#My MMA Stories Part 1 - Karate!

[dndplus]

In Depth - Character Creation

This post is still for Dungeon Masters, but I imagine players can glean a thing or two about this on how to make a character.

Now I know what a lot of people are thinking: this is too basic.  The Player’s Handbook does an excellent job explaining this, and-

I’m going to stop you right there, because this isn’t just about the basics.  Yes, I’m going to go over the actual steps of creating a character, but I’m also going to add insights on how a DM can help walk a new player through the character creation process, as well as how a DM themselves can get the most out of a character creation process themselves.  It’s also a look at why DMs and Players should make their characters together.

Here’s the bullets on what we’ll be covering:

Rolling stats, and why we do it first.

Getting to know your player, and understanding what they want.

Picking a background before a class.

Choosing a class.

Incorporating the character into the setting.

Rolling Stats, and Why We Do It First

This is a big one.  I can go on and on about the virtues of this step, but the reason we insist on doing it first is to talk about something that comes even before this step right away: how stats are handled.

There are many ways to handle stats, and it’s up to the DM to discuss with the players what they’re looking for.  Here’s a few ways it’s typically handled:

A point-buy system, where all players are on even footing and can tweak their character’s stats to their liking.

Absolute chaos, the other side of the spectrum.  You roll 4 D6s, add up the best 3, and pray you get a couple decent rolls to make something at least usable, and accept that the struggle is part of the fun.

A hybrid approach, whereby a player rolls 4 D6s and adds up the best three, and has the ability to turn one roll into a 16 (so long as they didn’t already get two 16+ rolls to begin with).  This system basically removes the ability for a character’s stat-line to be completely screwed, while preserving the randomness that some characters will naturally be more gifted than others.  Some players like the chance to be extra strong, and also like a challenge, but hate the possibility of being useless, so this can be a popular option..

My personal favorite, the ‘reroll’ approach.  This one is hard to explain, but the results have always been much to my liking and never left a player in a bad spot.  You roll 4 D6s like normal, add up the best 3, and keep going until you have all 6 rolls.  At this point, whether or not the player rerolls is based on a few simple guidelines.  Here are the rules I use:  Did the player get at least 2 rolls of 16+?  Keep.  Did the player get at least 1 14+, 1 16+, and have no rolls below 10?  Keep.  If neither of these happened, the player is offered a chance to reroll.  I’m a fan of this system because it allows for the possibility of character weighted heavily in one direction, giving them great strengths, but also great weaknesses.  Likewise, the other option is a character that’s still pretty good, at what they do, but with no grave weaknesses.  Finally, you can still end up with an incredible character, but I’ve yet to see anything obscene.

Regardless of whatever method you use, make sure you’re there for the rolling of the stats if the method requires it.  Do not, under any circumstances, allow a player to roll their stats without your supervision.  This is a mistake, one that can give rise to a player who fudges their rolls.  A DM must always be vigilant for this kind of behavior, as once someone starts cheating, it can be very, very difficult to get them to stop, and even harder to get other players to ever trust them again once they’re caught.

Getting to Know Your Player, and Understanding What They Want

Now, while rolling/picking stats, it’s time for you to discuss with your player what they’re after.  Not everyone plays D&D for the same reasons, after all.  Some people are looking for a way to hang out with or make new friends, some want to escape reality into a place where they can be a great hero or villain of their own making, and yet more want a sprawling, somewhat theatrical experience for them to lose themselves in.

The biggest lie a person can tell you at this point is that getting this information out of your player will be easy.  It’s not.  It’s Hell.  Expect that this is a process of you whittling them down, and start with a basic list of questions to find the angle that will get some answers you can work with:

What do you want to play?  This is an underestimated question, but some players really are that easy.  The ones who want to be powerful wizards or sorcerers (but don’t actually know the difference) should be introduced to the concepts of wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks.  People looking to brawl should be shown Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, Monks, and maybe Rangers.  Players that want to be able to do a wide range of things should be shown Druids, Clerics, Paladins, and Bards.  Players that want to play ambushing assassins should be shown Rogues, Rangers, and Monks.  Giving them details of what each class brings to the table after narrowing things down usually results in a confident choice.

