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mcd-ms-rants · 3 years

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I wrote the whole post and TUMBLR DECIDED TO DELETE THE WHOLE THING

anyways it’s finally here

take

STUFF I DIDNT LIKE ABOUT MYSTREET SEASON 4:

• ok but the animations here are great. actually tho they're so fluid and clear. Credits to whoever made them!!

• and now let’s do the real thing

• ok so first off this is where the actual plot starts. I know that some people were getting bored of the monotony of the slice of life episodes so they liked it. Again there’s nothing inherently wrong with having it but you have to remember that these characters most likely weren’t written to be in a plot and I say this because their personalities are funny and lighthearted. Their clearly meant for comedy. This also makes them redundant for plot since most of them a few characters barely have any development which is probably why like half the cast was dropped. im not sure how far back jess had planned the plot but needless to say most of the characters wouldn‘t be able to fit there. Travis, Katelyn, KC and the sk’s just dipped for the whole season and even when kc, Travis and Katelyn do show up in s5 their personalities really took a beating

• WHERE DID LAURANCE AND DANTE GO?? We never see them after s3. its probably because their personalities were too funny for plot but laurance was a shadow knight in mcd and since the whole of mys is so hyped up on the whole ‘mcd and mys are connected’ thing by all means he should’ve been there too

• it makes sense that since the lodge is jointly owned by the Ro’meaves and the Lycans, Garroth, Zane and Aaron- and by extension, Aphmau- would come along. it make sense that they would ask Lucinda for help- she’s a skilled witch and has been their friend since high school. theyre literally neighbors. it makes NO SENSE to being Kim- a girl whom they’ve barely ever interacted with and whom they barely know- to a place meant for close family to go to. Ok from a plot perspective yes Kim needed to be there but Aphmau logically doesnt know that yet.

• how does ghost/emmalyn even exist?? We’ve seen emmalyn and kenmur in s1 and they’re ok. not dead or anything. Yes I know that this is mcd emmalyn and she is directly referencing mcd Zane when she says that’s the only name she remembers from when she was alive but that raises two questions- first, how can both mcd and mys versions of her exist at the same time?? and second, what exactly happened between her and mcd zane?? It sounds like she either hates him way more than she loves kenmur (or she’d remember him too) that it’s the only name she remembers or its Stockholm Syndrome.

• I feel that since the plot demanded a ghost vessel thing that was the only reason Aphmau brought Kim. it’s pretty clear that Dante and laurance wouldn’t fit the role because of their personalities so she just remade an older character and changed her completely right down to her skin to fit the plot. her whole personality changes with it- look at her I mean she even becomes more open when she talks. Again this only happened because none of the existing characters could fill that role because IT WASNT MEANT TO HAVE PLOT

• no one likes you michi girl take the hint

• seeing liochant brings back meMoriEs

• what was that potion that lucinda made and which Garroth threw on Zane?? its clear that it cured him from the effects of the forever potion but the bigger question is WHY DONT THEY USE THIS IN S6?? Ok yes in s4 Aphmau gets freed by the power of love(TM) but that doesn’t mean you do that for everyone

• as someone who liked Laurance’s character I miss him :(

• ok there’s WAY TOO MANY PROBLEMS with Ein and his villain shtick. Ein is basically some obsessive werewolf yandere boy who has an unhealthy obsession with aphmau and hates Aaron. and the cherry on top is that Aphmau is his HALF SISTER. THATS INC*ST. That’s GROSS. What is it with Aphmau antagonists and not having a clear motive or backstory?? mcd Zane and Ein both suffer from this and it shows. there were definitely better motives to give him- he doesn’t have to be centered around Aphmau all the time!! And even if you don’t want to go to all the trouble of rewriting the plot you could at least make it so that Ein knows that he and Aphmau are related. Maybe he wants a perfect sister instead and he’s willing to go to any lengths to get her there. it would still be dark and serious but it would be SO MUCH BETTER than the current plotline. Also showing the contrast between his pdh and s4 self and then not giving any semblance of an explanation really makes it difficult to imagine where it all went wrong. yes Michael definitely had something to do with it but to what extent?? How much is Ein actually in control of?? Is he under the influence of a forever potion when he turns Zane, Lucinda and Aphmau to his side?? Is he still under its influence when he fights Aaron?? look I get that they can’t reveal everything but leaving out THIS MUCH and not even revealing it in s6 makes it very difficult to accurately nail Ein’s character.

• how is Aaron even revived?? is that Irene?? how is she here and what is she doing here?? Can we have answers pls. also it makes no sense that she saves Aaron TWICE- once in s4 and second in s6. How does death even work here if Irene can just swoop in and bring them back to life. i feel like none of the villains ever count as threats then because you know that a cryptic mysterious goddess who somehow looks just like your girlfriend will revive you.

• how did Aaron even survive?? No seriously how?? We know that there’s no service or wifi up there at the lodge so using their phones is out of the question. i don’t think Lucinda would be able to conjure up a whole medical team for Aaron. and they're on a MOUNTAIN. It takes precious time to get down from it. for context, even if they sent Garroth (since he’s the fastest) down to get help they’d have to wait for him to reach the village area at the base of the mountain, get a phone, call for help, wait for said help to arrive and get Aaron to a hospital. meanwhile Aaron is bleeding out from multiple gashes on his chest made at like point black range that are critical at best and fatal at worst. (his only saving grace is the snow he’s on which would help to numb the wound because its cold but he has like FIVE deep chest wounds and the snow isn’t even on his wounds.) Ya sorry I don’t see how he manages to survive.

• did I mention that I miss Laurance?? • Why is Aaron not at a hospital I don’t even see a ventilator or oxygen mask near him. Listen I’m not a medical expert but those gashes landed straight on his chest which means straight on his lungs and dangerously close to his heart. how is he alive. how is he not choking on blood right now. we know he’s bleeding out- I’m pretty sure one of the doctors even says “Mrs Lycan, we need to draw more blood for your son.” yes he’s bleeding out why is no one trying to idk stop the wound through pressure with a cloth or something?? (Note: it’s been a while since I’ve watched s4, so if I do get anything wrong thats why!!) also why are the werewolf doctors so chill about Aaron’s ultima eyes? like yes they’re doctors they could’ve been sworn to secrecy or maybe they work for the Lycans but Derek is shown to be really paranoid about anyone finding out about Aaron being the ultima. how does he know they won’t tell it to someone else??

k imma head out now-

thanks for reading!! <3 <3

#zane ro'meave #garroth ro'meave #aphmau #aaron lycan #lucinda #aphmau kim #mystreet #s4 rant #ya this one is longer than the others but I feel like the more the plot the more the inconsistencies

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renatogpadilla · 3 years

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FFVI as a D&D Campaign:

OK, so I've been watching "Critical Role" (Campaign 1, Episode 31, no spoilers!) a LOT lately and it got me thinking how FFVI (arguably the BEST "Final Fantasy" game out there) is essentialy that. The biggest moments could be atributted to CRAZY rolls! I can see each of the characters being played by one of the people at the table! * Marisha as Terra Branford: Would be phenomenal. Her mentality is kinda in-line with Keyleth's. The "Kill Their Own Emotions" moment in the boat shakes the table as a whole. And when it's time to run an orphanage and protect her kids from Humbaba, the emotion in her voice destroys everyone in the Party. The "Mama?" moment becomes the most fan-arted moment for her character until the final fight. Her Trance ability is agreed to be the coolest looking skill at the table. To say nothing of the way she'd react to the whole Slave Crown bussiness!

Matt: "She killed 50 imperial soldiers in a few minutes." Marisha, and the whole table: *S H A K I N G*

* Taliesin as Locke Cole: "Treasure Hunter!" every single time somebody calls him a thief or a rogue. The "Rachel" story would be absolutely heartbreaking with Taliesin's expressions. The solo-sneak through the town while meeting Celes would be one of the highlights of the Campaign... That and his frienship with Terra would only be accentuated by Taliesin's and Marisha's irl friendship. Not to mention him puking on the ship would serve as some comedic timing straight out of "Critical Role"! Also, "That bow looks good on you" LAUNCHES the ship to heights undreamt of.

* Sam as Edgar Figaro: I mean, COME ON! IT WRITES ITSELF! Besides, it would be enjoyable to see him use his -Artificer- Machinist abilities as creatively as he does! Can you IMAGINE him rolling high enough one day and then he just creates the Noiseblaster? And with that he pulls out the microphone every time he uses it and proceeds to shout some thing Scanlan would be proud of... Not to mention his friendship with Sabin would be amazing if played by Sam! "The little shrimp has become a mighty Lobster!" You can HEAR Sam Riegel's voice come out of that! And the two headed coin? Now THAT's a Scanlan! This without mentioning the violations of the Geneva Convention that the Bioblaster would certainly entail...

* Laura as Celes Chere: I mean, OBVIOUSLY. Meeting Locke in the dungeon? The apparent betrayal? THE OPERA HOUSE?! "I'm a former General, not some... Opera floozy!" TELL ME you don't hear Laura Bailey saying that! And then she rolls a Natural 20 on performance and EVERYONE looses their shit! Her Runic ability is the target of MANY close saves. Also, the way Locke and Celes' interactions happen, she'd be perfect opposite Taliesin. The chat on the bridge in Albrook? HEARTSTOPPING. The attempted suicide? You KNOW Matt would call the sesion there!

* Travis as Sabin Figaro: This one was obvious. Monk/Barb that gets mistaken for a bear, and acts like an absolute teddy bear around Terra? Yes. Gods above, YES. "You think a tiny thing like the end of the world was going to be enough to keep me down?" You heard Grog too, right? The moments would be worth MILLIONS. The Opera house and Travis going "Why is everyone singing?" and then getting more and more into it! Him holding up the house for Celes! "MISTER THOU"... But best of all, and probably the single most famous Sabin moment EVER, The Phantom Train:

Matt: The train tracks suddenly lurch to the side. Even after this long and hard-fought battle it seems *chukles* it seems this train isn't letting you get away with your lives. That brings us to you, Travis! Travis, on his 5000 IQ shit: I grapple the train.

Entire Table: ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?!?!

Matt: No way in hell are you gonna- You know what? Roll for it. *Picks up dice for the Train* Taliesin: He's dead. He's so fucking dea-

Travis: NATURAL 20.

Entire Table: *Silent disbelief, everyone looks at Matt*.

Matt: *Also in disbelief* ...Rolled a 1.

Entire Table: *Inintelligeble gasping and hyperventilating*

Travis: I'm going to use my last Blitz as Meteor Strike and suplex the Train!

Matt: *Looking at the sheet, knowing damn well what's about to happen* Go ahead and roll for damage...

Travis: *Rolls for damage*

Matt: *Braces for impact* How do you wanna do this?

Entire Table and the Internet: *EXPLODES*

The Fanart keeps coming, even YEARS after the Campaign is done...

* Liam as Setzer Gabbiani: Since he's LITERALY "Mister Steal Your Girl", I think Liam would be PERFECT. Just imagine him getting set up as this suave and smooth rougue who wanted to kidnap a beautiful singer and then gets Laura instead! (Which isn't entirely wrong...) IMAGINE his expresions and his dissapearing under the table laughing as the others barely climb aboard The Blackjack. THE ENTIRE PARTY giving him shit for a low roll on a Wisdom Check (the double-headed coin) and him segwaying that into joining the party, only to find out that he actually knew all along... Priceless. The total and undistilled heartbreak as his ship falls apart, him trying to reach out for Terra and everyone falling on different places. And then meeting Celes a year later and doing the whole Daryll story... Liam would be the one to steal the audience every time he takes the spotlight! Though he would be a little like Percy in the sense that he doesn't get much to do until his arc happens.

"Money, Money, Money!" every time he throws coins to attack, the loaded dice (in character, not at the table?) and the card throws would make him so stylish in a D&D setting I'll be surprised if somebody hasn't done it already.

* Ashley as Relm Arrowny: She takes forever to join because of her constantly being away for filming, but once she's here? HOO BOY, does the fun keep coming! Her paintings coming alive and helping them fight? Her giving Sam shit for Edgar's love life? "Fuddy-Duddy!" becoming A Thing? All of those moments would be hilarious... But probably her most notorious moment comes when they find her a year later, serving a posessed brush, telling her to paint, paint, paint under the Magic House... "Keep painting until I'm complete..." The party snaps her out of it before she finishes the greatest painting she's ever done, her Magnum Opus, and then the painting coming alive prematurely in order to force her to finish... To give her form. And then the Lakshmi boss fight happens... Matt: And with the last of her strength gone, the banshee-like apparition dissipates into mist, and before any of you can react, Relm's magic brush begins to glow, like it had when you first came in here. The glow slowly creeps off the hairs and darts! Off towards the mistified form of it's mistress, enveloping itself into a thicc layer on top of the mist, swirling around... and around and around.

Ashley: Oh god, now what?

Matt: The colors dissipate, and Lakshmi unleashes a terrible wail! *DM monster noises* As it is now joined with this colorful cloud... And it compresses, smaller and smaller... And more solid until it's not mist anymore.

Marisha: *Gets it* ¡WAIT A MINUTE!

Travis: *Exited* ¡OH SHIT, HOLD ON!

