#Am i super tempted to draw the rest of team 7

[hellcifrogs]

My two favorite things!! RWBY and Sakura! Thanks @thanatos-nightshade .

As much as gauntlets similar to Yang's could fit her beautifully, I just can't seem let go of Sakura using her big ass axes! I also imagined her semblance being "Healing", but she only figures it out later on and all throughout the academy years she'd try to compensate her lack of skill by using these huge exaggerated weapons - little did anyone realize that her abnormal strength to use said weapons was already her own body healing itself as she overexerted her muscles beyond its limits.

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E14 (Apr 17,2018)

Max asking the real questions. [image description: a conspiracy board featuring the title “WHO IS TALIESIN JAFFE?” and highlights such as “IS HE A PYRAMID???”]

Tonight’s guests are Travis Willingham and, yes, Taliesin Jaffe!

Announcements: Vox Machina: Origins issue #6 is out tomorrow, Pillars of Eternity II will feature free DLC with voice sets and character portraits of Vox Machina and can be pre-ordered now (releases May 8th), Brian was a guest on the NGON podcast, 826LA has kicked off their fundraising campaign (up to $40k will be matched by a generous Critter).

@critrolestats for this episode:

There were 7 “nein” references before the game even started.

This is the first episode in campaign to not have a natural 20. (Travis: “Why did you give the Snitch away?!”)

This is the lowest number of crits rolled in a single episode in this campaign: a single nat one.

Episode 74 in campaign one was the only episode with no crits.

Taliesin thinks that interaction with Cree was more stressful than the Briarwood name drop in campaign one, because at least with the latter he had a vague sense of where it was going. Travis is suspicious.

Travis opted to play the game with the Gentleman mostly because he was feeling bored and wanted to be a little reckless that day.

Brian: “Travis shops at Big & Tall, Taliesin shops at Dark & Cold.”

Taliesin is very impressed that a subset of the fans have managed to figure out everything that’s going on with Mollymauk.

Originally, it was going to be Mollymauk Trickfoot, because the original thought was that it was going to be the Trickfoot circus, but Matt vetoed such a strong connection to the previous campaign.

Travis is going to be waiting for a double-cross from the Gentleman. Taliesin points out that it might just be an audition. Could he be a water genasi? Travis: “I think so. Either that, or he’s just got a thyroid problem, so.”

Travis assumed that, if he’d lost, he’d have been required to work jobs for the Gentleman for a while. Either that or tend bar.

Weirdest day job before doing acting full-time? Travis was security in Hollywood, and worked at a baby shower-exclusive catering company. Taliesin worked at a video store, made candles at a candle company, and managed a toy store. Brian worked at a company that rented porta-potties.

Taliesin pitched Matt his idea for Molly when they were getting their tattoos. It’s less him having no memory and more “a particular character that could only function if he had nothing other than himself.” He left a set of clues built into how he was found and where, but there’s nothing Taliesin knows that Molly doesn’t know.

GIF of the week goes to Fjord’s shifting intelligence score.

From Fjord’s perspective, he thinks pulling the falchion may have scared Caleb into being more of a team player, especially with Nott to communicate as a go-between. Fjord wouldn’t have actually done anything with the sword; if they had pushed it long enough, he just would’ve left. Travis also suspects that Caleb is smart and may be playing nice so that Fjord won’t be as suspicious of him next time.

Travis and Taliesin think Fjord and Molly are pretty good people overall, but agree that Grog and Percy were some of the more iffy characters in the first campaign.

On being in the Zone of Truth: “As a disciple of the Moonweaver, that was not a pleasant experience.” Molly had intended to bring the group in after a few months, not after only about ten days of knowing each other. “There’s trust and then there’s trust.”

Travis: “How much does Yasha know?” Taliesin: “Yasha knows everything.” He’s sending Ashley e-mails with the information she knows that hasn’t been revealed to the rest yet.

Fjord thought Molly was the most scheming person in the group, so finding out that he has a very limited memory is a bit of a twist. Fjord’s not so much concerned about finding out about the things he doesn’t know about in his own backstory; he’s comfortable just leaving some things unanswered. “Maybe if I don’t move, everything will just be cool and things will stay the same.” He’s afraid of drastic change and having more episodes like that, because they’re... unsettling.

Molly woke up more-or-less naked, with shaved hair, and without tattoos (apart from the red ones). The tattoos are partly about rebuilding a persona by covering up the old ones. “Molly is not missing any time or memory. Molly is two years old. There’s nothing wrong with him.”

