#especially in a game like ace race where losing just a few seconds can put you down a number of places (like fruit)

[crypto-botany]

Smajor summoning a storm to cause ~10 players to dc so they have an excuse to restart ace race because Dream won (in color!!!)

#personally I believe that the redo was fair and justified. it affected such a large number of players that the results would´ve been skewed #especially in a game like ace race where losing just a few seconds can put you down a number of places (like fruit) #dream has a right to be frustrated at redoing the game. but from what ive watched from his vod he doesnt let it go #and he doesnt understand (or care to understand) the reasoning behind the decision. #as someone who´s really competative and also has a hard time letting losses go I somewhat sympathize with him #but his behaviour still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. the ´jokes´ during hitw. picking at the mods. ect #(although I will say I thought his ´technical difficulties´ was funny. i love mcc shenanigans) #it sucked watching scott´s pov where he makes a joke about being called slurs no matter which decision he made #and realizing that he actually really does have to go through this #(i know that dream is not directly responsible for his audience´s reactions. #but i think he needs to understand that a group of them will act on what he says. and because his fanbase is large so is that group) #i try to avoid twitter every mcc because everything has become so polarized. especially around dream. like buildmart... #(which is a whole other post in itself) #sorry this turned into a rant lol

[rocorambles]

The Time Godzilla Was a Wingman

Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime x Female Reader 

Genre: NSFW, Fluff, Smut 

Summary: A shared love for Godzilla brings the two of you together, but neither of you realize just how close you’ll end up being OR two nerds fall in love 

Warnings: Attempted Rape/Non-Con

Your body is vibrating with excitement despite it being 10am on a Sunday morning. Usually you would be still dead to the world at this time on any other weekend, but today isn’t any ordinary day. The nearby movie theater is playing a rerun of an old Godzilla movie and the nerd in you immediately bought tickets when they were released. Unfortunately, none of your friends were interested in waking up before noon to see an old monster film, so you make the trek by yourself. Once you arrive at the theater, you step in line for food and drinks. You’re debating what beverage you want to get with your popcorn when you see a familiar spiky head in front of you. “Iwaizumi-san?” The taller figure turns around at his name and, although surprised to see you, he politely greets you. 

There’s an awkward pause after that. Both of you are in the same class and you’ve seen each other around school, but you haven’t ever really spoken to each other. You’re thinking of how to continue the small talk when you notice Iwaizumi is looking down at your hoodie and you blush. Like a true dork, you’d decided to wear your favorite pale pink Godzilla hoodie and you want to sink into the ground. This is not how you wanted one of the most attractive guys in your class to see you outside of school. You quickly drop your gaze down to hide the red decorating your cheeks when you see similar Godzilla graphics on the black long sleeved shirt Iwaizumi is wearing. 

All of a sudden any nervousness dissipates and your eyes sparkle as you grin at the ace. “Are you here to see the Godzilla movie too?” Iwaizumi is slightly taken aback by your sudden change in attitude, but at the mention of his favorite character and the sight of your animated face, he also grins and nods. You both start exchanging favorite Godzilla movies, favorite enemies, favorite parts of each movie...the conversation is continuing at a rapid pace when both of you reach the front of the line. Iwaizumi asks if you want to share a popcorn and you agree as you split the cost and rush over to get good seats for the movie. The theater is relatively empty and you both settle down next to each other, still continuing your monster-filled conversation until the movie begins. 

The credits roll and if it’s possible, the two of you are even more impassioned than when the movie first began as you make your way out of the theater, breaking down the details of the film piece by piece. There’s a slight lull in your conversation as you two stand outside the theater. You don’t want to stop discussing the film with Iwaizumi, but you also don’t want to keep him for too long. You’re about to bid farewell when Iwaizumi breaks the silence first. “If you’re not busy, do you want to continue this conversation at the cafe around the corner?” You beam as you enthusiastically agree and the both of you continue to chatter over cups of coffee and sandwiches. The topics widen from just the film and you begin to learn more about each other, enjoying the company of the other. Time flies by and your hangout comes to an end as Iwaizumi realizes what time it is and tells you he needs to go to practice. You continue your dialogue as he walks you home and when he drops you off in front of your house, Iwaizumi asks if you’d want to watch other monster or Godzilla movies together in the future and you gleefully accept the offer.

Just like that, a surprising but close friendship begins. It starts off with just movie hangouts, but soon enough the two of you are studying together, eating lunch together, and walking to school together. Being around Iwaizumi so much means that you also get to know Makki, Mattsun, and Oikawa and as you become closer with the group, you internally chide yourself for ever being intimidated by the group of silly boys. Little do you know that when you’re not around and it’s just the four of them in the locker room, Oikawa and the Makki Mattsun duo are relentlessly teasing, but also scolding Iwaizumi for not making a move on you yet. 

“Iwa-chan! It’s so obvious you like her and you’re not going to find another girl that likes Godzilla as much as you. You better lock her down before someone else snatches her away.” 

“Shut up, Shittykawa!”

“He’s right, Iwaizumi. Y/N is really attractive. I’m pretty sure I saw her get confessed to today. If you’re too slow, she really will be taken and who else is going to put up with your gorilla like attitude?” 

Iwaizumi spikes a volleyball at Mattsun’s head. “We’re just good friends,” says the sharp-eyed ace. He glares at Makki as the chestnut-haired boy scoffs at his words, but the teasing comes to a halt as their coach shouts at them to get back on the court. 

A few weeks later, you go to cheer on Iwaizumi at his volleyball match. You had seen a few of the Aoba Johsai volleyball matches before you became friends with Iwaizumi. Which girl in your school hadn’t? You’d gone with your girl friends and you can’t deny that you had enjoyed watching the athletic toned figures move on the court. But after getting closer to Iwaizumi, you find your eyes drawn only to the ace and you can’t seem to look away from his toned arms, the passion in his eyes, and the sweat that drips down his neck past his collarbone....You shake your head clear of the increasingly indecent thoughts as you focus on the game and you cheer loudly with the rest of your classmates when the boys take home another win. You happily hum to yourself as you make your way to the locker room where you’d already agreed to meet Iwaizumi after the match, but your movements are forcefully stopped by a firm grip on your wrist. 

Confused, you turn expecting to see one of your friends when an unfamiliar face greets you instead. It’s a much taller boy wearing the jersey of the team that Aoba Johsai had just beat and your heart begins to race. You try to jerk your hand away from him, but his grip only tightens and you wince at the vice-like hold. “Get off me, asshole!” You glower at him as you quickly scan the area to see if anyone’s around, but the stadium has pretty much cleared out aside from the players who are still washing up in their locker rooms. Panic spreads within you and you begin to desperately fight back to escape the aggressive stranger, but he uses his much stronger frame to slam you against the wall and you are momentarily stunned by the impact. Your head is throbbing and you begin to cough as he begins to squeeze your throat with one of his hands. “I heard you’re dating Seijoh’s ace. It pisses me off that he won the match and gets to go home to his pretty little girlfriend. I’m going to show him what losing feels like.” Black spots are beginning to cloud your vision as you fight to breathe, but you feel disgustingly wet lips slobbering down your face and tears leak out of your eyes at the feel of a rough hand sneaking under your shirt, brushing the bottom of your breasts. With the little air that you do have, you instinctively call for Iwaizumi, but it comes out little louder than a whisper and your assaulter cruelly laughs. “Your boyfriend isn’t coming for you, bitch. So just try to enjoy this or it’s going to be really unpleasant for you.” 

Just as his hand begins to fully grope one of your breasts, his body is thrown off of you and you gasp for breath. Still a little dazed, you frantically try to figure out what is happening and relief rushes through you when you see a familiar tanned figure standing protectively in front of you. You reach out to him, but pause at the rage you can almost feel rolling off of him. You’ve seen him irritated, especially when Oikawa is involved, but this is a different level of pure unadulterated anger that makes you shiver. He starts storming over to the body of your assaulter and it’s the raising of his arms that spurs you into action as you fling yourself around his back. “No, Iwaizumi! You’ll get in trouble or even suspended. They might not let you play volleyball anymore if you hit him.” A few seconds pass before the tension leaves Iwaizumi and he’s gathering you into his arms. He gives one last look at your attacker and tells him he better not get anywhere near you again, before he carries you away to the now empty Aoba Johsai locker room. 

He seats you on a metal bench and kneels on the floor in front of you as he examines the bruises around your neck and quickly checks the rest of your body to make sure nothing else is injured. Satisfied that you’re otherwise fine, he wraps his arms around your waist and lays his spiky head in your lap as he begins to sniffle. Alarmed, you stroke your hand in his hair, coaxing his head up to look at you and you try to comfort him as you see tears begin to well in his eyes. “Hey, I’m the one who should be crying! Please don’t cry. You saved me, Iwaizumi. I’m safe because of you.” “But you almost weren’t.” “What almost happened doesn’t matter. It’s what actually happened that counts and I believe I owe you a thank you. You want to come over and marathon some Godzilla movies?” Iwaizumi smiles up at you and you both spend the rest of that night in front of your TV, laughing and talking while Iwaizumi presses an ice pack to your injured neck.           

Both of you are just as close after the incident, but the dynamic has shifted. You find yourself stammering and blushing everytime Iwaizumi’s body accidentally brushes against yours and you remember how when you were being touched intimately by your attacker, all you could think about was how you wished the person performing the actions was Iwaizumi instead. Iwaizumi can feel his heart fluttering when he feels the warmth of your body near him and he remembers how a possessive rage had filled him at the sight of another boy touching you and how he wanted to be the only one to hold you like that. But your feelings for each other remain hidden until one day Iwaizumi is asking you to go to another movie with him and you agree as you always do. However this time Iwaizumi pauses and says, “I want to go to the movie on an official date with you. Not just as two friends.”  Your smile threatens to break your face with how wide it is as you lean in to kiss him on the cheek and that’s how the two of you begin dating. 

This is the first relationship for both of you and you both approach it tentatively. Emotionally and mentally, nothing has really changed, but it’s the physical aspect that leaves both of you a little hesitant. Months pass and you never go pass a slightly heated make out session. You begin to feel a little self-conscious and wonder if Iwaizumi doesn’t find you attractive enough to take it further. Iwaizumi on the other hand is smitten with you, but he knows how special sex can be for girls, especially if it’s their first time, and he doesn’t want to push you past your comfort zone. The two of you dance around the topic and never directly address it as you continue to hold hands and sweetly kiss each other. But a long conversation with your girl friends and their encouragement for you to take the initiative if you’re ready emboldens you. Iwaizumi is supposed to come over to your place this weekend to hang out and you’d timed it perfectly with your parent’s business trip, leaving the two of you alone in the house. You slip on the black long sleeved Godzilla shirt Iwaizumi had worn the first time you guys had ever hung out and take a deep breath before mustering the courage to slide your panties off, leaving you completely bare underneath your boyfriend’s shirt. Satisfied with the way you look, you wait.

Iwaizumi knocks on your door, holding a bag of snacks which he promptly drops on the floor as he stares slack jawed at you. You quickly grab his wrist and drag him inside, locking the door behind him before shyly playing with your hair, unsure of what Iwaizumi thinks about your outfit. Iwaizumi drinks in the sight of you in his shirt. His eyes take in how the neck opening is far too large for you and reveals your collarbone and a sliver of your shoulder. They trail down to the way your hands swim in sleeves made for much longer arms than yours. And finally they land on the way your legs are fully on display for him as you clutch the hem of his shirt to keep your most intimate part covered. He can already begin to feel arousal flickering inside of him, but he gently grasps your jaw, tilting your head to look at him. “Babe, I need you to tell me exactly what you want. I want to make sure you’re completely sure about this.” He sees a hint of nervousness in your gaze, but it’s mixed with determination as you move forward until you’re chest to chest with Iwaizumi. He bites back a groan at the feel of pebbled nipples rubbing against his torso. “I want you to take my virginity and then after that I want you to keep on making love to me and fucking me, Iwaizumi.” Reassured by your confirmation, he leans down to lovingly kiss you before holding out his arms and growling, “jump”. You leap into his arms and with your arms interlocked behind his neck and your legs wrapped around his waist, you continue locking lips with him as he brings you both to your bedroom.