Matt: The fog dissipates... And the calm returns to Relm's senses. Ashley you are now holding an innert, ordinary paint brush. However! Floating in the air, you see a crystal with a small glowing core, the particular essence of Life embeded in the middle, Terra you *points at Marisha* feel this and recognize it instantly, as it falls to the ground, and bounces a couple times... A brand new shard of Magicite.

Party: *FERAL LOOTING*

"Lakshmi" becomes the most PAINFUL fanart to make, and it's ALWAYS the one that's valued the most among the fandom.

The rest of the Party (Strago, Umaro, Mog, Cyan, Gau and GoGo) can be the guests that come over every once in a while (I particualrly see Wil Wheaton as Strago Magus, Mary McGlynn as GoGo and Will Friedle as Clyde "Shadow" Arrowny) with Shadow coming and going with the excuse that "His contract is up" (and let's face it, after surviving/witnessing the Phantom Train? My contract would be up too...) and coming back whenever his schedule/the plot allows. Eventually, everyone comes together for one last session and the battle with God Kefka. Setting their affairs in order, the reveal of who Shadow really is during a lone chat with Strago shakes the Critters to their core. Everything makes sense! Why Interceptor went straight to Relm when they met... Why his nightmares kept showing a village of magic users, yet they never mention Shadow in Thamasa! The group is RATTLED and wether or not he survives at the end becomes a HEATED argument between everyone at the table. Only Strago knows the truth...

The sendoff on The Falcon with everyone saying goodbye and seeing what the World will bring next is regarded as one of the most emotional scenes in "Critical Role" history... But the most completely DESTRUCTIVE force in this entire cast is Matt Mercer as Kefka Palazzo:

The personality... the narrative... The absolute slime in his voice when he poisons Doma. When he kills Leo and brings forth the Light of Judgement. Matt definitely has his moments playing Ultros. He's fun! And Emperor Ghestal was more of a political "Darth Sidious" villain. But Kefka? OH, LORD. NOBODY was ready for Kefka. "Enjoy the barbicue!" gets memed to no end, while also sending a horrible shiver down people's spine whenever somebody brings it up. Truly, the villain to end all villains. I can see it happen so vividly... If anybody wants to talk about this more, PLEASE hit me up! This just feels too good! Until off course the party moves on to their next Campaign in the setting for "Final Fantasy 5" but that's a whole OTHER can of worms!

#Critical Role #FFVI #FF6 #Final Fantasy #D&D #Dungeons and Dragons #Critters #CritRole #The Returners #Vox Machina #The Mighty Nein #DM

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berrygood01606 · 3 years

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Throughout life, we all face challenges, obstacles, and struggles. Some of them unimaginable. My name is Christi Berry, and my life has been full of all the above. I was raised in the foster care system and suffered physical and mental abuse as well as having a learning disability. I have dyslexia and while growing up, I was told that I would not be able to accomplish and or obtain many things and definitely not a college degree.

Life is a journey and there have been many tough times on this path. I recently completed both my Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees and would like to work on a master’s degree in Social Work. This endeavor is one of the toughest I have faced. My desire to attend a graduate program that could ultimately allow me to help others in my community as a credentialed professional is deeply-rooted in my lifelong struggles. This scholarship would allow me to continue my studies and upon graduating work to accomplish many deeds that need addressing in society.

Throughout my struggles, I always cared about my family, others and my community. Please allow me to share the fire in my soul that was fueled from Travis Monroe, my son. Travis was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and was recognized as highly functional. It is believed that this neurological learning disorder was most likely caused by him being stuck in the birth canal and losing oxygen.

As he grew, I knocked on many doors to obtain the needed educational services for my son and for many other underprivileged children I became aware of on this journey. After he completed the 5th grade I was still demanding the appropriate services, I filed a legal complaint with the State’s Department of Education and was finally able to have answers to the vast number of questions we were facing. My advocacy for my son allowed us to get a non-compliance violation ruling which deals with children's civil rights and Free Appropriate Public Education, (FAPE). This judgment forced a local Charter school to make changes in their programs so they would be in compliance with state law.

Due to my relentless pursuit of educational fairness for my son and others, this specific local Charter school has become one the most successful charter schools in the area. My diligence paid off and the school has now recognized the importance of every student’s success. The school continues to thrive and grow, providing a conducive educational environment for children in grades K-12.

The love of my son gave me the drive that I had for him and other children with a drive to overcome my own educational disparity. This led me to rebuild my life and realize that I can achieve the impossible. It all starts with seeking the help one needs and adding the right ingredients to have success.

Temporarily I was in a good place, I thought my journey was heading in a positive direction, and then another unimaginable event occurred. My son, Travis Monroe was killed. This devasting news nearly destroyed my family as it did my marriage. My husband turned to drugs and I was numb. I found myself in a dark place. There were no answers provided and no justice. Leaving us with the feeling as if my son’s life didn’t matter. Once again, I found that inner strength to be advocate for justice.

In this segment of my journey, I had to learn about the procedures and policies of the justice system. I learned how important it is to have an even playing field in order to get justice and some answers as to why Travis was murdered. What I found was a system that creates disparity along racial and economic lines and that I am the force needed to implement the change. I am going to be the pebble in the sand that causes movement towards change. Attached is a link to this video clip I made on disparity and social justice. https://vimeo.com/456936714/33f83c9742.

Along this journey, I have been able to obtain the tools that allow me to look at things through all lenses and realize we put our trust and beliefs in a system that is broken. It is not fair, nor is it blind and there is systemic racism and social injustices that need to be changed. People who serve and protect should not engage in behaviors that are contradictory to their role. What I learned is systemic prejudicial behaviors led to injustice for Travis. I found conflicts of interest, mishandling of evidence and paperwork and the omission of critical information.

This action of ignoring procedures and policies is a deep-rooted miscarriage of justice. This is what leads to a lack of accountability and not having due diligence while serving the people who practitioners have taken a vow to protect and assist. What I also found was a message that the judicial structure only serves and protects each other.

I have always been the person that fought for the underdog, as I was one. I have discovered my calling during the mourning my son’s death. I want to help people be better prepared for trauma that could hit their loved ones too. I want to lead them to resources available to overcome the barriers. I want to prepare them for hiccups that come from a broken system. I found that if people can be prepared for systemic issues and see all aspects of the journey, it could reduce the systemic injustices that I found lurking in the whole situation.

Obtaining a master’s degree in Social Work would help me assist the next set of families who will be impacted by these devastating life and death events. I know that I can make a difference in a different style and direction to help families and victims that are affected by trauma and or economic disparity.

I am seeking to give them access to unbiased information on services available. I also want to prepare them to know that human beings sometimes make mistakes which can have an impact on outcomes, and this doesn’t have to leave them broken. I want to empower members of my community. I am committed to healing my community from decades of injustices and teach hope, love, and forgiveness.

This is what I believe is needed for people to bloom as we create an awareness to change biases and prejudicial behaviors towards others. We as a people need to break the cycle. We are not better than others who are targets of systemic racism and disparity. I want my son’s life to matter and it will shine through me as I lead by example and help rebuild our community through healing and repairing bridges of trust. This could happen by having a new Social Worker serve the victims and community members through outreach and empowerment.

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palbabor-writes · 4 years

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Shota’s Cool Times Summer Jamz Mix

But for real, this is a Class 1-A Character Analysis, but with their music choices!

So it’s editing day, and @albinoburrito and I got a little off track. It started with, what do you think Bakugo would listen to? And then it just spiraled out of control.

So, here it is. Shota’s Cool Times Summer Jamz Mix

Izuku: Indie music, general pop, his dad’s old classic rock albums - was especially excited when he found out that All Might also listens to classic rock and uses it for his workouts. He prolly made like 20 new playlists after that and always tries to play them on the down low when All Might is training with him. He fucking loves it when All Might is like, “oh! I love this song”. Or, asks for him to turn the volume up. Has done some low fi for studies, but that’s really the only time he does it. He likes Young the Giant, MGMT, Alt-J, Strfkr and bands like The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison fill out most of his workout playlists.

Bakugo: Honestly, he doesn’t have any hard and fast preferences. If he likes things he SoundHounds them and moves on. He can cultivate playlists, but it’s not like he’s Kaminari level, having playlists for any and all activities. I do feel like he would lean more toward rap & hip hop titles. As well alt and alt rock. No fucking scream-o, or Eminem, please and thank you. Artists like: Childish Gambino, Travis Scott, Drake, blackbear, Missio, NCT 127, and Jaden’s Icon. However, he does have one low key, wind down playlist with sad, sappy songs that he had to immediately lock when the others found his Spotify. Shit like Band of Horses, Lord Huron, and Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish.

Sero: Indie and indie bops: i.e. Loud Pipes by Ratatat. Some rap & hip hop. Maybe upbeat alternative jams. He strikes me as a Gorillaz fan. He’s good at making playlists, he’s better at the low key ones. Things that you can comfortably listen to and don’t mind them. He doesn’t overthink this. If you hand him the aux you’re never upset. You’ll get bands like: Two Door Cinema Club, Passion Pit, St. Lucia, COIN and Coast Modern.

Kaminari: The KING of cultivated playlists. Like, has one for every occasion. Need something for a party that your parents will also attend? Cross generational? He’s got you. Pump up jams for specific people? He made them like a week ago and has choices. Makes playlists for certain people, but won’t give them out unless you actually want them, or ask him. Yes, he made one for Shinso after that training battle. No, he hasn’t worked up the courage to show him yet. Personal preference: he’s into all the latest pop & he keeps up with artists and tends. For upbeat playlists he goes for: Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Maroon 5 and Major Lazer. For low key playlists his go to are: NIKI, Khalid, KALEO, Transviolet, Noah Cyrus, and Bea Miller. His favorite artists waffle. They change rapidly. He loves them one week, but next week he’s got a new fav. He also likes the Jpop scene.

Mina: Hip Hop QUEEN. If it’s got a good beat she is all over it. MUST be a banger. She has mood banger playlists. Like, Kamanari, she’s got some good playlist cultivation skills. She’s also who you want to go to for road trip & sing along playlists. My girl loves a good upbeat “friendship,” playlist. She has a soft spot for some indie bands, i.e, MisterWives, Lorde & Billie Eilish. For her everyday listening needs she is all about: Run the Jewels, Lil Nas X, Quinn XCII, Logic, Calvin Harris, Nicki Minaj and Bhad Bhabie.

Jiro: She listens to all most everything. Massive, massive music pallet. Her family was always big on diversifying her musical tastes. Never let yourself be limited or judgmental because it’s not what you usually listen to. That said, she super big into rock and alt rock. She really like to follow bands. Like Paramour, Panic at the Disco. Bands that have shifted and changed over time. She admires that skill. Jiro cultivates playlists that are super specific and poetic. You know, those concept playlists that are like: enchanting, serene. You are laying in an abandoned castle and you’ve never felt this content and at peace. You are one with the universe, never in your life... Like that shit that’s like a paragraph long and you don’t even understand why, like, why is it so long? And so, specific? She’s got that shit locked down on Spotify. Mina found hers once, ONCE, and she tightened that security seconds later. She loves to listen to: Fleetwood Mac, The Zombies, Joni Mitchell, Terror Jr, Woodkid, Foo Fighters and David Bowie. Literally, she likes everything. Equal opportunity music listener. If it feels good it’s going in a playlist and that playlist is turning into a poem.

Tokoyami: 100% listens to GOTH rock - POST PUNK jams. Don’t @ him. It’s just his vibe k? Siouxsie and the Banshees shit, The Cured, The Smiths, and some good ole’ Evanescence. The darker the better, Revelry in Dark y’all. He’s a sucker for rock opera, that epic extra shit, but it’s also low key embarrassing. He wants no one to know of this. Like if you find it, go away and leaf him alone. Also, never speak of this again. He’s redacted, he’s not even on this list. You didn’t see this.

Iida: Oh my king, he likes some of that Bastille, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, One Republic in his playlists. Low key, alt rock. Good ole’ safe, alt rock. But, he does like some pop songs. Not that he will talk to you about that. When he’s with his folks he likes to masquerade as a classic rock buff. But he’s bluffing pretty hard. He’s working on that with Izuku. He’ll get there you guys. He knows his brother loves it so he’s trying his BEST. For his pump up work outs he does go for that DAFT PUNK techno.

Aoyama: Oh. My. God. He loves flashy bands. Fucking Glam rock all the way. He’s also super, super up to date on the French hip hop and pop scene. Into people like Yelle, Phoenix, Soprano, Ayama Kamura, Stromae. Loves ELO just for the sheer operatic value. ABBA all the way baby. Anything exciting and anything that makes him feel invigorated. His playlists are a little scattered. He really just tosses whatever he’s vibing on in them.

