#and yes a much more decisive victory for Emmett this time

[victorluvsalice]

Well, what better way to end off Love Day than Emmett fighting some random other spellcaster over in the Magic Realm and beating her very solidly in a duel? XD To be fair, I believe this is the same Sim who called him in the last episode to challenge him, and whom I turned down because I was invested in setting up a family dinner. Emmett’s just making up for the lost opportunity. I think his opponent -- Fetia -- would have preferred he hadn’t. XD But he did, and he got the spell Furio out of it -- not really my style, but it��s another page in the old spellbook!

And with that, we leave behind the Brown-Kosperovs! Time to move onto our final family, the McTest Redacted-Notamorons! Damn, that’s a mouthful. . . Anyway, see you then!

[edwardskhakipants]

Forks, Washington. August 2004.

Esme and Carlisle stood in the middle of their grand living room, waiting for their five vampire children to arrive. Alice arrived first—prompt as usual. She settled herself gracefully onto the tufted sofa Esme had recently acquired, only to be immediately jostled by Emmett who heaved himself onto the cushions. A breath caught in Esme’s throat—she had lost many pieces from her beloved collection by that action—but it looked like this one was still in one piece. For the moment. Jasper took Edward’s normal spot in the only armchair, forcing Edward to wedge himself between Alice and Emmett.

“What?” Rosalie grumbled as she perched on the armrest of the couch beside Emmett, “Are we having another one of those How to Respect the Telepath in Your Life meetings again?”

“No,” Edward answered, fully aware of the intent of this meeting since it hatched in Carlisle's mind two days prior. “But there’s never a bad time to bring that up. Christ, Emmett, if you’re going to have a song stuck in your head for over seventy-two hours, the least you can do is learn the correct lyrics.”

Emmett’s eyebrows knit together, asking his brother a silent question.

“It’s ‘mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido,’” Edward answered.

Emmett’s brow furrowed doubtfully.

“No.” Edward shook his head, answering Emmett’s thoughts. “Why would he eat a beetle?”

Emmett grinned playfully and tilted his head towards Edward.

Edward wasn’t amused. “You know what it means.”

A silly grin plastered on his face, Emmett elbowed Edward in the ribs, silently egging him on.  

Edward’s eyes darted to Carlisle, then Esme, and he shifted in his seat. “Sexual desire,” he muttered.  

Emmett howled with laughter and clapped his hands once, “Wow, Eddie! You’re just going to say that in front of Esme!?” Edward scowled as Emmett’s bouts of laughter echoed through the room.

Esme ran a hand through her youngest’s ginger hair. “Boys,” she warned, and Emmett sucked in his laughter.

“Our meeting today has to do with all of you,” Carlisle began.

“We simply wanted to go over the rules of attending school with you kids before you start your second year at Forks High School,” Esme explained, unfolding and re-folding her hands in front of her. “There are already whispers, and we don’t want those whispers to turn into rumors.”

“I thought the only whispers about us at school were whether or not Edward liked girls,” Rosalie said, earning an eye-roll from Edward.

“No,” Alice chirped,” Some kids think we’re a cult.”

Jasper leaned back heavily in his chair. “We haven’t heard that one since the Seventies.”

“Kids are getting more creative these days.” Emmett nodded appreciatively.

Esme held up one, delicate finger. “Which is why it is best to take preventative action.”

Carlisle took the floor. “We thought a few reminders would be helpful before you started your first day of your second year,” Carlisle said. “We don’t want another incident like the one we had at the end of last year.”

Every head in the room turned towards Emmett.

“What?” Emmett threw up his hands in exasperation, “The water gun fight was the senior prank—I wasn’t the one who brought them to the school. Hell, I wasn’t even the only student who got suspended!”

“That’s true,” Carlisle agreed, “but you were the only student to shout, ‘Sit down, kids! Daddy’s gotta tinkle,’ and shoot the stream of the gun from your crotch.”

Jasper snickered—the sound was immediately silenced by a single raised eyebrow from Esme.

“I still don’t see the problem,” Emmett continued, “That’s not necessarily a vampire thing.”

Edward—who often mistook himself as the third vampire parent rather than the youngest son—sighed, “Yes, but it brings unnecessary attention to the family. Which is the first rule: do not bring attention to yourself.”

Esme ran her fingers through her son’s hair once more, “Yes, darling, you are especially good at keeping to yourself.” Edward’s eyes widened, despite Esme’s gentle touch, already aware of where her point was headed. “So much so, that I have been given the names of several child therapists to help my son through his depression. One was recommended for his exceptional work on spotting and treating the early signs of sociopathic behavior.”

Esme grabbed her son’s chin and forced him to look at her. “You have to talk to other people.”

Knocked off his high horse, Edward flinched back from Esme’s hand. “Friendship with humans never bodes well for us.”

“We’re not asking you to create lifelong friendships with humans,” Carlisle clarified, “We are simply asking you to be likable.”

“A nearly impossible feat for Edward.” Rosalie grinned. The comment went unnoticed, save Edward’s slight flinch. But the quick, little tick was satisfying enough for Rose.

“Look at your father,” Esme gestured towards Carlisle, “At every hospital he works at, he goes out of his way to ensure he is well-liked among his colleagues. He forces down countless lunches and coffees, solely to make sure they’re comfortable around him.”

Carlisle took over. “And your mother, a beloved member of her gardening club and a prized member of the PTA.”

“And neither of us have rumors started about us, and do you know why?”