Iwaizumi gently lays you down on your bed and hovers over you. Your breath catches at the hungry look in his eyes as he stares at you like he wants to devour you. He roughly catches your lips with his, nipping at your bottom lip until your mouth opens and his tongue is tangling with yours. You squirm in his hold. You’ve made out before, but the intensity of this is new and your heart races as your nails dig into strong shoulders to anchor yourself. He pulls away, a thin trail of saliva connecting the two of you before he continues his attack on your neck leaving a trail of mottled purple down the column of your neck. You cry out from the intensity and the slight pain, but you can feel a burning desire building within you at the thought of Iwaizumi painting you like a canvas and marking you for everyone to know who you belong to.

As he continues sucking and biting your sensitive neck, his hands begin to lift up the shirt you’re wearing, but his brows furrow when he feels nothing underneath. He stops his ministrations to look down and growls at the sight of you completely naked, no bra or panties, and his cock twitches at how vulnerable you look sprawled before him, while he’s still completely clothed. He practically rips the shirt off of you in his haste to have your body completely on show for him and sits back on his heels, drinking in the view of you. No one has ever seen you naked before and your self-consciousness has you attempting to cover your breasts and pussy as much as you can with your hands, but strong hands stop you from moving. “Don’t hide from me, baby. You’re beautiful.” You nervously look into Iwaizumi’s eyes and your heart soars at the love you see shining in his eyes. 

He worships your body and you writhe underneath him as he leaves no inch of your skin untouched. Fingers graze you, his tongue, lips, and teeth trace across every inch of skin they reach and a fire is raging inside of you. Iwaizumi takes one of your hardened nipples into his mouth and sucks while fingers fondle the other nipple and you moan. “Fuck, baby, you sound so good. Keep on making sounds for me. Let me know how good I’m making you feel.” The room fills with your incessant moans and the wet sounds of Iwaizumi lathering all his attention on your fleshy mounds. You’re so distracted by what’s happening that you don’t notice a rough hand beginning to descend further down your body until you keen as a long digit slides into your dripping hole and begins to gently thrust in and out of you. You’ve never had anything inside of you before and you lose yourself in the foreign pleasure. Broken pleas for more spill from your lips and Iwaizumi slips another finger into you, curling his fingers as he continues his in and out motions. When he enters a third finger, your eyes shoot open and your mouth falls open when he brushes against something inside of you. Iwaizumi smirks as he relentlessly teases that spot over and over again until you see stars and your walls quiver around him, clutching his fingers so tightly as if they want to forever be filled by them. He gently continues toying with your now sopping cunt until you shiver and softly push his arms away. Completely removing his hand from you, he hovers over you again to affectionately kiss you before finally stripping off his own clothes.

You’ve seen Iwaizumi shirtless before and you appreciatively eye the veins running down your boyfriend’s toned arms as he removes his shirt and you subconsciously lick your lips at the sight of his tanned torso, but your mouth goes dry and your pussy clenches at the sight of his pre-cum glazed cock that’s revealed when he removes his boxers. Your lower mouth throbs with a desire to be stuffed full, but you nervously bite your lips wondering if something so big can really fit inside you. Sensing the slight change in your mood, Iwaizumi hovers over you, stroking your face. “I’m going to take it slow. But I need you to let me know if you want me to take it even slower or completely stop, okay?” You nod and he moves to slide on a condom before repositioning himself until you feel the tip of his hard length prodding where you want it most. He slowly pushes in, stopping every inch or so while attentively rubbing your pulsing clit and flicking one of your nipples with his tongue to distract you from the discomfort. It’s a tight fit and you feel more stretched than you ever have, but with Iwaizumi’s steady pace and his pleasurable distractions, you’re soon letting out broken whines as you tighten around his cock, milking him for more. He finally bottoms out inside of you and you both groan at how perfectly you fit together. It’s like you were made to take him and only him. “Can I move, Y/N?” You frantically nod your head and let out a high-pitched scream as he almost fully pulls out before ramming himself all the way back into you. You hardly recognize your own voice as you claw at Iwaizumi’s back as he pounds into you. A lewd symphony fills your room as his balls slap against you, your pussy squelches with every movement of Iwaizumi’s hips, he grunts and heavily pants, and you let out a beautiful vocal scale of “more, harder, faster”. But the performance is nearing an end and you finish first, your back bending into a curve you didn’t know was possible before you slump back down to the bed, exhausted. Iwaizumi isn’t far behind and with just a few more desperate thrusts, he harshly grips your hips and buries himself as deep as he can go into your spasming heat and cums. 

You both lay there for a bit. Iwaizumi has rolled you both onto your sides so he can cradle you in his arms and stroke your back and hair as he softly praises you. You nuzzle into his comforting warmth and smile fondly into green eyes. “Hajime, I’m glad you were my first. Thank you for taking care of me.” Flustered by your use of his first name, Iwaizumi stills for a second before he’s pulling you even tighter into him, a toothy grin overtaking his face and you both continue to lay there, feeling whole in each other’s arms.  

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu #haikyuu smut #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi smut #haikyuu fic #haikyuu writing #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #iwaizumi #iwaizumi hajime #hajime iwaizumi #iwaizumi hajime x reader #hajime iwaizumi x reader #aoba johsai #haikyuu x reader

[metalandmagi]

Summer 2019 Anime Worth Watching

Summer is here, and with it brings another new season of anime! In case you’re feeling lost and want to find some new shows to pass the time, here’s some of the anime I think are worth checking out...because some really good shows tend to fly under the radar. I think there’s some genuinely interesting stuff this season, so hopefully you’ll find something you like too. 

I also have a Winter list and a Spring list and a fall list now!

And here’s my master list for 2020

New Shows!

Given: A *cough* BL *cough* romance anime in which tsundere highschool guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama is on the verge of losing his passion for music when he stumbles upon the sleepy-eyed Mafuyu Sato who constantly carries a guitar around that he doesn’t know how to play. Drama and musical shenanigans ensue. This was by far my most anticipated show of the season, because I happen to have read a few chapters of this manga and liked it a lot. The only reason I stopped was because I wanted to hear the music in this music oriented story...so naturally the anime makes me very happy. Not only is it sweet and cute with great animation, but it’s also hilarious. Sato is also basically a human incarnation of a lost puppy, and you just help but fall in love with him and the other characters! AND NOW WE HAVE TWO GAY MUSIC SHOWS THIS SEASON! 

Dr. STONE: An action adventure anime that takes place 3,700 years in the future after the world is struck with a mysterious phenomenon that turns the entire human race to stone. Our protagonists: the genius, scientific minded Senku Ishigami and the muscle-y comic relief Taiju Oki, must find a way to rebuild civilization and turn humanity back to normal using the POWER OF SCIENCE! It’s fun, good looking, and way more interesting than I thought it would be. I’m not very attached to the main characters yet, although it’s still early. I’m mainly sticking around for the plot, the comedy, and the answers to the crazy amount of questions I have after watching the first episode!

Fire Force: An action/drama where super powered fire fighters must protect Tokyo from people who are spontaneously combusting while our hero Shinra must find out who started the fire that killed his mother. More than anything, I’d say this show is definitely worth watching for the cinematography and action because almost every second has been high flying dynamic animation that really grips you. It reminds me a lot of Soul Eater, the story and characters have a lot of potential, and you know an anime will be good when the girls have muscles too!

If it’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Can you tell it’s based on a light novel? A slice of life set in a fantasy world where an adventurer named Dale stumbles upon an adorable lost little girl in the woods, who happens to be branded as a criminal. So of course Dale basically adopts her and tries to find out how she came to be with him. It’s basically fantasy School Babysitters without the tragic depth to it (but there’s room for potential). Yes, this is definitely the most wholesome show of the season, but it’s to be expected considering it’s basically Japan’s latest attempt to get people to have more babies. Personally, the most interesting aspect of this show is the fact that Dale and his “daughter” can’t speak the same language. Unfortunately, the light novel ends up pulling a Bunny Drop...so I sincerely hope the anime doesn’t try the creepy romance factor. So for now, if you feel like puking up some rainbows, give this one a try. 

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts: An action drama where, during a civil war, one side used “forbidden technology” to enhance their soldiers and basically turn them into badass monsters. The only problem: the soldiers who were turned start to lose their humanity and end up killing humans for the fun of it. Now our protagonist must hunt down his fellow soldiers and kill them before it’s too late. Honestly, this show has some pacing issues and can be a bit stilted in terms of its character interactions, but what kept me watching was the last 5 minutes of the first episode. I was so not prepared for the roller coaster that was the first episode’s ending, and now I’m extremely intrigued. Besides it’s made by MAPPA so I would at least give it a couple episodes to see if it’s for you.   

Vinland Saga: The story of a young boy named Thorfinn’s journey to become a great warrior and while the adults deal with going to war. IT’S THE ONE WITH THE VIKINGS!!! It basically feels like a darker, grittier viking version of Moana. I’ve heard literally nothing but praise for this manga for so many years that my hopes skyrocketed as soon as I heard Wit was doing the adaption. And it has definitely lived up to the hype so far! It’s a great action historical drama to fill the void after Dororo. The only problem is no one will watch it because it’s on Amazon Prime.

Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga: A fun brightly colored historical anime about the famous warlord Nobunaga when he was a young teenager. I honestly don’t know what the tone of this anime is going to be from here on out, because it’s going to go from “fun thieving shenanigans with pretty boys” to leading people into battle, but it got me interested. I know putting Nobunaga in an anime isn’t exactly original, but this one seems like a fun ride...and it looks gay as fuck. 

And I have to shout out some that haven’t premiered yet...just in case...

Try Knights: This one doesn’t come out until the end of July, but you bet your ass I’m going to be watching it because it’s an original anime about PRETTY BOYS PLAYING RUGBY! And I have a feeling it’s going to be very... different from the other resident rugby anime All Out. 

Yokai Ningen BEM (Humanoid Monster BEM): Okay, this one’s not out yet either, but the trailer had a really cool vibe to it, so I’m including it anyway. It’s a remake of the 1968 anime in which a group of yokai who look like humans fight crime in the big city. If nothing else, the music is cool, and it’s made by Production I.G, so why not?

*UPDATE* The first episode finally dropped, and holy crap I’m so into this. It’s basically Durarara mixed with Psycho Pass mixed with Bungo Stray Dogs. The first episode has me completely hooked!

Next seasons and continuations!

As always there are some leftovers from the spring season that are continuing into the summer that I highly suggest!

Carole and Tuesday: The musical sci-fi anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe wherein a rich runaway named Tuesday meets a streetwise girl named Carole, and the two decide to start a band together. Now Carole and Tuesday must rise to stardom in a world dominated by android created music. It was by far my favorite new show of the spring, and if you can find a way to watch it (because it’s still not available legally anywhere aside from Japanese Netflix apparently) I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s got the best and most diverse music I’ve seen in an anime in a long time, an interesting setting (apparently it takes place in the Cowboy Bebop universe!?), and very well rounded fun characters. And I'm dying for a soundtrack release with all the songs!!!!

Fruits Basket 2019: Yes, the remake of the classic 2001 anime in which a girl moves in with a family who can turn into animals from the zodiac is getting a full run. And thank God because I just can’t say goodbye to it after only 12 episodes. It is so stunningly beautiful in both animation and story subjects that I don’t know what I would do without it. The characters feel so much more fleshed out, and I feel like I learn a lesson about life each week even though I already know most of what’s going to happen. If you never watched the original because thought you were too “cool” to watch a shoujo anime, give it a chance. Because if you think it’s just a generic love triangle romance show, you couldn’t be more wrong. The reboot is so good at portraying different kinds of love and how the presence of love and family can change lives AND IT’S JUST SO FREAKING GOOD! 

Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: In case you missed Ufotable’s newest project, this is a shounen anime that follows a young boy named Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko who has been possessed by a demon and their journey to turn Nezuko back to normal while fighting demons along the way. I still feel like this is a pretty basic shounen anime story wise, but I really like the characters, especially the villains. It has some of the coolest fighting/power mechanics I’ve seen in awhile, and the animation is very cool and different!