Kirishima: You already know, why are you even looking here? He’s got the manliest playlists. When he was younger it was like, all alt rock, edgy stuff. Once he got to UA he cleansed that pallet. Not that he don’t go back to those playlists sometimes, but he’s also wanting to move on from those feelings. Now? He’s all about that positive rock babyyy. Anything that has a good, upbeat feeling he’s down for. He’s really looking for those VIBES. Things that get him pumped up and ready to go. Bands like: The Bleachers, The Mowgli’s, Banners, Jukebox The Ghost. Just real positive stuff, man. He also dips into classic rock for his workouts. If he feels like that rap song works with his workout jams it’s going in and he’s cranking it up. He totally found Bakugo’s sadboi playlist and immediately told him, hey, man, I have one of those too, emotions amiright? This is why Bakugo private locked his entire account HARD. Look what you did, Kirishima, you can’t see ANY of it now.

Uraraka: My girl likes pop. That bubble gum shit. But, she’s also has a superrrr hardcore rap playlist for her workouts, like, it’s kinda confusing. Mina found that playlist first and was like ????? I-Is this you? Like this playlist has DMX, Jedi Mind Tricks, Kanye, LL Cool Jay, A$ap Rocky, like, some tunes that get her GOING. But, she loves that cute Jpop and Kpop. She’s got tons of road jam playlists. Those you can put on and everyone is like, ooooooh, this song!!! She’s also has like 3 Disney playlists, for different moods. She also loves Girl in Red, Louis the Child, Hailee Steinfeld, and Mitski.

Todoroki: He...doesn’t have much experience with music cultivation. Like, he knows some songs, he didn’t live under a rock, but he also kinda did...so, that stunted him, in more ways than one. Thanks Endeavor. But, thanks to his classmates, he is starting to get the hang of this. He over thinks this stuff. Like, this music must speak to him. From Iida he likes Bastille, from Uraraka he likes King Princess, From Izuku he’s learned to love Grizzly Bear, and he really, really likes the playlist that Kaminari made for him. He’s leaning heavily on it to find some more tunes for his own small collection. He also learned that he loves anything that is hard rap as well. Especially if he can play it in front of Endeavor. You know, the ones are like, you didn’t fucking pay your child support, you ass. That aggressive, angry rap: Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, J. Cole, 21 Savage and Montana of 300. It’s to make his father as uncomfortable as he possibly can be.

Tsuyu: Fucking rainforest and ambient noises. Not really, but also actually. She likes calming sounds, ok? Everyone was like, this is a joke, don’t be ridiculous and then she showed them her playlist of rain sounds. I mean, you go girl. But really, her collection is mostly pop songs, she likes them easy going. Much like her fighting and hero style, she is the glue that holds things together with the class in terms of music selection. Kinda of the bridging gap. Music that you just can’t complain about. Besides, why would you? What’s wrong with you? It’s Froppy. She and Uraraka often find themselves overlapping on their upbeat indie pop playlists, stuff like: Sara Bareilles, Oh Wonder, Kygo, Kero Kero Bonito, Taylor Swift, MARINA, and Regina Spektor. She did find Uraraka’s rap playlist and didn’t....approve. Did not want to use it for their joint workout. No, thank you.

Ojiro: Oh, you don’t get enough screen time son. You really don’t. He’s very low key. Into some indie stuff, like: Lumineers, Local Natives, Morningsiders, Manchester Orchestra, Vampire Weekend. He likes acoustic sounds, really down to earth. Once again, you cannot complain whenever he gets to select the music. Izuku especially approves when he plays his music because he always finds something new. For his workouts he prefers some heavy, heavy rock. You know, when you get to wail the shit out of stuff with your tail. He’s playing that Five Finger Death Punch in his MIND.

Koda: Nature sounds. Honestly. Full. Stop. Dead-ass he is living for artists like Corrine Bailey Rae, Hozier, Alesia Cara, Adele, and Maggie Rogers. He’s also got that Kacey Musgraves and Florence + The Machine on LOCK. Anything that feels ethereal and light is right up his alley. He likes it a little spooky sometimes. He does have a killer Halloween playlist, but he hasn’t ever quite worked up the courage to play it for his classmates. Oh. Also, listens to Enya un-ironically. He also might have a repeat problem with Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek.

Sato: He’s into new bands that I don’t even fucking listen to. He loves him some alt rock too. But, he’s not above that classic rock. He just likes stuff that he can head bang to. Not a metal head, but low key IS a metal head. Stuff like: Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon, Highly Suspect, Royal Blood, The Smashing Pumpkins. He also has a wonderful baking playlist. Like 1950’s crooners. Think Dorris Day, The Ink Spots, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, and Frankie Valli.

Momo: Classical. Moving on. But really, she loves a good brain playlist with musicians, cuz they aren’t artists to her, they have a specific name for the work that they do: Bach, Debussy, Beethoven, Strauss, and some Tchaikovsky...some of his stuff is too much, even for her. She is starting to broaden her tastes. She really loves Sato’s baking playlist, those 50’s and 60’s beats are right up her alley. Jiro is slowly getting her to try out some pop and low key alt rock bands too. She’s growing and learning, y’all.

Toru: POP. That Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera MOUSE CLUB STUFF. She likes sing-alongs. Like has 20 Disney playlists and is always, always down to do a Grease playlist. You honestly feel attacked by how upbeat and peppy her playlists are, ATTACKED BY A GOOD TIME. It’s teen bop pop all the way here folks, no need to dig too deeply into it. She likes: Lizzo, Beyoncé, T. Swift, but like, leans into her hard, she is a swifter head, or whatever it’s called...Arizona, Carly Rae Jepson, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Harry Styles, Katy Perry, and Kesha among the millions of others.

Shoji: This guy. He loves him some alt rock. He, like Ojiro, needs more screen time. He likely listens to lofi playlists fully. Like, not in the way Izuku just listens to them when he’s studying, but like, for fun. Like he actually GETS them, you know? He likes bands like: Cage the Elephant, Beck, Broken Bells, Modest Mouse, The Killers, Neon Trees and Grouplove. For real tho, he needs more screen time.

Aaaaaaaand Mineta: He needs less screen time. Thank you your honor, I rest my case. Um, but like, he’s down for that dirty rap. Like, the slimier the better. If it’s ass, money, pussy, he’s on it. Big Sean is his hero. He thinks the Weekend is the best singer known to man. If this upsets you, I am sorry. I love him too, but sometimes we gotta face the truth. Mineta loves, loves, loves the Weekend. He’s also super down on the Megan Thee Stallion train. Oh, and Cardi B too. He also likes Tyga and Sage the Gemini. These are his top pics. His current ringtone is WAP and Aizawa nearly snapped his phone in half when he heard that go off in his classroom.

Bonus:

- Aizawa: Yes, he has heard WAP. He’s literally attached at the hip to a dj and you know Midnight and Present Mic were all over that song when it was released. Those two tried to do that tiktok choral rendition of it. It didn’t go well. But seriously, this man likes a little bit of everything. He’s a no-fuss, low key guy and his music tastes are the same. He likes alternative and indie the most. Some of that: Sylvan Esso, Silversun Pickups, The Black Keys, The Flaming Lips, The Strokes, Cake, Incubus, and the Deftones. While he has no time to cultivate playlists, he does have a grading playlist that he quickly threw together. It helps him to zone in and work. Yes, Present Mic likes to add funky shit to it, just to ruffle his feathers. In the worst universe, slash in THIS universe, Aizawa was too lazy to get his own Spotify and he shares one with Present Mic. That poor algorithm has no idea what to recommend. He’s just waiting for that cease and desist letter from Spotify’s fraud department. Any day now.

Alright! Hope ya’ll liked it. Lemme know if you want more. We kinda started on one for the LOV, but it’s not finished just yet. In other news, we WILL edit the new chapter of “Look Upon the Light” tonight, don’t worry, we’ll be good. It should be out in the next few days.

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til-death-do-us-party-2020-blog · 5 years

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On our three year anniversary, I proposed to Travis.

Six months before, I had made the decision. I began saving by putting 10% of my paycheck from the Circle K into a savings account. It was slow, but steadily increasing. Meanwhile, any time I'd have a free afternoon, I'd go into the garage, and sit down with this 25 pound bag of sapphire gravel I had bought in Montana a couple months prior. Straining water over the rocks through a drying rack of some sort and over a cookie sheet was the only method that made sense. It was so hard, though, because the moment a sapphire touched water, it became nearly indistinguishable from a water bubble. That didn't discourage me, though, and after a few afternoons with my gravel and water pitcher, I had found the perfect rough stone. It hadn't been heat treated, it never would be, so it was a beautiful pale blue; reminiscent of the Oregon coast, mainly due to its cloudy grayness. It was exactly Travis' favorite color. I kept it secret, and soon after, along with my savings, I brought it to a local Jewelers. I asked them questions, stopped by a piercing shop to get a spare tension ring, returned, and before I knew it, I had his ring. I had the jeweler set the sapphire in white gold, with two divots(one on each side). It was made to go in his daith piercing, which was my favorite of his ear piercings. My reasoning behind it being an earring rather than a tradional ring was that he had explicitly said many times that the only jewelry he liked to wear is in his piercings. I had thought this through. I collected the box and ring, and began putting together the rest of my plan.

Now, knowing Travis, I knew that for this to go down well, he would need to be around people he loved and trusted, but not so many people that he felt pressured and put on the spot. I picked two of our good friends (and their precious baby). We set our agenda for the day, and after all of that planning, began what Travis thought was just a trip to the coast with friends.

We went to Newport and did all of the usual things. We got Taffy, looked at sea lions, walked everywhere, enjoyed the ocean air. Then we picked a beach and set out. In-between the parking lot and the beach itself was this short walk through thickets of aggressive mosquito infested grass. So romantic. The bugs were biting all of us, including the poor baby. That walk was insufferable. I was so nervous, and we were all getting increasingly more agitated, so I was stressed out struggling to keep the mood light. But soon, we made it to the other side. I pulled one of my friends aside and disclosed to her that I had forgotten to come up with what I was going to say! I can't believe I forgot to do that, it's pretty important.... Luckily, my friend wasn't as stressed out as I was, so she was able to calm me down a bit and give me some good advice.

I caught up with Travis, and walked him down the small dune and closer to the water. With our friends in the distance, I knew it was time. I turned directly to him, and uttered the most breathtaking, eloquent proposal human kind had ever experienced.

"Sweetie. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Yeah, haha. Uh. I love you a lot. Um. So."

Then I pulled out the box, and got down on one knee, and I swear Travis stopped breathing.

"Will you marry me?"

And down on the wet sand, holding the opened ring box, I watched my boyfriend try to process that he had just gotten proposed to, even though he was pretty certain that that was going to have to be his job. After what felt like forever, he responded.

"Yes."

I jumped up!

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

I watched him for a moment before I embraced him.

As we walked back to our friends, and then to our car, we had a conversation that went something like this:

"You're allowed to change your mind, you know."

"I'm not going to."

"Ok, but you can. It'll be ok."

"Ok thanks, but I don't think I'm going to change my answer."

"Ok."

"We don't have to get married immediately."

"Ok"

"It could be in 10 years!"

"I could do a long engagement."

"Yeah, no rush!"

As the remainder of our trip played out, the shock wore off and Travis loosened up a bit. He's really not great with surprises, but I think he handled it well.

It has been so sweet watching, over the last (nearly) four years, as Travis gets more excited to get married. Now I have a ring as well, and neither of us really wear them the way they were intended and all of that sapphire business was more of a gesture than anything else, but we are so happy to be where we are now. I thought I loved him the most I could ever love someone four years ago. Now I feel like I love him the most now. Amazing how life does that.

Thank you for reading this story. I hope it's written alright!

Also, thank you to Mandi and Ray (and Mavis) for your help with my proposal, I truly couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you to Mom for helping me lug that gravel through multiple states, and for giving me the supplies to sift through it!

And thank you Travis for saying yes.

#wedding proposal

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mickielane · 4 years

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the ramblings of a madwoman

Today is day 36 in a row of me being home/quarantined. It's made me realize that I have no interests or hobbies and that makes me really sad. I love smoking weed and watching TV. and eating. But I've always loved eating! And I feel embarrassed to work out in front of Travis because I'm obese and its weird. I can't tell if he thinks I'm unattractive or if I think I'm so unattractive that I think he thinks it. We sit here on the couch all day and don't talk. We just watch TV and comment every now and then. It feels like Groundhog Day where I want to say "just eat my pussy and fuck me like you can't take it anymore." but I don't know how I'd be received and the thought of rejection terrifies me. I'm so scared to go back to work.. I think everyone thinks I made up the lice thing so I didn't have to go to work last week but I didn't. I legit am so ready to get the fuck out of this house and away from Travis. I love being around him most of the time, but every day and all during the off time he has. I know he's got to be tired of my lazy ass. I could tell the other day he's getting annoyed at me being home because he was an asshole about me taking the dog out. I finally cleaned the house and he commented about how he could finally see the counter tops. Like I get where he's coming from. I've been home for a month so why is the house a wreck? That's just the thing. I can't explain that. It should be clean. Absolutely I know that to be true.. what else I know is that I suffer from crippling depression that was worsened when I was a HEAVY alcoholic like I was like A WEEK AGO. I've gained so much weight that I know could've been avoided by just not gorging myself on food. But I keep doing this shit. I replaced alcohol with weed. And who knows what I'm going to replace weed with when I go back to work.. the sad thing is if I took up running or some other healthy shit, people wouldn't see it as addiction. They'd compliment me and commend me on a job well done. But who's to say I'd be happier being a fitness nut than I can be as a pill head? I don't let shit ruin my life. I don't allow addictions ruin me. Like I may have gained weight with alcohol, but my life wasn't in shambles. I love weed, but I can drop it whenever. I think I'm just so fucking bored with my life right now that I'm doing anything and everything I can to escape. I think I'm going to try to fly a lot over the next few months, until September when they can put people on furloughs. Because I have a very strong feeling that they're going to furlough people as soon as they can, and I'm going to need my unemployment benefits when I really need them. I don't need to take off another month right now because I can't afford it and I may not have a job in September. I do hope to use any time that I don't have a job to go back to school for something in forensic science. I would love to help with autopsies or anything along those lines. I just need to know where to start. I want to have other fun avenues in life. I want to be a well rounded person. I don't feel like I'm quite that right now.. but once I'm out of my stupid rut I'm going to work on it. I'm hoping going back to work will help with getting out of the rut. Maybe the slightest bit of normalcy will help even though everything is going to be different from here on out. The world will never be the same as it was before. We're now living in a time where there is a collective global "before". Which is slightly terrifying, but also kind of cool. We get a fresh chance to change this world for the better. We have a chance to realize that our people and relationships are the most important thing and that we can live without pretty much everything except the basics. I want to look back at this time as a time of rebirth and renewal for myself. I can either come out of this thing a weak, sad, frail person, or I can emerge ready to take shit on. And I'd rather be the latter.

