#dameon pierce

[the-football-chick]

Bears QB Justin Fields rushing his way into the record books

IG: nfl (11/30/22)

[ride-thedragon]

Daemon and Nettles Parallels

I'm making up for the fact that I don't post my girl in her canon ship.

1. Solitary Creatures: Nettles grew up on the streets of Spice town and Hull by herself. Daemon, Lord of Fleabottom, finds himself hanging in the slums of King's Landing.

2. Maidenpool/Spice Town:

They are very similar in the damage she is constantly experiencing, but instead of being tearful and devastated, they find a routine with each other and seem to enjoy each other's company

3. 'Dark Sister was made for nobler tasks than slaughtering sheep'/ 'Then he drew his sword and asked if Lord Mooton's men were waiting outside to take them captive.'

4. "That morning, she fed him a black ram, the largest in all of Maidenpool, slitting the ram's throat herself. "

"Daemon ripped off his nephew’s helm and drove the sword down into his blind eye, so hard the point came out the back of the young prince’s throat."

5. " but as Sheepstealer beat his leathery brown wings and climbed into the dawn sky, Caraxes raised his head and gave a scream that shattered every window in Jonquil's tower."

"Caraxes dove down upon Vhagar with a piercing shriek that was heard a dozen miles away, cloaked by the glare of the setting sun on Prince Aemond’s blind side."

6. The Vale is where Nettles, 16, is last seen while Dameon was sent to the Vale at the same

7. He parallels his previous relationships with her.

That's it for now. I'll be on the lookout for more.

[pint4punt]

Run Masters:

Rust to Rushing Champions

Reports of the running back position’s demise may have been premature as the market for the league’s under appreciated stars came roaring back this offseason. Several household names got the big pay days and realistic hope of competing for a championship that eluded them in 2023.

Fanbases of the teams’ who gave their backfield a nitrous boost can only dream that the talent their team already has can elevate said workhorse to CMC-level production for their team. While hoping for a legitimate MVP caliber season from a Running Back may seem idealistic, there’s no question that fantasy value is up on several of the best backs in the game. But the real question is, which renovated backfield will be the most dangerous this season?

Today we��ll look at how each player fits with their new team and throw in our two cents on who has the best chance of usurping the current rushing champion in Christian McCaffrey. With that said let’s rush right into it!

Joe Mixon to the Texans

A year ago projecting the Texans as a playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl contender, seemed a laughable notion. Then the revelation known as CJ Stroud took the field and set the league on fire en route to winning Offensive Rookie of the year. Nobody outside of Leonardo DiCaprio could possibly have as big a hard on for a 22 year old as the Texans must have for their young Quarterback that led them to the divisional round the same year he was selected 2nd overall in the draft.

Needless to say, an outstanding first year campaign from Stroud and new Head Coach Demeco Ryans has accelerated the Texans window dramatically into ‘win now!’ mode. With little growing pains to show and 3 more years of Stroud playing for peanuts (relatively speaking), the Texans have basically discovered plutonium and need to capitalize as much as possible if they’re going to try and compete with the Chiefs and the Ravens this year.

Enter Joe Mixon coming off his fourth 1,000 yard rushing campaign. If nothing else, Mixon has been the pinnacle of consistency, averaging right around four yards per carry with one fumble in three years and playing in 47 of a possible 51 games. Coming in at 220 lbs, with excellent hands (52 receptions on 64 targets for 376 receiving yards in 2023), and the ability to take on huge workloads (his 257 carries last year ranked 5th in the NFL), Mixon should be a significant upgrade over the incumbent Dameon Pierce who lost his starting job to journeyman Devin Singletary last year.

Saquon Barkley to the Eagles

For Giants’ fans, seeing their best player sign with their hated arch rival in the Philadelphia Eagles had to be like catching your wife in bed with your Boss. It’s not bad enough that they regularly ruin your life, but they also have to take away your only reason to live. For Barkley on the other hand, this could not have worked out much better. In addition to getting a lucrative extension ($37 million over 3 years) and getting to regularly face the team that dicked him around when the bill came due, Barkley can finally play behind a top tier Offensive Line (albeit sans Jason Kelce) that can help him truly maximize his skillset and his quads. It also helps that his new Quarterback is a legitimate rushing threat without the tripping hazard. Though Fantasy Managers should temper mentally prepare for goal line siphoning whether you draft Hurts or Barkley.

While the Eagles followed up their 2022 NFC Championship with the worst sequel since the Hangover 2, it’s hard not to look at an Offense that features AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Hurts, and Barkley and not have high hopes. Even Kellen Moore can’t fuck that up…..right?

Derrick Henry to the Ravens

Picture you’re the green dot linebacker. You look in the opposing backfield and see a two-time MVP/perennial rushing threat under center. To his left is King Henry. That’s the moment you realize, this rushing attack is even more likely to impose its will on you than P. Diddy. Even a slight misstep can result in your defense getting bulldozed by Henry at the second level or Lamar taking one to the house. This ground game is the ultimate realization of thunder and lightning and may very well be the biggest rushing threat in the league.