Ace of Diamond act 2: Our favorite shounen baseball anime is continuing into the summer. And I have very mixed feelings about this season so far. We are getting some fun new characters and some great scenes with the team, but the games are very...choppy and rushed. Apparently this is how it goes down in the manga, and we’re in for some good Sawamura development...but it’s still touch and go for me personally.  

That’s it for now. Most of these are available on Crunchyroll, except Vinland Saga, Carole and Tuesday, and Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga. Since Try Knights and Yokai Ningen BEM aren’t out yet, I don’t know where they will be available legally. 

See you next season!

#long post #anime recommendation #summer 2019 anime #ace of diamond #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #fruits basket #carole and tuesday #try knights #yokai ningen bem #kochouki: wakaki nobunaga #vinland saga #to the abandoned sacred beasts #katsute kami datta kemono-tachi e #if it's for my daughter i'd even defeat a demon lord #fire force #dr stone #given #given anime

[zeta-in-de-walls]

Hey guys. So in MCC you might have noticed that Dream got a little salty. This was a shame for me as it’s so much nicer to watch Dream whilst he’s in a good mood. For better or worse though, he’s super competitive.

Here’s a breakdown of how the event went badly for Dream and his team. It’s pretty long...

The event starts well; Skyblockle is an interesting, if stressful game, and they do pretty well for their first time. Not perfectly though and they recognise they could do better too - Dream’s already pretty hard on himself for any mistakes he makes. But it’s purely directed at himself and how he can improve - I think it’s pretty evident he holds himself to a high standard. 

Bingo is next and he kinda doesn’t know what he’d doing and wastes some time. I feel like he notes it down too much to not knowing the game but it is pretty luck-based anyway. Also this was a really quick game as so many of the items were very easy to obtain in a very short time. Anyway, they didn’t expect to do well really and Dream’s in good spirits, looking forward to the other games. 

Then Battle box comes... and it’s extremely laggy and even glitchy. The weapon choices of Wooden axes and tnt seem honestly pretty bad just in terms of gameplay and the tnt is outright gamebreaking with the lag. Despite this, Dream’s team is doing well, having won their first 4 games and they’re keen to win more. Dream’s even instructing Sylveey to wait on the wool in order to maximise kill points (you can see he’s taking this really seriously as he could sound a little nicer as she’s certainly trying to win too). 

Anyway, the game needs to be restarted - some players killed themselves outside the rounds and that’s not exactly fair. For whatever reason, reviving them is not possible. The chosen solution is to restart the entire round which regretfully seriously inconveniences Dream’s team. He’s incensed at the perceived injustices. He feels that it would be better to push on without restarting. 

The proceeding rounds don’t go nearly as well for them as the first play through. Many teams have now realised how effective rushing strats are for this map - the axe is too slow in pvp to meaningfully stop players from quickly placing down wool and the tnt is dangerous enough to scare people from the centre. It’s a legitimate strategy but feels rather unlike the traditional battle box which is usually the closest minigame to a straightforward pvp battle. While the lag is universal, it rather this strategy which goes against purple’s playstyle which includes maximised kills. Additionally, restarting gave a lot of teams the change to realise the potential of this rather cheap strategy which they may not have with only a single round of battle box as it would have been without the lag. 

It’s not really anyone’s fault that the game messed up but Dream’s ire is now directed towards the organisers and he’s lost his good spirits. 

Buildmart comes next and it’s not exactly one of Dream’s favourite games to say the least. Still, it’s long and a nice distraction from the mess that was battle box and Dream has developed some strategy with his team, even if it didn’t really work amazingly. 

But then comes the audience takeover. Dream was really looking for parkour warrior - which he’s been really keen to play. He’s extremely fond of parkour and wanted to try out the new course - he and his whole team had practiced the old course a lot and were ready to crush the game. But it wasn’t one of the the options in the poll at all. Up to this point Parkour warrior hasn’t been an option at all and it is one the team has every reason to want to play. 

Regardless, they soon settle on Hole in the wall - a gamemode they’ve played before and enjoyed. And yeah, the system messes up. Rocket spleef, which was Technoblade’s choice, narrowly lost the poll but gets selected anyway due to faultiness from the twitter poll. Needless to say, Dream is pretty annoyed. Given how the resetted Battle box earlier, he is of the opinion that they should switch in to Hole in the Wall to accurately reflect the audience vote. What he doesn’t realise is that this isn’t possible and the situation is less similar to battle box which only reset itself, not the game choice. 

This is where Dream gets outright angry, even going as far to say he feels like quitting entirely. He feels like the tournament is working against him, which it kinda is, though it’s not in fact due to human design - just errors outside anyone’s control. That said, compounded with the mess that was Battle box earlier, Dream’s in a terrible mood, especially with his competitive nature, feeling like he’s losing due to circumstances outside his control rather than his own abilities. (When fans are saying rigged, I feel like many of them simply mean that the game’s working against him rather than that someone is actively sabotaging them (an incorrect definition...). It’s a minority that kicked up a large fuss as well, not that this excuses them or anything, or Dream for not realising the effect he’s having on his audience.)

His heart is simply not in Rocket Spleef, which seems to be a pretty tough game for newcomers to pick up anyway, while the other top teams, Orange and Green, both excel at this game mode. (And Krimson too maybe? I think I missed how they were doing in this game.) It’s a shame as he can’t allow himself to enjoy the game mode at all. It is an interesting one that he’s not amazing at but isn’t terrible at either, managing to survive longer than the rest of his team, who are all also doing lacklustre. Their performance has not been helped by everything that’s going on. 

Then there’s ace race. It’s a new game and pretty different from the standard minecraft experience. It’s the first time for everyone so there’s probably a few kinks to be worked out etc. and Dream and his team find it interesting but they don’t exactly love it. It’s very different from the standard minecraft experience. Their strongpoints are definitely vanilla minecraft and they’re not too confident with elytras. I feel like if they weren’t in a dour mood they would have enjoyed it tons more. Two elytra heavy games in a row is unfortunate. Still, this game acts as a breather. The one issue is that parkour warrior is finally on the board and so they’re very keen to play it. 

As the next decision dome comes up, Parkour warrior, Hole in the Wall, TGTTOS, Survival Games and Sands of time are all available. These are all probably Dream’s favourite games aside from Battle box (which obviously didn’t work out this tournament). Dream notes beforehand that the one game he’d really like to play is Parkour Warrior and the one he’d prefer to avoid at this stage is Sands of Time. 

So naturally, Sands of Time is chosen. He’s a bit irritated. Fortunately, Sands of Time is awesome and his team is great at it. Single player survival stuff is what they excel at after all and they all perform. They take risks, make a lot of coins, get far and are among the longest teams to stay in, coming in second overall with both Dream and Sapnap doing really well. This game proves to be what finally cures Dream and his team’s mood. The game is also worth a ton of points for some reason, putting them in with a (still small but possible) chance of making the finals. 

Last game and they really want Parkour warrior of course. Yeah, it’s not chosen. Instead we get hole in the wall. Some may joke that its good that the game finally got chosen but it’s obviously not the favoured choice for this team when Parkour warrior’s an option. Oh well though! They’re disappointed to miss out on it but they do like hole in the wall and they all have fun playing it, doing decently though not nearly well enough to do better than their rivals.

By this time they’ve regained their spirits and eagerly support Green Guardians in dodgebolt. It’s an intense match and they all thoroughly enjoy watching it, especially seeing Pete team clutch out the win after being down. 

At the end, Dream finds that despite everything he’s still somehow managed to obtain 3rd overall on the individual boards, the same as last time, and he’s really happy about it. His team are pretty happy too with Sapnap also managing to get 8th place in his very first event. 

Dream closes off the stream with an apology. You can see as it goes on how the frustration slowly melts away as he begins talking. At first still obviously still annoyed but soon confessing that he seriously overreacted and that he still loves the event and the team behind it and holds them to a very high standard. He offers kind words towards Technoblade and Pete too, noting that the rivalry is for show and he greatly respects both of them and encourages all his watchers to go and subscribe to them, helping Technoblade to hit 2mil. He notes that he’s really competitive and he really wanted it to go well - especially as its the only time he’ll be allowed to play with George and Sapnap and really wanted to win it with them. His sentiments feel real and he expresses interest in playing again while noting that he could see them also not inviting him back after his behaviour during this even and understands that. 

Overall, game choices and unfortunate circumstances worked against Dream and his team and left him in a bad mood but once it ended, he did bounce back. It’s easy to see the contrast from the last event where he was annoyed he didn’t win but blamed his own performance - not the event and not his teammates - reflecting on how he can improve and do better. (He got temporarily a little annoyed at buildmart admittedly but it was purely his fans who blew that out of proportion, he quickly reassured George that it was okay and that it wasn’t his fault.) Dream is always very determined to improve and succeed or fail due to his own skills. 

This turned into a long analysis of the event, wow. Dream’s perspective wasn’t that much fun to watch and it pains me to see how it all devolved. Let’s calm down and try not to blame the event, the other competitors or Dream too hard for any of this, okay? Things went wrong and it’s mostly outside of anyone’s control. I hope he’s in better spirits if he joins next tournament. 

#dreamwastaken #sorry this was so long! #i guess I had to analyse the whole event #a summary of it from dream's perspective i guess #apparently techno's viewpoint was far more entertaining #this one left me feeling bitter at least until sands of time #his talk with techno afterwards was great though #best part of the event for me #post-end i know #i look forward to the upcoming manhunt and collabs #the dangers of tryharding #and the issues with having a large fanbase #i think he forgot he wasn't just talking to his friends #analysis

[warriorlid14]

Ani Re-read Book 3: Part 1

Okay, so it’s been said a thousand times before, BUT. Why is Tobias’s book cover actor not blond?? It is literally mentioned within the first pages in the book. COME ON SCHOLASTICS! Also, not that there’s not an encounter in this book, but there’s an encounter in every book. So the title is very vague. 

“My name is Tobias. A freak of nature. One of a kind.” Buddy.

“One afternoon, I was riding the thermals” Everyone take a drink. (game is: drink anytime any of the kids mentions thermals)

Obviously Dealin’ Dan Hawke is a douche, but... iconic name, man.

“Sorry! I missed the first bus! I just got here!” I’m sorry, Tobias, did you just start your rescue mission without verifying if your backup had arrived yet???

“Although right at the moment she wasn’t pretty- impressive, but not pretty.” Excuse you, elephants are beautiful creatures.

Ya know, I don’t know who has the braincell in this group. Like, individually, they’re all smart and capable and hella competent. But put more than one of them together, and all of that immediately vanishes. Tobias. Rachel. My children. That was the stupidest most needlessly risky plan in this series thus far. I love you, but- (They’re clearly 14.)

“But I was glad to fight the Yeerks. Maybe I just had less to lose than the others.” Baby, no.

“We’re supposed to be rescuing the entire human race from being enslaved by the yeerks.” “I thought you didn’t want to save the world, Marco.” Buuuuuurn. Okay, but I’m glad Tobias is fighting back now. These two are clearly still not friends. But at least it’s a little more equal now.

“Marco and I will probably never be very close.” Eggs and bacon, you’re mistaken.

“I guess girls think [Marco’s] cute because he has this long brown hair and dark eyes.” Ah yes. These girls think he’s cute. Not Tobias. No siree, Tobias does not think Marco is cute. (Anyway, I ship it.)

“I saw Cassie and Jake touch their hands together in a way that could almost have been accidental,” rhkjdsfdguh MY HEART

“Hey, Rachel, you’re not just doing this to save the human race... You get off on the danger.” Huh. I hadn’t realized this was brought up this early on.

“You say you’re no leader, but I’ll go with you.” Okay, but honestly, I love missions where Tobias is like “I have a plan and it is ridiculously stupid. Who’s in?” And everyone else jumps in. Tobias doesn’t take the lead often, but when he does, it’s great. (But also, he couldn’t be the leader long-term. He doesn’t want to anyway, but he has too much on his plate to also deal with leader guilt. He does have the inspiration speech part nailed down though.)