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badcowboy69 · 5 years

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Homeward Bound part 3

After long last I finally got this continuation of my saga where my courier six, Travis Blackfox, travels to Arizona with his partner, Riley White, to try and find his parents. The emotional part of this story was a bit difficult to write as I really couldn’t relate or put into proper words, but hopefully I did well on it. Story posted under the Read More thing as always since it’s long.

Hope y’all enjoy it and if you need to start from the beginning....

part one part two Enjoy!

@zoey-and-dakota sorry I kept you waiting for so long! Hope you like it!

The walk towards the house had Travis feel as if he were in a surreal dream where everything moved painfully slow. He did his best to keep the flood of emotions at bay by concentrating on the crunching of gravel beneath his black boots. With each step he took the crunching seemed to get louder until it was an almost deafening roar in his ears. However, it still wasn’t loud enough to block out his fears and concerns.

What if they don’t care I’m back? What if they don’t approve of my relationship with Riley? What am I even going to say to them? Howdy, nice to see y’all again! Sorry if I don’t remember who the fuck you are let alone your names. What if...he flinched and forced that thought and any others out of his head. He remembered what Riley said earlier about the ‘what if’ stuff and it was a very valid point. There was no use in worrying about things that might not even be an issue.

As they continued forward, Riley felt a discomforting pressure on his hand as Travis suddenly squeezed it tightly. Giving his partner a sideways glance, Riley asked if he was alright. The question went unanswered for a few long seconds before Travis numbly nodded. The courier then vaguely heard Riley ask if he wanted to stop a moment, but Travis shook his head while still keeping his gaze fixated on the ground. “Can’t stop...gotta face this and get it over with...been buggin’ me way too long,” Travis admitted uneasily as the butterflies in his stomach seemed to intensify.

Sooner than expected, the pace abruptly slowed and Travis felt Riley’s hand release his. This simple action caused a shudder to surge down his spine and pace to falter almost causing him to stumble. Lifting his head, Travis turned to stare at his partner, eyes wide.

“It’s ok. I’m right here,” Riley said as soothingly as he could, noticing the slight panic in Travis’ eyes. Riley truly didn’t want to disconnect from him, but this was something Travis needed to face on his own. There was also the fact that the Blackfoxes might not know about Travis being a confirmed bachelor. The last thing Riley wanted to do was cause more tension on top of this already emotionally charged encounter.

An anxious knot now formed in Travis’ stomach. It felt as if a great weight was pressing down on his shoulders and his lungs were filling with cotton. A bead of sweat rolled down from under his hat, along his cheek and jaw until it got to his goatee where it seemingly vanished from the world. Travis absently rubbed his whiskered chin and swallowed hard to try and keep his nerves in check. However, the longing for the whiskey bottle he knew was resting on the floor of his car teased his thoughts and he licked his parched lips.

It wasn’t long before Travis noticed Riley stopped walking and was standing a few feet behind him. Travis instantly knew that his long journey had finally come to an end. With that realization, Travis halted and began kicking at the gravel with the pointed toe of his boot all while keeping his gaze to the ground. This is it, he thought while taking a calming breath and hooking the thumb of his right hand in the belt loop of his jeans.

Mustering up his courage,Travis tilted his head to the side and slowly looked up from under the brim of his hat. He squinted in the sunlight at the cowboy and his wife standing in the shade of the porch. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, maybe a flood of remembrance or some sort of recognition, as he stared up at them. However, none of that happened and he felt awkward looking at the eager faces of two strangers. Not knowing what he should say or do, he forced a nervous grin and drawled a soft, “H-howdy.”

The world seemed to have come to a standstill where not even the wind dared to blow. Rex picked up on the nervous energy in the air and he sat down near Travis’ feet, whining and feebly wagging his tail. Travis glanced at him for a moment, but quickly lifted his eyes back up hearing a soft gasp come from the direction of the porch. The sound came from the woman who was standing next to the stoic black-clad cowboy.

The blonde woman pulled from her husband’s embrace, her hands moving up to cover her mouth, daring not to believe her boy was alive. Taking a tentative step forward and down the stairs, Tracy continued to stare in disbelief at the lanky courier standing a mere five feet away from her. Although it’s been close to ten years since Travis has gone missing, not much about him has changed looks wise. His body might have filled out slightly now that he wasn’t trekking through the desert on deliveries. His hair might be shorter and his skin a little tanner, but he still looked exactly the same. Riley observed those subtle differences when he saw the photo on Travis’ courier ID so most certainly Tracy did too. Regardless of changes, no matter how subtle or strong, a mother will always know her child. Travis could be shaved bald and painted blue, but his mother would still know him.

“Travis?” she asked nervously, a soft waver to her voice. “Travis, is it...is it really you and this ain’t some cruel dream?”

Taking a deep breath, Travis gave a short nod. “A’yup,” he softly replied as he forced himself to give her a crooked grin.

A long moment of silence followed and Tracy stared at her son daring not to blink in case he’d vanish from her life once again. Long minutes passed until her mind finally accepted this was no dream. She tentatively reached out as if to touch his cheek, but instead gave a joyful cry and Travis found himself in a bone-crunching embrace. “Travis! My Travis! It’s really you! You’re alive!” she exclaimed, sobbing against his chest while clutching his red shirt tightly to keep him near. She lost him once, she wasn’t about to lose him again.

Travis was froze in place completely unsure on what he should do or even what he should feel. On one hand he was glad he finally found his parents and it was obvious they were happy he was alive. However, they were completely unknown to him and this encounter had him feeling out of place and lost. He glanced over to Riley who was biting anxiously at his thumbnail. Travis mouthed “What do I do?” to him when he suddenly felt a firm hand clamp hard on his shoulders. He then found himself being yanked from the woman’s arms and into the strong grip of the cowboy who was previously at her side on the porch.

“My boy!” Dante exclaimed as he released Travis’ shoulders and pulled him into yet another bone-crunching hug. Fortunately it only lasted a few seconds and Travis again found himself clutched tightly by the shoulders and held out at arm’s length. “Let me get a good gander at’cha, son!” However, the joy in Dante’s eyes quickly extinguished as he stared at the blank, no emotional attachment look Travis was giving him. “Ya really ain’t got a clue who’n the hell we are, do ya?” the black-clad cowboy asked in disappointment.

Travis felt dread fill his entire being as he knew this was going to happen.�� He saw the couple’s happy smiles vanish and were instantly replaced by those of heartbreak and concern. “N-no, sir,” he muttered sadly while instinctively pulling away and gravitating towards Riley seeking out the comfort he knew he’d find there. “It...it’s awfully nice to finally meet y’all, though.” Travis flinched and inwardly groaned at how stupid that sounded.

Stepping forward and gently touching Travis’ face, Tracy looked up into his crystal blue eyes and frowned while the tears continued to trail down her cheeks. The empty look he gave as if she were a complete stranger stabbed her right through the heart. “It’s all true what your friend said, ain’t it? You done lost all your memories ‘cause you got shot and...and...k-killed?” she choked on the last word and bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling.

Travis nodded slowly and kicked at the dirt with the point of his boot. “Yes’m...ain’t lost everything though, but...enough. It’s a big story to tell and I can only go by what I was told and all. Y’all ain’t gonna like most of what you hear, but I reckon with me being alive y’all know it at least ended good,” he chuckled weakly while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh,Travis! Who could have done such a thing to you? Why? Why would anyone shoot you?” Tracy sobbed as she fought the urge to gather him up in her arms and cry against his chest.

“Who’s the son-of-a-bitch? I’ll kill’em with my bare hands!” Dante interjected as his arms bent at the elbows close to his side with fingers wide-spread in a stereotypical gunslinger stance.

Smirking, Travis glanced over at his father. “Ain’t gotta. I done killed the man myself,” he casually stated. “Took some searching, but I took care of him.”

Dante’s scowl suddenly changed into a matching smirk and he stared proudly at his son. “Didja now? That’s my boy!” he exclaimed while giving Travis a congratulatory thump on the back.

The somber mood temporarily broken, Tracy took a deep breath to calm herself. Mustering up a smile she began to wipe away her tears. “Listen, y’all drove a long ways to get here and I’m sure y’all are probably hungry and thirsty. How’s about we head inside and I’ll get us all something cool to drink? I can show you around some or you can share your story whenever you’re ready. Does that sound good?”

Dante nodded in agreement to his wife’s proposal and he stepped forward to embrace her and steal a quick kiss. “First I’m gonna go inform the staff I won’t be finishing up the day’s chores. This is a little more important than shoveling shit.” Giving his wife another kiss, Dante turned towards his son while shaking his head in amazement. “Wonderful to have ya back, Travis.” Touching his fingers to the brim of his hat, he gave a nod to Riley and strode towards the house and vanished inside.

“Come on in, fellas,” Tracy grinned as she eagerly climbed the stairs, following after her husband. “Just make yourselves at home and I'll rustle up some drinks.”

When the screen door banged shut leaving him alone with his partner, Travis let out the breath he’s been holding for too long. He removed his hat and rubbed his face with his free hand. “Fuck.”

Riley arched an eyebrow and stepped closer to him. “How you holding up?” he asked while placing his hand on Travis’ shoulder and giving a tender squeeze. “Is everything ok?”

Travis nodded and wiped the sweat off his brow with his shirt sleeve. “A’yup. Overwhelmed I reckon. I mean, it’s exciting and scary and confusing all at the same time. Part of me wants to look around and see if anything triggers a memory, another part wants them to tell me all about my past, and another part wants to go with you back to town and get drunk. I really don’t know what direction to think.”

“Take your time. It’s a lot to take in. I can’t even pretend to know how you must be feeling now. The hardest part is over I think. Your parents are completely overjoyed that you’re alive and back in their lives. Hopefully the rest of this visit will go easier.”

“Maybe,” Travis shrugged while reaching for Riley’s hand, but hesitated and decided against it. Placing his hat back on his head, Travis made his way towards the porch with Rex close at his heels. “Stay out here, bud,” he directed at the dog while giving him an affectionate scratch on the ears. “Don’t know how they’d feel having a critter in the house. Go explore and maybe find yourself some new friends. We’ll catch up later.”

The dog looked up at him and gave a sad whine. He turned towards Riley almost as if looking for approval from the redhead instead, but was ignored as the man was staring intently at his mate. Making a soft huff, the cyberdog gave Travis’ hand a lick before bounding off back towards the car while stopping to sniff things along the way.

“Here goes nothing,” Travis muttered while slowly climbing the stairs. When Travis’ feet touched the worn wood of the porch, he locked his knees. His stomach clenched in excitement, but still he hesitated, unsure on what he should do or if he was even able to go forward with this.

Placing a gentle hand on Travis’ back, Riley felt him stiffen then relax at his touch. “I'm right here, babe. Are you ready?”

Wordlessly, Travis nodded and pushed open the screen door. He flinched at the metallic squeak it made and took his first step into the house. At first he stood in the doorway, his crystal blue eyes scanning the room briefly before taking a few more steps inside. Once his eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings, he began to slowly wander around the living room. To the left was the dining room and kitchen and to his right was a hallway no doubt leading to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Keeping his focus on the living room, Travis was impressed at how neat and organized everything was. He marveled at the decor which was mostly typical of the times and place. Many wood carvings and handmade crafts adorned the walls, end tables and shelves. As fascinating everything was and piquing his curiosity, he found himself gravitating towards the fireplace. Hanging over the mantle were large horns of some kind, their tips looked very sharp and Travis furrowed his brow wondering what kind of animal they could even be from. Under the horns was a bracket holding a worn shotgun that has seen better days. A small wood and brass clock was centered on the mantle and it was surrounded by a various assortment of pictures in frames. As he looked them over, Travis’ heart seemed to have stopped as most of the pictures featured him either alone or with his parents.