All five teenagers grumbled the ingrained response. “Humans don’t want to spread rumors about people they like.”

“Exactly.” Esme nodded.

“I try!” Alice whined, “But Edward never lets me talk to any humans.”

“That’s because every, single thing that is about to come out of your mouth is incriminating. You might as well walk around with a neon sign that says, ‘I’m a psychic vampire’.”

Alice scoffed, “Is not!”

“You wanted to tell Nihal Howard not to audition for the musical.”

“And he broke his leg on opening night,” Alice challenged.  

“You were going to tell Christiana Ward that pink was not her color.”

“And she lost prom queen to Ashley Kirby.”

Jasper put a comforting hand on his wife’s knee. “Maybe try not to meddle so much, darlin’. Natural relationships, first.”

“They would have been!” Alice wailed, “I would have played it cool and casual and made friends and you all would have seen it! But everyone’s hurt and I have no friends at all because Edward won’t let me try!”

Edward rolled his eyes.

Carlisle suppressed a heavy sigh. “You have to let your sister try, Edward.”

Edward’s mouth fell open. “You cannot seriously be siding with her on this!”

But Carlisle stood his ground. He and Edward stared at one another for a few seconds, engaged in a silent conversation. In the end, Carlisle tilted his chin and Edward slumped back. Victorious, Alice used both pointer fingers to jab Edward in the side several dozen times at vampire speed.

Rosalie flipped her golden locks over her shoulder. “I don’t know how you all struggle so much. I have no issues with becoming well-liked at school while remaining inconspicuous.”

“Oh yeah, you’re so inconspicuous,” Edward grumbled, now extra-petty that he had been called out two times in one meeting. “You dress like you're on your way to brunch at your second husband’s country club in Beverly Hills and you make out with your foster brother. The perfect picture of discretion in Forks High School.”

“At least I don’t dress like a sad, old man.” Rosalie grimaced, disappointed in her comeback. The light, humorous insults that were required in family situations were Emmett’s forte; Rosalie’s insults were meant to emotionally cripple a person.

Edward sat up in his seat on the couch and turned to face Rosalie. “I think you missed the main takeaway in that you make out with your foster brother.” Edward turned back. “I can read your minds, and I still don’t understand what made either of you think it was okay to bring your relationship to school?!”

Emmett smiled, unperturbed. “It’s hot.”

“It’s disturbing,” Edward disagreed.

Esme frowned, “You kids don’t really do that, do you?”

“Would it help if Jasper and I became an official couple too?” Alice suggested.     Jasper perked up at the idea of being able to hold hands with Alice in public again.

“No!” Edward yelled at the same time Emmett and Rosalie muttered their acquiesce.

“It wouldn’t seem as weird if there were two couples,” Emmett agreed.

Edward dug his fingers through his hair. “Oh my god!”

“...maybe not, kids,” Esme intervened, but was ultimately ignored.

“So should we come out today like it happened over the summer, or make a little show out of it?” Alice asked Rosalie.

Rosalie waved a hand in the air. “Oh, it’s way more fun if you play up the theatrics.”

“A little more realistic, too,” Emmett agreed.

Alice looked to Jasper for his opinion. “It might be better if we were discreet about it,” she said. “Like we knew it was wrong, but we wouldn’t let anything stand in the way of our love.”

Jasper scooted forward to the edge of his seat. “Or we could let it be quiet and drawn out. Let others see our mutual pining, and root for us to be together.”

Gazing deep into the golden eyes of her soulmate, Alice sighed, “I love that.”

“If people wanted us to get together, it would normalize Emmett and Rosalie’s relationship.”

“Or Rosalie and Emmett could stop,” Edward suggested, bitterly. “That would be normal, too.”

“Oh, Edward,” Alice patted his shoulder, “You’ll find love someday, too.”

“That is not at all what bothers me about the situation.”

Carlisle made the decision for everyone. “Rosalie and Emmett, break up at school. Alice and Jasper, remain friends and siblings.”

Disappointment filtered into the room through Jasper.  

“I heard that,” Edward grumbled at someone’s thoughts.

“You were supposed to,” Rosalie shot back.

“We are also initiating a new rule,” Esme brought the room back to the conversation at hand, “No more correcting your teachers.”

A chorus of complaints rang from the couch.

Esme clicked her tongue, “I’m tired of defending you all from entirely preventable issues. I have emails from curious teachers wondering why my foster daughter is taking French 101, when she already appears to be fluent.” Esme looked at Rosalie, who immediately tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Or why my son, at the tender age of sixteen, could not only deadlift three hundred pounds in his first weightlifting class, but also give his coach tips on improving his posture.”

Emmett glanced over at Edward before he realized Esme was, in fact, addressing him. “What!?”

Jasper snorted. The sound was a mistake, for it brought Esme’s wrath onto him. “And not to mention the emails from not one, not two, but three teachers warning me that my foster son has an intimate understanding of the mechanics of a point fifty-eight caliber rifle-musket.” Esme held out her hands, almost pleadingly, “How does that subject keep coming up, Jasper?”

A noncommittal grunt was the only answer Jasper had for that question.

“No more,” she commanded. “You can get good grades but keep your extra knowledge on any subject to yourself. Whatever your teacher teaches is all you know. Understand?”

“But what if we—” Edward started.

“Understand?” Esme repeated.

The five teenage vampires understood, even if they didn’t want to. 

“I believe that all five of you will graduate from Forks High School!” Esme cheered.

The kids stared back, unable to muster the zeal Esme had over the prospect.