“How many risks could we take before we lost? How long till the five of us were four? Or two? Or none?” Well-

You know, I really want to read the scene where they all chose their bird morphs. Like, I’m picturing Rachel immediately calling dibs on the bald eagle. Cassie being like “ok, fine, this is a peregrine falcon. It’s the fastest-” And Jake immediately calling dibs with a smirk to Rachel. And then Marco being like “wait, no. I want to be the falcon, too”. But Cassie is like, “no, variety. plus both the bald eagle and the peregrine falcon have their downsides” and Marco grumbling about it and acquiring the osprey in defeat.

That scene where Cassie and Rachel are setting each other up for jokes at the guys’ expense? Love them.

Also, Marco and Jake fighting over who gets to morph the alpha male? They’re tiny children and I love them. (also, they’ll grow it out of it fast.)

“She still had nightmares about the shrew experience” omg, Rachel and Tobias are already confiding in each other about their nightmares?? My babies.

“Who had bacon for breakfast?... Rachel? Bacon? I thought you said you were going vegetarian!” Lol.

“Which sounded pretty reasonable. Until you noticed that ‘Cassie’ had her head tilted back and her snout pointing at the sky and was yodeling like an idiot.” I’m telling you, all these kids are hilarious.

“I guess I thought that if I ever started to feel really sorry for myself, I might never stop.” So, up until now, Tobias had not said anything that indicated he was upset about being stuck in morph. He comforted Jake when he told him. He’s made a few jokes about it. He’s gone “oh no, it’s not that bad. I love flying.” He’s put on a strong face and dedicated himself to fighting the war. He’s bottled up all his emotions. And it’s going to be absolutely horrible when they inevitably spill over.

“I just know those two campers were out of there before they knew what hit them.” Yeah... they’re probably Controllers now.

“Not that you’d ever want to give it a hug. Taxxons are gross, disgusting creatures.” Hey!

Marco and Tobias are so smart?? They were immediately like, “huh. This ship is picking up supplies. This is a weakness that can be exploited.”

“I was human. I was a boy named Tobias... But part of me kept saying. ‘It’s a lie. It’s a lie. You are the hawk. The hawk is you. And Tobias is dead.’“ I’ll talk about this later. But for now: :(

Tobias really is the deus ex machina in the group. I can’t count the number of times the kids are in a tense situation and then Tobias comes in for the save. Especially when he’s separated from them. It’ll be like “OMG, WE’RE GOING TO DIE!!!” and then Tobias will show up and like, dive bomb the person attacking them. He’s their eyes in the sky. The team scout. The ace up their sleeve.

So this scene where the kids almost get trapped in morph is probably the most intense scene in the series thus far (at least until the second half of this book). And it’s only a few pages long. But oh man, Tobias. We have him desperately urging his friends to demorph, trying his best to help them even through his own distress. Marco is using him  as motivation to morph faster, and Tobias just has to take it because he knows it’s what Marco needs. The understandable relief from the others as they make it out, and as much as he’s glad for them, there’s the sick realization that this will never be him. He will never be human again. And the pitying glances that he gets afterwards. Which, by the way, he has been putting up with for weeks now without a word. Just... BABY. 

I’m going to stop there for now, even though this means that part 2 will be a little longer than usual. But speaking of: major trigger warning for attempted suicide for part 2.

Previous installment here.

#warriorlid reads animorphs #animorphs #animorphs spoilers #suicide mention

[tigerkirby215]

5e Sylas the Unshackled build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Riot Games)

История всего доселе существующего общества - это история классовой борьбы.

Quoting the communist manifesto aside I’m taking a quick break from Theros builds to tackle a more interesting character. Sylas is probably one of the most revolutionary characters in League of Legends, and I don’t only say that because he literally wants to kill the king. He alone has probably given Demacia the most development the region has ever gotten, and the fact that he can steal ultimates impacts League massively. The closer we get to DOTA the... better? I mean Sylas isn’t played that much so I guess it’s fine.

GOALS

Chains build revolutions - We have nothing to lose but our chains. Thankfully your chains can spin and smack anyone in your wake!

Catch me if you can! - The free development of each is the condition for the free development of all. Freedom to dash around your foes that is.

I'll give it back! Promise - Sylas’ ultimate may best be summed up with a single sentence: Abolition of private property.

RACE

Demacia isn’t exactly... welcoming of anyone who isn’t human, and magic gives you a great degree of variance that isn’t desired either. But even if you’re an outcast to some you can still find community as a Variant Human. You can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1: increase your Strength and your Dexterity because what else are you going to do in prison other than work out? You also get a skill of your choice and of course a magic man such as yourself would know a thing or two about Arcana.

Variant Humans also get to start with a Feat and you may think that because Sylas is a magic man he’d have Magic Initiate, right? Nope! Take Dual Wielder for +1 to your AC while dual-wielding and the ability to fight with two weapons even if they aren’t Light. (And the ability to draw two weapons at a time, I suppose.)

ABILITY SCORES

15; STRENGTH - Magic does wonders for your abs, doesn’t it? Despite being imprisoned for so long Sylas is ripped.

14; INTELLIGENCE - You can’t lead a revolution on ambition and anger alone.

13; DEXTERITY - Sylas is pretty nimble for a guy with giant stone chains around his arms. That and it’s a requirement to multiclass.

12; CONSTITUTION - Sylas is sturdier than the average mage, though he’s hardly a tank.

10; CHARISMA - You need to be at least somewhat personable to lead an army.

8; WISDOM - “Smash the system” is great and all until you realize that system has a giant sentient stole golem on its side.

BACKGROUND

Did you know that Sylas used to work for the Mageseekers? It’s true; read his backstory! That’s why while it may seem odd at first the Courtier background from the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide is what we will be going with. You get proficiency with the Insight skill as well as the Persuasion skill, and two languages of your choice. However the main feature we’re here for is Court Functionary. Put bluntly you are fully aware of how kingdoms are truly run, and know exactly where to go and who to talk to in order to topple the monarchy. Told you courtier would make sense.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - ROGUE 1

Starting out as a Rogue for the extra proficiencies among other things. You get proficiency in four skills of your choice: Athletics and Acrobatics will keep you at the top of your physical game, and Perception and Intimidation will keep you mentally sound... sorta. You do get Expertise in two of your skills however: Arcana will keep you in the know of any spell you may take, and Persuasion will let you lead the mage rebellion proper!

As a Rogue you get access to Thieves’ Cant, which is a unique code that only Rogues know. Much more importantly however you can Sneak Attack to do an extra d6 of damage to a target. Note that even though it’s called “sneak attack” you don’t need to specifically sneak up on them: as long as your attack has advantage or an ally is within 5 feet of the target you can get your sneak attack off. Sylas does need a bit of set-up to truly be effective.

LEVEL 2 - ROGUE 2

Level 2 Rogues get Cunning Action, letting them Dash, Dodge, or Hide as a Bonus Action so you can dart around the battle-field like some sort of mage-tank hybrid... oh wait.

LEVEL 3 - ROGUE 3

Sylas is a mage so of course he needs to cast spells, and the Arcane Trickster is indeed a Rogue that can cast spells! With Spellcasting you learn three cantrips from the Wizard spell list, one of which has to be Mage Hand. Other than that Sword Burst isn’t quite a Petricite Burst because it’s a Sword Burst, but it will let you spin around to damage everyone near you. And a little Light from Luxana will help your human eyes see in the dark.

As an Arcane Trickster your spell list is much more limited than a Wizard, as you are only capable of learning spells from the Illusion or Enchantment school with a few exceptions. However that’s honestly more than enough for our purposes. Disguise Self is perfect for a man on the run, letting you... disguise yourself. If you want a make-shift single-target stun then Tasha’s Hideous Laughter can potentially stun someone for quite awhile if they lack Tenacity, though hitting them has a chance to knock them out of the effect. For your final spell while it isn’t the most flashy Longstrider will let you weave around the battlefield a little more with 10 feet of extra movement speed to dash around with. Remember that this means with your Cunning Action you can Dash a total of 80 feet!

Also while it perhaps isn’t too in-character you do gain access to Mage Hand Legerdemain which augments Mage Hand in a number of ways. You can now cast Mage Hand with your Bonus Action, and you can use it to pick locks, pickpocket people, or plant objects in people’s pockets from a distance. There are plenty of ways a bit of summoner magic can help you in the heat of battle... Oh wait they removed summoners from League... At least your Sneak Attack increases to 2d6 now though.

LEVEL 4 - BARBARIAN 1

You probably noticed two things by now:

We don’t have chains to whip people with.

We’re still wearing a shirt.

That’s where Barbarian comes in. For one you gain proficiency with all martial weapons which includes whips. But more importantly you get Unarmored Defense equal to your Dexterity and your Constitution modifier, so you can shrug off damage with your rippling mage abs!

Additionally you can now Rage against the system. While raging you have advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and do extra damage if you attack with Strength.

This is where I need to get into the nitty-gritty of 5e mechanics: Sneak Attacking only works if you’re using a Finesse weapon, but it doesn’t specify that you have to use Dexterity to attack with it. The extra damage from Rage meanwhile only applies if you attack with Strength, but you can still use a Finesse weapon with Strength. Henceforth rules-as-written if you attack with Strength using a Finesse weapon you can get the extra damage from both Sneak Attack and Rage. And guess what’s a Finesse weapon: whips! Such as chain whips!

I will quickly mention right now that if you want a build with better armor but less damage prioritize Dexterity instead of Strength. DEX Barbarians work and especially considering that you can’t cast spells while Raging it’s quite likely that you won’t be raging too much with this build, so it might be better to focus on DEX. I opted for strength in this build though for the sake of demonstration but your free to adapt this build as you wish.

LEVEL 5 - BARBARIAN 2

You probably also noticed that I didn’t take the Stealth skill despite being a Rogue. Well that’s because second level Barbarians get a Reckless Attack, allowing them to get advantage on their attacks at the cost of giving enemies advantage to hit them. Thankfully you get a lot more use out of advantage than your enemies because of Sneak Attack, and the reach with your chains allows you to keep at a distance to back off without provoking attacks of opportunity.

On subject of DEXbarian: You can’t Recklessly Attack unless you’re using Strength, so keep that in mind if you wish to use DEX over STR.

In addition you get Danger Sense, giving you advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects you can see, such as a spark from the nice girl who kept visiting you in jail. "Let's use that spark to light a fire!"

(Artwork by Jobsclebson on DeviantArt)

LEVEL 6 - ROGUE 4

It’s straight down Rogue from here on out. Level 4 Rogues get an Ability Score Improvement: increase your Strength for stronger lashings with your chains.

You also learn another spell at this level and you may find it exceptionally hard to pick appropriate spells when you’re limited to two schools of magic. So eh take Sleep because it’s just generally a good spell.

LEVEL 7 - ROGUE 5

5th level Rogues get Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you. Consider it an item active coming to save you, or just some evasive maneuvers. "I had worse beatings in prison." Your Sneak Attack also increases to 3d6.

LEVEL 8 - ROGUE 6

6th level Rogues get Expertise in two more skills: Athletics is obvious for someone lugging giant stone chains around all the time. Other than that you can honestly make your choice on whatever’s useful for the party. (Thieves’ Tools is never a bad thing, though it may make people question why you didn’t just lockpick your way out of those chains.)

LEVEL 9 - ROGUE 7

At 7th level Rogues get Evasion, allowing them to take no damage if they succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or half damage if they fail. Considering that Danger Sense gives you Advantage on Dexterity saves it’s quite likely that you’ll be able to dodge and weave your way around most damage sources.

You also get another spell known, and what’s more is that you can now learn second level spells! Second level is where it gets particularly good for Arcane Tricksters but for now grab Hold Person to finally give yourself a stun. What’s particularly good about Hold Person is that it gives you another way to guarantee a Sneak Attack, which now increases to 4d6!

LEVEL 10 - ROGUE 8

At 8th level you get another Ability Score Improvement so cap off that Strength score to swing those chains like they’re made of... leather, like a whip usually is. Instead of giant rocks.

You can also learn another spell at this level, and at level 8 it can be from any school of magic too! Now this is going to sound weird but the spell you want is  Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm. Why do you want a small AoE of cold damage that forces a DEX save? Simple: Chain Lash’s detonation point. But yeah there’s a ton of spells that are probably better to take.

