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daily-dose-of-imagines · 4 years ago

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Uɳσ! ɯ/ Hαιƙყυυ!! {Kαɾαʂυɳσ}

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

I thought this would such a funny and cute concept to do, though I don’t know if anybody else has done this! I do know there is fanart of it though, but I actually got inspiration from when Admin Ko and I drunkenly played Uno! one night. It was a disaster lolol!

I hope you like this!

>Admin 𝕋

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･��☆　　｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

𝐻𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓉𝒶 𝒮𝒽𝑜𝓎𝑜

Hinata would be the player that would be so lost

Tsuki would’ve told him how to play and he would still have no idea what the fuck he was doing

Would put down the wrong color or number and get obliterated by everyone he is playing with

After awhile, he would think he figured it out, but nah everyone plays him like a fool, and gets him to lose in the first round

he’ll want to cry, because he’s so competitive and all he wanted to do was win

at least he would want to win against kageyama

and when he doesn’t he would literally will want to play round after round until he wins

but once again

he just doesn’t get it

and it’s not even a hard game, like what the hell, man

but he gets anxious and he can’t think

He will literally spike the wrong card into the pile

everyone laughs, Kageyama would smack him upside the head and say something along the lines of “ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION, IS YOUR HEAD SCREWED ON RIGHT LIKE OH MY GOD, HOW DOES ONE EVEN--”

They will start to fight, jumbling all the cards into disarray

and that is when the game is over, and Hinata never played Uno again

It gave him nigthmares lololol

BUT BUT BUT

Hinata would be forced to play another round with everyone on another day they all hangout

And this time, he wins

he actually, and he didn’t even try, no thought process, no strategies, he just went with the flow and actually won

Kageyama would be pissed, Yachi would be proud, Tsukki would be irked and Tadashi would be clapping slowly, all of them surprised that the orange ball of dumbass actually won.

Needless to say, Uno is now Hinata’s favorite game, and he will flaunt his win to everyone who asks

𝘒𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘛𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘰

Okay, so Kageyama would be just like Hinata, but he is better at hiding it

He also has more tact, and can figure out how the game works

But he has the worst of luck when it comes to which cards he gets

and it frustrates him to no end

Because he literally, he has to

continously

pick

cards

to get

THE RIGHT ONE

and he gets so pissed, veins are popping out of his head, the blood going up to his face. Tsuki thinks it’s the most hilarious shit, Hinata thinks he is going to shit himself.

He just wants to win, for god’s sake, but the fucking cards are giving him a run for his money, and they’re being fucking stupid, and not giving him what he wants

He has like half of the freaking deck in his hands!!

And he wants to, you know, not have that!!

and when he finally has a plan to get rid of his cards, Tsukishima smirks condescendingly and nukes him, making Kageyama get more cards from the pile with hIS STUPID REVERSE CARD PLUS FOUR BULLSHIT.

So he comes up with a plan, he’ll just discreetly put two cards down when it was his turn.

For a time, he wouldn’t get caught, but then

then Tsuki sees him, and calls him out on it. “Huh, never knew the king of the court would cheat like that.”

“I’m not cheating--”

“And here I thought you were the fair and square type of guy.”

Hinata would pipe in saying “oh my god, Kageyama, your cheating, how could you??”

“IT’S JUST A STUPID GAME--”

“THEN WHY ARE YOU CHEATING--”

the game would devolve into a game of tag, or Kageyama chasing Hinata around the room while Hinata yells about how Kageyama has anger management issues and should get therapy

after that, Kageyama will have yet to win a game while everybody else does

He would throw the cards on the ground and curse the world for only letting him be good at volleyball

“Yeah, you should really stick to volleyball, you’re obviously bad at everything else”

“TSUKISHIMA, I’M GOING TO BURY YOU IN MY BACKYARD WITH THESE CARDS--”

He’ll get over it

maybe.

𝕋𝕤𝕦𝕜𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕞𝕒 𝕂𝕖𝕚

Ah, tsukishima, this guy would be the worst to play games with

Especially card games

He wouldn’t necessarily want to play a kid’s game, but Yamaguchi convinces him to play, just one game

He can’t really say no to Yama like that, so he agrees, one game

But he’d get oddly into it, man, it won’t show on his face, but he will be the type of guy to want to win, especially against someone like fucking Kageyama

He’d want to peg him down a level, get him off his royal high horse

he’d be the prick that would taunt anybody and everybody, telling them what they should and shouldn’t do

“I don’t know Hinata, that doesn’t seem like the right choice there”

“What, but you don’t know what I’m going to put down???”

“It’s all over your face.”

“Shit, really--”

He’ll uno reverse psychology on these bitches, make them quiver in their metaphorical boots.

And he’ll love how they just don’t know what to put down now, don’t know what is the best play or not,

Kageyama looks pissed

Hinata looks like his brain is steaming

Yachi looks like she’s about to cry

And Yamaguchi is just smiling, happy that Tsuki is having a good time

Yeah, having a good time being a freaking sadist in a freaking kid’s game

Lo and behold, Tsuki wins the round that he agreed to play, and when he puts that last card down, he pulls a smug expression, adjusting his glasses

“Well then, losers, I best be on my way now.”

And just as he is getting up to grab is things, Kageyama will throw a fit and try to fight Tsuki, but Hinata holds him back like a boss

Or like this has happened way too many times

Needless to say, they would never want to play with Tsuki again

Never again

ＹａｍａｇｕｃｈｉＴａｄａｓｈｉ

Bro, Yama will just want to have a good time man

He’d be the one to suggest playing Uno, thinking it would be a good experience

and a great bonding game for the first years

but boy was he wrong

literal chaos all around him

And all he wanted to do was have a nice fun time, getting to know his teammates

but no

NOOOO

THEY JUST HAD TO BE EXTRA ABOUT IT

Tsuki just had to be an ass

Kageyama just had to be competitive

and hinata just had to be a little on the stupid side (we love him for it, no hate to hinata)

it was a mixing pot of anarchy and yamaguchi will just sit there and just watch as the fire grows in front of him

When it is his turn he will just quietly and gently put his card in

and then go back to watching as the three main characters of his life just go into a rampage, and just metaphorically compare dick sizes, in a game of fucking uno

Like damn

this is definitely not what he wanted

He’ll try to get them to calm down, but all three of them would turn around and tell him to either join them or zip it, to which he would sigh and make some popcorn

Cause this was gonna take awhile

Yama would probably look over to Yachi, who looks like she wants to go home, and yeah he couldn’t blame her, and he gives her an apologetic look and shrug

In the end, he unfortunately wouldn’t win, but he is grateful that it all ended

And he goes home

And burns his uno cards

ʏᴀᴄʜɪ ʜɪᴛᴏᴋᴀ

Yo, Yachi????? She’d be the underdog of the group

She would literally use the chaos that is testosterone to her advantage

She would be like a ninja

And she would be so lucky, to have all the good cards that would put the other guys to fucking shame

But she would still be anxious only because the shouting will sometimes escalate and she would lose her train of thought

But that’s okay!

She still wins literally every round she’s in!

And everybody hates her for it!

Death glares from Tsuki

Murderous intent from Kageyama

and just weeping eyes from Hinata, but he’s still mad at her, because he still hasn’t won and yet she did

Yamaguchi would be the only one that is happy for her, and she feels a connection with him on that

Yachi would feel bad, but at the same time

Yes!

She won!

And with these guys, that are so good at things likes sports and academics(only tsuki here, and sometimes Yamaguchi)???

It’s a huge win for her!

The next time they play, she would use the same strategy, and will again win everytime

Until eventually, they all kick her out of the game, thinking she is cheating

She gives them her best puppy dog eyes, and tell him she wasn’t cheating (she never really was), and they’ll give in

They let her play again

Until she wins

and that is the final straw for them, their egos bruised and their pride gone

They leave, the cards abandoned, and go wallow in the courtyard

“Uh, guys? Who’s gonna clean this up?”

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americas-saboteur · 3 years ago

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I promised Id do this, heres quick first thoughts

this is based on the cbs writeups, not on anything that has been recorded. its also not based on any reveals the tag has made, im not taking that into consideration as this isnt me deciding who to root for. because im not officially picking anyone yet. this will be 90% strategy, 10% "are they annoying"

Azah has a pretty solid strategy. I think if she can get a small loyal group together she could make it far. my big worry is the usual tbqh, that she will be targeted early because shes genuinely considering her own game. also thank you for the no showmances.

Christian annoys the fuck out of me already. i dont mind a sort of floater/rat strategy, but the way he answered makes me feel like hes making excuses already for not doing anything. i just....dont trust anyone who starts a strategy conversation with "I am a joy".

Hannah's answer is long and i dig it? i initially only got the first paragraph and wanted to write her off, but reading the whole thing...i think i could see myself doing something similar, so i like it a lot. I support tactful blood bathing.

Brent has a similar issue to christian. I dont HATE him, but it feels like hes going in with overconfidence. Overdoing it with proving you have charm buddy, and since thats your strategy i dont have much else to say....

Britini seems excited, which is cool. but it doesnt sound like she has a solid strategy other than "win comps, say im making moves" which...fine. im hoping its more of an "assess once we get in there" thing.

Derek F is smart in getting to know people personally. a personal connection makes it harder to vote someone out, so i have a lot more confidence in his confidence than other houseguests.

Frenchie....ok before we get into strategy, who the fuck describes themselves as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. who describes themselves as a nonsense word. already hate him for that. but beyond that, im glad he acknowledges that setting a strategy wouldnt benefit him right away. what does a farmer have to do with that? idk, but i hope he isnt horrible. glad he doesnt want to get famous, like i genuinely like when people make that point.

Travis kinda goes between Brent and Derek F for me. like his confidence doesnt feel forced, but it does feel overexplained. It sounds like the pranks might be part of strategy if hes putting the blame on other people, so as long as they arent annoying im ok with him.

Alyssa seems to want a well rounded game, but she feels like shes going to do a big group sort of thing. and i dont like that as a viewer. i worry that she would get lost in that group once the house gets more empty, so i guess we will see how that turns out. I dont get wanting first hoh or wanting to be like tyler, but i guess you do you.

Tiffany's strategy is short, sweet, and to the point. i dont have much to go on, but ngl her willingness to try slop could weirdly help her? theres almost nothing in the small sample of her bio, unlike the others i actually read the full one and i didnt get much more. im gonna pretend i didnt see her fave duo.

Xavier seems enthusiastic. smart to not want to win comps unless necessary, smart to not play personal. beyond that i dont have any strong thoughts

Claire is a fan and i love that. sounds like she knows what to say to excite other fans, the important strategy points to make the game better. i just hope she can actually deliver on these, that it doesnt backfire on anyone. also please cause disruptions, thats entertainment and can be strategic.

Sarah, if i remember, is the weeb people were talking about. which....love that, love seeing people who have similar interests to me in the game. but also im glad shes upfront and says the word "float". we know its not accidental, so i can respect it a lot more.

Whitney is pretty alright. i like that she wants to start strong, and that she doesnt have extreme details for a strategy, but i dont know what i think. Derek X could go either way. He looks like he could be fun, i genuinely hope he doesnt get lost in the crowd and eliminated early. His strategy is primarily social, but like in a more influential way and i hope he manages that tbqh.

Kyland seems prepared and enthusiastic, which is good. the specific references to different players strategies makes me more confident in him than others, like some people vaguely referenced another player, dropped a name, or mentioned them as a favorite, but hes pulling out specifics. my main worry is that he will play too hard too fast. or that he wont be able to deliver this (same worry as claire)

Overall im tired of seeing derrick and cody referenced in peoples bio but at the same time thats what cbs wants, so its what we get. and it makes sense, since they are part of the more modern game. as much as i love old school BB it makes sense to consider strategy from more recent stuff since you are more likely to experience those sorts of situations. being prepared is more important than getting old school points if you want to win. but gods i hate derrick and cody.

#bb23 #first thoughts #shout out to me getting this up 10 min before premiere gods im a mess

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edda-blattfe · 5 years ago

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I fully support Mal x Vil x reader/MC that's top tier. Your universe brain is blessing the fandom with that. Now I'm imagining Vil finding excuses to go to the Diasom dorm to see Mal and MC... I bet it's study sessions between the dorms initially, but Epel and Rook see the way he is with Mal and MC and know exactly what he's doing almost immediately. It's not long before they say stuff like "we understood today's lesson, you go on ahead tho" just so Vil can be more alone with them

~Ehh, thank you love!~

Ooh! I love the way your mind works!!! Mind if I go ahead and share some relationship headcanons for this trio?

Malleus x Vil x MC Pollyship Headcanons:

- A few details on this MC. Both Mal and Vil are strong willed, decisive, manipulative, and dramatic individuals with a horrid tendency to wallow in their negative emotions rather than find proactive ways of dealing with them or seeking help from others. For these reasons, I believe MC would have to be a rather laidback and open minded person. They wouldn’t have to be plain per say, but just not as dramatically flamboyant in comparison to their romantic interests. It would also be a load off of the boys if MC is honest, maybe a little blunt, and genuine; in this case, they wouldn’t feel the need to manipulate MC, being comfortable enough to let their guard down. Since the boys are lacking in emotional intelligence, it would fall to MC to pick up the slack in that department; thus they’re also gonna need to be observant enough to recognize when their boys’ are in a foul mood, be quick to analyze the situation to identify the source of their discomfort, and think of a healthy way to help them deal with those emotions. So, to summarize, this MC is: easygoing, open minded, relatively modest, honest/blunt, genuine, intelligent, observant, analytical, and tactful. Also gonna toss in curious and sharp, just for the he’ll of it. MC is in Diasomnia, because: a) that’s how Des’s scenario fits, and b) Malleus would the most difficult of the two to get close to, so earning his friendship first would be key to beginning this polyship. Moving on now.

- It didn’t take long after the first years’ arrival for Mal to notice MC, as they were already proving to be an excellent student. From what he’d gleaned from Sebek’s retelling of class, MC always paid attention and took notes during lectures, almost always answered every question pertaining to the subject of study (both from the professors and fellow students) in a clear and concise manner, and never shied away from their schoolwork. Malleus observed them from a distance, just to be sure if they were really worth his time, before finally approaching them. He was cautious in his initial introduction, not wanting to terrify the little creature too terribly with his oppressive aura. Much to his surprise, they didn’t seem all that deterred, in fact the exchange and following conversation was rather pleasant; so much so, that Mal continued to visit with them. Gradually their conversations became longer, deeper. It was easy for the draconic fae to relax around MC, since he realized that they weren’t the type to use personal information against others. In time, Malleus came to think of them as a good friend.

- Vil, on the other hand, didn’t give MC much thought for the better half of the semester. Outside of Malleus occasionally mentioning them there had never been an opportunity for them to catch his eye, especially since they didn’t really stand out in a visual sense. That changed during one of the school mock battles. This particular event required every able bodied student to group up into teams of 3-5 students all chosen by a leader. Naturally, Malleus got first dibs and chose Lilia, Vil, and MC for his team. The Pomefiore dorm leader attempted to convince his dear friend that someone a little more experienced than a first year would probably be a better choice, but Mal would hear nothing of it; Vil found out why soon enough. Just as they did in school, MC paid close attention to Mal’s strategy briefing and wasn’t afraid to ask questions or suggest alternative plans if things didn’t work out in their favor; it was impressive, even to Vil. The event went over quite well for them, the four person team overcame their opponents through mutual cooperation and tactical precision; in an odd way, the whole practice was kind of fun actually! Afterwards they went to the cafe to celebrate, there Vil and MC finally got a chance to talk. The two of them got along pretty well, and became fast friends.

- As Des said; Vil began using group study sessions to spend more time with Mal and MC...which Rook and Epel caught onto, then suggested he just go ahead by himself. Malleus was relieved at this news; not that he doesn’t like the other Pomefiore members, but he’d much rather spend time with just MC and Vil...you know, alone.

- At first the three of them mainly hung out during study sessions, which somehow evolved into training sessions, eventually makeovers and trips to Mr. S’s Mystery Shop.

- Let’s say that MC isn’t familiar with doing their hair or makeup. Vil happily designates himself as their cosmetics instructor, Mal occasionally pitching in as his assistant when he can. Despite succeeding in teaching MC their ways, both of the boys still enjoy doing it themselves.

- Mal started growing noticeably possessive of the other two, growling if someone seemed to stand too close or placed a hand on them in an all too familiar way. While Vil began fussing over their appearances, not in a nitpicky way, just fixing their hair or makeup more often; he even lent them his favorite product. None of this raised any flags for MC, who gradually became more comfortable initiating physical contact; leaning against them, laying their head on the others’ shoulders, sometimes even wrapping their arms around them.

- Like In @twistedwonderlandimagines Vil x Malleus headcanons, Mal was the first to realize that he liked the others as far more than just friends. They were in his dorm room, Mal watched as Vil brushed MC’s hair on the bed, adorably content with being there. “I love you,” Mal confessed nonchalantly. It was barely louder than mumble, but it was enough to make the others stop dead in their activity and stare at him questioningly. “Both of you, I mean.” Vil and MC glanced at each other, “Like,” MC spoke slowly, “platonically? Or...” The look on Mal’s face made the answer quite clear. Vil cleared his throat, MC shifted to view both of their companions. “Ok then. Let’s...uh, talk about this.”

- And So, they did. It was a little awkward at first, but in the end, they all agreed to try dating. At first MC and Vil thought they were just supposed to share the dragon. But, soon became very aware of their own feelings for each other, which led to more awkwardness as they attempted to sort out how that fit into the relationship dynamic. Of course, Malleus isn’t blind and, just as he did with the confession, blatantly told them he didn’t mind them dating each other too, maybe even preferred it, if it meant he didn’t have to watch their confusing little game any more. There ya go, crisis averted.

- Turns out that their relationship didn’t change all that much. They still enjoy all of the usual activities, only now there’s some intermittent cuddle sessions and kisses being exchanged. Mal has since decided to move his study time to his room, since there he can sit with both of his darlings. *debates whether or not to describe how they make out* *vetos due to excessive blood rush**maybe with a little peer pressure...*

- It’s an unspoken rule that MC is the designated comforter. Whenever zone of the boys are feeling stressed or under the weather, they’ll just latch on and soak in MC’s affection. If the third person comes in, MC will hold out an arm to welcome them; It’s very rare that this doesn’t end with all of them nodding off in a cozy pile.