What do you want to get out of Dungeons and Dragons?  This is a tough question with a low success rate.  It usually hits well with players who are just there to have fun, though.  When that happens, and you can’t find something the player wants to play, suggest suspending the character creation until the others have gone.  Then, you can recommend a class that will be unique and useful in the group.  This usually satisfies the player in this category.  If it doesn’t, you’ll just have to keep working at it.

What do you want to be?  This is an important question, and one that sets up the real next step of character creation.  On occasion, you’ll have a player who can imagine the story of their character.  They’ll see a soldier, or an acolyte to some god, or a pirate, or a thief, or an entertainer or... whatever it is they fancy.  Not every thief has to be a rogue, and not every acolyte has to be a cleric, paladin, or monk.  Some players are convinced what they want to do won’t work, and in those situations you need to remind them that what they want absolutely can and will work.  

What’s your favorite fantasy genre?  This one is a little simple, yeah, but sometimes it gets the ball rolling.  Finding out that someone loves Lord of the Rings, and asking them who their favorite character can easily result in a recommendation that gets the player’s gears turning.  Likewise, a big fan of kung fu, karate, or MMA might not realize that monks are martial arts masters, and not just sagely individuals who make wine in a monastery on some remote countryside.  

Explain EVERYTHING.  This isn’t a question, this is what you do when nothing else works.  These supremely difficult players are typically joining the game for dubious reasons, mostly because they’re guarding themselves than for anything nefarious in nature.  D&D, while being a game that’s classically attributed to shut-in nerds, requires a person to be surprisingly outgoing to get the most out of it.  Guarded players are going to take extra time and attention, and might do odd things like wait till you’ve explained everything before making a choice, because for one reason or another they feel less embarrassed about looking excited about what’s looked down on in some circles as ‘just a board game’.

Whew that was a lot, but character creation can be incredibly taxing when dealing with newer players.  The good news is that that step is now done with, and you have a much better idea of what the player might be after (unless they’re the guarded sort, in which case may the Upper Planes have mercy on your soul).

Picking a Background BEFORE a Class

It’s amazing how much you can do before actually choosing a class.  Many of your players by this step will already have something concrete in mind, and that’s fine, but it’s still best to figure out a character’s background first.  

The Player’s Handbook offers several of these in detail (Pg. 125/141):

Acolyte

Charlatan

Criminal/Spy

Entertainer/Gladiator

Folk Hero

Guild Artisan/Guild Merchant

Hermit

Noble/Knight

Outlander

Sage

Sailor/Pirate

Soldier

Urchin

It’s a big, BIG list, and yet somehow there’s yet more to it than just picking one and being happy about it.  The biggest mistake a DM might make is seeing these and not realize that, from the very get-go, they’re just the framework of something you offer to a player.  They can be mixed, matched, and tweaked in any way that fits a specific player’s backstory.  Here’s a few examples to take note of:

Mercenary - All the flavor of a soldier, right down to the same possible skill proficiencies and tool proficiencies.  A mercenary, however, may have slightly more or less gold (depending on the success of their group), lack an insignia, and have a completely different kind of Feature.  Mercenaries who worked on the sea might have proficiency in sea vehicles instead of land ones, and share the Ship’s Passage feature with Sailor/Pirate.  They could also be tough and wise to the road, giving them the Wanderer feature from Outlander, or be well known and respected, garnering them the Rustic Hospitality feature from Folk Hero.  These are all ways to flavor a basic background and turn it into something that fits a player more appropriately.