“Meeting adjourned!” Carlisle announced, and faster than fast vampire speed, the kids bolted from their seats. 

Esme was able to get in a few more reminders as her children flitted around the house and filed out to the silver Volvo.  “Remember to buy lunch with cash and not your credit cards. Emmett, please do not joke about being mauled by a bear. Do not address your teachers by their first names—I don’t care if you’re older than they are, Edward. Alice, please wear something a bit more causal, pet.”

When the house was finally empty, Carlisle pulled Esme backwards into his chest and began massaging her temples. The gesture wasn’t needed, but any touch from her husband was always welcome.

“Do you think they’ll listen?” she asked her husband.

“Not a chance.”

[volturialice]

you got it anon! here, have an au where alice was bitten during the fight in eclipse instead of jasper.

i. overprotective fool

Eighty years. Eighty years he’d lived as nothing but a soldier, a predator, a ruthless monster. Most of the time Jasper feels ashamed of that number, ashamed of all the actions and choices from that time. But if there’s one comfort, one solitary silver lining amid the decades of carnage, it’s that he’d learned. Those eighty years turned him into a warrior, a survivor, made him formidable. Those eighty years taught him valuable skills, skills he’s used ever since to protect his family and anyone else worth protecting.

But what good is any of it—what good were eighty years of death and destruction and suffering—if he can’t protect her?

“There’s nothing to be done but wait,” says Carlisle, turning Alice’s arm carefully in his cool, professional hands. “The pain should subside in a few hours. I’m afraid I have yet to invent a painkiller that works on our kind.” He pats her hand gently and releases her.

Alice kisses him on the cheek. “Thanks, Dad.”

Usually Jasper can’t help but smile at the little burst of delighted pride Carlisle feels whenever one of them addresses him as “Dad.” But today not even Carlisle’s joy is enough to break through the sullen cloud that surrounds him.

He catches them both staring at him, Carlisle with concern and Alice with apprehension, and turns away.

“Well,” says Carlisle in a tone of bracing normalcy, “I’m headed back to La Push to check on Jacob. Call if you need me. Tell your mother not to wait up.” It’s one of his favorite and longest-running jokes, one they all roll their eyes at.

“Okay,” Alice giggles, and Carlisle disappears into the garage.

Edward and Bella are still in La Push. Esme is in her workshop, humming absently to herself as she reorganizes blueprints, wrapped in a haze of profound relief. Rose and Emmett have disappeared somewhere, allegedly to “hunt,” which is code for “celebrate their victory in typical Emmett and Rosalie fashion.”

Alice doesn’t say anything, but flits her way up to their room, confident that Jasper will follow. For a moment he doesn’t, thinks about throwing open the back door and running and running until he burns off the anger instead. But there’s no point in delaying this conversation.

He lets the door to their bedroom swing closed with a thud behind him, hoping it’s the loudest noise Esme will have to overhear.

Alice has peeled off her jacket and is standing in the center of the room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her emotions are curious, with a quantitative edge, as though she’s taking a self-inventory: delicate bare feet sinking into the rug, legs in designer jeans, pale, slender body and perfect face. Aside from the tear in her discarded jacket, there’s nothing to suggest she’s just come from a battlefield.

Except that, oh, wait, there is. There’s the angry red wound on her left forearm, a jagged crescent marring the smooth, lustrous skin. Its shape so commonplace, so intimately familiar to Jasper, repeated all over his own body. But on hers…

Jasper’s human memories are threadbare, eroded. He can’t recall what it’s like to feel sick, except as a secondhand glimpse from the humans at school.

But if he had to assign a name to this feeling, the sensation that sweeps through him whenever he looks at that grisly bite mark—as though all the venom in his body is boiling, curdling—then “sick” feels fairly accurate. The mark is taunting him, filling up his vision. It’s all he can see when he looks at her.

Alice crosses her arms, hiding the bite as though she’s read his thoughts. “Jazz,” she orders. “Talk to me.”

“What would you like to hear?” offers Jasper, voice flat.

Alice throws up her hands. “Anything! Anything at all! I keep looking, but no matter what I say to you or how I phrase it, you just”—she gestures at the stiff, aloof way he’s holding himself—“like that! So, please. Say something.”

Waves of her frustration buffet against him—he ignores them. She can’t see his response because he doesn’t have one, not for this. This was never supposed to happen.

“You’re acting like the world is ending,” she snaps. “We’re here. We won. What more do you want from me?” She paces back and forth. “You’re acting—you are acting like Edward.”

It’s a low blow and they both know it.

“Fine,” says Jasper. “Here it is. I am angry. I am angry with you for rushing into a fight where you knew you would be without your visions. I am angry with Edward, I am angry with Bella, I am angry with Victoria and the Volturi and the wolves, I am angry with every decision that led up to that.” He points a condemning finger at the bite on her arm. “But most of all I am angry with myself for letting it happen.”

“Ugh,” says Alice. “You’re—you don’t—” he can feel the visions flickering through her mind as she decides and un-decides how to respond. Finally, she pinches the bridge of her nose—Jasper has the brief, vindictive thought now who’s behaving like Edward—and takes a deep, steadying breath. Her anger cools into something steely, like a hot poker plunged into a bucket of water.

“Listen,” she begins steadily. “I love you, and I always will. But this is not 1863, and I’m your wife, not your property.” She holds up a hand to silence his protests. “I know you know that, but when you act like it’s your fault I got hurt, it’s self-centered and frankly a little insulting. I saw that Jared was in trouble, I weighed the risks, and I made the decision to step in and help him fight off his opponent—without knowing the outcome. Isn’t that how everyone else in the world lives?” she demands, throwing up her hands again. She takes another deep breath, eyes sliding shut for a moment.

