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in-a-cave-with · 5 years ago

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What are your favorite fanfictions based in any of the Marvel comics universes?

ok this is certainly a . question. lmao . so i..have bookmarked like Three 616 fic on my actual ao3 account and i honestly dont know why. i have read so much 616 fic but i never bothered to make it a habit to .. save them . so rip me. this will be an incomplete list! huge f in the chat lads

there’s also the issue of like. pretty much all of the comics fic i like being, uh, stevetony. im a loser.

anyway.

When The Lights Go On Again by elspethdixon, seanchaiSummary: Aliens have invaded earth, and the Avengers are scattered. While Steve leads the resistance, Tony once again finds himself playing captive scientist. In the midst of a violent alien regime, separated by seemingly insurmountable boundaries, Steve and Tony have nothing to keep themselves going but each other.rec note: i JUST read this fic and it ruined my life. go read it and ruin your life too

Resurrection, Reconstruction & Redemption by elspethdixon, seanchaiSummary: Doom brings Steve back from the dead. Hijinks ensue, some of which might vaugely be considered plot.rec note: a classic! i think this was the first stevetony fic posted to ao3? you should def go ahead and read the rest of the series (yes it is a series yes it is 300k+ words yes it is worth it)

The Roughest Day by elspethdixon, seanchaiSummary: Steve is in a motorcycle accident, Tony catches a cold, and someone is after the New Avengers.rec note: this gives me warm fuzzies because it’s the new avengers avenging and there isn’t enough of that

King of Infinite Space by elspethdixon, seanchaiSummary: A villain from Tony’s past comes back to cause trouble for the Avengers. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so easy, if things weren’t already so awkward over the events of Execute Program.rec note: it’s not a tony stan created reclist if there isn’t a tiberius stone fic somewhere on it

Winter Is All Over You by KiyaarSummary: Tony can’t remember why he’s running.rec note: *soft wheezing noises* oh,

My Mallory Heart [Add Violence Remix] by KiyaarSummary: He keeps seeing that bundle of metal set into Tony’s bare chest, the raw edges around it like Tony’s body was rejecting it. Keeps wondering: what have you done to yourself this time.rec note: *incoherent blubbering*

Sea Stars by MuccamukkSummary: Steve comes back to life somewhere entirely unexpected; Tony doesn’t remember being a hero; something is rotten in the province of British Columbia, and the 2010 Olympics are doomed.rec note: i LIVE for this fic it’s so good. the setting…the mystery…the characterization…top notch

Indelible by PenumbrenSummary: When an experiment goes awry, Tony thinks he may have found an answer to his problems and Steve faces something he’s been avoiding for a very long time.rec note: this turned out to be way sadder than i thought it was going to be

(Not So) Lonely At The Top by foldingcranesSummary: Riri has a bad day, and Tony tries to be An Emotionally Available Adult for her. It doesn’t go so bad.rec note: there isn’t enough riri fic out there…

if you leave by CapnShellheadSummary: After so many months passing each other in silence, Steve and Tony find a marriage counselor to try to work through their issues with communication.rec note: warning: fic is akin to a bat swung to the knees

Marvels: The Bloodstone Odyssey by teaberryblueSummary: The year is 1940. In the middle of the Blitz, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts set out to London to recover Howard Stark’s lost work. But it turns out that they’re not the only ones hunting for it. Tony finds himself contending with Nazis, crooks, and perhaps his most formidable adversary yet: a scrawny, asthmatic, bullheaded kid named Steve Rogers.rec note: this gives me huge indiana jones vibes and it’s GREAT

Emanata (The Comics Will Break Your Heart Remix) by teaberryblueSummary: Steve Rogers has the opportunity to fulfill his childhood dreams of becoming a comic artist when eccentric billionaire, superhero patron, and obsessive comic enthusiast Tony Stark offers him a job drawing Iron Man. But Tony Stark has no idea that Steve Rogers is really Captain America, the newest member of the Avengers. And Iron Man has no idea that Captain America is really Steve Rogers, up-and-coming comic book artist. And Steve doesn’t know what to do about the fact that he’s falling head over heels for them both.rec note: this one has a special place in my heart bc it’s the one that got me into 616 stevetony! the identity shenanigans make my head hurt and i love it

Genesis by teaberryblueSummary: Reluctant to make the truth about their secret weapon known, the American Government tells the world that Captain America is a man named Steve Rogers. According to public record, he died, tragically, in 1945, and he became legend. In 1998, the Avengers find a body trapped in ice. She’s alive. Her name is Eve. She has Captain America’s shield.rec note: i think this is the..only steve centric fic here lmao . and also technically this is a mix of 616/mcu/ults but i’m still putting it here bc it’s…very good

Highest fall you’ll ever grace by laireshiSummary: “You’ll probably want these back,” Tony says at last, and it hurts almost physically to pull the dog tags over his head and offer them to Steve. But they never really belonged to Tony, did they? Steve seems to hesitate for a second, but then he takes his dog tags with a weird expression. “Yeah,” he says. “They’re mine.”rec note: *clutches heart* hhhh

Transmission by laireshiSummary: The incursions are stopped. Steve hopes for things to go back to normal. Instead, he finds himself stranded in an alternate universe with Tony. Getting home won’t be easy. There are too many things they haven’t told each other, too many arguments they’ve never solved. Now, with just each other for company, they might have to face them all—especially as they seem to be telepathically bonded, and can’t keep anything unsaid anymore.rec note: oh boy am i a sucker for Stevetony Finding Out About The Confession

Chasing Shadows by laireshiSummary: Steve is still adjusting to the future. Tony hopes he is helping, but Steve’s and Iron Man’s morals might be too different for them to work together. Then Steve starts to act strangely, and all Tony can do is chase at shadows.rec note: this fic hurt me . that’s it that’s all i have to say

The Counselors Are In by cptxrogersSummary: Steve and Tony from Avengers Assemble open a counseling service for all the other Steves and Tonys from across the multiverse. God knows they need it.rec note: come on Other Universes GET IT TOGETHER

Think of This as Solving Problems (That Should Never Have Occurred) by SinealaSummary: No one knows Tony is Iron Man. Then Tony gets amnesia, and literally no one knows Tony is Iron Man.rec note: ok here comes the sineala spam in the reclist lmao

The Jar by SinealaSummary: The Avengers are ridiculously competitive people, and what starts out as a silly late-night team discussion quickly becomes a contest: their names. Not the code names – the nicknames. Who can go the longest without using them? They pledge to spend a week not nicknaming each other, and they’ll pay up every time they mess up. This hits Tony the hardest, and not just financially. Tony’s got a lot of nicknames for everyone, but most of all for Steve – and when Tony can’t use the names he’s already got, the names he uses reveal feelings he had no idea he had.rec note: super cute! lov those funky avenging dudes

Changeling by SinealaSummary: Instead of deleting his entire brain and reloading from a backup, Tony attempts to erase just the SHRA database from his mind. As Steve later finds out, this is unfortunately not what he actually did.rec note: *ugly sobbing* ttngngjfgnTONY ,.,,,,CAROLLLLL ,,FDF..,,KSDJBVSD ,,,S T E V E..,,,, FVKJD,,,,SFDJKDNFVNKDJFD

If You Want to Live (The Historical Present Remix) by SinealaSummary: The Civil War is over. The SHRA is gone. Steve has been brought back to life. He’s settling into his new duties as America’s top cop. His longtime friendship with Carol Danvers – Avenger, former director of SHIELD, and former leader of the pro-Registration forces – is now a tenuous one. But something is very wrong in the world. This isn’t how it was supposed to be. Someone is missing. Tony Stark was killed at the age of seventeen, and it’s up to Steve to travel into the past to save a man he doesn’t remember from a man he knows all too well: a mysterious assassin from another time and place, a man with a metal arm. And the truth is more complicated than anyone could ever have guessed.rec note: super interesting fic! the Plot is,,……. some güd shit

Straight on till Morning by SinealaSummary: Tony Stark resigned his commission in Starfleet five years ago, after a disastrous away mission, and he swore he’d never go back. He just wants to be left alone to build warp engines in peace. But the universe has more in store for him than that, as he discovers when Admiral Fury comes to him with an offer he could never have expected and cannot possibly refuse: first officer and chief engineer aboard the all-new USS Avenger, a starship of Tony’s own design. What’s more, the Avenger’s captain is Steve Rogers, hero of the Earth-Romulan War. Believed dead for over a century, Steve is miraculously alive… and very, very attractive. But nothing is ever easy for Tony. As he wrestles with his secret desire for his new captain and his not-so-dormant fears, another mission starts to go wrong, and Tony becomes aware that Steve has secrets of his own – and the truth could change everything.rec note: ok there is, like, really weird porn in this fic but it’s a STAR TREK CROSSOVER and that’s all that really matters. and also it’s very heartfelt and the action is r e a l l y i n t e n s e

Your Name on Every Wall by SinealaSummary: The Time Gem throws Steve into the past rather than the future, and in doing so, it gives him the opportunity to undo his past mistakes. But when it turns out that all of his mistakes involve Tony Stark, Steve begins to wonder if he’s ever going to be able to mend things between them.rec note: wow…….stevetony…….. am i right boys?

Get Some Now by SinealaSummary: Avengers Mansion has a mysterious feline infestation. Meanwhile, Steve just can’t figure out how to ask Tony out on a date. And the thirteen teleporting cats sure aren’t helping matters any.rec note: as you all may know. i am an active member of the “tony…..but give him a cat” movement and this fic brings me great joy

Sucker Punch by Sineala Summary: Steve never quite warms to Tony Stark, Avengers benefactor. The Molecule Man never strips Iron Man out of his armor. Life goes on for the Avengers, but as disagreements split the team – and Shellhead and Winghead – again and again, Steve wonders why Iron Man always picks Tony over him. And when Steve finds out, it happens in the worst way possible.rec note: and here is a fic that does NOT bring me great joy and instead goes out of its way to hurt me in every way it can

Tony Stark Advises The Avengers by copperbadgeSummary: Somehow, Tony Stark ended up Team Dad.rec note: ANAD AVENGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zero Sum by CraitSummary: Did you do your best, Anthony? And did your best only make things worse?rec note: let ao3 user crait write marvel comics, they clearly understand tony’s character better than anyone who’s written him in the past 10 years

#fic rec #long post #lmao tumblr user in-a-cave-with exposed as angst leech #a couple of these delve into potentially triggery topics (i.e. suicidal ideation/alcoholism) but theyre all properly tagged #except for. uh. the first two which talk abt the 2nd drinking arc in vol 1 a lot. so just b careful

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burgermiester · 8 years ago

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Grinding Renown Made Fun!*

*Grinding for Renown in Fire Emblem Awakening is never really fun. Its tedious, and if you want to max it out it will take many, many hours. This guide is just to show you how I made it as fun as I could while still keeping it relatively fast and efficient. Maybe you will want to try it for yourself or make a variation based on what you like.