Acolyte to a Dead God - Sometimes, bad things happens in a setting.  A campaign can start shortly after the fall of a god, with one of your players being the stalwart champion who refuses to give up their late deity’s sacred charge.  In this scenario, you often end up with an Acolyte devoid of the Shelter of the Faithful feature.  Life may have been hard since the death of their god, causing them to become proficient Wanderers, or maybe beneath their first identity of Acolyte they are also a noble.  My personal favorite is to mix Acolyte with Hermit, permitting the player to know a grand secret that may have a connection to their god.  This can be some truth their god entrusted them with that has great implication going forward, or even an artifact of uncertain power with the potential to resuscitate their patron from death!  Such an secret can be massive enough to create an underlying long-term goal for the campaign, and pit the forces that saw the god’s death against the players from square one.  It might sound like a lot of responsibility to plant on a player, but for some, the idea of such a massive task to undertake is what they’ll enjoy most.

Disgraced Noble - Blood carries power, enough to bend the ear of local lords and the like.  But what if that’s all a character has?  A prideful urchin, refusing to stoop to nefarious acts, may be lacking in street smarts, but by virtue of their birth still has the power to invoke their bloodline to others in power.  This character starts with little, possibly because what they had was taken or squandered by immediate family, but is rife with the flavors of determination and a sincere desire to return to their station.  This character is well educated, and remains skilled in History and additional language, but lacks in the means to persuade as efficiently as their non-disgraced counterparts, and starts with less coin and crummy clothes.  Their ability to be persuasive and throw their bloodline’s weight around may have been replaced with the skills needed to survive on the streets, like Survival itself, or perhaps with another language found where they live, or Athletics, or Religion from their need to visit local churches and pray for the strength struggle on through the shame of their fall from grace.

What I hope is understood most by these examples is that a player should be pushed to go into detail, not just so they themselves get more engrossed and invested in the events of the game, but so that the DM has more to use to that end.

Choosing a Class.

With a background selected, picking a class can now have more weight behind it.  It’s the culmination of a character, not the start of it, and that too attaches yet more weight to the decision.

The flavor of a chosen class becomes more apparent now that we have a background chosen.  Let’s look at how the decisions made in one of the backstories from before can affect the class outcome.

For this, we’ll use Disgraced Noble:

Barbarian - A Disgraced Noble forced to survive on the streets (Survival variant) can quickly become stripped of their more refined attributes.  Their life is difficult, and it seems often like their anger alone is what gives them the strength to go on.  In this way, a Disgraced Noble makes an excellent barbarian, combining the duality of their need to be proper and respectful with the ability to fly off the handle and wreak absolute havoc when pushed too far or disrespected too severely.

Fighter - A Disgraced Noble that’s especially devoted to the task of not succumbing to life on the streets acts the part of the knight even if they lack the resources to really be one.  It’s a bullheaded strategy in life, one that’s forced them to toughen up (Athletics variant).  Contrary to what would happen with most nobles, this seems to have emboldened the Disgraced Noble, and made him a paragon of discipline and strength that a locale can come to rally behind.  In many ways, this Disgraced Noble can be more Noble than any other.  They can also be cruel though, and don the mantle of a warlord looking to reclaim their birthright by force.  Whatever the choice, the player and DM have a lot to work with.

Paladin - Faith can lead to salvation, something the Disgraced Noble who turns to the local church might quickly learn.  The assumption by nobles that they are born to lead meshes well with the Paladin class, as they themselves are also natural leaders.  This Disgraced Noble refuses to let what happened to them shape their life, and forges on for whatever cause they adopt as if becoming Disgraced never happened.  Unlike the Fighter or Barbarian, this Disgraced Noble’s goals may not have to do with reclaiming their birthright, reacquiring it anyway will probably be in their future if they’re successful anyway.

In the instance of a player already knowing what class they want, you help them mold the background onto that choice in reverse.  In some cases, you can have their choice of class come from a relatively recent event, such as a thief signing a pact with some patron who suckered them into a bad deal with a heavy, ironic personal cost.  