Teams won’t be able to simply stack the box either, now that Lamar has legitimate vertical threats in Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Zay Flowers who put up 858 yards and five touchdowns as a Rookie last year (though hopefully he can avoid some of those costly postseason mistakes in his sophomore campaign). The Ravens would also certainly benefit from quality snaps from another one of their receivers such as Rashod Bateman or promising rookie Devontez Walker, but the biggest question for them is if Henry’s royal reign will continue?

Henry made the Pro Bowl once again last season and still rushed for over 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns last year with yards per carry consistent with the previous two seasons. But he also celebrated his dirty thirty earlier this year. If any Running Back can give Father Time hell, it’s Derrick Henry, but with a lot of tread on the tire at this point in his career, it’s fair to ask how long he will be able to take over games and put teams on his back. Luckily, for the first time in his career, it’s not all on him.

Enough Pussyfooting, Who Can Dethrone CMC?

There’s so much to like about all of these moves and fantasy leagues will be abound with debates over this exact topic. The steady presence of Joe Mixon should give CJ Stroud the extra half second to feed the ball to his armory of weapons (more on that in a future article), while his prodigious skills as a Quarterback and a laundry list of playmakers will force defenses to give up space underneath. But we’ve seen this movie before with Cincinatti’s army of talent, Mixon is a great player, but he isn’t making an MVP run in this lifetime.

Saquon could be transformational for the Eagles’ Offense. Or he could be a slight upgrade over what they had last year when they got eliminated in the Wild Card Round. Or he could deal with another injury prone season. Hey we’re not rooting for it, but he was available in free agency for a reason. If it works, this offense will be absolutely unstoppable on short yardage situations. If Barkley misses a lot of time, the Eagles are going to feel it, while Giants’ fans will owe Joe Schoen an apology.

Derrick Henry to the Ravens makes all the sense in the world. It’s exactly what both sides need. The Ravens need a consistent rushing threat that isn’t their signal caller so the attention is not always entirely on him. Derrick Henry needs an offense with names teams know other than him! It’s like Silk Sonic or the iPhone, you never realized how much you needed it until it fell in your lap.

If any ground game can rival Christian McCaffrey in a Kyle Shanahan Offense, its Derrick Henry lined up next to Lamar Jackson. This offense is going to make every Defensive Coordinator it runs into throw their headset on the ground and rage quit if Derrick Henry is even 70% of himself. Henry is more durable than Saquon and more dominant than Joe Mixon and the Ravens have an unabashed love for pounding the rock. If this move doesn’t propel them past Kansas City nothing will. All hail the king.

[usports]

Houston Texans rookie receiver Tank Dell is set to miss the rest of the 2023 season following surgery on his broken left fibula. Dell got the injury while blocking during a touchdown run by running back Dameon Pierce. 

Full Story Here: https://usports.org/texans-rookie-wideout-tank-dell-undergoes-successful-surgery-will-miss-rest-of-season/

[prettyhennytea]

"Stroud's Heroics Seal Victory: Houston Texans Stun Buccaneers in Thrilling Final Seconds"

In a remarkable display of talent and determination, C.J. Stroud led the Houston Texans to a stunning comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Stroud's record-setting performance as an NFL rookie quarterback propelled the Texans to a thrilling 39-37 win on Sunday.

The game started on a positive note for Houston, with Stroud orchestrating an impressive drive that culminated in a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins. However, the offense struggled thereafter, particularly in the running game without Dameon Pierce, managing only seven yards on seven carries.

Despite facing challenges and enduring hits throughout the first half, Stroud remained productive with 15 completions out of 23 attempts for 157 yards and one touchdown to Collins. The Texans trailed at halftime but experienced an offensive resurgence after the break. Stroud's exceptional performance included setting an NFL rookie record with 470 passing yards and five touchdowns, including a long scoring connection with wide receiver Noah Brown.

Meanwhile, one of the standout stories of the day unfolded on special teams. Kicker Ka'imi Fairburn suffered an injury early in the game, leading running back Dare Ogunbowale (who had soccer experience in high school) to assume kicking duties. Ogunbowale played a crucial role by sinking a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter.

However, it seemed that victory slipped away when Tampa Bay managed to score a late touchdown and appeared poised for triumph. But then came C.J. Stroud's defining moment—leading his team downfield for 75 yards in just 40 seconds before finding Tank Dell for the game-winning touchdown.

With this incredible win pushing their season record to 4-4, the Houston Texans will now face off against the Cincinnati Bengals next week as they continue their journey forward.

[kakfightingring]

Week 4 Recap

High Score

Brown Wives Matter - After stumbling to a 1-2 start this season, the Wives were determined to get the ship righted in week 4. And as usual, the Tricks were waiting to service all their needs. Coach Tilley's squad seemingly scored at will with Josh Allen going for 320 yards and 4 TDs, spreading the ball around to Justin Jefferson (6/85/2), Puka Nacua (9/163/1) and AJ Brown (9/175/2). Those 4 players alone would've been enough to carry the Wives to victory this week.

Player of the Week

While he was not actually the highest scoring player of this week, I have to give a special shout out to De'Von Achane, who seems to be on a personal quest to rescue coach Haque's injury-plagued team. In week 3, he exploded for 203 rushing yards and 4 total TDs, leading coach Haque to say Out with the Young Hoe too, changing his team name to Achane't Get Enough. Achane followed that up with 120 total yards and 2 TDs, but just couldn't overcome being part of a team drafted by coach Haque, as they got stomped by cheetalive.

