#WHAT IS WITH TEAMS SACKING THEIR DRIVERS MID SEASON | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

leqclerc · 4 years ago

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Just a random thought, if charles were to move teams mid contract (which i doubt and ive kinda grown attached to ferrari) where do you think he’d most likely end up? 🤔

Since this discussion is back on the dash again I figured I’d sit down and actually try to write something semi coherent about this asjdfj

First of all, you’re absolutely right - he’s just intrinsically linked with Ferrari through the FDA and Prema and Jules and Seb and it’s difficult to picture him in a different team, wearing anything other than red (funnily enough, all of his previous race suits, at least in F1/2 have had bits of red on them.) Secondly, I don’t think he’s going to move mid-contract. 2020 was pretty much the worst it’s gonna get (fucking hopefully @ Ferrari). They know they can’t afford to slip down the ranks that drastically again (at least in the near future) because 1. it was embarrassing and terrible for the team/brand, 2. they would risk losing their star driver. So, I think he’s going to let his 5 year contract run its course and then evaluate his options in, like, the last year of his contract or somewhere around then.

As @scharletred pointed out, I have faith in Charles. I just don’t want to see him be let down by the team through poor management (seriously, sack the dude already), bad strategy, an underperforming car, poor working environment, and just general clownery and incompetence. As a driver, he can do a lot - he’s put both the SF90 and the SF21 on pole on numerous occasions and shocked everyone by outperforming the nightmare that was SF1000 and planting it on grid spots it had no business being in. But he can’t do everything on his own. He can influence strategy calls (and tbf he was asked by his engineer which plan he prefers, for example) but he has virtually no control over things like pit stops or tyre degradation (which is something the car has been struggling with so far this season and he’s acknowledged it) or, crucially, race pace (which is an area they’ve also been lacking in and it showed in Baku despite Charles’s best efforts.)

B*notto just isn’t a competent, well-rounded leader for the long-term. He’s thrown Charles under the bus before and he’ll do it again (speaking about the race in Baku he said “We’ve been [in trouble] maybe a bit more than we should. Then we complicated our race via the drivers themselves.” Yeah, Carlos made a costly mistake and never really recovered but Charles did pretty much all he could given the situation? Wtf?). Sure, all TPs have their moments where they say just a bit too much and are publicly unfair to their driver/s, but the man really needs to stop being such a hindrance on their way to success.

Anyway. I think he’ll stick it out with them at least until his contract runs out. From the sounds of things they’re focusing most of their efforts and dedicating most of their resources towards developing the 2022 car and, you know what, good for them. If they give Charles a competitive car and a reliable team, he can do wonders. And I hope we’ll get to see him shine and fulfill his dream.

As for alternatives...it’s hard to tell. I mean we still don’t know how the new regulations will impact the teams and what the extent of the resulting shake-up will be. The current top dogs might become midfielders while the midfielders might become the top dogs. I know that after almost an entire decade anything other than Mercedes domination (with Red Bull and occasionally Ferrari nipping at their heels) seems unfathomable, but you have to remember, they were absolutely nowhere before the hybrid era. Look at what a seemingly insignificant reg change for 2021 can do to the grid - you’ve got Mercedes struggling and Toto going on the offensive and whinging about flexi wings, Aston being totally lost for the first like four races straight due to the rake issue, Red Bull leading in the standings. Even this time last year that scenario seemed unlikely. Hell, with all the rumours swirling around, we don’t even know for sure if Mercedes will still be Mercedes next year or if they’ll rebrand to some Ineos F1 Team...thing.

Charles is undeniably a hot property (in more ways than one, you know what I’m sayin’) and I’m sure if/when he becomes available the top teams will be very interested in at least sitting down to talk to him. I can’t really see him moving to Red Bull since - apart from Checo - they tend to go for drivers from within their own family and they’ve got lots of promising young drivers waiting in the wings. Also the environment is like notoriously hostile and I think Charles values himself too much to be pitted against Max (assuming he stays with them for longer) in the way that Daniel, Alex, and Pierre were.

McLaren also seem committed to their drivers - and, more importantly, to their new team philosophy and maintaining this image of being the young hip carefree “fun” team. They were actively itching to recruit Daniel for this specific purpose even back when he was looking for a post-Red Bull drive and, when presented with the choice between Seb and Daniel, they went with Daniel because he met their criteria. Charles has a sort of different vibe to him so I’m not sure if he’d be their first choice.

Who else is there...Maybe Alpine if they somehow improve majorly over the years and become an actually competitive team. He’s a French speaker and they have an outwardly more serious vibe about them than, say, McLaren, so he might be a good fit? Although afaik they can be a bit of a mess internally and so far they’re not looking all that strong or “stable” - both Carlos and Daniel left after relatively short stints with the team - so Idk.

Aston Martin is an intriguing prospect because they’re still kind of trying to establish themselves and figure out what they are - not Racing Point anymore but there’s still a lot of crossover with the staff and management so the RP brand is still fresh in people’s minds. They were always a team that had potential and was sort of on the cusp of greatness but never really quite got there, so they’re kind of an unknown to me at the moment. Although then the problem here is that (unless something changes in the near future) it’s very much a family business type situation? And I’m sure any driver will have to be vetted by Lawrence personally to see if he’s a good fit to drive alongside Lance, who in their mind is undoubtedly the leader of the team, the cornerstone around which the team will be built. So I’m not sure if Charles will find his place there, either.

I guess… star quality-wise, performance-wise and so on he could be a good fit in a team like Mercedes. They take themselves seriously but also engage with the public and clearly benefit from Lewis’s established fanbase and social media presence. They also don’t curb - or even actively encourage - his non-driving pursuits like music and fashion (and Charles dabbles in both.) He’s handsome, still young, polite, kind, well-mannered and knows how to speak and present himself to the media. He’s unlikely to put his foot in his mouth with a clumsy, inappropriate statement or radio message and get them in trouble. That’s important. But despite outward appearances and their PR-polished exterior, the internal politics at Mercedes can be… a lot. And if you’re in Lewis’s position, that’s great, the team will 100% give you the support you need to thrive. But if you’re in Valtteri’s designated position… well, that’s a whole other story. Assuming they remain competitive… if they made him their focus, I think that partnership could flourish. But if they just waste him on the second seat, then it’s a no-go.

TL;DR: I have no idea, lmao. He and Ferrari are so intrinsically linked in my mind, it’s difficult trying to picture a reality in which he’s not somehow connected to the team… a reality in which he leaves without giving it his everything, without achieving that dream of winning the championship with them specifically. They’ve got the perfect driver. Let’s just hope they don’t waste him. In terms of switching teams, it really depends on what they’re willing to offer him.

#replies #anonymous #oh my god i am so sorry ajsjdjf #what is brevity i truly do not know her #discussions and predictions #charles leclerc #long post

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thetravelerwrites · 6 years ago

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Wrykas (Minotaur) Lemon

Rating: Explicit Relationships: Female Human/Male Minotaur Additional Tags: Exophilia, Minotaur, Sex, Oral Sex, Princess, Mercenaries, Light Dom/Sub Relationship, Chubby Reader, Reader-Insert Content Warnings: Kidnapping, Abusive Parents, Neglectful Parents, Words: 6349

A submission for @hufflesmonsters! A princess is kidnapped fairly regularly by an opposing kingdom's monarchy to spite her parents, but she comes to regard the time away from her neglectful parents as vacations. One day, a single mercenary comes to retrieve her, but a sudden snowstorm forces them to spend time alone together. Please leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

Being a princess came with perks and pitfalls. On the plus side, you got whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted it. On the down side, your country had been in a petty feud with the neighboring kingdom since before you were born, and they seemed to think you were an excellent bargaining chip to get their demands met.

The abductions started when you were young; men hired by the crown took you from your room and held you in a secure location until your parents paid the ransom. Back then they were pretty terrifying, with blindfolds and ropes. Your captors were kind, however, and treated you well.

As you aged, though, your capture turned into something of a spontaneous vacation a couple of times a year. Your abductors would come in the dead of night, wake you and let you pack a bag, lead you to a waiting carriage, complete with wine and snacks, and you’d all tease each other as they carted you off to a chalet on the border of your two kingdoms. Both you and they thought this feud was stupid and that the abductions were a joke, but they had a job to do and you understood: got to pay the bills somehow.

The hostage situation usually ended one of two ways: either your parents paid the ransom, or they sent bonehead mercenaries who weren’t aware that this was mostly a picnic for you and came in all valiant and foolhardy, and your captors had to knock them all out, dump them back over the border, and pretend you escaped in the chaos to avoid bloodshed. You’d all struck a deal early on: no blood, no tears, no widows, no orphans. A couple of bumps on the head and some bruised egos, sure, but no one died. That was the rule. If your captors ever broke that rule, you’d become a lot less cooperative.

