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jenivi7 · 4 years ago

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First Lines Tagging Meme

I'M SO HAPPY TO BE TAGGED IN THIS TWICE! Thank you @ink-flavored and @clyde-side !! (I almost just did this on my own too because I love babbling about my own fics...)

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line.

Now pinned and under a cut because it became a really long, really good introduction to me and my stories!

Hello!

Unnecessary and overly wordy introduction/personal musings: I love opening lines so much. When I worked at a bookstore, I used to open books and hardcore judge them on their first lines. I had barely any free time to read at that point so if it didn’t grab me in the first line or two, I put it back. The first Harry Potter book is actually in my pile of really good openers. “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” (Subtle alliteration, HELLO??) So I'm super excited to see if my own first lines come even close to the standards that I apply to other people lol. MY OWN MONEY IS ON NO. I have the feeling that I'm so frantic trying to get the story down on paper before the good words disappear from my head that I'm not actually paying attention to the first line. BUT LET'S SEE, SHALL WE.

So just straight up going backwards, I've written and posted TWO BRAND NEW THINGS after being away from fandom almost entirely for 10+ years! They're drabble length but they're shiny and new! <3 (All available fics are linked!)

1. Tango:

She teaches them to dance so that they can dance with her but when Atem gets that mischievous smirk on his face and pulls Yugi into his arms, their bodies spark and the dance floor smolders at their heels.

(The fic is so short that this is a full 1/5 of it but actually, I think I crammed all the good stuff right into that first line. This already might be my favorite. Like it says there in the line itself, Puzzleshipping.)

2. No Betting:

Anzu sat at the kitchen table writing carefully calculated answers onto sticky notes before attaching them to a fourth-grade math worksheet.

(Peachshipping! This one doesn't pop off until about line five so here's the rest of that bit:)

She had the same arrangement with her spouse as most parents had. When the kids were good they were hers. When they were bad, they were his. And when they were winning at games because they picked up rules with uncanny speed and read their opponents with more insight than ought to be available to a child, they were definitely, definitely his.

3. If you wanted honesty that's all you had to say (working title):

When he realized that the figure sitting under the game shop display window and smoking wasn’t Ryou, the physical body response was as though it had discovered a coiled snake not two feet away.

(This one! It's a NEW half finished(?) WIP. I actually started this one before the drabbles but wanted to finish before posting it. Then it got out of hand, then work got out of hand, then I started a couple more projects and well. I keep putting words on it though and eventually there will be a Kleptoshipper that turns into Puzzle and Tender for your reading enjoyment. Also, fair warning - don't use song lyrics as a working title. Every time I look at the document I get the song stuck in my head.)

Now we have polished up reposts of old stories for their move to AO3, where I'll basically keep my master archive. Not full re-writes but I fixed a bunch of typos and awkward sentences and they're much stronger for it. Most of these are from a pairings contest way back when so LOTS of different pairings and lots of AUs!

4. Human:

It was like a bad noir, the thought crossed both of their minds.

(Scifi AU, Rivalshipping. That one's not bad for a first line. Actually no link at the time of writing cause the re-edit is going up in like, a half hour? an hour? a half day? It's my next project after finishing this, finishing up the edit and posting it on AO3. Now with link!)

5. Blood:

Fingers through midnight black hair, whispers in his ear, touches that sizzled along the skin, awakening nerves and senses.

(Dungeonshipping, Pegasus x Otogi, vampires AU. Oh that’s a nice first line! <3)

6. Crazy for You:

The keys are too large and too heavy for the doctor more used to more modern facilities but she doesn't say anything, just follows the orderly as he pulls the large door open.

(Manipulashipping, Anzu x Marik, Psychward AU. Still one of my favorites from that era. Big bold warning though, THIS ONE CONTAINS NON-CON)

7. Finality:

“What are you doing here?”

“Saying goodbye.” Bakura’s translucent arms swept across the graveyard. “Is this not an appropriate place for it?”

(First two or so bits of dialogue as the first first is a generic question. You can tell this is one of the really old ones just by that but it's a sweet, sad little Tendershipper that still has a special place in my heart.)

8. Pieces of You:

Glitter caught the light, leaving shimmering trails in the air as it got everywhere.