Turd of the Week

Week 4 was one of the greatest displays of Turditude that the WHL has ever seen. Winless Breakin T-Law managed just 73.27 points but still outscored THREE other teams who couldn't get out of the 60s. Appropriately, up against the Turdburners, the Kak Fighting Ring sprayed chicken shit all over the field. Deebo Samuel and Chris Olave who had been fantasy stars in weeks 1-3 combined for 1 catch, 4 receiving yards and 6 rushing yards. If that wasn't enough, Joe Burrow put up his 3rd single digit game of the year. Perhaps looking like the killer from the first Scream movie is starting to catch up with him.

Game of the Week

CANCELLED as all these games were more painful than watching Daniel Jones play QB.

What 2 Watch 4 Week 5

Use Your Hand vs. cheetalive - In week 4 coach Zand finally used his hand for something other than aggressively jerking it, laying the smackdown on coach Wickersham. That win sets up a surprising battle of 3-1 juggernauts. Coach Joyce, used to fantasy football only being a September sport, will have to figure out how to manage bye weeks as an actual contender. With Keenan Allen and Chris Godwin out, expect cheetalive to go all in on the Houston Texans with Tank Dell, Dameon Pierce and perhaps even C.J. Stroud.

32 Inch Apex Strikes Back vs. Tricks Named Jim -The Maghamsham Cup is one of the most storied traditions in the WHL. In the week leading up to the game fans of both squads engage in friendly competitions like the Smoke-a-Bowl relay race, the Carbon Footprint Reduction showdown, and everyone's favorite game: Who Can Pass Out the Longest Without Spilling Their Beer.

It all culminates this weekend as the teams face off to see who gets to take home the trophy, a cake with coach Maghamfar's face on it.

Power Rankings

The Six

bluemonkeyballs

Use Your Hand

Brown Wives Matter

32 Inch Apex Strikes Back

cheetalive

Kak Fighting Ring

Achane't Get Enough

Kaepernicklin

Tricks Named Jim

Turdburners

Breakin' T-Law

[whyyourteamisgood]

2023 - Week 1

BUF - The Buffalo Bills defense allowed only 7 passing first downs, second fewest in the AFC

NE - Rhamondre Stevenson is second in the league in yards after catch with 69

MIA - Tyreek Hill leads the league in receiving yards with 215

NYJ - Xavier Gipson leads the league in punt return yards with 66

BAL - The Ravens defense has allowed the second fewest points in the AFC with 9

PIT - Anthony McFarland is second in the league in KR average with 30.33 yards per return

CLE - The Browns defense has allowed the fewest yards in the league with 142

CIN - The Bengals lead the league in punting yards with 409

TEN - Nick Folk leads the league in FGs made going a perfect 5/5 in week 1

JAX - Jamal Agnew has the second most punt return yards in the league with 58

IND - Zaire Franklin has the second most tackles in the league with 18

HOU - Dameon Pierce hit a top speed of 20.19 yards on a carry, the second highest speed for an AFC RB in week 1

KC - Patrick Mahomes is second among QBs and third overall in yard per carry at 7.5

LV - Jimmy Garoppolo is second in the league with a TD percentage of 7.7

LAC - Austin Ekeler and Josh Kelley were two of top four AFC RBs by rushing yards with 117 and 91 yards respectively

DEN - Russel Wilson is second in the league with a completion percentage of 79.4

DAL - The Cowboys defense pitched a shutout in week 1, the only team to do so

WAS - Montez Sweat is tied for the league lead with 2 forced fumbles

PHL - Darius Slay has the most INT return yards in the league with 70

NYG - The Giants converted three 4th downs in week 1, where no other team converted more than one

GB - Jordan Love is the highest rated QB in the league with a 123.2 rating

CHI - The Bears offense is tied for second in the NFC with 22 first downs

DET - Brian Branch has the second most INT return yards in the league with 50

MIN - Kirk Cousins had the second most passing yards in week 1 with 344

NO - Derek Carr had the second most yards per attempt with 9.2

TB - The Buccaneers defense allowed the fewest rushing yards with 41

ATL - Desmond Ritter is the second highest rated QB with a 111.8 rating

CAR - Jonny Hekker has the highest net punting average with 52.4 yards/punt

SEA - Bobby Wagner has the most tackles in the league with 19

LAR - Puka Nacua is second in receptions with 10

ARI - Dennis Gardeck leads the league with 32 yards on sacks

SF - Drake Jackson is tied for the league lead with 3 sacks

[2fatguysff]

RB Strategy

Why are we talking about running backs? Wide receivers are the way to go this year in our drafts right? Well, yes, kind of. While a lot of strong rosters can be built by focusing on the wide receiver position, it is still important to understand how and when to draft running backs. In many cases, the names are not what is important. It is the strategy that is important.

The first RB strategy that I will present is the "en vogue" Zero RB strategy. While I am not personally a fan of this strategy, I will admit that it is possible to build a strong roster this way because of the heavy focus that most are putting on WR this year. This strategy has you spend your first 5-6 rounds drafting WR/TE, and potentially even QB, before you draft your first RB. What this strategy accomplishes is this, you are attempting to build positional advantages at other positions, while hoping to hit on high upside RB's later in the draft. Some very good RB targets for this strategy are, Dameon Pierce, James Cook, and James Connor.