LEVEL 11 - ROGUE 9

At 9th level you get Magical Ambush. If you are hidden from a creature when you cast a spell on it, the creature has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against the spell this turn. Ganking from bush is pretty effective, and this is probably the only reason you’d have to hide. But that being said you’re still not that good at hiding, and you only really have two spells that a target would have to fail a save against so... But regardless of how you choose to gain the upper hand a 5d6 Sneak Attack will make sure you hit hard!

(Artwork by minnhsg on DeviantArt)

LEVEL 12 - ROGUE 10

10th level Rogues get another Ability Score Improvement, and now that your Strength is maxed out it’s time to increase your Intelligence for better spellcasting.

And speaking about spellcasting you learn another spell at this level, as well as another cantrip! None of the cantrips are really in-flavor so grab Message for some team chat. For your leveled spell again there are a lot of choices, but I’m actually going to suggest Nystul’s Magic Aura to hide your magic from the crown. At least for a time.

LEVEL 13 - ROGUE 11

11th level Rogues see their Sneak Attack increase to 6d6. They also get Reliable Talent, meaning that the lowest you can roll on an ability check you’re proficient in is a 10. To show how strong this is, here’s the minimum roll you can make in every ability you’re proficient in:

25 on Athletics

23 on Arcana

20 on Persuasion

17 on Acrobatics

15 on Intimidation

14 on Insight / Perception

And another spell added to the list? Why not? Seeing as you’re already pretty sturdy when raging as Barbarian how about making it even harder to hit you with Mirror Image? When a creature attacks you, roll a d20 to hit you. If you have three duplicates, you must roll a 6 or higher to change the attack's target to a duplicate. With two duplicates, you must roll an 8 or higher. With one duplicate, you must roll an 11 or higher.

A duplicate's AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier. If an attack hits a duplicate, the duplicate is destroyed. A duplicate can be destroyed only by an attack that hits it. It ignores all other damage and effects. The spell ends when all three duplicates are destroyed, and a creature ignores this spell if they don’t rely on sight to attack.

Since this spell doesn’t require Concentration it works while you’re Raging, which means that on top of essentially having three free hits against you you’ll also take half damage when attacked.

LEVEL 14 - ROGUE 12

12th level Rogues get another Ability Score Improvement, so how about more Constitution to increase your AC as well as your health bar.

Of course if you want better spellcasting feel free to opt for Intelligence instead.

LEVEL 15 - ROGUE 13

Level 13 Arcane Tricksters get Versatile Trickster, allowing you to use your Mage Hand to give yourself Advantage to attack someone. This is of course a better option over Reckless Attack while you’re not raging, but remember that you can’t cast spells while raging so you can use your Mage Hand while raging. But regardless of how you get your advantage you can use it to Sneak Attack for 7d6 damage!

But you do learn another spell, and you can now cast 3rd level spells! There aren’t that many third level spells we’d really want though, so grab Hypnotic Pattern for a big AoE stun that you can’t normally do. Maybe you stole Morgana’s chains? “Chains for everyone!”

LEVEL 16 - ROGUE 14

At level 14 Rogues get 10 feet of Blindsense, allowing them to locate any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet. Oracle Lense is always useful!

You can also learn another spell, and this will be the last spell that you can get from a school other than Illusion or Enchantment. There’s a ton of good spells but I’m going to go with an old favorite of mine and grab Misty Step for Flash. Now would be a good time to remind everyone that you don’t have to follow my guides point-for-point, and you’re allowed to swap out your all-school spells for something else, such as Longstrider for... something more useful.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 17 - ROGUE 15

At level 15 Rogues get Slippery Mind for proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. Yup that’s literally it. I mean, beyond your Sneak Attack doing 8d6 damage.

LEVEL 18 - ROGUE 16

Level 16 Rogues get another Ability Score Improvement so now would be a good time to increase your Intelligence for even harder spells. "I'll show you magic!"

And you can learn another spell, but like I said there isn’t much I really want from the third level so bounce back to second for Suggestion. You suggest an action that sounds reasonable and if the target fails a Wisdom save it has to follow the action. So no suggesting that the king give up his crown, but you can certainly suggest him to look away while you strangle him with chains.

LEVEL 19 - ROGUE 17

It’s about time we got our ultimate! Level 17 Arcane Tricksters finally get Spell Thief! Immediately after a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a saving throw with its spellcasting ability modifier against your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell’s effect against you, and you steal the spell and are able to cast it!

For the next 8 hours, you know the spell and can cast it using your spell slots while the creature can’t cast that spell until the 8 hours have passed. Certainly an upgrade from Hijack, which is why you can only try to steal a spell once per long rest. But much like in League this should be your trump card to try to take something truly powerful for your own. Just don’t pick fights with a creature you can’t steal and run from.

And to top if off your Sneak Attack is now 9d6!

LEVEL 20 - ROGUE 18

Our final level is the 18th level in Rogue for Elusive, making it so no attack can have Advantage against you. This includes attacks against you after you used your Reckless Attack! But you probably won’t be raging much with 18 levels in a half caster...

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Magic cannot be caged - Let’s start with the obvious: you’ve got a good supply of magical tricks to help you both in and out of combat. Spell slots going up to third level, and the obvious ace up your sleeve of Spell Thief. And you’ve got some really good ones in your list despite the spell school limitations, including Sleep, Hold Person, and Suggestion.

And that's how we slaughter swine - Barbarian mixed with Rogue is remarkably powerful. Along with the fact that you can consistently get Sneak Attack with Reckless Attack, expertise in Athletics along with Rage giving you Advantage on Strength checks practically guarantees that you’ll succeed at anything Strength related.

Might is wasted on the mighty - You know what the other good thing about being a Barbarian is? You’re really sturdy with Rage allowing you to tank some hits, a positive (or at least neutral) modifier to all saving throws, and a decently large health bar for a Rogue thanks to a decent investment in CON.

CONS

A walking monument to ignorance - Your AC really isn’t fantastic. This build gets 15 total due to 2 from DEX, 2 from CON, and 1 from Dual Wielder. You’d honestly probably be better off just grabbing Medium Armor instead, or focusing more heavily on DEX.

Well, this is going to be confusing - Your big Achilles's Heel is your Wisdom modifier. While your Wisdom saves aren’t awful thanks to levels in Rogue you’d best hope you aren’t asked to take care of any horses.

What do you do with this? - Mixing Barbarian with a spellcaster (even a half-caster like Arcane Trickster) is always an odd choice, seeing as you can’t cast spells while raging. Honestly if only for the whip proficiency you would’ve been much better off taking some levels in Fighter instead of Barbarian; Versatile Trickster already lets you get Advantage on your attacks.

But the perfect man doesn’t need to rebel. Your chains are what define you and your cause, and your army can work together to shed your chains no matter who your opponent may be. With the might of muscle combined with might of magic there are countless ways to light a spark. And all you need to start a fire is a single spark.

(Artwork by Nazori on DeviantArt)

#DnD 5e #dnd build #dnd guide #dnd #dnd Rogue #League of Legends #League of Legends Sylas #communism

[junker-town]

Predicting the MLB season with 7 big questions

Our writers give their predictions for the 2021 MLB season.

The 2020 MLB season was unlike any other with the coronavirus pandemic delaying the start of the season until late July. Everything is on track for a more normal season with a chance to even get fans into the stadium at limited capacity for the first time in more than a year.

The rich got richer this offseason with a loaded Dodgers team loading up even more for what could very well be another run at defending their World Series victory. Can the new-look New York Mets or Fernando Tatis Jr.-led Padres throw those plans off track? Will the Yankees finally make it back to the World Series, or will their own health (and lack thereof) prove to be their downfall?

Before the 2021 MLB regular season gets underway, we asked our staff to predict how this year will go. Picks are being made by Andrew Mearns of Pinstripe Alley, Brady Klopfer of McCovey Chronicles, Sara Sanchez of Bleed Cubbie Blue, Kris Willis of Talking Chop, and Ashley MacLennan of Bless You Boys and DRaysBay.

1. Give us one bold prediction for the season

Andrew: The Phillies & Angels both end their playoff droughts with Wild Card runs. The Padres quickly dispatch the Phils from the postseason in the Wild Card Game, but behind big homers from Anthony Rendon & Shohei Ohtani, the Angels upset the Rays before falling to the Yankees in a tight ALDS. But hey, at least Mike Trout finally has a postseason win?

Brady: Someone will hit the 60 home run barrier, and at least two other players will cross 50 homers. A home run race will develop in the final months of the season, and that will become the biggest storyline of the season.

Sara: Kyle Hendricks will win the NL Cy Young award. Projection systems really don’t appreciate the way he gets guys out with 88 mph pitches while masterfully working the corners and playing with speed. In a year where very few pitchers will top 170 innings, Hendricks’ efficiency means he may have more innings, and more complete games than any pitcher in baseball. He’s not going to turn any heads with his K/9, but if he quietly puts up a sub 3.00 ERA while leading the NL in innings in 2021 voters will have a difficult decision to make in the fall.

Kris: Between Fernando Tatis Jr and Juan Soto, it feels like everyone is forgetting about Ronald Acuña Jr. He will give the Braves their second straight MVP Award winner in 2021 and put up a 40-40 season in the process while reentering the conversation of who is the best young player in MLB.

Ashley: Home runs are going to drop considerably with the slightly deadened ball, and the new laces may see us get a pitcher reach 22 wins (yeah, I said it). There will be exceptions but I’m thinking 2021 will be the year of the pitcher.

2. NL Champions: Dodgers or the field?

Andrew: Dodgers. If they didn’t exist, we could debate Padres vs. Braves all season long, but the Dodgers are just too absurdly good. I’m not convinced that they ever actually lose. The league’s just throwing us off the scent when they print those faulty box scores.

Brady: The field. The Dodgers are deserving favorites, but the field is always the safe pick in baseball, especially when there are still a decent number of elite teams to challenge the defending champions.

Sara: The field. The Dodgers are going to get some stiff competition from the Padres and the Braves at bare minimum. I think one of those teams will knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs.

Kris: Dodgers. The rich just get richer with the addition of Trevor Bauer. There are teams in the National League that could beat the Dodgers but given their resources, it is hard to pick against them.

Ashley: Dodgers. I’d much rather say the Padres will win the NL this year because they’re a much easier team to root for, but the Dodgers have absolutely done everything right this offseason to stay competitive and I don’t see them slowing down. That said, I’m hoping to see the Padres in the WS.

3. Who will win the MVP from each league?

Andrew: AL: Mike Trout; NL: Juan Soto.

The combination of an improbable Angels playoff run and Trout being, well, Trout, gives him his fourth MVP. As for Soto, the Nationals don’t even necessarily have to do much around him. His time is just now to be the modern-day Ted Williams.

Brady: AL: Mike Trout; NL: Juan Soto

Are these the obvious picks? Yes. But baseball is straightforward enough that I can’t break out of the box here. Mike Trout is the best player alive, has been the best player alive for a very long time, and no longer is battling Mookie Betts for this award. Soto is coming off a 201 wRC+ season, and is at an age where you expect him to not only get better, but significantly so. These are the heavy favorites in my eyes.

Sara: AL: Mike Trout, NL: Juan Soto

I thought about being contrarian here, but I just can’t. Soto is poised to put up a season for the record books and Mike Trout is Mike Trout. Depending on the prediction system both should put up OPS over 1.000. It is possible someone else gets hot in either league and runs them down, because baseball will always baseball, but I can’t bring myself to put anyone else’s name down here.

Kris: AL: Mike Trout; NL: Ronald Acuña Jr.

It seems like this is the same answer every year, but if he stays healthy, Mike Trout has to be the favorite for MVP in the American League. Especially if the Angels are an improved team and in the running for a playoff spot. Ronald Acuña Jr goes 40-40 and leads the Braves back to the NLCS and captures his first career MVP award.

Ashley: AL: Mike Trout; NL: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Trout has openly spoken this offseason about moves he has made to “improve” the things that have been slowing him down, and I for one am eager to see what those moves will change in terms of his performance. Is it possible to get better? We’ll see! I could have gone for any of the big three youth-movement guys in terms of the NL because Soto and Acuña Jr are incredible and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them take it, but my gut says Tatis Jr is just going to keep building off last year’s success and be an absolutely monster in the NL in 2021.