“Jasper,” she sighs, coming to stand in front of him. “That newborn is dead. He can’t un-bite me. But you and I are alive, and we can move on. All I want is for you to believe in me and trust me, okay? Trust that I’m not going to do anything reckless, that I love my life with you and I have no desire to throw it away. And trust that I can handle a single bite,” she adds. Her tone is sardonic, but her emotions…the anger has begun to evaporate, leaving behind worry, and a twinge of genuine hurt.

It’s the hurt that undoes him, makes him pull her into his arms without even thinking about it. She comes tentatively, letting him hold her against him and inhale her scent, feel the rise and fall of her back beneath his hands.

They stay that way for a long moment while Jasper turns his words over in his head. By the time he speaks, she’s probably already seen what he’s going to say.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs into her hair. He pulls away so that she can see how much he means it. “I do trust you, Alice.” It feels strange to have to say it aloud—of course he trusts her. “More than anyone. I just wasn’t prepared for this.” He lifts a hand to cup her face. “You know what my life was like before. The idea that that kind of violence could ever touch you is…unbearable. Seeing you hurt made me feel powerless. Useless.”

“And,” he adds, taking a seat on the edge of their bed and pulling her with him, “you’re so powerful. I’ve never had to worry about you before,” he grumbles. It’s not enough to make her smile, but he feels the sharp edges of her hurt and anger soften.

“Jazz,” she says, her voice sweet, painful, earnest. “You’re not a weapon. Fighting isn’t all you’re good for. You could never be useless,” she insists, and now it’s her turn to take his face in her hands. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you! It’s a good thing I have eternity to convince you.”

“Good thing you always get your way,” Jasper agrees, and Alice melts against him with a sigh.

“All I can promise to do is try,” he tells her. “I’ll try to be more open-minded in the future, if you try not to get into any more werewolf fights.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” says Alice. “Does this mean you’ll stop glaring at my arm?”

“Eventually.”

“Good,” she says. A few watery sunbeams have broken through the clouds to stream into their window, and Alice sticks her arm out, turning it this way and that so it glimmers in the light. “Because I kind of like this scar. Aesthetically, I mean. It’s kind of…badass. Maybe I’ll get some more and we can match,” she suggests, perfectly blasé.

“You will not,” says Jasper with finality. He may have conceded the argument, but that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable joking about it yet. He feels rather than sees Alice’s smug grin—she loves winding him up like this.

He reaches out to trace the jagged crescent shape for the first time. “Does it hurt?”

“Yes,” admits Alice. Jasper lifts her arm and kisses the bite.

“Oh, well, that’s done it. I’m all better now,” she teases, and he kisses her lips this time.

[lobselvith8]

Angst Character Asks: Fallout 4 Edition

I was tagged by @suplexranger. About four days ago. =P I will be addressing my Brotherhood protagonist, Javier, who I have been playing on Fallout 4 with Freefall mod installed (which serves as an unofficial patch that also adds cut content), along with some others that enhance the Brotherhood experience and allows other areas of the Nuka-World region to be settled (I also intend to re-create my Railroad main character, Mako, in case anyone wants to make saving Emmett the cat an option for the PS4).

1.   What would your OC’s last words be/what are they?

At the beginning of his story (and up to a certain point afterwards, before arriving at the Institute), Javier’s last words most likely be “Shaun”.

2.   What would break your OC beyond repair? Has it happened?

The destruction of the world nearly broke Javier, but Codsworth was able to pull him back from the brink before he succumbed to a complete break with reality.

3.   What is your OC’s worst memory?

The death of Javier’s spouse. His memories of Anchorage would rank up there, however. Coming back home and seeing power armored soldiers shoot civilians on television, to public approval, would be up there as well. Javier is cognizant about the horrors of the world before the Great War; he doesn’t romanticize the past at all.

4.   Does your OC have nightmares? What do they contain?

Yes, he deals with nightmares. Being a soldier at Anchorage. His time trying to adjust to living back in the real world after living in a battlefield. The murder of his spouse and the kidnapping of his son.

5.   Your OC is facing their worst enemy. Who/what is it?

The Institute.

6.   What would get your OC to make themselves disappear?

After Javier leaves Vault 111, I don’t think he would disappear; he isn’t as nomadic as my Courier was (and that ended for him when he elected to forge an autonomous Mojave). I don’t believe there is anything that could make him permanently depart the Commonwealth.

7.   Does your OC have any weaknesses? Have these ever been exploited?

Javier’s need for revenge, and his desire to reunite with Shaun, are certainly exploited at the start of the story - although Javier doesn’t realize it yet. He has seen the Vault 111 terminal entry that a manual override was initiated, and he’s aware there are things he doesn’t quite understand - including the chair and the strange symbol overlooking the entrance to Vault 111, which tells him there is another player on the board.

8.   What is the closest your OC has come to death?

Facing Kellog because synths surrounded him, and ultimately landed a hit on him when he turned Kellog into a pile of ash.

9.   What is the greatest sacrifice your OC could ever make? Under what circumstance would they make it?

Javier’s greatest sacrifice would be coming up ahead - concerning his decision regarding his son. And the circumstance would be choosing between his son and the fate of the Commonwealth.

10.   What is the worst loss your OC has suffered?

Losing his spouse and his son.