Whatever the outcome, understand that your creative license (and the player’s) is endless!  This is Dungeons and Dragons!  You can play a Paladin Kobold Noble adopted by a well-off dwarven family who worships Moradin and supplements their paladin levels with sorcerer levels from their kobold heritage to create a spell-slot packed, divine smiting machine!

Incorporating the Character Into the Setting

Here we are, the part where it all comes full circle and you do your DM you to make a player’s character feel like a part of the world and not just tacked on.

For some characters, this is very easy.  The Disgraced Noble, or the Acolyte to a Dead God carries heavy integration right into their backstory.  You need only add the places and people in the world to highlight these things, and you’re all set.

For other characters, this can be more difficult.  Consider pairing characters with compatible backstories to give their existence more weight and to speed up the formation of the party when you finally play.  For instance, the Mercenary might remain friends with the Disgraced Noble after they can no longer be paid, and a Criminal and Pirate might bond after being forced to share a jail cell for a while.  Likewise; clerics, paladins, and monks might all recognize one another of worshippers to a similar diety, or a gladiator fighter may have heard of an acolyte monk whose temple encourages dueling as a means to perfect their martial arts.

Not all character backstories are going to have grand outcomes.  When you see one like this, ask the player if their character should have any special motivation behind them.  What do they desire, or what grudges do they hold?  What event pushes them out from their comfortable life?  Did a family member die, and leave them seeking revenge?  Is there something they find themselves needing to do, possibly because a dying, elder loved one wished it?

Whatever the case, look for a way to create a motivation in your player’s backstory.  Why?  Because some of your players absolutely will not go for this.  Having content that the players feel invested in completing does a lot for their engagement in the game, and one player being energized about something is usually enough to set fire to the whole group.

With all of that said, this brings me to my last point of this post.  Some players just don’t give a shit.  Don’t feel bad, it’s the way of the world.  They want to hang out, kill some enemies, get some cool loot, and then do it all again next week.  They feed off the energy of other players, relying on them to give the campaign substance, and will oftentimes make you feel like everything you’ve done went unappreciated.

When you encounter this player, understand something very important and beneficial about them: they’re there to have fun.  They keep things light, and do things unexpectedly in character as a gag that cracks the whole table up and makes the hours of play fly by.  This player is a headache and a half, but every group would benefit from having one, so tolerate their nonsense when you have to.

[ironfist-clown-factory]

Learn about the Nonkinaverse In Greater Detail | Learn about the Nonkinaverse In Lesser Detail | Meet the characters | Ask a question | Ko-fi | Personal Discord | New Clown Discord | Twitter

Ok, it’s been a while but I’m in a better head-space now, so It’s time to get BACK to the basics with four new characters! Three of which are tied together in terms of storyline, so a mega post it is!

Click below for the whole shebang. Seriously, it’s a long one! It even includes Henry Boppleson’s proper introduction to the Nonkinaverse! (If ya didn’t know, I won Henry from a giveaway held by the lovely folks at @dailyclowns!)

Oh yeah, these three.

Kobe and Sparrow started out as a clone of Ace and Jigu-Jo given similiar dynamics, but I switched up some aspects enough to avoid a Ryu and Ken sort of thing (even though I have a lot of Boxing characters, oops).

I think I got the Bellhop angle from Spirou of all things. Probably, I don’t remember Spirou all that well. The only French comic I can recall off the top of my head is Lastman.

Also Henry was designed by a friend of mine. I wanted to give Sparrow a sidekick best friend and my own friend came in clutch.