4. Which team will be the biggest surprise?

Andrew: Angels. For all the reasons above because I am a gigantic sucker and this time, Lucy absolutely won’t pull that football away.

Brady: Angels. This is the year it finally happens, and Mike Trout wins a playoff game. Trout, Anthony Rendon, and a healthy Shohei Ohtani is just too much talent, and I think the Astros are primed for regression. I say the Angels win the AL West and, at a very minimum, at least win a playoff game.

Sara: Blue Jays. They may not have a home park to play in but they made a lot of interesting moves in the offseason. Losing Yates for a while doesn’t hurt them as much as one might think and they have some really interesting bats. I think they are trying to chase down the Yankees in the East all year, and if the Yankees can’t stay healthy the Blue Jays may just win the division.

Kris: Rays. It is always the Rays is not in? No matter how unimpressive they look on paper, they find a way to win, and I do not think this season will be any different despite the departure of Blake Snell.

Ashley: White Sox. It’s hard to say they’ll be a surprise only because most predictions suggest they’ll be among the best in the very bad AL Central, but all the same I’m really interested to see what they pull off. Tony La Russa is going to be something the team has to overcome, rather than something that will help them win, I think, but they have such a strong core of talented players, I really want to see what they can pull off.

5. Which team will be the biggest disappointment?

Andrew: Blue Jays. The Mets would also be a decent choice since I have them missing the playoffs, but not by much. The Jays, however, could really crash and burn with that pitching staff (no matter how much that young offense terrifies me).

Brady: Astros. A run to the ALCS hid what was a pretty bad season for Houston last year. Not only did they finish the truncated season with a losing record, but their win differential suggested they were a highly mediocre team. I think we see that in full this year.

Sara: Yankees. For the past three years I feel like all I’ve heard is how great the Yankees will be, but it hasn’t gotten them another ring. Unfortunately for New York anything less than another ring is a disappointment for that fanbase. I know the projections love the pitching staff, but ace Gerrit Cole is one of the pitchers most likely to be impacted by MLB’s stated intention to crack down on substances because of spin rate discrepancies, Corey Kluber is a huge injury risk, Jameson Taillon is a good addition - who has thrown 37.1 innings in the last two seasons. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are both injury prone, and Gary Sánchez has shown no sign of turning it around at the plate. This is the same team that hasn’t delivered in the last 4 years, they are just a year older.

Kris: Blue Jays. Toronto looks like a fun team on paper, but I am worried about their starting pitching and whether they have enough depth to hold up over a full 162 games. They should score plenty of runs but in the end, I am afraid their rotation will cost them.

Ashley: Blue Jays. They made all the right moves in the offseason to push themselves as a competitive team, but a bunch of spring training injuries and some pickups that are as likely to implode as they are to succeed (Robbie Ray?) means the Jays could be a team that spent to lose instead of spending to compete. A lot of focus is going to be on the young talent like Guerrero and Bichette to see if they can shine as future superstars.

6. Which player will lead the majors in home runs?

Andrew: Pete Alonso. The dude knows how to go deep, and even in an “off year” when no one talked about him, he was still within shouting distance of the home run crown. Give him a real season again and he’ll go bananas.

Brady: Aaron Judge. Sure, it’s been four years since he hit the 52 homer mark, but he’s still got that power in him, and he can’t be pitched around on this Yankees team. If he stays healthy, I think it all clicks.

Sara: Mike Trout. I thought about getting cute about this and saying Eugenio Suárez because I love that bat and he plays in a bandbox, but I think it’s Trout. And even though you didn’t ask this, I think that number is less than 45...at least it is if MLB is actually deadening the ball like they claim.

Kris: Ronald Acuña Jr. I already picked Acuña to win MVP and the home run crown will be a big part of that. He makes a run at a 50 homer season and leads the majors in 2021.

Ashley: Mike Trout. I really, really want to see him kill it this year. In think home runs overall will be down, but I genuinely believe Trout will hit about a tenth of them.

7. What is your World Series matchup prediction?

Andrew: Dodgers/Yankees. The chalk pick, but the correct pick. The door is wide open in the AL for the Yankees to return to the World Series, and if not now, then when? But also, no one’s beating the Dodgers unless something goes seriously wrong.

Brady: Padres/Yankees. I have the Pads finally eclipsing their big brother Dodgers in a stacked NL, while the Yankees run circles around the competition in the AL. And it all makes for a star-studded World Series, that San Diego wins in seven.

Sara: Padres/White Sox. I refuse to pick the Yankees/Dodgers matchup that math, the universe and logic so desperately want us all to pick. Don’t get me wrong, I’d watch that World Series, but I wouldn’t get excited about it. Let’s watch the kids thrive and play. The Padres are a brilliantly constructed team and they are built to beat the Dodgers. They came close in the shortened season - then they went out and added Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to the Dodgers’ Trevor Bauer and David Price. The Yankees should be a juggernaut, but they are fragile. Someone in the AL will step in and beat them, it might as well be the team that employs Luis Robert and Lucas Giolito.

Kris: Dodgers/Yankees. I think the Dodgers are the clear favorites in the National League given roster depth and they will be looking to prove that last season’s championship was not a fluke. It seems like there are a lot of things that could go wrong with the Yankees’ pitching staff, but I do not see anyone else in the American League that can match their fire power.

Ashley: Padres/Rays. I cannot imagine a more fun final showdown than this, especially with former Rays Tommy Pham and Blake Snell in the mix for the Padres. These two teams have taken very different approaches to spending and signings this offseason and I think it would be an electric matchup (for everything except maybe TV ratings).

[sherrybaby14]

Bet Your Ass

Contribution @flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash Negan challenge.   I know I am two weeks late (eek!)  I really did have some major health problems though.  Thank you for being understanding! 

I did an Anal story

Warnings:  Smutty, smut smut smut.  Dub-Con (More reluctance than anything else tho), Anal (Obv),

Pairing:  Negan/OFC

Words:  4700

Tags: @arkhamasylumpatient-blog1, @blondesouthsquad, @enchantingoblivion, @alyisdead, @dead-head-joker, @miiraal, @theonethatgotaway213, @marauderice, @kellyn1604, @megandrawsspace, @idonthavehusbandsihavelovers, @shanaatjelove11, @daintyunicorn, @mac5323,  @thecynicalnerd

                    “I win.”  The two words spewed out of the man’s mouth all night. 

                  You tossed your cards down and went to stand up from the table as he pulled in all his chips.   

                  “Quitting so soon?” Negan raised an eyebrow and looked away from his haul.   

                  “Quitting?’  You scoffed.  “I don’t have anything left to bet. You won it all.” 

                  You signaled to the three other men who were standing away from the table.  Even though you lost it all you were proud of coming in second tonight.  Negan was either the best bluffer in the world or the luckiest damn poker player who ever existed.  

                  “A lady like you with your charms…I’m sure you’ve got something that would entice me to throw down.”  Negan gives you that billion dollar grin and you roll your eyes.  

                  “I think one of your wives can take care of that for you.”  There is no playfulness in your voice as you walk away from the table. 

                  “What a shame Y/N.” Negan’s voice gives you pause. “I never took you for a chicken.” 

                  A chorus of Ooooohhhhhs come from the other men in the room. Feeling a kink in your pride you spin back around.  

                  “Chicken?  I lasted longer than these wimps.”  Even before the apocalypse you never backed down from a challenge, but since the world went to shit you couldn’t help but let the littlest issue get under your skin.  Especially from the man who gave the orders.  “Trap one of them with your sexual wages.” 

                  “Did I mention sex?”  Negan tilted his head. “Wow Y/N, here I was thinking we’d play for the bottle of bourbon you have in your room.”   

                  Your cheeks flush red and the men around you snicker.  You cringe at your mistake and aren’t sure what is the best way to avoid your embarrassment.  Leaving, or waging your secret stash.  Taking a breath you sit down and let the calm demeanor you need for cards wash over you. 

                  “Like I would bet my top shelf for that piss water you drink?”  You fold your arms. “What will you put up?” 

                  “If you want to stick with the sexual favors I’ve been told I give some great oral.”  Negan flicks his tongue across his lips.   

                  “Anal.”  You put your arm down and lean forward, locking eyes with him. 

                  “If I win, you want me to fuck you up the ass?” Negan laughed.   

                  He was good at hiding most things, but you knew he wasn’t stupid. You liked seeing the bit of nerves in his eyes.  A smile spread across your face and you shook your head from side to side. 

                  “I win, I get to fuck your ass.”  The room started laughing. 

                  “Last I checked you didn’t have the equipment for that.”  There was a look of anger in Negan’s eyes. 

                  Served him right. He was the one who tried to bring sex into this and then when you shot him down he embarrassed you.  You didn’t know how many poker games he walked away the victor because nothing seemed to get under the man’s skin.  Right now you had him and it was making you more excited than you needed to let on or else he would no doubt get the upper hand again. 

                  “Heard there was a fresh crop of cucumbers today.  I’ll even let you pick which one I slide up inside you.”  You raise your eyebrows.  The men watching start hollering and clapping.   

                  Negan shakes his head and gives a half laugh.  He presses his hands on the table and moves to stand up.   

                  “That’s a one way road darling.”  He gives you a glare as he rises.   

                  “What?”  You drop your chin and make a puppy dog face. “Are you chicken? Scared of losing to little old me?” 

                  Negan hesitates for a second and the peanut gallery erupts again.  Any shame you were feeling has vanished. 

                  “Screw your snotty ass overpriced bourbon.”  Negan cracks his knuckles.  “Same deal.” 

                  The confidence you were feeling fades away.    

                  “You want to fuck my ass?”  The words sound unreal as you speak them out loud.   

                  You never thought he would take the bait, as you had much the same philosophy as him.  That was, and always would be, a one way road.   

                  “Best damn poker game I’ve ever been to,” a savior says between laughs.   

                  “Can we watch?  Either way the deed is done right here?”  Another requested. 

                  “Y/N hasn’t even accepted the terms.  So what is it, should I deal another round?” Negan gave you that devilish confidence again.   

                  “Deal.”  You can’t believe the word left your mouth. 

                  All the laughter and side commentary stopped.  The room was dead silent as Negan gave the cards a quick shuffle.  Since you were both all-in he dealt face up.   

                  And eight and an ace.  The dead man’s hand.  You didn’t want to give away any of your tells, but this combination normally brought you luck.  Across the table you saw Negan got a pair of fours.  He was beating you, but all you needed was one ace or one eight to take him down.   

                  It was so silent there was an echo of each of the paper cars turning over.  The flop didn’t help either of you with a two, king, and six.  Then on the river you let a small breath escape your lips as an eight turned over.  You had him.  Lust flashed over your eyes. Tonight just got a whole lot more interesting.   

                  Negan raised the last card and locked eyes with you before throwing it down on the table.  The entire room erupted in cheers.  You could not tell if they were cheering for you or for Negan.  It looked like he didn’t know either.  It was a struggle of wills, in your waiting game, seeing who would break first.   

                  The thought of having complete control over the man, something you hadn’t realized you’d wanted until this second was too much.  You imaged taking the lead, dominating him and it was like an excitement that you weren’t aware existed was coming to life.  Finally you couldn’t take it any longer.  Your eyes dropped down. 