11.   Your OC is forced to kill a member of their family or a friend. Who do they choose, and why?

Another decision that will be coming up ahead - when Javier has to choose between the Nuka-World raider gangs and the Commonwealth, after he has gotten to know Porter Gage.

12.   To what extent would your OC go to survive?

Javier’s motivation is less about survival for his own sake and almost entirely about Shaun.

13.   Has your OC suffered trauma?

Yes, both in his pre-war life and in his current life in the Commonwealth. A part of the reason Codsworth is around is due to his programming having protocols to help Javier with trauma.

14.   Would your OC let themselves be forced into a loveless marriage?

Javier would prefer to marry for love, but if the circumstances were dire enough, he would.

15.   How far would you OC go to protect their loved ones?

Assuming the person wasn’t evil? Javier would go pretty far for someone he loved, whether the person was a friend or a significant other. Javier does have a code - while he aligns with the Brotherhood, he doesn’t kill innocent synths (but he has no problem killing malevolent and Institute aligned synths), but he does view their campaign against Super Mutants, raiders, Gunners, ferals, and the Institute as the best chance for the Commonwealth.

16.   Your OC has exactly 15 minutes to live. What is their last act?

Depends at what part of Javier’s story this would transpire. Before finding Shaun, Javier would most likely try to leave a message with Codsworth for Shaun, spending as long as possible trying to tell his son everything that he couldn’t in person.

17.   What is your OC’s greatest failure?

Javier’s inability to save Shaun.

18.   What is the worst possible ending for your OC and why?

The Institute being victorious because he finds them to be the fulcrum of true evil.

19.   What is your OC’s preferred method of death?

Javier prefers energy weapons; he initially uses a modified laser musket after encountering Preston and his moiety crew from Concord, and (later on in the story) after arriving at the Prydwen he uses a modified plasma rifle.

20.   How does your OC sleep at night?

He has difficulty sleeping at night given his nightmares, and he would try to find a safe place where he couldn’t easily be ambushed in order to sleep while he travels the Commonwealth (sleeping out in the open isn’t an option for him given the dangers all around him).

21.   What is the worst thing your OC has done?

At my current point in the story, it would be persuading farmers to allocate a portion of their crops for Proctor Teagan’s unofficial op - Javier has absolutely no idea where Virgil could be in the Glowing Sea, he needs currency and supplies, and he is bereft of the resources to last weeks, if not months, scourging through the inhospitable terrain of the Glowing Sea to find Virgil (since Kellog didn’t know exactly where he was).

Interestingly enough, I found that, after a period of time had passed, these settlers offered my protagonist the quest that allows my character to help and control their settlement, even without having joined the Minutemen - although that could be because of the Freefall mod.

As far as Javier’s story is concerned, however, this didn’t happen (I restarted from a prior save point), since I’m not ready to invest that kind of time and energy into settlement building (and I think it would make more sense to do it after Javier arrives at the Institute, when he could expend that kind of energy into such matters without having to worry about finding Shaun).

22.   What is your OC the most guilty about?

Failing to save his spouse.

23.   Would your OC be considered good or bad by an outsider?

I suppose it depends on the outsider. I think most of the residents of Vault 81 would view him favorably. I’m sure the raiders and Gunners would consider him to be a pretty horrible person.

24.   Who does your OC hate most?

In terms of an individual person? Kellog. In terms of an organization or society? The Institute.

25.   What does your OC love most, and what would they do to keep it?

He enjoys a nice cup of coffee, but it’s been some time since he had any pre-war coffee (so there isn’t much he could do to keep it). 

With respect to an item, he does keep the wedding ring of his spouse safely tucked away, at first in Sanctuary (so that nothing happens to it even if something were to happen to him), and later on (after the arrival of the Prydwen) in a container at the Boston Airport.

26.   Has your OC ever had unrequited feelings of any kind for someone?

Magnolia. He thought that perhaps he could try to move on from his wife and start something new, but she wasn’t looking to get attached to anyone after their date, and he closed himself off for a bit after that.

27.   How does your OC deal with rejection?

Depends on the kind of rejection. If you mean romantically, as with the case with Magnolia, he accepted what she decided on, although he did privately deal with the pain of rejection.

28.   Would your OC ever reject someone?

If someone asked Javier to do something that would violate his moral code, he would ultimately oppose it.

29.   Why does your OC have the flaws that they have?

Mental trauma, anxiety, and depression.

30.   Would your OC kill?

Yes, he has killed, and he would kill.

31.   Would your OC torture?

Torture isn’t a tactic that Javier would use or condone, as the denizens of Covenant will find out.

32.   Does your OC hate? To what extent?

Javier hates Kellog, and he hates the Institute.

33.   How does your OC let out anger?

He verbally expresses it, and as with people who try to rob him, that can turn lethal.

[tfcrp]

THIS IS YOUR GAME

Name: Emmett Ashford Age: Twenty One Class Year: Junior Position: Goalkeeper, #12 Hometown: Paducah, Kentucky

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT

TW: abuse, alcoholism

Emmett Ashford was born in the backseat of the car he would spend the next thirteen years of his life in. His parents were self-proclaimed free spirits. Nomads. The idea of settling down and starting a family, living some mundane life, had never appealed to them. They’d been traveling the West Coast for years, rarely putting down roots for longer than a few months, skipping town when the bills piled up too high or they got that familiar itch in their bones. They were perfectly content going from one dying little town to the next or living out of the back of their car—and for Emmett, when he was with them, that was all he’d ever know. Emmett had been a surprise child and, in some respects, rather unwanted. There wasn’t much room in his father’s life for a screaming infant as they traveled the dusty roads of America; and his mother never really wanted to be a mother in the first place, far more interested in her paintings than in her son. He was never outright neglected but child services were the reason they’d moved on multiple occasions. 