One night, very late into autumn, you woke to hear someone tip-toe into your room. Ah, yes. It was about time.

“Ethan?” You called.

“Yes, My Lady. It’s time,” You heard his voice call. Ethan was an older gentleman and was your first captor, gentle and accommodating, and he always oversaw your care during the abductions. He was the closest thing you had to a best friend. It was a shame you only saw him a few times a year.

“Finally,” You said, leaping out of bed and throwing on a dressing gown. “I’ve had a bag packed for weeks. You’re terribly late this season. I’ve been dying to get out of here.”

He chuckled. “My apologies, Lady, the opposing crown has been unusually reasonable this year. But it always comes back around, doesn’t it?”

“Thank the gods,” You replied, grabbing a few things from your vanity table. “I don’t know what I’d do without these trips abroad. Another day of my mother fussing about my ‘healthy appetite’ and I’ll go batty. I hate this place. Any time I can get away is a blessing.”

Ethan nodded knowingly. You’d complained to him many a time about your parents haughty nature and constant criticism of everything about you, from your weight to how you dress to your relaxed and casual attitude toward the servants.

Your parents were the worst sort of nobility, the kind people fawned over when in their presence but mocked scathingly behind their back. They were proud and arrogant and hard to please, and you were a prime example of everything they disliked. You took it as a compliment, but you did have to admit that their relentless judgment was wearing, and any break from the ferocious nagging was a welcome relief.

“Ready, Lady?” Ethan asked.

“Yes,” You said, taking his proffered hand. “And what did I tell you? You can call me by my name.”

“Nope,” He said, grinning. “You may not care about the propriety of your station, but I’d rather not have my tongue cut out, if you please.”

You sighed. “Fine, fine. Let’s just get out of here.”

There was a tunnel under the castle that a previous monarch had used to escape during a coup, and it was little known by anyone besides you. This tunnel had been discovered during your first abduction when your kidnappers hid from guards, and now it was your favorite means of escaping the castle. It led out to the woods a safe distance from the walls, where guards patrolled, and made it easy to get away.

It had taken you much effort to keep the entrance and exit hidden over the years, since your parents kept trying to discover how the kidnappers kept getting in and out so easily, but you had managed to keep it secret.

When you both were safely inside and the entrance was sealed, Ethan lit a torch and the two of you made your way out into the woods. Once there, he led you to the waiting carriage and ushered you inside. He jumped up into the driver’s box with Ira, another regular who you were friendly with, and snapped the reins, jolting the carriage forward and toward your secret hideaway.

It was nearly mid-day by the time you arrived there, and you had fallen asleep on the way. Ethan gently shook you awake and took your bag, offering you a hand as you stepped down. Ah… if only he weren’t married.

“How long do you think I’ve got?” You asked him as he opened the door to the perfectly kept chalet.

“Oh, likely a week. I mean, they know where the chalet is, but at this point, finding mercenaries that we haven’t beaten up will be difficult.”

“Wonderful,” I said, clapping my hands and opening my luggage. “I can’t wait to get settled and relax for a while.”

“We’ve got guards patrolling the perimeter. If there’s any trouble, we’ll let you know.”

“Thank you, Ethan,” You said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You and your men are my best boys. If I ever become queen, you lads are definitely hired as my Queen’s Guard.”

He grinned and bowed, leaving you to get comfortable.

That evening, most of the boys who weren’t out guarding the perimeter sat with you for a full dinner and a card game. You took Tebin for every coin he was worth, and Jos won it all back with a smug grin on his wide face. Ruik got drunk and tried wearing your dressing gown, but being a goblin, it trailed several feet behind him as he moved and he tripped over it constantly, making the chalet shake with laughter. The boys may have been hardened mercenaries, but they always had the best booze and sure knew how to show a lady a good time.

Around midnight, when things were winding down, there was some commotion outside in the distance. All the men got grim looks on their faces, except for Ruik, who was passed out on a footstool, and pulled out their weapons. You pulled your own short sword from under the mattress and leveled it at the door. The sword had been a gift on your thirteenth birthday from the lads, and each one had taken it upon themselves to show you a trick or two with it.

“Ethan!” Gern called. He was the only orc on the team. “You better get out here! We’ve got a spot of trouble!”

“What’s going on?” Ethan called through the door.

“Big fella took out the perimeter guard. They ain’t dead, but their gonna be limpin’ tomorrow. Big bastard says he won’t hurt nobody else if you come out and have a chat with him. Says he knows you.”

“Ask him his name!” Ethan responded.

There was a few seconds of muffled conversation, and Gern called back, “Wrykas!”

Ethan’s eyes widened and he sheathed his sword. “Wrykas?” He said in an undertone. “Holy shit, I thought he was dead.” He turned to you. “Stay here, lass, I’ll sort this out.” He looked at the other lads. “Keep her safe.”

The others nodded sternly and tightened the grip on their various weapons. The lot of you waited tersely as Ethan talked to the newcomer, unable to hear what they were saying. After a moment, Ethan came back in and instructed everyone to lower their weapons. The boys did so reluctantly. You lowered your own sword, but kept it in hand.

Ethan came back into the cottage, followed by an absolutely massive minotaur that had to duck in order to get his horns in the door. You were taken aback by his size and coloration. You’d seen minotaurs before, but this one was striking. He had white fur from the tip of his nose to the top of his head, and also down his chest, but his ears and eyes were brown, and his neck, back, and shoulders were covered in black fur. There were white and brown speckles, like freckles, on his shoulders.

Oh no… he’s cute.

Ethan slapped Wrykas on the shoulder. “This is an old army buddy of mine, Wrykas.” Ethan then introduced all of the gang.

“And I assume this little lady is the princess I’ve been hired to retrieve?” The minotaur asked.

“No! Already?” You whined, tutting. “Damn it. I was hoping for at least a few days of peace and quiet.”

Wrykas snorted, seemingly confused. “You don’t… want to go back?”

“Hell no! I hate it there. These ‘abductions’ are the only time I get to be myself and not have to worry about my parents bullshit. You’re ruining my vacation, you dick!”

Wrykas’s head rocked back in surprise. Whatever he expected you to say to him, that wasn’t it.

You groaned and began packing your things. “Did you bring the ransom?”

“I… no, their Majesties hired me to retrieve you. My skill is apparently something to be commended because they sought me out specifically.”

“Well, considering you took out four of Ethan’s men, there must be some truth to it.” You took out a sack of gold from your bag that was enough to both cover the ransom and buy the boys a few shiny new toys as well, and tossed it to Ethan. He snatched it from the air with a wink.

“You have the ransom?” Wrykas asked.

“Of course,” You scoffed. “These guys have mouths to feed. I’m not going to let their babies go hungry because my parents and the neighboring monarchy are having a twenty-five-year temper tantrum.”

“You’re… not what I expected from speaking with the crown,” Wrykas said.

“That’s not surprising,” You replied dryly as you help Ethan and the men get their gear together. “My parents don’t know anything about me. They haven’t bothered to know me since I was a small child.”

“Well,” Wrykas said, turning to Ethan and putting his hand on his old friend shoulders. “It’s the middle of the night. There’s no reason for your gang to move out now. You can get a fresh start in the morning.” He turned back to you. “We can, too.”

You sighed. “Well, I guess one full day of freedom is better than nothing.” You fluffed out your bed, preparing to get in it. “Ethan will show you where the men sleep. Be civil while you’re in there.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him, lass, no worries,” Ethan said, and you nodded. Ethan led the lads out behind Wrykas, though they were all still glaring at him tersely.

The rest of the night followed without incident, beyond Ruik climbing onto the foot of your bed, still wearing the dressing gown, and falling asleep at your feet like a puppy

The next morning, just after breakfast, the boys got their gear packed and ready to go. You’d miss them, like always, but they had other jobs to do and families to look after. They couldn’t be your boys all the time. They were other people’s boys, too.

As they were getting ready to head out, you leaned in close to Ethan and whisper, “Is this guy alright?” You jerked your head back at Wrykas. “Tell me the truth.”

“He’s a decent sort,” Ethan whispered back. “At least, he was in the army.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Fifteen years? Something like that. Before I left to become a sell sword.”

You fixed him with a wry expression. “Fifteen years is plenty of time for a person to change.”

Ethan wasn’t paying attention. He was looking down at you with a fond expression. “You were the first job I took, you know?”

You cocked your head and smiled. “Really? I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah,” He said. “I didn’t know you were a child, though. They just told me to take the neighboring kingdom’s princess and hold her in a secure location. When I realized you were a child, I almost quit.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He shrugged a little and looked sheepish. “I’m ashamed to say I needed the money. I’d just had my first girl and we needed food.”

“And look at us now,” You said, smiling. “Best friends twice a year.”

He laughed. “Yeah. Life is weird.”

“So see you next spring, then?” You asked.