(Glittershipping, Anzu x Kisara. Another one that's special to me. Kisara is my girl and my first writing muse. <3)

9. Cambodia:

“It was summer of fifty three...”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, it can't have been fifty three. You might be that ancient but I'm not. It must have been sixty three.”

(Jiishipping. Yes. Sugoroku x Arthur. HEY, IT CAME UP IN THE RANDOM DRAW FOR THE SHIPPING CONTEST OK. And my writer's brain hasn't backed down from a challenge yet... Another one that takes 4 lines to pop off but it's a good start. Actually, here's the rest of the bit just because I cannot get enough of these two bickering:)

“What do you mean it must have been sixty three? You don't even know what story I'm trying to tell.”

“Am I in it?”

“What?”

“So you're deaf now as well as daft? AM I IN IT?”

“Of course you're in it, y'old coot. Don't know why I'd tell a story without you in it when both grandkids are sitting here.”

10. Coffee and Cigarettes:

"Cigarettes and coffee? That's not a very healthy lunch."

Mana crossed her legs and took a refined sip of her own coffee even as her company was not.

(Mischiefshipping, Mana x Thief King Bakura. Oh this one I'm actually sad that it doesn't immediately sparkle in the first line cause it's one of my absolute favorites of everything I've written. And I think it's the only time I've ever written Mana but I LOVED IT AND HER. Oh no! I lied, I've written her at least one other time though I don't think that one quite captures her sheer chaos energy like this one does.)

11. A Million Missed Chances:

Somewhere along the line, someone made a choice.

(This one. THIS ONE. I think this is by far the most epic idea I've tackled. I still don't know if the sheer scale of the thing came across in the actual fic but in my head it was massive and I remember pounding away at my teeny tiny laptop late at night because the whole thing hit me maybe a day or so before the story was due for the pairings contest. We only had a week to write each fic and my really good ideas never came to me before the very last minute. T.T Conquestshipping, Mai x Valon.)

12. A Fear of Falling:

She drove.

Like she always did when something bothered her.

(Oh the first chapter on this is also one of the really ancient ones. Like one of the very first things I wrote. That first chapter really shows its age and is a little shaky but the others are better and the last one is what fits into the chorological order here. Polarshipping, Jou x Mai. One of my very first ships. Probably THE first actually <3)

13. What Our Creators Make Us:

"Well, well." The match flared, scattering dark shadows until it was blown out and the only light that remained was the red glow from the cigarette end. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

(Psychoshipping, Marik x Spirit of the Ring Bakura. With a bit of Bronze, Angst and Tender in the follow up. Old but I'm ridiculously proud of it, hence it's place in the master archive. Ahaha you can tell how old it is though by how clever I think I am. I thought it was funny to make my audience figure out who was talking and not reveal the characters for a good fourth to third of the fic. Ahhhhhhh. Sorry about past me.)

14. A Revolution of the Spirit:

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't.

That they were close was understandable (you don't get much closer than sharing headspace) but that even now, after deals were made with gods, endless arguments, compromises and the ultimate guilt trip that he had only been a teenager when he willingly sacrificed himself for all of humanity, things she had only half seen and only partly understood even though they had all been there to witness, that even now Atem continued to invade Yugi's personal space as though he belonged there got on her nerves.

(Woah Nelly! That third sentence should probably be three, four and five. Even if I just split it in half we'd continue the pattern of things popping off in the fourth line. I think that's one pattern that's emerging! A really good bit takes me about four lines to set up and deliver! Oh, the challenge was Revolutionshipping, Anzu x Atem, but the fic is actually Spiritshipping, Anzu x Yugi x Atem.)

So confession time, I haven't been out of fandom completely, I just hadn't written my own standalone stories in a very long time. There are a few (ok ok more than a few) long-running rps that @miss-moberg and I have been adding to on and off over the years. I can't resist throwing in a couple of these.

15. Cafe!

The door shut behind them with the soft click of the latch and the exhale of a breath long held.

(This opening line was from December of 2020 when we rebooted a very old Prideshipper and that is a damn good opening line if I do say so myself. I can definitely see the difference now between the newer works and the older ones. I've gotten better, she's matched me pace for pace and eventually something will be finished, I'll work up the courage to ask permission to post it and the whole internet will get to see how brilliant the two of us are together.)