Fjord probably would’ve believed Molly’s story even without Zone of Truth because it was the last possible thing he would’ve expected. “Anything that doesn’t shock me or give me pause, I feel like I’m getting robbed of the Jaffe experience.” He’s just relieved no one else was really getting asked questions.

Taliesin’s a big fan of the notion of identity and playing with how we think of ourselves, based on his own personal experience with reinventing himself. There are elements of that in Percy, but it’s the fundamental function of Mollymauk’s character. He doesn’t care who Lucien was. It doesn’t matter if he’s a good person or a bad person, it’s “I’m made of nothing but the decisions that led me to be this person. You get to decide who you are, and he’s very much decided who he is.” Brian talks about people being defined by their worst (or best) moments. Taliesin: “He’s selected the things that mattered to him, and he’s fully in that and not interested in investing in anything else.”

Travis: “...man, my character has a fuckin’ Texan accent.”

Fanart of the week: “Nightmares”.

It’s worse than Fjord was expecting, because there’s genuinely no way to find out more about what’s going on with Molly. Fjord is pretty sure everyone’s with Molly (if a little suspicious) and nobody sees him as a liability. “I think, if anything, Beau is mildly entertained.” Fjord thinks of him as a time-bomb with a very long fuse.

Molly’s name was chosen for him by Gustav, because they had to forge papers for him. “Empty, so they started calling him M.T.”

Travis likes that nobody seems to care about his backstory at this point. Travis: “The fewer amount of times I wake up spitting up saltwater...” Taliesin: “I genuinely don’t care until anyone chooses to share or it becomes a problem.” Travis: “Just lawful good, that’s what I am.”

Molly is very nervous about future conversations. Taliesin had a lot of strategies in mind, but the one thing he wasn’t prepared for was meeting someone who knew him in the wild; he thought he’d have longer to prepare. He used his power without the swords once but no one noticed.

Fjord looks at both Caleb and Molly as sources of knowledge and experience he could pull from. He was disappointed to find out that Molly’s swords weren’t magical, because he’d hoped to be able to draw some parallels to his own situation.

Mollymauk’s attitude toward Nott’s questions can be summed up as a quasi-friendly but thoroughly sarcastic “What a patronizing thing to say, go fuck yourself!”

Fjord was more excited to take Nott under his wing “until he realized that she didn’t give a shit about being under that wing.” Both Fjord and Molly are a little nervous about Nott and Caleb.

Travis took Warcaster and Molly took Tough for their level 4 feats.

Basic thing about Molly: “The first thing out of your mouth should never be the truth.”

Molly speaks with the same accent as Gustav.

Brief interlude about LaserDiscs. As you do.

Talks Machina After Dark on Alpha:

Special guest star Pillow Matt!

Taliesin is disappointed there hasn’t been a Fjord Prefect joke yet. Travis is tempted to make Fjord’s last name T’ough.

Travis notes that Fjord’s still evolving as a character. “He’s willing to let the cards fall where they may and maybe take some blind risks,” which isn’t a trait Travis shares with his character.

Travis and Taliesin share their Jester impressions.

Brief interlude about the efficiency of tridents vs. quindents. As you do.

Taliesin on Molly: “He is constantly delighted by shit. He finds life delightful, he finds everything delightful. Any thrill or high or otherwise, he is on board. That is what he does with his free time, which he has not had this week.”

They agree that Molly would win against Fjord in a drinking contest. Fjord would be a super nice drunk: “You’re just so nice to everyone and I can always count on you for a smile!” Taliesin: “Molly gets louder the nicer he gets” and might become prone to weird pranks.

What would Fjord have been most afraid of being asked in Zone of Truth? “What’s your biggest fear? Have you ever lost anyone? Where did you come from? What are you really searching for?”

Fjord and Molly approached the blood thing with the Gentleman as the cost of doing business; in for a penny, in for a pound.

Final question of the night from Max: “Taliesin, are you a pyramid?” Taliesin: “This interview is over.”

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Running Back Shuffle Up: Todd Gurley, back in business

Todd Gurley (left) and Ezekiel Elliott are both Top 5 centerpieces in 2017 (AP/Michael Ainsworth)

Week 5 is a key week on on the fantasy football calendar. The byes start, and with that, trading season starts. Some fantasy teams have quickly acquired leverage, some other teams are already dripping with desperation. You only get 13 games before playoff time in most leagues. Time to move on, time to get going.