“If they don’t send us, we’ll come on our own, just so’s I can win back that sack of gold you took off me last night.”

You grinned. “Good luck with that. Kiss your girls for me,” You told him.

He pulled you into a bear hug. “I will,” he replied with a smile. “You look after yourself back at that prison. Don’t let your wardens get you down.”

You smiled back and nodded, pulling your cloak tighter around you against the late autumn chill. You then moved on to the others to give them hugs and kisses on the cheek. Wrykas sat on the woodcutting stump, watching all this happen.

The gang was off then, waving back at you as they left, and you watched them disappear around the bend and out of sight. Sighing sadly, you turned to your new companion, eyeing him with some skepticism.

“Hands to yourself,” You said. He put up his hands and raised his eyebrows in acquiescence. You then went back into the chalet to pack.

He stood with a shoulder braced on the doorframe, watching you, and folded his arms. “You say you expected to be here for several days?”

“Yep,” You said with a sigh. “I usually have a few days, either with the boys or by myself.” You stopped for a moment and reminisced. “There was one year where I had three whole weeks. Gods. Those were the best weeks of my life.”

“Why do you call them boys?” He asked curiously. “The youngest of them has to be at least five years your senior.”

“Because…” You shrugged. “They’re… my boys. My friends. What else would I call them?”

“They do kidnap you.”

“It’s not kidnapping if I want to go. It’s more like a rescue.”

He was silent for a moment, then walked over and took the dress you were packing from your hands.

“Do you really hate it there so much?” He asked.

“Yes,” You replied venomously.

“Why? You’re a princess. You live in a castle. You have servants waiting on you hand and foot. What’s so bad about that?”

You sighed again and turned to sit on the bed. “What was your life like, growing up?”

He seemed surprised by the questions and sat down next to you, his eyes distant.

“I grew up on a farm. It was backbreaking work and we barely raised enough to keep ourselves fed, let alone sell anything. Five minotaur boys is a lot of mouths to feed.”

“You have four brothers?” You asked him.

“Yeah,” He said. “They’re all still on the farm with my parents, but I couldn’t stand farm work. I wanted more. More money, more freedom, more acclaim, just… more, you know? More than the life of a farmer.”

“But you’re family? What were they like? Did they love you?”

His brow furrowed. “Of course they loved me, they were my family.”

“You’ve never wondered? You’ve never had reason to think they didn’t love you?” You pressed.

“No, never.” He squinted at you. “Is that how it is for you?”

You took a deep breath and released it slowly. “My parents’ marriage was arranged. More to the point, they really disliked each other and didn’t want to marry, but the political climate was tense and their marriage was the only thing preventing a war. Their dislike of each other turned to absolute hatred pretty quickly. The only reason I even exist is because they were expected to create an heir, and I couldn’t even manage to be born a boy.” You stared out the window at the fast moving clouds. “A disappointment from the beginning.”

“Gods,” He said softly, and you looked over and saw he was staring at you with a gentle expression, which did a weird thing to your stomach. “I can’t imagine a parent hating their own child.”

“Oh, my father is indifferent to the point of failing to acknowledge my existence most of the time. I don’t think he cares enough to actually hate me. That’s all my mother. When I was young, she used to have cute ‘pet names’ for me and offer ‘helpful suggestions’ that I know now were outright insults.”

“What sort of things would she say?” He asked.

“That I was her fat little piggy, that I’d eat my weight if she didn’t watch me, that if I stood straighter, I would look less like a gargoyle stalking it’s prey, that if I wore my hair up, people wouldn’t notice how mousy and stringy it was, that if I wore rouge and lip color, I’d look less like a rotting corpse. Things like that.”

“What a vile woman,” He said, scowling. “She seemed unpleasant when I met with her, but I didn’t realize how truly awful she was.”

“She’s not exactly secretive about it. The castle staff hates her. I’d know; I spend more time with them that I do with my parents, which is another point of contention.” You stretched and stood. “But, I guess there’s nothing for it. They’re waiting. I might as well get this over with.” You reached for the dress he was holding, but he didn’t let go.

“Actually, that’s what I was coming to talk to you about,” He said, pointing out the open door. He stood and beckoned you to follow him, and you did so. The fast moving clouds you’d seen out the window were growing dark.

“A storm?” You asked him.

“Not just a storm,” He replied, narrowing his eyes and flaring his nostrils. “Do you smell it?”

“Smell?”

“The change in the air. There’s a cold front coming. I’d bet anything the temperature is going to keep dropping. We’ll likely be up to our knees in snow by midnight.”

“Oh,” You said. “So… what do we do?”

“Wait it out,” He replied, looking down at you with a sly smile. “Looks like your vacation just got extended.”

You actually gave him a real smile then, trying hard not to bounce on your heels in excitement.

“Your firewood is low. I should cut some more before the snow starts,” He said.

“Alright,” You told him. “How much is in the men’s quarters?”

“Not sure,” He admitted. “Would you mind checking?”

“Alright,” You said, turning.

The chalet was split into two rooms that were not connected; in order to get from room to room, you had to go outside from one door and go inside through another. You’d never actually been in the men’s quarters before. There had never really been a reason to before now. When you went in, you were actually a little shocked at the sight of it.

It was as large as your own room, but that’s where the comparisons ended. Where your room was bright and decorated and had food and comforts aplenty, this room was completely bare. The floor was cold stone, there was a dark hearth at the end of the room and a stack of furs and threadbare blankets neatly folded in the corner. There were some shelves with jars of preserves, and a container of salted meat. That was it.

Gods, you had no idea they were sleeping in these conditions. Why hadn’t they said anything? You’d have sprung for beds and good blankets. You made up your mind with a frown to return here in a few weeks and leave some surprises for their next stay.

Next to the hearth, you saw a small pile of firewood, enough only for a few hours. Clutching your cloak, you ducked back outside. And stopped short.

Wrykas had removed his sleeveless tunic and was chopping wood shirtless. You could see the muscles in his back move against his skin as he raised the axe and brought it down to split the logs.

No.. no, no… Not good…

“There’s not much in there,” You called to him, smacking yourself mentally to pull yourself out of his obliques.

“I’ll cut up some extra, then,” He said, casually, bending to pick up another log and put it up on the stump, his arm flexing as it moved.

It was time to go do something that… was not slobbering over your would-be rescuer, so you decide to start on lunch.

Wrykas had been right. No sooner had he finished the wood that snow began to fall, softly at first, but getting heavier by the minute. He made quick work of stacking the wood next to your hearth and was surprised when you handed him a steaming bowl of soup.

“Thanks,” He said. “I wouldn’t have guessed you knew how to cook.”

“Cause I’m a princess?” You asked wryly. “I told you, I spend more time with the servants and kitchen staff than I do at galas or grand balls. If I had a proper kitchen, I could cook literally anything.”

“Full of surprises,” He said, winking at you. He was still shirtless. You keep your eyes on your soup and tried to keep from staring.

Night fell, and with it the came the storm Wrykas had warned you about.

“I should go start the fire in the men’s quarters,” Wrykas said.

“Actually,” You said, reaching out to stop him. “Why don’t you sleep in here tonight? Even with the fire, it’s bound to be terribly cold in there, and even with your tolerance, you’ll be freezing.”

He laughed. “I appreciate your concern, Lady, but I’ve slept in worse conditions.”

“Please,” you said, keeping your grip on his arm. “I insist.”

“You’re sure?” He asked, and you nodded. He looked startled, but replied, “Alright. If you wish.”

“Would you mind turning so I can change for the evening?” You asked him.

“Not at all,” He said, turning to face the wall.

You took off your restricting skirted bodice with a relieved sigh. You mother insisted you wear them to “maintain a semblance of a figure despite your unfortunate size,” so they were the only outerwear you had. You’d go around in your shift all day if it didn’t make the boys blush. They were more of a family to you than your own family, so you didn’t want to make them uncomfortable unnecessarily.

Wrykas, however…

You decided not to put on a nightdress or a dressing gown, and stayed in the sheer shift you wore under your outer clothes. You also took your hair out of it’s brain and let it hang freely around your shoulders. You felt a little self-conscious about your body and weight, but you didn’t care. You wanted to be comfortable.

“I’m finished,” You said. He turned and opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw you, no sound came out of his mouth. He just stood there, staring, and not saying anything.

You suppressed an urge to cover yourself. “Everything alright?” You asked him.

He jumped as if someone had smacked his mouth, and closed it. “Yes, sorry. I was… um… caught off guard.”

You snorted. “By what?”

He cleared his throat. “You… uh… you look nice.”

You blinked a few times. “I just took my hair down and I’m wearing less clothing. I didn’t do anything to look nice.”

“You still look nice,” He said, scratching his neck and looking at the ground.

“Well… would you like to play a card game?” You asked him.