   ~~~~   

You felt like you were in a daze as you walked through the Sanctuary.  One card. It could have made your night, but instead it ruined it.  Fifty two cards in a deck, four cards dealt, four already in play.  The number four was now your unlucky number.   

 Your boss walked right behind you.  his hand rested on your shoulder as if he was guiding you but you were on autopilot as you practically raced to your room.  This was all your fault.  You shouldn't have let his little crack about calling you a chicken bother you. If you would have walked away you would be in bed already, snuggled under your sheets feeling safe. Now nothing but dread washed over you.   

                  When you stopped in front of your door Negan dropped his hand.  You were one of the lucky ones with a lock on your door.  Your hand shook as you pulled out the key.   

 "Don't be so nervous."  Negan sounded annoyed. "Let's get inside the room and then we can chat." 

 He drew out the t in chat, resulting in your teeth clinking together and a chill rushing down your spine.  At least the blood rush made you quicker and you flung open the door to your tiny room and walked inside.   

 At one point it was an office.  The desk was still there, but shoved to the side.  A full size mattress with a plain frame took up most of the room.  There was a bookshelf that held clothes and your few personal belongings, but that was it.  

 “You don’t decorate.”  Negan looked around as he pulled out the desk chair and took a seat.

 “Who has the time to decorate?”  You crossed your arms over your chest and didn’t sit.  

 “My wives.” Negan was abnormally monotone.

 “I’m really not in the mood for chatting.” Every woman in the Sanctuary was jealous of Negan’s harem to some extent. They were the pretty ones, the spoiled ones, the pampered ones.  The ones you wished he would go and fuck with instead of you. “Can we get this over with?”

                  Negan sighed and shook his head.  He nodded towards your bed and you reluctantly sat down, feeling like you already lost a battle, but the truth was you lost the war and now the victor was dragging out the spoils.

                 “I remember the day I met you Y/N.” Negan grinned. “I knew you were something else.  Covered in dried blood, traveling all alone, carrying more weapons than some places we raid have.  You were intense and downright terrifying.  Hell, I was scared of you.”  

                 You raised an eyebrow, intrigued where this was going.  That was six months ago at least.  You were prepared to slaughter Negan and his men if they had tried anything funny.

                 “Then we got you back to the Sanctuary, got you cleaned up, and hot damn.” Negan slapped his leg. “I wasn’t just scared of your strength, but your looks too.  Under all that blood was a perfect ten.”

                 Your jaw dropped, nowhere did you see this coming. Sure, he was always a little flirty but that was not limited to you. In fact, the only time he ever spoke directly to you was during poker.

                 “I wanted you then and there, but I didn’t bother asking because I already knew the answer.”  Negan looked straight into your eyes with the look of pride. “If I set you up with a pretty dress and a lounge to do shit all day you would have murdered me in my sleep.  If I tried to assign you a job for points you would have murdered me while I made the rounds in front of everyone.  No, you, you needed to be out there.”

                 Negan pointed towards your window.  

                 “Close your mouth.” Negan stood up from the chair. “Most people think I’m complicated, but I’m not.  I’m a simple man.  I love my wives and I can’t worry about them and do my job. Which made you off limits to me.”

                 “Made?”  For a second you thought your ass was safe.  

                 “So fucking quick.  Another reason I need you out in the field with me.”  Negan licked his lips as he approached the bed.

                 You looked at the ground, hating it that you glanced away but not wanting to see that stare either.  The bed next to you dipped and you turned your head to look up at the man.  

��                “One time thing, no strings attached. We will never be an item.”

                  “I’m not worried about falling in love with you.” You rolled your eyes, wishing he would stop talking.  

                 “I hate how hard it is to figure you out. One minute you look scared, the next anger, then happy.  I don’t like it one bit.”  Negan may have said the words, but a grin remained on his face.  “Which is why I’m going to offer you an out.”

                 Your heart jumped and you almost physically did off the bed, ready to agree to anything to get out of this stupid bet.  

                 “A bet is a bet, I’m not one to back down and I’m not one to show mercy, so consider this your one and only get out of jail free card.” Negan placed his hands on his knees and stood up.

                  He started walking towards the door and you couldn’t believe your luck. Then your initial reaction came back.  You didn’t agree to anything in exchange.

                 “Wait.”  You stood up. “What’s the catch?”

                 “No catch.”  Negan turned to face you. “I’m not interested in forcing a woman into any sort of sexual encounter if she’s not willing.”

                 You were stunned.  As soon as you saw that four you accepted that your anal virginity was going by the wayside. A sense of relief filled your heart.  You lunged forward and wrapped your arms around Negan’s neck.  He patted your back gently and you pulled away.  

                 “Thank you.”  You smiled up at the man and a blush covered your cheeks.

                 You thought about his kind words and the fact that he called you a ten and had to look away, not being able to contain your happiness and surprise over the way the night ended up.  

                 “You’re on Simon’s rotation so I probably won’t see you for a few weeks.”  Negan gave your arm a squeeze and headed back towards the door.  

                  “I’ll see you at poker next week.”  You reminded him.  

                  Negan raised a corner of his mouth and shook his head.   Your smile faded away.  

                 “You won’t play with me anymore?” There was more hurt in your voice than you expected.

                 “It’s not that I won’t play with you doll.” Negan leaned his back against the door. “I don’t think the others will either.”

                 You didn’t say anything as your brain began piecing together what he was saying.

                 “There was a decent crowd there tonight.  I’m sure by now everyone knows about the bet. I may be a lot of things, but a liar I am not.  When people ask me how that tight ass was I will tell them the truth.  I let you off the hook and you jumped at the chance.  Money is garbage in this new world.  If people don’t live up to their word they can’t be trusted.”  

                 You played poker every week.  It was really the only night you took off for fun. Negan didn’t even always join, but you, you were a staple.  You thought about all the bets you had made, most of them you won.  Nobody had ever hesitated to pay up.  It took a second for you to do the comparison, one night of awkward, painful, unusual sex with a handsome man or being banned from your only social outlet.

                 “Wait.”  You stepped forward.  “Please don’t go.  I’ll do it.”

                 Negan shook his head and put his hand on the door knob.

                 “I don’t think so.  Like I said, I’m not interested if the woman isn’t game.  That thank you hug you gave me pretty much confirmed this is not your thing.” He started to turn the handle.

                 Your heart raced.  You couldn’t let him leave.

                  “No.  I’m into it. I swear.”  Your words had no effect. “I thought you were gorgeous from the moment I first saw you. I’ve wanted to fuck you hard.  I’m only a little nervous about the rear aspect of tonight.”

                 Negan’s hand dropped and he walked away from the door and towards you.  You did not look at the ground as he stood right in front of you.  

                 “Prove it.”  There was no ignoring the condescending tone of his voice.

                 You jumped up and pressed your lips against his, sending you both backwards slamming into the wall.  His mouth was softer than you expected and you worked your lips against his, trying to part them so your tongue could slip in.  He seemed hesitant, but then with a grunt he let you slide inside and you explored his mouth with your own.  

                 Not wanting him to doubt you again you grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head.  Negan broke your kiss and practically ripped your shirt off. In an instant his mouth was back on yours and he bent down and scooped you up, wrapping your legs around his waist in the process.  He stepped forward and fell on the bed, all of his weight crushing down on top of you.

                 His lips were hungry for yours and you ran your tongue across them before biting on his bottom lip.  He winced and pulled away, looking down at you like a hunter who had trapped its prey and was going in for the kill.   You ran your hand down his chest and realized that both of you were breathing heavily.  

                 “You taste like fucking cherries.”  Negan licked his lips and animal instinct took over.

                 You grabbed for his waist and undid his belt before yanking at the fly. He stood up and pushed down his pants before grabbing yours and tearing them off.   Before he could get on top of you again you moved up to you knees, clad only in your matching pink lace bra and panty.  He kneeled on the bed in front of you in only his boxers and placed a palm on each side of your cheek before going in for another deep kiss.  You let out a moan and he started kissing your neck.  

                 “I never took you for the girly type.”  His mouth pushed one of your bra straps down and his hands undid the back clasp.

                 The garment fell forward and you were happy to let it fall forward, wanting him to have more access to your skin.  His hands and mouth were all over your chest in a second.   You could tell from the pressure he was applying he wanted you to lie down, but in this position you felt more like equals.  Instead you ran your hands through his hair and his began to lick and lightly bite your nipples, making them even harder and more sensitive to his touch.  

                 His hands slid down both sides of your panties and pushed them off.  You lifted you knees one at a time and assisted until you were completely naked.   His fingertips traced up your thighs and he cupped your mound before easily sliding a finger inside of you while lightly brushing your clit.  With his mouth still teasing your breast you let out a gasp, feeling an overload of sensation.  

                 It felt like every one of your nerves was alive. You through your head back and closed your eyes while you rocked your body along with his hand, feeling the very start of an orgasm forming.  It happened so suddenly you didn’t notice at first, but then a wet finger was poking at your rear.  On instinct you started to close your legs, but Negan’s hand kept them spread.  You braced yourself on his shoulders as the digit slid inside you easier than you expected.  A whimper escaped your mouth and Negan pulled his head up.

                 His hands were still on you though.  One had a finger buried in your folds while his thumb continued to lightly touch you clit.  The other started to move in and out of your ass very slowly, causing you to clench.  

                 “I thought you wanted this.”  Negan said with heavy breaths.  

                 You paused before nodding you head.

                 “The way you’re clenching down says otherwise sweetheart.”  Negan pressed his lips to your neck.  “Show me you want it.”  

                 “How?”  You were battling the lust and pleasure with the foreign sensation.  

                 “Relax, don’t squeeze.”  He licked his way up to your chin and then pressed his forehead to yours, his eyes filled with concern.  “Or else I will stop.”

                 God you did not want that.  You were more upset about him removing his other hand and stopping your orgasm than you were about the poker game anymore.  You took a few breaths and forced your body to let go. Soon his fingers started sawing out of you and to your surprise it didn’t feel bad.  Your body started to rock again and his mouth was back on yours devouring you.  You shut your eyes and moved closer to him, wanting to feel his chest touch your nipples.

                 The coil started to form again, but your eyes popped open and your breath hitched when another finger joined each hole. You couldn’t believe they fit and realized that he still had his underwear on.  If his hands were that large there was no way you would be able to accept all of him probably in either entrance.  

                 This time he didn’t need to tell you to relax, but you did break your kiss and throw yourself forward on to his chest.  Moving your body with his rhythm hoping to relax and work through the sharp stuffed feeling fast.

                  “That’s it.”  Negan bit your ear.  “What a good girl.”

                 Normally a man treating you that way you make you want to slap him, but given the circumstances and your relationship to the leader it made you want to prove yourself to him and you started to pick up the pace.  He let out a little chuckle and slowed his movements down.  You whimpered and stopped, then his hands started up again.  There was no doubt of who was in control.  

                 You winced and threw your head back.  You were unable to tell what he was doing with his fingers, but you were sure he was stretching you to the best of his ability. There was pain, but as soon as it flashed he pressed harder on your clit and it vanished.  

                 Any uncomfortable noises you were making vanished and soon you could no longer tell any pain, only pleasure.  Your breath started to hitch and the spiral in your stomach was tightening.  You needed a little more pressure and you would be over the edge, crashing hard. It was so close you could taste it when Negan pulled both hands away.  

                 Anger washed over you and you pushed yourself back to look into this eyes.  In a moment his hands were on your hips, spinning you around.  He pushed your head to the bed, leaving your ass up in the air. SMACK.  His hand came crashing down and you let out a startled yip.  

                 You were about to complain again with SPANK, his hand came back.

                 “Stay like that.”  His weight lifted off the bed.  

                 Tears stung at your eyes and you imagined how sloppy you looked, on display for him and dripping from your lost orgasm.  

                 “I wasn’t a fan of that look you just gave me Doll.” Negan was behind you again. “What did I do to deserve that?”

                 “I wanted to cum.”  You muttered out.  

                  “Wanted?” Negan had done such a number on you it was impossible to tell if he was teasing or not.  

                 “Want.”  You corrected yourself.  

                 “I think you are ready for me, but the only way you’re cuming is if I am buried in that tight rear end of yours and I’m not convinced you want that.”

                 You tried to back yourself up, but one of his hands grabbed your ankle.  

                 “Please get back on the bed and fuck me.”  You didn’t hide the anger from your voice.

                 “Where?”  

                 “The bed.” You wiggled your hips, hoping to entice him.

                 SMACK!