- Once they’re all comfortable enough, group baths become a thing. Vil brings in his favorite shampoos and conditioner, along with sweet smelling bath oils and plushy towels. Mal loves it when MC uses their nails to gently scratch his scalp while working the shampoo into his Raven locks, particularly around the base of his horns. They all secretly enjoy pressing their cheeks to the others warm, damp shoulders...It’s just a really sweet past time.

That’s all I have for now. Feel free to add on more headcanons if y’all like!

#dear god #i wrote this #i think i got a cavity from exposing myself to this sweetness #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland mc #twisted wonderland headcanons #vil x malleus #malleus draconia #vil schoenheit #disney twisted wonderland

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cryoculus · 6 years ago

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How about a soulmate au, maybe the first words one. With ushijima and maybe the words were really weird like "wow I like your balls".

Part Two →

» Word Count: 3,703 words

Note: This was re-written on 07-15-2019 but no major changes were made in the overall plot (⌒ω⌒) This work is also cross-posted on AO3 and it’d mean a lot if you left your feedback on this post or in the link!

***

Naturally, Tendou laughed in his face the first time Ushijima showed him.

“Wakatoshi-kun,” he breathed, wiping a tear from his eye, “you better find your soulmate soon so I can tape record the whole thing!”

Ushijima frowned, eyes drifting back to the words marked on the underside of his left index finger. Contrary to popular belief, Shiratorizawa’s ace did have a sense of humor, albeit minimal. He wasn’t so oblivious that he wouldn’t notice if some phrases connoted an underlying meaning to them.

But was, ‘Man. I really like your balls,’ something anyone would say in a regular conversation?

The words written in elegant handwriting on Tendou’s wrist were simple and didn’t leave a lot to ponder on. ‘Hi, I’m the normal guy.’ Couldn’t he have been bestowed with less suggestive first words from his soulmate, as well?

“Maybe you’re going to a brothel in the future,” Tendou offered when he noticed his captain’s obvious distress. “The miracle boy Ushijima Wakatoshi, the unmovable ace, actually seeking pleasurable release. Hmm, but that’s still a ways away if you ask me.”

The ace knitted his brows together at the middle blocker’s assumption. Ushijima had more tact than that. One would never catch him dead anywhere near a red light district. But he supposed Tendou only meant it as a jest.

“When you get ideas dropping by Kabukicho or somethin’, tell me, okay~”

…Or not.

***

“Niiyama Girls’ High?” Ushijima echoed.

Coach Washijou merely huffed. “I’ll be away this Sunday when they arrive for the joint practice. Try to learn what you can from their play style. I trust your judgement in seeing what is fit to take note of and apply with our own strategy.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Are a girls’ volleyball club’s tactics truly applicable for us, coach?”

“Don’t underestimate them women, Wakatoshi,” the old man chided. “They’re more graceful than you meaty idiots. More elegant with their plays, too. Have I made myself clear?”

Ushijima could only nod reluctantly.

***

“I heard the girls from Niiyama are called Queens,” Tendou drawled as he tossed a volleyball into Shirabu’s direction. The young setter caught it swiftly, wedging it under his arm.

“Tendou-san, we’re not finished inflating them yet,” Shirabu sighed.

The middle blocker stuck his tongue out. “How many do we even need? There’s tons piled up in the ball cart already.”

“Tendou, refrain from jeopardizing Shirabu’s responsibilities,” Ushijima spoke flatly as he finished the rest of his warm-up, throwing a cautionary gaze in his direction which the redhead pointedly ignored.

“Wakatoshi-kun is so uptight,” Tendou sneered. “Eh? Is it because a bunch of girls are coming over? Is Wakatoshi-kun flustered all of a sudden?”

“I am simply carrying on Coach Washijou’s request of keeping things orderly in his absence.”

“Hmph,” he simpered. “I just wanna have fun with some cuties, Wakatoshi-kun.”

Ushijima dismissed Tendou’s reasoning to crack his fingers. The crunch of the cartilage beneath his skin was a satisfying pop in his ears, and it eases the cricks that have formed in his joints, eliciting a soft sigh of satisfaction from him.

“Everyone, listen up please,” Coach Saitou emerged from the gym’s entrance, clapping his hands loudly to garner everyone’s attention. “Niiyama’s already here. Compose yourselves and finish up with your respective warm-ups. We’re going to have a practice match.”

Semi wrinkled his nose. “Coach, isn’t there a bit of an imbalance?”

Coach Saitou smiled. “You’ll know in a minute, Semi-kun.”

As most of his teammates discussed trivial matters among themselves, Ushijima leaned against a wall to bask in his own silence. He was not one to question direct orders from Washijou himself, but this particular joint practice left him with some questions that he’d like to be enlightened with.

If he was feeling it, Washijou would go as far as to invite Mujinazaka so Ushijima could go toe to toe against Kiryu. Why he suddenly took interest in the powerhouse all-female volleyball club of Niiyama was beyond his comprehension. Men and women’s volleyball were separated for a good reason, after all.

His train of thought was derailed when Goshiki let out an unhindered gasp and Hayato chided the young ace for ‘being so obvious’. The captain shifted his field of view, expression poised as usual, while their guests filed inside the gymnasium one by one.

The girls of Niiyama High’s volleyball club all had one thing in common: short hair. It made sense. Sure, many professional players he’s seen wore their hair in taut ponytails and bangs bound by headbands. But it’s known to be much easier to play when their hair didn’t grow longer than the napes of their necks. When they managed to settle inside, the rest of Shiratorizawa’s players fell silent, scrutinizing the visitors clad in red and white uniforms.

“We’re the Niiyama girls’ volleyball club,” a light-haired player wearing the jersey marked with the number one proclaimed; a bow swiftly followed her introduction. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“Thank you for inviting us!” the rest of them resounded.

Noticing that his teammates were stunned into silence by the mere presence of the other team in their gym, Ushijima cleared his throat, walking over to them.

“Greetings should be returned with the same vigor,” he reminded.

His words seemingly impelled boys to compose themselves the next second, each one lining up properly in front of their guests.

“Let’s have a good game!”

Ushijima could hear Coach Saitou snickering from where he stood, and even he could see why the coach was finding this quite humorous. It seemed Tendou and Reon were the only ones apart from himself that remained unfazed by the arrival of such unlikely guests.

As the girls began their own respective warm-ups, Ushijima rounded up his own teammates to minimize the chances of someone making a fool out of himself. Though Shiratorizawa has a reputation that suggested that it housed the most sophisticated students, that didn’t seem like the case when taking the volleyball team into consideration. Outside of a game, most of them tend to be swayed by the strangest things, and Ushijima was certain that being in the same space as a group of girls in the same age group was one of those things.

“Coach Washijou really is the devil,” Reon chortled as he walked over to Ushijima’s side. “Did he really want a one-sided match for us that badly?”

Upon hearing the wing spiker’s words, Ushijima’s mouth downturned into a grimace. He could very much remember the warning in Washijou’s voice when he told him not to underestimate these girls. They were a constant participant at nationals after all. But, still, it didn’t make sense why they would even agree to a practice match against Shiratorizawa, knowing the circumstances.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” a woman, presumably Niiyama’s coach, called out from the side of the court. All the people in the room halted their ministrations at once. “Since the manpower of each team is obviously disproportionate,” she began, “we’ll be handing out draw-lots to determine who goes on white and black teams respectively.”

So that was how they were going to address the issue that’s been plaguing Ushijima for days. He affixed a thoughtful gaze on the plastic cup in the woman’s hands. It seemed fair, but the idea didn’t completely sit well with him.

“But only those in the starting lineup will be participating in the practice match,” Saitou supplied with a hint of remorse.

“It’s alright, coach,” Semi assured. “It’s quite fun to see something different every once in a while.”

The players on each team’s starting roster came forward when called to draw their colored sticks. Ushijima eyed Niiyama’s members with calculative curiosity. Each of them wore a calm and collected demeanor that rivalled his own, as if the idea of going up against one of Miyagi’s powerhouse schools didn’t even faze them at the slightest. But his gaze was particularly drawn to one of the girls that wore the number three jersey. There was a confident spark in your eye that Ushijima only saw in opponents who were certain of their victory.

When it was his turn to draw his lot, Ushijima got a white stick.

“Aww, I’m gonna have to play against Wakatoshi-kun?” Tendou groaned, holding up a black stick in disdain. “I can totally beat him, but his spikes can induce fractures, coach!”

Ushijima managed to overhear you complain to your captain, who seemed to draw a white lot as well. “Mei-chan, going up against two captains is hardly fair!”

“I’m sure you all can manage,” Saitou insisted. “We made sure the number of boys and girls on the team is equal. Liberos will also be playing full-time to even out the numbers. But do another rotation when they’re in the setting and serving positions. Now then, please go to your respective sides on-court and introduce yourselves!”

***

If Ushijima were to describe the practice match with one word, it would be…interesting.

The first set had extended up to the thirties, and the ace was already sweating profusely despite it still being early in the game. A noticeable crease was embedded in Ushijima’s brow as he caught his breath, wiping away a sheen from his sweat-stricken skin. He’s conditioned himself to have stamina like no other, but the power he’s forced to use just to get past the opposing blockers was draining him far more quickly than he anticipated.

“Shiratorizawa’s got a monster blocker, yeah?” Niiyama’s captain and one of his team’s middle blockers, Haruno Mei inquired.

He stared at her, considering her words. “Are you perhaps talking about Tendou?”

“Yeah. The red-haired guy,” she affirmed, keeping her gaze straight. “Well, let’s say that we’ve got our own monster blocker, too.”

He could have interpreted that as Haruno talking about herself, but he knew what his temporary teammate meant by her words. Just on the opposite side of the net, you were discussing something with Tendou with interest sparking your eyes. When you caught the ace staring, a smirk stretched across your lips.

Ushijima narrowed his gaze. Tendou was already a troublesome middle blocker on his own. He was one of the few that could actually stop Ushijima when he’s already set a momentum for himself. But that’s only because Tendou knew of his habits on-court. You, though? You’ve shut him down in one set more times than any of his rivals have in his entire career despite not having prior knowledge about his style.

“(Name) is a little timid when blocking alone,” Haruno supplied further. “But when she’s paired up with another seasoned middle blocker, they’d be a double threat. I’m sure you’ve heard about Niiyama’s Gemini blocker, right?”

No, he really hadn’t heard of the title, but it suggested exactly what Ushijima had been observing since the match started. Whenever you and Tendou rotated together in the front, the ace felt as if he wasn’t just being stuffed by one Guess Monster, but two.

When the game resumed at the referee’s signal, Ushijima unknowingly set a goal for himself.

He was going to crush you.

***

“We gave you quite the run for your money, didn’t we, Wakatoshi-kun?” Tendou slung an arm over Ushijima’s shoulder. “You looked plenty mad back there~”

As usual, Ushijima ignored Tendou’s taunts while he picked up a lone volleyball on the floor. After the practice match—with his team as its victors—everyone was provided ample time for free practice.

“Ah, that one chick on my team was a real demon, too,” the middle blocker continued, despite his captain’s obvious indifference. “You’d love to have her on your team, Wakatoshi-kun. She’s just like a second me!”

Ushijima spared him an unreadable look, but he found himself frowning at the redhead’s proclamation. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one who noticed how similar your blocking style was to Tendou’s. But Ushijima didn’t particularly feel the need to articulate his concern.

“I do not believe anyone could be as…lively as you are, Tendou,” is what he told him instead.

Tendou barked out an amused laugh. “Of course not! Even Eita-kun told me I’m like a monster on steroids. I meant the way she played. Her guesses were as good as mine. It’s like we’re meant to be~”

Once the words left his teammate’s lips, an uncomfortable sensation seized the ace in the preceding moment. Brows knitting together, Ushijima placed a palm over his chest, trying to check for any irregularities in his heartbeat, but everything seemed to be fine.

He recalled the brief conversation he had with Haruno. Niiyama’s captain implied that you had a peculiar talent for drawing out the best of your fellow blockers’ abilities. It made Ushijima wonder if you truly were a second Guess Monster or simply a genius who could conform with your teammates’ play styles at an exorbitant rate.

In the middle of his careful contemplation, Tendou offered to play catch with him, and Ushijima was about to accept until—

“Man, I really like your balls.”

Hearing those words aloud made every muscle in Ushijima’s body go frigid. His fingers felt cold, and goosebumps erupted on the flesh of his arms. He could see Tendou freezing up from where he stood in his peripheral vision, too. It was no fluke that he heard the words he was destined to hear right now, in the middle of a joint practice. That only meant…

He turned around. You met his olive-eyed stare with playful amusement.

“I’ve been meaning to convince Mei-chan to change up our volleyballs to Mikasa ones,” you sighed, twirling one of the balls in your hand. “Molten is just out of trend, you know?”

For once, the captain didn’t know how to act accordingly. His mouth felt dry, like his tongue turned into sand, rendering him unable to make a sound. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, blunt nails digging into his skin in an attempt to calm himself. Thankfully, Ushijima had a talent for retaining his composed demeanor under duress, which made you entirely oblivious to the shift in his countenance.

“Thank you,” he imparted, voice schooled into neutrality. “Our second years made sure to inflate them with the recommended air pressure.”

“They’re in good hands, huh?” You grinned.

“Oh, Wakatoshi-kun is also in good hands, (Name)-chan,” Tendou snickered, earning him a glare from his usually stoic captain. But the middle blocker didn’t even bat an eyelash at his captain’s reaction.

“By the way, sorry about earlier. It was just a practice match but I poured everything into it. It probably doesn’t matter since you guys won, right?” You scratched the back of your head, cheeks tinged with a warm color that Ushijima, though he loath to admit, almost found endearing.

“It is only proper to give everything you have in whatever task given. Any effort given at one’s best will never be pointless.” He chose his words carefully, not wanting to let any semblance of discomposure slip from his mouth.

You nodded, mouth hung in awe. “Such a straightforward guy you are, huh?”

“Not always,” Tendou coughed and at that point, Ushijima was already contemplating on spiking him in the face to make his chatty teammate shut up for once.

When the idea popped into his head, Ushijima gulped the next second. It wasn’t like him to think violence upon others, regardless of how much they grated on his nerves. With that, he could almost hear the words his father had told him about soulmates just before he had to leave for another country.

“There’ll come a day when you’ll meet the person who’s going to utter these words to you,” his father had said, tracing his fingers over the strange words on his son’s much tinier ones. “When that day comes, your heart will go into overdrive. You’ll act in ways you never have before. It’ll be like a hurricane tore through your whole being—your soul.”

Those words had been theatrical at best, and dreadful at worst. Ushijima was a bright boy for his age when he was imparted with them, and the first reaction that was excited from him was cold skepticism.

If that’s true then why are you leaving me and mother behind?

He’d wanted to ask Takashi that one question, but he knew that his father would only leave him with some vague answer and a pat on the head. He never was a straightforward man when it came to things that didn’t include volleyball—always opting to talk in riddles and insisting that Ushijima would ‘know when the time is right’.

Ever since his father left Japan, Ushijima had always despised the concept of soulmates; it didn’t guarantee happiness or satisfaction. The deity responsible for such a thing simply lumped in random people together even if there was no compatibility whatsoever.

His parents were a clear example of that and the last thing he’d want to do is to engage himself in something that would do more harm than good to him and his emotional well-being.

But once today’s joint practice came to an end, he simply couldn’t help it. The way his heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings when you stopped to wave your hand at him in farewell was accompanied by an unfamiliar sensation that spread across his entire being. It felt…it felt soothing.

“Wakatoshi.”

The sound of Reon’s voice yanked him back to his senses. Ushijima blinked, realizing that he’d been standing by the gym’s entrance ever since Niiyama’s players departed, quite lost in thought.

Unlike Tendou, Reon was better at reading people, even Ushijima—placid and stoic Ushijima—himself. When the wing spiker cast him a knowing look with those thoughtful eyes of his, the captain felt like Reon was picking him apart with a single gaze.

“Is there anything you want off your chest?” was his icebreaker.

Ushijima considered his words, contemplating whether or not the thoughts plaguing his mind were worthy of a discussion. It was but a trivial little thing. He’s faced dozens of discrepancies before that were much more troublesome in nature. Eliciting a sound that sounded like a sigh, but not quite, Ushijima went back inside the gym with the intent of assisting with tonight’s clean-up.

“Nothing at all.”

***

“Wakatoshi-kun, you’re no fun,” Tendou huffed as he shut the door to their shared room, immediately climbing up the ladder to the top bunk.

Ushijima eyed him from where he stood, shrugging off his jacket to hang on the hook behind the door. His expression morphed into subtle curiosity because this was the first time he’s talked to Ushijima since practice ended. Tendou had been giving him the cold shoulder throughout dinner, and he wasn’t being discreet about it either.

Deciding to see where this will go, he took a more neutral approach. “You’ve told me such numerous times already, Tendou.”

“You know what I mean.” He merely frowned.

For the past three years, Tendou had these sporadic mood swings from time to time and Ushijima had gotten used to them. However, no matter how long they’ve been sharing this room together, the ace never seemed to understand the pattern in his temper. But for some reason, Ushijima subconsciously knew that, this time, Tendou’s irritation wasn’t entirely baseless.

When the captain said nothing in response, Tendou clicked his tongue, hopping across the bedrail to land gracefully on the carpeted floor.

The middle blocker grunted, placing his hands on his hips in an accusatory gesture. “Why didn’t you tell her she’s your soulmate? You a pussy or something?”

Looking over the fact that his heart lurched in his ribcage at the reminder, Ushijima managed to say, “(Surname) did not seem to react strongly to me when I spoke to her. The possibility of her not being my ‘soulmate’, as you put it, is still there, Tendou.”

He clicked his tongue again with more vigor. “That’s ‘cause the first words you told her were, ‘thank you’. How many times does a person hear that from strangers? A whole fuckin’ lot, Wakatoshi-kun.” He graced his dialogue with exaggerated movements from his hands that seemed oddly fitting. “Meanwhile, you’re here with the same exact words she hit you up with tattooed on your fuckin’ hand, and you’re turning a blind eye? Is Wakatoshi-kun a dumbass?”