- C-KUN, from the Nonkinaverse Design Bible

Name: Kobe-Maru Nishi Age (at the start of Nonkina Ace -April 10th, 2014): 82 DOB: June 2nd, 1932 Gender: Male Height: 8′6″ Sexuality: Straight/Asexual Occupation: Former Assassin, Martial Artist, Hotel Bellhop Nationality: Japanese Home State: Hokkaido, Japan Likes: Melee combat, Sudoku and other types of puzzles, training, coffee in the morning Dislikes: Modern art and music, street fashions, youthful people who throw caution to the wind, pepper, city life Favorite Food: Harihari-nabe Personality: Quiet, Semi-Stoic Fighting Style: Absolution (Personal Martial Art, mix of Shoot Boxing/Muay Thai, Shuri-te karate, Kun Gek Do) Clown-Po Ability: Healing Factor, Energy Dispersal

In the unwritten history of Combat, there are many legends who remain shrouded in mystery. Tales of fighters with the strength of gods, lost to the flow of time. Of these unsung legends was Kobe-Maru Nishi, known to those who have heard of his skills of a fighter as ‘The God of Absolution’.

Very little is known about Kobe-Maru. What is known is that he hails from a family of Shuri-te karate practitioners located deep within Hokkaido, and he traveled the world learning more Martial Arts to make himself stronger than the rest, combing all of knowledge to create ‘Absolution’.

And while Kobe had a small stint on the professional Martial Arts circuit, his true job was that of an assassin, going after those who fill the world with strife and woe.

However, there was always one problem that would come up time and time again: The Future of Absolution.

Kobe never really put into thought as to how Absolution will survive after his eventual death. He could never really find a suitable partner or student who he deemed worthy enough to learn it.

That was until he started working at The Heights Hotel in Diamond Star where he met a young man by the name of Sparrow Vel.

Name: Sparrow Vel Age: 17 DOB: April 21st, 2000 Gender: Male Height: 6′7″ Sexuality: Straight Occupation: Hotel Bellhop Nationality: French-American Home City: Diamond Star, New Yor-Kyu Likes: Reading, Fighting, his job, hearing stories about his parent’s adventures, his best friend Henry, getting tips Dislikes: Rude hotel guests, walking up long flights of stairs, broccoli Favorite Food: Pepperoni Pizza Personality: Adventurous, Spunky, full of life Fighting Style: Absolution Clown-Po Ability: Energy Dispersal, can tap into a sort of ‘Berserk-er’ mode

Sparrow was the son of an adventurous couple who ended up winding down into The Heights just as Kobe-Maru joined the staff.

He saw Sparrow’s golden heart at work day by day, seeing the true kindness and generosity to others he had himself as a child.

In Kobe’s eyes, Sparrow was the ideal candidate for Absolution.

So one day when he and Sparrow had off from work, Kobe-Maru took Sparrow to the forest below Mt. Inoki. Kobe had promised to show something Sparrow would have never seen before.

Finding an old oak tree that was as thick as 7 concrete walls, Kobe-Maru showed the power of Absolution to Sparrow by kicking the entire tree down in one roundhouse.

Sparrow was stunned and amazed by Kobe-Maru’s power. It was like something out of a superhero movie or an anime!

Admiring his power, Kobe-Maru turned around and spoke to Sparrow.

“This power...It’s something amazing, isn’t it? Tell me Sparrow...Do you wish to have this power as well?”

Sparrow begged for Kobe-Maru to teach him, and within months Sparrow had his Clown-Po spark to life, finally being able to keep up with Kobe-Maru, forming a strong student-teacher bond.

Within one year of training, Sparrow had finally reached the same level of power as Kobe-Maru. But Kobe wasn’t satisfied just yet. For there was one more thing that laid ahead of Sparrow’s training.

The underground fighting tournament: Battle C-Road. A tournament that Kobe-Maru himself had entered many, many years ago.

This tournament will be the true test of Sparrow’s power...

And then there’s Henry Boppleson.

Name: Henry ‘Justin’ Boppleson Age: 17 DOB: February 1st, 2000 Gender: Male Height: 6′1″ Sexuality: Straight Occupation: Hotel Bellhop Nationality: American Home City: Los Angeles, California Likes: Getting paid, working hard, girls, boobs, his old trusty handbuzzer, his best bud Sparrow, watching fights, Combat Sector Dislikes: Not getting tips for carrying loads of bags up several flights of stairs, whoopie cushions, Kobe-Maru’s lectures and speeches Favorite Food:  Personality: Laid back, easily excitable, a bit of a prankster Fighting Style: N/A Clown-Po Ability: N/A 

Henry’s not much of a fighter, or a fighter at all for that matter. He’s Sparrow’s best friend since they first met in middle school, and their bond is iron clad.

