#scout spotlight

[jacksonscouts]

Last week @paigegonerogue grabbed 4 badges on the first day! Let's get to know our fellow Scout!

How do you usually participate in the TLOU fandom? 

I’d say… unhealthily…No, but I love TLOU and I write fanfiction and I also do analysis of the show. I ramble about anything from dialogue to cinematography to emotional beats!

I post mostly positive and complimentary things on my tumblr and on my AO3, which as my readers can tell you is also very positive and uplifting😅😅

Happy Pride Month! How do you feel about the portrayal of queer stories in TLOU?

Happy pride month to you too! I really love it! I love how they present different types of love and relationships with so much care and tenderness, and let the people be real. But also Long, Long Time was so cruel of them to make because that broke me!

Do you like Jackson Scouts? 

I absolutely love it! I think it’s really awesome how you’re trying to bring some positivity and fun into a community that can be very negative! I think it’s super cool what you’ve been doing, and how you’ve given a lot of people a reason to share art and writing, and say things they liked about TLOU rather than the things they didn’t, which seems to have been a lot of what I’ve been seeing lately.

Who's your favorite TLOU character and why? 

I mean, that’s too hard man🤣😭 So, so many. I love them all. TLOU has so many great, depthful characters and—Ellie, it’s Ellie—to just choose one would be impossible!

Would you like to promote anything?

Oh heck yeah! I feel famous lol. First, I’d like to go promote my analysis posts about TLOU. They’re on my blog @paigegonerogue (same as my AO3) under the tag #PaigeGoneAnalysis (could that be cleaner? Yes. Am I gonna change it? Nope.) I’ve talked about cinematography, dialogue types, the infected scene, episode 8, and more! If you’re interested in reading multiple paragraphs about lighting, boy oh boy do I have the blog for you!

Next, I’ll promote my AO3! I write non-smut fanfic, currently with two ongoing projects going on, ‘Anatomy of a Broken Girl’, a series where Ellie and Joel meet at Silver Lake (super dark and angsty fic), and ‘AbelCode’, a story where Ellie and Joel meet working for a tech company (more upbeat) (mostly…)

I’d also like to thank all of my writer friends, who all do absolutely incredible work… and also myself because I WON. I GOT ALL THE BADGES FIRST I WON😎🔥🎸

[seachime]

misc gaming thoughts

[nguyenfinity]

happyele hates me specifically btw

[karrova]

been thinking so much about my childhood recently. I used to do so many things, I rode horses, and I did ballet, and I took art classes and theater classes and I'm still so dumbstruck and confused by how much of a 180 my life took and I cant figure out why I'm so afraid of so much now

[xitty]

Aaa I need it!

[pokemonblog]

New Eevee Day Celebration! Super Spotlight Variety Scout featuring Elio & Espeon, Selene & Umbreon, Lucas & Flareon, Kris & Jolteon, and Lyra & Vaporeon now underway in Pokémon Masters EX until December 5

Pokémon Masters EX, the strategy and battling Pokémon game for mobile platforms, is now available for download on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). In celebration of the game’s popularity, special in-game events and rewards are being offered for all players to take part in on a regular basis. Read on below to learn more: Eevee Day Celebration! Super Spotlight Variety…

[perenlop]

dude this is legitimately difficult cause i still wanna stay semi faithful to the series and think like, what would be cool for the character to have first and what i'd personally like second, but ash's kanto team is honestly so lackluster as a full team that idk if i can salvage this. i wanna keep the overall experimental vibe but so many of these guys do jack shit and get no screentime that they're honestly better off being wiped and given a small story arc like haunter or something, or being decorations for oak's lab. like, there's a reason why most episodes around his kanto team, whether its in the arc itself or when there's a nostalgia bait episode, they only focus on the starters or butterfree cause they're the only ones who had an actual presence in the show.

honestly a funny bit would be ash catching pokemon and wanting to fight with them but he keeps catching pokemon who don't actually want to fight so they just get oak'd most of the time. so he spends most of kanto struggling to actually find pokemon who want to battle. but i don't want to add too many pokemon like that because what's the point if i give him a gloom and it just gets chucked at oak like the others.