Emmett’s father was a man of big dreams with an even bigger personality. He could enrapture a whole room with one of his tales and he often did so. But he was also broken. Emmett never knew how or why but he always knew that his father’s moods tended to shift like the tides of the sea. One day he’d be out teaching Emmett all he knew about the world and the next his mother would be sending him to fetch him from the local bar, too drunk to stand and meaner than a pissed off hornet. Emmett hated those days. His father wanted to give his family the world but never quite figured out how to get the world to bend to his will. His mother, on the other hand, was a gentle soul who saw beauty in everything. Often, she’d stop the car to paint a tree or run-down car. 

Where his father dreamed big, his mother dreamed small. She found pleasure in the smallest victories, especially those that she considered the most unexpected. But she was also weak. When his father stole what little money they’d managed to save up to go one of his benders she’d simply sigh and shake her head. Another few days of going hungry wouldn’t hurt anyone. And there had been a lot of nights Emmett had gone hungry. Emmett didn’t mind his life, though, and would look at the people strapped down to their dying little towns and pity them. Sure, he missed out on dinner and his clothes were full of holes, but he was on adventure with the two people he loved most in the world. At least until he was thirteen and his mother and father packed up his meager possessions and left him on the doorstep of his grandmother’s. He’d met his grandmother a handful of times before, but only rarely and never long enough for Emmett to get to know her very well. All he knew was that she was a stern, no nonsense sort of woman. His mother rarely spoke of her and his father never spoke of his parents. And then they’d left him there without so much as a backward glance. He never saw them again. 

He didn’t adjust to life with his grandmother well. Deeply wounded by his parents’ decision to leave him behind, Emmett pulled back from the world, rarely leaving his room for anything more than meals and the bathroom. When school started it was all his grandmother could do to get him dressed and to school most days. He hated it. He loved learning, but the strict and rigid structures of his classes left little to be desired and despite being a bright child growing up he found he was woefully behind the rest of his class. While his classmates were off learning about different theorems and equations he was still struggling with basic math. Before long school became something to be dreaded. The only part of school he liked was Exy. 

There was something soothing about the sport for Emmett and it was on the court that he flourished. Seeing his raw talent in gym class the school coach asked Emmett to try out for the team. So he did. But despite his skill on the court, his inability to keep his grades up made playing for the school team a forgone conclusion, at least at first. As did his grandmother’s refusal to let him waste his time on an extracurricular team: she’d lost her daughter to fanciful dreams, and she decided she was not going to lose her grandson to them, too. It took him a year to get his grades up to par, and he joined the team his sophomore year as a goalkeeper despite his grandmother’s protests. After a while she gave up, but things between them never went back to what they were—not that Emmett minded, though. 

By his senior year Emmett had gotten good at Exy and was recruited to the Wilkes-Meyers University Hornets with a full ride scholarship. He was ecstatic…but his grandmother wasn’t. They weren’t a big-name team but Emmett didn’t care about that, he just cared about being able to play Exy. But he only lasted half a semester before everything started snowballing out of control. Between practices, classes, and the parties Emmett wasn’t keeping up. He flunked out in a very public, rather dramatic, and mildly drunken fashion and returned to his grandmother’s with his tail between his legs. He found the doors locked and his things sitting in a pile on the front lawn. She’d had enough of his nonsense to last her a lifetime and she was done. She’d tried. She’d failed. She was washing her hands of him. And that stung almost as badly as the day his parents had left him here.

SEIZE IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT

He hung around her place for a few days before she called the cops on him and Emmett was forced to spend an uncomfortable night in jail. And with nothing to his name, Emmett floundered. Part of him ached to get back on the road, find his parents, and resume the life he’d known as a child. The other part of him just wanted to get back on the court again. Go back to feeling like he belonged somewhere again. He couch surfed for a while before getting a job and later, a place of his own. He tried out again for Wilkes-Meyers but they told him to take a hike. He tried out for other teams, but no one wanted a half-talented kid like him—at least, no one until Wymack came along. He was washing dirty dishes when Wymack appeared in the kitchen, arms crossed and face practically unreadable. He’d been blunt and to the point about what he wanted from Emmett and, for a fraction of a second, he’d considered saying no. But then he felt the racquet in his hands and heard the cheers of the crowd in his ears and he said yes without a second thought. 

He didn’t play much his first season, too busy trying to get his footing at Palmetto. School was never easy for him and learning to find a balance between that and the grueling schedule of Exy proved to be difficult. And, even into his junior year, it’s still a struggle for him to balance his studies and Exy. But he’d expected that much. He’d failed once, he wouldn’t waste this second chance by failing again. He wants nothing more than to bring the Foxes to victory for the first time in ten years—he’s not about to lose control like last time.