The second RB strategy, and the one that I have personally been using in most of my drafts is the Hero RB strategy. This strategy has you draft one high end RB early, and then waiting several rounds before you take another. The primary targets for your hero RB would be guys like: Nick Chubb, Christian McCaffery, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Bijan Robinson. The reason I like this strategy is very similar to the reason that people like the Zero RB strategy. Because so many people are drafting WR early this year, RB value gets pushed down, and you are able to get quality RB later than you should.

A third RB strategy that I have seen this year is what I would call, the Bully RB strategy. This strategy would be the zig to everyone elses zag. While all your leaguemates are drafting WR, you spend your early rounds drafting RB. With this strategy you will focus on building your positional advantage at the RB position early, and focus on getting high upside WR targets later in the draft. You could almost call this the Zero WR strategy. This could be a great strategy this year, as long as you hit on your high upside WR targets.

These are what I consider to be the three primary RB draft strategies this year. Now, that you have them, I hope that you are able to utilize them effectively. But, I leave you with this piece of advice. Do not be so tied to a draft strategy, or draft plan, that you are unable to adapt to what your draft brings. Every draft is different, and your strategy may get blown up by what your leaguemates choose to do. Fantasy drafts are very fluid, and you need to be able to adapt on the fly to what you see.

Good luck on your drafts this year, I hope this guide helps!

[nfliplnews]

[ad_1] The Houston Texans won just three games last year. They now have a new head coach, new offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud.With a season win total at 6.5, the Texans are certainly expected to struggle again this year. However, I’m not interested in what Stroud can potentially do to improve this offense. Instead, I’m looking at the run game ... or maybe squinting with my hand over my brows is a better description.Bet: Dameon Pierce under 900.5 total rushing yards (-110)Pierce was a mixed bag last season. He was sixth in the league for opportunity share but ranked 47th for both true yards per carry and yards per touch. Plus, he finished 37th in rushing DVOA among 42 qualifying running backs and 35th in success rate.In retrospect, his 139 rushing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles was a blessing. It was only his second 100-yard game of the season.[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]Here’s the problem. The offensive line was terrible and it doesn’t look like it could be much better this season. Houston ranked 31st in adjusted line yards (how the O-line assists in rushing yards separate from the running back) and 27th in run block win rate.The Texans drafted Penn State center Juice Scruggs in the second round, but without making impactful changes to the line, Houston is projected to face the ninth-toughest schedule of opposing rushing defenses.Strength of scheduleOut of the gate, in the first four games of the season, Houston will face Baltimore, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. All four teams were top 10 for yards per rush attempt allowed. The Texans will then close the season in the final four games, facing Tennessee twice (No. 1 for opponent YPRA) and Indianapolis again in the final game (No. 6). When is there an opportunity for Pierce to find a groove? He'll be facing No. 5 Cincinnati in Week 10, Jacksonville again in Week 12 and the Jets (No. 10) in Week 14. There is no time.This schedule with a rookie quarterback and a faulty offensive line just doesn't work. It is one of the biggest shifts in opponent strength from last year, after the Texans faced the eighth-easiest schedule of opponent rush defense for yards per rush attempt.Additional Texans betting tipsConsidering the offensive line doesn't look to be much improved, especially in the early weeks, I would be looking to Stroud under passing props, interceptions thrown props and total sacks props.This could definitely be a team where you consider taking UNDERs — points scored, receiving yards ... you name it, you could probably wager it. Good luck, Texans. [ad_2] Source link

[unclescurvy]

2022 Rookies By Round

Every year, I take a look at which teams had the most success with their rookie players, round-by-round.  ROUND 1

1. CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (NYJ - Pick 4)

2. DE Aidan Hutchinson (DET - Pick 2)

3. LB Devin Lloyd (JAX - Pick 27)

4. WR Garrett Wilson (NYJ - Pick 10) 

5.  WR Drake London (ATL - Pick 8)

6. WR Chris Olave (NO - Pick 11)

7. C Tyler Linderbaum (BAL - Pick 25)

8. DT Jordan Davis (PHI - Pick 13)

9. OT Tyler Smith (DAL - Pick 24)

10. CB Trent McDuffie (KC - Pick 21)

ROUND 2

1. RB Kenneth Walker III (SEA - Pick 41)

2. S Jalen Pitre (HOU - Pick 27)

3. WR Christian Watson (GB - Pick 34)

4. WR George Pickens (PIT - Pick 52)

5. S Jaquan Brisker (CHI - Pick 48)

ROUND 3

1. CB Martin Emerson (CLE - Pick 68)

2. OT Abraham Lucas (SEA - Pick 72)

3. S Kerby Joseph (DET - Pick 97)

4. RB Brian Robinson, Jr. (WAS - Pick 98)

5. CB Marcus Jones (NE - Pick 85)

ROUND 4

1. RB Dameon Pierce (HOU - Pick 107)

2. DT Michael Clemons (NYJ - PIck 117)

3. CB Jack Jones (NE - Pick 121)

4. TE Chig Okonkwo (TEN - Pick 143)

5. WR Romeo Doubs (GB - PIck 132)

ROUND 5

1. CB Tariq Woolen (SEA - Pick 153)

2. RB Tyler Allgeier (ATL - Pick 151)

3. OT Braxton Jones (CHI - Pick 168)

4. CB DaRon Bland (DAL - Pick 167)

5. LB Micah McFadden (NYG - Pick 146)

ROUND 6

1. LB James Houston (DET - Pick 217)

2. LB Malcolm Rodriguez (DET - Pick 188)

3. OT/G Jamaree Salyer (LAC - PIck 195)

4. CB Christian Benford (BUF - Pick 185)

5. S Quentin Lake (LAR - Pick 211)

ROUND 7

1. QB Brock Purdy (SF - Pick 262)

2. RB Isaiah Pacheco (KC - Pick 251)

3. CB Jaylen Watson (KC - Pick 243)

4. S Elijah Hicks (CHI - Pick 254)

5. LB Rodney Thomas II (IND - Pick 239)

UNDRAFTED

1. P Ryan Stonehouse (TEN)

2. S Reed Blankenship (PHI)

3. CB Kader Kohou (MIA)

4. LB Jack Sanborn (CHI)

5. K Cameron Dicker (PHI/LAC)

6. WR/KR Rasheed Shahid (NO)

BEST DRAFTS

1. NY Jets

2. Seattle

3. Detroit 

[villa-kulla]

For the DVD commentary, how about the last two scenes from "In Cold Type" and/or the make up scene in chapter three of "Waveson" where Goody and Billy talk after Goody's chat with Magnus?

Thanks for the ask! I'll go with Waveson since I think the last two scenes of In Cold Type would basically just be me going "yeah I thought this image would be cute" the whole time, and that's not interesting to anyone 😅

Put a scene from one of my fics in my inbox and I'll do the author's DVD commentary <3

before starting, I still feel like I never got this fic completely right. It is what it is, but there was always something missing. And looking back, I think that was more Billy POV. I was very determined to keep a kind of 'here and now' vibe for the fic, without branching too too much into either character's backstory. I wanted it to be more atmospheric than plotty. But I think there was a way I could have ~artistically~ worked in some more Billy-backstory/POV. So anyways, I was never completely satisfied with this fic, but rereading some of it now I was like "oh it's not that bad I guess" lol so thanks for the reminder:P

Goodnight got to his feet and walked down the beach, balancing on the slippery rocks as he walked out into the cove. He reached the spot where he’d seen a reflection, and there, sure enough, caught in a hollow beneath a large rock, something was glinting.

Goodnight crouched down, taking a firm grip of the rock, and dragged it to the side with a scraping sound. He gazed down into the hollow and felt his heart begin to pound.

He knew that colour. That leathery silver sheen was one he’d seen dipping and darting through this cove like an arrow, fast and sleek. The hide had been folded up and placed in this indent in the rocks, motionless, and yet it still seemed to swim before Goodnight’s eyes. It fairly shone with some internal kind of life, almost weightless, thick as leather yet supple as silk. No ordinary animal could have this kind of skin. It practically pulsed with magic.

Just wanted to start with the bit when Goodnight finds the skin, because I liked writing it <3 Any excuse to do pretty descriptions of things in nature lol. But yeah the first time I'd have read stories with selkies would have been Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson. Loved her children's books when I was young, and I love her books for adults now, I think she's a wonderful writer. Anyway she's sometimes incorporated selkie-lore into her books and I thought it was enCHANting <3

Can’t imagine why anyone would want it . Goodnight’s words came floating back to him, and he felt sick at the unthinkingness of his petty barb. God knew how many people would have killed, looted, plundered to get their hands on such a treasure, possibly already had. Goodnight’s retort had been thoughtlessly obtuse at best. But at worst…he knew now he was looking at a piece of Billy’s soul. And he was pierced by regret that he could ever have spoken so carelessly about something Billy held so close.

Think I internalized a bit of Philip Pullman here, with the Golden Compass concept of souls. Humans have their dameons ie animal manifestations of their souls, but for the armoured bears, their armour is like their soul. Think I was imagining that for selkies and their skin

Goodnight sat back on his heels in a daze. He remembered innocently asking Billy all those months ago where his skin was if he was the selkie he claimed to be. Billy had closed the discussion with a snap. And all this time it had been right out in the cove, where they went every day, tucked away out of sight.

Goodnight was resolved. Every time he’d thought about wanting Billy to stay he couldn’t help likening himself to that oaf in the poem, taking what wasn’t his. But Goodnight knew in his heart of hearts that he wasn’t that kind of man. Seeing Billy’s skin now, the skin Billy guarded so carefully, Goodnight’s only instinct was to protect it.

I....forgot I wrote a whole-ass poem for this fic??? Lmao shows you how long it's been since I've re-read this one. Yay for "The Selkie of Skelmorlie" my cautionary selkie poem. But yeah last time I'd have written a rhyming poem must have been high school, but always found it fun. Traditionally rhyming poems are very underrated imo! But god I remember just combing through a google map of Scotland trying to find a coastal town with a name that both had a nice ring to it, ideally alliterative, and was possible to rhyme with lmao.

He carefully dragged the rock back where it had been, using a nearby seashell to gently scrape the folds of the skin back into place, hiding it completely. He didn’t even want to touch it. Remembering the way Billy’s voice had shook when talking about people’s hands…he wouldn’t have touched the skin for all the money in the world.