(also note that my method uses a lot of the DLC so if you dont have at least Lost Bloodlines 2 and Smash Brethren 2 for Dread Fighter and Bride then it probably wont work very well, but maybe you can modify it, I am not sure. It also would probably be nice to have Lost Bloodlines 3 for Paragon and I liked having all stats +2 from Champions of Yore 3 but those 2 arent necessary)

For starters I want to be very clear that everyone knows this isnt technically the fastest way to grind renown. The fastest way to grind renown is exactly what it says on the wiki: make a ton of money on golden gaffe then summon a weak/cheap character, pay to recruit them, then dismiss them, repeat 2000 times. I tried doing this on a file where I was at endgame and I found it terribly boring, which in turn meant it was not the fastest way for me to grind renown since it would take me forever to find the energy to do it.

So when deciding how I wanted to grind renown for myself I had a few objectives: fight the spotpass characters, not buy them, and make fighting them as quick as possible; minimize the number of spaces that a spotpass character could spawn when I summon them to cut down on walking around the world map; minimize the number of times that I go into the wireless menu to make it easier to multitask (basically it was harder to watch movies or tv in the background using the fastest method since its so menu heavy, so I wanted to cut that time spent down); if possible, completely eliminate the need to manage items on my units. I solved all these issues and these are the steps of my method (the Miester Method?):

Step 0: Grind supports before you even start grinding renown. Grinding out supports is much more interesting than grinding renown. You get new dialogue after most fights and a lot of it is interesting. Just make sure you are grinding on spotpass characters instead of risen since spotpass fights/purchases give the most renown, that way you are maximizing your gains for when you run out of supports to grind and are ready to move onto proper renown grinding.

Step 0.1: Pray your past self really loved playing Awakening. Just having played the game a lot normally will put you in a nice starting position. By the time I finished support grinding gen 1 and moved on to renown grinding I was at nearly 45,000 renown, close to half of the 99,999 max. I cant recall how much of that was support grinding on spotpass characters and how much was there from just playing a ton of Awakening, I forgot to check, but both helped.

OK, now on to the actual steps for renown grinding.

Step 1: Start a new game. You arent challenging yourself here so just go normal casual.

Step 2: Play the game up until Chapter 8 (but dont play chapter 8.) Also beat Paralogues 1 and 3 but not 2. This should have your world map looking like this:

The reason you want to do this is because it leaves your world map with exactly 10 empty spaces in which to summon spotpass characters. As 10 is the maximum number of spotpass units you can summon at once, having 10 spots on the map lets you spend the least amount of time in the wireless menu. Its also good to not allow more than 10 free spots because every extra square you add means more time wasted walking across the map. This is why its not a good idea to do this grinding at endgame: you could be on Donnel’s island and summon a bunch of spotpass units in Valm and vice versa.

Now, as for why I picked prologue-chapter 7 and paralogue 1 and 3 over other choices for my 10 map spots, it mostly came down to map layout. They are all small early game chapters that take only 2-3 turns to beat on auto battle most of the time. Paralogue 2 was much too big and would take more turns to beat and Chapter 8 is full of turn adding desert. Remember, youll be fighting MANY battles in these maps, an extra turn or two each time translates to hundreds of extra turns in the long run. That being said, I want to emphasize that if you havent gotten lucky getting second seals from the random shop annas, you should play chapter 8. Chapter 8 gives you Gregor and another second seal, Gregor is especially important because hes got armsthrift without using a second seal (more on that in a bit). I had already gotten 1 other second seal from Anna by the time I got to chapter 7 so I chose to not play chapter 8, whether or not you do is up to you. If you choose to play chapter 8 then you need to cut either paralogue 1 or 3. Paralogue 1 is a smaller map so will be more likely to give you a 2 turn clear over paralogue 3′s 2-3 turn clear, but paralogue 3 gives you a store with access to javelins and hand axes, two weapons that are very nice to have.

Step 3: Build an Army. Trust Armsthrift. Now its time to prepare your team. The maximum number of units youll need to field in any of these battles is 9. If you go under 9 youll need to waste time in battle prep deselecting units, and we dont want that, so getting to 9 units is important. To eventually get to a point where you never need to buy items for your units youll want armsthrift on your whole team. Unfortunately theres a few hurdles to jump to make this happen since we only are at chapter 7/8. First, we dont have our full team to pull from and second we cant buy second seals. Naturally we will need to get as many spotpass units with armsthrift as we can, but only 5 come with armsthrift: Malice, Linus, Ike, Roy, and Ogma. This means youll need 4 second seals to get a full armsthrift team. Robin, Cordelia, Donnel, and spotpass characters can reclass to mercenary this way. You will have one second seal from renown rewards meaning you need 3 more from anna shops (or only one if you choose to do chapter 8 and get Gregor and another second seal.) Chrom is a good temporary member while you train up your team since he has an unbreakable weapon, but sadly its only 1-range which is not going to cut it since enemies will always attack him at 2 range making battles last at least 1 turn longer than they would otherwise. As for the actual training, do Yore 3 over and over to collect all skills plus 2 for everyone and gain levels to be better prepared for Bloodlines 2 and 3 which are a bit tougher but also get better rewards (and youll be doing Bloodlines 2 a hell of a lot to get all the dread scrolls youll need to reset levels until everyone has max luck.) Bear in mind you will need limit break to go over 50 luck, but just capping it normally or even just pushing it into the 40s then giving all your dread fighters and brides a full inventory of hand axes or javelins will make it so that your stops at the armory are few and very far between.

(optional step: if you have golden gaffe then once your units are decently strong run it 5-10 times and then never think about money again)

Step 4: Setting up the grind. By now you are ready to fire up a couple of rounds of proper spotpass grinding. You might want to wait until you have a full team of limit broken armsthrifters but I recommend waiting a bit, I will explain why in a sec. So I will now give the rundown on the actual grinding that will probably become auto-pilot like for you before too long. Open the wireless menu, go to bonus box and bonus teams and summon 10. If your team isnt maxed out then I say pull the first 5 from one game and the first 5 from another, just to be sure you wont run into anything that kills you. You are on casual, so its not normally a big deal if a unit dies in this process, but if its Chrom or Robin its a game over, and even if its not thats stopping for a text box which slows you down. I recommend the shadow dragon and binding blade teams because there are no cleric/troubadour team leaders who slow things down by not killing themselves on your units and theres no armor knight leaders (and few armor knight other units) who sometimes add turns by not making it to your units as quickly in the bigger maps. Dont save after every battle, it adds like 3 seconds each time, just do it after every cycle (10 battles). If your units are over the 50 luck line give them their best weapons and let them go to town. If they are under 50 then give them a full set of hand axes for dread fighters and javelins for brides and they will last dozens of cycles before you need to restock their inventory. If you are still using Chrom and/or another non armsthrift unit then make sure they are at the 9th slot on your team so they dont go into most fights. Then just turn off and skip all animations and phases and set auto battle to blitz and auto battle every turn, forever.

Step 5:

Step 6: Break up the Monotony. This is the crux of the Miester Method. Summoning a full set of 10 spotpass units and killing them with a very strong team will take ~8 minutes and net you 500 renown. From 0 renown thats closing in on 24 hours of still very repetitive grinding (now you see why I recommend you grind supports first, if you can get close to 50k renown before beginning actual renown grinding youve cut that time in half). Some people might not find level grinding to be a sufficient break in the monotony but for me leveling up in awakening, especially if your units have Paragon, is very fast and fun and rewarding. I might even go so far as to say that building super units is the most fun part of Awakening’s gameplay. So what I recommend is every 15 minutes or so (2 cycles of 10 spotbass battles roughly) head back to dlc land and power up somebody. Get another dread scroll to reset the level of someone with a lot more stats to cap then run them through Bloodlines 3 solo to gain like 20 levels in 5 minutes. Then pop back to the world map and do another cycle of spotpass renown grinding. When enough of your units are close to max stats try and start taking on Rogues and Redeemers 3 to get limit break for everyone and start getting luck to 50. Once they are at 50 luck you can throw your ultimate bonus box weapons like book of naga and mjolnir on them and they will never break and you wont need to mess with their inventory ever again. Try to be going back and forth this whole time too: do a few spotpass cycles, then grab a limit break skill, back and forth. Once everyone has limit break on them go for capping every single stat on every unit. This will take a while because some of them really dont want to get points of magic and/or resistance. So back and forth now between cycles of spotpass and getting more dread scrolls and resetting levels to try to get that res. Everytime one of my units maxed all stats I gave them a forged weapon to celebrate. I ran out of characters to cap before I finished renown grinding so I then broke up my cycles running Infinite Regalia to try and get a ragnell for Ike and a second Gradivus for my second Bride. By the time that was done, I had less than 20k renown to go, and so I was ready to buckle down and sprint to the finish line. That last 20k wasnt even all that bad because I felt like only now was I really in a total grind, breaking up the monotony for the majority of the experience really helped make it more fun for me. Hopefully it makes it easier for you too!

Step 7: !!!VERY IMPORTANT!!! Once you finish Renown grinding you need to beat the game on that save file or it wont carry over on new files!!!! So do that. It will be....very easy.

I dont expect it will take more than an hour.

Once its over, congratulations! You are now W o r l d R e n o w n!