EMMETT ASHFORD is portrayed by NOAH CENTINEO and is TAKEN

[thesportssoundoff]

“What’s The Value Of A Good Free TV Fight Card These Days?” UFC on Fox 29 Preview

Joey

February 19th

The UFC has a bit of momentum going as all of their February cards have churned out some solid entertainment to this point in time. UFC from Belem was more than fine (removing a relatively unsatisfactory main event), UFC 221 was all finish and bluster from start to stop and UFC Fight Night from Texas was just awesome with nary a lull in action. All of this leads to UFC on Fox from Orlando, Florida. For a card that really struggled to find a main event, they've righted the ship on this bad boy pretty well. It's not a major card or a mega event by any stretch BUT you have a good main card, decent televised prelims and a superb Fight Pass assortment that people should be excited about. It lacks the big sizzle but carries with it a solid all around event. The headliner is a #1 contender bout (nudge nudge wink wink) as Jeremy Stephens looks to make it three in a row vs Josh Emmett who is trying to improve to 3-0 at 145 lbs as well. The co-main event is an absolutely amazing fight on paper as two powerhouses of different styles meet up with Jessica Andrade vs Tecia Torres. OSP vs Ilir Latifi is one of those fights where you want to laugh at its relevance until you realize how close the winner is to a title shot and then you want to cry. Beyond that though, Latifi is the perfect test for OSP as St. Preux tries to earn a second bite at the 205 lb apple. Lastly you have Max Griffin vs Mike Perry in a genuinely fun action fight to round out your main card.

Fights: 13

Debuts: 2 (Marcin Prachnio, Manny Bermudez)

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 4 (Yoel Romero vs David Branch CANCELLED/Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs Aleksandr Rakic CANCELLED/Jake Collier OUT, Sam Alvey IN vs Marcin Prachnio/ Sara McMann vs Yanit Kuniskaya CANCELLED)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 10 (Ilir Latifi, Ovince St Preux, Josh Emmett, Jeremy Stephens, Tecia Torres, Jessica Andrade, Renan Barao, Alan Jouban, Sara McMann, Marion Renau)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC:  2  (Alan Jouban, Albert Morales)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 5 (Ovince St Preux, Josh Emmett, Jeremy Stephens, Tecia Torres, Olivier Aubin-Mercier)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2016 (in the UFC): 25-12

Jeremy Stephens- 2-1 Josh Emmett- 4-1 Tecia Torres- 3-1 Jessica Andrade- 4-1 Ovince St. Preux- 4-3 Ilir Latifi- 3-1 Mike Perry- 4-2 Max Griffin- 1-2

Too High Up- Maryna Moroz vs Angela Hill

I tend to err on the side of WMMA being represented better on cards but this fight really has no reason being this high up. It's going to be on big Fox and while Hill is fun in spurts, Moroz and Hill seem like on paper a pretty shitty stylistic match up. What's more (and I'll discuss this later), this has a low chance of being finished given that Moroz has one finish in the UFC in five fights and Hill has 0 in the UFC since her return.

Too Low- Albert Morales vs Manny Bermudez

I know it got added late so that's why it's sorta buried but look it, Bermudez is a really good 135 lb prospect. He shouldn't be opening up the show nor should he be on Fight Pass. Morales is also a fun 135er who has wild fights and tends to be a fun showcase opponent. Bump these guys up off of Fight Pass.

Stat Monitor for 2018: Debuting Fighters (Current number: 3-7):  Marcin Prachnio and Manny Bermudez

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 3-2): Sam Alvey

Second Fight (Current number: 6-9): Alex Perez

Cage Corrosion (Current number: 5-5):  0

Undefeated Fighters (Current number: 5-8): Manny Bermudez

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- WMMA tends to come under the gun quite a bit for a variety of reasons. Having said that? I think I've found one justifiable avenue to critique the quality of MMA. At the very least, I've found a topic of discussion to be had:

13/38

That is the number of WMMA fights and the number of finishes in said fights since August. 37 fights and 13 finishes. SIX of those finishes come from the newly minted 125 lb class which has been only been active since October if memory serves. That means that between 115, 135 and 145 lbs, there's been a grand 7 finishes. Now we can all agree that a finish does not mean that a fight was good or bad, much like how not all decisions are created equally. I also don't know how those numbers relate to other male divisions either. What has to be said though is that fight finishing in WMMA has become a bit of a rarity and that in turn creates the illusion that the fights aren't that good.

This is especially a problem at 115 lbs. In the last 10 115 lb scheduled women's strawweight bouts, there have been 2 finishes. There's been just three finishes at 115 dating back to November. I obviously can't speak for the dudes who hate it just to hate it but if you were to argue that strawweight fights are destined to go to a decision, I'd kind of sort of have to agree with you. The same can't be said for 135 lbs who have 4 finishes in 7 fights dating back to August of 2017----which also makes you wonder why they're not just spending willy nilly to get more 135ers in the door.

None of this is being said to bury the ladies of mixed martial arts. In the interest of fairness, I went back and looked at the much maligned 125 lb class to see what they averaged for the same stretch. I got a number of 10/17 on finishes since August which is remarkably higher than I would've expected. The point is to just paint a picture of what's been going on in WMMA and the general rut for finishes across the weight classes, at the very least at the 115 lb level. It's also why I feel there's ample opportunity for a woman at 115 lbs to make a real statement here. Finishing fights will be at a premium for the 115 lb fights.

2- So this main event is in a very weird place. Josh Emmett has emerged on the scene at 145 lbs and been quite a force since making the drop. He knocked down Felipe Arantes three times in an entertaining debut and absolutely pasted Ricardo Lamas with a left hook that announced his presence for real at the weight class. Now there are two factors which prevent me from being 100% on board with Emmett at 145 lbs.  The first is the weight cut. Emmett is a very muscular 155er and it is worth noting that in two fights, he's missed weight once already. Yes, it was short notice BUT so is this fight. It's entirely possible Josh Emmett is about to have what some would consider a tainted victory upcoming because he may not make the weight. The second is I don't know how REAL his power is. Emmett to this point in the UFC hadn't shown much significant pop in his hands. Through three fights at 155 lbs, he seemed like a guy who LOOKED powerful but didn't really have a sizable power advantage in his hands. That has emerged and in a big way BUT 1) Felipe Arantes was a 135er coming up and 2) he missed vs Lamas who has been sparked out by 135ers in the past. All of this is to set up a question of whether Emmett is just riding a question mark fueled streak or if he's the genuine article at 145 lbs.