[deathinfeathers]

//I need to set up a proper about for all my side characters

[bluebelly-sun-serpentine]

Tim Walz and his wife don’t own a single stock. Their only investment is in their state pensions. He supports safer gun legislation. He supports meaningful housing reform (namely policies that make building housing - the only thing that will solve this crisis - easier). He supported queer youth in an era where support was even more difficult to come by than it is now, and he still does. He has a pittbull lab mix named Scout. He regularly asks his daughter what’s important to her and what her peers are saying on Tik Tok. He supports abortion access. He was a geographer and a teacher and only entered politics because he got so mad that one of his class field trips to a political rally was cut short by a republican staffer who denied them entry because of a student’s John Kerry pin.

He was also developed in a lab specifically for the purpose of appealing to as many white Americans as possible. He grew up on a farm in Nebraska in a community of ~400 people. He joined the Army National Guard at 17. He coached football, taking a losing team to the state championships. He hunts. He goes to the state fair every year. He uses diet mountain dew as a sobriety aid.

This was a smart pick from Harris. It’s clear from their interactions at the rally that he’s there to support her rather than hog the spotlight, as I worried Shapiro would have done. They’re able to put forward this “happy warrior” campaign together because they have good chemistry and are young enough not to be falling asleep on the job. They’re both corny as hell. They might pull this off.

No ticket is ever going to be perfect. I have always been left of the ticket and I suspect I may always be, but this is a real step in the right direction, and there’s so much more energy in this campaign. I’m feeling so much more hopeful than I was a couple months ago.

Make sure you’re registered to vote (voting rolls have been purged in places all over the country. I myself had to re-register recently, and will be checking regularly). Make sure you know what’s happening downballot in your district, because those races and initiatives are vitally important, too. Support local politicians doing excellent work.

For instance, these may be the people responsible for making new bike lanes, transit options, and housing developments possible. Where I live one of these (young, awesome) politicians was recently run out of office by insane nimby whiners sending death threats to his family. I wonder if he’d been able to stick it out if more people were paying attention and vocally supporting him. National-stage MAGA politicians are not the only people fighting to make our lives harder, so it’s worth figuring out who’s fighting against the wine-and-property class hoarding all the quality of life in your town. Find out who’s fighting to shut down your library and who’s telling that person “over my dead body.” Then go to the polls armed with that knowledge.

[donexmiras]

Think it's time for a Ridley icon update

[ozzgin]

You know, some hotels actually have a “menu” that you can buy pillows, blankets, etc. to be shipped home. So you know what that means 😉

This hotel monster fucking talk now has me thinking of another off shoot idea. A human adoption agency…😗

Need a human for emotional support, disability service support, or sexual support? Adopt one today! 🥰

-👘

P.S. Been a while since I’ve dropped by. I hope you’re doing well in life, Ozzgin!

I have reached a point where, after a particularly deranged post, I'll find myself wondering if you're going to come up with something in response. 😭 No pressure or anything, just found it funny. And I'm doing well! Hope the same goes for you, anon.

Imagine showing up for a photo shoot, thinking it must be for some fashion magazine or online ad. The agent on the street who hurried you inside barely gave you any details, but promised it’s nothing shady. You were much too flattered to be scouted like that, and much too eager to see the promised payment to consider the logistics of it.

You didn’t expect, however, to appear in a shopping catalog for monsters as some sort of household pet to be permanently adopted.

The adoption agency, similarly, didn’t expect the ridiculous demand for you. Phone calls, emails, monsters showing up at their office, all demanding to purchase you.

They have to go for a bidding system, shoving you onto a stage, into the blinding spotlight. You can only stand, fidget, and observe helplessly. One tentacle is raised, and a price is stated. Another clawed hand outbids it.

Who will be your monster at the end of the night?

[jacksonscouts]

Gather round, Scouts!