#fire emblem #renown #fire emblem gameplay #awakening #guide #long post

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a-panda-reads-act-omega · 8 years ago

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ACT OMEGA PART 8

THE 24/10/16 UPDATE

Woow, another liveblog from your favorite act omega liveblogger. Are there any other livebloggers out there i need to know. So yeah, here we are with part 8! Big Vriska number for the win. Also only two updates away from double digits! Yeah, I’m not sure I thought this through with the whole update-update format, this might take a L OT of posts to get caught up. Luckily, I have no problem with making a fuckton of posts. Anyways, I think we left off with the kids, so lets hurry up and get back to them!

(Cant post the image. Here’s the link. http://mspfanventures.com/?s=16414&p=47)

GASP, IS thIS SOME MULTIPLE CHOICE SHIT? Well considering I’m forever going to be staying chronological, I suppose I should start with the one on the next page!

A CHARACTER SELECTION MENU appears through the power of NON-LINEAR STORYTELLING. You know the drill by now, have some free will! Or just go in this order, if you think agency is overrated

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE

Oh, that’s helpful. Great, I’ll start with ONE then.

The fact that you are a dedicated and loyal reader is obvious and indisputable, so of course you won’t be moving on ahead without having taken a gander at all of the options presented to you.

Obviously! what kinda brainless CHUMP would move on without you explicitly stating to? NOT ME.

Anyways, starting with ONE.

PFt, woah their eyes.

KANAYA: (Hey) ROXY: oh heeeeey! KANAYA: (Hey To You Again Except Slightly More Quietly) ROXY: (oh sorry)

It seems they gotta be quiet for reasons. H m m M..

ROXY: (why r we whispering) KANAYA: (I Am Not Entirely Sure)

So they just need to be miss zuipPer lips for no reason then?

KANAYA: (That Just Seems To Be What Everyone Has Lapsed Into Doing) KANAYA: (And Now Speaking In A Normal Volume Will Draw More Attention Than Desired Especially When Attempting To Have A Private Conversation) ROXY: (im lovin this private convo already but you might need to make it snappy)

so everybodys just whispering? do they all got SECRETS? Also, what’s the hurry Roxy?

ROXY: (john looks about ready to get down n dirty with some srs leadership biz)

Oh yeah.

KANAYA: (Alright Then I Will Attempt To Be Brief) KANAYA: (I Wanted To Thank You Again) KANAYA: (For The Matriorb Certainly)

Alright cool! It seems that this Kanaya does remember Roxy giving her the good ol’ matriorb.

KANAYA: (But Additionally For Everything Else You Have Accomplished Today) KANAYA: (I Know Being The One To Strike The Final Blow Against Our Shared Enemy In The Midst Of Battle Does Not Necessarily Warrant Gratitude But I Thought It Might Be Nice For You To Hear That What You Did Was Appreciated)

What she DID, was prove herself to be a goddamn BADASS. But honestly everybody here’s a badass one way or another.

KANAYA: (At Least By Me) KANAYA: (On Behalf Of My Species As Well As All Those Who Suffered At The Behest Of The Condesce) KANAYA: (And All Those That May Now Be Born And Live Free Of Tyranny) KANAYA: (You Did Good)

Pft, nice. “Ya did good, kid.”

ROXY: (omg i am cri)

goddammit these lines always manage to be fucking perfect.

ROXY: (that wasnt brief @ all but twas so so bootiful) ROXY: (gdi cmere moms big loveable space gf)

OK this doesn’t need to be stated, but I fucking love roxy.

KANAYA: (Um I Would Prefer It If We Saved The Hug For Later Maybe) ROXY: (aww ok thats cool)

nO FUCKING HUG NOW

KANAYA: (Anyway I Have Only Just Met You But You Have Already Proven Yourself To Be Just As Extraordinary An Individual As Your...) KANAYA: (Uh) KANAYA: (Rose)

Nice Kanaya.

ROXY: (as my rose?) KANAYA: (Yes Your Rose) ROXY: (;D)

ITS CONFIRMED, Rose is Roxy’s Rose. this conversation is so cute.

See you’re still over there TZ. Whatcha lookin at? The uh... oh youre blind. what are you doing terezi?? come on girl, celebrate!

ROXY: (okay looks like john got distracted by somethin) ROXY: (so since we got a little more time to chat it up) ROXY: (and so long as were exchangin bomb as FUCK felicitations) ROXY: (youre not so shabby yourself yknow) ROXY: (like damn i was absolutely right youre one deadly customer)

Yeah no fuckin kidding, this girl knows how to kick ass.

ROXY: (seeing u whip out that BEASTLY CHAINSAW) ROXY: (was a sight to behold)

PFt, that was nothing. You should have seen when she single handedly put three of the most dangerous characters on the meteor out of commision.

KANAYA: (I Really Did Not Do All That Much Surprisingly) KANAYA: (Or Perhaps Unsurprisingly) KANAYA: (I Am Not Sure If I Was Erring On The Side Of Caution After All) KANAYA: (Out Of Consideration For The Gift You Gave Me) KANAYA: (Or If Perhaps I Was Simply Unpracticed)

Well yeah, she didnt do as much in this battle as the others. But like she said, she had the matriorb to keep safe. PLUS, she wasnt godtier. So yeah Kanaya, you’re excused from doing your makeup during the final epic battle.

ROXY: (who cares??) ROXY: (we WON) ROXY: (gave that witch what was COMING TO HER) ROXY: (and thats the end of that no point gettin our knickers all in a twist over it no more)

Roxy’s got the right idea. There doesn’t gotta be any more “proving yourself.” You did the battle, and you came out on top! JUst be done with it.

KANAYA: (Yes I Suppose Youre Right) KANAYA: (Though I Do Wonder How Things Might Have Gone If I Had Attempted To Dust Off One Of The Old Fraymotifs)

Oh shit, Kanaya’s got fraymotifs? And also, you can use fraymotifs without being godtier?

oh. wait. terezi isnt godtier is she? Yeah, you totally can use fraymotifs without godtier.

ROXY: (no kidding!) ROXY: (yeah that woulda been pretty badass) ROXY: (we could have had a sick combo) ROXY: (void and...) ROXY: (uh) KANAYA: (Space) ROXY: (right yeah space)

Well too bad you’ll never have the opportunity to USE that sick deadly combo!

I am ONE HUNDRED percent sure that will be the case

i am SO SURE

nobody has to die anymore

completely sure.

KANAYA: (It May Have Indeed Been Sick But Upon Further Reflection Perhaps Not)

No kanaya, it would be SUPER fuckin badass dont even give me that shit.

ROXY: (wait rly) ROXY: (how come?) KANAYA: (I Dont Feel Like I Ever Got The Opportunity To Truly Get In Touch With My Aspect Like You) KANAYA: (It Has Never Seemed Pertinent That I Be Able To Cast Some Sort Of Spacey Enchantment) KANAYA: (In Fact I Have Yet To Stumble Across A Scenario I Could Not Handle Through More Traditional Methods) ROXY: (u mean a deadly body slam full a sharp metal teeth twice the length of your head) KANAYA: (Yes Precisely) KANAYA: (That Tends To Cover The Bases Pretty Well)

WELL, Chainsaws do seem to cover many different issues. Mainly the ones which involve somebody needing to be cut the fuck in half. But I dont know if being “In touch” with your aspect was ever really a thing. I mean, when did John become “in touch” with his aspect? He just sorta got the powers and did shit with them. i dont really know what that has to do with it- wait a goddamn second. People always associate the wind aspect with like independence and shit, right? And.. the last thing that happened before John went godtier, was a choice. Given to him by Vriska, who for the first time decided to step back and let him decide what to do on his own. Whether or not she would have owned up to what she said about letting him decide how to fall asleep, he still made the choice and went with it on is own. So maybe that’s got something to do with it.

Or maybe I’m just an idiot.

ROXY: (well you know what thats cool) ROXY: (u do u) ROXY: (besides) ROXY: (hopefully there wont be any more reason for you to wreck shit)

GOddammit stop saying shit like that

KANAYA: (That Would Be Ideal I Suppose) KANAYA: (However It Is Always Wise To Be Prepared) KANAYA: (Just In Case) ROXY: (ofc!) ROXY: (and hey) ROXY: (just cuz we won the game doesnt mean there wont be any more opportunities to like) ROXY: (explore yourself and your aspect) ROXY: (our cool powers are too friggin handy for them to just stop bein relevant once we walk thru a magic door)

SPeaking of which, can THEY HURRY UP AND WALK THROUGH THE MAGIC FUCKING DOOR YET IM GETTING ANXIOUS.

ROXY: (maybe someday youll get the chance to blitz ur chakras and get spacey w it) ROXY: (and itll be at your own pace instead of having to rush it for the sake of fixing some giant spacetastrophe) KANAYA: (That Does Sound Nice)

YES IT DOES NOW HURRY UP THROUGH THE DOOR SO THAT BECOMES A REALITY COME THE FUCK ON JOHN

KANAYA: (Considering Right Now I Am Very Unsure Of How To Even Begin Blitzing Those Particular Chakras) ROXY: (i bet u can ask john) ROXY: (hes rly good at givin advice for stuff like that)

YES HE IS BUT HE ISNT GOOD AT OPENING DOORS AAAAA

ROXY: (tho he probably doesnt even know it pffff) KANAYA: (You Are Also Very Good At Giving Advice) KANAYA: (That Was Not Necessarily A Request I Simply Thought I Should Point That Out) ROXY: (TOO BAD youre gettin some anyway ;P) ROXY: (rly tho ive hardly even begun to wrestle my voidy powers into submission) ROXY: (still got a loooooong way to go on that front) ROXY: (but thus far most of my blitzing has just been like) ROXY: (being around the thing) ROXY: (and letting myself embrace this like) ROXY: (natural synergy i got going w it) KANAYA: (When You Say) KANAYA: (The Thing) KANAYA: (Do You Mean Nothing) KANAYA: (Considering Your Aspect Presides Over Literal Nothingness)

Yes Kanaya, this is exactly what she means.