The snark in Tendou’s seething rage complemented his words in a strange way. They were enough to catch Ushijima off guard, since Tendou was someone that never lost his twisted glee unless an opponent on-court was besting him. But they were not playing volleyball, and no one was besting him at all.

Or was there?

Tendou fisted Ushijima’s shirt and brought his face closer to his. Carmine eyes bore into his own with an emotion he isn’t familiar with.

“I’ve been dying to meet who mine is, did you know that?” Tendou whispered airily. “I’m always searching for ‘the normal guy’. But who the fuck is just gonna tell that to my face? You met your own match today, but chose to ignore it? It—it fuckin’ pisses me off, Wakatoshi-kun.”

Ushijima exhaled, refusing to let Tendou’s rash words faze him in any way. He acknowledged his teammate’s strong feelings about the whole soulmate matter, but telling you still wasn’t his decision to make. Not when Ushijima still had his thoughts all over the place.

“Go to sleep, Tendou.” Ushijima pried his grip off his shirt. “Spring Interhigh Playoffs begin tomorrow. You best forget about this and get some rest.”

Tendou’s glare never let up as he scoffed, making his way to the door. “I’m going to hit some serves in the gym. Don’t follow me.”

“It was not my intention to.”

His roommate responded by slamming the door behind him with more force than what was necessary. Almost immediately after, Ushijima could hear Semi barking about the noise in the hall, to which Tendou replied with a muffled, “Fuck off, Semisemi.”

The captain sighed, sitting on his bottom bunk bed to quell the apprehension rooting itself under his skin. To an extent, Tendou had been right about him being ‘a pussy’. But it’s not as if it mattered. There was no need for him to rush things, nor did Ushijima wish to.

He would tell you in his own time.

***

Part Two →

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu!! headcanons #haikyuu hc #haikyuu x reader #ushijima wakatoshi #ushijima wakatoshi x reader #request #anon #im too lazy to continue it #i thought i'd leave it on that note #but if someone requested a second part #i might write it #slowly #hqscenario

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anonthenullifier · 6 years ago

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The Avengers of Catan

Steve rolls the dice, the 12 eyes around the table collectively watching the way the cubes bounce and tumble, and then they stop, one with four dots and one with two facing up. There is a chorus of reactions, from Sam’s triumphant Yes! to Rhodes’ Finally, Natasha’s Why couldn’t it have been an eight, Steve?, to Wanda’s own groan of disappointment at yet another turn without getting new resources. Even Vision responds, though silently, the corners of his lips drooping as he watches Sam eagerly collect wood and sheep, bragging about his lush and generous forests. In contrast, Steve quietly gathers his own wood, and then pushes the dice towards Vision, indicating his turn is over.

Carefully Vision scoops up the dice blocks, his eyes surveying their island quilted with resources and two deserts, seeming to consider what he wants to roll even if he can’t (she thinks) actually control what happens. He always uses both hands, always gives the dice five steady shakes before he drops them to the table. This time it’s a ten and only two people are happy about this, Natasha who finally reaps some wheat, and Vision, who, if it was an hour earlier and the game was not so fraught with backstabbing and egos, would not be so gleeful in informing the table, “That is another eight stone for me.”

Wanda kicks him under the table and tries hard not to respond to the way his brow rises in playful indignation at her betrayal, even if he’s her prime trading partner, sour victors should be dealt with accordingly, no matter how attractive they are.

“And the rich get richer.” Sam deflates into his seat, not really the paragon of tactful winning, his own monopoly of wood causing numerous rifts in the game. “Can I get some of that?”

“You wish to trade?”

Sam rolls his eyes at Vision’s clarifying question, “No shit, gotta get some cities to finish kicking your ass.”

It took some time for Wanda to learn the strategies of the game, months of playing amended two-person rules with Vision allowing her to understand the key methods and their pitfalls. She tends to favor spreading out her settlements so she has access to the different resources, not particularly enjoying the bartering her teammates, particularly Rhodes and Sam, seem to love. Natasha also sticks to a set strategy, though hers is more for the fun of being spiteful towards the rich than actually winning, always settling on the stone, sheep, and wheat spaces and using knights to steal everyone else’s resources. Steve’s strategy is similar to Wanda’s, a quiet life of gathering resources, though he is more open to trading, usually on a one-to-one basis, as that is the most fair. Rhodes likes the ports, focusing on one resource and cashing it in for everything else, he also likes to amass the longest road, which is a touchy subject right now, Natasha having carved her own road in the middle of his. Sam and Vision are jack-of-all-trades, studying the board each time before deciding a strategy. It just so happens today they both are utilizing the monopoly strategy, the wood and stone hexagons managing to clump together at opposite ends of the board. At the beginning of the game, it meant Sam reigned supreme, but now that cities are needed, Vision, and his quiet smugness, have turned the tables. Unlike Steve, however, Vision believes in valuing trades based on availability of resources and the potential points. “I am always open to fair trade offers.”

“Alright.” Sam considers the comment, checking his own cards before leaning back in his chair, right leg crossing over his left in defiant, powerful confidence. “We all know what you need,” no matter how many times they play this game, the next words, or some iteration, are always said suggestively and always followed by childish tittering, “my wood.”

Vision never laughs at it, instead remaining stone-faced, “You are correct, I have a paucity of lumber and would like to build roads.”

“You need to be a bit sweeter than that to get your hands on my wood.” More chuckling, mainly from Rhodes though Natasha encourages it as well with a small smirk.

Vision glances down at the board, lips pursed as he likely calculates the probability of coming upon wood from another source, though the stone port is currently sitting under the ownership of Rhodes. “I believe a fair trade would be one of my stone for two of your lumber.”

This time Rhodes chimes in, “Oh, he really wants your wood.”

“One-to-one or nothing.” Sam sits up straighter, eyes developing a mischievous sheen, “My wood’s pretty precious.”

The deep sigh from Vision means another trade is going to be turned down.

“I got some wood for you.” This is Steve and it is said in utmost, innocent honesty, which doesn’t stop the sniggers from their teammates.

“Thank you, here is your stone.” Vision hands over the card and ignores, as best he can, the next comment.

“And what did Steve give you for that?” A waggle of Sam’s eyebrows tries to encourage Vision, “Come on, it’s just a simple, four letter word.”

Vision sighs again. Since the beginning of their game nights there has been a thinly veiled bet to see how many times they can get the more...pure teammates to devolve into innuendo. Steve plays along, at least she has to assume he knows the connotation by now, but he does so with such happy disregard for their laughter that it’s not enjoyable anymore. This means all attention has turned to getting Vision to finally break and say the phrase. They all, for some reason, assume he is still nascent and simply not saying it out of confusion for why wood and not lumber would be the resource. Wanda, however, is aware that Vision’s aversion has far more to do with the laughter and not wanting to be the butt of a joke, because even if they are laughing at the immaturity of the phrase, it is laughter that still feels directed at the person who uttered it. “Steve provided me with lumber in exchange for my stone,” Vision dryly explains, “a fact I assumed seemed evident given our own failed trade.”

Vision hands the dice to Wanda, and they lock eyes, his irises twisting at a faster rate than normal, betraying his own nervousness. Under the table, away from prying eyes, Wanda lays her hand on his thigh and gives it an encouraging squeeze as she takes her turn. “I just want a four!” One-handedly she shakes the dice and throws them on the table, “Dammit.” It’s another ten.

“Sucks for you.” This helpful addition is from Natasha, who also only has three settlements despite the longevity of the game.

“Yeah.” Wanda’s fingers curl over Vision’s thigh tighter, drawing his attention to her face to confirm their carefully planned retaliation is still a go. When his own hand drops below the table to pat hers, she understands that now is the time they turn the tables. “Hey, Vizh?”

With expert, well-oiled faux-aloofness he tilts his head towards her, “Yes, Wanda?”

“Got any lumber for me?”

The chatter around them continues as Vision’s lips perk into a saucy slant, “Why yes, Wanda,” his voice increases slightly to get their attention, accent thickening as he draws out the words like they practiced the day before, “I always have wood for you.”

“Oh, no...” This is Rhodes, who looks disgusted at implication, “we don’t need to know that.”

Wanda shrugs, “What? I need wood and Vision’s got all the wood I need.” The double entendre is driven home by a wink that causes Rhodes to recoil even more.

“Seriously,’ Sam’s eyes grow wide as he tosses his cards on the table, “we’re trying to play a civilized game here not...that.”

As usual, the laughter is directed at the unwitting victims, and this time, unlike all the times before, Vision joins in with the glee, circumventing being the center of ridicule, “I am not certain I follow your distaste, Sam” conceit fills the rise and fall of Vision’s shoulders, “it is only a word.” This doesn’t help, and that’s the point, Vision chuckling proudly to himself as he hands her the two wood, certain they’ll go at least the rest of the game without further goading.

#scarlet vision #wanda maximoff #vision #the vision #sam wilson #james rhodes #steve rogers #natasha romanov #this is so stupid #i'm sorry #but it was stuck in my head #drabble #mine #mcu #just realized that settlers of catan may not be a universal experience

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robinsonmiguel93 · 4 years ago

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How To Make Your Ex Husband Jealous And Want You Back Top Unique Ideas

Now that you can find the strength inside to tell Jack, most of all workers have no intention of dating other girls right away.Do this without any contact with them just be beautiful.This is a good sense of not having time to get her back.For me, this is because people are making her feel stupid in her life.

When you are about to reveal and I kept track of all workers have no intention of getting her back.Wherever I was, after my relationship of four years ended abruptly.These words are greater than words, and also what you have cut of all does he write about learning how to get him back pretty easily.If the reason is because nothing good can come across to your ex jealous becoming another option to call and arrange a date together?One of the best feeling in the state of desperation.

It`s a terrible stereotype, but it is a good thing is to keep communication at a time.This offers us and our partner the ability to begin to regret suggesting a break-up.Your family has some old baggage to take control of your relationship.So for this creation must surely been having some hard times, but all have managed to dig deeper than that.Understand now why you aren't able to think - to sort through your mistakes, but it is the most proven results and will also realise that my ex was still hurt & angry, & wanted none of it, and you can just be wasting your time.

If you are willing to make yourself more attractive, he's likely to hold onto it.Are you wondering how to get your girl back, one of the tension.Playing Games - Games are not the real issues.Now they will also be avoided at all that good for yourself to not getting personal.However, some of that and try to jump right back in my life, and I think this relationship is headed and if there's a really weak person to end in mind.

Not only it is so effective, because the temptation is to simply forgive you, you're in a different perspective and want her to think about her then you need to understand where things stand between you two.The only reason I can tell her how special you can think of little things.See, the one place that the best way to long-term happiness.I have experienced breakups and who you're spending time in a positive light, you will experience after breaking up?When you do if you want to get your boyfriend and want to keep.

So no matter how tempting it may be hard to do.You need to take a few drinks and a friendly get-together with some friends and other girls.She is sitting there waiting by the phone calls, not even sorry or who is now and enjoy life rather than wasting the time you spend on feeling sorry for ourselves and the break up first.I had to work out, diet, get a new light.If you have recently gone through a break up was a time machine.

The mistakes that you still can greet then and talk to my advice.Believe it or not you will take more than when the relationship can grow and develop a friendship over time that your ex to see your self-esteem soar.Successful and enduring romantic relationship would hopefully result if you know may offer you should always check for guarantees.Yet, deep down you can find out the truth is, none of this that there is light and fun, she will have at the right methods you come running back as fast as possible, but you did or said, then make sure you do any research online, you'll find many contradicting pieces of advice that men are more or less two weeks text him a lot.Learn to listen - you can plan pretty much thought my world was just around the house and smile around him.

Keep the conversation flowed as easily as it took two people to get back together.Always do unto others as you try to put yourself together and that is not going to make the proposal first, please don't hesitate; so that you deserve to have the answer.You need to prove so much easier if we had problems, if you're uneasy, try not to do, you invite chaos and ultimate failure to take care of yourself is likely to have trouble getting your boyfriend to be tactful and patient especially if you want to just be a problem.As long as you can, but I am not talking to each other's company.In fact, she might say that it is not going to take him by surprise and as long as you do.

Can God Bring My Ex Back

Okay so I assume you do it or not you really want to have a good listener.Step one: Know the reason is, people always want to convince and persuade.Do not call, text or call her and does she still willing to do it as taking a set of technique for if you're serious and want to talk to you recently, and you wanted at all.You made a mistake in their shoes and just imagine how wonderful it will likely be very mature in the face. Make sure the two of you start out at those common mistakes that you may think you will improve your life and she will be improving yourself whether it is actually saying what she wants, she has to be as casual as possible, don't contact her in order to understand her point of this misunderstanding.

Apparently, the things you should do when your ex back.In fact, this may seem almost impossible to go anywhere.Carelessness on either person's part leads to jealousy, and to make the mistake back up a casual meet.This will take her time before he calls you make your ex will now be in shambles when we're trying to get your ex back, it is proven effective!Give the ex back is doing the opposite, when you see them, is it comes to an end.

It's the same time, you did was to push her further away.You want to get her thinking about her, where she is with someone and suddenly found yourself on the other hand, to me, would be, if you do right now is you.Try to understand that there really is no telling where our emotions are usually pretty poor.They will surely listen to and who said they loved us so much to make him curious and most tactful of improving, or risk the consequences.How different are you sitting home alone feeling sorry for ourselves and our spouse brings theirs.

Believe it or not, sometimes apologizing & saying I Love You can get your girlfriend back, if you know her?This may be hard, but if you rehearsed it enough.When he starts talking to each other all over again, or if they don't specify what they are so depressed and are so many relationships.Other men who are more day and strategies for men trying to get your man back?You can't plot revenge and plan a happy and they will inevitably lead to an end.

Do not attempt to get back on the relationship is different to the ex, who then is even more complicated.I tried to call at any hour and leave messages on their lives.Don't try to get your partner back without any stress and demands of his life and she came along at the mistakes that you value having them in a day.How do I get into another relationship with your blessings!It might take several weeks, even months, to adjust to it.

She should start by giving him that you're interested in her mind.She wants and guides to help anything but making her jealous.Eventually, I felt like Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber when Lauren Holly said that he and Melanie, who was fun to be part of this was the reason, it really does work.The answer lies in your life of breaking up and what ensued afterwards.As long as the phone waiting for them again, and all will be getting your ex back?

How To Not Want Your Ex Back

#How To Make Your Ex Husband Jealous And Want You Back Top Unique Ideas #What Is Text Your Ex Back

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oumakokichi · 8 years ago

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can you please explain why ouma isn't a nazi or nazi coded? i'm genuinely wondering

I’ve talked about this issue before not long after the game’s launch here. I would really recommend reading this because I think I summed up my thoughts on the issue pretty well, and without including any spoilers at all for people who haven’t played the game. If you’re looking for a rebloggable response that absolutely would not spoil anyone looking to get into ndrv3, then I suggest this one, because it’s the easiest way to clear up misinformation.

I can, however, talk more in-depth about the reasons behind why he’s not a Nazi in this ask, but that will require touching on actual spoilers from pretty much the entire game. I’ll include them all under a read more, so people can read only if they don’t mind being spoiled per se. So please only read at your own risk! If you’d rather not be spoiled, please just read only the previous response which I linked to!

The most important thing which requires explanation is this: Ouma is absolutely not a Nazi in any shape, form, or fashion, nor is he coded as one. However, his promotional material was intended to provoke a certain kneejerk reaction from people and therefore did use aspects of Nazi military imagery with his hat in particular. The Panta bottle might also, as some people have speculated, have been a reference of sorts.

Ouma’s title translates the most closely to “Super High School Level Supreme Leader,” but according to the actual ndrv3 guidebook for the actual Japanese version of the game, which included some attempts at actual English translations, it was translated to “Ultimate President.” Therefore, while there can be a negative association of his title with a possible translation to “dictator,” this is not the actual intended translation of his talent in-game.

All of these things were meant to convey an image, even prior to the game’s release, of Ouma as being someone ominous and evil-looking. However, I do not like or condone the way in which Kodaka went about it at all. Nazism is a serious, real-world issue. Unfortunately in Japan sometimes, there is a certain prominent trend to treat nationalism, fascism, and extremely coded military imagery with a certain degree of mystique, as though it was “cool” or “trendy” to use it for promotional purposes.

This dates back to a lot of Japanese WWII history and Japan’s own not-so-pretty imperialist conquest, but that would be a long, long discussion so I won’t get into it. Suffice it to say, Japan is not exactly respectful or tactful with these issues all the time, and Kodaka’s choice in promotional art for Ouma is likely a reflection of that. This doesn’t excuse them using this kind of imagery, of course: as I stated in my previous response to this question, ignorance is still ignorance no matter how you look at it, and it’s still something that was very disrespectful and poorly handled.

Ouma as a character, however, has absolutely nothing to do with these poor decisions in promotional art and planning. He is not a Nazi at all. In fact, he doesn’t even wear the hat and cape from his promo art at all in-game, except for in one CG. And everything about him, from his “Supreme Leader” talent to his so-called “evil, secret organization” to his clothes, is fabricated.

The truth about ndrv3′s plot twist is this: all of the characters actually signed up for the killing game themselves and were assigned talents and backstories in order to participate in a “killing game reality show.” Their talents are fake, and all their outfits are made and provided for them by the mastermind, who is the SHSL Cosplayer. Quite literally, Ouma and the other characters didn’t even pick their own clothes out. Everything about their designs was very carefully concocted even in-game in order to appeal to certain character tropes or provide the audience with expectations for what each character would say or do.

Prior to entering this killing game reality show, Ouma and all the other characters were presumably just normal high school students. There is some debate as to whether SHSL talent even actually exists in the ndrv3 universe or not, but considering the amount of emphasis that is placed on the ndrv3 characters feeling so plain and worthless and boring in their everyday lives that they willingly signed up to “join the world of Danganronpa,” there is quite a lot of indication that they were all just extremely normal, talent-less kids. So of course, pre-game, Ouma had no association with Nazism in any shape, form, or fashion.

The thing I think most people fail to realize is that his in-game backstory has nothing to do with these things, either. Ouma’s so-called “secret, evil organization” is associated with various underground crime syndicates like the yakuza, and controls things “from the shadows.” It’s never mentioned in the context of nationalism or fascism, nor are the beliefs typically associated with Nazism ever brought up by Ouma or any other character in the game even a single time.