“Actually, I’m a bit tired. I spent most of yesterday traveling here and I didn’t sleep well. I was thinking of turning in early, if that’s okay with you.”

“Oh, sure, yes, of course,” You replied, going to your bed and pulling back the coverlet. When you turned back, you saw him laying out a fur on the ground.

“What are you doing?” You asked him.

He looked at you, then the fur, and then back at you in confusion. “Laying out my bed?”

“Don’t be silly,” I said, patting the bed. “The bed is big enough for four people. There’s no reason for you to sleep on the floor. Come on.”

He visibly gulped. “Are you--”

“Get up here!” I said.

He smirked at me. “So demanding, princess. I wonder if anyone’s ever told you ‘no’ before.”

“Are you going to be the first?” You asked him, a hand on your hip.

He snorted and picked up the fur, laying it over the back of a chair. He put a few more logs in the hearth and extinguished the lanterns before coming to the bed. You scooched over to accommodate him. Gods, he was warm.

At first, you maintained a respectable distance apart, but as the night got colder, you found yourself moving closer and closer to Wrykas. If he felt you moving, he gave no sign.

The smell of him, his warmth, the memory of his muscles as he swung the axe, flooded your senses, and you could feel the rising tension in your body.

“Are you awake?” You asked softly.

“It is rather hard to sleep with a beautiful woman lying so close to me,” He said quietly.

You snorted and rolled your eyes. “You don’t have to make jokes.”

He turned over and braced himself on his elbow, looking down at you with a frown. Did he have to be shirtless all the time? “What are you talking about?”

You didn’t answer. You tried to roll over, but he stopped you.

“Do you think I was joking when I said you were beautiful?” He asked.

“Weren’t you?”

“No,” He said seriously. You couldn’t help but notice that his hand was creeping up your arm.

“I’m plain and unappealing,” You told him.

“Bullshit,” He said. “You have the loveliest eyes of anyone I’ve ever seen. You hair looks like silk in the firelight. Your skin is so soft, it’s like you bath in lotion. I’ve never felt skin so soft.”

“I… I’m fat,” You said, your voice wavering.

“So what? There’s nothing wrong with your size. What about that makes you less attractive?”

“Ask my mother, she’ll tell you all about it,” You said sourly.

“Your mother is a angry shrew who hates everything; what does her opinion matter? I think you’re gorgeous.”

You looked up at his sweet brown eyes, looking down at you with no deception or guile, and your heart thumped harder.

“You mean it?” You asked him in a hushed whisper. “You think I’m beautiful?”

“Yes,” He said simply.

You didn’t even think about it. You lifted your head and kissed him. He kissed you back enthusiastically. He wasted no time in touching you; your stomach, your hips, your breasts. He slowly drew the underdress up and over your head, leaving you nude in the bed. He pulled the covers down so that he could look at your body.

He got up and pulled off his trousers, his member already fully erect. It was black and speckled, like his shoulders. If it weren’t for the size of it, you’d have called it cute.

He got back into the bed and knelt between your knees, his cock bobbing and pulsing as he soaked in the sight of you. You were doing the same to him, greatly admiring his hard, well-defined, multi-colored body.

He put his hands under your knees and pulled them up and apart, staring hungrily at what lay between. He lay kisses up your thighs, alternating with each one, until he reached that place that ached with want.

His tongue came out and pressed itself to your slit, and it was still. It didn’t move. You moaned in both pleasure and anticipation, but he pulled away.

“Hey!”

He crawled up your body and smirked at you. “No one has ever told you what to do, have they?”

“Besides my mother? No. But I don’t listen to her.”

“Would you listen to me?” He asked.

“What do you have in mind?” You replied curiously.

His smirk widened and he lay on his back with his hands behind his head. “Why don’t you take care of me the first?”

You got up and took his length in you hand. His body jerked at the first touch and he grunted, but he relaxed as you pumped him slowly. You bent your head and licked the flat head, and he grunted again.

He was as apparently as impatient as you were. He put his hand in your hair and gently pushed your head down, and you sucked him into your mouth. He was too big to take him all in, so you used both hands to massage the rest. He kept his hand on your head and applied gentle pressure on it as you sucked. He groaned and grunted, making you wetter.

He pulled your hair up a little to signal you to stop. He then pounced on you, flipping you on your stomach and laying you flat against the bed. He kissed down your back and ran his hands over your bottom, spreading your legs as wide open as he could with you in this position. He stuck one of his large fingers inside you, and you gasped.

“Mmm,” He purred. “You’re just right.”

“I can’t wait, please,” You begged. “Please, Wrykas.”

“A princess begging?” He said, and you heard a smile in his voice. “I think I like that. Do it again.”

“Please, Wrykas, please, please,” You said, over and over. You felt him nudge your entrance, and your begging increase in pitch and frequency. He pushed himself inside slowly, and you cried out, gripping the sheets.

“Say thank you,” He purred into your ear as he began to move inside you.

“Thank you, Wrykas,” You breathed.

“Louder,” He said.

“Thank you, Wrykas!”

He began to move faster, putting his hands over yours and gripping them as he did. He lay his head next to yours so you could hear his heavy breathing and moans. Gods, it was hot.

You cried out loudly, and the put one of his hands over your mouth, muffling you. You were right next to his large ears, and your shrill cried of pleasure were likely painful.

He sped up, and your screams of pleasure increased. You could feel yourself riding up to that peak, feeling your body tense as the wall of ecstasy, crying out against his hand.

His grunts got faster more intense, and you could feel from his pulsating inside you that he was close too. Your legs began to tremble as the wave crashed over you. He kept up the pace as your pleasure ebbed, then abruptly pulled out and released all over your bottom and back, snorting and grunting and bellowing.

He collapsed forward, braced on his hands so he didn’t fall in to the mess he’d made, and huffed to get his breath back. You felt the warmth drift across your back every time he exhaled, and it made your spine tingle.

“You alright?” You asked him breathlessly.

He laughed and kissed your shoulder. “I’m lovely.” You felt him raise up and slide off the bed. “Wait there, I’ll get you cleaned up.”

You opened on eye and watched him walk naked to the pot of washing water that you kept close to the fire so that it would stay warm and dunked a rag into it. He rung it out and brought it back, and you admired the view as he did with a side smile.

Once he’d cleaned you, and wiped himself off as well, he got back into the bed and pulled you against him. He kissed your face until you fell asleep.

You passed the next few days of the storm in bed, blissfully wrapped up in the best lovemaking of your life. He took control, and to your surprise, you loved it. You loved being told what to do during sex. You loved following his commands. It was thrilling.

Eventually, the storm began to die down, and your spirits started to dampen.

Wrykas noticed. “What’s the matter?”

“When the storm blows over, I have to go back,” You said sadly, laying your head back against his chest.

He put his arms around you and lay his cheek on the top of your head.

“Have you ever considered running away?” He asked you.

“Run away?” You asked in return, swiveling to look at him in his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Leave. Go somewhere else. Another kingdom. My parent’s farm is in Farrowville, you could go there. They’d take care of you.”

You looked at him in shock. “You want me to live with you?”

“Not with me, I don’t live there,” He said. “I actually don’t have any sort of permanent residence, but I visit them often between jobs. They’re very loving people. They’d take good care of you.”

“You’re serious,” You said. “You’re really talking about running.”

“Why not?” He asked. “It’s clear your parents don’t value you. Hell, it shouldn’t be so easy to steal you away twice a year. They haven’t strengthened their guards or made arrangements for your protection. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they were behind your abductions, maybe even made some kind of deal with the opposite kingdom disguised as a political dispute, just to get you out of their sight for a while.”

Your head rocked back at the thought. It had never occurred to you before, but now that he had said it out loud, it made perfect sense. Wow. They really did hate you, didn’t they?

“You’re sure your family won’t mind taking me in?” You asked, suddenly nervous about the prospect of a whole new life.

“Not at all. They really are wonderful people.” He sighed with a smile on his face. “I love my family, just not the way they live. I just wasn’t born to be a farmer.”

You smiled at his smile, as gentle as it was.

“The house is rather small, and they will expect you to earn your keep, but their not harsh or cruel. I’m sure they’ll love you.”

“I’m not worried about the work…” You said slowly, looking around the chalet. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes,” He said, taking your hand. “You’ll be with kind people who will care for you, and I’ll see you all the time.”

“Is that something you want?” You asked him playfully.

He smirked wryly and kissed you hard. “Are you going to be a good girl for me?”

You bit your lip. “Yes, I will.”

“That’s my princess. Say yes.”

You smiled and pressed your face into his shoulder. “Yes.”

Three months passed with Wrykas’s family, and it was the happiest you’d ever been. Wrykas’s parents were just as kind and loving as he told you they’d be, and his brothers were proper country gentlemen, always asking if you needed help or if there was anything they could do for you.