16. Treasure Hunt!

"Ryou, I think you're going to regret letting me tag along on your adventuring this time." Yugi didn't bother turning away from the airplane's tiny window to see if his seatmate was paying attention. He was more thinking out loud with his friend playing the role of a convenient sounding board. "Because I think this trip is the only thing I'm going to talk about ever again."

(One more from RP because it's got that fun, four line punch that we've discovered is a pattern for me! Opening entry is from 2017.)

Also, in truth, my count is a little off when I say I'd been out of fandom 10+ years. I've been away from YGO for that long but I did spend a brief stint in Homestuck where I read a ton of fanfic, flirted with a couple group RPs and even wrote a tiny bit. 9 years without writing a new fic isn't as impressive as saying ‘over a decade’ but it is a little more accurate.

17. What You Will:

In the land of fair Illyria, along a small, sandy stretch of its rocky shore, a ship has come to ruin and one lone woman lies still as death among broken wood.

(The beginning of a Homestuck/Twelfth Night crossover that I'm still determined to work more on someday. It's only got a single chapter but it's magic though now I'm concerned about not being able to recapture that. Not a bad first line though. The style is so different it took me reading it a couple times before going, oh yeeeeeah, that's pretty good!)

18. Relentless:

You pull him to the deck and then across it by the remains of his shirt. Let him say one last goodbye. His ship pillaged, his crew murdered, his hands bound behind his back and at your mercy.

Funny word, that. Mercy.

(The first line is pretty decent but there's that four line combo again! Five but I could basically fix that with a comma. Featuring the troll ancestors Mindfang and Dualscar because every time Hussey introduced new characters they were instantly my favorite.)

19. Black:

There is dark and there is dark and there is dark and then there is black. She is black. Licorice and coal. She is hate and resentment and everything that tastes bitter, the kind of black that coats the tongue like oil, drips down the back of the throat and keeps going.

(Oh wow. Am I allowed to say that about my own work? A Terezi/Vriska drabble that I'm putting as much here as I think I can get away with because it's so good that it fucks me up a little going back and reading it.)

And here it gets tricky because I think the more recent of the old, old fics are in the Drabbles and Shorts collection on ff.net and I can't see a post date. So I'll just pick a good one to end on.

20. Two Princes:

It was inevitable as the rising of Ra's chariot after a long night, as the flooding of the river banks every spring, and Atem always knew that Yugi's kiss would be as warm and gentle as the evening breeze in the summer that brought relief from the scorching day. It was.

(How about the final honor going to more Puzzle/Blind? This probably has the strongest first line of its era. Actually I'm not sure when it was written. It was just hanging out in my writing folder and, thinking about it, I probably wrote it when I was fading from fandom the first time around but still trying to hang in there. No wait! That’s too sad, we can’t end on that! Lets add one more to the list for the sake of personal narrative!)

21. Linger:

The world doesn't need him anymore. It doesn't need his sword and it doesn't need his pen.

(A tiny Princess Tutu afterward that I wrote for myself. Nice one-two punch in the opener. Also it rounds out the personal story that accidentally developed here with a line later in the fic, "Words, however, never stray far from a good writer..." Like, wait, stop. Past me, how did you know T.T)

Did that take a sudden emotional turn for anyone else or was that just me. Can I offset that a little with an honorable mention? Let’s do that while I collect myself. Here’s one more.

Honorable mention: Ryou and the Thief

There was a storm gathering and too much magic in the air. Much more than occurred naturally and magic at this level was never a good thing.

(I can’t have a list of things I’ve written without having Ryou and the Thief on it. If you click on this one though, BEWARE, it’s old, it’s silly and it has a ton of explicit gay sex that… would be written very differently if we were handling it today I’m sure! This is the first RP @miss-moberg and I ever did together and our excuse to Gemship and Puzzleship turned into us running the boys through a whole adventure based on the Osiris myth. It’s the longest thing I’ve ever completed and I’d still consider it kind of my legacy.)

And that’s the last 21(+1!) stories that I’ve written!

The clear winner of best first line for me is 15. Cafe! It’s short, elegant and manages to contain a whole mood even without the context of what’s going on and who’s involved. (Spoilers: It’s Seto and Mokuba making an AU escape from Gozoboro.) Close second is Tango, the most recent story. It’s neat to see just how much better I’ve gotten and also really cool to see that even if the first line itself doesn’t contain a punch, it’s usually because there’s a nice, strong idea being set up and delivered in the first four lines (or so). What a pleasant surprise!