Week 5 also marks the opening of the Shuffle Up series, where we’ll take a microscope to the current tiering landscape. I’ll do running backs, the granddaddy of all positions, this week. Next week, the wideouts go through the car wash. The following week, I’ll link quarterback and tight ends. And then the cycle begins again in Week 8.

Assume a half-point PPR scoring system, with everything else standard. Players at the same price are considered even. I reserve the right to tweak this list within the first 24 hours of release. I welcome all reasonable, respectful disagreement, but bring a reason. And remember the golden rule: no one gains or loses value simply because you roster (or don’t roster) that player.

Hit me up on @scott_pianowski, let’s hear what you have to say. Game on.

$45 Kareem Hunt $45 LeVeon Bell $43 Ezekiel Elliott $41 Todd Gurley $40 Devonta Freeman

It’s not hard to see why Gurley has rebounded so emphatically this year. The coaching staff was overhauled; the offensive line upgraded; the receiving threats bolstered. This offense didn’t have a chance under the Jeff Fisher regime, but it sure looks like Sean McVay was a home-run coaching hire. Gurley’s also getting extensive work in the passing game, too, which does two important things — it protects Gurley from negative game scripts, and it regularly allows Gurley to get the ball in space, take on a limited part of the defense, as opposed to the punishment-inducing work between the tackles.

That’s all lovely, and yes, keep it coming.

Some have feared that Gurley’s schedule will eventually turn sour and take down the story, but I’m not especially worried about that happening. Consider his next two opponents, Seattle and Jacksonville — they’ve both getting crushed by the run, allowing 5.0 and 5.7 YPC, respectively. The Giants respected defense has been leaky, too (4.6 YPC). There are some other draws that are challenging, but I’m going to bet on the talent, the creativity of the coaching staff, and the momentum. The places where I hold Gurley, I’d need a lofty price to move off the perch.

As for the other backs in the Fab 5: The only minor concern on Hunt is how the Chiefs have backed off him as a receiver in the last three weeks. Eight catches are fine, 59 yards are mediocre. After watching Hunt rip the Patriots with intermediate and deep routes in the opener, I thought Hunt would continue to get that type of usage. But he’s been so dynamic on the ground and the Chiefs are looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender, so we won’t hassle it . . . The Steelers have passing-game issues, specifically Ben Roethlisberger issues, but Bell’s started to come around after a predictable, slow start. You miss the entire summer, it comes at at least something of a conditioning cost. I’d have no problem taking Bell first or second in a redraft, depending on how sold you are on Hunt . . . The Dallas offensive line has slipped a notch and it’s possible Elliott, like Bell, wasn’t in top shape on opening day. But Zeke had a get-right game in the loss to the Rams, and while I’m not a lawyer, it sure looks like he’ll be able to hold off the legal proceedings for the rest of the year . . . Freeman was born in the end zone, or so it seems. New OC Steve Sarkisian talked about getting Julio Jones more involved in the red zone, but mostly what this offense has done through four weeks is feed the Freeman touchdown machine. Freeman’s YPC has taken a drop and he’s getting far less use in the passing game, but the touchdowns are a perfect deodorant.

$36 Leonard Fournette $35 LeSean McCoy $33 Carlos Hyde $30 Jay Ajayi $29 DeMarco Murray $26 Melvin Gordon $24 Jordan Howard $23 Lamar Miller $22 Christian McCaffrey $21 *Ty Montgomery $21 C.J. Anderson $21 Joe Mixon $20 Ameer Abdullah

I don’t see an obvious right answer on Montgomery. He doesn’t just have a rib injury, he has several broken ribs, and he plays a volume position where punishment is standard. I am not sorry I cashed out on my primary Montgomery share a week ago, though obviously I didn’t see him getting hurt. And keep in mind before the injury, Montgomery was all volume, no efficiency; oddly, the opposite of his 2016 story. The offensive line has a lot to say in that, but that isn’t something we can ignore when we price Monty . . . I’m staying firm with Ajayi, even as I don’t trust Jay Cutler much (can Matt Moore be any worse?). The Dolphins had the schedule from hell: hurricane PPD; trip to San Diego; trip to New York; trip to London. Ajayi ran hard in Week 2, and was okay in the Saints loss. He’s not the problem here, and the passing game should at least improve somewhat . . . Fournette is one of five backs who have 16 or more touches in four straight weeks; Abdullah, McCoy, Gurley, and Hunt are the others. Projectable volume is a huge part of the game. If we push the qualifier down to 15 touches, Hyde also makes the list.