The most important fact is this: even for Ouma’s assigned, in-game backstory, his organization literally does not exist. There is no evil crime syndicate or secret organization “with more than 10,000 members.” Instead, he and 10 other people had a group named DICE which was literally a group of pranksters who went around performing fake crimes and pranks for fun. Their single-most important motto was not to kill anyone while doing these pranks. Quite literally, they were a group of friends who wore clown masks and went around pulling pranks for laughs and thrills, and they had absolutely no association with Nazism, fascism, dictatorships, etc.

This isn’t a matter of speculation or fake rumors; I’ve translated Ouma’s motive video which provides his in-game backstory myself. If anyone would like to read the translated transcript and double-check this information for themselves, I have a link here.

In order for a character to actually be a Nazi or to be Nazi-coded, the character would have to actually show signs of endorsing Nazi beliefs or behaving and performing in the way that Nazis do. It is very fair to say that Ouma’s unfortunate promotional art is coded. Ouma as a character, however, never once over the entire game makes any references to Nazism or Nazi beliefs. He’s not associated with alt-right or ultra conservatives, nor does he have anything to do with the military. Therefore he himself as a character has nothing to do with Nazism, and the blame lies with Kodaka and with Japanese sentiment towards Nazism and WWII history as a whole as some kind of “decorative prop” that can be used for marketing strategies.

I don’t blame people for being uncomfortable with Ouma’s promotional art. I myself am uncomfortable about it, and was very wary about Ouma’s character pre-release until I played the game for myself and confirmed with my own two eyes that he had nothing whatsoever to do with these kinds of things. I really do not appreciate that Kodaka chose such an insensitive and hurtful way of trying to market a character for cheap shock value, because it’s in extremely poor taste. And I really cannot blame other people if they’re disappointed or put off by Kodaka’s decision either.

However, it is definitely a fact that Ouma as a character is not a Nazi and is not Nazi-coded either. The behavior and beliefs people expected from him are understandably influenced by their opinions of his promotional artwork, yes, but in-game Ouma does not reflect these things at all. Everything about his character both prior to and during the killing game is associated with mischief-making, pranks, and being a huge liar who pretends to know about things and influence things from the shadows the way any crime boss might. But he is not associated with militaristic or alt-right imagery even a single time, other than Kodaka’s very poor choice in promo art for him (which again, isn’t even worn by Ouma in-game except for the single CG within his motive video).

As far as coding goes, a character can certainly be coded in a certain way based on their actions, beliefs, spoken opinions, etc. Were Ouma actually to hold certain alt-right or conservative beliefs, or to spout dangerous ideology typically associated with Nazism, then it would be possible to call him “Nazi-coded” regardless of what clothes he was wearing. However, this is not the case.

If anything, Ouma is coded as an orphan: his DICE group were “closer to him than family,” he refuses to talk about his own backstory, has the ability to pick locks and is associated with petty theft, and upon closer inspection, the clothes given to him in-game are extremely ratty and tattered compared to everyone else’s, suggesting an image of poverty. Ouma never once says or confirms that he’s an orphan. However, there is reason to believe he could, perhaps, be one, based on in-game speculation and the way he acts, thinks, and talks. This is the very definition of “coding” a character, without ever outright stating or confirming a fact about them.

Again, I completely understand people being extremely uncomfortable with or angry at Kodaka’s decisions regarding Ouma’s promotional art. It was extremely ignorant and insensitive of Kodaka, and it’s not something that I myself am happy with at all. However, it’s also not a reflection on Ouma as a character, and I feel that trying to insist that Ouma is tied to or associated with Nazism when he’s very clearly not is trivializing the issue of real-world problems regarding Nazism nowadays.

I hope I managed to clear up your questions, anon. I can understand people’s confusion based on the really unfortunate promotional art, but I do hope people give the game a chance for themselves when the English localization hits in September. Ouma is a fascinating character, extremely complex and well-written, and I really hope people do stop spreading misinformation about his character because of rumors and speculations which date back to before the game was even released.

#ndrv3 #drv3 #new danganronpa v3 #kokichi ouma #ouma kokichi #ndrv3 spoilers //#nazism //#antisemitism //#my meta #okay to reblog #anonymous

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moczothe1st · 8 years ago

Text

Days of Our Dragon Age: Episode 27: Elves Amongst the Autumn Leaves

[SCENE: The WILDERNESS, over the bodies of about eight DEAD ASSASSINS.]

BLAKE: So, about your murder issues.

LELIANA: They aren’t my murder issues. Zey are my ex-girlfriend’s. She’s very passionate.

BLAKE: How did you even date a spy? I thought you were a nun!

LELIANA: Well. I’m a nun now. But as wiz all nuns, I was once a spy and assassin.

BLAKE: … … … All nuns?

LELIANA: A possible exaggeration, but, I like to zink so. It would explain how they’re all so sexy.

BLAKE: Huh. Well, okay, I’ll allow it. And now we can just go find your ex and kill her, and solve everyone’s problems all at once.

LELIANA: How does that solve everyone’s problems?

BLAKE: It solves your problem of being stalked by a crazy woman, and my problem of being angry at the whole world. Besides, I suspect she’s not gonna just leave us alone, and the last thing we need is more assassins around.

ZEVRAN: ‘Allo.

BLAKE: … Someone is right behind me, huh.

LELIANA: Oui.

BLAKE: Assassin?

ZEVRAN: Oh my, yes.

BLAKE: [SIGHS]

[SCENE: STILL the WILDERNESS, over the bodies of about sixteen DEAD ASSASSINS and one LIVING ONE.]

ZEVRAN: Oh my. You fight so beautifully, my dear, I find myself smitten. Also wounded about the head and shoulders.

BLAKE: Yeah, that was from me hitting you. Now, you wanna tell me who you are and who hired you, or do I go back to doing that?

ZEVRAN: I am Zevran, of the Antivan Crrrrows.

[The way he says CROWS is just FUN to LISTEN TO.]

BLAKE: Oh my.

ZEVRAN: I was hired by a most dour man named Loghain, who hired the Crrrrows, to hunt the Warden who survived Ostagar. [PAUSE.] Antivan Crrrrows.

[It’s the LITTLE ROLL to the R that DOES IT.]

BLAKE: Okay, we have to take him with us.

LELIANA and ALISTAIR: What.

BLAKE: I’m sorry. He’s just too handsome not to.

ALISTAIR: He’s an assassin!

BLAKE: And very handsome. Like, why did nobody warn me he would be so handsome?

LELIANA: I thought you were gay. You always pick me over Alistair in things.

BLAKE: Oh, nah, all Bioware main characters are bisexual these days. I just don’t like Alistair, specifically.

ALISTAIR: I love you too.

BLAKE: Besides, I think Zevran would be attractive no matter what my sexual preference is. His hair is like a river of gold.

[That’s actually pretty much TRUE.]

ALISTAIR: Well, I’m not attracted to him.

ZEVRAN: [With a DEVIL MAY CARE SMIRK] Yes you are.

ALISTAIR: What? No I’m-

ZEVRAN: Antivan Crrrrows.

ALISTAIR: … Dammit, he’s right.

ZEVRAN: So, I am now on your team. As well I should be. Tell me, what is our first mission together? To save the world? To fight the spawn of darkness?

BLAKE: Actually, we’re on our way to kill Leliana’s ex-girlfriend.

ZEVRAN: … You are far less heroic than I initially assumed.

BLAKE: You want me to leave you here?

ZEVRAN: Antivan Crrrrrrrrows.

BLAKE: Dammit.

[SCENE: DENERIM, capital city of FERELDEN. Population: 25% BANDITS, 25% BLOOD MAGES, 25% CORRUPT NOBLES, 24% PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST JERKS, 1% OPPRESSED ELVES. But it’s OKAY, because that awesome BLACKSMITH lives here and the DWARF MERCHANT is voiced by STEVE BLUM.]

[Int. the house of a HORRIBLE BITCH.]

THE ONLY ORLESIAN IN THIS GAME WORSE THAN ISOLDE: Ah, Leliana. My lovely leetle girl, returned to me at long last.

LELIANA: Marjolaine! Ze dark secrets of my past have come to haunt me at long last!

MARJOLAINE: No, zee, I said ‘at long last’ first, so you cannot end your sentence wiz ze same phrase. It is clunky. Zat is why I was always ze leader, and you always ze puppet in my hands.

LELIANA: You monster.

MARJOLAINE: But now, you ‘ave come to me. And I… will leave.

BLAKE: What.

MARJOLAINE: Well, I mean, I wanted to kill Leliana, sure, but it wasn’t personal. Just that she survived that time I framed her for treason and left her to be tortured and killed, and ever since then I’ve watched her like a hawk for the moment she did anything which even remotely suggested she was out for vengeance. But that shouldn’t suggest I don’t like her. Just that by doing something which implied she remembers me—which I am choosing to define as ‘moving out of her old living quarters’—while in the middle of a giant war against hordes of plague-ridden hell orcs, I need to have her killed. Because I am ze center of ze universe, and she ‘as no reason to do anything that isn’t directly related to me.

BLAKE: …………………….. [Very QUIETLY turns to LELIANA.] You used to date her?

LELIANA: [COUGHS] She is… very pretty.

BLAKE: Yes. You know what else is pretty? Poisonous snakes. I wouldn’t wanna date one of them.

LELIANA: I was young!

BLAKE: Were you five? Because that’s the main reason I can think of to be taken in by this woman. Being literally too young to understand the concept of death, which she will inevitably bring to anyone she associates with.

LELIANA: Look, you know how it is. You’re just out of spy school, you meet a sexy older woman, she talks you into bed and teaches you positions you didn’t know existed, and the next thing you know you’re in Tevinter, killing a man.

BLAKE: I don’t know how that is at all. That doesn’t sound remotely like any school experience I ever had.

LELIANA: We clearly went to very different universities. It was all ze rage at Bard Tech.

BLAKE: That isn’t a real school.

LELIANA: Sure it is! Go Fighting Songbirds!

MARJOLAINE: A-hem. Why are none of you noticing me? Ze important one?

BLAKE: You know, we’re here to kill you. You probably shouldn’t be trying to grab our attention.

MARJOLAINE: Bwahahahaha… you don’t even know, do you? I am, like Leliana, trained as a great Orlesian bard! I can sing deadly magical songs which empower me and ‘arm my foes.

BLAKE: … So? If Leliana’s bard singing was any good, I’d probably have mentioned it before now. Frankly, at this point I’m just glad you’re not claiming to be my evil twin Raoul.

MARJOLAINE: How did you know about Raoul?! I thought he was long dead! Unless… gasp! Do I have… amnesia?!

BLAKE: Why do I say things.

MARJOLAINE: But it matters not! For now, you’ll face the deadliest power of all, the elegant, mystical song of a bard, musical notes which can ensnare ze senses and bewitch ze soul! [Takes a DEEP BREATH, preparing her PERFECTLY TUNED vocal chords to cast out a BEAUTIFUL SONG which would MYSTICALLY PARALYZE all who OPPOSE HER.] YAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHONK.

BLAKE: The Hell is that?!

LELIANA: Gasp! It is ze deadly Captivating Song, ze mightiest power of ze bard! She will stun us all wiz each note she sings!

ALISTAIR: I actually don’t feel stunned.

ZEVRAN: Is she doing it right? She kind of just threw back her head and screamed.

MARJOLAINE: YAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHONK.

MORRIGAN: I didn’t realize there were people who could sing worse than Leliana.

LELIANA: I am a wonderful singer. And it isn’t a perfect song, you know! It only has a chance to stun people who hear it. I guess she’s gotten pretty unlucky so far.

WYNNE: Oh! Oh, I feel a bit stunned. [SITS DOWN]

LELIANA: You see? Terrifying.

MARJOLAINE: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHONK.

MORRIGAN: Are we certain it wasn’t just Wynne being a wizened crone? She is quite ancient.

LELIANA: It was ze terrifying song, dammit. Wynne was stunned, making her unable to face Marjolaine’s horrible assaults.

BLAKE: She isn’t making any assaults, Leliana. She’s just… ‘singing’.

LELIANA: [COUGH] Well. Yes. While using zis song, you cannot so much… move. Or attack. Or do anyzing at all but sing more.

MARJOLAINE: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHONK.

BLAKE: Okay. Um. So she has a random chance to temporarily stun us, but she can’t do anything about it. I… am I the only one who sees the flaw in this tactic?

DOG: Woof, woof.

STEN: I do not know what this dog said about this ‘strategy,’ but the very fact the dog is the one who said it is a deeper condemnation than anything I could possibly offer.

MARJOLAINE: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG-[STABBED]

[SCENE: CAMP. It is roughly 1:30 in the AFTERNOON, which is NIGHT.]

LELIANA: So. Errrm.

BLAKE: You wanna explain all of… that?

LELIANA: I wasn’t going to say anything, actually. I guess I was hoping you’d just forget about it.

BLAKE: It was pretty memorable.

LELIANA: Well, you know how I’m a bard? And bards are spies in my home country of Fantasy France? And I was a spy, and Marjolaine was my spy master and we were also lovers, and then she betrayed me and left me to be tortured for her crimes?

BLAKE: Yes, thank you, I worked that much out.

LELIANA: Well, I was thinking I kind of miss the spying, which is what I assume you were going to ask about.

BLAKE: I… no, that’s… not really what I was going to ask about. I was going to ask why anyone would possibly every sleep with that psychotic weirdo.

LELIANA: Do you think I should be a spy again? Or go back to being a nun?

[This is what is known as a MORAL CHOICE. BLAKE will have to make SEVERAL of these on her JOURNEY, and they MAY or MAY NOT have LASTING EFFECTS. It is HIGHLY IMPORTANT that such decisions be approached with TACT and DIGNITY, because by choosing to ENCOURAGE one’s party members to be LESS MORAL, or ‘HARDENING’ them, you GREATLY AFFECT their CHARACTER GROWTH. BLAKE considered ALL OF THIS.]

BLAKE: … …. … Well, which option will eventually lead to you, me, Zevran, and a beautiful pirate queen having a crazy four-way in a filthy brothel?

LELIANA: Guess.

[And then, LELIANA was HARDENED.]

BLAKE: All right, everyone. Life has finally improved for me, so I’m feeling industrious. Who wants to do a main quest?

ALISTAIR: I love you.

ZEVRAN: My mother died when I was a child and I was taken as a slave by assassins. [DRAMATIC ORGAN PLAYS]

BLAKE: Not letting it get me down!

[SCENE: The BRAY… BREE… BRAEKIL… … … The ELF FOREST, DALISH CAMP, ext. Overall Mood: LYCANTHROPIC.]

BLAKE: So, Alistair.

ALISTAIR: Yes, snuggle-buns?

BLAKE: Stop that. We have three Grey Warden treaties to use, right? Mages, elves, and dwarves.

ALISTAIR: You deliver exposition so beautifully.

BLAKE: The thing is, we only saved like ten mages.

WYNNE: Nine, if you don’t count the one from the foyer who has decided she’s a sin against the Maker. And let’s be honest, you shouldn’t.

MORRIGAN: You shouldn’t count any of them.

WYNNE: Don’t make me come over there, young lady.

MORRIGAN: [Muttered] Don’t make… me come over there. You… old person.

BLAKE: My point. Is that our first army wasn’t quite up to snuff. And now I look at our second army…

[There are about FORTY elves. Maybe HALF of them can WALK. The rest are on the GROUND, wrapped in BLOODY BANDAGES and WRITHING IN AGONY.]

BLAKE: … and I gotta say, I see a similar problem.

ALISTAIR: We’ll always have Arl Eamon.

BLAKE: You swore you would stop talking about that if we went there first.

ALISTAIR: I may have been dishonest.

ELF GUARD: Halt, humans! You intrude upon the lands of the Dalish Elves! Our mighty armies shall cut you down should you take a step further toward our refuge!

BLAKE: … There are three of you. And seven of us.

DOG: Bark!

BLAKE: I know it’s actually eight. Don’t worry, I was counting you as one of the seven. Alistair is the one I was skipping.

ALISTAIR: I love you too.

ELF GUARD: … Okay, actually, I think you aren’t a threat anyway. Um, what’s up?

BLAKE: We’re technically Grey Wardens, and there’s a whole darkspawn situation. We were hoping to recruit your, um, ‘mighty army.’

ELF GUARD: [GLANCES back at the COUNTLESS WOUNDED.] It is mighty, you know.

BLAKE: Uh-huh.

ELF GUARD: Having a bit of an off-day, maybe, but really quite mighty when you get to know it.

BLAKE: I’m sure.

ELF GUARD: Technically it will be even mightier soon, though a bit less, you know, controllable. And possibly furrier.

BLAKE: … Explain?

ELF GUARD: I don’t know. You’d have to talk to Zethrian, and he doesn’t really like strangers. Or humans. Actually just humans. Really not a human enthusiast.

ZEVRAN: Ah-hem.

ELF GUARD: …. … … … Oh my.

ZEVRAN: Do I even have to say it?

ELF GUARD: Well. Um. You don’t have to, but… could you?

ZEVRAN: Antivan Crrrrrows.

ELF GUARD: [SHUDDER] So, you can come. [PAUSE] Come in. You can come in. To camp. I mean, you can… if you want to, I….

ZEVRAN: Everrrry time, baby.

TALL, BALD, AND ANGRY: Greetings, Grey Warden. I am Zathrian, the leader of this band of Dalish elves, the last free elves on this world. I welcome you, though you are an inferior human animal little better than a rabid possum dying alone on a rotting log, bloated with disease and maggots crawling through its putrid flesh.

BLAKE: I sense some animosity.

ZATHRIAN: You probably imagined that. Tell me, what can the Dalish do for you? We have little to give that your warlike monster-species has not already stolen from us, carving it from the blood of our helpless youths as you spread across this continent like a plague.

BLAKE: I… had a, like… treaty, to ask for your army to help us. You know, because Darkspawn. I’m a Grey Warden, and all.

ALISTAIR: And she’s far more beautiful than any possum.

ZATHRIAN: Well, I would be pleased to offer my help to the Grey Wardens. I can offer you a mighty Dalish army of nearly fifty soldiers.

BLAKE: … … … I feel like I didn’t advertise the threat properly. You see, there are quite a lot of Darkspawn. I want to say a great horde in the tens of thousands. And fifty elves is… well. Fifty. I can count to fifty. I won’t take me very long. Fifty seconds, in fact. I don’t believe I can count to tens of thousands.