3- If I told you that Jeremy Stephens has not beaten a UFC opponent coming off a win since 2014, would you believe it?

4- Ovince St Preux's career turnaround is actually pretty remarkable if one is willing to view it from a fair and objective lens. He went 0-3 with losses to a former #1 contender, the current GOAT and a bad bad stylistic match up in Jimi Manuwa. Since then he's gone 3-0 all by finish with a few reputable wins sprinkled in there in Corey Anderson and Marcos Rogerio de Lima. I suppose those wins are kind of an indictment of what OSP is; good enough to beat the bottom of the pack but bad enough to be a highlight reel loss for the top of the heap. Ilir Latifi is sort of in the same boat, painting a picture of an evenly matched fight at 205 lbs. This is what remains of this division, guys.

5- At what point in a fighter's career can you officially say with confident "He is what he is"? Is Mike Perry officially at that point?

6- Sara McMann vs Marion Reneau is the OSP vs Ilir Latifi of 135 lbs and don't you act like it's not.

7- The best division in MMA has three fights on deck and each one brings something new to the table. Renan Barao returns to the division by which he was the man of for a good two year stretch when he takes on Brian Kelleher as the lead in to the FOX main card. Kelleher has some Brian Ebersole in him; mainly in the premise that he's a guy who grinded away on the regional circuit with a little bit of "win some, lose some" in his game. Wins over Julio Arce paved the way for an eventual UFC call up where he shocked Brazil by subbing Iuri Alcantara in the first round. A somewhat fluky loss to Chito Vera followed up in July and then in October, Kelleher iced Damien Stasiak in Poland to get back in the winner's circle. Russell Doane vs Rani Yahya is FRUSTRATING on paper given how good Doane can be. It's hard to say "there's more to him to be developed" with a guy who is 31 and 1-4 in his last 5 bouts but Doane has the ability to be a genuinely good bantamweight. His losses are to Mirsad Bektic on short notice up a weight class, Jerrod Sanders in a fight he gave away, Iuri Alcntara in a fight he was probably winning and Pedro Munhoz in a fight where they were swangin and Munoz got the better of it, leading to the tried and true guillo. Doane is one of those fighters who underperforms enough to break your heart but Yahya is a good match up for him given Rani's struggles with competent boxers who can defend takedowns. Lastly we have Manny Bermudez, an East Coast product who is undefeated and arguaby one of the more fluid grapplers at 135 lbs. He's proven enough regionally that the call up made sense but Albert Morales is one of those dudes who tests prospects pretty well. That's a bit of a potential spoiler situation.

8- Which is more likely; Renan Barao missing weight or Josh Emmett missing weight?

9- Alan Jouban coming off two straight finish losses has me very worried about him facing Ben Saunders who tends to hit really hard but Saunders might be more or less washed.

10- One thing of note; This is Josh Emmett's first ever UFC five round fight. It's in a weight class where his body really has never had to go at a strenuous elongated pace given he didn't have to defend much vs Arantes in the third round. Stephens' power is the one thing he does that absolutely can carry deeper into fights. Really curious how Josh Emmett handles the pacing to start off the fight and whether he wanes in the 4th and 5th round.

11- Alex Perez had a very successful UFC debut after starring on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contenders. Perez is a really talented grappler with some quick hands and power in his strikes. He isn't without his flaws (his submission defense is lacksadasical at times) but his strengths suggest he can be an absolute player in a 125 class in need. Eric Shelton is a fine test for him given that Shelton probably is the sort of dude who will probably settle into a groove as a prospect tester of sorts.

12- Will this do more or less than the UFC on Fox 28 ratings?

Must Wins (aka the Cursed Fighters Category)

1- Ovince St. Preux

He will never be this close to a title shot ever again. That much is for certain given his repeated slip ups. With DC probably fighting two more times at a maximum at 205 lbs, OSP is a fresh opponent for Cormier who fans might have an inkling of wanting to see fight. Ilir Latifi is a big strong guy who has been checked every time he sneaks up the rankings; the sort of dude who really just gets by on being strong and scary in the clinch.  It's a winnable fight if OSP fights smart which....well ya know.

2- Jessica Andrade

Rose Namajunas stylistically is the perfect match up for Andrade. To get to Rose, Andrade has to get by Tecia Torres who might be the only woman at 115 lbs who can match Andrade strength for strength. Complicating matters is the fact that Torres will be at home (essentially speaking) and if it's close, Andrade will have ample reason to need to go out there and hunt for a finish.

3- Manny Bermudez

Bermudez is getting a pretty soft touch in his UFC debut in the most talented weight class in the UFC. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle at 135 lbs and a loss to Albert Morales would be a true momentum killer of the highest order.

Five Can't Miss Fights

1- Jeremy Stephens vs Josh Emmett

2- Mike Perry vs Max Griffin

3- Albert Morales vs Manny Bermudez

4- Renan Barao vs Brian Kelleher

5-  Jessica Andrade vs Tecia Torres