AND WOW, this whole tag thing didn't need to be so long! Or personal! Seriously, if you get this tag from me the challenge is only to list the first lines to 20 stories and maybe try to draw one or two conclusions from them. You all thought I was joking when I said I loved talking about my own writing! But actually, I guess it’s fine like this as I ended up using it as a way to re-introduce myself. Like, "Hey, I used to live here a long time ago and oh my god I love what you've done with the place!" Rather than being someone who's just popped up out of nowhere a few weeks ago to creepily bother all your best of the best creators so....

^///^ Hello!

Thanks for letting me ramble!

Tags! I think I've seen most of the authors I follow do this already but on the off chance you haven't been tagged yet: @elexica (checked your blog to see if you'd already done the tag and saw that you're another person returning to writing fanfiction after 10+ years. Same! Hello!!), @danieco, @draconicmaw, @nedjemetsenen (has someone tagged you already?) and two shots in the dark, @miss-moberg and @edmondia (I'm so sorry you two. T.T Please feel free to block me forever.) And please, anyone else who wants to babble about their own writing! Do this, it was so much fun. <3

#ygo #yu-gi-oh #yugioh #yugioh fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #jenific #so many ships #so many characters like woah #not half bad for a retrospective if i do say so myself #thank you for coming to my ted talk #tag game #first lines tag

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dirtylevi · 7 years ago

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Do you think Reiner can actually kill himself by blowing his brains out (I mean, he survived getting half of his head chopped off before)? And why do you think he's doing it?

Hello, hello you beautiful anon!

DISCLAIMER: This is my personal opinion. In no way am I stating what I say here is canon or completely accurate. if you disagree with my opinion, that’s perfectly fine! Everyone has a different interpretation, but if you are going to send me messages trying to argue points of view with me or send me hate messages; please do us both a favor and just don’t even bother with it. WARNINGS: Major spoilers & mentions of attempted suicide ahead!

I’m really glad you asked me this because I’ve been seeing a lot of different POV’s on these two subjects and I’m always excited to throw my two cents in when it’s wanted. As usual, I will be putting this under a Read More due to the length of my response and the content of spoiler panels that are present. Also, this is completely unedited, so please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors! Now then, let me start off by saying that a gun shot wound to the head would have most definitely killed Reiner if he truly wanted it to.

While it is true that he had his head blown off in Shiganshina and managed to survive, there was an action taken by Reiner that allowed that to happen, which is basically the fact that his brain functions were intact within his body and not within his skull.

This was something he did on purpose in order to survive, but had he not triggered the action fast enough or at all; Levi’s attempt at killing him would have been successful. This ability, accompanied with him being in full titan form is what allowed him to survive having his entire brain and half of his skull blown completely off. Not just his titan shifting ability.

So in this situation, if Reiner did actually pull the trigger on the rifle, the only way he would have survived it is if he purposefully moved his brain functions throughout his body in a split second.

Basically, if Reiner wants to kill himself; he absolutely can. His titan healing abilities alone would not be enough to save him from a direct gunshot wound to the head. He has to activate certain properties in order to survive such lethal injuries, and he has to allow his body to regenerate. Reiner isn’t like how Eren used to be. He is in full control of his titan power and knows the ins and outs of what he can and cannot do with it. if he doesn’t want to activate the healing abilities or the last ditch survival mechanisms he has at his disposal; he doesn’t have to. This has been proven before:

So yes, Reiner could die by shooting himself if he truly wished to do so.

Now, as far as why I believe he’s reached a point in which he almost committed suicide; welp, let’s just walk through this man’s life, shall we? Allow me to start with these panels:

Much like what I stated about Eren in the meta I wrote about him last night, Here, Reiner seems to have realized that what he was taught growing up, and what he was force fed to believe was actually a complete lie. The Eldian’s of Paradis were not much different and no worse than him. They were just people caught along in the drift and forced to believe propaganda and lies fed to them by their government, and that they too, were living and fighting in a hell all their own. One they were fighting and dying left and right to be free of and one not much different from his own.

Reiner realizes this, and he hates himself for it. Because not only does it betray his duty as a Warrior, but it also forces him to see how much damage he has caused. Not only to the people of Paradis that he grew to care for, but betrayed. But also to his Warrior comrades that he also cared for, and let get captured or killed due to his extreme need to prove himself as a Warrior.