Frowning deeply, Travis looked closely at the photos before choosing one of interest. He stared hard at it, his mind working frantically trying to find some shard of remembrance. The scene was of he and his parents standing outside of the Mojave Express building. All had happy smiles and Travis looked excited to be there. “This is way too weird,” he muttered, not taking his eyes off the picture when Riley stepped to his side. “I mean...that’s me! This one is probably my first day as a courier or something, but I ain’t got any recollection about it at all.”

As he continued to scan the framed photographs, he stopped at another. This time it was him on top of a bucking bighorner. Travis couldn’t help the confused chuckled that came from his throat. “Ok, this is too surreal now. This I do remember. Did this during the run at the Big Circle.”

Riley smiled hopefully with Travis recognizing something, but then realized it was yet again another memory outside of his home and family. “I recall you mentioning this story. It’s amazing there’s a photo to go along with it. Are there any other pictures here you might remember?”

Travis shook his head at the rest which were random scenes during his childhood or with his parents. “Naw...not these anyways. Looks like I had a good growing up at least. Woulda been nice to still have these memories around.” Frowning, he placed the bighorner picture back on the shelf. Picking up another frame, Travis gave a nod to it. “I mean lookit this,” he said sadly while showing it to Riley. “Here I am playing a guitar with a bunch of other folks, including my father. Looks like some kind of fun party with everyone enjoying the music, but I ain’t got one damn clue what it all is about let alone who these people are.”

There was frustration growing in Travis’ voice now and Riley knew he was getting overwhelmed trying to process everything. Riley noticed Travis’ hand shaking slightly and he took the frame from him and set it back on the mantle. “Don’t stress yourself, Travis. Try and relax. Come on, let’s take a seat.”

Giving a soft grunt in agreement, Travis sat down heavily on the couch and began to absently scratch his fingernail over the faded flower print pattern. Riley took a seat next to him and gave Travis’ knee a squeeze. “Pretty nice house, don’t you think?” he asked in hopes to get Travis to focus on something else other than lost memories and photographs. “I can’t wait to see the outside and what kind of animals and crops your folks are raising. What about you?”

Numbly nodding, Travis pushed his hat off his brow and sighed. “Yeah. Could be nice. Little stuffy in here, though, but ain’t nothing I can’t get used to,” he chuckled weakly realizing how spoiled he became from living in the air conditioned coolness of the Lucky 38. “At least they got ceiling fans.”

“Here we go, dears!” Mrs. Blackfox suddenly announced while entering the room bringing two bottles of water and plates with some kind of pie on them. “Hope y’all like mutfruit pie. Made it up yesterday. Thought to do something a little different than the typical apple.”

“Much obliged, ma’am,” Travis quietly replied while taking a plate and bottle from his mother.

She smiled faintly at his politeness and handed the remaining items to Riley. “Travis, your father is on his way back and thankfully alone. I was scared he’d be tailed by Tim and Brad, our ranch hands. They have worked for us ever since you were a little boy and saw you grow up and truly mourned your loss so many years ago.” Tracy sighed wistfully and took a seat on a blue fabric chair next to the fireplace. “I do know they’re going to be champing at the bit to come and see you, so just a fair warning on what’s probably going to come later on.”

Travis grimaced and took a deep swallow of his water. Great, more people I won’t know that know me, he thought glumly while he began to absently flick his fingers against the glass bottle.

His mother mustered up a smile and gave a nod towards him. “I see that you still flick at bottles when you’re really pondering something. Don’t be nervous, Travis. I’m quite sure your father told them to stay away until you’re ready to see them.”

Arching an eyebrow, Travis suddenly grew self-conscious and stopped flicking the bottle. He felt even more awkward now and wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to these people knowing things about him when he had no clue about them himself.

The abrupt bang of the back door sounded through the house indicating Dante had returned. “Dang, those idjits were too excited hearing the news,” Dante called out from the kitchen to anyone listening. “Told ‘em to relax and do their work. Told ‘em maybe we’ll see ‘em after dinner.” The lanky cowboy strode into the room clutching a beer and dragging a wooden chair behind him from the dining area. Placing the chair next to his wife, he took a seat, twisted the cap off the bottle and took a long guzzle practically emptying it in one go. “I miss anything?” he asked, his pale eyes going from his wife to his son then back to his wife again.

“No,” Tracy responded. “To be honest, I’m really not sure where to start. Isn’t that silly? I mean, almost ten years thinking my only son was dead and gone and here he is back home and in my company and I have no clue on what to say.”

Travis frowned deeply and swirled the contents of his bottle before downing the remainder of his water. “How do you think I feel?” he muttered while stuffing a forkful of pie in his mouth. “Ah hell, sorry, that sounded rude. I...it’s just all of this is so dang confusing for me.”

“I understand. I got my own bit of confusion myself,” Tracy replied as her husband took her hand and entwined their fingers together. She felt tears welling up in her eyes once again, but did her best to hold them back. “I have lots of questions, way more than you can probably handle right now. Still, you’re in charge of the pacing, Travis. Take your time. Tell what you want and what you’re comfortable with. The important thing is you took the first big step and are sitting here with us now.”

“Dang, she sounds like you,” Travis nervously snickered to Riley making his partner blink behind his glasses and blush. Removing his hat, Travis ran his fingers through his hair before placing the hat on his lap. “Reckon I might as well start at the beginning on what I can remember before I got shot and what I was told about it afterwards. After that things get a little crazy and unbelievable at times, but like I said earlier, y'all know it ended good.”

Taking a deep, calming breath, Travis began telling his somber tale. He started with what he was able to remember on his arrival in Nevada for the all important delivery to New Vegas. He recalled making camp for the night and that someone approached him asking if he had any caps to spare. “Right as I gave him the caps I got whacked from behind and everything went black. Was told later by my savior that I was found in a cemetery where I had been shot in the head and left for dead in a shallow grave.”

Hearing those horrid details caused Mrs. Blackfox to loudly gasp, cover her mouth with her hands and begin crying again. Dante frowned and gathered her up in his arms. “Shush, love, it's ok,” he said soothingly while stroking her hair. “Travis said it himself, at least you know the ending is good.” His wife nodded against him, but still kept her face buried against his shoulder and sobbed.

Travis squirmed uncomfortably seeing his mother cry and he wished to be anyplace else but here. He twitched his moustache and gave a side glance to Riley who gave him an empathetic smile. Clearing his throat, Travis adjusted his position on the couch and waited patiently for his mother to calm down.

Realizing she was carrying on and that Travis had stopped his tale, Tracy pulled from her husband and nervously laughed. “S-sorry about that. It’s just...wow. I know the wasteland is a harsh place, but I never would have thought someone could be so horrible to someone like that. You were being kind to boot! What was all the fuss about? Why would they even do such a horrible thing?”

“Had no answer right then,” Travis responded with a shrug. “When I came to, a fella named Doc Mitchell was at my side and explained what happened to me. He was amazed I finally woke up and all. He then did some random questions to see how my brain was doing and stuff. I had to relearn a few things as time went on like buttoning my shirt and how to shoot a gun, but the doc told me I made a complete recovery. He was a bit unhappy I couldn’t remember my family or where I came from, but said if I was lucky, maybe it’ll come back in due time. Once I recovered enough to his approval, the doc gave me some supplies and things for my trip to New Vegas. I was accompanied by the robot that dug me out of the grave and got me to Goodsprings. Honestly, I would have preferred to stay in that little town and see if any memories come back, but for some reason I felt I had to meet the person that hired me and get some answers first. Also figured he might be able to help me find the ass who shot me so I could return the favor of a bullet to the noggin.”

By now, Travis’ throat was starting to get parched and he began to long for a beer or, better yet, that whiskey he knew was waiting for him on the floor of his car. Almost as if reading his mind, Tracy held up her hand and suggested, “Now might be a good time to pause your story, Travis. I think we all could use a drink.”

Travis breathed a sigh of relief and pressed his back against the couch cushions. He was quickly becoming mentally drained and wanted to disappear somewhere with Riley and melt into his embrace. There was nothing Travis hated more than being the sole focus of attention. Being in center stage was bad enough, but everything else wrapped around this emotionally charged situation was really taking its toll on him. He also knew that his telling of the last few years was only the beginning. There was no doubt going to be plenty of questions asked afterwards. Couple that with being shown around later and meeting more people that were once part of his life only added to his anxieties. “Shit,” Travis softly groaned and nervously ran his fingers through his hair, wondering if this trip was even a good idea.

Fortunately Mrs. Blackfox returned before Travis’ nerves got the best of him. She was carrying three mason jars, a bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla and a large, brown jug. “Figured y’all might need something a little stronger than water or beer for that matter. This is my husband’s make of moonshine. Got a good kick to it, but goes down nice and smooth,” she explained while handing over the jars and filling them two fingers high with the alcohol. Setting the jug on the coffee table, she returned to her seat and handed the third jar to her husband. “Drink up, fellas. Hope y’all like it.”

Travis briefly sniffed the contents and detected a hint of cinnamon mixed over the sharp alcohol scent. He quirked an eyebrow at his father who gave him a wink before downing his own portion of liquor in seconds flat. Twitching his moustache, Travis took a bigger mouthful than he probably should have and coughed. “Hoo dang, you ain’t kidding! This sure does got a kick to it!” he coughed again and felt his eyes begin to water.

Seeing his partner’s reaction to the liquor, Riley took a more moderate sip from his jar. An impressed smile danced on his lips and he nodded in appreciation. “Wow, this is really, really good! It has the distinct flavor that sort of reminds me of apple pie from back home. My compliments to you, Mister Blackfox.”

“Please, y’all can call me Dante. Ain't no need to be so formal. We're all family here,” the black-clad cowboy casually replied while giving Riley a knowing look which caused the redhead suddenly feel his cheeks burn with a blush. Seeing Riley’s subtle reaction made Dante narrow his eyes and grin all the more, but he refrained from saying anything else.

Not catching went on between Riley and Dante, Travis cleared his throat and continued onwards with his story. He briefly talked about the days he and the securitron, Victor, traveled through the Mojave heading to New Vegas. Once at his destination, he met the being by the name of Mister House who resided in the well guarded casino, the Lucky 38. Here Travis got all his questions answered and was even offered a huge reward if he would continue what he was originally hired for. “He wanted some dumb doohickey called a platinum chip. Said it was gonna help restore peace to the Mojave and bring New Vegas back to its glory. Well, best it could all things considered,” Travis smirked while taking another mouthful of moonshine.

“House said as a reward for going above and beyond helping him I could live in the luxury of the casino for as long as I like even after the mission was over. I could have anything I wanted and had tons of caps at my disposal. I didn't care too much about that sorta thing, but I ain't stupid and agreed.”

By now, Travis was steadily starting to feel more relaxed with the telling of his tale. However, he was certain most of it was due to the liquor he was consuming. Still, he wasn't exactly happy discussing the events that lead up to tracking his assassin, Benny, to the Legion camp at Fortification Hill. Much to the delight of his father, Travis hastily discussed his dispatching Benny in the Legion fighting arena. This deadly battle had to be done. It was the only way to prove his worth to Caesar. Being victorious he was granted permission to head to the underground bunker where Mister House previously instructed him to go once he obtained the Platinum Chip. However, what came after, Travis gave a ten cent version so to speak. He hated the army of robots that he was forced to activate and hated that he was now going to be in the middle of something much greater than his original job of delivering a simple package.

To prevent his parents thinking he was some sort of super hero or vengeful maniac, Travis talked about all the allies he gained at this point. They were all valuable friends ranging from the Great Khans to the Boomers to the Enclave Remnants to the Brotherhood of Steel who aided him in the upcoming battle. He also briefly mentioned his NCR 1st Recon companion, Craig Boone. However, he omitted the short affair they had for more than one reason, but mostly it was something he wanted to forget himself. Travis also assured his parents that during the final battle he oversaw everything in the safety of a control room inside of Hoover Dam. Fortunately the battle was over quickly as Caesar’s army couldn’t defend itself to the crippling blow Mister House’s Securitrons delivered from inside the Fort. Travis’ allies also lent their hands delivering crushing blows to the Legion army. As a result the tyranny of Legion threat was finally over.

Travis was beyond drained now and wearily sighed while helping himself to another serving of moonshine. To him his tale of adventure was done and he tried to think of a way to tie it all up in completion. “When the dust settled, Mister House, my robot army, and myself made it known to the NCR we’re taking over and they need to get out of Dodge so to speak. They weren’t happy, but they had no choice. After the NCR cleared out and all, I continued to live in the casino and work with Mister House on restoring New Vegas and the surrounding areas best as the wasteland could offer. We still got an uneasy collaboration, but he’s been quite pleased with all I got done and suggested. I reckon I sorta am too.” Travis took a sip of his drink and stifled a yawn with a dismissive wave signaling he was finally done with telling his saga. “Obviously got lots more years after to talk about, but that's for another time.”

All through Travis’ story, the Blackfoxes sat in wide-eyed wonderment hearing all their son had not only gone through, but accomplished. Now that his tale was complete, they continued to sit in almost stunned silence until Dante let out a low whistle. “Holy shit! Ya know, we heard about the battle and stuff over the radio, but they ain’t never gave a name or nothin’. Who’da thunk it was my own son that what did all that stuff?”

