now, honestly, but he realized he had to get over himself and face the reality of his situation. After undergoing the contract signing, all the ordinary new team chats, finding his way with all the facilities, and getting to meet teammates, trainers, and coaches, he found himself in his first press conference with the squad. He let out a deep breath from out of view, before smiling and waving to greet the press. The room grew loud as the reporters all were vying for a scoop about their new American prospect. He selected a reporter, a man - probably in his forties, close to the front. As he spoke, Lawson's face dropped and he felt a deep twinge of . . . honestly, fear. It hadn't quite hit him until that moment that they wouldn't be speaking English. His eyes grew wide and he scratched at his neck nervously, looking off side to side at his team for any help. Unbeknownst to Lawson, they'd set him up with someone to translate for him - some team intern must've forgotten to clue him in. The translator looked over at Tyler before speaking, "The reporter would like to know some of the things you intend to do in Helinski once you're settled in." "I, uhm, well, first and foremost . . . I need to crack open some books, err, get on learning . . . Finnish? Right, ah, yeah. I'd like to learn some Finnish and get to take in the culture of your people, and uhm, maybe go sightseeing - that'd be fun. Uhm, thanks," he nodded to the reporter, feeling as though he were sweating bullets. He thought he'd managed to figure out this whole press conference thing back in Houston - but man, these VHL reporters were seriously no joke. It almost felt like a whole other level - though part of that was probably also the language barrier. He found himself growing frustrated as he continued on struggling to answer their questions properly. Eventually, he'd thank them for their time before hastily scurrying out of the box. As he exited the room and turned the corner to meet with his PR Manager, he frowned. "Well, that . . . couldn't have gone any worse, huh," he let out. He could already tell he was going to be in for a hard time with the fans and reporters here in Helinski.

The loud crack of a hockey stick rang out through the empty arena, echoing off of the walls as the only sound in an otherwise silent stadium. Shortly after that, the sound of skates on ice could be heard as the player skated off the ice and onto the bench. His helmet dropped and rolled around the concrete flooring, the pants of the player loud and frequent. Tyler Lawson threw his head back, wiping sweat from his brow, as he took in his surroundings. Having been cut from the Houston Bulls as he was entering the VLHE Draft, he asked a favor of the staff to let him skate around in Houston for one last time. Lawson had broken his hockey stick out on the rink, taking it as a sign that maybe his time on the ice here was ending. Having spent the better part of a year living here, he felt an odd, almost indescribable feeling creeping up on him knowing that after the draft, he could be playing god knows where. After getting so accustomed to the culture in Houston, he frowned thinking of how it was almost like a reset for him. Not that would be a bad thing necessarily, but he'd enjoyed his time here and the change worried him. He tossed aside his stick, letting it bounce with a clang against the metal bench, before pulling out his phone. He scrolled through a folder in his gallery app, compiled of all the memories he'd made with the team through many various photos and videos. He would take a few more - of the stadium, a selfie on the ice, just taking it all in as he never knew when, or if, he'd be back. He found himself smiling as he scrolled through the media, and looked back on all the team dinners, the pranks played, and the charity events. Enveloped in nostalgia, he had to remind himself to be happy of everything he started here - as his time in Houston was slipping through his fingers, he wanted to end it off on a high note. After all, he would hate to have to look back on his times here and only be able to remember moping around about leaving. His eyes scanned the stands and his mind was filled with the roars of the crowd, the wins and the losses, everything that'd led him to that point. Shaking himself out of it, he let out a small grunt as stood, finding his footing. Letting out a small sigh, Tyler knew he'd overstayed his welcome. He'd scoop up his immediate belongings, before turning to make way for the locker rooms. On the trip over, he made sure to take in the arena he'd grown fond of over the past season. He'd almost felt like he had taken it all for granted - deep down, he knew he was off to bigger and better things, though, that didn't stop the heartache he felt leaving his teammates behind. As he stepped into the locker room, he read the nametags above every locker before making his way over to his. He scooped the rest of his items, placing them in his bag, before shouldering the bag again. As he made his way for the player's exit of the arena, he made sure to thank the staff on the way out for allowing him to check the arena out one last time, as well as for their contributions to the team. Finally exiting the arena, he made his way for a black SUV he'd rented ahead of time that would be taking him to the airport. It only made sense, in his eyes, to watch the draft from home with his family. Lawson wasn't exactly top-pick material, and as such, he decided against attending the draft in person. This way, it allowed for him to spend time with his