Bottom line is, he lives his life currently bound in endless regret, and he has absolutely no one to talk to about what he has experienced and gone through in the last few years. When he is asked about the people of Paradis and inquired to as to whether or not they truly are evil devil’s, he actually laughs and gives back a sarcastic retort. Making it very clear to his mother that he doesn’t see them as Devil’s at all.

His own mother, the one person he strove to become a Warrior for refuses to listen to him at risk of her family losing the Armored Titan inheritance. She knows Reiner’s time is coming to an end, and instead of worrying for him or trusting in his experience, she’s screeching at Gabi that of course the island dwellers are evil. Of course they’re devil’s, and the Devil’s must be purged. That she must take up the reigns of Reiner’s power by fucking eating him and killing them all in order to free the “better Eldians”.

Reiner’s eyes as she cuts him off before he can answer Gabi’s question says it all. The people of Paradis aren’t Devils at all. At least, not in his eyes, but he can’t say that out loud because it will get him, and his entire family killed, and no one, not even his own mother would believe him anyways.

So, once dinner is said and done and Reiner is left to his thoughts, he contemplates what made him want to become a Warrior in the first place. Which, as stated above, was his mother and wanting to make her happy.

He busted his ass for his mother so she could become an honorary Marlian and finally be with his father. So they could all be one big, happy, free family living comfortably. But, that backfires as soon as he’s finally gained the Armored Titan and goes to meet his father in person for the first time to deliver the happy news.

His father basically tells him that he is nothing more than a mistake that he has every intention of running from. A devil. And Reiner realizes that what he had worked so hard for was already all for naught.

However, in order to prove himself and to make his mother proud, and to also uphold his duty as a proud Warrior of Marley, Reiner went on the mission to take the Founding Titan. And in the midsts of the very start of said mission, Reiner got another rude awakening.

Reiner was a boy who worked his ass off, all for the sake of making his mother happy and to finally have a normal life with his family. He studied, he trained, and he dealt with constant bullying, but in the end, he inherited the Armored Titan. He was granted a chance to achieve his dream, and on his path toward hope; he was told that it was only by manipulation that he was chosen over Porko. That it wasn’t his skill, or his resolve that granted him his power. It was the actions of someone who put the life of their family over his.

This crushed Reiner even further, and in the middle of learning the truth of his position, Marcel, the very person who told him the truth is killed while saving his life.

At this point, Reiner had indeed lost everything. He lost his chance at becoming a family [when in reality he never actually had one]. He lost his faith in himself, and he lost one of his comrades. But after running away from the titan we know to be Ymir, and confronted by Annie to return and look for her to take back the Jaw Titan; Reiner again, thinks of his mother, and making her happy.

Point blank, Reiner freaks at the thought of letting her down. At failing the mission and going home empty handed because not only will he die, but he will also never achieve his dream. So, after convincing Annie and Bertoldt that their lives would also be at risk for losing the Jaw titan, and Annie says this to him in response:

Reiner responds right back. Telling her that if his death is what it will take for them to all go back home; then fine. He’s dead. He’ll become Marcel and make sure they all return back alive and with something in hand.

Fact of the matter is, Reiner lost his Warrior spirit slowly but surely the longer he lived within Paradis, and the loss of Annie and Bertoldt only added to the sins and unfulfilled promises piled upon his shoulders.

Reiner helped kill over 250,000 innocent people as a plan to lure out the Founding Titan. He murdered comrades such as Marco due to his twisted sense of duty as a Warrior. He betrayed countless people who actually appreciated and loved him solely to keep his promise to Annie and Bertoldt. He berated Annie’s dedication and questioned her loyalty, while also feeding into the life the grew to enjoy within the walls of Paradis. And in the process of doing all of these things, he lost his sense of which side was right, and which was wrong due to burying all of these actions subconsciously beneath the persona of Marcel.

Reiner already let part of himself die to make up for the death of Marcel. To fufill his duty and to carry out his promise to the end, but in doing that, he used the Marcel persona to cope with his sins, and his personality actually split in half over time.