Wrykas visited at least once a week, usually bring back coin or furs or other spoils from his work. Sometime back, he had gone to inform Ethan and his gang what had happened, so every so often he came back with gifts and trinkets from your boys. You missed them, but you were finally happy.

Then, Wrykas showed up at the farm with Ethan and the gang in tow. you were immediately alarmed.

“What’s going on?” You asked, dropping the hoe you were using. “What’s happened?”

“Your parents have been deposed,” Wrykas said. “They’ve been sent into exile. Most of the people in your kingdom believe you dead, so there was an uprising. They felt that since the crown couldn’t protect you, how could they possibly protect the people.”

“That’s great news!” You exclaimed, but Ethan stopped you.

“There’s also bad news. With your parents gone, there’s a power vacuum that other members of your extended family are trying to fill. You’re the heir. If you went back, you could take the throne. Your right to it is beyond contest.”

“That’s true,” You said, rubbing your chin. “I could finally end these petty laws my parents put into place and get the country back on track.” You slapped Ethan on the arm. “You and your gang still want to be my Queen’s guard?”

Ethan blinked at you. “You were serious about that?”

“Hell yes, I was serious. You and the boys and your families will all move into the castle and replace all the up-tight, snooty ladies-in-waiting my mother appointed for me. You in?”

Ethan looked to the lads, who all grinned excitedly. “We’re in, lass. We’re with you all the way.”

You looked up at Wrykas, kissed him, and smirked. “Hey.”

“Yeah?” He asked quizzically.

“Remember when we first met and you said you wanted more from life?”

He smiled, still a little confused. “Yeah.”

“How does ‘prince’ sound to you?” You asked with a big smile.

His face split into a wide grin. “Sounds like something I was born to do.”

“Good,” You said, putting your arms around his neck. “Then let’s get to our coronation.”

Since my work is no longer searchable, please do me a favor and reblog this story if you enjoyed it. Help me reach a wider audience! To help me continue creating, please consider buying me a Kofi, becoming a Patron, or donating directly to my PayPal!

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My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

#Exophilia #Minotaur #Human/Minotaur #hufflesmonsters #Commission #Lemon #Princess #My Writing

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ndcicic · 3 years ago

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planbeeeee · 7 years ago

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Alex Smith can win us a Super Bowl

...or at least get the Redskins to play the Patriots in one.

I sat for minutes thinking about a State of the Union joke to start but it’s no time for long-winded introductions...

Let me start by saying... what in the world just happened???

I had a 15-step process to put the Redskins in the right direction. It sat on the foundation of drafting Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, or Mason Rudolph to be our next franchise quarterback. Grooming them while Colt McCoy makes his last ditch effort in the NFL as the Redskins Day 1 starter.

Trash that...

It’s Alex Smith’s team now... and I’m cool with that.

Look...

Kirk Cousins was LONG GONE! Every time you get the urge to compare Alex Smith (who I think (right now) is better than Kirk Cousins) remind yourself of the inevitable reality that Kirk was all but out of the door. If you want to compare Alex Smith to an alternative here’s the list:

Colt McCoy (Alex Smith is better)

Free Agent QBs set to hit the market (Bradford, Bridgewater, Keenum, Tyrod)- Smith takes this one, too.

Rookie QBs- I think Baker, Lamar, and Mason Rudolph have potential to be better than Smith. I’d have taken this path but I’m fully aware that drafting is a crapshoot. Wish they drafted, but not mad enough to start burning things...yet.

So, you may have some residual frustration over the Redskins mishandling the Kirk contract situation from years back. I do not, I think they handled it right, but I can see why you would. I don’t want to get into Kirk here because, again, he was LONG GONE.

The key to this discussion is asking yourself: Is Alex Smith THAT GUY?

People want this discussion to be about WORTH? Is he worth a 5-year, $111 million deal at $71 million guaranteed, making him the #3 highest paid QB in average salary? Worth sending away a 3rd round pick (pick #78) AND one of the best and still emerging slot CBs in the NFL, Kendall Fuller, for? Steering the discussion in this direction is necessary but only to a point. We’re not talking about a Ricky Williams or RG3 type trade here. This is a hefty, yet reasonable amount of money and trade value the Redskins are giving up. But it draws us back to the question of ALEX SMITH the quarterback.

Here’s my take on two hot takes:

He’s old- He’ll be 34 at the start of the season- Sure, it’s not ideal to have trade for a 12 year vet with 151 games under his belt, sitting as the 6th oldest starting QB in the league. But let’s give it proper context, the NFL now makes it easier for QBs to play at an older age because of the rules they’ve put in place to protect them. 34 is really the new 31, and that’s no more evident than Alex Smith’s 2017 year. The best of his career!

He’s a game manager- This needs to stop. Smith has been a prisoner to his circumstance. In SF he took way too many sacks instead of taking chances. He deserved the game-manager title. Since arriving in KC, that has changed. He has changed. Quietly, Smith has been a Top 10 QB consistently for the last 5 years. Not to mention leading KC to the playoffs 4 out of the last 5 years. He limits turnovers and has been one of the best deep-ball passers in the entire league for the last two years.

When he’s bad he’s not losing you games (very high floor) but when he’s good he’s as good as it gets. Go back and watch Week 1 in New England. Or Week 5 in Houston. Or Week 13 in New York vs. the Jets. The guy can sling it!

The question now is, where do we go from here.

Here’s my plan:

1. Give Alex Smith the keys

Let the man be a starting QB with no real competition behind him for at least one year! Doesn’t mean you can’t draft a QB but if it’s not Baker in the 1st, Jackson in the 2nd or Rudolph in the 4th then don’t do it at all. Also, cutting Colt McCoy will save around $3mil...this should happen.

2. Franchise tag Kirk Cousins and trade him

Kirk would love to sit back and make a decision that would be best for his family. But this is a business. The Redskins need to maximize the value of the Kirk Cousins commodity. We have spent over $40mil on him in two years and if the ROI on that is nothing but a potential 3rd round compensatory pick in 2019, I think we’ve missed the mark.

Tagging Kirk puts the Redskins in the driver’s seat. Kirk will play the cat and mouse game but will reluctantly sign the offer-sheet. The Redskins can now shop him around. The Jets, Broncos, Vikings, Cardinals, Jaguars, Browns, and Bills are all in the mix for Kirk. A team like the Browns or Bills have a harder sell and they know that. But if they can now package a deal with the Redskins instead of selling Kirk on playing for them, it brings them deep into the derby. The Redskins pit teams against each other and maximize their ROI with a bidding war. The Patriots did this with Matt Cassel. If it’s good enough for them... it’s sure good enough for us.

Denver is what is best for Kirk. As a fan of his, I’d love to see him there. I’d love for the Redskins to be able to swap 1st round picks with Denver and get one of their CBs or Emmanuel Sanders. But really anything from a 3rd round pick and up in the 2018 draft is better than nothing. Do it, Bruce!

3. Get him weapons

Take 30 seconds and come up with the best receivers Alex Smith has had at his disposal in his career.

Done? Well the best you could probably come up with is Michael Crabtree. The others would be tight ends Travis Kelce and (reunited with) Vernon Davis. Maaaybe Tyreek Hill but the rest of the list is filled with Josh Morgan types. Give Smith weapons for once and let’s see what he can do. We know the Redskins have a potentially elite offensive line. Let’s bring in a stud rookie RB, a mid-round rookie WR, and a big time FA WR (Sanders or Jarvis Landry) and let him work.

We’ve been down this road before

Not just with McNabb but take the case of Mark Brunell:

Brunell on the last year of his contract and traded to the Redskins; Same with Smith

Brunell traded at the age of 33; Same with Smith

Brunell traded for a 3rd round pick; Same with Smith (add in Fuller though, but it’s close enough)

Jags had Byron Leftwich waiting in the wings; KC has Mahomes

Redskins commit 10-12% of their yearly cap to a long term deal on Brunell; Same with Smith

Brunell was a veteran QB that didn’t make mistakes, threw a great deep ball, and could make things happen with his legs; sound familiar?

Both Brunell and McNabb were not success stories, but just because the precedence didn’t work doesn’t mean it won’t now. The Redskins have an elite play-designer in Jay Gruden. I trust that he can get more out of this veteran, former #1 overall pick, on his last hoorah than either of the guys before him. If I’m him I’m giving this ALL I’VE GOT. This is his LAST SHOT! I’m fine getting a highly motivated guy with stuff still in the tank.

By getting Alex Smith the Redskins continue a theme of stability at the most important position on the field. Free agents would be willing to sign one year, show-me deals because of it, all while being able to potentially groom a QB behind him.

In football there are many paths to success, this move is the first step down one of those paths.

#TrustTheProcess

#Redskins #Washington Redskins #HTTR #NFL #Kirk Cousins #Alex Smith

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veryflashjordansyr · 7 years ago

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junker-town · 6 years ago

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With a healthy Khalil Tate, Kevin Sumlin’s Arizona could rebound

The Wildcats could also be just as streaky as they were last year.