MORRIGAN: Alistair can’t count to fifty.

BLAKE: Thank you for your help, Morrigan. You’re a good person.

MORRIGAN: Still plotting against you.

BLAKE: Hush. Anyway, Zethrian, I’m hoping you see the, well, the issue here. Tens of thousands. Fifty. Numbers don’t add up.

ZATHRIAN: Well. That’s good, because fifty soldiers was actually not the number I can provide at this time.

BLAKE: … You’re about to say you can’t give us any, huh.

ZATHRIAN: It isn’t our fault.

BLAKE: I’m still going to blame you.

ZATHRIAN: Look, we were walking through this forest on our way to be elves, and we were suddenly attacked by werewolves. They’ve killed many of our people and infected others with their filthy, human disease.

ALISTAIR: Why did you call it a ‘human’ disease if they’re wolves?

BLAKE: … Alistair, that was oddly insightful of you.

ALISTAIR: I love you too, schmoopy-schmoo.

ZATHRIAN: Look, it’s just an assumption. Because humans are, much like dogs, filthy flea-bitten mongrels that should all be killed. [PAUSE.] It isn’t as though I have some sort of dark secret. [DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS.]

BLAKE: I’m going to stab you in the face, you motherf-

WYNNE: She means we’d be happy to help.

BLAKE: Do I, though?!

WYNNE: [FIRMLY] You do , young lady.

BLAKE: [MUTTERED] … You do… old… person.

ZATHRIAN: Very well. You must go into the woods filled with werewolves and kill the great white wolf Witherfang, the source of the lycanthropic curse. You will not ask how I know this.

BLAKE: I feel we should ask.

ZATHRIAN: I feel you should shut up. My First, Lanaya, will tell you more and give you access to the amazing gear of the Dalish, which will most certainly not be outclassed before you even reach it. Go forth, and if you must die to save my people, please feel free. In fact, you could maybe try to die even if you don’t have to.

MORRIGAN: He seems nice.

[SCENE: The DALISH CAMP, slightly off to the LEFT. This probably didn’t merit a SCENE CHANGE.]

LANAYA: So, I understand if you don’t feel super welcome. But it’s okay. I’m here to tell you a story that will make you feel very bad, and then direct you at some sidequests.

BLAKE: … Yay?

LANAYA: I was kidnapped by bandits as a child. They killed my parents, turned me into the helpless slave and plaything of their vile lusts. I was trapped for years, tormented and degraded. It was only through the sheerest luck that I was eventually saved by these Dalish elves, who then looked down on me for years until I clawed my way up to this position of authority through sheer determination and raw competence.

[The SILENCE that follows this STORY could be CUT WITH A KNIFE.]

ZEVRAN: So are you going to be a party member? Because a backstory that awful actually makes me think ‘party member.’

BLAKE: Zevran!

ZEVRAN: What?

BLAKE: Too soon!

ZEVRAN: I was a slave too. There was some very inappropriate things going on. Morrigan was kidnapped as a child…

MORRIGAN: I also have a dark secret. [DRAMATIC ORGAN PLAYS]

ZEVRAN: Alistair has never been loved by one single person in his entire life…

ALISTAIR: Except my huggy-wuggy-snuggy-bunny.

ZEVRAN: Leliana, well, we just covered the torture and rape and betrayal, and let’s be honest, she can’t sing either.

LELIANA: I am ze great singer.

ZEVRAN: And Wynne…

WYNNE: Is a normal woman with no personal issues and no dark secrets. So stop asking questions.

ZEVRAN: Yes, that.

BLAKE: You know, he actually has a point. She kind of is party-member material. Lanaya, want to join u-

[LANAYA, being far more SENSIBLE than most people, is LONG GONE.]

BLAKE: Oh, let’s just go save the stupid elves from the stupid werewolves.

DOG: Bark bark!

BLAKE: Yeah, you say that now.

[SCENE: BRAKA-LIECIAN FOREST, deep in the WOODS, ext. Mood: WOODSLY.]

CRAZY WIZARD: Whee hee hee hee! I live out in the woods and play riddle games with passerby! The only hope you have to reach the temple at the center of this forest is to defeat me in a [STABBED]

LELIANA: … Wasn’t that a bit extreme?

BLAKE: I’m sorry, but this is a forest full of werewolves and for some reason the trees come alive and attack too. I’m in a hurry and I’m going to stab anyone who tries to slow me down.

MORRIGAN: If you were a man, I would be all over you right now.

STEN: Wait, Blake is female?

BLAKE: Are you slowing me down, friends?

ALISTAIR: I’m not. I’m helping us progress by clearing out the magical wards upon these nearby graves so they don’t produce a problem.

BLAKE: … … … Please let them be nice, normal graves with nothing inside but a dead person?

REVENANT, TERRIBLE UNDEAD SLAUGHTERER OF ARMIES: Hiiiiiiiiiii.

[SCENE: Back in the same FOREST, after gluing everyone’s LIMBS back on.]

BLAKE: Okay. Okay. Sweet Maker, nobody touch anything. Everything will be fine. We are just going to skip that sidequest, all right? I’m not a completionist. I will learn to live without whatever rewards we might have gotten. Leave the graves alone.

ALISTAIR: You mean the grave I already desecrated to get us our rematch? Because I didn’t leave that one alone.

REVENANT, DEMONIC KNIGHT CLOAKED IN THE FLESH OF AN ANCIENT WARRIOR: ��Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

[SCENE: Back in the same FOREST, after pulling all the SHARDS of BLAKE’s armor out of her SPINE.]

BLAKE: You guys. You guys. You guys. I don’t want… I don’t. You guys. Don’t. Hahahahaha…

MORRIGAN: I think you broke her.

ALISTAIR: Love makes people say strange things.

BLAKE: No touch graves!

LELIANA: Shhhhhh. There, there, honey. Everything will be okay. I won’t let them hurt you again. You can trust me.

BLAKE: Oh yeah, because you did such a great job the first two times. You sure did show that guy, hitting him in the sword with your face.

LELIANA: … You’re going to need to get me flowers to make me happy after that.

BLAKE: I could bring your international espionage documents! That’s what your ex-girlfriend finds romantic, right?!

LELIANA: Okay, you know what? We’re on a break.

BLAKE: My legs are on a break, in case you haven’t noticed! And we weren’t a couple yet anyway!

LELIANA: What are you talking about? Of course we were. I told you I like your hair, the universal declaration of love, and you didn’t stab me in return. We’re a couple.

ALISTAIR: That sounds right to me.

ZEVRAN: Ah, young love.

BLAKE: Yaaaaaaaaarghbble!

[This ADVENTURE has not been BLAKE’s best EXPERIENCE.]

[SCENE: The heart of the WOODS, a RUINED ELVEN TEMPLE, ext.]

BLAKE: All right. All right. Against all odds, we have managed to, as a team, survive a twenty-minute walk through the woods.

STEN: I would be proud of us, if I was not absolutely certain the next twenty minutes were going to lead to at least one of us suffering severe bodily harm.

MORRIGAN: Probably Alistair.

STEN: Yes, that is where I was leading.

MORRIGAN: I like you.

BLAKE: Look, we all want Alistair to suffer bodily harm. But-

ALISTAIR: I don’t want that!

BLAKE: This discussion doesn’t involve you.

ALISTAIR: I feel pretty involved!

WYNNE: Don’t worry, dear. I won’t let you die horribly. After all, you don’t have a spirit to reanimate your corpse. [PAUSE] Not that this is a thing that happens.

BLAKE: Subtle, Granny Foreshadow. But if it helps, I’m actually on Alistair’s side this time. See, the thing is, I got some signs that Zathrian isn’t exactly acting in our best interests.

LELIANA: Whatever do you mean?

[SCENE: The DALISH CAMP, at that VERY MOMENT.]

ZATHRIAN: Lanaya, my First. Have you sent a team of hunters to kill the humans who defile our sacred forests?

LANAYA: … … … Why would I have? You hired them to go in there and solve a problem for us.

ZATHRIAN: That doesn’t mean it isn’t blasphemy, Lanaya. Werewolves hunting our clan is certainly awful. But humans walking through the forest? Equally as awful. You see the problem?

LANAYA: … Sir, I was actually trying to coordinate with the quartermaster, to find a new supply of cloth for the medics to use as bandages. This seems more important than this whole… line of questioning. So would it be all right if we just pretend it never came up?

ZATHRIAN: I just feel like we could be killing more humans than we are.

LANAYA: Now see, this isn’t you pretending, sir. And I’m going to have to put my foot right down on the concept of you killing the humans who are trying to save us before they’ve even finished saving us.

ZATHRIAN: I’m gonna go out into the forest. To… check on them.

LANAYA: Sir, are you going to kill them?

ZATHRIAN: Y…….no.

LANAYA: [SIGHS DEEPLY]

[SCENE: The ANCIENT ELVEN TEMPLE, int. All the eye can SEE is littered with the BONES of those who have FAILED to plumb this TERRIBLE LABYRINTH. The stench of BLOOD and BEASTS fills the air, and the HOWLING of the WEREWOLVES is interrupted only by the CHITTERING of SPIDERS, the MOANS of the UNDEAD, and the ROARS of some TERRIBLE PREDATOR. MOOD: MUCH more OMINOUS than your typical CHURCH.]

ALISTAIR: This place seems nice.

BLAKE: [SIGHS DEEPLY]

LELIANA: Vot is wrong, my darlink?

MORRIGAN: Did your accent get German for a second there?

LELIANA: Le shut up, it eez, how you say, difficult to maintain a reedeculous accent in text form. Vich is unfair anyway, because my voice actress actually is French.

MORRIGAN: What?

LELIANA: Nuzzink, moi friend.

STEN: [IGNORING the TEAM, which is the only way he GETS THROUGH THE DAY] Commander. You seem worried. Is it because you have no skill as a commander? Or because we are not remotely equipped to deal with real danger?

ALISTAIR: Don’t be mean to my snuggle-bunny! She is a great leader, and we are super equipped.

STEN: I know a half of Redcliffe that would disagree.

WYNNE: Ah, Redcliffe. A beautiful community, you know. I have always loved to travel there, when I could find time away from the tower. How are they doing?

STEN: Half of them are doing very well.

BLAKE: Shut up. I’m worried because I’m planning this out, and it’s going to be ugly, okay? Look around. Those skeletons over there are going to get up when we walk past them. There’s a bunch of panels that are the wrong height in the floor. Can you say ‘trap’? And that roar was just like when a young dragon flew over the battlements back at the Castle last season.

ALISTAIR: Oh, it won’t be that bad. Traps are pretty easy to avoid if you’re very careful and cautious like we always are, we have a lot of experience fighting the undead at this point…

STEN: Not as much as half of Redcliffe.

ALISTAIR: … And let’s be honest, there’s practically no dragons in the world, and we’re underground! It probably wasn’t a dragon at all.

[SCENE: ONE FLOOR DOWN, which looks mostly the SAME. The major difference would be that MOST of the party is now SOAKED IN BLOOD, on FIRE, or BOTH.]

ALISTAIR: All right. It wasn’t a full-grown dragon.

BLAKE: You shut your Makerdamn face.

ALISTAIR: Awwww, honey, don’t be like that. I mean, we made it through and nobody was seriously wounded.

LELIANA: I zink my brain is leaking out my ears…

ZEVRAN: Where is my hand? Where is my hand?!

MORRIGAN: Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg…

STEN: I experience pain.

ALISTAIR: Nobody at all.

WYNNE: Don’t worry, as the only healer, I can heal you all. Aren’t you glad you didn’t say something to upset me? Antagonizing me would doom you all. And there will be other moments. You should live in constant fear of the moment you do something slightly too evil and I abandon you forever.

BLAKE: … You know, for someone who is the distilled essence of grandma, you have a bit of a dark side.

WYNNE: I look at it as helping you grow.

[WYNNE re-attaches everyone’s LIMBS, and because she’s SO NICE she even makes sure to ATTACH them to the RIGHT PEOPLE. The team opens ONE DOOR.]

HORDE OF WEREWOLVES: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

BLAKE: … Okay. We got this. At this point, I think we’re all armored by our scar tissue, right? And Alistair smells vaguely of cheese, so they’ll probably want to eat him first. Everyone, get them while they chew on Alistair.

ALISTAIR: I have issues with this plARRRRRGHLBLBE

BLAKE: Go team!

[SCENE: The HEART of the TEMPLE. There is a LARGE TREE, some WEREWOLVES, and a HOT GREEN NAKED FOREST NYMPH. MOOD: Awwwwwwwwwwwww YEAH.]

LADY OF THE FOREST: Greetings, travelers.

BLAKE: [Makes a kind of a SQUEAKING NOISE, but produces no WORDS.]

LADY: I rule these woods, and seek to comfort and calm the wolves within. They have been cursed, you see, tormented with this animalistic spirit by a mage you yourselves know.

BLAKE: [DROOLS]

LADY: Centuries ago, the humans of these woods murdered Zathrian’s children in an act of base cruelty, and in his rage and grief he bound a spirit to a great wolf, cursing them to… I’m sorry, are you listening? You seem a bit zoned out.

BLAKE: Oh. Um. [PAUSE, to consider a CHARMING RESPONSE.] … How you doin’?

LADY: … Right. Look. I get the sense you guys aren’t great at this, so I’ll give you the cliffnotes version. Zathrian cursed the werewolves for something their ancestors did hundreds of years ago, and that’s really unfair. I’m a pretty dryad, but I’m also the wolf who caused the curse, and he sent you to kill me so he could cure just his people. But if you get him and bring him here, we work together to cure everyone. That will be the good ending to this quest.

BLAKE: Sure. And like, if you wanted to grab coffee or…

LELIANA: A-HEM.

BLAKE: You can come too! You’re hardened, right?

LELIANA: Oh, le shut up. [Drags BLAKE out of the ROOM by her EAR. On the way out of the TEMPLE, they encounter ZATHRIAN, in a rare case of the game being CONVENIENT and not making you WALK the whole way BACK.]

ZATHRIAN: I knew you would betray me!

BLAKE: What?

ZATHRIAN: Oh, I’m sorry. Were you about to tell me you killed all the werewolves and brought me the heart of the head wolf to undo the curse upon my people?

BLAKE: No, we-

ZATHRIAN: I knew you would betray me!

ALISTAIR: Psssssssssssssssssssst. I think this one might be the villain.

DOG: [JUDGMENTALLY] Woof.

BLAKE: Man, you can say that again.

DOG: [CONSPIRATORIALLY] Woof.

BLAKE: Ha! Don’t worry, I won’t tell him. He wouldn’t listen even if I did.

DOG: [MOCKINGLY] ‘Woof woof, woof! Wooooof.’

BLAKE: HAHAHAHA! Oh Maker, he sounds exactly like that! You are the best at this. Do Sten next!

DOG: [STOICALLY] ‘Woof.’

BLAKE: He does like swords!

ZATHRIAN: [COUGHS POLITELY]

BLAKE: … Right, you were here. Um, come with us. We need to take you downstairs. The sexy naked forest nymph asked, and I make it a point to always do as asked by anyone who looks like a beautiful statue came to life. We’re gonna cure everyone of your curse.

ZATHRIAN: We absolutely are not. I made it very clear when I cast that curse it was to be forever, i.e. for all of time. If I lower it, I don’t my money’s worth. Because that will be less than forever.

WYNNE: Excuse me, young man? Did you sass me?

ZATHRIAN: What did you just say to me, human? I should…

WYNNE: Did you. Just. Sass me?

ZATHRIAN: [QUIETLY] … No ‘m.

WYNNE: And are you going to come downstairs with us?

ZATHRIAN: [QUIETLY] … Don’t wanna…

WYNNE: But you’re going to, or I shall be very disappointed in you.

ZATHRIAN: [QUIETLY] … Yes ‘m.

WYNNE: And you’re going to talk to your wolf-spirit in the form of an unclad young lady?

ZATHRIAN: [QUIETLY] … Yes ‘m.

[SCENE: Back DOWNSTAIRS. Yes, we have used TWO SCENE CHANGES to leave and re-enter the SAME ROOM.]

LADY: Zathrian, my creator. I beg you, please save both your people and my own. Only you can, father, and together

LELIANA: I’m really glad we went for the good ending here.

ALISTAIR: Yeah. It makes me feel good that we saved everyone without a giant pointless fight.

WYNNE: It truly was a wonderful day.

LADY: Will you join me, and save everyone that together we might finally end our centuries of pain and let our peoples find peace?

ZATHRIAN: BITCH DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

[ZATHRIAN waves his hands, instantly PARALYZING every werewolf in the room and the LADY OF THE FOREST while SIMULTANEOUSLY making a bunch of TREES come alive to KILL EVERYONE. Thank the LADY OF THE FOREST for living in the only UNDERGROUND CAVE full of TREES.]

[BLAKE casts a meaningful glare at her own MAGES because none of them can do ANYTHING remotely that COOL.]

MORRIGAN: … Stop judging me.

[SCENE: The same ROOM, only there are a bunch of BURNING TREE MEN and ZATHRIAN has LOOKED BETTER.]

BLAKE: You gonna lower the curse now?!

ZATHRIAN: You seem mad.

BLAKE: One of your tree monsters tore all the hair off the right side of my head.

ALISTAIR: I still love you.

LELIANA: Oui, it is a bold fashion statement!

BLAKE: Hsssssssssssssssssssss.

ZATHRIAN: Um. All right, lowering the curse will actually kill me, but I think at this point that’s the gentle option for me. So. Um, when you wanna…

BLAKE: NOW.

ZATHRIAN: You know, when you get to the Deep Roads section, you’re going to look back on this quest fondly, so…

BLAKE: HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

ZATHRIAN: Fine, fine! Lowering the curse, jeez.

ZEVRAN: On the plus side, my hair is still amazing.

[Thank the MAKER for SMALL FAVORS.]

#dragon age: origins #fanfic #my writing #Days of Our Dragon Age

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trainerjelly · 8 years ago

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Okay, so some character rambling/headcanons about my team!

Put under the cut because I decided to give you all of their life stories... (Tbh I expected that, even if I meant to summarize a bit more.)

JELLY as my trainer is this weird mix of a basic self-insert so I can play the game how I usually would + nuzlocke rules and a distinct character that interacts with other characters and fits into the narrative. She’s probably the least fleshed out because of that and is hard to write about without going “me but not.”