Mini shout-out to using the seashell. I have nothing to say about it other than that I liked the image.

He got to his feet feeling a rush of contentment and certainty wash over him. It was the calm a person felt when they looked deep within themselves and could discover they were still the person they thought they were.

^ Me being hashtag profound. I think sometimes making 'universal observations' in writing is tricky because it sounds so much like you're trying to make a universal observation lol. But I'm oka with how this one works in context.

And – he realized with a jolt of anticipation – if Billy’s skin was still here, it meant Billy was somewhere around here too. He walked back down the beach, climbing onto the dock and sat down. He would wait.

It didn’t take long. He had only been watching the tide come in for ten or so minutes when he heard a scrape behind him.

sorry lmao just one thing about the tides in this fic.....I full-on gave up on having the tides follow the laws of physics. It was high tide when I wanted it to be high tide, and low tide when I wanted it to be low tide. Such authenticity!!

“Billy?” he asked, scrambling to his feet, and turning around. And there stood Billy, whole and human, standing on the dock before him. He was looking at Goodnight, face unreadable, hair wafting slightly in the cold night breeze, but the rest of him utterly still.

“Billy,” Goodnight breathed, like every solid dread and regret inside of him had up and floated through his pores, disappearing into the night. And without thinking about it he was stepping determinedly forward and throwing his arms around Billy in a tight, hard hug.

Billy froze and Goodnight just continued to hug him almost desperately, like he was trying to prove to himself that Billy was really there. He felt arms circle tentatively around his waist, like Billy wasn’t sure if it was happening, if he was allowed. And when Goodnight didn’t throw him off, it was like every muscle in Billy’s body seemed to melt as he folded his arms tight around Goodnight in a rush, pulling him in close, holding him hard enough to hurt, head buried in Goodnight’s neck, breathing him in.

I find hugs so underrated in fics. Also there's nothing like a reunion hug! It beats a reunion kiss imo, but even better if you can turn it into a kiss.

“I’m sorry, Billy,” Goodnight said into Billy’s shoulder, his fingers digging into the cloth of Billy’s sweater. His own sweater, he realized with a pang.

^ Screech. Should have done more about how much selkie!Billy liked wearing Goodnight's sweater.

Billy tightened his arms even more around Goodnight.

“Me too,” he practically whispered, and lifted a hand to cup Goodnight’s head.

They stood that way for a long time on the dock, arms wrapped around each other, swaying slightly under the sky. And when they finally slowly parted it was with a warm slide of arms, still staying close even as they stepped away.

Billy was looking down at the dock, his hands still brushing over Goodnight’s.

“Hi,” Goodnight offered with a tentative smile.

“Hi,” Billy said, a small smile in response, looking back up. He rubbed Goodnight’s wrists and Goodnight’s heart flared.

“That was a stupid thing I said earlier,” Goodnight said, shaking his head, a pang of regret washing over him anew.

“I said some stupid things to you too,” Billy said eyeing Goodnight hesitantly.

Goodnight just shook his head again and shrugged. “You had a better reason to.”

So this was when Billy was telling Goodnight "How do I know you're not going to try to take my skin too?" And he never really believed it but at the same time maybe he did really wonder, because he absolutely was testing Goody there. And I mean who could blame him. On the note of testing, I'm still not fully decided on whether or not Billy himself moved the rock himself to make his skin more visible, to see what Goody would do. We know he was watching him put it back, but part of me always wondered if maybe Billy staged that scene a little to test Goody further. I mostly lean towards not, I think he was just coming back and stopped when he saw the scene playing out. But maybe he subconsciously didn't properly replace the rock to see what would happen? You never know! <- she said about her own fic lmao

Billy bit his lip and shook his head, squeezing Goodnight’s hand. And then to Goodnight’s surprise he made as though to sit on the dock, tugging Goodnight’s hand gently for him to join.

They sat side by side looking out at the dark water, the horizon almost invisible against the night sky, but Billy’s hand a sure thing over Goodnight’s.

“I never meant...I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you,” Billy finally said quietly, the words seeming to struggle their way into the air. "I don't really know how to do...any of this."

“Billy, it’s okay –”

“No it’s not,” Billy said, hand tightening over Goodnight’s. He turned to look at him earnestly. “I never meant to…to string you along. I'm sorry I did. I just…”

Goodnight raised his eyebrows, but didn’t want to interrupt him again, just waited.

“I thought I’d gone too far,” Billy admitted, the barest pink tingeing his cheeks under the moonlight. “When I kissed you. I...I didn’t want to stop. But there are stories about selkies - male selkies -  who come ashore and try to seduce humans. Take advantage of them.  I didn’t want you to feel pressured by anything so...so I was waiting for you to say something about it first.”

A bubble of irony rose up through Goodnight, and he practically could have laughed out loud in disbelief. To think his own trepidations had been mirrored the whole time by Billy. He'd never heard stories about the human-selkie advantage going the other way: only the ones where humans were the possessive ones. And he'd been so caught up in his own dread that he'd been projecting his own insecurities about the situation onto Billy. And meanwhile Billy had been harbouring his own set of anxieties for the same reason. They might have been tangling themselves up in different knots, but it was all still the same net.