Bill C’s annual preview series of every FBS team in college football continues. Catch up here!

A year ago, I said, “if Chip Kelly’s UCLA isn’t the most fascinating team in the Pac-12, Arizona is.” Kevin Sumlin came to town with a track record for first-year success and inherited both a quarterback who was by far the most exciting player in the conference in 2017 and a defense that might have been the conference’s worst.

Granted, it probably says something about the conference that these two “fascinating” teams went a combined 8-16. But Arizona was indeed fascinating in 2018, and for not too many great reasons.

They began projected 32nd in S&P+, thanks to a mid-2017 hot streak and extreme returning production.

Two weeks in, they had plummeted to 72nd — hard to do, considering the significance of preseason projections early in the season — after a tight loss to BYU and a 45-18 humiliation at Houston.

They responded by treating bad Southern Utah and Oregon State teams as a good team would, winning by a combined 52 points and bouncing back to 48th in S&P+.

Star quarterback Khalil Tate injured his ankle, and it would impact his performance for the next month or so. Still, the Wildcats stabilized a bit — after a wild first four games, five of their last eight results were within a touchdown of S&P+ projection. They let Utah and Washington State get away from them, but they unexpectedly blew out Oregon. And by the season finale, they had rallied to 5-6 with a shot at bowl eligibility.

Against rival Arizona State, they led by 19 points, 40-21, heading into the fourth quarter. A series of miscues allowed ASU to score 20 straight points, but the Wildcats responded in the final minute. They got inside the Sun Devil 35 with plenty of time left, but Sumlin decided he was fine with a long field goal. After a couple of short rushes, Josh Pollack tried a 45-yard FG. He missed it wide right, and ASU bowled instead of UA.

Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images

Kevin Sumlin

The number of ups and downs made it hard to figure out where to set the bar for 2019.

Tate was still a thriller. In the Wildcats’ first two wins and last four games, he completed 60 percent of his passes at 16.7 yards per completion, threw 19 touchdowns to four interceptions, and averaged 8.1 yards per non-sack carry. Arizona went 4-2 in these games, and the two losses were not really on the offense — they scored a combined 68 points (but allowed 110).

Tate also really struggled in the first two games, and combining that with the month in which he was dealing with a wonky ankle, he completed 52 percent of his passes at 12.5 yards per completion, with four touchdowns to four interceptions. He also averaged just 3.9 yards per carry. UA went 1-5 with this Khalil.

Tate’s back, as is J.J. Taylor, one of the nation’s more underrated running backs. A 5’6 junior, he already has 2,542 career rushing yards. Only 21 backs have ever rushed for 5,000 yards, and he’ll have a chance. Taylor and Tate will be lining up behind a line that returns four starters.

More good things: linebacker Colin Schooler is back after producing 21.5 tackles for loss, 23 run stuffs, and six passes defensed. Arizona has one of the more exciting linebacking corps in the conference, and an experienced secondary gets more exciting with the return of active corner Jace Whittaker, who missed all but one series of last year with injury.

Less good: The receiving corps is starting over. Three players caught more than 20 passes last year, and they’re all gone. Backups Cedric Peterson, Devaughn Cooper, and Stanley Berryhill III thrived in small samples (they combined to catch 50 of 88 balls for 854 yards and six touchdowns), but they’ll be asked to take on much more responsibility.

The defensive line also has to replace its two leading tacklers. The run defense was dreadfully inefficient with them, and it’s not guaranteed to improve without them.

That’s a lot of good and a lot of bad, and the schedule features even more of both: the Wildcats are projected favorites in their first five games and projected underdogs in six of their last seven.

Offense

There were plenty of reasons to be either intrigued or concerned about the marriage between Mazzone and Tate. Mazzone had worked with both statues (Philip Rivers, Brock Osweiler) and more mobile QBs (Brett Hundley) through the years, and while the results had been solid at times, it was clear that Tate wasn’t going to be running as much as he had in 2017, when his ratio of pass attempts to rush attempts was about 1.4-to-1.

In 2018, that ratio was 5.3-to-1. The ankle injury limited Tate’s mobility, sure, but even in those first two bad games, he rushed just 14 times for 34 yards.

When a QB is working to change his instincts, you can almost see him thinking during a play. Tate was miserable early on.

He made progress late, though. It’s easy enough to write off strong performances against SUU and OSU as dominance of bad competition, but in his last four games he completed 60 percent of his passes and averaged 8.6 yards per non-sack carry (albeit over only five carries per game). UA averaged 39 points per game in that span, too.

Even when Tate was rushing less, if he was playing well, Taylor was probably thriving. In the six-game Good Tate sample, Taylor rushed 153 times for 955 yards (6.2 per carry). In the other six: 102 for 479 (4.7).

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

J.J. Taylor

As a fan of awesome things, I hate that Tate isn’t running as much. Part of the reason to rein your QB in a bit is for him to avoid too much wear and tear, but Tate was still banged up for half the season, which was a lose-lose.

(If Tate gets hurt again this year, the race for No. 2 QB is more interesting this time around — it again features former head coach Rich Rodriguez’s son Rhett, but it also includes three former high-three-star prospects: redshirt freshmen Jamarye Joiner and Kevin Doyle and true freshman Grant Gunnell.)

Still, Mazzone maintained a lot of Rodriguez’s offensive identity — Arizona was first in FBS in solo tackles created (a decent measure of how much they were spreading defenses out) and 16th in adjusted pace, and they ran more frequently than the national average on both standard and passing downs.

Taylor and backups Gary Brightwell, Bam Smith, and Nathan Tilford should give Mazzone plenty of backfield options even if Tate is still leashed to the pocket, and if Tate is healthy enough to punish a wrong-footed defender once or twice a quarter, that could work out quite well.

Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

Devaughn Cooper

Still, Mazzone likes a hint of balance. Continuity in the passing game is typically a huge driver of improvement or regression in Off. S&P+, but I’m curious if that applies here. While Shun Brown, Shawn Poindexter, and Tony Ellison did combine for 59 percent of Arizona’s targets last year (and while Poindexter was the only proven receiver taller than 5’11), last year’s backups really did post pretty good numbers when given the opportunity.

Cooper is particularly intriguing. He caught just three balls in his first two seasons and had only six catches for 100 yards midway through his third. But he caught 12 passes for 268 yards over a five-game span late in 2018. Peterson caught six for 114 in the last three games, as well.

Defense

While I wasn’t sure what to think about the Mazzone hire, I knew I didn’t like Sumlin’s decisions to retain Marcel Yates, with whom he’d worked at Texas A&M, as defensive coordinator. Rodriguez had hired Yates in 2016 to bring energy to the defense and recruiting, but UA had ranked 88th and 101st in Def. S&P+ in his first two seasons.

With far greater continuity and experience than before (despite the loss of Whittaker to injury), Yates did upgrade the Wildcats’ ranking to 74th. That’s something.

Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Colin Schooler (7)

Arizona’s biggest remaining problem: closing the deal. The Wildcats ranked 32nd in stuff rate (run stops at or behind the line), and 57 percent of opponents’ third downs were third-and-7 or longer (10th most in FBS). But they allowed a 32 percent success rate on said third-and-longs (120th in FBS). And in a slightly different category — blitz downs (second-and-super-long or third-and-5 or more) — they were 121st in success rate, 125th in big-play rate, and 123rd in sack rate. Bad.

Until the blitz improves, all other concerns are secondary. Schooler is unbelievable against the run, but his 3.5 sacks shouldn’t have tied for the team lead (with end JB Brown).

The good news, as it were, is that the rush probably won’t get worse. Derek Boles and PJ Johnson are both gone up front, but while they combined for 20 run stuffs, they also had only 4.5 sacks. Everybody else is back, but if JUCO tackles Myles Tapusoa or Trevon Mason were able to provide a push up the middle in pass rush situations, or if sophomore edge rusher Jalen Harris were able to find an extra gear or two, that would be immensely helpful.

If there’s at least a little pressure, everything else looks decent. Schooler will anchor a good linebacking corps, and Brown, Wilborn, end Jalen Harris, and tackle Finton Connolly all demonstrated decent run-stuffing ability.

Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Jace Whittaker

I like the secondary to improve a good amount. Corner Lorenzo Burns was asked to cover a lot of really good receivers in Whittaker’s absence and finished the year with two TFLs and 11 breakups. With Whittaker back, he could get easier matchups. And while Jerrius Wallace is solid in big-play prevention, fellow safeties Scottie Young Jr. and Tristan Cooper are active (combined: four TFLs, three INTs, nine breakups, five run stuffs).

There’s an intriguing set of sophomores in the back, too, in safeties Xavier Bell and Christian Young and corner McKenzie Barnes.