His memories became sporadic, and his actions became contradictory, and only when faced with the reality that Eren has the Coordinate power and the presence of Zeke on the island, does Reiner seem to fully fall back into his warrior self. He see’s the light at the end of the tunnel. He sees the very goal he came to the island with just a few inches from his grasp, but with the battle in Shiganshina takes place right after Zeke claims they will recue Annie after their victory; Reiner gets another severe dose of reality again in the form of complete and utter defeat.

The wrath of those he does care for, but shouldn’t. The anger of those betrayed, and knowing deep down the he deserves it, all added in with the failure of keeping his promise to get Annie and Bertoldt home alive with something in hand still haunts him to this day.

This man’s life has been absolute hell. He failed his mission, he failed to keep his word, he failed his mother, he failed his comrades, he failed his friends, and he failed himself. At least, that is most likely how Reiner sees it all.

He spent a five years wading in one war that he learned was grossly misguided only for it to fail and cause another war with a different nation which is also grossly misguided. He’s realized that most of what he believed was a lie. He’s realized that all he fought for on the path of his own hell simply led to a different hell and then back around again.

And now, he’s alone. Ridiculed by Porko and constantly being reminded that someone, someday here soon is going to devour him to continue the legacy of Marley with the power of the armored titan. And not only is he being told he will die soon, but he’s also being shown that his own family will most likely be the one to take up the torch and walk straight back into the hell that got him to mindset that he’s now currently in.

So in order to atone for what he’s done. To “repent his sins” and make up for everything he failed to do while also keeping the Armored Titan and the path of absolute carnage ridden hell out of reach from Gabi; Reiner chose this:

It was a very sad moment, but don’t despair. He’s walked a hard road with a lot of mistakes, but Reiner is aware of his wrong doings and still has a lot of experiences to contribute to the world. He still has things to do and people that rely on him. He isn’t alone in the world and there are people who have the ability to understand him and listen to what he’s gone through. People who can learn from him and and all of the mistakes he made.

There are people who can walk the path to hell more righteously than he did and protect those he knows needs protecting. Even after everything, even for Reiner, there are people worth living for, and people worth dying for.

#snk #snk spoilers #snk 97 #reiner braun #shingeki no kyojin #meta #Anonymous

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mredwinsmith · 7 years ago

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Potlatch 28 Awards: The Legend of Hriar

As I sat down to make up the official Potlatch awards, I found that there was more to say than which teams won some made-up awards (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Don’t worry, there are still plenty of juicy award absurdities below.

But, first and foremost, I want to apologize. This was not my best Potlatch. I didn’t deliver to a standard that I believe Potlatch and you all deserve. There were plenty of times that I was at peak Potlatch form, but overall, my heart was not in it the same way. I felt it showed. There were several factors which led to this:

In February, I broke my leg. I got three screws put into in my ankle, meaning I would not get to play the sport I love with the community I love for some time. When I first helped run Potlatch in 2014, I was injured, and still had the time of my life. This time was different, and it hit a lot harder. I found myself sad throughout the preparation, doubting my self-worth, and questioning my reasons for giving. While there is no other place I would be on Potlatch weekend, being injured made me question that because I wouldn’t get to fully participate.

Emotional turmoil over the impending changes to Potlatch. Potlatch is a project that I’ve put a lot of time into over the years. With any project that you love, change is a hard pill to swallow, especially if that change comes to head to head with aspects that you’ve personally put time into. The TDs have been discussing certain changes for a while now (like changing the name of Potlatch to be more culturally sensitive), and trying to come up with potential solutions. As much as I didn’t want to change things initially, it is absolutely the right thing to do. For those who don’t know, Potlatch is a Native American term for a gift giving celebration. While the spirit of what we do is there, the original meaning of this tournament and how it relates to the Native term has been lost over the last 28 years. This is something DiscNW and the TDs have taken very seriously, and that is why we brought it up in the bid submission process and at the captains meeting. Nothing official has been determined, and the conversations are still ongoing. but we all should prepare for a world where this tournament will have a different name.

It was incredibly tough to work through these (and other) issues all at the same time, and still try to ensure everyone else’s Potlatch was fantastic. Importantly, whenever I was down, the ultimate community was there for me. I was constantly showered in love and affection from members of the ultimate community with simple acts like giving hugs to grander gestures like gifts of hats, jerseys, and even a lucky egg. You all helped lift me back up when I was down. For this, I am grateful. You are all the reason I volunteer for this, you all inspire me to be make this tournament even better. Ultimate community, I love you.