But while Henry lacks in his own fighting spirit, he’s still knowledgeable about combat sports, ranging from Pro Wrestling to MMA, to obscure PPV only events that ran under the name of ‘Combat Sector’.

Other than that, he’s a hard worker with a love for the ladies, and penchant for the old hand buzzer gag~

[astro-onechampionship]

Angela Lee And More Join ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee is already a household name in Singapore – but “The Lion City’s” resident queen of mixed martial arts is about to increase her star power around the globe.

According to an announcement on 13 August by ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, Lee will be one of six athletes to appear as guests on the forthcoming 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.'

“I am excited to announce the ONE Championship athletes and World Champions ready to join me on 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' as special guest stars,” Sityodtong said in a press release.

Those guest stars include Lee and five others:

ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera

ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson

ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan

Indian Wrestling Champion Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat

Multiple-time Karate World Champion “Super” Sage Northcutt

Through physical challenges, each of the six athletes will test the athletic skills and cardio of the 16 contestants, who will be vying for the chance to work alongside Sityodtong at ONE’s headquarters in Singapore.

“Our athletes at ONE Championship are the backbone of our organization,” Sityodtong added. “They are real-life, modern-day heroes who inspire the world with their incredible stories. Their discipline and wisdom will inspire and mentor our contestants. It is my honor to star alongside these amazing human beings on the show.”

Lee, who splits her time between Singapore’s Evolve MMA and Hawaii's United MMA, aired her excitement to take part in the reality show that will merge two distinctly dissimilar worlds.

“'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' is a great opportunity to bring together two very different worlds – martial arts and business, and I’m excited to see how those two worlds unite,” Lee said.

“I’m honored to be able to share my experiences, my talents, and my presence on the show. Being the youngest mixed martial arts World Champion in history, I know I have a lot to offer the contestants as far as experience and work ethic goes, and I can’t wait to impart some of my knowledge that could help them in their journey. As far as physical challenges go, I am ready!”

Download the ONE Super App to keep up with all the latest news about 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' and ONE Championship.

Also, don't forget, ONE: NO SURRENDER II kicks off this Friday, 14 August, in Bangkok, Thailand. Watch all the action live on meWATCH at 8:30 p.m. Singapore Standard Time (SGT). Also, Channel 5 will broadcast the event on delay at 1 a.m. SGT on Saturday, 15 August.

Read More From ONE Championship:

Shink Plans To Finish Yodkaikaew: ‘I Always Put On A Show’

How Rodlek PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym Pulled Himself Out Of Poverty

Leo Pinto Intends To Prove Himself At ONE: NO SURRENDER II

[latinboxsports]