“Oh, if only the radio announcer said your name!” Tracy chimed in with sadness in her voice. “Had they mentioned your name we would have known you were alive! Might have been able to find a way to travel to New Vegas or even get a message to you...and even if we couldn’t do those things just knowing you were alive…” she trailed off and bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling from that realization.

Travis frowned deeply and cast his eyes to the floor. It was per his request to radio announcer, Mister New Vegas, and anyone else picking up the story, to please keep his name out of it. He wanted the anonymity as he really didn’t see the need to get shoved into celebrity status especially over something like a battle. He never even considered news of his exploits might have traveled far from Vegas anyway let alone here in Arizona If he knew having his name out there would have prevented the heartache and pain thinking their son was dead, Travis most certainly would have done so. Having that realization made Travis’ heart sink and he felt even worse than he already did about all the sorrows he put his parents through all these years.

Thankfully before he had a chance to dwell too much on things he couldn’t change, a banging could be heard sounding from the back door followed by a man’s voice calling, “Dante! Hey, Dante! I know yer busy with yer boy, but we got ourselves a situation out here and we need help!”

Dante rolled his eyes and groaned. “Goddammit...I figured this was gonna happen. Those boys ain’t got no clue how to operate nothing without me half the time. Reckon I might as well give those idjits a hand. Got some amazing stories to tell ‘em anyways about…”

“Hold your steeds there, honey,” Tracy interrupted with a laugh. “Don’t go firing them up too much! We got important guests that come first. You know those boys’ll want to start busting out the drinks and food and have a big party right as the sun sets all the way 'til it comes up again!”

“What’s wrong with that? We got a grand reason to celebrate!” Dante exclaimed getting a playful shove from his wife in return.

“That we do, but I think Travis has been through enough excitement for today...in fact all of us have. Besides, I have to start making dinner anyways. It’s getting late.”

Dante nodded and gave his wife a light kiss on her lips. “Sounds good. I’ll go see what those fellas got into and I’ll be back in time for chow.” The lanky cowboy stepped to the couch, smiled proudly down at Travis and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry, I gotta scoot outta here so fast, but it was great hearing your story. It was really somethin’ else. Great ta have ya back, son. Cain’t wait to show ya around and keep catchin’ up with ya.” Giving a grateful nod to Riley, he added, “Much obliged to you for bringing him home. I owe ya one.” Dante then patted his son’s shoulder on last time, turned on his heel and loped out of the room.

With the previous mention of food, Travis’ stomach impulsively growled. Standing quickly, he placed his black cowboy hat on his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, this was great and all and I don’t want to sound rude, but I am getting rather hungry myself. We saw an eatery back in town and I think we should head out and get some chow right quick. I can bring y’all something back if you like? This way you ain’t gotta cook since I took up lots of your time.”

“Heading out? Absolutely not! You came all this way to find your past and what kind of mother would I be telling her only child he can’t stay for dinner? Travis, you and Riley are welcome to join us and I’d be downright insulted if y’all say no!”

Travis swallowed hard at the invitation. He had assumed she would offer dinner to them, but now that the words actually left her lips, he was at a bit of a loss. He looked helplessly at Riley, his mouth refusing to work properly. However, getting an affirmative nod from his partner seemed to have somehow gave him that push he needed. “Well...if you insist. I mean I don’t wanna put y’all out or nothing.”

“Nonsense! I always end up making more than enough food as it is. At least this time whatever leftovers we got won’t be getting tossed out for the coyotes. Then it’s settled. There’s a bathroom down the hall if y’all want to get washed up first.” Mrs. Blackfox sighed and stared in amazement at her back-from-the-dead son with tears glistening in her eyes. “It truly is a miracle that you are here, Travis. You can’t even imagine what the last bunch of years were like for us. We even kept your room exactly how you left it on that day you left for New Vegas. It’s the second door down the hall on the left.” Wiping at her eyes to prevent the tears from spilling over, Tracy took a deep breath and did her best to compose herself. “Now if you do excuse me, I’m gonna go and get dinner started. See you boys in a bit.”

As she exited the room, Travis groaned and released the breath he was holding. “Shit. Didn’t think this was going to be so dang exhausting,” he complained. “Feels like I got a pregnant brahmin sitting on my chest.”

“You’re doing perfectly fine, babe,” Riley gently replied while he took Travis by his wrist. “Now, let’s go check out that room of yours and see if you can discover any long forgotten memories.”

to be continued...

#travis blackfox #courier six #riley white #sole survivor #fallout new vegas #writings

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ghosty-schnibibit · 5 years

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late amnesty liveblog because my sleep schedule has betrayed me :P

i've scheduled this liveblog to come out around 10:00 am on friday, but as i'm typing this it's around three in the morning. summer has utterly fucked my sleeping schedule lmao, i literally went to bed around 6:00 am yesterday and didn't wake up until a little before 4:00 pm... which is about a normal amount of time to sleep for me tbh, just at a wack time. oi vae. i’m going to try and get to bed a little earlier tonight, but i had to get this done now so i didn’t have to avoid tumblr altogether for fear of spoilers while me and my parents are driving to IKEA tomorrow :P

i've been procrastinating listening to the new ep all day because of well, the same reason i tend to procrastinate listening to every new ep of amnesty: i'm scared as fuck for all of these characters and a lil bit nervous about how griffin intends to unify all the disparate plot threads in a way i wasn't during balance. i'd say that nervousness is less of a product of me being distrustful in the boys’ abilities and more a product of me binging all of balance over the course of a month and only catching up in time for reunion tour, aka when all the main mystery threads were either solved or would be in the next few eps. also, ngl, still a little shaken by ned's death, along with how bloody the last arc was in general and what that means going forward vis a vis character mortality. please griffin, all i ask is that you don’t kill off duck and aubrey, p l e a s e

tl;dr: my sleep schedule is fucked and i'm a nervous wreck about fictional characters, what else is new lol? anyways, onto the liveblog!

the description is probably the least terrifying of the last five or six

"how's the scene doing?" "lil cold" i caught that pun trav

MY BOY :D

griffin what the fuck

good to know indrid isn't at fault lmao

aww duck :'(

"what a delight" bless

the heathcliff is out of the bag

indrid you dramatic twink jfc

i really love these moments of just... pure dialogue

q u e l l

"why did you invoke submarines?" ilu aubrey

... you're not really being helpful here drid

i love thacker so much holy shit

yep, all bummers sums it up pretty well :|

a very finely feathered cast lol

minerva's voice is so similar to indrid’s jesus

i only know of minority report through the lost in adaptation ep on it lmao

well that's not great

"our- well, your world technically" aww indrid

aubrey you dummy ilu

i forgot kirby was there lol

i need fic of aubrey and thacker watching movies together and getting him caught up to modern day, i don't even like the mcu and i want that fic

d u c k m a n

JESUS CHRIST INDRID

what was that noise clint???

indeed quite zany lol

which one of them is clicking their computer mouse a bunch???

"gotta getchu a sword" leo ilu

i know there's gonna be fanart of that lmao

ooooh, new music! very good new music!

yes please keep the together party after splitting it caused so much heartache and literal death last arc

i love thacker's dad energy so much, can't wait to see how that plays out

"WHY ARE THEY SITTING IN RUBBLE" ilu trav

sammiches c:

keith is just d o n e

i just remembered the throwaway line from the last arc about hollis being into saturday night dead and got sad :(

JESUS THACKER

i need fic of thacker interacting with the baby hornets, i need it so bad

duck you cannot just spring all this on them

"my friend the mothman" D U C K

YUP, you need to roll for that

that's better than failure! that's not complete failure!

JAKE! JAKE! JAKE!

OH MY GOD THAT'S SO FUCKING CUTE

they're in it for jake :')

i’m so excited for the new graphic novel!!! hopefully i will have enough money to buy it ha haaaaa for real tho i have no money or autonomy

ghost dewey! :D

who does he need to talk to? pigeon maybe?

that was so good clint! i loved it :D

WHAT THE FUCK, DUCK NEWTON

i know i've said it like eighty times but thacker's peak dad energy is absolute gold and i'm super happy we get to see him interact with juno again after how adorable their last scene was :)

"gross" bless travis

oooh no, i'm getting bad vibes

i have never heard milanos pronounced that way in my entire life

i have to hide mine from my dad lmao

WHO IS CLICKING

thacker you sound like the goddamn unibomber could you please be more forthright about what the plan is

hmm... here's a fun question: did thacker inherit ned's spent luck???

well that answers that lol

i love juno so goddamn much

sensors? stealth could be an option

why is she so scared? like aubrey brought her coworker back to life, i personally would not be afraid of her murdering me after that

"no one needs to go to chicago" ilu aubrey

federal paperwork is an absolute bastard

some monday what???

"well i don't care for the tone!" aubrey ilu

that's a good way to put it :/

WHY IS DEWEY IN THE CLOSET

s p e c t r a l m o m

well dewey is immune to death sooo...

ned was one of aubrey’s best friends... even after everything that happened she still called him one of her best friends... travis you've made me cry ; _ ;

PLEASE MAGIC TRAVIS DICE SHE HAS NO MORE LUCK TO BURN

damn this really is a wild ass scenario isn't it

"you're melting my fucking brain" pfff

thank you clint, i completely forgot too

travis is the irl voidfish lmao

i love dewey so much

"can't kill me twice, i think" i hope dewey can't double die lol

d u c k o l a s

why did you go to buffy and winthrop duck??? why did you want to talk to these weird edward and lydia reskins duck?????

yeah that feels right

okay, it's griffin clacking on his mouse

playing what???

THE WHAT

WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT, JUSTIN MCELROY

DUCK WHAT THE FLYING FUCK ARE YOU DOING I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON

i love justin's triumphant laugh so much

i mean i already mentally associated them with the wonderland liches so this isn't much of a jump ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

griffin what on earth is this

"that's it, that's all the latin there is" i wish lmao

THE SHADOW BRETHEREN

we are... so screwed lmao

this was very good! this ep kept up the trend of funnier interactions from the last ep and i’m grateful for it after how sad the past arc was. i am still very worried but i’m happy we’re seeing a lot of npcs that we hadn’t gotten back to in a while just to make sure they’re okay. pretty much anything else i had to say is summed up by the mini rant i made before listening above lol.

see y’all next right thursday!!!

#taz #the adventure zone #taz amnesty #taz spoilers #ghosty liveblogs taz

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smokeybrandreviews · 4 years

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Smokey brand Select: No One Can Hear You Scream

While i was writing my review for The Little Things and how much of a true January film it turned out to be, it made me recall several films that came out in this, the cinematic graveyard month. It was odd that this film, the first, real release of this wonky, post-2020, world, would be so aggressively mediocre. Just last year, we received several excellent films around this time, a few of which turned out to be brilliant sci-fi horror films. The More i thought about it, the more i realized just how much of this genre. Science fiction Horror, I've allocated to my all-time favorite films. I’ve seen a great many of these movies and wanted to throw a spotlight on a few that i think, are great example of the sub-genre.

10. Screamers

Screamers isn’t very good but it is a guilty pleasure of mine. I remember seeing this thing as a kid and thinking how great the concept is. The idea of Screamers, the evolution of artificial life rising to dominate organics, is always an interesting take to me. Some of my favorite films deal with that transhumanism and existential horror. Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, are all favorites that kind of center on what it means to be human in the face of exceptional technology. They’re all also adaptions of Philip K. Dick stories, just like Screamers. The film is a bit different than the Dick story it’s based on, Second variety, but it’s an entertaining, high budget, B-movie with a great core concept. I think if this is remade today, with a decent budget, and an auteur director with great vision, Screamers could really be one of the best sci-fi horror films to every grace cinema.

9. Honeymoon

I caught this one on Netflix, early in the life of the streamer. Before they got super big, Netflix was a gold mine for smaller budget, indie, gems like Honeymoon. I actually saw this thing a few years later when that momentum started to peak but there was still a great deal of awesome to find. Honeymoon is all of that and more. I don’t want to spoil too much about the plot because it is, technically, a mystery but i had a fantastic time with this movie. It’s very challenging, very surreal at times, and never really gives you room to breathe with its story but the stress only adds to the viewing experience. This thing probably didn't have a kind run in theaters but it should have because, seriously, it’s pretty great.

8. Underwater

Underwater was the whole reason i decided to write this Select. This and The Invisible man. Both films were surprisingly excellent, though Invisible Man definitely skews more thriller than horror. Underwater, though? Yeah, that’s a horror. I was incredibly surprised by how good this film turned out to be. It boggled my mind why the Disney machine would release this thing in January and not October because it was, quite literally, one of the best horror films released that year. Obviously, this flick was a victim of that merger but it really should have gotten a better push from the Mouse House because it’s definitely a gem. Underwater cribs a great deal from Alien, the perfect movie to snag sh*t from for a film like this, but it does it in a way that pays homage, never imitates. That’s a fine line to walk. I wrote a proper review for this bad boy that you can search out but, needless to say, i had a great time with it.