ROXY: (pffft) ROXY: (yes thats what i mean :p) KANAYA: (Okay I Was Just Attempting To Clarify) KANAYA: (How Does One Surround Themselves With The Concept Of Nonexistence) ROXY: (i dunno!) ROXY: (when u put it that way it does sound pretty mind bending) ROXY: (i guess ive just been lucky?) ROXY: (or maybe the nothing is naturally attracted to me and lucks got nothin to do w it)

WELL YEAh, what isnt naturally attracted to you? Guys i just really love roxy help

ROXY: (but yeah i got that voidy ring @ one point) ROXY: (and when john started getting to fixing the timeline he took me to a place that felt like) ROXY: (the nothingest nothing to ever unexist) KANAYA: (That Sounds Interesting) KANAYA: (What Was It Like)

Probably nothing.

THATS a cool panel right there.

ROXY: (well it was) ROXY: (white) ROXY: (but not pure white) ROXY: (just slightly off) ROXY: (and) ROXY: (it was super vast) ROXY: (but not like regular outer space where you can actually see stuff like stars stretch on and on til you cant see it anymore) ROXY: (which at least gives u a sense of distance) ROXY: (but instead it was almost claustrophobic) ROXY: (cuz there was nothing there) ROXY: (you and all the other somethings just completely enveloped by a shrink wrap o absence)

HUmm.. thats pretty interesting to say the least. Not really sure what to think of it though! Just pretty nifty.

KANAYA: (Hmmmm) ROXY: (never really tried putting this into words) ROXY: (i think the thing about it was that the void sort of) ROXY: (changed) ROXY: (depending on how i chose to perceive it) ROXY: (cause the whole point is that its kinda like) ROXY: (idk) ROXY: (maybe a little like binary) KANAYA: (Binary?)

too bad sollux is dead he’d get a kick outta this.

did anybody make this connection. computer hacker guy who likes two’s. Binary. man. i feel like everybody did.

ROXY: (yknow binary) ROXY: (computer language) ROXY: (0011101100101001)

TRANSLATOr HELP

“;)“

omfg she just winked in binary.

KANAYA: (Oh That) ROXY: (the way that works is basically) ROXY: (you have a bit) ROXY: (like a computery bit) ROXY: (and it can say either 0 or 1) ROXY: (and dependin on which it is the computer displays the info differently) ROXY: (but the void is like a completely blank bit) ROXY: (there isnt a 0 or a 1 written on the bit yet but thats all were programmed to understand yknow) ROXY: (like 0 is technically nothing but whats important is that theres something there for you to see) ROXY: (but what im gettin at is that really void is just blank space waiting to be written on) ROXY: (by somebody like yours truly) ROXY: (im the computer and youre the person reading the display)

Oh. That’s pretty cool and shit.

OH shes gettin all magicky here

ROXY: (and my whole voidy thing) ROXY: (is that i gotta figure out the code for whatever i wanna make exist) ROXY: (and write it on the blank bits) ROXY: (then) ROXY: (i snatch em outta the void!)

Oh AGAIN. YEAh, roxys power seems a lot cooler now.

ROXY: (yoink!!!)

*gasp*

nice lipstick yo

Kanaya is so fucking cute oml. She looks kinda dumbfounded by this lipstick.

KANAYA: (Wow) KANAYA: (That Was Really Quite Insightful Roxy) KANAYA: (I Think I Am Already Beginning To Understand Things Better) KANAYA: (But What Is This) ROXY: (p sure its lipstick!) ROXY: (and its 4 u) ROXY: (i dont rly know if pinks ur color but) ROXY: (here it is anyway!)

Oh god help me im already starting to ship it.

KANAYA: (Another Gift) KANAYA: (Why) ROXY: (daaaaw i dunno) ROXY: (i mean its actually kinda cool i was able to make this at all) ROXY: (i bet it must be bc of you somehow) ROXY: (you like lipstick right?) KANAYA: (Yes) ROXY: (i dont know if this is just me but i bet this is totes a thing w space players) ROXY: (like i get the vibe that u guys r more in touch with the objects around you) ROXY: (specially the ones thatre important to you) KANAYA: (I Suppose...)

HMm.. Interesting bit of aspect analysis. That could possibly be a thing.

ROXY: (well?) ROXY: (ru gonna take it or what) KANAYA: (I Really Cant Accept This) KANAYA: (I Was Attempting To Alleviate The Debt Of Gratitude I Have Already Been Accumulating Towards You) KANAYA: (A Measly Thank You Is Hardly Enough) KANAYA: (And Yet You Present Me With Even More To Be Thankful For)

COme on Kanaya dont be like that. Just take the thing and be hAPPY! you dont gotta prove yourself for a gift.

ROXY: (man thats not how this works) ROXY: (you dont owe me nothin) ROXY: (but heck if it makes u feel better) ROXY: (the space egg wasnt rly 4 u it was 4 all the little trollings that need to be born) ROXY: (skewering the batterwitch was definitely 4 me and earth and stuff) ROXY: (and the lipstick is to thank u for takin such good care of my mom :D)

Dont you mean your Rose?

KANAYA: (... That Does Make Me Feel Slightly Better) ROXY: (so youll take it??) KANAYA: (Okay) ROXY: (hella) KANAYA: (Thank You) KANAYA: (Again) ROXY: (dont mention it!)

She will likely mention this many times.

WEll that was the end for their interaction I suppose, so it seems like we get one page of another interaction then? I guess Dirk and Jake.

Ohp, yep. Jeez they look awkward.

DIRK: (... So.) JAKE: (...) DIRK: (...) DIRK: (That was some fight, huh.)

Goddammit this is awkward.

JAKE: (Oh yes that sure was a doozy of a brawl we all just participated in.) JAKE: (Or rather multiple brawls.) DIRK: (I think you’re probably up to speed on exactly how well mine went.) JAKE: (Um.) JAKE: (Should i be?) DIRK: (Nevermind.)

Just another beheading of good ol’ Dirk. Seems like that’s a common thing for him.

((OhOFOHSANSIJFN HOLY SHIT I PRESSED A BUTTON AND FOR A SECOND I THOUGHT I ALMOST DELETED EVERYTHING I WROTE DAMMIT TUMBLR GIVE ME WARNINGS))

JAKE: (Sorry... its just difficult to, uh...) DIRK: (Don’t be sorry. It doesn’t actually matter.) JAKE: (The important part is you won right?) DIRK: (Yeah...) DIRK: (How did yours go?) DIRK: (If you feel like sharing, that is.) JAKE: (Oh i won too!) DIRK: (Well. Obviously.) DIRK: (I meant... like.) DIRK: (Specifically, HOW you won.) DIRK: (I’d be down to hear some details of all the kickassery you've been dishing out.) DIRK: (That must've been pretty crazy solo.)

Come ONNNN guys, quit dancing around the topic here. Somethings bothering you and its making everything shitty.

JAKE: (Oh.) JAKE: (Well i wasnt alone for long actually.) JAKE: (In fact it was quite the clusterfuck of skeletons sprites and green goblin brutes!) JAKE: (That crabby troll fellow even showed up at one point.) JAKE: (He seemed to be having a difficult time with one of the tinier rascals but i was up to my ears in fracas and fisticuffs myself and couldnt really lend him a hand.)

Dammit Karkat. I love him, but god he’s adorably pathetic in fights.

DIRK: (It looks like he’s alright, so no harm done.) DIRK: (How many of those green dudes were there again?) JAKE: (Im fairly certain there were 14.) DIRK: (And you trounced all of them?) JAKE: (Actually k...carat dealt with one of them i think.) JAKE: (They were small but a decidedly tricky foe. It was scurrying around so fast i dont think a single one of my bullets even grazed it!)

He has ALLLL the luck Jake, ALL of it! Honestly, can we get a Vriska/Clover battle?

DIRK: (Well, shit. Sounds tough.) DIRK: (Still, my score reads "Jake: 13, Goblins: 0".) DIRK: (Oh, and I’m pretty sure the name you’re looking for is Karkat.) JAKE: (Is that so?) DIRK: (Yup.) JAKE: (My mistake then...) DIRK: (Don’t worry about it.)

Dammit Jake, don’t be so fucking hard on yourself. I feel bad for him now. Like, he’s beating himself up over not knowing a complete strangers name.

JAKE: (Have you spoken to him at all yet?) DIRK: (Nah.) JAKE: (Would you like to?) DIRK: (I guess? Sure.) DIRK: (He and Dave seem to be in the middle of something, though. No point in interrupting.) DIRK: (Besides, I’m talking to you right now.) JAKE: (...) DIRK: (...)

(...)

Alright dammit, I guess we’ll see if they get over whatever’s bugging them in the next update, because that’s the last page. Seeya next time and whatnot folks.

#homestuck #homestuck liveblog #act omega #act omega liveblog #hs act omega #hs act omega liveblog

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flauntpage · 6 years ago

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The Outlet Pass: Trae Young is Master of the Impossible Pass

Trae Young's Passing is...

Trae Young’s notorious three-point shot has yet to come around—he takes some exceptionally difficult shots and has made fewer than 30 percent of them—but he might already be one of the best passers in the NBA, top ten in every category worth mentioning with an undeniably positive impact on teammates. Atlanta’s assist rate is 66 percent with Young on the floor and 56.8 percent—a team low—when he’s not. (That disparity equals the gap between being third and 19th in the league right now.)

As Hawks GM Travis Schlenk recently told The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears: “He got a lot of notoriety for his deep shooting in college, which is obviously great. But his court vision at his age, 19 years old, to be able to see the floor like he does, and ability to pass left hand, right hand, off the bounce, hitting the guys down the floor, that is what really stood out.”

Young doesn’t pound the ball or even have to penetrate in order to draw help and find an open man. Guys simply run the floor faster and cut into space harder, knowing he’ll hit them on the money if/when they get open. His kick aheads alone deserve to be nominated by the MacArthur Fellows Program. This brings us to a pair of his passes that, so far, are probably my two favorite of the entire season.

The first came a few days ago against Miami. Young was trapped high on the right wing and appeared to have his whole line of sight blocked, but a quick up-fake lifted Bam Adebayo off his feet and out of position. Young then pivoted middle and, using his left arm, fired a blind cannon at Omari Spellman who was standing in the weak-side corner. The ball must've traveled at least 35 feet before it arrived in Spellman's shot pocket a split second before the defense’s rotation.