The Legend of Hrair

Lastly, I learned an important lesson this Potlatch from an experience I call the Legend of Hrair “Her-Eye.” I came across an interesting fellow on Night Zero of Potlatch who stood out among all the random ultimate players. There he was, a short, out of shape, hobbit looking guy, with long curly hair, glasses and a Newsies cap. He almost floated around the party. I was fascinated as he walked over in the middle of a rage cage game, and started stacking cups. I knew I had to meet this human, and find out how he discovered Potlatch. I walked over to him and asked him how his night was going. He immediately went into a long rant about how he was having an identity crisis between being a normal person and an artist. Just as I thought, this guy was as odd as I had assumed, didn’t know anyone at the event, and wasn’t signed up to participate at Potlatch. But, seeing as he was harmlessly participating in the celebration, I was curious to see what role he would play.

The next night, as I stumbled to my last campsite gathering to play rage cage before I went to bed, there was the half-man, half-artist hobbit in all his glory. I knew all the other members at the game table, and we all had the same look on our face. “Who the hell is this guy? And what the hell is he doing here?”

I positioned myself next to Hrair, and asked him how his artistry crisis was going. He gave me a similar rant as the evening before, and proceeded to ask the table if we wanted to have a real talk. He asked if we wanted to know the twelve reasons he was upset his wife was leaving him. Things had just gotten very real, but the campsite host decided to step in and escort Hrair away.

Hrair clearly had several issues he was working out. He had somehow made his way to Potlatch, and chose it as an appropriate location to work through those issues. I heard he made an appearance at the same campsite the next night, and was asked again to leave, this time with a little more force and anger. I understand why that happened. There was a big unknown factor here on what this stranger was capable of if he snapped. But if anything, accepting all people is what makes the ultimate community so special, and Hrair should not have been an exception.

On day three of Potlatch, during one of my golf cart drives, I found Hrair posted up in the northwest corner by some tents, with an easel, a canvas and a sign next him with “Weird Freaky Art” written on it. I asked him what he was doing. He explained to me how he had been working on this painting all weekend.

I took a closer look at the canvas. On it was an incredible oil landscape painting that perfectly captured the scene of Potlatch. The fields, teams playing, children playing, spirit games, tents, honey buckets, the trees, the houses on the hills, even the shadows from the trees behind him. This was a magnificent piece of art that perfectly conveys what Potlatch is, and it was through the perspective of a stranger.

My mind was blown. I finally asked Hrair how he had discovered Potlatch. He explained how after volunteering in the neighborhood, he had pulled over in this parking lot to pray and reflect on his life. That is when all these people started showing up, and they kept on coming. Rather than run away, he embraced this unknown group, to see what he could learn about himself. I marveled at this tale, and then went on to share what Potlatch is and what it means to the ultimate community. How we all come from all over the world to Redmond, WA to share memories, good times, and gifts with our friends. I told him a little about my story and role as one of the tournament organizers, and how much seeing his art meant to me. Hrair then turned to me and exclaimed, “I want you to have my painting.”

I was dumbfounded yet again. I told him I couldn’t possibly take this, but he insisted, stating, “You all accepted me as one of your own this weekend.” He went on to share how by expressing himself this way, it was helping him work through his troubles, and gave him more of a meaning. “If this is an event about gift giving, then this is my gift to you.” With tears in my eyes, I hugged Hrair. This is the greatest gift I have ever received at Potlatch, and it came from someone who I originally thought shouldn’t be there.

I learned a very valuable lesson from Hrair. We all have struggles to work out in life, like overcoming an injury, losing loved ones, or confronting a big change. Potlatch is all about embracing your community, being inspired to create something spectacular, and showing your love through giving a gift. Whatever the future holds for this tournament, I hope that those ideals and values are preserved.

Thank you’s!

And now a moment for the true heroes of Potlatch, the tournament directors. Rusty, it was a pleasure to watch you step up in many ways this year, especially as a leader. These may have been the best match ups and brackets I have ever seen. I especially enjoyed how you could attend the party for the first time in 8 years.

Kate, you are the queen of communication. You rose to the occasion time and time again, and helped make some incredibly positive changes. Plus, you were a great Loreli from Gilmore Girls!

Mel, this was my first chance getting to work with you, and I was impressed. I enjoyed your sense of humor that you seamlessly tied into your community interactions. I believe you will do great things as the new Executive Director of DiscNW.