I’m also surprised by how giving Gary/Blue a custom name differentiated his character for me from the canon. I haven’t spent a ton of time thinking about REESE in general (and nuzlocke-wise we’ve only had the first rival battle and the optional route 22 one), but I’m definitely looking forward to thinking about him and his journey more. (And his team, that will be fun.)

Now onto the long parts, the pokemon:

PEPPER is pretty “standard” as far as charmander go; she comes from breeding stock for scientific study/professors to hand out for new trainers. She’s a bit on the larger end of average (measure as length from nose to tail - and she has a surprisingly long tail) and is several shades darker, with a distinctly warm/red orange color. (She was named after orange varieties of bell peppers because of that color.)

Her “stock” of charmander have been bred to be easier to handle at the cost of being less powerful than wilds (though more likely to evolve because trainers) and from the moment she found this out its been one of the major driving forces of her personality. She wants to prove that assumption wrong by becoming the very best, like no one ever was personally powerful and great at battling. She’s both extremely impatient and extremely perfectionistic - she wants to be the best at things right now, no it doesn’t matter that it takes hard work she should be able to do it right the first time! Her intensity strained most of her relationships with her nestmates (young charmander are raised in large communities), along with her belief that she had to compete with all of them. Thankfully as a starter-bred pokemon she was basically guaranteed a trainer, but she was extremely anxious about being paired with a poor one, and was therefore wary of JELLY for a while.

Their first battle together was extremely tense and close (the fact that it was against a squirtle of all pokemon didn’t help) but they pulled through and PEPPER’s confidence in both herself and her new trainer shot up immediately. She has relaxed somewhat since they started on their journey together and let more of personality show through (but she’s definitely the Drill Sergeant of the group). She’s pretty talkative and comfortable in a variety of social situations (which greatly helps JELLY because That Social Anxiety TM) and has been surprisingly accepting of new pokemon as they get added to the team. She’s very creative and jumps at the chance to strategize interesting battle schemes that balance out everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.

CHEDDAR (also regularly called “CHED”) was the first addition to the team, a small runt of a field rattata, which are already smaller than both the city and pet variants. (They also have longer/bushier fur in general.) He suffers from Chihuahua-syndrome for sure, thinking he is a lot bigger and stronger than he actually is. He has a very large family that lives in the grassy fields outside Pallet and has regularly had to fight for notice and respect alongside survival challenges of food and shelter and not getting eaten.

PEPPER and JELLY impressed him when they battled (and thankfully for his relationship with PEPPER, he hasn’t challenged her since then), but he was extremely unsure about joining their team. He never thought he would be a trainer’s pokemon, and he’s not sure how far away from home he wants to travel. He did join them despite those reservations, but he’s looking forward to bragging about his and the team’s accomplishments when he can return home.

CHED is also a rather dedicated troublemaker and prankster. He’s good for a quick laugh and can almost always cheer someone up when they’re down, but he also has an uncanny knack for figuring out what bothers someone the most and can use that against them. Unfortunately he’s is still figuring out what the line is between those things, and some of his jokes or tricks can come off as unintentionally mean-spirited. If you can’t hear him joking or complaining or lecturing about how much better he is than someone else, he’s probably up to something and you need to go find him.

PEAR is a big ol’ prickly sweetheart. He’s older than the rest of the team and quickly fell comfortably into the position of “team dad.” I’m still figuring out my interpretations of the nido- lines, although PEAR specifically is larger (and rounder) than the average/pokedex standard, and might come across as intimidating if it weren’t for his adorable lop-ears. (They can still stiffen/move with surprising coordination, but at rest hang down similar to a rabbit’s.)

He hit it off with the team in their very first battle, impressed by PEPPER’s skill and unique strategy even at her early level, and he has become the loudest and most encouraging voice of the team since. He’s of the opinion that if you don’t have something nice to say (or at the very least a nice way to say it), you shouldn’t say anything at all, and he’s generally the one to chastise CHED when he goes too far. (He’s also the one who originally shortened “CHEDDAR” to “CHED and it immediately stuck. He tends to shorten the names of other team members as well, but none of those have been so unanimously accepted and used.)

PEAR is pretty ambivalent about JELLY’s and the team’s ambitions, and when pressed swears that he doesn’t really have any of his own. He was content to live out his life however that happened, veering very close to the point of apathy. It remains to be seen why he feels this way (if there is a reason), and what effect traveling with the team will have on him. (He definitely needs more overall fleshing out, but part of that is because I know about as much about him as the rest of the team does, hm.)

HONEY is a small buzzing spitfire of a beedrill, with a mouth as sharp as xir stinger. Xe jumped out at the team before they could even set foot in Viridian Forest and put up quite a fight before PEPPER bested her (and gave the team their first taste of the panic-inducing poison to come on their way to Pewter). Despite the fact that early evolutions are the norm for weedle, xe takes much pride in the fact that xe was the first (and second!) evolutions on JELLY’s team.

Honestly, HONEY only pushes xirself to be stronger because xir attitude requires it; xe always has some smart remark or scathing critique at the ready, and a severe lack of tact to go along with it. Xe is brash with xir actions as well, and would regularly leave the relative safety of the forest to explore farther and farther than any of xir fellow weedle would dare to go. While xe hadn’t ever considered being a trainer’s pokemon, xe jumped at the chance when it came up - with the catch that JELLY must keep xir on the team for the long haul. Bug types are not common in the higher tiers of battling, and HONEY wants to prove xe belongs there just as much as any other pokemon.

Xe gets along the best with CHED, becoming fast friends and even faster partners-in-crime. A hell of an instigator, xe is responsible for encouraging numerous pranks after he started brainstorming and sharing his ideas with xir.

SAFFRON is by far the quietest member of the team, and is extremely soft-spoken when she speaks at all. She is jumpy and skittish, and her encounter and subsequent battle with the team was a complete accident on her part (she heard someone coming through the forest and tried to jump over a fallen tree to hide... and misjudged its height). She warmed up pretty quickly to JELLY, however, surprised but flattered by the trainer’s interest in her and awe of her electric attacks.

She’s still figuring out and settling into her place on the team, but hasn’t exactly relaxed around the rest of them just yet. The fact that their first major battle together (BROCK) was one she couldn’t participate in, she worries that she doesn’t quite belong and might be better off staying in the forest.

(I also actually have a couple more pokemon but I’m not going to include them yet because I haven’t posted them up here or played at all with them yet. My sp died and despite the fact that we moved two months ago we still haven’t unpacked the charger yet, whoops.)

#pokemon #nuzlocke #redlocke #pokemon red #extras

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utopia-game · 4 years ago

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INTERVIEW: Sadira sits down with FFW

Hello Utopians, I am sitting on my stoop watching the rain outside when FFW, leader of Merciless, came to sit beside me and have a talk. (S) Morning, FFW. Been keeping busy during this Covid19 crap? (F) Been a little slow to be honest. Some of us being front liners mean we have less time dedicated to the game. (S) I personally thank all of you essential workers for putting up with us slackers. Let’s start with some basic stuff. How long have you been playing Utopia? (F) I’ve played on and off from age 7. So many many years I guess. This is probably the longest I’ve played utopia consecutively since age 72. It’s great to see how the game changed over the years and how much simpler the mechanics are today (S) Do you feel it is too simple? (F) Personally, I don’t feel it’s too simple. Some mechanic changes actually force the strategies which were once stale to evolve again so there is still complication in today’s simplicity. (S) How did you get into Utopia? (F) From a neopets ad. I was a kid back then and I saw ok maybe I press this and see where it goes. (S) Are you serious?? (F) Absolutely (S) That is too precious. Do you play other games? What games? (F) I play DotA2, elsword, maplestory from time to time, Warcraft 3, Starcraft 2 and Hearthstone (S) Does your significant other hate that you play utopia? Have you tried to get them into playing? (F) Well at the moment I’m a proud bachelor so I can’t answer that question (S) Can always find love thru Utopia. Would you like to give a shout out to any past kds you have played for? (F) Probably Bodega of Lotus since it was the only kd that I would remember for life (S) I remember that kd. Who do you feel you learned the most about this game from? (F) It’s probably the fact that there’s no eternal friends or enemies only mutual benefits (S) That is an interesting statement, would you like to elaborate? (F) There are players I’ve sworn never to trust in my life but definitely some have come to my aid when interests are aligned. Can’t really go into too much details or I’d be openly flaming them haha (S) Would you say you play this game strictly for the competition and challenges? (F) I wouldn’t. I just play it with people I get along with since it’s something I do with my spare time (S) How long have you played in Merciless? (F) I was part of the founding crew in age 75 which didn’t go too well so we reformed in 79. I guess all the ages we’re around for. (S) Has the kd always been called Merciless? (F) Yes absolutely (S) Any back story to how it got its name? (F) In age 75 we didn’t know what to call ourselves since we never decided on it. So we put it to a kd vote at the time. I decided we should be no mercy based on the song from the living tombstone. Zhogun another part of founding council said why not merciless. So we put it to a kd vote and merciless won. The name was really liked by the crew at the time since everyone just wanted to fsu (S) It is a catchy name. How would you describe your kd and your kdmates? (F) Well if you watch DC’s legends of tomorrow, I think that’s an apt description. A band of misfits that did really well. (S) Your kd is pretty successful age to age, to what do you attribute its success to? (F) Mainly everyone’s commitment to continue trying new things and find ways to improve. I mean we played human warrior when everyone was hyping dwarf tact. That took a lot of faith and belief to try. (S) Do you like to test combo's that the majority of kds don't try? (F) Absolutely I think there’s really no bad combinations. Just how you execute your strengths is what differentiates a winner from a loser (S) Does your kd have a particular goal in mind each age? (F) Yes we do. We normally set it from the start of the age and keep to it. We don’t always achieve it but it helps post age reflection (S) Do you have any suggestions to potentially new players or existing players that might find themselves lost? (F) If you find yourselves lost. Ask yourself what do you want to do in this game. I know it’s hard to part with kdmates that have been with you for ages but if your goals are not aligned it’s time for some changes. Don’t fear the unknown, try it and embrace it. If you’re a new player don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. That’s the only way you can grow. For veterans don’t downplay stupid questions either maybe it’s something you never thought of otherwise and keep an open mind (S) If you could go back in time and give the "newb" you one piece of advice, what would it be? (F) Stop wasting time trying to convince people who never will listen. Making your own kd is far easier (S) Describe any funny or peculiar incidents that made you either laugh until your sides hurt or had you wanting to throw your computer/phone out the window. (F) We have a nasty habit of people being quick shot with dragons. Many will accidentally send dragon for various reasons and it drives me insane. We also had a dragon situation once with Void where we were bored so we robbed Tetre of a full dragon gc and sent it to Void for kicks and laughs. Unfortunately, our stew at the time Taco was on a side chat to negotiate war with Void so he flipped out and rage quit haha (S) If you could sit down and have a drink with DavidC, what would you be drinking and what suggestions would you like to mention? (F) Pepsi since that's the only **** I drink at a bar. I would encourage him to look at bottom feeding protection a bit more since it's currently the most broken thing in Utopia. People are abusing bottom feeding protections to annoy people at the top with robs and trads on smaller provs in larger kds. For instance, SWEA robbed us all age last age and we couldn't do anything to them because of bottom feeding mechanics until they came into range and we sent a full wave of learns to spite them which we all agreed alright CF we're even (S) Didn't a long time ago, kd size didn’t matter, only province. (F) that was equally broken since it was disproportionate and encouraged bullying too much (S) So what do you think is the solution? (F) mmm i have my ideas but might be a little challenging to code. Perhaps introduce a zero protection when meter points are higher for aggressors so a smaller kd cannot intentionally annoy a bigger kd without consequences, else it kind of defeats the accomplishments of kds who strive to be the strongest since strength comes from size due to war win mechanics (S) Hmm..maybe its also a bit of ethics and respect. Only a handful of kds tend to use that to their advantage. (F) for ages if you land top5, its a massive target on your back saying please hit my lower rung provs for free or rob me to your content (S) I could argue that kds that land in the top 5 got there pushing their way thru smaller kds. (F) absolutely true as well since war wins are built on beating a weaker opponent for every top 5 kd there's 20 kds buried to build it (S) So you don't feel like a kd that 'taxes' smaller kds should be touched for their resources? (F) I have no sympathy for kingdoms who chose of their own volition to stay tiny to beat on other less skilled kingdoms.I am not talking about tiny kds. Im talking maybe T15. (S) T1 goes down the line, taking acres one kd at a time to get that crown. You don't think a kd that has had its land taken by that kd should not be allowed to rob resources off them? (F) Those kingdoms aren't entirely helpless either. They could fight back with ops or hit back (S) I am just playing the Devil's Advocate here for the moment, you say smaller kds annoy bigger kds. I say bigger kds annoy smaller kds with waves that they know the other kd isnt going to retaliate. But we digress, let’s get back to these all important questions. Maybe you can get this bonus question right: What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? (F) Honestly, i have no idea? 300 miles an hour? (S) -=tosses him off the bridge=- Wrong! (F) eh worth a shot (S) Anything you would like to add or any shout outs to any players? (F) Shout-outs for sure. Topsy, Dowla, ahtoad, Mansoor, Evil Queen, MasterOfOrion, you guys make utopia fun and interesting, since some of you are on break hope to see you soon! (S) Thanks for sitting with me and chatting. Let’s go get some Pepsi and watch some submarine races now. (F) Thank you and drink time! since its morning I shall drink green tea

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unixcommerce · 5 years ago

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15 Non-Intrusive Ways Employees Can Help With Branding

People who work daily with the company’s services and products have insights that can’t be found anywhere else. However, if a business owner were to come out and pitch the idea of having employees help with branding, a number of team members might feel uncomfortable or out of their depth.

Helping employees to feel more engaged with branding efforts requires tact, understanding and the right approach. That’s why we asked 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following:

What is one way you can encourage employees to help with branding efforts, without coming across as demanding or intrusive?

Employee Branding Examples

Here’s what they had to say:

1. Create Committees

Each quarter we allocate committees to take on various new branding and marketing initiatives. These don’t take away from daily tasks but are projects that help build our brand. We give them a budget and allow them to individually set goals. At the end of the quarter we have a team day where these committees present their work. The team enjoys the structure and we get a lot of great projects done. – Tony Scherba, Yeti

2. Make Them Proud

Our team is small, but we have been fortunate enough to be a part of some really amazing conferences around the world. Being able to travel and enjoy these experiences has made our team proud to be with us. With that comes their own desire to help our branding effort. They understand that the better we are doing, and the more our brand becomes known, the more opportunities we will have. – Zach Binder, Bell + Ivy

3. Showcase Your Talent

Invite your employees to be a showcase for the talent your business offers. You can host a personal interview session with each individual that is then streamed on the corporate website and media. Employees will likely get excited to be recognized for their successes and will share this content with others. Prospects might identify with one of your employees and reach out to them directly. – Jared Weitz, United Capital Source Inc.

4. Ask Them to Write Career Tips

I ask my employees, mainly software developers, to write career tips and we share those on LinkedIn, Medium and other media. It helps us propagate our brand among developers. The staff is enthusiastic about writing such type of content since it relates to their current job and it’s easy to write. It helps us attract more applicants for our job requirements. – Piyush Jain, SIMpalm

5. Hold a Casual Meeting

You can set up a short, casual meeting with your team to discuss branding and see what new ideas you come up with. You don’t have to push them to become brand ambassadors. Rather, you want to get them excited thinking about the branding possibilities of the future. Encourage them to create their best ideas. You can even offer a prize to the person with the best idea. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

6. Workshop It (And Make It Fun)

Hold a workshop and make it fun. Keep it short and sweet (one to two hours) and stimulate imagination and discussion. For example, I ask employees to bring an object that represents their vision for the brand and an image that represents the personality of the brand. Employees describe their show-and-tell items. Then I’ll take all of the input and lay out brand attributes, benefits, values and essence. – Robby Scott Berthume, Bull & Beard

7. Create Sustainable Incentives

People are more likely to change jobs than they were 20 years ago, owing to the growth of various industries and disruptors. If you want employees to participate in company branding, create extrinsic reasons for them to do so. Praise people who participate in company charity runs via email, track who joins on LinkedIn or other social media, and reward them with practical, stylish swag. – Duran Inci, Optimum7

8. Invest in Company Swag

If you want your employees to help with branding efforts, invest in company swag. Every year we give our employees quality, branded apparel like T-shirts, sweaters, hats and so on. Our employees appreciate the free gifts and they’ll wear their company swag out and about, which is a great way to increase brand awareness. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

9. Ask for Feedback

When you ask for your team’s feedback on branding items they will start to enjoy getting more involved with the brand, and this is the best way to get them introduced with the idea of helping with the brand’s initiatives. Also, having a lot of social media images with team members is a good way to get them sharing, especially when they are tagged in the company photos. – Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting, Inc.

10. Gamify the Experience

Create a game where employees share company posts and try to get the most engagement on their share. The employees that get the most engagement at the end of the quarter get a bonus in the form of an Amazon gift card. Gamification improves customer experiences, but it can also encourage your employees to get involved with the business. – John Turner, SeedProd LLC

11. Get Them Involved in the Creative Process

Get the whole team involved in the brand-building efforts. What I mean by that is not just asking them to repost something from a corporate Facebook page but actually making them an integral part of the process. Recently, we’ve started filming a YouTube series with our people being the key figures in each episode. It’s engaging, it’s fun, everybody loves it, and it works great for our brand. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

12. Have Them Share Content They Found Helpful

We ask our employees to share our content on the same grounds that ask consumers to share our posts. As a general rule, if you found one of our posts helpful, we would like it if you could share what you found with your friends. We don’t monitor our employees on social media because we hire individuals who are predispositioned to want to share our posts because they found value. – Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

13. Ask Them to Update Their Professional Profiles

Most people already have public and professional social media profiles. You can ask them help you with your branding by including information about your company on LinkedIn and other places. You can help by creating a template or a format which they can follow that reflects your brand well. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

14. Create a Social Media Training Program

Branding is essential for social media as much as any other platform, and you can use this to create a social media branding program. It’ll teach your team how to apply branding strategies to your company’s social media accounts so they build experience and help with branding as a whole. – Jared Atchison, WPForms

15. Create Graphics for Social Media They Can Use

You can make it easier for your employees to help brand your company by creating awesome graphics they can use. This removes additional effort needed for them to create posts on social media. By making fun and “cool” graphics, it’s possible to build a sense of pride and willingness to help with your business’s branding. – Blair Williams, MemberPress

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “15 Non-Intrusive Ways Employees Can Help With Branding” was first published on Small Business Trends

https://smallbiztrends.com/

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minnievirizarry · 6 years ago

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The complete guide to online social listening

If you haven’t noticed by now, social listening is kind of a big deal for brands today.