Words don’t do this pass justice. It’s something only a prodigy would think of, and immediately makes you fantasize about the realms of Young’s potential that have yet to be realized. He’ll never shoot as well as Steph Curry, but he already has the same range. Mix that with an unselfishly inventive approach to commanding Atlanta’s offense and it’s not insane to think he can lead the league in assists and scoring some day—the former is a borderline guarantee.

The next pass came during a nationally televised game against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. (For the record, even before Atlanta uses the future pick Dallas gave them to move up on draft night, it appears both teams won that trade!). Young rebounds a missed three, takes two dribbles, then whips a one-handed line drive at Taurean Prince as he streaks up the left sideline. A corner three is essentially created out of thin air!

Film Session: Milwaukee’s Defense May Need to Change

The Milwaukee Bucks have a top-three defense and, whether Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the floor or not, are brick-walling opponents with a game-plan that couldn't be more different from the blitz-happy aggression encouraged by Jason Kidd over the past few seasons. Once upon a time, Milwaukee’s goal was to sew the game with chaos. They'd trap, recover, and scramble all over the court. It was compelling, controversial, and, given Milwaukee’s unprecedented length, theoretically a good fit. The Bucks forced a ton of turnovers and occasionally made Kidd look like he knew what he was doing, but they were inevitably done in by poor communication, missed rotations, and untenable execution. Pure talent and questionable shot selection aside, it was their defensive issues—Milwaukee surrendered a ton of corner threes and layups—that weighed them down.

Milwaukee isn’t playing like that anymore, which is ironic because their new head coach, Mike Budenholzer, enforced a similar strategy in Atlanta. Instead, they’ve adopted a conservative base defense—right now they rank 27th in opposing turnover percentage—that was en vogue half a decade ago but has since been swallowed whole by the three-point revolution.

The approach plays out as such: When offensive bigs run up to set ball and flair screens, Milwaukee’s defenders will drop back and stay in the paint. They want ball handlers to either meet their length at the rim or submit via a mid-range pull up. So far, so good! Only four teams are forcing more long twos; after they finished dead last in opponent shot frequency at the rim in 2017-18 and 2015-16, the Bucks currently rank first.

For the regular season, it’s a low-risk, medium-reward tactic that fits their personnel and maintains order. Switching is mostly frowned upon, which simplifies defensive rebounding (long an issue for the Bucks) and reduces the negative side effects that long rotations tend to have, which is evident when you look at how often they foul shooters relative to the past four years.

It feels unfair to attack something that’s obviously working, but this scheme can only do so much against the best offenses in the league. This is something I touched on in greater detail earlier this week in a column about Joel Embiid’s individual defense, but the same principles apply: Against the league’s most potent offenses, any plan that doesn’t account for pull-up threes is antiquated and futile. And guess what: Milwaukee is allowing a higher three-point rate above-the-break than any team in the league!

In the Bucks' season opener, the Charlotte Hornets went 16-for-38 from deep. The Kawhi Leonard-less Toronto Raptors went 9-for-45 (Kyle Lowry took nine threes and missed them all). Milwaukee's first loss came against a Boston Celtics team that jacked up 55 triples (more than ever before in franchise history) and tied a league-record by making 24 of them. The Sacramento Kings finished 14-for-36 and, in Milwaukee’s second loss, the Portland Trail Blazers drilled 17 of their 43 tries.

None of this is a coincidence. The Bucks want teams to take floaters and tough mid-range jump shots, but in doing so they’re conceding a ton of pull-up threes. Even though the Golden State Warriors don’t like running a bunch of high pick-and-rolls with Steph Curry, Fiserv Forum would spontaneously combust if they did.

Five years ago, guards and wings (and some forwards!) didn’t have the freedom to jack threes up off the bounce. During the 2013-14 NBA season, only four teams launched more than six pull-up threes per game. Today, two-thirds of the league eclipse that volume. What Milwaukee wants/needs is for the ball-handler's man to earn his money at the point of attack. Either fight over a screen and take away the shot by pressuring from behind, or duck underneath and either allow a poor shooter to shoot his shot or recover in time to take it away.

This is where Milwaukee’s length and tenacity comes into play. Khris Middleton, Giannis, Malcolm Brogdon, Eric Bledsoe, and Donte DiVincenzo are not terrible at navigating on-ball screens. But against just about anyone, it’s still extremely difficult work.

But pull ups aren’t the only threat. The league has never had more big men who can and will stab you from beyond the arc. And when their man is deep in the paint, trying to stop penetration, a kick back pass usually results in an open look.

Bledsoe has no interest in switching onto Al Horford, knowing it would let Kyrie Irving surgically remove Brook Lopez’s ankles from his body. But it’s unclear if leaving Horford wide open is a better strategy.

It makes sense to drop Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova because rim protection is good and neither guy is particularly mobile in space. But to have them do so while seemingly ignoring specific matchups is not the wisest move. Watch how the Celtics take advantage by having Horford set a flare screen for Irving. Ilyasova might as well take a nap.

And the strategy applies across the board! Why don’t Giannis and Malcolm Brogdon make life easier for everyone involved by switching this? Instead they give up an open three to a good three-point shooter.

This brings us to the future, and how Milwaukee will solve a problem that doesn’t currently exist. They may not feel this way, but adding an athletic big who’s more comfortable switching and scurrying on the perimeter—while still providing offensive substance—should be a priority before the trade deadline.

If they run into an opponent who plays Lopez off the floor, the rangier Thon Maker isn’t good enough to fill those minutes. The Bucks struggled mightily with Giannis at the five last season, too. (That doesn’t mean it can’t work—they have more two-way players this year—but assuming Budenholzer doesn’t venture too far from a formula that’s yielding terrific results throughout the regular season, how hard will it be for the Bucks to adjust after a sharp left turn in the playoffs?)

It’s a fascinating conundrum and one worth keeping an eye on as the season goes on. Milwaukee’s legitimacy as a true title contender may hinge on it.

Josh Jackson is Drowning

It feels like yesterday, right around the 2017 NBA draft, when it became clear that Josh Jackson did not want to get drafted by the Boston Celtics, a winning organization that couldn’t offer the same opportunistic environment (in terms of shots and playing time) lottery picks of his stature normally step into. He cancelled a workout that was to be held in Sacramento while Danny Ainge, Mike Zarren, and Brad Stevens were literally in the air flying to it, which probably made the decision to take Jayson Tatum that much easier.

As the saying goes: Be careful what you wish for. Jackson was instead picked by a dysfunctional organization that also has quite a bit of young talent. So much, in fact, that Phoenix’s coaching staff can’t find time for Jackson to contribute. His PER is 2.1, and his minutes are drying up.

Before the Suns even trade for a starting point guard—assuming that day comes this season—they already have so many mouths to feed at Jackson’s general position. (And that’s also before you mention Deandre Ayton, the first overall pick who needs reps and touches.) Devin Booker, Trevor Ariza, T.J. Warren, and Mikal Bridges are all better than Jackson right now. He can’t shoot from literally anywhere and has a comically abysmal turnover rate that’s a couple mistakes from becoming the league’s worst, per Cleaning The Glass.

Jackson’s trade value has never been lower, and the long-term consequences of his current struggle loom over an organization that might’ve squandered three top-five picks in the past six drafts. That’s not a great way to rebuild! If Jackson can’t be much more than Tony Allen (in an era where Tony Allen couldn’t even be Tony Allen), it’d be a significant blow.

Jaren Jackson, Jr. Wants to Make Post-Ups Great Again

It’s downright strange to watch Jaren Jackson, Jr. operate in the post and believe that he recently turned 19. The strength, stoicism, patience, determination, and technical skill has been unreal, and by letting him do work down low instead of placing him on the outside as a full-time spacer, the Memphis Grizzlies deserve credit for believing what their eyes (and early statistical returns) have told them.

The first time I watched him play in an NBA game, he sprinted up the floor, sealed 255-pound Derrick Favors just outside the restricted area, caught Marc Gasol’s entry pass, and immediately scored with a lefty jump hook.

Jackson Jr. already has a reservoir of post moves, and he executes them with admirable composure. He doesn’t get flustered or worry if his shot is contested, and can get to either hand whenever he wants. (Apologies to Favors.)

A first-class ass whooping at the hands of Golden State’s swarming defense on Monday night notwithstanding, Jackson Jr. is a migraine down low. He’s fluid, strong, and packs a delightful spin move that bigs around the league have yet to figure out. It’s a breath of fresh air watching someone that young enter the league with skills that are A) still valuable, B) inevitably unguardable one-on-one, and C) ostensibly extinct in the way he’s using them. According to Synergy Sports, Jackson ranks in the 73rd percentile on post-up possessions, and they account for 27.4 percent of his offense (the eighth-highest proportion in the league right now).

He’s still a rookie, and obviously needs to round out other areas of his game—Jackson Jr. is 1-for-14 from behind the three-point line since Memphis’s second game—but all that will eventually take care of itself. (He made 40 percent of his threes in college, was 5-for-9 in the preseason, and 14-for-28 during summer league.)

It’s just cool to see him contribute in a way that complements his veteran teammates while adding wrinkles to an offense that wants to be slow. Jackson Jr. is going to be so freaking good, and his advanced post game is a notable reason why.

The Buddy Hield Bandwagon is Ready to Roll

Buddy Hield’s hot start can be explained by absurd shooting numbers. Compared to last year, he’s up 11 percent at the rim, 10 percent from the mid-range, and 6 percent from deep (he made 43.1 percent of his threes in 2018, so, yeah, this dude currently exists as an inferno).

These numbers should come back to Earth—he's averaging 20 points, six boards, and three assists per game—but they're also a sign of his natural progression towards becoming an extremely valuable player type. Hield can shoot on the move, standing still, and pulling up in transition. He can escape-dribble his way into a cringeworthy albeit accurate long two or attack a closeout and then finish strong at the rim.

Even if Hield doesn't sustain his shooting splits (doing so would be super human), players who spend the entirety of a game racing around the court to leverage their gravity in myriad ways are a luxury. Chasing him off the ball for 32 minutes would be my idea of hell on Earth. Last year he averaged 1.95 miles per game, which was about the same as Rockets center Clint Capela. This year he’s at 2.62, trailing only three players in the entire league. Even more wild is Hield’s average speed. He’s one of the 15 fastest players in the league, but everybody who ranks higher doesn’t even cover half as many miles per game as he does.