Let's meet @roselees, our Scout Spotlight winner! Feel free to say hello or give reactions in the comments. Now without further ado...😊

1. What was your first introduction to TLOU?

Is this when I confess I'm a relatively new fan? 🙈 I first played the game in about 2021 when I was looking on the PS Plus catalogue for something to play, and I've been hooked ever since!

Finding out there was a show was just an added bonus, even if streaming it here isn't super accessible. I wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of games in this genre so it was an accident I stumbled across it, but I'm very glad I did.

2. What would Joel's favorite girl scout cookie be?

3. What TLOU moment lives rent-free in your head?

None.. he's on Atkins ✋️.. my terrible show reference aside, in terms of an actual answer, I'm not from the States so my knowledge of girl-scout cookies is limited to pop culture but after a bit of googling:

I think he'd be kinda basic.. he's probably a thin-mints kind of guy. Whatever Sarah would buy, he'd probably sneak one when she went to bed, in typical dad fashion.

4. Any special talents?

Tess' goodbye in the game was an especially poignant moment because I went into it completely blind - I hadn't had any spoilers and had no idea what was coming. I'm a big fan of exploring different types of relationship and connections within media and so I really loved how they managed to essentially canonize how important Tess and Joel were to one another in that final scene without having either of them out and out /say/ it.

Something about the way in which their relationship is so clearly this unspoken bond built up over the years was really beautifully done and it really does occupy so much space it should be paying rent

And for the show - I'll keep it quick here because I've rambled enough - but definitely the scene where they first arrive in Jackson. I'm also a sucker for found family and I adore how it leans into that trope as well as showing the first instance of Ellie struggling with that new dynamic; it's the first real moment in canon where she goes from being a FEDRA orphanage kid to realising she could have a real home somewhere and all that entails.

I love how you can see that on her face when they get there and she's clearly awestruck by the most mundane things, yet is obviously also struggling with Tommy being effectively this newfound obstacle because she has no idea how his presence is going to shake up the - already turbulent - dynamic she's developing with Joel. Safe to say I have an awful lot of thoughts about those two scenes LMAO

I wouldn't say I'm a super talented person all things considered but I am quite proud of my writing! I've been in fandom spaces for a long time but it's only in recent years I've really been happy with the quality of the work I'm putting out there; it's just for fun, but - as most fic authors on here can vouch for - I put a lot of time and energy into making the plot and the characters tick ❤️ I'm also a historian, which isn't necessarily a talent but something I'm equally passionate about!

5. Would you like to promote anything?

I wouldn't mind promoting my ao3 to anyone whose interested in reading some more TLOU fics - I'm roselees over there too. I currently have an ongoing canon-divergence AU where Tess, Joel and Tommy raise baby Ellie (who they discover at the same time as the Fireflies is in fact still immune in this timeline) and I have several others in the works: a Sarah!lives AU, a part one rewrite following the original idea for the game wherein Tess is the antagonist, and some Jackson!Joel and Ellie shenanigans.

I'd also 100% recommend that if you're a part of the LGBT community or just otherwise an enthusiastic ally, if you want to check out the @tloupride blog run by me and @consultingzoologist, for the whole of pride month we've been reblogging posts that relate to the queer community and TLOU, as well as providing prompts for people to submit their own fanart and fics! We're hoping to keep the blog up as an archive of LGBT pride within the fandom so if you're interested, be sure to check it out ❤️

[kafka54]

😆😆😆

Hoping for Warden Ingo to appear, but I won't put my hopes up though.. Just my thoughts, Dawn n Lucas might meet someone that they recognised, but not "them"..

GUYS PLA CHARACTERS COMING TO POKEMAS THIS IS NOT A DRILL

[stateofsport211]

[Late Post, Scouting Report] Marrakech Q1: Reda Bennani [WC] def. Vit Kopriva [3] 7-6(4), 7-5 Match Recap + Stats

Reda Bennani in the ITF/CAT African Closed Junior U-18 2023 (📸 saved by Romain)

The first day in Marrakech (250) featured the two Moroccan rising wild cards. Walid Ahouda tries to navigate the main Tour, mostly in his native North African region tournaments (was ranked 73rd in the ITF junior rankings back in 2021), but he got defeated by Dimitar Kuzmanov 1-6, 2-6 earlier that day.