family without killing his pockets, he thought. He pulled out his phone, checking social media to ease his nerves. Call it conceited, but recently, Tyler had been watching the VHL mock drafts, he was unsurprisingly anxious about the whole ordeal. I mean, whoever drafted him, that very well could be his home until the wheels fell off and he was to retire. He didn't really mind where he was going - well, that was untrue, he'd prefer somewhere a little warmer in climate. At the least during the summer, he thought, as he couldn't think of a ton of places in the world where hockey was played that were quite as hot as anywhere he'd lived before. He'd also secretly hoped to be drafted alongside a few of his teammates - I know, something of a pipe dream. It was highly unlikely, and he didn't honestly expect as much, though it was a fun thought. As the ride went on, Tyler found himself often looking out the window - watching on as they passed his favorite local restaurants, murals across the city, museums, and loads of places he'd spent his free time the last year. He'd loved especially visiting the Rangers during their regular season games, as every time he'd go, they tended to throw him up on the jumbotron, and he'd meet a few players ever once in a while. He did love the attention, honestly, but it was freeing to get out someplace where he wasn't the center of attention. Sure, he'd get asked for some photos every once in a while, or maybe some fan of the team would strike up a conversation, but for the most part - he was left alone, the other bystanders were there to watch the game the same as him. He even visited a few of the World Series games, rooting for the Rangers. If not for the fact he was playing for Houston's hockey team, then because of Arizona being the ones to knock out his favorite team, the Dodgers. As he recovered from his thoughts, he looked down in surprise as the driver thanked him and announced they were at their stop. Lawson shook his head in disbelief before getting his stuff together and exiting the car. He wouldn't dwell on it, but he was confused as he hadn't thought he'd been stuck in thought for quite so long. Entering the airport and making his way through TSA, he found himself waiting for his flight to LAX. He'd taken this same trip not too long ago during the playoffs, and now here he was, heading back home once more and preparing for the draft. He was surprised at how fast things changed - just a year ago, it seemed like his hockey dreams were over - nobody cared about him as a prospect or took him seriously barring his injury at UCLA, and when Houston took a chance on him . . . well, he wouldn't let it go to waste. That much was evident now, but reflecting on the situation, he didn't think he could blame them. He had just taken one of the most serious injuries an athlete can have, and this was coming off of an already shaky injury history back in high school. Now wasn't the time to reflect on that, though, he figured as he stood up to explore the airport. Taking a few photos with fans and grabbing something from the airport for lunch, it wasn't too long before his flight was scheduled for boarding. As he took his suitcase, and his duffle bag slung over his shoulder, he walked down the jet bridge before boarding the plane. He smiled and greeted the attendants before making his way to his seat in first class. He cheaped out on his last flight and had grown to regret it, as a baby crying made it pretty difficult for him to get any rest. As he took his seat, he rummaged through his bag reaching for a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that he'd toss on. Buckling his seatbelt, he'd cross his arms and close his eyes, nodding off not too long after the fact. As he awoke, he groggily rubbed his eyes before checking the flight tracker ahead of him. '30 minutes,' he thought, 'not too bad'. Reaching into his bag once more, he retrieved a book that he'd bought at one of the airport shops back in Houston. He decided that he could get a little bit of reading in before disembarking, and it helped to ease his nerves a bit. Despite things going alright last time, this was only his second ever flight and he was stil . . . somewhat nervous about the thought of the plane going down. The book had managed to be a successful outlet for distracting himself, as before he knew it, he was exiting just as quickly as he'd boarded the flight. Lugging his belongings behind him, he met his parents outside near the front and after helping him with loading his belongings, they'd make the two-hour trip to take him to his childhood home, where he'd set up shop for the next week or two as they awaited the results of the draft to see where he'd be living for the foreseeable future. Much to the dismay of many of his friends ("Dude, you seriously didn't want to attend live?"), on draft day, he opted to watch the whole thing from the comfort of his family home in Poway, California. Surrounded by his loved ones, he took in the atmosphere and cherished the environment as, to be honest, he didn't know when he'd see a lot of these people again. He had childhood friends, cousins, uncles, grandparents - you name it. He found it really heartwarming that so many people cared to make such a big deal of his accomplishments - he didn't think it was all that serious, but he was clearly in the minority. "With the first pick in the VHL Entry Draft, the HC Davos Dynamo select . . . Antonia Bucatini!" The room erupted with claps and cheers - he had been teammates with Antonia, after all. A smile crept on Tyler's