7. Vivarium

Vivarium is a sci-fi horror in the strictest sense. This one feels a lot like Annihilation in that the horror comes from that familiar unfamiliarity. Everything is just off, but off on a fundamental manner. You know sh*t is wrong on a primal, survival, level and you know it from the second that couple walks into to the “Realtor” office. Vivarium is unnerving and disgustingly cruel with how overt it’s alien nature is toward the audience. It slowly ramps up the tension, never really letting it go, raising the stakes on the surreal and horrifying as the run time closes in on it’s climax. This film is a lot, especially if you commit wholly to the experience.

6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Invasion has been remade several times over the years. This story if a staple of cinema and it really has the flexibility to be told so many times, in so many ways. One of my favorites is the Nicole Kidman vehicle, The Invasion. There’s this scene where one of the pod people tries to infiltrate Kidman’s home but can’t get in so it just spazzes. The f*cking thing just stops blinking and starts shrieking. It’s so f*cking horrifying, i had to leave the room the first time i saw it. It then just walks off the porch and into the night. That one scene, wigged me the f*ck out so bad. So why isn’t that version of this list? Because the Seventies take on The Body Snatchers narrative, has the same energy from that one scene, throughout the entirety of the goddamn film. It’s insane how much unrelenting tension that thing builds. It winds so tight and never releases you from it’s malevolent grip, even when the movie ends. It might feel tame nowadays but, when i saw it as a kid, it kept me completely hostage with that unrelentingly oppressive atmosphere.

5. Event Horizon

Where to even begin with this gothic nightmare? Event Horizon is an experience. It’s easily skews the most horror on this list and, yes, it earns that title with gusto. I saw this thing at the drive-in when i was, like, thirteen years old. I remember it was the b-movie to a brand new release, the only way i could have watched it because there was no way my ma would allow to see this thing otherwise. Horizon is a brutal watch. It hangs it’s hat on disgusting and disturbing visuals, coupled with this foreboding animosity in the set construction around these actors. The ship, itself, is pure malevolence and you feel it the second they step on the Event Horizon. This is another film that takes a great deal from Alien but it definitely does it’s own thing with those themes. Event Horizon is basically Hellraiser in space and that sh*t works beautifully. The most ridiculous thing about this film is the version we all have seen? The one released to the public? Yeah, that’s the toned down cut. The first cut has about thirty minutes of extended nightmare fuel but it was lost in a fire or something, never to be seen again.

4. The Thing

I’m talking about the original from the Eighties. That new, prequel is a pale imitation but the original? Yeah, that’s a classic. Everyone praises the effects because, of course they should, but my takeaway was the absolute dread which just infects all of this movie. The entire run time, you’re uncomfortable. Every single second of it. That opening scene with the dog running through the snow gets you off balance and the film never let’s you right yourself. You are forced to experience all of these surreal and horrendous events, from a compromised perspective. It definitely works out because, holy sh*t, but that is exactly why it works, why this film works. Without that initial pivot, this film wouldn’t have been as great as it turned out to be, f*cking master craft in effects and all.

3. Annihilation

Annihilation is f*cking brilliant and does not gt the due it truly deserves. Most people tend to check out because of how methodical this thing is with it’s narrative but that’s part of the experience. It is deliberate and very deliberate, very purposeful, with what it shows you and how it tells this story. I, personally, think it’s brilliant. This film is lousy with existential dread, bordering on straight up eldritch. These thing is saturated with the fear of that “other”, the fear of not being you. It’s insane how palpable that eeriness runs through this content and it real is a shame that most of the audience never gave it a chance to inflict that upon them. Plus, it’s f*cking gorgeous, man!

2. Fire in the Sky

This one is kind of a cheat. Sky is more of a sci-fi drama that horror but, there is one sequence in this flick that is just debilitating. This movie is based on the two-week abduction of Travis Walton. That demonstration of what happened to him in that fortnight was the most harrowing sh*t i have ever seen in my life. It viscerally disturbed me. Look, I'm an Eighties kid. We were raised on slashers and body horror. I saw my first Nightmare on Elm Street when i was three. I saw Cronenberg's The Fly when i was five. I don’t rattle. Fire in the Sky did much more than that. Admittedly, the majority of the film is completely absent of horror. It’s all about the disappearance and how that effects the people around Travis, then it shifts to Travis, himself, as he miraculously returns along with all of the fallout from that. That is, essentially, what this movie is at it’s core; a drama. But that one scene, though. Man, f*ck that one scene.

1. Alien

Alien is in a three-way tie for my all-time favorite film. It’s a near perfect film. Excellent acting, outstanding direction, and arguably the best effects work in cinema. Seriously, this thing came out in 1979 and still gives modern films a proper run for their money. Alien, as a film, is f*cking stunning. The plot is a little light but it’s more a framing device than it is a driving force. No, the real heavy lifting in this thing is definitely done by the actors, all of that solid character work, and the effects worm. Just he look of all that retro-future tech, the detail of the Derelict Ship, and the utter horror of the Xenomorph, itself, are f*cking timeless. I’ve written an entire review of Alien so if you need detail, you can look that one up if you like but, suffice it to say, Alien gets my highest praise and recommendation.

Honorable Mentions: The Endless, Pandorum, Mimic, The Astronaut’s Wife, Attack the Block, Dark Skies, A Quiet Place, Scanners, The Fly (1986), High Life, Overlord, The Mist, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Faculty, Slither

#Smokey brand Select #Sci-Fi Horror

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smokeybrand · 4 years

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Smokey brand Select: No One Can Hear You Scream

While i was writing my review for The Little Things and how much of a true January film it turned out to be, it made me recall several films that came out in the cinematic graveyard month. It was odd that this film, the first, real release of this wonky, post-2020, world, would be so aggressively mediocre because, just last year, we received several excellent films around this time, a few of which turned out to be brilliant sci-fi horror films. The More i thought about it, the more i realized just how much of this genre I've allocated to my all-time favorite films. I’ve seen a great many of these movies and wanted to throw a spotlight on a few that i think, are great example of the sub-genre, itself.

10. Screamers

Screamers isn’t very good but it is a guilty pleasure of mine. I remember seeing this thing as a kid and thinking how great the concept is. The idea of Screamers, the evolution of artificial life rising to dominate organics, is always an interesting take to me. Some of my favorite films deal with that transhumanism and existential horror. Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, are all favorites that kind of center on what it means to be human in the face of exceptional technology? They’re all also adaptions of Philip K. Dick stories, just like Screamers. The film is a bit different than the Dick story it’s based off, Second variety, but it’s an entertaining, high budget, B-movie with a great core concept. I think if this is remade today, with a decent budget, and an auteur director with great vision, Screamers could really be one of the best sci-fi horror films to every grace cinema.

9. Honeymoon

I caught this one on Netflix, early in the life of the streamer. Before they got super big, Netflix was a gold mine for smaller budget, indie, gems like Honeymoon. I actually saw this thing a few years later when that momentum start to peak but there was still a great deal of awesome to find. Honeymoon is all of that and more. I don’t want to spoil too much about the lot because it is , technically, a mystery, but i had a fantastic time with this movie. It’s very challenge, very surreal at times, and never really give you room to breathe with its story. This thing probably didn't have that kind of a run in theaters but it should have because, seriously, it’s pretty great.

8. Underwater

Underwater was the whole reason i decided to write this Select. This and The Invisible man. Both of these films were surprisingly excellent, though Invisible Man definitely skews more thriller than horror. Underwater, though? Yeah, that’s a horror. I was incredibly surprised by how good this film turned out to be. It boggled my mind why the Disney would release this thing in January and not October because it was, quite literally, one of the best horror films released that year. Obviously, this flick was a victim of that merger but it really should have gotten a better push from Disney because it’s definitely a gem. Underwater cribs a great deal from Alien, a perfect film to snag sh*t from for a film like this, but it does it in a way that pay homage, never imitates. That’s a fine line to walk. I wrote a proper review for this bad boy that you can search out but, needless to say, i had a great time with it.

7. Vivarium

Vivarium is a sci-fi horror in the strictest sense. This one feels a lot like Annihilation in that the horror comes from that familiar unfamiliarity. Everything is just off, but off in a fundamental manner. You know sh*t is wrong on a primal, survival, level and you know it from the second that couple walks into to the “Realtor” office. Vivarium is unnerving and disgustingly cruel with how overt it’s alien nature is toward the audience. It slowly ramps up the tension, never really letting it go, raising the stakes on the surreal and horrifying as the run time closes in on it’s climax. This film is a lot, especially if you commit wholly to the experience.

6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Invasion has been remade several times over the years. This story if a staple of cinema and it really is that flexible to be told so many times, in so many ways. One of my favorites is the Nicole Kidman vehicle, The Invasion. There’s this scene where one of the pod people tries to infiltrate Kidman’s home but can’t get in a d just spazzes out until it doesn't. It then just walks off the porch and into the night. That one scene, wigged me the f*ck out. So why isn’t that version of this list? Because the Seventies take on The Body Snatchers narrative, has that same energy throughout the entirety of the film. It’s insane how much unrelenting tension this thing builds. It winds you so tight and never releases you from it’s malevolent grip. It might feel tame nowadays but, when i saw it as a kid, it kept me completely hostage with that atmosphere. The ending is kind of wonky though.

5. Event Horizon

Where to even begin with this Gothic nightmare? Event Horizon is an experience. It’s easily skews the most horror on this list and, yes, it earns that title with gusto. I saw this thing at the drive-in when i was, like, thirteen years old. I remember it was the b-movie to a brand new release, the only way i could have watched it because there was no way my ma would allow to see this thing otherwise. Horizon is a brutal watch. It hangs it’s hat on disgusting and disturbing visuals, coupled with this foreboding animosity in the set construction around these actors. The ship, itself, is pure malevolence and you feel it the second they step on the Event Horizon. This is another film that takes a great deal from lien but it definitely does it’s own thing with those themes. Event Horizon is basically Hellraiser in space and that sh*t works beautifully. The most ridiculous thing about this film is the version we all have sen? The one released to he public? Yeah, that’s the toned down cut. The first cut has about thirty minutes of extended nightmare fuel but it was lost in a fire or something, never to be seen again.

4. The Thing

3. Annihilation

2. Fire in the Sky

1. Alien

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colp76-blog · 4 years

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Air Date: 12th March 2018 Director: Alan Taylor Writers: Kalen Egan, Travis Sentell, Philip K. Dick.

Story.

A single car drives through an old decaying urban area, leading to a bridge that shows an advanced city skyline. In the car are Irene Lee Maura Tierney and her daughter Foster Annalise Basso who have travelled from a low-tech bubble in the west to discuss some of the invasive procedures this advanced society seem to be involved in. As wonderful as this utopia looks, Irene is pretty sure that the freedom of the people is far more important. Foster, on the other hand, seems to be impressed with what the city has to offer.

The next day Foster attends school for the first time and already alarm bells are ringing as she enters the building, only because she isn’t wearing a DEX, a tech bracelet and tracking device. Foster is pulled to one side, searched and assigned a red band for her arm. In class, she starts to understand how different she is from the other students and realises some actually fear her. Before she leaves, Kaveh Algee Smith a student says he can get her a DEX if she really wanted to fit in with the others.

Back home, Foster tells Irene about the DEX and she refuses to let her daughter have one, there is a difference between safety and comfort and Foster would be giving up her freedom with this device. Foster, has different plans and the next day she asks Kaveh to get her a DEX bracelet using her mum’s credits. Once the purchase has been made, Kaveh goes to kiss Foster and she declines, saying she only wanted his help! Kaveh takes offence and tells Foster to wait on her own for the DEX. Foster waits and eventually, a delivery drone appears and drops the device to the ground, before taking the box home. As Foster opens the box, she is asked to put a device into her ear (Hear Gel) and put on a bracelet which then opens up a holographic display. Struggling to close the DEX down, Foster starts to hear a voice, its customer support. An employee for the DEX kindly takes her through the tutorial of the bracelet, also telling her she is a natural. Foster asks the employee his name but he says it’s against company policy to disclose such information and the chat ends.

In school, the next day the students are watching a video of a terrorist attack and the teacher asks one of the students to point out who the suspect is? Foster notices a man in the crowd who is wearing a badge from her bubble and before she has a chance to tell anyone, it’s him who ignites the bomb! The video says that the terrorists used mind-control on this suspect. Things go from bad to worse for Foster as she finds out Kaveh is about to ruin her because she didn’t have sex with him the day earlier. In order to put things right, she offers herself to him and he declines. Foster has a panic attack and runs to the toilet and as she becomes more upset, the voice from customer support is back again. He says that her vitals are going through the roof and he is worried about her, then he offers to help her situation by looking into Kaveh’s background. It’s not legal, it’s just a favour, he also reveals his name is Ethan Connor Paola.