However, Reda Bennani (currently ranked 39 in the ITF junior rankings) shines in the spotlight in his qualifying match today. Facing the more experienced third seed Vit Kopriva, who was a semifinalist in Antalya Challenger several weeks ago, Bennani stormed his way through in spite of some drama in the second set, specifically how Bennani came from 4-0 down there to finally win the whole match.

Here was how everything unfolded. It would be a long read, but this could be a good preparation heading to the second qualifying round (and probably + hopefully, onwards).

Match Recap

Reda Bennani's point at *0-0 15-15 to 15-30, 1st set (📸 Marrakech qualification feed)

One noticeable trait from Bennani is his powerful forehand, which paved the way before his volley enabled him to lead *0-0 15-30 on Kopriva's serve. Subsequently, he took the balls as early as possible, starting agile before he broke to 1-0, then held his service game to 2-0. In the fifth game, Bennani unleashed a forehand return ace to equalize the point (to deuce), confirming the effects of his strong forehand if executed right, but Kopriva ended up holding that game to 2-3.

However, Kopriva found a way to break back to 3-3 after Bennani's shot went wide to level the game. Several games later, Bennani broke to 5-4 because of Kopriva's erratic service game, hence the former had the opportunity to serve for the first set. Unfortunately, tightening up led to him being broken instead (to 5-5), even if he previously saved the break points he faced, having set points midway as well.

Two games later, both Kopriva and Bennani held, and the tie-breaker happened. During the tie-break, it appeared that Kopriva could have been overpowered, hence his notable errors. One resulted in Bennani's 3 set points, and one was saved because of Kopriva's volley. The save was rather insufficient since Bennani ended up taking the first set 7-6(4) out of Kopriva's forehand error. By then, second serves still became the most vulnerable aspect for Kopriva, as he won 30% of his points from there in comparison to Bennani's 70% rate, giving the latter's returns more damage.

Reda Bennani's match point at 6-5* 30-40 to 7-5, 2nd set (🎥 Marrakech qualification feed)

The second set could have been a momentum-shifting moment for Kopriva, but Bennani dug deep to finally prevail in this match. From how it flowed, Kopriva could have pulled a demolition in this set (theoretically), which did not happen in practice.

Bennani started by having to face 3 break points before he blew away a forehand response, hence Kopriva could break 1-0. Kopriva then held his next service game right after a backhand pass that led to Bennani's error. Two games later, Kopriva was ahead a double break, then held to 4-0 before Bennani started to turn the tables.

The turntables started at the early points of 4-0* since Bennani held his serve in the fifth game (4-1). The path opened even further as he scored a forehand pass to 4-1* 15-30 before he broke to 4-2 several points later. Another service hold preceded another break-back at the expense of Kopriva's forehand error, creating the equalizer to 4-4. Kopriva somehow pressed back, which paid off with Bennani's backhand error for the former's chance to serve for the second set (5-4).

This set was indeed a rollercoaster since things happened in the tenth game. Bennani's forehand passing shot did its damage again, pressing Kopriva even further since he should have served for the set. One let-cord moment saved the 2 break points Bennani made (to deuce), but it was not enough as Kopriva got broken anyway to 5-5. Looking at the course of the rallies by then, Bennani's rally tolerance could overwhelm Kopriva at times, which boiled down to the final shots. Even though Kopriva had a decent forehand pass to minimize the gap to 5-5* 30-40, Bennani still managed to hold 6-5.

The tie-breaker almost happened in the second set, but it did not, because Bennani broke for the match (7-5). There was a fear about whether or not Kopriva would crumble, considering he had a lot of fumbled moments throughout the second set. That fear got its answer when Bennani unleashed a successful forehand passing shot to secure his match point before it eventually got converted because of Kopriva's backhand error in a backhand-to-backhand exchange.