@royjonesjrboxing Roy Jones Boxing Promotions signs agreement with Announcer Sean Wheelock for UFC FIGHT PASS SERIES® LAS VEGAS (February 12, 2019) - Roy Jones Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions announced today that it has reached an agreement with highly respected announcer Sean Wheelock to handle blow-by-blow responsibilities for all its shows to live stream on UFC FIGHT PASS ®. The inaugural RJJ Boxing on UFC Fight Pass event was January 26, when "Mighty" Aston Palicte (25-2-1, 21 KOs) knocked out Jose "Chiquiro" Martinez (20-1-2, 13 KOs) in the second round to become the mandatory challenger for WBO Junior Bantamweight World Champion and fellow Filipino, Donnie Nietes. The Jan. 26th show was the first under a new agreement between Palicte's promoter, RJJ Boxing, and UFC FIGHT PASS®, to live stream up to 72 professional boxing events over the next three years. When building a brand," RJJ Boxing CEO/Co-Founder Keith Veltre said, "it is extremely important to have crucial people to be a part of that brand. When fans tune in the first impression, they see is the commentator. Adding a veteran like Sean Wheelock adds to the credibility and story-line that Roy Jones Jr Boxing is building. Roy and I feel lucky to add such a great asset as Sean." Known more for his mixed-martial-arts work, Wheelock has commentated numerous boxing matches during his celebrated career, including the last two years for RJJ Boxing, in addition to shows that aired on ESPN Friday Night Fights, CBS Sports Network and Cancun Boxing. Wheelock also worked as a pro boxing referee and he currently serves as a member of the Kansas Athletic Commission. "It's an honor to work for RJJ Boxing Promotions as its blow-by-blow commentator for this new game-changing series on UFC FIGHT PASS," Wheelock commented. "Roy is my all-time favorite fighter and his partner, Keith Veltre, is a rising super-star promoter. This also continues my great relationship with UFC FIGHT PASS. It's an absolute dream gig for me." In addition to RJJ Boxing, Wheelock also commentates on UFC FIGHT PASS for Karate Combat, Quintet Grappling, World Lethwei Championship and M-1 USA MMA. @keithveltre @gtboxing https://www.instagram.com/p/BtylQndhvDx/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=cntlrht46lm9

[samael-delta96]

Fallen is Babylon Chapter 1: The World you Once Knew It Part: 3

“Yes ma'am, ” I said

“Sam, I've been going over your writing…..” she said

“If you don't mind me asking, but is there something wrong with it?” I asked

“There's nothing wrong with it, but I must say it is truly inspiring. Your poetry on the war, your essays, especially this one titled ‘I Have Demon Eyes’ for the short story project” she said

“Not to be rude but is there a point to this?” I said

“From what I've heard you was one of the many who was on the frontlines of the battle. You've seen how this world has changed. You've heard the stories. Women in control of the most misogynistic countries, nonbinary and genderfluid being recognized as genders. But with all of that peace, there was an incredible story behind it. Would you mind if I had you write about your experience during the fight? The school, no the world needs to hear how this Hell on Earth became a reborn Eden” she said

“No,” I said

“No?”

“That's right no. That story is mine and only mine to tell as I please. I don't want to tell it just so the world can see me as a damaged monster” I said

“But….”

“You have a good evening ma'am”

I walked out of the classroom and made my way outside the building. I found Cyrus by his car talking to one of his friends. We had to drive home since no bus would be able to drive out that far to take us back home. Cyrus and I both have our license, but I didn’t like to drive cars that much. I got my motorcycle license for a reason, so Cyrus had to drive.

“So how was the rest of your classes?” Cyrus asked

“Boring” I replied

“It’s always boring for you,” he said

We got in the car and drove back home. Our date wasn’t until tonight so that gave me time to check in with my parents and relax. It was our anniversary, and Cyrus said he didn’t want anything, but I didn’t follow his orders.

We pulled up to my house and I leaned in closer with Cyrus. I locked my lips with him, and his dark hair poked my eyelids. I laughed a little, and Cyrus laughed only because he likes the sound of mine.

“I can't believe it's been a full year,” Cy said

“I can't believe you stayed with me,” I said

“Of course I would. I’m not leaving you for anyone” he said grabbing my hands “I want you to know your mine and only mine”

“Same with you,” I said kissing him again

I got out of his car, and I waved him goodbye as he drove off. God, I love that boy.

I walked up to my porch steps and opened the door. My mom was in the kitchen making her afternoon coffee. She does the finances of a local hospital so she just has to work from home. My dad is a construction worker. He gets home late at night, mainly because he likes to drink with his boyfriend from work. FYI my parents are in an open marriage. Both of my parents are bisexual. They still love each other but they're just into have more than one. It’s been like that from the start.