Kong, you are the string that holds Potlatch together. Thank you very much for all you have done during these past 11 years. I hope we are all lucky to have you stick around for 11 more.

Finally, Kat, when I was down, you inspired me to do something special. Thank you for helping drive our social media campaign, and making my dreams a reality. It was your work that kept me involved during all the times I wanted to walk away. Thank you all for helping me remember what it I bring to Potlatch.

And now the Potlatch Awards. Presenting Twenty-eight categories for each year of Potlatch:

Won Potlatch

Team USA Runner Up: Team Canada

Won Potlatch Spirit Trophy

Gay Agenda Runner Up: Stretch

Best Gift

Choco Steak House’s VIP Dinner Runner Up: Homegrown’s Buffer Massages

Song of Potlatch 2017

CAN’T STOP THE FEELING – Justin Timberlake Runner Up: YMCA – The Village People

Best Potlatch Bid Submission Video

Wham-OOO’s Potlatch Macklemore Song Runner Up: Tie – Brunchkin’s Brunch Infomercial and Friends’ Show Intro

Best Potlatch Bid Submission Physical Item

Human Powered Submarine’s Submarine Piñata Runner Up: Beach Owl’s Owl About Me posters

Best National Team Theme

Team Canada’s Disney costumes Runner Up: Team USA’s frosted tips

Best Team Theme

Twincest’s Khaki Scouts Runner Up: Natural 20’s Hamilton

Best Team Representation of Potlatch’s Throwback Theme

Stretch Runner Up: Wham-OOO

Best Male Costume at the Fields

Kyle Harper’s Mad Hatter from Alice and Huckerland Runner Up: Mike Caldwell’s Joker from Worlds Collide: DC vs Capcom

Best Female Costume at the Fields

Rachel Moens’ Hunchback of Notre Dame from the Canadian National Team Runner Up: Karie Holst’s Catwoman from Worlds Collide: DC vs Capcom

Best Team Jerseys

!ZAZ CULERO!’S Mariachi uniforms Runner UP: Wham-OOO’s Dixie Solo Cup jerseys

Funniest Costumes Based Match Up

Balls to the Wall-do Vs Shut Up We’re Wizards Runner Up: Natural Twenties’ Hamilton vs Desert Lorax’s Steam Punk

Best Campsite Dance Party

Nutria’s non-campsite imposing dance tent. Runner Up: PODO’s Fun Tunnel aka the Funnel

Best Late Night Entertainment Activity

T’was the Night Bacon Christmas’ Jokes for Bacon Runner Up: Nobaerang’s Karaoke Booth

Best Meal served from a Meal Themed Team

Dinner by Choco Steak House Runner Up: Brunch by Brunchkins

Who Won the Party

Everyone who dressed up in spandex, neon, or other aerobics attire Runner Up: Everyone who didn’t

Best DTF Parody Song

Daniel Krass’ “Part of Your World” about Potlatch Runner Up: Left Ball’s “Party in the USA” about Lei Out

Best DTF act

Stretch’s aerobics routine to “Love Shack” Runner Up: Amy Krog’s Glow Stick Dance

Best Constructed Spirit Game Prop

Beach Owl’s Baywatch Tower Runner Up: Desert Lorax’s Frisbee Launching Truffela Tree

Best Crowd Engagement Spirit Game

Entropy Punch’s WWF Compliment Throwdown Runner Up: Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas’ 12 Days of Christmas

Most Electric Spirit Game

Cannibals’ Shock Collar Operation Runner Up: Natural 20’s Hamilton Potato Cannon

Team that Brought the Most Thunder

Brunchkins Runner Up: Shut Up We’re Wizards

Best Team Application of Glitter

Gay Agenda Runner Up: PODO

Best Pioneer Themed Team

Corps of Discovery Runner Up: Pioneer Cut

Best Golf Cart Decorations

Wet Hot AmerORCAn Summer’s Mystery Machine Runner Up: I Love You Tutu’s Golf Cart Tutu

Best Golf Cart Co-Pilot

Coit Stevenson from PODO Runner Up: Thomas Oliver from T’was the Night Bacon Christmas

Best Prank

I Love You Tutu midnight tutu golf cart addition Runner Up: Alex Duffel’s Midnight Lyft and Scatter

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