Statistics Recap

Match statistics by the end of the match (📸 Marrakech qualification feed)

Considering how the match flowed, Bennani was the better player. Service game-wise, this could be taken as both players having their own strengths in the service game. Bennani looked more stable, relying on his second serves since he won 63% of his points from there than Kopriva's (just) 34%. The 4 double faults from Kopriva did not help either way, while there could be some work to do on Bennani's first serves when facing more difficult oppositions later on, which could be built along the way.

Despite both players having a 50% break-point conversion rate, indicating both tried to drive the other off-balance, Bennani had a decent point construction in this match since the start. His agile cross-court approach often overwhelms Kopriva in addition to his powerful shots, hence the overpowering contest that occurred in the critical points. Furthermore, Bennani was seen as more intuitive with his strokes under pressure, with the forehand winner match point before Kopriva's backhand error as a cherry on top.

In the first timeslot tomorrow, Bennani will face Andrea Vavassori, who advanced to last week's Sanremo Challenger quarterfinal (l. Juan Pablo Varillas). This would be a good test not only for his power game but also for some other aspects (notably the net game, which A. Vavassori also had an advantage of when he is on). Should be an exciting match to follow, so it is highly recommended to tune in/follow!

[creepyclothdoll]

The Devil's Wheel

The Devil’s Wheel

“If you say yes,” said the Devil, “a single man, somewhere in the world, will be killed on the spot. But three million dollars is nothing to sneeze at, missus.”

“What’s the catch?” You squint at him suspiciously over the red-and-black striped carnival booth. You’re smarter than he thinks you are– a devil deal always has a catch, and you’re determined to catch him before he catches you. 

“Well, the catch is that you’ll know you did it. And I’ll know, too. And the big man upstairs’ll know, I ‘spose. But what’s the chariot of salvation without a little sin to grease the wheels? You can repent from your mansion balcony, looking out at your waterfront views, sipping a bellini in your eighties. But hey, it’s up to you– take my deal or leave it.”

The Devil lights a cigar without a match, taking an inhale, and blowing out a cloud of deep, sweet-smelling tobacco laced faintly with something that reminds you of rotten eggs. If he does have horns, they’re hidden under his lemon yellow carnival barker hat. He wears a clean pinstripe suit and a red bowtie. No cloven hooves, no big pointy fork, but you know he’s the Devil without having to be told. Though he did introduce himself.

He’s been perfectly polite. 

You know you need the money. He knows it too, or he wouldn’t have brought you here, to this strange dark room, whisking you away from your new house in the suburbs as fast as a wish. Now you’re in some sort of warehouse, where all the windows seem to be blacked out– or, maybe, they simply look out into pitch darkness, though it is the middle of the day. A single white spotlight shines down on the two of you. 

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” you say. “I bet the man is someone I know, right? My husband?”

“Could be,” the Devil says with a pointed grin. “That’s for the wheel to decide.”

He steps back and raises his black-gloved hand as the tarp flies off of the large veiled object behind him. The light of the carnival wheel nearly blinds you. Blinking lights line the sides. Jingling music blares over speakers you can’t see. The flickering sign above it reads:

THE DEVIL’S WHEEL

“Step right up and claim your fortune,” the Devil barks. “Spin the wheel and pay the price! Or leave now, and a man keeps his life.”

You examine the wheel. 

The gambling addict

The doting boyfriend

The escaped convict

The dog dad

The secretive sadist

“These are all the possible men I can kill?” You ask, thumbing the side of the wheel. It rolls smoothly in your hand. Then you quickly stop, realizing that this might constitute a spin under the Devil’s rules. He flashes a smile at you, watching you halt its motion. 

“Addicts, convicts, murderers– plenty of terrible options for you to land on, missus!”

“Serial wife murderer?”

“Now who would miss a fellow like that? I can guarantee that the whole world would be better off without him in it, and that’s a fact.”

The hard worker

The compulsive liar

The animal torturer

The widower

The desperate businessman

The failed musician

The beloved son

“My husband is on here too,” you say. 

“Your husband Dave, yes. The wheel has to be fair, otherwise there’s simply no stakes.”