Defense is a big issue; Hield was repeatedly obliterated by Eric Bledsoe over the weekend. But he’s still only 24 years old, with the stamina and shooting chops to potentially become a more dynamic version of J.J. Redick. This comparison is an absolute best-case scenario but also within the realm of possibility. It should make fans of the New Orleans Pelicans cry themselves to sleep, and fans of the Sacramento Kings feel great knowing their team's backcourt of the future is outscoring opponents by 11 points per 100 possessions when on the floor.

Hield isn't a star, but he doesn't need the ball to have a similar effect. That matters.

Watching Dante Exum Figure It Out is Pure Joy

One of the more fascinating contracts offered last summer was a three-year, $33 million deal awarded to Dante Exum by the Utah Jazz. I say “awarded” because the 23-year-old’s first four years in the NBA were mostly a collective dud. Facing obstacles that mostly weren’t his fault, Exum wasn’t able to write a resume that rationalized Utah’s decision.

He tore his ACL in 2015 while playing for the Australian national team, and two years later had a shoulder surgery that sidelined him for four months. When healthy enough to play, he shot miserably from deep and struggled to command Utah’s offense. Turnovers were high. Assists were low.

Exum’s defense flashed peaks that made playing him worthwhile, but the blurry end-to-end zip he displayed before his knee injury was but a flicker; much of his offensive play this season remains a concern (Exum still isn’t making threes or finishing at the rim), but there’s an aggression and confidence that weren’t there before. As the Jazz clearly believed when they offered that contract: It's not about what you've done, it's what you can do.

Just from watching him play, there are certain aspects of Exum’s game that make it impossible not to want to see how high his ceiling will be. He cuts hard, gifts soft lobs to Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert, relentlessly attacks the paint like someone who’s never felt pain, and draws fouls by bringing the ball low and tempting defenders to swipe at it, a la James Harden.

Exum also has an individualistic flair that allows him to stand out in a system that sometimes makes Donovan Mitchell look like Beyonce right before she left Destiny’s Child. Take the layup seen below as a prime example. It’s awesome. Exum darts to the basket and then, with time of the essence, seamlessly pushes off the wrong foot to kiss his layup off the glass before Karl-Anthony Towns can block it.

Plays like this only yield two points, but—speaking as someone whose bank account is completely unaffected regardless—they’re graceful enough to justify the investment Utah has made in Exum, and part of the reason why their offense averages a whopping 6.3 more points per 100 possessions when he’s in the game.

TL;DR: It’s Not a Bad Time to be a Hornets fan!

Most of the attention in Charlotte should be directed towards the good (a top-five offense and the league's sixth-best point differential!) and somewhat infuriating (the league’s worst win differential...again!) aspects of their surprising start. Beyond that, something unexpectedly attractive is happening to a franchise that once felt rudderless: The Hornets have an intriguing/good young core that makes their future much less bleak than it appeared to be 20 months ago.

Charlotte looks like a playoff team. They’re disciplined, explosive, led by the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, and their new reasons to be optimistic about the future double as explanations for their current success. The Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, Tony Parker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Willy Hernangomez all-bench squad is crushing people by 22.1 points per 100 possessions (they’re +19 in 43 minutes). That’ll come down as opposing three-point shooters regress to the mean, but the group is still so watchable and quietly boasts a thrilling pair of 20-year-olds who play basketball without a seatbelt.

Bridges is experiencing natural growing pains but already looks like a positionless gem; James Borrego trusts him enough to play in crunch time and guard the opponent’s first option—as he did for a recent stretch against Russell Westbrook.

(This is kind of a random observation, but in comparing Bridges to Aaron Gordon, you can’t help but notice the benefits of falling in line on a team that already has accountability, direction, and a distinct pecking order. Bridges’s role is clear. He knows how to help and feed off his teammates. Meanwhile, in Orlando, Gordon’s “what should this dude be?” limitlessness was initially thrown against a wall just to see what would stick. Again, that was random, but something that went in my notebook last week while I was watching a Hornets game.)

Monk has been inefficient, but Tony Parker’s rejuvenated play lets him work off the ball instead of backing Kemba up at the point. Ask him to worry about others and Monk tends to overthink the game. Tell him to score and Charlotte’s offense makes a lot more sense. The most important thing about him and Bridges looking this good is the effect it’ll have on Walker’s unrestricted free agency. No matter what, locking him into a five-year max contract would not end well. But an expensive sub-max agreement that covers the next four or five seasons is much easier to swallow with Monk and Bridges providing a youthful push. With those two inevitably finding their way into Charlotte’s starting lineup, the Hornets can rebuild on the fly around their franchise point guard.

That’s easier said than done, pending how much Walker’s next contract is actually worth. Nicolas Batum’s current deal erases any path to cap space, while Bismack Biyombo, Marvin Williams, and Kidd-Gilchrist have $45 million worth of player options they’re likely to pick up. The following summer, with Walker paid (and Frank Kaminsky renounced), Cody Zeller, Bridges, Monk, and Batum’s player option are all that’s left on the books. Walker will be 31 then, but an opportunity to reshape their image around their intriguing young studs will present itself.

This Has Nothing to do With Basketball But…

Whenever a jump ball takes place during an NBA game, the world's two kinds of people reveal themselves: Those who want to hear "Jump" and/or "Pass the Courvoisier" get blasted over the PA system, and everybody else.

The Outlet Pass: Trae Young is Master of the Impossible Pass published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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havepoowillfling · 7 years ago

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Dave’s Ring Finger

Dave sat in the middle of the floor looking at the court order document, still dumbfounded by the request. Surrounding him were a towel, a large kitchen knife, and a first aid kit. "On February the 14th, in the year 2019 Mr. David Gorskey will surrender his Left Ring Finger to Miss Monica St. Cloud at a location and time to be determined by private council." Dave regretted the money he spent the past 5 months with his divorce lawyer arguing the insanity of the request but gave up as his anger had fallen on deaf ears and his lawyer had told him there was nothing else they could do. He was being legally forced by a judge in the State of California to surrender his left ring finger to his ex-wife. "The petitioner has requested the surrender of Mr. Gorskey's left ring finger in forfeit of all legal property and financial allocations through acquisition or liquidation." He continued to read, still confused at why she wouldn't have just taken the house, one of the cars, or all his money (which wasn't much in the first place), why it had to be a piece of his body. Picking up and examining the knife, Dave questioned it's sharpness and dependability to "get the job done", as the 18 year old kid at the hardware store put it. "So good knives they can cut right through bone!", a phrase that continued to run through his head as he prepared to do what he had to do. For a moment, glancing to a bottle on top of his fridge, he considered taking a few shots from the bottle of Jack Daniels that he received from his divorce lawyer as a thank you for using their services. Consideration killed by the thought of him getting too drunk and missing the proper finger thus creating an even bigger mess and problem.

It was beginning to get dark outside and Dave was running low on time. He was due to deliver the finger to his ex-wife at 10pm in her lawyers office. The stove top clock read 7:24pm and he was still too attached to the finger, sitting in the same spot for 4 hours now. His phone illuminated the dimly lit room with a text message, "Dan: Hey, you do it yet? Need some help?" His best friend Dan was a little too curious and fascinated by the whole ordeal since learning of it 2 months ago. Dave left out the details and was not ready to let him view the court documents which spelled everything out. "Hey, nope. Still attached. Can't stop you from coming over." Dave replied. A moment later he heard a faint new message pop, then a knock on his door. "Come in!" Dave yelled, startled by the sudden energetic door burst. " Okay dude, we got this. We'll get it done and you will be fine!" Dan placed some plastic bags on the counter in the kitchen, "I've been circling your block for a couple hours when I finally got the idea to go to the store for some provisions!" The bags contained potato chips, assorted candies, and minis of vodka, rum, and whisky. Dan was rummaging through Dave's fridge when he whistled at him, causing him to withdraw and look at Dave who was pointing to the dark brown bottle above his head, "GREAT! You got ice?"

8:45pm and the gentlemen were into their second time loudly singing Queen's "we are the champions". Dave, drunk and blissfully unaware of the time, looked at the strange assortment of items on the ground in the middle of the living room focusing on a shiny blade. This slapped some soberness into his thinking and he looked at the stove top clock which now read 8:50pm. "FUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!!!!" Yelled David causing a nearby neighbors dog to bark into the night. Dan fell scared and confused over a table chair yelling "HOLY SHIT MAN! THE FUCKING HELL FUCK MAN!" Dave ran to pick up the knife and towel bringing them into the kitchen and placing them on the counter preparing to do what needed to be done. Dan shrieked "DUDE! WRONG FINGER!" Dave quickly dropped the knife to the counter once he noticed it was hovering his right ring finger and collapsed to the middle of the kitchen, beginning to cry. "Fucking bitch! The fuck! Why?! Why my fucking finger?!" Dan loomed in confusion having never heard the reason and still unsure as well. "Look man, why don't we just throw some shit in my car, cash out our bank accounts and hit the road, what's the worse they can do!? We'll go to Alaska and become Ice road truckers or some shit like that!" Dave looked at Dan with a pained look and began to laugh. "Ice road truckers!? That's your master plan?!" Dan chuckled nervously. "Yea, sounds stupid when you really bear it out loud." Dan suppressed his own urge to cry. The two men looked at the clock, 9:03pm. "FUCK!!" the two of them screamed loudly. "Look Dave, I don't know if we can honestly do this right now! We are both blitzed to shit and we have less than an hour!" Dan was physically shaking. “Like do you really have to do this?! Ive never heard of a court ordering someone to mutilate themselves for an ex. Why are you doing it?” Dave stood up collecting the knife and placing it over his left ring finger at the base. "Look Dan, I can't do this alone, I'm not convinced this will cut through bone because a 18 year old kid making $12.75 an hour told me they could. I need your help MAN! Plus I'm sure as fuck not gonna be able to drive after this." Dave was focused on the knife and his finger, not breaking eye contact as his hands began to shake from nerves. "Dan, please." Dan looked at his best friend in the eyes seeing the panic, fear, and pain. "Dude, I dont know if i can!? I still dont know why you have to do this in the first place?! Not just because a judge said so right!?" Dave didn’t break eye contact with the knife, “Look, If I don’t do this, the court will find a way to collect it anyways. No doctor I went to would do it for some bullshit reason or another and I’m doing it because… because.” Dave began to cry. “Yea?” Dan muttered. “Because I still love her and if this is what she wants or needs from me then she can fucking have it. I know deep down that one day I’ll be repaid somehow but for now I have to do this. For love.” Dan shed a tear. “Plus I can be held in contempt of court and be sent to jail, so I’m not really looking to do that.” Dave refocused on the knife. “Bone? I always thought it was the cartilage that was the tougher to cut.” Dan said placing his hand on the knife and holding down Dave's left hand.