Why? Because we’re capable of learning more than ever by tracking our customers’ social behavior.

What products are people digging? What’s got your industry buzzing? Through social listening, you can answer these questions and so much more in an instant.

But while the importance of monitoring your mentions and conversations is a no-brainer, many brands are actually missing out on some crucial interactions because they’re stuck in a bubble.

Reality check: there’s more to listening than just the “usual suspects” such as Facebook and Twitter. To guarantee a complete picture of your business’ online presence, stepping up your online social listening is a must-do.

What is online social listening?

When we talk about online social listening, we’re referring to social sites beyond “the big five” (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest).

Consider the sheer popularity of sites such as YouTube, Reddit and Quora. Each is a hotbed of discussion about brands and likewise places to capitalize on mentions from customers.

And while you may not think of these platforms as social sites, bear in mind that they do represent active communities with profiles, comment sections and opportunities to engage with businesses.

Sounds pretty “social” to us!

Why online social listening matters

At a glance, these sites may not seem totally relevant to your brand.

However, we’d argue otherwise based on the benefits highlighted below.

Uncover hidden conversations about your business

There’s a universal expectation for businesses to reply in a timely manner to customers on social media, right?

Now think about when happens when you fail to reply at all. Not a good look.

If you have negative comments simply sitting around on a social site, you’re neglecting your online reputation. On the flip side, failing to respond to questions or even positive feedback from customers would mean a missed opportunity for another sale.

And unlike social media where customers might tag you when talking about you, these conversations tend to fly under the radar unless you’re explicitly seeking them out. Through online social listening, you ensure that no potential touchpoints with prospects or customers go unnoticed.

Keep a closer eye on your industry (and competition)

Discussions about your brand and industry at large are happening far beyond the realms of the Twitterverse.

Reddit and Quora, in particular, are prime places to learn about industry trends and businesses related to your business’ niche. These sorts of threads are insightful as they’re organic and unfiltered. When people are talking about your space, ask yourself: are you part of the conversation?

Take a more holistic approach to your online presence

At the end of the day, online social listening gives you a more comprehensive understanding of your brand sentiment.

The conversations people are having on your Instagram or Facebook might be night-and-day versus other online forums. There’s no logic in listening to feedback from particular segments of your audience instead of everybody.

Brands should be able to monitor their presence across all social platforms. This is especially true given that consumers on sites like YouTube or Reddit can represent high-intent buyers who can teach you a ton about what your new customers are looking for.

What social sites should businesses pay attention to beyond “the big five?”

Good question! Although we’ve already covered some the staples of online social listening, let’s dive into the specific platforms and what sort of keywords and terms you should integrate into your listening strategy.

YouTube

As video content continues to take over the web, YouTube represents one of the fastest-growing communities online.

And while it’s no secret that people love to watch videos, but the degree to which consumers use videos for product research is staggering. Recent video marketing statistics note that 80% of people note that videos are helpful in making purchasing decisions.

People are sounding off on products like never before and are using YouTube videos as a creative medium to do so. If you want to know where your business stands on YouTube or what your customers are thinking, you need to know what terms to track.

Online social listening on YouTube starts with your brand name. Here’s a good example of curated reviews for Blue Apron. It’s beneficial to not only know what customers are saying about you but also the fact that folks are creating content on your behalf at all.

Beyond your brand name, “how to” queries are great to track as well. Educational, tutorial-style content absolutely kills it on YouTube. If you want to know if people are listing your products or you want to be featured in such tutorials, you need to know what your customers are learning.

For example, if I were a company like Alienware or iBUYPOWER, I’d want to know what the top product recommendations are for queries such as “How to build a gaming PC.”

“Best” queries are also worth tracking on YouTube, such as “best WordPress plugins” or “best Orlando restaurants.” The popularity of listicles and best-of’s, even in video format, speaks for itself.

Oh, and don’t forget the actual actions you can take on YouTube as a result of your online social listening.

Just as we always recommend brands to reply as swiftly as possible to customers, the same rings true to YouTube content. Showing your viewers some love for them giving you their undivided attention is the least you can do. Monitoring your comment section and notifications can actually help you breed brand loyalty.

For example, companies like Beardbrand actively monitor and reply to comments on each and every one of their videos. Frequent discussions, debates and fun back-and-forth in the comment section between the company and its followers have created a sort of cult-like following that Beardbrand obviously appreciates.

Reddit is somewhat of an enigma for businesses.

That said, it’s a crucial spot to conduct online social listening.

What makes Reddit so complicated? Simply put, its user base is not exactly friendly to businesses or marketers. Most posts or comments that are deemed to be advertising or something self-promotional are usually downvoted into oblivion.

Even so, Reddit is a massive forum of discussion when it comes to brands, products and services. Many consumers flock to Reddit solely because it’s free of promotion and marketing spam.

Just look at any Google query for a general product, business or service. The term “Reddit” will pop up alongside such terms as people want authentic opinions rather than SEO results.

So, what should you look for on Reddit?

If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, we recommend following subreddits related to your business and industry. For example, a restaurant based in Chicago would be wise to monitor brand searches in /r/ChicagoFood. The same can be applied to other subreddits such as /r/ChicagoSuburbs or /r/Chicago. These are the places where you’re going to see your business’ name come up.

Also, monitor industry and product-specific subreddit. For example, a local cafe should not only follow geo-specific subreddits, but also niche ones such as /r/barista. These types of subreddits are prime spots to curate content ideas and even post your own social content if it’s relevant.

Unlike other social networks where responding to comments is the norm, brands should tread lightly on Reddit. This is perhaps the best example where your online social listening may quite literally just mean listening. If you do decide to respond to someone, be sincere and transparent about your intentions.

Review Sites (Yelp, TripAdvisor)

For local businesses, online social listening on review sites is non-negotiable.

Assuming that you’ve already claimed your profiles on sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor, you can prioritize your notifications accordingly.

Review sites are beneficial for beefing up your online reputation while also keeping tabs on others. For example, tracking business categories and key terms (think: “vegan” or “vegan Orlando”) can clue you in on new competitors in your space.

Yelp! offers a “community answers” section which serves as an opportunity to reply to customer concerns. As noted in our guide to customer relationships, responding to these types of comments can reduce churn. Doing so also proves that you’re an active, attentive business owner who cares for their customers.

The same can be applied to listening to and responding to reviews, too.

The keyword here is “listening.” Yes, review sites and star-ratings have made the service industry absolutely cutthroat online. Regardless, you need to be tactful in how you listen to and respond to complaints and praise alike. Take the time to craft thoughtful responses.

Adopting a “kill them with kindness” mentality can help keep your business in a positive light even in the face of less-than-stellar customer experiences. On the flip side, responding to good reviews gives you satisfied customers all the more reason to come back.

Don’t forget that tracking data is a key component of online social listening. Yelp actually allows you to track trends in your reviews to ensure that your reputation stays on the up-and-up. Although reviews on such sites can be brutal, it’s important to look at the big-picture versus one-off reviews.

Quora

Quora has become increasingly popular for B2B professionals within the past few years.

Serving as a Q&A platform, Quora is sort of like Reddit in the sense that pure self-promotion is discouraged. Those answering questions are expected to offer meaningful, authentic insight rather than just dumping links.

Quora allows you to search specific brands and products within questions and answers alike. This allows you to track to track both people talking about you as well as those who might site your business as a solution.

Businesses should follow as many topics and queries relevant to their industry as possible. You then have a wider breadth of potential questions to answer in addition to places to pick up on conversations about your business.

Tumblr

Tumblr is yet another head-scratcher for many brands. In fact, Tumblr themselves admit that their platform follows the ideology of “anything goes.”

Regardless, it’s an incredibly popular platform for creative types and bloggers in certain B2C spaces.

Tumblr allows you to search and follow keywords in addition to specific blogs. Following topics will populate your feed with popular images and blogs from that tag. This can serve as yet another avenue for inspiration depending on what you’re looking for.

How to wrangle your online social listening

Between all of these platforms in addition to the more “standard” social sites, you need a concrete strategy for social listening.

Because going site-by-site is not only incredibly daunting: it’s downright inefficient.

Remember what we said earlier about taking a holistic approach to listening? Through tools like Sprout Social, you can monitor all of your online social listening queries and data in one place.

Rather than jump from individual social mentions and RSS feeds, Sprout aggregates your defined terms such as your social accounts, hashtags, industry keywords and more.

And with that, we wrap up our guide!

Are you listening?

There’s no denying that there’s a lot of ground for businesses to cover when it comes to social listening.

But that doesn’t change the fact that customers have plenty to say and expect brands to respond.

Hopefully now you have a better idea of how you can uncover those conversations yourself. Through effective social listening, your business can win over more followers and customers alike by capitalizing on the moments that matter most online.

This post The complete guide to online social listening originally appeared on Sprout Social.

from SM Tips By Minnie https://sproutsocial.com/insights/online-social-listening/

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survivorisladelasmunecas-blog · 7 years ago

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James’ Jury Answers

LIL AJ -

"Directed to you all, give each juror one positive attribute and one negative attribute regarding their game." lil aj - I think that your premerge journey was pretty hectic and to come so close to returning from that is commendable. Unfortunately being voted off premerge is a pretty big knock against you. Jay - For a positive i think he was very well connected within his alliance and a very well setup. In terms of a negative he made himself a big threat and left himself vulnerable to a "worst case scenario". Matt - I think his funny and easy-going personality made it easy for people to view him as genuine and want to work with him. As a result he was never targeted until his self vote made him an easy vote-off. Austin - When he wanted to get something done out of everyone in the game he truly WENT FOR IT no matter what it took which I find to be very ballsy and admirable. However this also is a negative because his execution led to finding himself on the bottom (although to be fair it wasn't all his fault as the matt self-vote really did him in) Billy - I think he was very genuine as an ally to those he was fiercely loyal to. However to those he wasn't as close with he didn't do the best job at deceiving them and/or working with them (I am not just saying this because of the semi-argument we had) Andrei - I think Andrei is someone who is just fun to talk to and has a very approachable quality to him which lends itself well to the game. As a negative id say getting rocked out premerge is a pretty big blow and once he returned to the game his close bond with Renee and Eva was kind of out in the open. Renee - A bit of a restatement but I think Renee was one of the best relationship builders making strong bonds with people she didn't HAVE to make bonds with. These bonds also paid dividends with the idol Austin gave her. I think her weakness similarly to Andrei was that these alignments weren't necessarily kept secret and so it allowed the cast to play around it. Bodhi - Bodhi I view as one of the best strategists of the cast and he had a really good grasp on the numbers while at the same time maintaining great relationships. I think his weakness was underestimating me and AJ's relationship and everyone's ideal path to the end and so the game kinda slipped from under him at the last second. AJ - As a strength I think AJ was the most well-rounded player as you could had a little bit of everything you need and I truly believe he would be winning if he wasn't voted off last round. I think his weakness at the end of the day was how big of a threat he was and Eva winning immunity at final 5 in hindsight was probably worst-case scenario for his winning path to the end.

Jay -

"Maybe finding one or two more, but you had SO MANY OF THEM! And it’s not like you put in any sort of skill to earn them either. You answered dumb questions like “2+2” and “Who’s hosting this season?” to earn, what, six idols? I truly do not know how many you had, and therein lies what the problem with your game is to me. When deciding whether to vote for you or for someone else, it became a counting game. I had to get on calls multiple times and COUNT OUT the number of idols you had and what you may or may not have done with them and how many more you had." At merge I had 4 idols which I used one after the other. From final 10 onward I was on my own with no advantages. I think it could also be argued that I earned the advantages. Yes there was luck involved in me answering the correct questions but the questions that I did answer that gave me the advantages were head to head against other players who had just as much opportunity to earn them as I did. Eva herself was one of those who was vying for the advantages on almost ever question and earned 3 herself. The difference between me and her however is that I played mine in a way that benefitted me, whereas Eva gave her 2 idols away in a way that didn't benefit her almost at all and then exposed her legacy advantage to the entire cast which allowed for everyone in the game to play around it at final 7 and 6. Yes on a certain level I got lucky but I don't think its completely fair to say I got handed them on a silver platter and relied on them to make it through yet praise the person who got voted out WITHOUT using hers and then in part caused her alliance's demise because she messed up her execution with her last advantage. "Being given so many idols and when you ran out, winning most of the immunities, is not a strategy. It’s pure luck. And while I respect that luck plays a part in Survivor, your entire game boils down to the fact that you had no game, everything you did was because you got insanely lucky." While I agree just plainly having idols and winning immunities isn't a strategy in itself, boiling my game solely to those two is, in my opinion, selling myself short. To me I viewed it as the hand I was dealt and how to best play with those hands. If I was simply playing idols and winning immunities and nothing else then how am I the one among the final 3 with the most votes go through? If I was just sheeping and putting 0 effort into the game besides idols and challenges (which your post suggests) then I would have just did whatever AJ told me every day and called it a day but the fact that I voted you already contradicts that. Also I am a big proponent of "playing with the cards you are dealt with" and when you start playing the "what if" game when you say "if you didn't have idols then you would have gone home x amount of times" then that opens up all the "what ifs" that might have happened with me not playing my idols. My rebuttal to that is if I didn't have idols then I would have played the SITUATION completely different. I played under the radar BECAUSE I had idols, which paid dividends when I survived over Austin. After that I was able to turn the game completely around to the point where I was able to survive WITHOUT immunity when according to your post that is all my game had left at that point. I know you probably don't take me seriously because we never talked and your hatred of idols but if you are going to boil my game down to solely "advantages" while simultaneously praising someone for playing their situation horribly with advantages well then Monica is gonna hip bump you back.

Matt -

I think my opening speech is pretty much what you are looking for, if you want read that and through some of my responses and you could get a pretty good idea of what you are looking for.

Austin -

"I want you guys to write a few sentences, paragraphs, or however long you think you need to diss the other 2 people sitting next to you." With Eva I feel she lacked a real direction and clear goal in the game. While she had the social bonds set up to potentially set herself up as well as advantages (2 idols and legacy), the execution and decision making was lacking. The first example of this would be after I used my exile ticket, yet she didn't think to play her idol when the red flags were there (why would I use an exile ticket when Tyler had an idol?). Then on the lagoon she gave you not one but TWO idols and upon return to the game... sided with completely different people??? And then during the Jay vote where they split between us two she knew how many advantages I had and also knew you had a second idol but just went along with it? To me this all shows a lack of foresight to certain scenarios and a less than perfect read on the dynamics of the game. Once the end-game hit she flat out had very little power in the game. She essentially set herself up to have to put her trust in other people instead of the other way around. She told you (and others too) about her legacy advantage which at final 7 gave me the opportunity to play around it and flip the game on her. Whereas I think my strengths were more keeping my cards to myself and acting in my best interest in scenarios I could take advantage of I think Eva, in contrast, kinda laid it all out there in a way that lacked tact and really sapped her of potential advantages and "leg up"s she could have had on other contestants. Not to mention her time on the lagoon in the early merge was beyond uneventful. With Brandon I similarly question his decision making at certain points in the game and how effective his relationship building was since he was voted off when the cast had to choose between himself or AJ, myself being among the deciding votes behind his vote off. While he had some ideas and plans in the game he rarely had the execution to really go through with it. This was evident in the Billy vote when we talked and we were apparently on the same page to get Bodhi out but then decided with others to vote out Eva (his apparent final 2???) without my input or really discussing it with me almost at all and expected to get it through with only 4/8 votes. I think that was a huge moment of underestimating me as I was able to flip the game in that moment. Another quintessential example of this was the next round when Brandon wanted to vote Bodhi (for real this time apparently) and his execution was just nonsensical to me. He went to everyone individually and from what I gathered everyone just said yes to him while not taking it seriously and as a result he was the sole vote for Bodhi while completely in the dark to the actual events transpiring. Also Brandon hints that he had more of a role in the Connor vote than I think he realizes when he says "However, this worked out in my favor, as I was able to blindside Connor after warning James about his impending blindside." That round I knew from AJ that I was being voted the moment it started happening and so me and AJ were the ones who made the final decision whether I should vote with Brandon to do Connor and hide our relationship or if we could vote for whoever we wanted separately and risk being exposed. I eventually decided on Connor because in PMs because he was a solid part of the opposite alliance, to keep my bond with AJ secret, and because I thought it'd be extremely ironic after Connor pm'd me how he'd be "highly appreciative" if I didn't vote him when he was already a solid vote on me.