Special Teams

Arizona was mostly forgettable in special teams, but that’s not always bad. The Wildcats were strong on kickoffs and ranked between 63rd and 74th in four of five efficiency categories. Kickoffs guy Lucas Havrisik was all over the place as a place-kicker — he missed two PATs but made three longer field goals, too — and he’s the only returning leg. J.J. Taylor’s got some upside in the return game.

2019 outlook

2019 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 24-Aug at Hawaii 94 8.4 69% 7-Sep Northern Arizona NR 29.6 96% 14-Sep Texas Tech 55 3.1 57% 28-Sep UCLA 63 4.9 61% 5-Oct at Colorado 68 1.2 53% 12-Oct Washington 15 -9.7 29% 19-Oct at USC 29 -7.8 33% 26-Oct at Stanford 32 -7.1 34% 2-Nov Oregon State 105 17.4 84% 16-Nov at Oregon 20 -10.9 26% 23-Nov Utah 17 -7.4 33% 29-Nov at Arizona State 49 -3.0 43%

Projected S&P+ Rk 52 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 49 / 55 Projected wins 6.2 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 3.0 (61) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 55 2018 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -4 / 0.6 2018 TO Luck/Game -1.9 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 71% (61%, 82%) 2018 Second-order wins (difference) 5.3 (-0.3)

Despite an awkward transition and Tate playing on only one good leg for half the year, Arizona still ranked 43rd in Off. S&P+ and improved defensively. There were reasons to be encouraged by how the Wildcats played late in the year, at least until the fourth quarter against ASU.

Because of returning production, UA is projected to improve again defensively, this time to 55th. An offensive rebound will depend on both Tate’s health and how well intriguing young receivers play in bigger roles.

And yeah, the schedule’s weird. The Wildcats are projected favorites in each of their first five games, but they play five teams projected 32nd or better in their last seven. Bowl hopes could hinge on early home games against Texas Tech and UCLA (and I really wouldn’t recommend losing at Hawaii in Week 0).

Team preview stats

All 2019 preview data to date.

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agentdalecooper12 · 8 years ago

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Re-celebrate "Draft and Develop"!

Remember when we Packers fans used to celebrate the draft and develop process as an amazing system that would continuously keep our team young and full of back-ups capable of filling in for injured starters? Of course, we had the 2010 season in mind when the large handful of injured players happened to be replaceable and the season ended with a championship. Since then, the draft and develop strategy has not produced a fifth Lombardi trophy and many fans have fallen out of love with what they thought was a fail-proof scheme. This skepticism is mostly based on result without thorough consideration of the various circumstances of subsequent seasons and the ever changing face of the NFL. I think fans put too much stock in the draft itself. On Packers teams in the past few years, there are several reflections we should make that give more credence to the value of development. These reflections include current players who have clearly developed and players set to take the next jump in 2017.

Current players that have shown a clearly developed status include (among others) Micah Hyde, Lane Taylor, David Bakhtiari, Jordy Nelson, Mike Daniels, Davante Adams, and even Aaron Rodgers.

Ted Thompson did a strange thing on draft day in 2005. He used a first round pick on a quarterback, despite Brett Favre still performing well. But Ted knew the pick was about development as much as draft. In 2007 against the Cowboys, my friend Jim and I watched the Packers insert a developing Rodgers after a Favre injury. We lost the game, but after seeing Rodgers’ performance both Jim and I agreed that we weren’t worried about the future at quarterback. You know how that turned out.

Jordy Nelson was a second round pick in 2008. As a rookie, he played behind Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. By his third year (2010), he had only 45 catches for less than 600 yards and two touchdowns. Despite those pedestrian numbers, we saw him take leaps in the playoffs culminating in a major performance in Super Bowl XLV. Jordy developed into the great receiver that he is just as Driver was entering his decline. In contrast to fan criticism, Davante Adams has developed much faster than Jordy. Last season was Adams’ third campaign, and we were treated to 997 yards and 12 touchdowns. Complainers will point out that he could have had 14 touchdowns and over 1000 yards had he been better in the Bears game at Soldier Field, but that’s too harsh. With Davante, we have a strong #2 or #3 receiver who has become a trusted target for Rodgers.

Along the offensive line, David Bakhtiari and Lane Taylor have solidified Green Bay’s blindside for the league’s best quarterback. Bakhtiari was a 4th rounder out of Colorado, which perennially won only a game or two per season. Taylor was undrafted and inserted into the Packers’ line-up in place of a Pro Bowl left guard. Do we hear enough praise for our O-line that only touts one 1st round draft pick in Bryan Bulaga? I don’t think so. Dallas has invested high draft picks and has reaped the benefits. Seattle and Minnesota are roundly criticized for doing a poor job in investing enough protection for their quarterbacks. Green Bay hasn’t had to spend high picks in creating a top-3 line. I believe this comes from their development system. Green Bay has been able to create what 75% of the league can’t even draft using top draft picks.

Our defense has been a sore spot for several years now. There’s no getting around their failures in the 2014 and 2016 NFC championship games. If TT is relying on top round picks and the improvement of existing young players to get us to the Super Bowl, I don’t think anyone sees how he can be confident in that hope. Nevertheless, there are examples of rather astounding development in recent seasons. Although he has recently departed for the Buffalo Bills and never made a Pro Bowl, Micah Hyde matured from a fifth round pick into a clutch player in several contests last year. Recall the 2013 playoff game against the 49ers during Hyde’s rookie season. On San Francisco’s last drive, Hyde had a very catchable Kaepernick throw in his hands but couldn’t hang on. With that interception, we would have almost certainly avenged the previous season’s embarrassment. It’s a different story now. A few months ago, our 10 year-old son asked me whether Hyde’s one-handed, back-handed pick against the Vikings or his jumping of Dak Prescott’s bubble screen in January was a more impressive interception. The fact that Hyde could make both of those plays is pretty great. I told him that I found it interesting that the catch against the Vikings was made with his body while the Dallas pick was basically made with his mind. A player that can finish an interception as well as read a quick pattern has proven his development. There will be times these next few seasons that the Packers will miss Micah Hyde.

Thankfully, another mid-round defender is firmly in Green Bay for the next several seasons. Mike Daniels, a compensatory fourth rounder in 2012, is a feared specimen and a rare gem as a frontline monster on a 3-4 defense. Opposing teams have long since stopped overlooking the undersized defensive end and have had to game plan away from him. Daniels has taken modest early years and added a fiery passion that he backs up on a weekly basis. As much as we fans found the D-line’s early dominance against the run last year, we should not doubt that Daniels can lead the front line to greater feats in 2017.

During this coming season the Packers will look for all players to take the next jump, and I believe there are a few guys we should give our attention to. Safety Kentrell Brice was a pleasant surprise during the second half of last season (26 tackles). He has two great mentors in Morgan Burnett and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, and his willingness to lay the wood on opposing receivers and backs should provide enough support to allow Burnett to continue his own development as a safety-linebacker hybrid. Brice will have to improve his coverage skills. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell’s sophomore season includes finding ways to fill the giant shoes of the departed Julius Peppers. Obviously he will not rise to the future hall-of-famer’s production by next fall. But if the Packers don’t re-sign Datone Jones and look to the draft for outside linebacker help, Fackrell (18 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble) must develop either a more consistent pass rush or a knack for setting the edge. If both Kenny Clark (21 tackles, 4 hurries) and Dean Lowry (8 tackles, 2 sacks) can multiple their early successes up front, then the Mike Daniels-led infantry should be a feared set of run stoppers and pass rushers. If you get a chance, find footage of Kenny Clark sniffing out a Zeke Elliot screen pass in the playoffs. He releases off the line beautifully with great anticipation and drops him for a two-yard loss. On the offense, it was a rare treat to see undrafted rookie Geronimo Allison have a trusted relationship with Aaron Rodgers that showed itself with key catches and a couple of touchdowns on only a dozen receptions. Allison is lanky and fairly sure-handed. I’d like to see him develop a sideline presence akin to Jordy.

So during this offseason, we’ve seen Ted Thompson use free agency in ways that Packers fans never seem to understand and once again treat draft information as though it’s the Manhattan Project. Despite all of that, let’s remember that 8 consecutive playoff appearances is a very uncommon occurrence. Many NFL fans call us spoiled, and they are right. Just remember that our spoiled status comes from unexpected developments in players that most unspoiled teams never foresaw.

#Green Bay Packers #Packers draft 2017 #Packers defense 2017 #Packers free agency 2017 #Packers offense 2017 #Packers draft and develop

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beingmad2017-blog · 8 years ago

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Laos Adventure Travel - And What an Adventure

New Post has been published on https://beingmad.org/laos-adventure-travel-and-what-an-adventure/

Laos Adventure Travel - And What an Adventure

We couldn’t find Laos! All this way from Canada and the van drivers could not find the Thai – Lao border! After a few u-turns, a bit of paperwork, a 5-minute boat ride, we were in Laos.