The two men sped cross town to the lawyers office breezing through several red lights as Dave cursed obscenities out the window, clutching a floral tea towel on his now incomplete left hand. "Dude, if you get ANY blood on my seats, I will personally make you pay to detail it." Dan drove faster for greater fear of his best friend bleeding all over his car as opposed to the extreme pain, physical and emotional, his friend was agonizing over. "Look Dan, just get us there so we can get to the ER!" Dan even more furious at not knowing why his friend had to endure this ordeal began yelling, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO DO THIS ANYWAYS?!" Dave groaned. "Look, just get us there and more will be revealed!" Dan sped up, only to immediately pull his emergency brake, drifting crookedly into a parking spot in front of a inconspicuous building center of a sprawling business park. "NO DAVE!! I THINK I'VE BEEN PRETTY COOL ABOUT ALL OF THIS BUT NOW I HAVE YOU BLEEDING ALL OVER MY CAR BECAUSE I ASSISTED IN REMOVING YOUR FINGER FOR YOUR PSYCHO EX WHO GOT A COURT ORDER FOR IT!! I NEED SOME ANSWERS OTHER THAN LOVE BULLSHIT!" Dave looking panicked at the sudden car maneuver and halting of the vehicle "DUDE WHY DID YOU STOP?! WE GOT 5 MINUTES TO GET THERE!" Dan looked angrily at his bleeding friend, "I deserve some fucking answers and dude, we are there." Dave looked at the building, it was 9:56pm.

Dave let go of the tightly wrapped towel on his left hand to retrieve the small box from his jeans pocket. He felt it fitting to deliver the item in the same ring box that carried her engagement ring 10 years ago. The two men entered the building greeted by a security guard who nodded them through, unbeknown to what was transpiring that night. The law offices were on the 3rd floor of a 5 floor building that looked like it could be in Austin, Massachusetts or Burbank, Kansas. The elevator let them off in front of a set of inconspicuous doors that led to a large modern lobby where a pretty blonde receptionist sat typing away. “Hello, do you have an appointment?” She said to the two men as if normal business hours still applied. “Oh, I’m so sorry, the urgent care center is on the 2nd floor!” Obviously replying to Dave holding a bloody towel an looking rather pale. “Yes, we have an appointment.” Dan smiled at the blonde.

The two men were lead to an office occupied by a man in the blue suit who looked as uncomfortable as possible and a woman in a black cocktail dress ready for a night out. Monica St. Cloud looked like a model ready for a photoshoot or someone just stopping by on her way for a night out. “Gentlemen, welcome.” Greeted the lawyer without looking up from a piece of paper he was reading. When he finally looked, his general unease and discomfort was elevated once he saw the bloody towel held by Dave. “Oh, um, should he go to the hospital? Do I need to call an ambulance?” Dan looked at Dave’s face growing more pale by the second, “Naw, he’s gonna live. Can we just get this over?” Dave walked over to the lawyer's desk past Monica who was standing a foot to his left, and placed the box on his desk. The lawyer looked at it with more discomfort. Monica whose eyes hadn’t left the box since she saw it enter the room walked over to the desk and retrieved her prize. “I request you don’t open that till you leave my office please.” The lawyer was able to choke out. Monica looked from the box for the first time to Daves face. “Thank you.” she replied with a strange sense of warmth and desire. “I love you” said Dave. Monica returned focus to the box and briskly walked out of the office. The 3 gentlemen remained in silence till Dan could no longer take it. “WHAT THE FUCK MAN?! WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THE HELL I HAD TO HELP MY BEST FRIEND CUT HIS FINGER OFF FOR HIS PSYCHO EX-WIFE?!” The lawyer looked at Dan startled and confused. “You don’t know? You haven’t read the court order?” Dan looked at Dave sitting in a chair, “NO! Someone has been quiet about it.” The lawyer retrieve a document from his desk. Dan looked at it and began to read it aloud. “This document is to serve notice that the Honorable Judge Marshal Brown has granted the request for divorce and the division and allocation of property between Mr. David Gorskey and Monica St. Cloud. On February the 14th, in the year 2019 Mr. David Gorskey will surrender his Left Ring Finger to Miss Monica St. Cloud at a location and time to be determined by private council. The petitioner has requested the surrender of Mr. Gorskey's left ring finger in forfeit of all legal property and financial allocations through acquisition or liquidation. This request was initially met with hesitation and concern, however was granted by Judges decision after Miss St. Cloud passed a court mandated Psychological evaluation and gave a rousing defence of her decision and desire for the item in question.” Dan looked at Dave and the lawyer “THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS SANE?!” The lawyer encouraged Dan to keep reading. “Judge Marshall Brown after much deliberation and consideration of the passionate and rousing testimony that Miss St. Cloud gave to her reasons behind the acquisition of such an unusual request made the decision easier. The Judge writes: while the court is not one to always align itself in matters of the heart or base its decisions on those parameters, I was touched on how eloquently Miss St. Cloud spoke on the matter of love and loss during a divorce hearing. The following had so much love, emotion, and courage that was ultimately my deciding factor: When I met dave, I didn’t know I would fall in love. I knew he was kind and sweet but strong and passionate, all the qualities a girl looks for in a man. It wasn’t till after our 3rd date, I knew I couldn't be without him. However, things weren’t always great and we tried. It took me time to realize that I wasn’t in love with him anymore. However I knew I was still in love. Not with Dave. I don’t know if it was magic, luck, or intelligent design. Sometimes the cosmic forces align to show us true love, and I found it. Sadly not with Dave, but with his left ring finger. That was the spark that made me fall for him and stay as long as I could.” Dan, confused even more, was interrupted by Monica reentering the room without the box and a huge smile plastered on her face. “Monica, where is Dave's finger? Where’s the box?” She fixed her dress which was riding up a little. “Oh I threw it away.” She replied. Dan dropped the document, “you mean I helped cut off my best friends finger JUST SO YOU COULD FUCKING THROW IT AWAY?!” She laughed at his anger, “No, I threw the box away. The finger is where it belongs.” She grinned wickedly. “Alright, we are done here and I need to leave. Please let us exit.” The lawyer began pushing everyone out. Dan still unsatisfied, “MONICA! WHERE THE FUCK IS THE FING-” As if being struck by lightning, the answer hit him and the rest of the room. Dan’s jaw hung open and the breath left his body. Monica slowly walked to the door and left the three men in stunned silence. “Dan, can you help me up. I really need to get to the hospital now.” Dan, shaken from his realization, collected Dave from the fancy leather chair he collapsed in and began to carry him out of the room.

The three men stood waiting for the elevator as the blonde secretary and monica had already left. They entered and descended to the lobby not making any eye contact or saying any more words to each other. Once in the lower lobby they could see monica slowly making her way through the parking lot to a waiting black car. The lawyer broke the silence “Mr. Gorskey, I wanted you to know that while my team were doing their discovery in preparation of getting Miss St. Cloud’s financial settlement ready, we found a few unclaimed assets and properties your father had and never filed proper documents to transfer to you. I understand this may be difficult for you, but I would be willing to insure these items get to you and you receive proper financial compensation, pro-bono, for all youve had to endure.” Dave looked at the lawyer, face blank and paler than before, “Can you just send it to my own lawyers office please. Oh and kindly fuck off. You’ve been a big enough help already.” He then proceeded to remove the tea towel from his hand and flipped him of with his right middle finger, exposing the wound of the missing ring finger. The lawyer almost regurgitated finally but held it in. “As you wish sir.” The men were then startled by a loud shriek and noticed Monica collapsing to the ground just before reaching her waiting black car. The lawyer and Dan rushed out to insure she was okay, however, Dan stopped half way when he realized what had happened. He turned to face Dave who stood supported by a trash can, with another shocked and disgusted look on his face. The two men then looked as the lawyer helped monica up and in the vehicle. There was an exchange of words, then the lawyer backed away, the car door closed, and drove off. It was 5 seconds later that the lawyer finally threw up in the middle of the parking lot. “I’ll bring the car around. Wait there.” Dan slowly shuffled toward the car as Dave stood there having lost a lot of blood, woozy and dazed, and began to laugh.

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madefate · 10 months ago

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Blitz only lets himself relax, inch by inch, when Stolas' breathing evens out along with his heart monitor. The spines along his back are straining, pressing against the pillow as they try to rise, and the quieter it gets, the more Blitz finds himself straining to hear anything out of place - something from the window, something from the hallway, fuck - something from under the bed. Of course, all he picks up on is Stolas' even breathing - the few quiet coos that sometimes slip out in his sleep, and it's that, above all else, that makes Blitz focus.

One thing he's never preferred is being left alone with is own thoughts. There's nothing worse than the weekends when Loona is out ( he'll never begrudge her - he feels nothing but pride whenever she makes the choice to do something for herself ) and it's just - him. Normally, he fills up the silence with anything that's louder than the whispers in the back of his mind, or the memories stirring under layers of years of repression: television, drinking, fucking. Fuck, even paperwork.

In his arms, Stolas is so warm but so light. Blitz is struck with the thought that if he moves the wrong way, he might shatter him into unrecognizable pieces -

( images of Striker's form bent over Stolas'; Striker's gun at Fizz's head; wrestling for the blessed rifle in Wrath; green flames consuming the vast, grey desert of his own barren mind - )

Subconsciously, Blitz pulls Stolas a little closer, presses his lips against the top of his head, eyes still wide and alert. Well - television and drinking and definitely fucking aren't viable options right now, and he doesn't trust himself to simply sit with the silence, so Blitz grabs his phone.