“I know what’s gonna happen,” you say, crossing your arms. “This wheel is rigged. I’m gonna spin it around, and it’ll go through all the killers and stuff, and then it’s gonna land on my husband no matter what.”

“Why, I would never disgrace the wheel that way,” the Devil says, wounded. “I swear on my own mother’s grave– may she never escape it. In fact, take one free spin, just to test it out! This one’s on me, no death, no dollars.”

You cautiously reach up to the top of the wheel and feel its heaviness in your hand. The weight of hundreds of lives. But also, millions of dollars. You pull the wheel down and let it go.

Clackity-clackity-clackity-clackity

Round and round it goes. 

The college graduate

The hockey fan

The Eagle Scout

The cold older brother

The charming younger brother

The two-faced middle child

The perfectionist

The slob 

Your husband Dave

Clackity-clackity-clackity.

Finally, the wheel lands on a name. A title, really.

The photographer

“Hmm, tough, missus, but that’s the way of the wheel. But hey, look! Your husband is allllll the way over here,” he points with his cane to the very bottom of the wheel, all the way on the other side from where the arrow landed. “As you can see, it’s not rigged. The wheel truly is random.”

“So… there really isn’t another catch?” You ask. 

“Isn’t it enough for you to end a man’s life? You need a steeper price? If you’re really such a glutton for punishment, I’ll gladly re-negotiate the terms.”

“No, no… wait.” You examine the wheel, glancing between it and the Devil.

You really could use that three million dollars. Newly married, new house, you and your husband’s combined debt– those student loans really follow you around. He’s quite a bit older than you, and even he hasn’t paid them off yet, to the point where the whole time you were dating you watched him stress out about money. You had to have a small, budget wedding, and a small, budget honeymoon. Three million dollars could be big for the two of you. You could re-do your honeymoon and go somewhere nice, like Hawaii, instead of just taking two weeks in Atlantic City. You deserve it. 

Even so, do you really want to kill an innocent photographer? Or an innocent seasonal allergy sufferer? Or an innocent blogger? Just because you don’t know or love these people doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t. 

The cancer survivor

The bereaved

The applicant

Some of these were so vague. They could be anyone, honestly. Your neighbors, your father, your friends…

The newlywed

The ex-gifted kid

The uncle

The Badgers fan

“My husband is a Badgers fan,” you say.

“How lovely,” the Devil says. 

Then it hits you.

Of course.

The weightlifter.

The careful driver.

The manager.

The claustrophobe.

Your husband Dave lifts weights at the gym twice a month. You wouldn’t call him a pro, but he does it. He also drives like he’s got a bowl of hot soup in his lap all the time, because he’s afraid of being pulled over. He just got promoted to management at his company, and he takes the stairs to his seventh-story office because he hates how small and cramped the elevator is.

“I get your game,” you announce. “You thought you could get me, but I figured you out, jackass!” “Oh really? What is my game, pray tell?” The Devil responds, leaning against his cane.

“All these different titles– they’re all just different ways to describe the same guy. My husband isn’t one notch on the wheel, he’s every notch. No matter what I land on, Dave dies. I’m wise to your tricks!” 

The Devil cackles. 

“You’re a clever one, that’s for sure. I thought you’d never figure it out.”

“Thanks but no thanks, man,” you say with a triumphant smirk. “I’m no rube. No deal. Take me back home.”

“As you wish, missus,” the Devil says. He snaps his fingers, and you’re gone, back to your brand-new house with your new husband. “Don’t say I never tried to help anyone.”

[pokemonblog]

New Super Spotlight Seasonal Scout and Seasonal Tiered Scout featuring eight Fall Sync Pairs now underway in Pokémon Masters EX until November 5

DeNA is continuing to add more events and new features to Pokémon Masters EX on a regular basis. Read on below to learn more: Super Spotlight Seasonal ScoutDate/TimeOctober 18, 2024 at 11:00 p.m. – November 5, 2024 at 10:59 p.m. Featuring 8 Seasonal Sync Pairs! The Super Spotlight Seasonal Scout and Seasonal Tiered Scout featuring limited-time Seasonal Sync Pairs are under way at the same…