There are just so many ~problematic~ elements to selkie stories lmao. I didn't feel there was any way to NOT address the issues of consent surrounding selkie stories, but yeah I liked the idea that the question could have gone both ways for them. Also "it was all the same net" metaphor with ocean-vocab sighting! You could basically play ocean-reference BINGO for this whole and win every other paragraph

“Oh, Billy,” he said, letting out a quiet huff of laughter. “We’ve been a pair.”

Billy looked at him curiously and Goodnight cracked a smile.

“I’d read some story about a human stealing a selkie skin,” he said, waving his hand carelessly like the story hadn’t filled him with dread right down to his to his bones. “And I kept thinking that...it was what you were thinking I’d do and -”

“I didn’t mean that, Goody -” came Billy’s pained interruption.

“I just didn’t think it was my place,” Goodnight finished in a rush, not untruthfully. He hesitated. “To bring it up, that is. You seemed to want to forget it, and...I didn’t want you to think the same thing would happen to you again…”

Billy was looking at him uncomprehendingly.

“Again?”

“With someone on land,” Goodnight said awkwardly, not sure how to broach the subject Billy had spat out at him earlier, “With your skin. I...I just assumed.”

“Oh,” Billy said, forehead smoothing out somewhat, but a troubled expression quickly taking over his face. “It wasn’t...like that. It was a couple of travellers who found it. Back where I’m from. I was...careless, and they realized what I was. They caught me for my skin. A keepsake. But it wasn’t me they wanted.”

Billy let out a long breath while Goodnight stared at him.

“They took it back with them across the ocean. And it took a long time to track it down again, over ocean and land. It changed hands a lot, people selling it. A curiosity.”

In my mind, Billy in this fic maybe had quite a similar backstory to the Billy we know in canon (or at least my idea of the Billy we know in canon). But I think Billy in this fic was a human during the Old West, tracking down his skin through the desert, living an assassin-esque life, just trying to get his agency back.

“Billy…” Goodnight couldn’t help breathing, heart clenching in sympathy. Billy just bit his lip and shook his head.

“I could hear my skin calling, that’s how I knew where to find it. But it wasn’t easy getting there. The only thing that kept me going was thinking how good it would feel to kill the person who had it once I got it back, see how they felt when someone took a part of them. But when I finally saw the last person it had ended up with…well they really had no idea what it was, what it meant. So I just scared them instead, and took back my skin. I wanted to put it on right then and there, but I was still in the desert. So I went back to the sea, and…you know the rest. Stayed there until I met you.”

I forget my reasoning for Billy keeping the last person with the skin alive. I don't think it was to make him more sympathetic, murderous backstories aren't the kind of thing I shy away from lol. Reading this now, it almost feels like it would have been spicier had Billy killed them. I guess having him not kill the person was to reinforce the idea that knowing what the skin is and taking it on purpose is the biggest sin in this universe. But anyways back into the sea he went, doing what Goody was doing in this fic aka hiding out.

Goodnight’s mind was reeling, partly that Billy had shared this with him, and partly in sympathy for what sounded like a journey with little warmth to be had it in.

“I’m sorry,” Goodnight said in a low voice.

Billy shook his head.

“It was a long time ago. Another life.”

Goodnight squeezed Billy’s hand hard, letting him know he was there as they sat on the dock a while longer in silence.

“But no one…no one was forcing you to stay on land?” Goodnight finally asked quietly, because he had to be sure. “No one was making you stay with them?”

Billy looked at him in surprise, and then awareness dawned on his face, like he suddenly understood, really understood what lay at the centre of all Goodnight’s hesitations. A soft smile spread across his lips and he reached out to trace Goodnight’s face, making Goodnight shiver where he sat.

“No,” he said. “Nothing like that.”

Goodnight hesitated, not sure how much he should say, and he leaned in closer to Billy.

“Billy…you have to know…I’d never take your skin.” He looked imploringly at Billy, knowing it to be true in his bones, and willing Billy to believe it too. “I would never do that.”

To his mild surprise, the small smile on Billy’s face spread into an expression that was nothing but warmth.

“I know,” he said, his face lit by some deep glow of certainty that fairly stole Goodnight’s breath. “I know.”

'CAUSE HE SAW <3

They continued to sit on the dock in silence, still pressed close. Every time a coarse cloud cleared over the moon, the water around them glimmered with silver ribbons lining the dark cloak of the ocean, before the next cloud took over again.

@ me yeah yeah you like describing scenery WE GET IT. Also 'cloak of the ocean' must have been an intentional selkie skin comparison lol

“I thought you’d left,” Goodnight admitted after a while, voice hoarse, heart picking up at the mere memory of coming home to the empty house.

Billy pulled back and tilted his head as he regarded Goodnight, eyes searching.

“Do you want me to stay?” he asked.

Goodnight opened his mouth, still unsure, even now, as to whether it was something he was even allowed to ask at all. But he looked at Billy’s face and decided to trust what he saw there.

“I do want you to stay,” he confessed. “But I can’t ask that of you.”

The small smile on Billy’s face turned up more in understanding, and he lifted his hands again to cup Goodnight’s face.

“Ask me,” he said quietly. And his voice was soft but it might as well have been a command for helpless Goodnight was to resist it. That smile was still rippling over the line of Billy’s mouth, pulling up all of Goodnight’s hopes too in one breathless, heart-pounding ascent.