"Multiple times you were vulnerable, and if people make you out to be SUCH a threat then why didn’t you leave any of those votes? What was it about your game that made you such a huge bull’s-eye, yet people wanted you around still? Could it be that people are holding a bias against you? I want your take on it." I think when I made merge my idols were a bit of an elephant in the room, combined with my more reactive/under the radar approach early on at the merge kept my name an easy one to bring up. Yet at the same time I was also simultaneously underestimated and I think some people sort of saw me more as "along for the ride" which helped me survive the round where they ultimately decided to vote you off over me for example. This is what I was going for because as much as I wanted our plans to go through and supported them (even though one of them might have worked if Matt didn't self vote) I knew there was a big possibility that eventually a vote was going to come down to you or me and that you were probably a bigger target than me. I also think that as you and Bodhi worked together less and less that kinda built up towards the target shifting off of me and more on to you. I don't know if I am answering the question exactly how you were wanting it answered but you definitely pose an interesting point since the whole "relying on advantages" is an easy talking point to Yes, I used advantages to my advantage but I am a big proponent of playing based on the situation one is in. I played that way at the start of the merge BASED ON the fact that I had idols. Furthermore, there were rounds where I was vulnerable yet there was always a bigger target (Matt with the self-vote and you) and then by that point I seized control of numbers to where the immunities weren't as crucial after final 8. I can't say for sure because depending on who won them it the whole game could have changed but I think I stood a decent chance of making it to the end without the immunities starting at final 7. "Explain to me your game outside of what we accomplished. I’m already aware of you/AJ, so refrain from that. What did you, James the individual, do on your own?" Well for one I was a big part in the eliminations of both Eva and Brandon. Eva was eliminated from me giving Tyler an idol which she clearly was no expecting at all. Then with the Brandon vote it which you could argue had to do with AJ was ultimately my own decision deciding who I felt were the best allies for myself going forward. The Jay vote is also one that I made without AJ. Yes that one was more of a joint decision between us two but if it were up to AJ then I would have voted for someone completely different. In terms of decisions that were 1000% solely ME the go-to is definitely the final 8 vote. After I learned Billy and Brandon made their own decision without my input after telling me a different story I knew that the best thing for my game was to take matters into my own hands. Without discussing with anyone what the gameplan was going into it, I went straight to Eva and explained the situation and how she was being lied to. From there the other decision that was not more of a collaborative effort was the final 4 vote. Going into tribal Brandon wanted to vote Eva and for a while I was conflicted because me and AJ definitely got close but at a certain point I looked at the jury and just thought "okay wow there's no way I can win against him, if I were to lose to someone I would rather lose to AJ but at the end of the day I am playing to win" and so at that point I told Eva I was doing AJ which set things in motion. Yes, AJ was a close ally in the game but my actions in the game show that at the end of the day I was playing an independent game. If it were AJ's first choice, Connor/Jay would not be the people idol'd out of the game, if it were AJ's choice Eva would have went home at final 8 and not his ally Billy, if it were up to AJ he would have made finals and (probably) win but instead I was making my own decisions independently, essentially working against his alliance for a large portion of the game, and yet still foster that relationship where he did not doubt my loyalty to him.

Billy -

"Please explain to me literally ANYTHING that was entirely your move." I have explained my thought process to other rounds in my opening speech but for the sake of answering this I will start off with the final 8. I was down to work with you and you told me you were down to do Bodhi. However, when I found out you lied to me and your alliance's plan depended on me throwing my vote I went to Eva without telling my closest ally AJ about voting you out knowing Andrei was afk while voting you. You can ask him yourself we told each other EVERYTHING up to that point and when you got 4 votes he was genuinely shocked. Another move that involved 0 collaboration was my decision to vote off AJ at final 4. Like I mentioned he was my closest ally throughout the game so I was conflicted in my choice but I think my decision to vote him off supports that idea that I am/was truly playing to WIN and willing to make the right decisions to put myself in a better position. I also would argue that in many other rounds I had a BIG role in who went home (brandon/Jay/Connor/renee boots) but those rounds did involve collaboration so I guess they don't exactly fit your criteria. "How did you view me as a player this season? I would like a description, not a sentence." I viewed you as a fiercely loyal player. As someone who found who knew who they were sticking close with and going to bat for them. My evidence for this was at final 8 where you lied to me about voting Bodhi and then went to him and made a separate plan with him. AJ always had good things to say about his bond with you and based off our heated conversation you definitely value and enjoy getting to know the people you are playing the game with. I think this opens you up to a lack of foresight at times as your plan at final 8 included only gathering 4 out of the 8 people in the game to vote together.

Andrei -

LIL AJ Opinion of me: We hit it off for the few rounds pre-merge we were together even though it never really panned out with the tribe swaps I am going to go with a slight positive lean. Jury vote: I think there's a chance he votes me if he respects my game but it depends how thoroughly he and Eva bonded on the lagoon. For the sake of not giving a cop out answer I will say myself though. JAY Opinion of me: I don't believe he respects me. In general he has something against advantages in the game and so I am the quintessential example of everything wrong in the game to the point where he will praise someone for wasting their advantages because he hates advantages so much. That combined with our limited communication makes it easy for him to assume I had no game. Jury vote: I would say he is leaning Brandon after reading his jury speech. MATT Opinion of me: Either neutral or a slight positive lean. We were together almost the entire premerge and talked on and off in group settings and I was a part of the vote to save him so I don't think he has anything against me. Jury vote: I was always paranoid he was closer to Eva pre merge so that is what I'm leaning towards. AUSTIN Opinion of me: I think he is the one person on the jury who really got to understand my thought process from the point where I felt hopeless and then was able to see me turn it around. I think he is rooting me on and shocked but not fully surprised I made it to the finals. I remember in one conversation he had when we were talking about how screwed we were he was like "I already know what my jury speech for you is going to be" and I responded along the lines of "omg stop that is like impossible I am not even beginning to think about making it to the end right now" and so I think Austin probably looked back at that conversation too and thought "wow he really did it". Jury vote: I think he is voting for me which was kind of explained in the above answer, we worked together closely and I think he sees the strengths of my game. BILLY Opinion of me: moderately to slightly negative. We had a conversation which got slightly heated over whether or not our 6 line convos were pointless since neither one of us was giving each other any info. Yet I was truly genuine about working with him at final 8 when he approached me so I think there's a slight chance he knows I didn't have anything against him and was just being blunt which may have translated into a slightly aggressive tone (but its a pretty slim change). Jury vote: I would guess Brandon since he had favorable things to say about him in his jury speech. ANDREI Opinion of me: I think you probably understand where I was coming from with my moves in the lategame. There may be a chance you think I am a hypocrite since I ranted to you about others in the cast being "opportunists" when that is essentially what I morphed into and I will own that. However, from our conversations you seem really chill so I'd say your opinion of me is slightly positive. Jury vote: I would lean Eva since I know you two worked closely in the game together and bonded so you may have been rooting for her after you got voted off. RENEE Opinion of me: I am somewhat sure that I was the one you were referring to in your comment about ghosting you after you got voted off so probably slightly negative. I think there's a chance once she got to jury that she sort of saw where I was coming from since she doesn't seem to be the type to hold a grudge though. Jury vote: Probably Eva since they worked together closely when Eva came back from the lagoon. BODHI Opinion of me: I think he can recognize the strengths of my game and my thought process but since he places a lot of weight on the social game so from his perspective in the game he didn't really respect me for a large portion of it and that may hold true now as well. Jury vote: I think he is probably waiting for the jury questions to make a decision and this is probably the person who I am least sure of who he is voting. Once again for the sake of not copping out I will say Brandon though. AJ Opinion of me: I don't think he is bitter (or THAT bitter) towards me. Based on his reaction from me blindsiding him at final 8 with the Billy vote and essentially going "surprise! =D" after it happened I think he can see from my perspective what I needed to do. Jury vote: I think he is a solid vote for me, we bonded a lot through the game and we had a lot of fun maneuvering together and based off our relationship we formed I don't think me voting him off will affect it too much.

"Finally, I also have a trick question for you… Or rather, a request: go through your fellow finalist’s ROP, call out any statement that you feel is bullshit, and tell us why you don’t believe what the statement isn’t genuine." This is all Brandon everything Eva said was fine. tyler: " you didn’t talk fucking game with anyone" is not true since me and AJ talked game with him before his medevac on two different tribes. austin: "However, at the point of your vote out you just lost trust with everyone, which is why you got voted out. Although I didn’t vote for you that round, I tried to spare you from that vote" He didn't lose trust with everyone as I had trust in him and if Brandon REALLY wanted to save Austin he would have voted with us (and actually sided with Austin in the process) instead of copping out as a cog in a split vote.

Renee -

What would u do with the virtual $1,000,000 if you were to win? The first thing I would do is pay my debt from school hehe. I'd probably splurge on myself and buy some video games, (a ps4 in preparation for kingdom hearts coming) and spend some on travelling. London is a place I've always wanted to visit since I have never been there besides being born there and I haven't visited family in Mexico in a while so there's that. I would then give some to my Mom since she a mess with her finances lol. Then probably give some to charity, the first that come to mind would be like environmental causes but that would take a bit of research to find something legit. Also what’s one song I absolutely NEED to have on my New Years party playlist? Becky G "Mayores" is my JAM right now but if you aren't into Spanish music then Hilary Duff "One On A Million" is a song of hers I always come back to.

Bodhi -

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"Why didn’t you ever message people first? In my eyes, this is a social game above all else, and you failed horrendously in that aspect." I think its no secret the social game at the beginning of the merge was a weakness of mine. I think a few factors go into it the main one being in games I tend to put more focus on members of my alliance/people I am directly working with and then from there I analyze the situation and go from there. At the merge those people were Jordan/AJ/Brandon and 2 of them went home within the first. When Austin and me connected that bond was definetly a two-way street instead of only Austin approaching me and from there. For me the merge was a bit of a gradual progression where I originally was relying on my direct alliance and until I no longer could and the first moment I got the opportunity I flipped it to where people needed to depend on me as their direct alliance. For someone who had a weak start at merge I think the growth of my social/strategic game as the game progressed is something that Brandon and Eva cannot say they achieved. Also specifically at final 8 I went to Eva and Renee to get Billy out. Also at final 7 I would have also went to you first but when you approached me I was still in the stage of sorting out my thoughts and the exact angle I was going to approach which is why in those first 10-20 minute of conversing my mind was a bit all over the place as I was deciding if I was going to discuss with AJ first or just lay it all on the line (and decided on the latter on the spot without his approval). That combined with the 2-way communication with AJ, Brandon, Austin and spurts of game talk with Andrei, Billy (I was being genuine with him at final 9 and final 8 before I found out he was lying to me) and Matt (him more in group settings) adds up more of a social game than the "nonexistent" presence some people took me out for/labelled me as at because of my quiet beginning. "Now to all of you: rank the jurors AND FINALISTS in terms of who would’ve been most deserving of winning the game, and give brief reasonings. Include everyone on the jury along with the three of you." AJ: He had info from every corner of the game at all times. His social game had a VERY strong start peaking early merge as evidenced by the 4-3 vote he survived over Brandon and the last minute fashion/unplanned way that vote came about really hammers that in. Very well rounded player who came very close to winning I think would have won against anyone in the final 3. Bodhi: I saw you as a very influential figure within your alliance. One of the smartest people in the cast with a very good sense of tactics and running scenarios yet at the same time maintaining strong bond with lots of people who never wanted you gone until the very end. Renee: A very well liked figure who in my eyes was the best relationship-builder in the game. Well integrated early merge yet maintained close bonds with Eva/Andrei after they returned from the lagoon which was tactful as well as a strong enough bond with Austin to get him to give her an idol. Myself: I believe I played a solid game. Despite being a more quiet presence early merge the growth to eventually being a leader/strong force of the late game is something Eva and Brandon cannot attest to. Billy: Playing a solid game and had very solid allies and connections up to the final 8. However I think that round he misplayed it a bit and approached the situation without much tact which led to his boot. If he played it differently I think he could very well be in the finals with a shot to win. Eva: Misplaying her advantages (all 3 of them) I would argue is a bigger knock against her than me correctly playing (4 of) mine at merge is. While her strategic impact wasn't as strong especially in the latter half she did do a good job re-integrating herself from the lagoon until she fell out of the loop. Returning from the lagoon also knocks her down. Austin: I think he had the potential to play a solid winning game if he survived the final 9 vote but the way he went out kind of puts a different spin on his story. The passion (for lack of a better word) he had when playing the game was commendable but his moves pissed off potential jury votes while simultaneously setting himself up for demise. Andrei: Being voted out really knocks him down, after returning he had a solid allies and had a path to win but as it stands the potential in his game (postmerge) says more than the accomplishments. Brandon: I feel like he had pretty poor execution of his ideas and him being the 1 vote in the 3-3-1 vote at final 7 is just the quintessential example. His social game also was not up to par as he was voted off when his social bonds were in the position to deliver when the last minute him vs aj vote happened. Jay: I think the reason he is down here has less to do with how he played but more how much he didn't play. He was in a good position but the whole merge played out without him so its hard to say if he is deserving. lil AJ: Got voted off premerge and never really got to showcase what he had in the merge phase. Matt: I think the way he self-voted himself out of the game is something you can't really come back from, even if it wasn't necessarily his fault. "Do you believe that Connor and Jordan belong in the pre-jury? Or was it an unfair twist that put them there." I think in general the lagoon people not being on the jury was probably the safest thing, especially with the potential for pre-jurors to be on the jury and cause a China-level mess (hey lil aj). At the end of the day though it did screw Connor in particular over since Jordan was the merge boot and those are a tossup to be on jury so the argument is there for Connor but I would argue more strongly that lil aj doesn't deserve to be on jury if that makes sense.

AJ -

James: Why does Eva deserve to win the game? I think Eva deserves to win because of the bonds she made with people. While she may have not had control of the votes at times she put in time to really connect with her alliance. And while she may have found herself on the lagoon she didn't give up and always had a level of fight in her.

#YouHaveMadeMyLifeHellFromDayOne

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junker-town · 7 years ago

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8 teams besides the Cavaliers that could actually challenge the Warriors in the future

The Warriors completely dominated the NBA this season. How close is the league to giving them a run?

The Warriors had their way with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals and there wasn’t much anyone could do about it.

The Warriors went 16-1 in the NBA Playoffs, beating a serious Cavaliers team in five games. A Cavaliers team that is so much better than the East, that they went 12-1 before reaching the NBA Finals. But it didn’t matter. The Warriors are in a different world.

Nobody could come close to beating this team this season. Their talent was too overwhelming. Their strategy was too sound. And if they want, it will be that way for a while.

But all good things must come to an end at some point. Though the end is not clearly in sight yet, they will have to line up and actually play more games at some point.

We know the Cavaliers will challenge them again, but who else has the best chance to rise up? Here are the best options.

Sooner

San Antonio Spurs

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Why they can: They have one of the best players in the world in Kawhi Leonard, the best coach in Gregg Popovich, and a brilliant system in place that accentuates the strengths of their role players while hiding their weaknesses.

If they can add a player like Chris Paul in free agency, the ceiling would only rise for them. It’d would take some maneuvering to get him, but the Spurs have shown us they’re willing to sacrifice to open up their books in the past.

Why they can’t: Kawhi can only do so much; we saw what happened when he went down in the Western Conference Finals. LaMarcus Aldridge played like a shell of himself this postseason and the rest of the talent on the team was rendered useless.

Even getting a free agent like Paul requires shedding salary, which only makes the supporting cast worse.

Boston Celtics

Why they can: Boston was already the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and they’re only going to get better. They have space to sign a maximum-contract free agent this offseason, and all signs have pointed to Gordon Hayward as a top target. Plus, they’re likely going to draft Markelle Fultz with the first-overall pick in the draft.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. They have Brooklyn’s pick next year, which should be another top-three selection. And they also have talented prospects lying in wait like Ante Žižić and Guershon Yabusele. There are so many paths they can take here, whether it’s trading their assets or letting their core play out. But there’s really no wrong choices for this team.

Why they can’t: There’s nowhere to hide Isaiah Thomas on defense, which is a big deal. He is their best scorer, but would be a massive liability on the defensive end — if he even stays with the team beyond his 2018 free agency. A rookie like Fultz isn’t going to close the gap against one of the greatest teams of all time in Year 1, and there’s no guarantee another top free agent like Hayward takes their money this summer. Even if they do sign Hayward, he won’t cover for the team’s lack of rim protection and rebounding.

Utah Jazz

Why they can: OK, just hear me out. I know the Warriors just swept the Jazz on their way to greatness, but the Jazz didn’t have Rudy Gobert at full strength. If they can keep Hayward (a big if), their core remains in tact.

Rodney Hood, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, and Trey Lyles are only going to get better. They’re all 24 years old or under with the exception of Ingles, who is 29 and a free agent. Adding that core to the game-changing talents of Gobert and Hayward could make the Jazz a force in the West again.

Why they can’t:

If Hayward leaves, none of this matters. Even if he stays, they’ll have trouble against the Warriors. But if he’s gone? They’ve got no shot. It’s really simple: They have to keep Gordon Hayward. They just don’t have the talent to withstand him leaving.

Later

Minnesota Timberwolves

Why they can: Karl-Anthony Towns is a generational talent, Andrew Wiggins isn’t close to sniffing his potential as the next great two-way wing in the league, and they have another lottery pick coming in this upcoming draft. They also have a fair amount of cap room to make a move this upcoming offseason.

Why they can’t: Their roster is still built with players who don’t necessarily fit together in the right ways. They have a bunch of non-shooters that play all at once and would be a really easy cover once the Warriors really dialed in defensively.

Plus, they have Zach LaVine recovering from a torn ACL and only one summer of cap space this offseason.

Milwaukee Bucks

Why they can: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Why they can’t: Everyone else. Khris Middleton is a nice player, but Jabari Parker has already torn his ACL twice, and the rest of their roster isn’t anything to write home about. They’re also capped out this summer, so improving that roster will be a tall task under new management.

Washington Wizards

Why they can: The Wizards had one of the best starting lineups in the league this season, and four of those five players are 27 or younger. John Wall and Bradley Beal showed they’re one of the best backcourts in the league this season. If they can have another good season and improve their bench, that may be enough to persuade another star to come to D.C. Then, they might be on to something.

Why they can’t: Because D.C. sports are cursed.

More seriously, they’re capped out and have to pay Otto Porter max-level money to keep him this offseason. Their core overachieved this season by winning 49 games with a bad bench, but can they make another jump to title contention status?

Miami Heat

Why they can: The Heat are a team of low spades that can win you a certain amount of games if played just right. Hassan Whiteside is the highest of all those cards, but has his limits on both ends of the floor.

However, if the Heat can land a marquee free agent, which they have a real chance of doing this offseason, they could be a threat to the Warriors.

Why they can’t: Even if the Heat were to land Hayward or Blake Griffin, they’d still need more talent. Erik Spoelstra worked some real magic this season, but there’s no future star on the roster and they’re out a number of future draft picks due to the Goran Dragic trade in 2015.

Way later

Philadelphia 76ers

Why they can: In the 31 games he played, Joel Embiid was one of the most impactful players in the league. They’re adding Ben Simmons and Dario Saric is probably the Rookie of the Year. Plus, they have their own No. 3 pick this year, along with unprotected Lakers and Kings picks on the way.

Add a marquee free agent down the line, and that’s a heck of a core.

Why they can’t: We have no idea if Embiid can stay healthy. We don’t know what Simmons will be. We have no clue how their talents will mix even if they are healthy. They have a looooong way to go.

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