He expects the texts and voicemails, purposefully avoids social media or the news. Instead, he opens his messages with Moxxie.

【 sent. baby hands 】 surjery went good i think. stolas is sleep im here with him

【 received. baby hands 】 Good! I'm glad he's out. We've talked to Octavia, and I'll let her know. Are you alright, Sir?

【 sent. baby hands 】 its quiet here but dont come to the hostpial

【 received. baby hands 】 why?!

【 sent. baby hands 】 cant leave the room to make sure outside is clear too risky

【 sent. baby hands 】 and i need u 2 stay with loona

He'd probably been right to add the last - Moxxie still takes a few seconds to respond, probably spent in deliberation, before the text comes in.

【 received. baby hands 】 Okay, Sir. Please stay safe, and keep us updated!

【 sent. baby hands 】 👍

Okay, good - one less thing to worry about. Even if Blitz has a few, creeping doubts about his ability to keep the room safe, it's definitely more doable than securing the perimeter when he's nowhere near about to move and leave Stolas alone. The thought itself rakes a chill down his spine.

Now, he shifts just enough to make sure that he can take a selfie that doesn't include Stolas' sleeping form or any of the hospital equipment. When he finds the angle, he affects an exaggerated eyeroll, takes the picture, and sends it.

【 sent. loonie tooney 🐺 】 #hospitalfood #amirite #boooooring

The response comes almost immediately, and Blitz's heart twists at the speed - fuck, he hopes that Loona's been okay with M&M - that she's not worrying.

【 received. loonie tooney 🐺 】 ur not supposed to use hashtags in texts, idiot

Blitz grins just a little, hearing her voice in his mind.

【 sent. loonie tooney 🐺 】 that's why i luv you loonie, always keeping me honest

【 received. loonie tooney 🐺 】 u need it, dad

Fuck, that always hits. Dad. There is nothing closer to an I love you than that, and Blitz is forcibly reminded that he'd move fucking mountains for her.

He sends her one more selfie - smiling, tongue out - and gets an eyerolling and laughing set of emojis back. Okay - good.

【 received. millie billie 】 what's the news, B?

【 sent. millie billie 】 stolas is out of surjery hes sleeping now. still think theres tons of camers and shit outside

【 received. millie billie 】 how is he?

There is, perhaps, one person that he can fathom approaching the truth with in this world at this very moment, and she just asked him to. Blitz breathes out evenly, glancing down at Stolas - confirming that he is, in fact, alive, asleep and breathing in Blitz's arms.

【 sent. millie billie 】 hes really fuckn hurt mills. i dont remember everythign the nurse said but those weapons are bad news. worse than we thought. hes got two casts lost blood and i dont think this quack hostpial has the right stuff to help with pain and shti.

【 received. millie billie 】 and how are YOU blitz? remember i'm not moxxie, so you're not gonna distract me and you're not gonna lie to me.

Blitz winces, not surprised that his luck at dodging that particular question has run out - and certainly not surprised that the buck stops with Millie.

【 sent. millie billie 】 he got me in the side dunno if its still bleeding but i may need to stitch it up later. n he fucked up my shoulder and rib i think with a boulder, shithead. s nothing too bad i swear. dont tell anyone.

This message, too, takes a few moments to come in, but when it does, Blitz breathes a sigh of relief.

【 received. millie billie 】 thanks for telling me. i won't, but you know you can talk about these things, right? at least with moxxie, too.

【 sent. millie billie 】 yeah, mills.

【 received. millie billie 】 get some rest. we're keeping an eye on loona and the news, so you focus on what you're doing there.

【 sent. millie billie 】 thank you.

Sleep doesn't seem to be in the cards for the immediate future. There's too much adrenalin still racing through his blood, too many variables - too much danger in what his dreams would have in store. Instead, Blitz idly scrolls through his phone, avoids any news, and tries to ground himself in the interim.

All his efforts come crashing down when, simultaneously, the door opens and the lights flicker on. Blitz surges, all of his muscles tensing, and he's once again instinctively looking for his gun - where is he, how long will it take to get across the room, what can I use for cover -

His breathing is thready and his heart is racing, and it takes him a few long moments to realize that the intruder is not, in fact, Striker, but a nurse. Blitz watches her with wide, stunned eyes, barely taking in a word she's saying until she's read through Stolas' chart and fiddled with his IV.

And then he realizes what she's saying and he sees red.

Visiting hours are over? So fucking casually - when this fucking hospital has done nothing of value since he's been out of surgery?

❝ Yeah, I'm not going anywhere, ❞ he says when she waits at the door for him to obey. Like he's some fucking dog.

She fixes him with a hard stare that does nothing to intimidate him. ❝ Sir, I already told you, visiting hours tomorrow will be - ❞

❝ And I already told you, I'm not leaving - ❞

❝ It's hospital policy - ❞

❝ Oh, like it's hospital policy to leave the fucking prince of the Ars Goetia unguarded? Not on my fucking watch - I'm the personal security detail. ❞

❝ We don't have record of - ❞

❝ Don't care! Until His Highness wakes up and tells me to go himself, I'm not moving. Unless you want a lawsuit on your hands. ❞

Honestly, the only thing backing up the bluff is the hope that this is above her paygrade; Blitz hears the smallest, gentle whine coming up from Stolas and his heart races again as the monitor reflects the distress telegraphed by his increased pulse. Fuck. Ignoring the nurse entirely, Blitz turns his attention back to Stolas, automatically moving to run his hand through the soft feathers on the top of his head.

❝ Now turn the lights off and get the fuck out, ❞ Blitz hisses at her - and maybe it is above her paygrade because, with a few mumbled complaints, she complies.

The darkness is immediately soothing, a blanket over Blitz's pounding head. He keeps up the gentle ministrations, raking the barest tips of his claws through the down, his tail reflexively curling protectively across Stolas' middle.

Honestly, he doesn't know what possesses him, but a hum sounds in the back of his throat. The last time it had come to him, it had been Barbie passed out in his arms, working through an OD as he carted her desperately back to rehab. And though he was no match for how their mother would sing it, her voice so low and beautiful, it's the only lullaby Blitz knows, and it comes naturally now, his eyes burning as grief and care wash over him.

Held in Blitz's arms, despite the pain still coursing through most of him, the exhaustion of the past day? day-and-a-half? however long it had been finally catches up with him, and Stolas drifts off into sleep, much easier than he usually did, and much easier than he ever would have expected, considering the circumstances. But he usually did, when he was with Blitz. And while some of that had to do with how good Blitz was at tiring him out, a much larger part of it was having the comfort of someone beside him, someone he actually cared about.

As he sleeps, the machinery around them continued to monitor his heartbeat, the sound of it filling the little room. The blood transfusion had flowed into him, the bag practically empty when a nurse opened the door to the prince's room, to come check on him.

Really, someone should have checked on him after he'd come out of surgery, but due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, not the least of which was the press that had been thronging around the door of the hospital for several hours (there might still be a few tenacious reporters hanging around, but that was above her pay grade), interfering with just about everything, he'd somehow gotten missed. And by the time anyone had realized the error, several hours had passed. The nurse just hoped nothing had gone catastrophically wrong in the interim, both for his sake and for hers.

The door opens, and the first thing she notices is that the lights are off. Quickly flicking them on (not noticing the way Stolas, even in his sleep, seemed to wince at the harsh fluorescents), she bustles into the room, only to stop short when she sees the scene in front of her.

The chairs that visitors usually sat in had been moved to the end of the bed, with cushions piled on top of it, to create a makeshift extension, and one of the patient's legs was resting on top of it. But more important than that was the fact that her patient wasn't the only one in his hospital bed. The imp who had brought him in had her patient curled up against him, his head resting on his chest.

While that normally wouldn't have been an issue, as long as she can check on his vitals and make sure everything is as it should be, the prince really shouldn't have any visitors in his condition. Not to mention how late it was.

"I'm sorry," she says, even as she bustles further into the room, to start doing her job, "but visiting hours are over. "I'm afraid you'll have to come back tomorrow." He could stay while she finished what she needed to do, but her patient needed rest, and it would be hard for him to get that with someone else in his hosptial bed, not considering that that was likely the only reason he was currently sleeping.

She saw that the blood bag was empty, and made a note on the chart before unhooking it. The nurse also replaced the bag of fluids, to make sure he was properly hydrated and to help make sure he stayed stable.

While the painkillers they have on hand probably won't do much for the prince (they don't often get royalty in the hospital, and it was dangerous to keep the stuff that actually worked on them stocked), she injects what she has into his line anyway, to potentially give at least minimal relief while he sleeps.

The nurse writes down a few more things on Stolas' chart before turning to the imp again. "He'll be in the same room tomorrow," she tells him, fully expecting him to cooperate with the hospital's policies. He probably shouldn't have been let in in the first place, but that had been someone else's decision.

She steps through the door after telling him that he needs to go, giving him a moment to get himself together, fully planning to go back in if she needed to.

Stolas' eyes had remained closed during the nurse's whole inspection, his breathing slow and even. But as he heard a voice in his room, one that was unfamiliar, he stirred fitfully, the heart monitor picking up as his pulse did.

His rest had been relatively undisturbed, but the sound of a new voice penetrated the haze of his sleeping mind.

The timbre of it was similar to Stella's, and whatever he'd been dreaming about before melted away to show Stella's smirking face, the way he'd last seen her at The Richest Cup, cold, cruel, and immensely pleased with herself. She had delighted in seeing him almost get shot, in watching him FLEE.

Then it wasn't Stella; it was Striker standing over him, and he hears again the sound of the knife sinking into him, feels the way the blessed blade drives into his flesh, the way it BURNS, more than any normal knife, the way it saps his strength, keeps him helpless. Coupled with the blessed rope, he'd had no chance, no way to access his powers, to escape.

His breath hitches, brow creasing in distress, the beeping of the monitor increasing with his heart rate.

#hh tw #( ic. )#( blitz. )#helldustedstories #au. and i'm so ready to wake up #long post tw #I CAN'T BELIEVE. I FINALLY GOT THIS REWRITTEN.

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