face as he celebrated for his teammate. He hadn't spent too much time thinking about it before, he had been too nervous about his own position, but he was going to be interested to see where his teammates would end up. He hadn't known Antonia for all too long as he was sent to Houston nearing the trade deadline, but Tyler had looked up to the guy who'd been essentially the consensus number-one pick this draft. To the surprise of nobody, it wouldn't be too long before another of his former teammates would fly off the boards. "With the third pick in the VHL Entry Draft, the Riga Reign select . . . Lucy Leiter!" Again, the room seemed to fill entirely with celebration. He wasn't all too surprised, honestly, she was a lock for the top three in nearly every analyst's mock draft, and he could see why. Having played alongside her for so long, her impact in the locker room and around the league as a whole didn't go unnoticed. Her drive was really unlike anything he'd seen before. He was really excited for her alongside Antonia, and he looked forward to seeing the two again in the future. He hadn't been expecting a phone call or anything all too soon - he didn't really know where he'd land, but he was guessing somewhere in the second or third round given the deep talent pool. He anxiously began to pace, he knew he'd be left on the board for awhile and the thought made him sick, honestly. The tenth pick just came through and Ecker, another of his teammates, had just been selected. 'Bulls just flying off the boards, huh,' he thought with a small laugh. A few more picks would come in, and he jumped unexpectedly as his phone on the counter began to ring. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards him and the room went dead silent. Tyler scanning the room felt white as a blanket, and walked back over to his phone. He let out a small gulp, "I . . . uhm, I . . . I gotta take this," he just managed to let out before taking his phone and sprinting up to his room upstairs. He recognized the number as one belonging to his agent, who'd break the news for him. "Son, you've just been drafted to the Helinski Titans." * 2,059 words

This was a hell of a post, even by your standards. Holy shit - seriously, awesome work!

1. We made it to playoffs and we're doing pretty darn good! Houston currently leads San Diego 3-2 in our first round matchup. What are your thoughts on Houston's play through the first 5 games? Amazing! Everyone on the team has been playing great - hoping to be able to put away San Diego tonight, but we'll see. 2. Goaltender Ondrej Vencko @Mutti has been a stud between the pipes for us this season and will start every game for Houston these playoffs. What kind of difference does having a hot goalie in net make? All the difference, really. Doesn't matter how many goals you can get if you're letting 7 fly in every game. Awesome to have an elite keeper like Vencko. 3. I know we're still in season, but I bet a lot of you still have the VHL and VHLE drafts in the backs of your heads! What team/What pick do you predict you will be drafted? Do you have any VHL or VHLE teams you'd prefer to go to? Really I haven't had it on my mind too much - I haven't been reached out to by a ton of people, so it's kinda on the back burner for me at the moment. Of the teams I would prefer to go to, well, I'd have to say either Seattle or Helsinski as they're the only teams who, as of writing, have had the courtesy to reach out. I'll be happy no matter where I end up, but I really would hope that wherever that is, they reach out beforehand lol 4. VHLM playoffs are closer than we thought with each series needing 6 games minimum! Has there been any series which have surprised you? Did you predict the parity of matchups to be this good? Given Philidelphia's awesome season, I'm really surprised that Saskatoon has been able to hold on for as long as they have. That upset would be crazy - I'm lowkey rooting for them. I think someone mentioned their record was so strong because of their competition - but even then, they led the league so I almost expected them to sweep. Would be really cool to see the Wild pull through here. 5. OUCH!! I stubbed my toe on the corner of my desk and I need the day off. The pain, the suffering... it's too immense. I told AGM @Nathan_8 to take over for the day and he wants to bag skate everyone?... WTF NATHAN!?!? We need to figure out a plan to get revenge on him for his tyrant actions. What prank/revenge act are you and the team pulling on our AGM for making everyone bag skate? Might be a bit cliche, but it's a classic. First things first, while he's busy tyranically ordering the Houston Bulls locker room as he pleases, we send in a teammate to steal the keys. Once succesfully retrieved, we schedule a rendezvous to the team parking lot to fill his car with popcorn. 6. It's reading week in Canada for most universities and a lot of people are making me jealous while on their vacations. It's probably daddy's money I get it, but still, I want a Miami Vice under the Cuban sun right now! If you could pack your bags this week for vacation where would you like to go? Definitely would wanna go somewhere with beautiful beaches with water so pure that almost looks unreal. I've lived on the coast before, but not exactly in someone's dream destination or anything, so the ocean was unfortunately pretty murky. While I'm not the biggest fan of beach trips/vacations, it would be so cool to take a trip to the beachfront of Okinawa or Seychelles to see the ocean at it's best.

claiming for week ending in 2/25