"rippling over the lines of Billy's mouth" like waves...ocean vocab metaphor sighting! Also there's something almost vampiric about the whole ceremony of asking the magical being to stay. Not that there's meant to be any magic where you hAVE to ask the selkie to stay if it's ~true love~...it's just the polite thing to do lol, but yeah I'd hoped it would feel a little 'ceremonial'

“Would you stay with me?” Goodnight whispered, gazing into Billy’s dark eyes which melted into an expression of pure light and relief. And Goodnight realized that the one thing he felt he couldn’t ask of Billy was the one thing Billy had been waiting and hoping to hear from him all along.

awww how romantic. Except how well did I really write Billy's longing this whole fic? I'd have to go reread to check lol, but I feel like I didn't make Billy's side of it clear enough. I've mentioned before that Billy was going through a whole "Little Mermaid" scenario in this fic, falling in love with the man on land, but did it come off??? Idk at a certain point I just wanted the damn fic done lol

Billy nodded, and his smile soft over his lips.

“Yes,” he said simply.

Goodnight could scarcely breathe. He gazed at Billy who ran his thumb across Goodnight’s cheek.

“I think,” Goodnight murmured, looking down to Billy’s lips, then back up at his eyes. “We’ve both been thinking too much about other people’s stories. Not ours.”

Cheesy? Maybe. In a fic based entirely on stories of folklore did it have to be done? MAYBE.

A smile curved at the corner of Billy’s mouth, his eyes still shining, and he leaned in. Goodnight parted his lips, and then Billy was there, brushing and then sealing their lips together, and it was like all of Goodnight let out a breath in one rolling, cresting  swell.

OCEAN-METAPHOR VOCAB SIGHTING! And don't get me started on their sex scene lol.

But yeah thanks again for the ask!! I still feel like this fic was never as good as I wanted it to be, but rereading it, it's also better than I thought??? Maybe one day I'll rewrite it lol:P While the first chapter came sooooo fast, the last two took like a year lol, I think I was obsessed with wanting it to be GREAT and also had a feeling it would be the last mag7 fic I'd do (we don't talk about the unfinished Outlaw Lullaby lol it was covid, I think I just wanted to play with a new idea, not write a whole fic, but the fact that it's an unfinished fic haunts me lol). but anyways despite this fic being a slog at times, it was still fun to write when I was actually writing it, not plotting it, because falling in love in a small coastal town? Who can resist, not me <3 But yeah thanks again!

[nbcnews05]

http://nfl.com Dameon Pierce 🔥 Scariest Rookie RB in the NFL ᴴᴰ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imh5yJ81rHs&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr http://doritos.com

[msnbcnews05]

http://nfl.com Dameon Pierce 🔥 Scariest Rookie RB in the NFL ᴴᴰ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imh5yJ81rHs&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr http://doritos.com

[turboredzone]

Another PFF image. Dameon Pierce.

[whyyourteamisgood]

2022 - Week 14

BUF - The Bills are second in the league with 5162 yards of offense

NE - The Patriots have allowed 4064 yards of offense this year, second fewest in the AFC

MIA - The Dolphins are second in the league with 3613 passing yards

NYJ - The Jets have allowed 2462 passing yards, second fewest in the AFC

BAL - The Ravens are second in the league with 2108 rushing yards

PIT - The Steelers have converted 69.2% of their fourth down tries, second best in the AFC

CLE - The Browns are second in the AFC with 1943 rushing yards

CIN - The Bengals have allowed 235 first downs, second fewest in the AFC

TEN - The Titans have allowed 1057 rushing yards, second fewest in the AFC

JAX - The Jaguars have allowed only 36.8% of opposing fourth down tries to convert, second best in the AFC

IND - The Colts have allowed 2452 passing yards, fewest in the AFC

HOU - Dameon Pierce had 1104 yards from scrimmage, the only rookie in the league over 1k

KC - The Chiefs lead the league with 5510 yards of offense

LV - The Raiders have 13 turnovers this year, tied for second fewest in the league

LAC - The Chargers are 30 for 30 on extra points, best in the league without a miss

DEN - The Broncos have allowed 21 TDs this year, fewest in the league

DAL - The Cowboys are second in the NFC with 360 points scored

WAS - The Commanders have allowed 227 first downs, second fewest in the NFC

PHL - The Eagles lead the league with 386 points scored

NYG - The Giants have recovered 11 opponents fumbles, second most in the league

GB - The Packers are tied for the NFC lead in safeties forced

CHI - The Bears lead the league with 2459 rushing yards

DET - The Lions are second in the NFC with 4893 yards of offense

MIN - The Vikings are tied for second most wins in the league

NO - The Saints are 25 for 25 on extra points, best in the NFC without a miss

TB - The Bucs lead the NFC with 3454 passing yards

ATL - The Falcons are tied for the NFC lead in safeties forced

CAR - The Panthers have allowed only 33.3 opposing fourth down tries to convert, best in the NFC

SEA - The Seahawks are second in the NFC with 24 FGs

LAR - The Rams have allowed 1325 rushing yards, second fewest in the NFC

ARI - DeAndre Hopkins averages 95.7 receiving yards a game, second best in the NFC

SF - The Niners have allowed 197 points, fewest in the league