Breaking news a terrorist attack has been stopped in the city!!! Irene is in the middle a video link discussion with a government official when Foster returns home, she believes the attack is a set up by the government because of her presence there. Ethan contacts Foster again but he sounds startled this time. Ethan believes Kaveh is up to something far suspicious after looking into his DEX, he asks Foster for her help and will she follow him before he can go to his boss with any evidence and she agrees. As Foster is following Kaveh through the school and talking with Ethan, a concerned student walks up to her and ask’s if she is okay, only because she is talking to herself? Foster explains that it’s her Hear Gel, but the student looks confused and walks away. Ethan says that she is one of the first people to use that technology but he suddenly changes the subject by telling Foster she has a new target now, it’s Milena Alice Lee a girl who she first met at the school. Foster follows Milena which eventually leads to a library containing real books, something this society doesn’t appreciate anymore as everything is digital. Foster asks Milena about Kaveh and what they get up to together but Ethan says she is lying, which causes her to have another panic attack. Milena calms Foster down by giving her a drink and telling her about her family background. Ethan starts to scream into Foster’s ear, she must go to the bathroom and purge herself, the drink she had could be poison. Ethan now believes something bigger is going on at the school and it’s now Milena’s father who is the target. Ethan says she cannot trust anyone now, including her own mother, who finally comes to pick her up from school. In the car, Irene confronts her daughter about her breakdown and what is going on. Irene also mentions Foster’s father which causing more hostility and anxiety between the pair just as Foster’s DEX lights up in front of them. Irene says that the DEX would have been paid for with her verified credits and that’s what this mess could all be about, as the car drives away, the bracelet drops out of the car window.

Annalise Basso as Foster Lee

PHILIP K. DICK’S ELECTRIC DREAMS – SEASON 1 – EPISODE 106 – “Safe and Sound”

Maybe things will get better now, maybe not! The school is put on red alert as a terrorist attack is imminent. Foster tries to follow the other students as the steel shutters start to cover the windows as the alarm lights flash. The only problem is, she doesn’t have her DEX, so the teacher says security will be along soon to detain her!!? Ethan’s back again and he instructs her to escape the building. At this point Foster is feeling really burnt out as Ethan describes even more bizarre conspiracy theories; she asks for a Doctor. Ethan’s tone dramatically changes as he tells her to “Shut the Fuck Up” He explains that her mum and others want to change this way of life, even if it means using her own daughter. Ethan explains that there are twelve more children out there that are ready to attack, she must follow their instructions in order to cut the head of the snake.

Foster is back home and Irene says she is sorry for being too harsh on her, not only that, she hands her back the DEX and says she is just worried she is giving up her independence too easily. Irene thinks the state is trying to fear people into giving up their freedom and free thoughts. Foster says she will give the DEX up for a day or so to see how it goes. Unfortunately, she is also in her bedroom making a makeshift bomb. The next morning Foster leaves early whilst her mum in bed. As she walks towards the gates at school with the bomb in her bag, Milena tries to catches her attention. Foster speeds up towards the security gates but Milena catches her as the alarm starts to scream as both students go to the ground. As Foster is apprehended by security she notices a message in the sky, “Thank you Foster”.

Afterwards, Irene is arrested for brainwashing her own daughter and the state announces that new tech is going to be distributed in order to make the city a safer place, including Hear Gel. Foster walks to the podium and now looks like everyone else, her individuality gone. She reads a speech from autocue about how safety and comfort might not be the same thing but people need them both, then starts to ramble before been led away from the stage. Ethan is there to hold her hand as they leave.

Production and Design.

I think this episode was pretty basic compared to some of the others in this series. Basic, but effective as I thought the locations used really helped to carry the story perfectly. I do like how the writers of the show are trying to look at the next big technological advance in society. We looked at the delivery drone last time in Autofac but the holographic display used by the DEX is now becoming a possibility as well. I guess the question is, did I believe in this world? and the answer is yes.

Conclusion.

I really enjoyed this episode and I can’t wait to read the original story by Philip K. Dick. The pace of the dialogue is relentless and makes you feel very uncomfortable throughout. One of the little touches I enjoyed was the fear the security guards shown on the bridge when Irene threw her papers to them. At first, they acted tough but they started to act like frightened children when she left her car, it’s very brief but it tells you a lot about this story, very good directing. Mental health, well there’s an issue I didn’t really think about when you talk about brainwashing but it’s quite scary just how vulnerable people can actually be in those circumstances. And finally, at the end of the episode, there is a scene that shows you Ethan and his boss Odin interacting with Foster and manipulating her at each point through the episode. I found this very pointless as the clues are in the episode and I think they should have treated the viewer with a bit more respect. I think there are so many issues in real life that you can compare this story with but I believe fans of science-fiction have their eye on the ball pretty well when it comes down to technology and freedom. All I can say is stay safe and thanks for reading.

So what are your thoughts on Safe and Sound? What did it mean to you? I would love to hear your views about this episode. Thanks for reading and I will be back soon.

http://talesfromtheneonbeach.com/the-philip-k-dick-archives/

Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams: Episode 9, Safe and Sound. Air Date: 12th March 2018 Director: Alan Taylor Writers: Kalen Egan, Travis Sentell

#CrazyDiamond #HumanIs #Innocence #PhilipKDick ElectricDreams Science-Fiction Television #RealLife #SafeandSound ElectricDreams PhilipKDick #sciencefiction #TheCommuter

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kansascityhappenings · 5 years

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Will they be worth it? The strategy behind draft picks in a new season of FOX4 fantasy football

“Did you do it?”

“Yes.”

“What did it cost?”

“Everything.”

Much like Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War,” I too paid a great price. Mine came in fantasy football.

I’m the commissioner of the FOX4 fantasy football league, which held its draft last weekend. It’s always fun to compete against my coworkers, especially since we do an auction league.

For those unfamiliar, an auction league works with a set budget for players ($200 in our case.) You bid against the other owners for players to fill out your team.

The positive is literally everyone has a shot at the players they want. In most standard leagues, Saquon Barkley is going first overall. If you draft 8th, he’s long gone.

Here, you just have to be willing to pay the most. If you wanted, you could even outbid everyone for Barkley and Christian McCaffrey to have the top two projected players on your team.

The downside: That’s going to cost you. A lot. That means a lot of sitting and waiting as other quality players go off the board with other owners easily able to outbid you.

As you might’ve guessed by my lead-in, you can tell something about my strategy.

I’m sharing with you my draft results, along with the dollar amount I spent on each player. I’m hoping to provide some insight into my thinking.

It’s also my goal to track this team as the season goes along, including any free agent acquisitions and/or trades along the way.

So let’s do it.

Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on December 30, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

RB Saquon Barkley ($73): What can I say? There’s just something nice about having the likely best player in fantasy football on your squad.

Barkley is not only a strong runner but a good pass-catching back as well. That’s the single-most valuable asset in fantasy football.

The downside is obviously the cost. I spent more than 35% of my budget on a single player, and not surprisingly, this was the most anyone in the league spent to get someone.

WR Deandre Hopkins ($64): Not only did I get RB1, I’ve got WR1 too! That’s something that would never happen in a snake draft.

While wide receiver is suddenly the deepest position in the league, Hopkins is still the elite of the elite. His numbers have only grown since the Texans have given him Deshaun Watson at quarterback. But just like with Barkley, I had to go significantly over the Yahoo! dollar projections to make it happen.

It’s been my experience in these leagues that it’s better to err on the side of overly aggressive than too passive, particularly for top-flight players.

My team is probably sunk if these players get hurt, but I feel that’s the same for any team losing a first-round pick.

RB Dalvin Cook ($47): I wanted to get another bell cow running back to go with my team.

I honestly didn’t want Cook. It was at this point in the draft that my app acted up, so I closed it, and by the time I had it reopened, I had a new running back on my team. It’s still more than I wanted to spend for him, but was right in line with the Yahoo! spending.

If there’s one silver lining, it’s that Cook is no longer working in the offense of John Defilippo, who heavily skewed toward the pass for the Vikings. He should see an uptick in carries.

The downside: I’ve now spent 92% of my budget to fill 20% of my roster. Welp.

Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up prior to the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lincoln Financial Field on August 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

QB Carson Wentz ($4): I feel fortunate to get such a high-upside QB here that didn’t kill me on cost.

By this point in the draft, I was mostly nominating players I had no interest in with the hopes my competitors would chew up some of their remaining budget. Quarterbacks are a good place to start.

Simply put, you can get very good production from the ones outside the elite tier at a small fraction of the cost. Wentz has top 5-upside when healthy, but that’s a big if. I still had to gamble on it here.

WR Corey Davis ($2): Woof. I know wide receiver is deep, but Davis as my second-best receiver is a long fall. The Titans haven’t exactly been lighting it up no matter whether it’s Marcus Mariota or Ryan Tannehill at the helm.

I have to hope Davis shows something here that explains why he was a top 5 draft pick long ago.

RB Austin Ekeler ($1): By far, this is the best value I have in this draft, and it probably came by chance.

Ekeler will slot in nicely into my flex position, especially since contract talks between the Chargers and Melvin Gordon seem to be going nowhere.

Ekeler will have to split duties with Justin Jackson, so it’s not like he has a firm grip on the job, but he’ll get enough carries that he’s more than worth the minimum. I’m lucky my competitors were either in a similar position as me and/or had already grabbed enough RBs.

TE Greg Olsen ($1): This is again gambling on health and upside. Olsen’s been extremely productive when he’s on the field, which hasn’t been much the last two seasons.

But once you get outside the tier of Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz and George Kittle, I don’t find it worth spending heavily on a position that really only provides a lot of value when they’re scoring touchdowns.

I’ll take a chance Olsen can stay healthy, and if he doesn’t, it’s not a lost cause.

Kicker Wil Lutz #3 of the New Orleans Saints kicks a field goal in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

K Wil Lutz ($1): He’s a steady kicker, which is really all I’m looking for.

One of my favorite strategies early in an auction league is to nominate a kicker you have rated somewhere around third to fifth. Early on, a lot of opponents will be reluctant to spend their budget on that position, and you get a reliable option for just a buck.

The alternative is probably even better—that someone uses more of their budget to take a kicker, which I can never justify. It worked for me when I nominated Harrison Butker, who ended up going for $5.

DEF Baltimore ($1): Similarly, I use this strategy with defenses as well, although the Ravens were probably closer to a mid-tier defense for me. I was hoping someone would bid me up here, but I can live with it.

They’ll take a step back in all likelihood, but I think are still worthy of weekly starts.

WR Michael Gallup ($1): All I can basically do at this point is to take a buckshot approach with wide receivers — draft plenty, hope one pans out.

Gallup will be the number two option in Dallas behind Amari Cooper. Dak Prescott isn’t a star quarterback, but he’s serviceable.

I’m hoping Gallup gets some chemistry here, though it’s also about at this point in the draft where I started questioning whether I should’ve nominated a second wide receiver earlier and hope someone with a bigger budget would be hesitant to spend.

WR Demaryius Thomas ($1): Every draft you find a guy or two that’s way down the Yahoo! rankings, hope no one else notices him, and you make a move. That was Thomas for me.

He’s coming off a lost season with Houston but played well in the preseason with New England. The Patriots initially cut him, but it appears to be a procedural move, and he’ll likely return to them.

I don’t think Thomas will see a lot of time at first, but I’m hoping he can build a rapport with Tom Brady and return to his status as a WR1. I’d even settle for anything resembling it.

TE Jimmy Graham ($1): Graham joins the ranks of my “what once was” tight end group with Olsen. He certainly wasn’t a superstar with Seattle like he was in New Orleans.

I’m hoping that there’s some magic he can find with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. Most likely, I’ll be playing the matchup game week-to-week with my tight ends.

QB Kirk Cousins ($1): There’s no reason to ever spend more than this on a backup QB. They’re all pretty similar to one another, but Cousins gives me a viable option should Wentz get hurt. Throwing to Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs doesn’t hurt.

RB Justice Hill ($1): I feel this is a decent mid-upside pick for me. Hill will start the season behind Mark Ingram in the backfield in Baltimore, but he seemed to get rave reviews from the Ravens in the preseason (beware of falling for this too often.)

He’s also probably the better pass-catching/third down option as well. This may be a draft and stash for me, provided I can afford it.

WR Courtland Sutton ($1): Just adding to my pile of receivers at this point. Emmanuel Sanders isn’t what he once was, the Broncos have a new QB with Joe Flacco, and Sutton has promise.

15 players, $200 spent. This is about as “studs and duds” as a roster gets.

The best-case scenario for me?

Barkley and Hopkins prove why they’re the best at their positions, Cook gets a chance to show off more in Minnesota, Olsen stays healthy and reasserts himself as a top-5 tight end, one of my receivers pulls away from the pack to be a viable WR2, and I’ve got a beast to deal with in the playoffs.

The worst case?

Either of my top picks misses significant time, Wentz’s injuries hamper his production, neither of my tight ends win the battle with health and Father Time, my wide receivers never step up and leave a gaping hole in my roster, and I’m consolation bracket fodder.

Unlike Thanos, I’m as perfectly imbalanced as can be.

You can build a team like that, but it also means more than ever, you have to be diligent in scouring the waiver wire, keeping an eye out for trade possibilities and making the right calls on who to start and sit every week.

I look forward to doing that for you all season.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/09/02/will-they-be-worth-it-the-strategy-behind-draft-picks-in-a-new-season-of-fox4-fantasy-football/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/will-they-be-worth-it-the-strategy-behind-draft-picks-in-a-new-season-of-fox4-fantasy-football/

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