Marshawn Lynch, gridlocked on Narrative Street (AP) 

$19 Tarik Cohen $18 Mark Ingram $18 Tevin Coleman $17 Duke Johnson $17 Doug Martin $17 Chris Thompson $16 Marshawn Lynch $16 Alvin Kamara $14 Latavius Murray $14 Isaiah Crowell $12 James White $12 Wendell Smallwood $12 Bilal Powell $11 Mike Gillislee $11 Derrick Henry $11 Frank Gore

Lynch grades just outside the Top 24, which makes sense — I haven’t considered him a set-and-forget RB2 all year, and I have him on every avoid list I submitted. Football’s hard enough without a full-year sabbatical, and remember he looked sluggish and cooked back with Seattle in 2015. I see no reason not to root for the guy, it’s a wonderful story, but I’ll root with my heart, not my fantasy checkbook . . . Washington is not comfortable giving Thompson an increase in workload, but he might see just enough volume to push into the every-week starter area, despite the uphill climb of his setup. At least Washington doesn’t have any other notable talent in the backfield; no one is likely to shove Thompson out of the way . . . If I knew Matt Forte would miss significant time, Powell would instantly climb a tier, though I also like what I’ve seen from Elijah McGuire. The Jets were everyone’s pick to be the worst team in football, but they have been scrappy and competitive in every game . . . Minnesota is sick over losing Dalvin Cook, but at least the offensive line is better. I’m betting on Murray over McKinnon because the Vikings paid Murray, but like so many teams, this will probably turn into a hot-hand situation, with the club hoping someone can prove it on the field and take away the decision stress. Murray is likely to start with the baton and he’s done more at the NFL level, so he gets the benefit on the initial rank.

$9 Alex Collins $9 Jonathan Stewart $9 D’Onta Foreman $8 LeGarrette Blount $8 Theo Riddick $8 Aaron Jones $7 Andre Ellington $6 Jerick McKinnon $6 Javorius Allen $6 Wayne Gallman $5 Robert Kelley $5 Matt Forte $5 Giovani Bernard $4 Jamaal Charles $4 Charcandrick West

Collins keeps busting off big runs in the second halves of games, though he needs to prove he can be trusted not to fumble (Jim Harbaugh has specifically complained about this, too). But at some point, the Ravens have to give extensive work to their only back who’s doing anything on the ground . . . Ellington has a passing role carved out on an offense that probably won’t be able to run the ball . . . I probably come in low among the Gallman rankers; I don’t trust that line (or Ben McAdoo) at all, there’s gridlock in the backfield, and the overall offense is probably a drain on any back’s efficiency. I thought Gallman looked okay at Tampa Bay; the rewatch didn’t jolt me out of my chair. I think the New York running game has been so awful for so long, perhaps some of us are tempted to overrate anything that’s even remotely positive . . . No one really likes Miller that much and Foreman had a couple of nifty plays in the New England game, but he’s still averaging 3.4 YPC. Is Foreman an interesting lottery ticket, sure. Is a changing of the guard imminent? Are the Texans eager to push Miller off the field? I don’t think so.

$3 Rex Burkhead $3 Jalen Richard $3 Thomas Rawls $3 Jacquizz Rodgers $3 C.J. Prosise $3 Eddie Lacy $3 Elijah McGuire $3 Jamaal Williams $2 Marlon Mack $2 Terrance West $2 Mike Tolbert $2 Chris Johnson $2 James Conner $2 Robert Turbin $1 DeAndre Washington $1 Chris Ivory $1 Matt Breida $1 Shane Vereen $1 Damien Williams $1 Orleans Darkwa $1 Malcolm Brown $1 Dion Lewis $1 Alfred Morris $1 Branden Oliver $1 Corey Grant $1 Charles Sims $1 Adrian Peterson $1 Corey Clement $1 J.D. McKissic $0 Paul Perkins $0 Kenyan Drake $0 Jeremy Hill $0 Samaje Perine $0 Aaron Ripkowski $0 Devontae Booker

[danilights2021]

I loving the clothes

My two favorite things!! RWBY and Sakura! Thanks @thanatos-nightshade .

As much as gauntlets similar to Yang's could fit her beautifully, I just can't seem let go of Sakura using her big ass axes! I also imagined her semblance being "Healing", but she only figures it out later on and all throughout the academy years she'd try to compensate her lack of skill by using these huge exaggerated weapons - little did anyone realize that her abnormal strength to use said weapons was already her own body healing itself as she overexerted her muscles beyond its limits.