“Hey, Sam. How was school?” Mom said

“Hell’s fine,” I said

“Trust m, honey, Hell is everything but fine” she replied

We both laughed and giggled. My parents let me and my other siblings curse. They say the more curse words you know the bigger your vocabulary is.

I looked at the newspaper on the table

“Ruler Xavier Moreno and Lord Joshua Caliber married in their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio” I read the heading of the article

“I know. They seem happy” mom said

“Yep. Anything interesting in the news today” I asked

“Just random shit. Nothing to get shaken up about” she replied

Good.

I went down to my room after grabbing a snack. It was just a green apple. My room was in the basement that was connected to the other garage door. When I got in my room I turned on my computer. It pulled up the schematics to the engine of my motorcycle. I’m trying to see what I need in order to fix it. Something blew on my last ride and I need the parts by today. I know a guy who can get me these good parts for cheap up the road. He said he should have them today and I’ll only have to pay 150 for it. I might as well replace the old one. I built that thing from scratch. It will just cost me 500. Plus the guy I know might take down the price. I guess I just talked myself out of buying the pieces and getting the whole engine.

I left the house and walked up the street. The guy I’m buying this from was a really old friend back during the revolution. He was one of the main mechanics for when we needed terrain advantage.

I made it to George's (that's his name) house. I walked up behind him as he was working on his car. He turned around as I was about to tap his shoulder, and he got scared and jumped back.

“Good damn it Sam you know how to scare the shit of a bitch,” George said

“My bad” I replied “Just force of habit”

“You came for the parts,” George said

“Actually just give me the whole engine,, ” I said

“Really the whole engine?” he asked

“Yeah. Mine is getting old and I’ve been looking to replace it anyways. I’m tired of spending more money on the parts over the yea than the actual engine” I said

“Say no more, friend. I understand” George said

As he was finding the engine I wanted I pulled out my wallet.

“No need for payment Sam," George said “I'm still in your debt. After all your help during the fight”

“You don't owe me anything George. I did what I had to do. I did my job” I said

George looked at me with this smile on his face.

“Ya know…? You never really told me what that job was” he said moving the engine on some kart into his car

“I wouldn't worry about. That part of me isn't ready for you to see yet” I replied

George got the engine in his car. I got in and he took me home. His care was the spitting image of someone who has their shit together. I don't know what kind of care it was but he keeps the inside and out cleaner than Nirvana itself.

We made it back to my house, and George rolled the engine to the house. I opened the garage door, and we pulled the engine in. I thanked George and he went home. I grabbed my tool box, put on some dirty clothes and got to work. It was only four. It shouldn't take me long to get this thing in here. Once I do I have to meet mom back upstairs so she can take me to my MMA practice. My family thought it was weird that I just didn't do wrestling since I'm such a heavy guy, but the idea of using more than one form of martial arts is kind of empowering. It just took me 45 minutes. It would have been done faster if everyone would stay out of my room, and stop taking my tools and nuts and bolts. My dad's been trying to fix his vintage car. He should just let me fix it for him. It would be a lot faster and I’d have all my shit where I left it.

“Sam!! Come on!! It time for you and Rachel’s practice!!” mom said

There wasn’t any point in taking a shower at home since I’m about to get sweaty and dirty at practice. I got up stairs dressed for practice in my workout clothes. Rachel was up here too dress for karate. I was a black belt when I was 15. I learned how to box when I was 16, and I got put in the advance course at our practice gym.

“You ready?” Rachel asked

“Yeah” I replied

Rachel was my adoptive sister. Me and her are the same age, and we've always gotten along. We was interested in almost everything. We might have different friends, and social groups whenever we need each other we are always there. Our older brother on the hand is another story. His name is Draven. Most of the time he’s an utter asshole. No one knows what his deal is. He’s just like this because he thinks he’s better than everyone juggling a job, college, and football practice. But if he’s such hot shit, then why is he still living with our parents. I don't know. Don't really give a single ounce of a fuck to be honest with ya.