Lao is about people, truly delightful people who let us see into their homes and their lives. It’s about villagers learning the lost arts of weaving and animal farming. It’s about the mysterious Plain of Jars – what are those things anyway? It’s about MAG and their tireless work ensuring kids are wary of zombies that fit into the palm of your hand but are meant maim and kill. It’s about 4000 islands in the south and chasing elusive dolphins into Cambodia. It’s about the daily dawn ritual of monks walking through their communities.

A highlight of Northern Laos on this Explore tour for me was a walk on day 3. It was described as a 3.5-hour walk but what they did not say was that we would leave at 9 and get back at 6 because we stopped a lot! They have set up a small area here as an ecotourism project: they are taking people into some small villages in this biodiverse area. In the meantime they are teaching villagers how to weave so they have a product to sell the tourists being brought in and also how to farm with animals rather than the traditional slash and burn.

I shot about 4 rolls of film in one day so that tells you how much I enjoyed the day. We were all sunburnt and hot so stopped at the internet café for chocolate cake on the way back to the hotel! Always a good idea to eat dessert first – life can be uncertain!

A day or so later, we took a boat from Nong Khiaw on a trip down the Nam Ou river which joins the Mekong just above Luang Prabang. The 5 – 6 passenger boats are long narrow skiffs with the motor at the back but the driver at the front.

The river is quite narrow so it was very easy to see what the people were doing along the way. You could smile and laugh with them and of course wave! Some people were even panning for gold if you can believe it! Others were washing all manner of things aside from themselves. We saw really little boys – age 4 even – paddling around in canoes all alone, parents nowhere to be seen. We saw some very primitive small “hydro” stations where the river ran a bit faster over the rocks. Just enough speed to generate a bit of power for their homes. Quite incredible. We saw people coming to the sandy outcrops mid-river to fill sacks full of sand to use for construction in their home area.

It must be a very steep uphill battle for the government and NGO’s in the area to teach people to look long term when there is such an immediate need for water closer to home than the nearest well and a little electricity.

Luang Prabang is the nicest little town. At one of the main temples, they have made many mosaics of local life on the sides of two of the stupas. The mosaics are made from glass and of course shine in the sun. The scenes that are created on these walls are just amazing and so colorful. Life in Lao – people falling into a well, others praying, kids feeding a dog, fields of corn, monks strolling, elephants herds walking.

I have never seen anything like it before and it was great. It is a very lazy town and very hot here (even the main shopping is done at the night market). At dusk, most of the group climbed to the top of the hill in the center of town for a 360-degree vista of the area including the Mekong.

At about 5:30 the next morning we went back to that same temple to see the people offer monks their food for the day. In Buddhism, people gain merit by giving to the monks. Many tourists now go out to see the procession and as the Explore leader explained, it is almost more for the tourists now than for Buddha. Interestingly some street kids had set up a spot for themselves with plastic bags and bamboo bowls laid out so the monks would then scoop some food out of their bowl and put it into the kids’ bowls. Circle of life. It was quite a long procession – about 12 monks altogether and as the tourists scrambled about trying to get photos of all this giving of food, we must have looked quite the sight.

The basis of the ceremony is very human and I like that part of it. I had seen a similar ceremony earlier in the trip and I could not help but compare. As we waited outside our family-run guest house, 3 monks came along the road. The lady next door was waiting for them: she was sitting on a mat. They circled around her, she bowed her head, they said a few words – prayers perhaps, she passed them the rice, she bowed her head again, and the monks continued on by.

So which is Laos? Both most certainly. The enchantment of the place is that it still retains the one-on-one element: you can feel the people here and feel their humanity. But if you think about life from their perspective, they are keen to have faring come, stay in their guesthouses, buy their wares, see their sights, use their internet cafes. Laotians are ready for all these things. But given the historical events of the last 50 years, the one true thing they have is their religion. So it becomes a struggle to satisfy all sides of life.

I asked what the monks do all day. They chant/pray just twice a day and the boy monks go to school. They are taught in a school just for monks but in small village areas, they are in village school with all the kids. No one is allowed to touch them or play with them though. I thought this sounded quite lonely. You may know that everyone is supposed to become a monk for awhile in their life. Tough decision. As a parent, if you give your child to the monk-hood, the child will be schooled and fed for free and the family gains merit for the next life. Sounds pretty good – but as you grow older, there is no one to look after you so a bit of a downside as well.

During the Vietnam war, there were some air bases in Thailand. If the weather was bad and “they” could not drop their bombs on the Vietnamese target, “they” dropped them off in Laos on the way back to the airfield. “They” were too worried to land with bombs on board so “they” dropped them off indiscriminately in Laos. The estimate is 90 million special cluster bombs. A cluster bomb is a shell casing with about 670 mini zombies inside. Each mini bombie fits in the palm of your hand. Inside the mini bombie, there are about 300 ball bearings. On impact, the ball bearings scatter to a range of about 30 meters. The bombs are armed somehow by the number of rotations they do in the air before impact. Some bombs did not explode when they landed because they had not rotated enough. And that is the situation Lao deals with today. Estimates here are that there are up to 30 million bombs still active. They landed anywhere and everywhere – in trees, on houses, in crowded people places – and so now they are trying to find these and set them off safely.

A British group called Mines Advisory Group (MAG) are the people doing this important work and doing a great job. Lao people need to be educated as these babies can tread on or picked up by curious kids etc at any time. The bombers may have been under the ground for awhile and then a heavy rain will uncover them. Curious kids might have been playing in that area for months and suddenly a bombie goes off.

It is a tough decision to decide where to do the bomb location work. According to the director, they call a meeting of all the local mayors and have a discussion. We were told that the area most in need of safe agricultural land gets slated for mine clearance first. So far about 90% of the land cleared has been agricultural. As usual not enough people have been trained to do the work and more money/donations to buy newer, faster equipment would help a lot. So far in 10 years, with 12 teams of experts, after 2 months of training each, they have cleared 200,000 bombs with only 2 of their employees getting hurt.

We had the opportunity to go to a bomb site. I can tell you we were very careful to walk in someone else’s footsteps and listen to instructions! Then we watched as they detonated 2 bombs in someone’s field. From there, we went to the SOS orphanage in town and sang “Hokey Pokey” with the kids. And a wonderful Indian curry for dinner!

It was finally time to head to the south of Lao so, for only the third time in the whole tour, we had a 12 hour day on the road. Our tour leader paced the day just right and we got into Pakse about 7 pm, in time for dinner at the hotel’s roof-top restaurant! A delightful way to end the day.

Another boat was our mode of transport stopping off first at Wat Phu. Built in the 5th century – even before Angkor Wat – as a Hindu Temple. It was converted to a Buddhist Temple in the 14th century. I learned that a “Makara” is a cross between an elephant, a fish, and a crocodile. It is always shown in profile and usually on the lintel of a Hindu Temple. The doorway under this “Makara” marks the passage from the material world to the spiritual world.

Back in the boats again to meander through the 4000 islands: destination Muong Khong. 2 wonderful nights in one of the best hotels on the tour were spent overlooking the river. It’s a lazy place with the days passing in scorching heat and desultory mosquitoes. A cool drink, a walk to the temple, a cool drink, time at the internet café, a cool drink, a nap, a cool drink, dinner: you get the idea!

Our Explore tour leader had been working in Lao for about 5 months. She would take pictures of the people she met in the villages, get them printed on her days’ off in Bangkok, and then hand out the pictures the next time she passed through. What a treat this was for the villagers as in one of two instances, someone had died, and she was able to provide a picture of the person for their loved one to treasure. In another village, early in the season, she had asked the chief what the village needed, was there something we could buy or bring to them as a way of saying “thanks” for showing us their way of life?

Turns out the villagers use slash-and-burn agriculture so they needed some new knives. She told us this story before we arrived as she did with every group. All of us then had the chance to buy a knife which she then presented to the chief. He was great as he had a book with columns etc. and had a check mark for everyone who had received one already and the people who still needed one. So we felt good by helping the village down the road by buying their knives, we gave them to this village as a way of saying thank you, the chief was able to show his people he was looking after them, and the villagers got new knives. It comes down to sharing. For the Lao, it’s instinctual, never a second thought to sharing what they have. When the Explore leader asked us to describe Lao in one word, I chose generously. It’s a generosity of spirit I saw in everyone we met that enabled me to share in their lives for just a minute. How fortunate, how privileged, I feel looking back and remembering our laughter.

It comes down to sharing. For the Lao, it’s instinctual, never a second thought to sharing what they have. When the Explore leader asked us to describe Lao in one word, I chose generously. It’s a generosity of spirit I saw in everyone we met that enabled me to share in their lives for just a minute. How fortunate, how privileged, I feel looking back and remembering our laughter.

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