                 “You know that wasn’t the answer I wanted.” Negan spanked you again.  “Beg me, if you do a good enough job to prove that I know you want it you will get your reward.”

                 “Please fuck me.”  You paused and took a breath. “In the ass.”

                 “Where?” The sound of Negan sliding his boxers off gave you some new strength.

                 “Fuck me in the ass, please. I’m begging you. Please.  I’ll be your good girl, please fuck my ass.  I want it so bad.”   You were practically crying.  

                 There was no fear and your words were genuine at this point.  You were so turned on and wanted that orgasm it didn’t matter how it came.  There was another sound and you were grateful it was some sort of bottle opening up.

                 “Please.  I want to feel you inside me, anywhere you want.  Please!”  

                 There was a dip in the bed behind you and something cold dripped on to your crack.  This time Negan’s finger entered with no resistance and you were grateful for whatever he was coating your insides with.  A second finger joined and you let out a little grunt, not sure about the pressure.  

                 Then his free hand returned to your clit and a moan erupted from your lips.  You would take anything he could give you as long as that orgasm returned.  The fingers left your ass and you felt something larger at your hole.  

                 Instinct said to clench, but you forced yourself to stay relaxed and focused on the finger rubbing your clit.  With a POP his head slid inside.  The feeling was hard to describe, it wasn’t painful as much as uncomfortable and you cried out before burying your head in the bed and clenching your fists around your blanket.  

                 Negan stilled and he continued to work on your bundle of nerves.  Soon he moved to a lighter touch and you let out a whimper and tried to move your body closer to his finger.  This resulted in his cock sliding a bit deeper inside of you making you gasp and pause again.  His free hand gripped your hip, stopping you from pulling forward.  

                 Again he stilled inside of you and started teasing again.  Then next time he tried the same trick you did not slid yourself back, even though you knew he was barely inside of you the thought of taking more seemed unrealistic.

                 In response to your lack of movement you felt both hands grip your hips and he slid in further than you would have taken. The pressure that came with his thrust caused you to gasp and bury yourself further in the bed.  You wanted to kick out your legs or buck him off, but the position of his hands stopped you from reacting.  

                 “Do you want me to stop?”  Negan’s voice was concerned.  “Bet is over.”

                 You took a few deep breaths and shook your head. The bet was far from you mind.  

                 “Tell me how it feels.”  This was an order, not a question.

                 “Full.”  You said between breaths.  “I feel dizzy from you teasing me.  I want to cum so bad.”  

                 Suddenly his thumb was rubbing you again.  You cried out and arched your back.  He wasn’t teasing you his time, but trying to work you back up to where you had been and God was it working.  You started panting and moving yourself along with his touch. The fullness of his cock in your ass was present, but it added a different sensation to the orgasm you were chasing.  

                 The spiral of lust was brewing inside of you again and you dropped from your palms to your elbows, moving against his hand in an even rhythm.  You felt it tighten and tighten and wished that his cock was rubbing against your G Spot, knowing that would send you over the edge.

                 You were so far gone with idea of it was enough and the spring exploded, sending waves of pleasure through your body. Your arms gave you and you fell forward completely.  Black circled your vision and your body felt like it was freezing and melting at the same time.  

                 Negan wrapped his hands around yours and that was when you realized that not only had he gone all the way into your ass, but he was now plowing away at it.  To your surprise there was no pain at all and the fullness was welcoming, with each thrust little flashes of your orgasm came to life again sending shivers down your body.   Your heart felt like it was going to explode from the pleasure and you felt sensations you never thought possible.

                 Right when you were sure the pleasure was going to cause you to black out Negan let out a grunt and his cock sent waves of cum into you bowels.  With each pulse you let out another moan, unsure how your body could feel this could from an act so foreign.  

                 He let all of his weight on top of you and your breathing started to even out with his.  The way you were connected and the manner his body enveloped yours made you feel safe.  Even safer than you had felt before the walking dead.  

                 When Negan slid out of you he sat up on the bed and you quickly turned to face him.  You opened your mouth, wanting to beg him to stay, not caring about his one-time thing ultimatum.   But he wasn’t standing up.  Instead he offered you his hand.  You gave him a curious look.  

                 “I’m fucking exhausted, but I want to clean you up first.  I have a private shower.”  He took your hand.  “You have two minutes to throw on some clothes or I’ll carry you through the Sanctuary naked.”

                 You reached down for you dirty jeans when Negan stopped you.  

                 “Bring something comfy.  You’re spending the night.”  

#negan #negan x reader #the walking dead negan #twd negan #negan fanfiction

[hsews]

While you’ve been admiring ESPN’s MLB home page this season, you’ve probably noticed the Ohtani Tracker. We even gave it its own place on the menu bar, right between “MLBRank Top 100” and “More.” It’s an auspicious presentation.

The Ohtani Tracker has been a little quiet lately, given that Sho-Babe Ruth-tani hasn’t hit since June 4 or pitched since June 6. Worse, as of this writing, we don’t know if he’s going to do either, both or neither again during the 2018 season. It’s a limbo likely to dangle over us for the next few weeks.

The story of Shohei Ohtani has been unbelievably compelling. Here is a 23-year-old bidding not just to work regularly as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter, but to do both at an elite level. This isn’t a Brooks Kieschnick situation, where a fringe player is leveraging his unusual versatility to shore up two end-of-the-roster spots for a team, thus creating an opening for someone else. The hope for Ohtani was to be the offensive complement to Mike Trout the Angels sorely needed, while heading up a rotation that lacked an ace.

For two months, it went better than anyone could have expected. At the plate, Ohtani had a .907 OPS and six homers while displaying top-shelf power on contact and an advanced approach. According to Bill James Online, only three Angels have posted more offensive win shares than Ohtani, even though nine of them have had more plate appearances. Meanwhile, he has posted a 3.10 ERA on the mound with 61 strikeouts over 49 1/3 innings. Only Tyler Skaggs has more pitching win shares on Los Angeles’ staff.

Keep track of the Japanese phenom’s bid for greatness on both sides of the ball. Story »

Alas, Ohtani’s unquestioned early success only whetted our appetites. We want more. We want it now. Can he win 10 games and hit 10 homers in the same season? Only Babe Ruth did that, and he only did it once. Now, though, Ohtani is injured and may be looking at surgery. His season might be done, leaving us with only a glimpse of what he might’ve otherwise accomplished in an unforgettable rookie campaign.

If Ohtani is done, the season is ruined. Except: It’s not.

For years, as the popularity of baseball and its place in contemporary culture have been discussed, there has been a persistent line of thinking that MLB, like its NBA brethren, needs to do a better job of promoting its stars. Make the sport more personality-driven. We look at rankings of the most popular athletes and see how a retired player like Derek Jeter remains the most recognizable baseball player, and something seems askew.

There is something to that thinking. It would clearly be good for the game if its stars were a little more embedded in the collective cultural consciousness. However, it’s a challenge because of the nature of the sport.

For one thing, there is only so much any player, even Trout, can do on a nightly basis. In the NBA, if LeBron James is playing, you know you’re likely going to get 27 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. That’s an average, but it’s one that adheres closely to nightly reality. Maybe he goes off for a special night, maybe he has an off-night. Either way, as long as James is playing, you know he’s going to be a fulcrum on which the game teeters.

That is not really true in baseball, especially when it comes to position players. Trout might have a big night. He’s more likely to have one than anybody else. But he might also go 2-for-4 with a walk, all coming with the bases empty and all resulting in a left on base. It’s a good night, but it might not have impacted the game that much, because the impact is so dependent upon what the rest of the team does. And Trout may well have an 0-fer — he has had 25 hitless games already this season. And Trout is the best player in the world, having what could end up as the best season anyone has ever had. It’s the nature of baseball.

After losing their way for a few years, the Braves went back to the formula that launched a dynasty — and it’s paying off in a big way.

Who leads the way for MVP and Cy Young? Which rookie has the brightest future? Our experts reevaluate their award picks at the almost-halfway point.

Philly’s ace lost his cool about defensive shifts, but was his point accurate? Plus, a new way to track bullpen usage and remembering a Redbirds icon.

2 Related

In basketball, if you buy a ticket to a game because James is in town and you want your kids to see him play, but arrive at the arena only to find out he’s being rested, you feel hoodwinked. In baseball, star players are rested sometimes and star pitchers only go once every five days. People show up at the park for the atmosphere and the team. Obviously they want to see Trout or Ohtani or Aaron Judge or Mookie Betts or Sean Doolittle (hey, we all have our reasons), but the experience of attending the game is not all that dependent on who is playing in it. Bad teams are harder to watch than good ones, but that has to do more with the stakes of the game, not so much who is or isn’t in the lineup on a given day.

In other words, relax, because whatever happens with Ohtani, the 2018 season will be fine. It will be incredible. The postseason will be one we’ll never forget. There will be pennant races and great individual achievements and heartbreaking injuries.

Just off the top of my head:

• Races! The Yankees and Red Sox are poised to give us a real pennant race for the first time since, well, that’s hard to say. It’s all but impossible for two teams to win 100 games and one of them miss the playoffs. Before the second wild card, teams could win 100 games and not win the division but still make the playoffs. Now, though, winning a wild card puts you in that coin-flip game. You’d rather be in that game than miss the playoffs, but if you’re going to the postseason, you want to skip the win-or-go-home game if you can. It might not be the Dodgers-Giants in 1951 or the Twins-White Sox-Tigers-Red Sox in 1967 or the Braves-Giants in 1993, but we could have a 100-win team playing the coin-flip game, and two 100-win teams trying like hell to avoid it. That should lead to some tense Yankees-Red Sox action down the stretch.

• Trout! Did I mention Trout might be on his way to the best season anyone has ever had? We’ve been discussing this for a month now, and his pace only hastens. Right now, Trout is on pace for 13.4 WAR, 54 homers, 106 RBIs, 131 runs and 31 steals. And if you think the RBI pace is low, consider that Trout has a 1.184 OPS with runners in scoring position but has been walked nearly a third of the time in those spots. Can you blame the pitchers?

• Scherzer! Putting pitcher WAR in historical context is tough because of the evolution of workloads, but Max Scherzer is second to Trout, with a pace of 11.0. His other per-162 paces: 25-5, 2.00 ERA and 354 strikeouts. We are watching a Hall of Fame career coming into full bloom.

• Trades! Manny Machado will most likely be playing for a non-Baltimore team two months from now, and the team he joins will tack a few points on to their probability of winning this year’s World Series. Josh Donaldson could be on the move. So, too, might Jacob deGrom, or at least that’s been bandied about lately in the whisper mill. DeGrom, about the only good thing going for the Mets, just reached the ace tier in my starting pitcher ratings, giving us a magnificent seven in that group.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Yes, we want Ohtani back, but if we don’t get him, we will be just fine. Because we still will have baseball, and with that comes the magic of limitless possibility.

What the numbers say

Is Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman “criminally underrated”? Depends on who you ask. Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Overrated … and underrated stars

The other day, I wrote a story about the Atlanta Braves. It was a pretty long story, and even though I’m the one who wrote it, there were a couple of words that stuck in my craw — “criminally underrated.”

Those words were in reference to the Braves’ Freddie Freeman, who has continued to climb the WAR leaderboard with another hot streak. He’s currently second to Scherzer in the National League, putting him in contention for a serious run at the MVP trophy. Freeman also is the runaway leader in the early NL All-Star balloting, not just at first base but among all players. That would indicate Freeman isn’t underrated at all, much less criminally so, but nevertheless, that’s been Freeman’s calling card for a number of years. Underrated.

The “overrated” and “underrated” labels are an easy device for a sportswriter because they are inherently subjective. But can they be quantified? Can we know if a player crosses over from one to the other?

Part of it depends on who is doing the rating. If it’s a bunch of Atlanta baseball fans, chances are Freeman has not been underrated at all. If it’s the American baseball fan writ large, then we might be able to use All-Star voting to determine whether a player is appropriately recognized, though there are plenty of nonperformance factors at play. Alas, I can’t really test this idea because, best I can tell, there isn’t a good database for historical All-Star voting.

That leaves us with the other group that does plenty of rating: media hacks like me. While we do plenty of rating in the various forms of media, we also do some ratings that have real-world consequences: awards voting. And, thanks to the sublime Lahman database, I was able to grab historical awards voting.

After pulling up the voting data, I adjusted each season’s MVP votes to put it on the same scale of the current era, where we have two voters in every city and a first-place vote is worth 14 points, giving us a 420-point maximum for any player. I decided to focus strictly on the integration era, or since 1947.

Using Fangraphs.com, I created a database of WAR numbers for every player since 1947. This step won’t thrill everyone, but that’s what I did. However, it’s important to acknowledge that this method does not imply WAR is a perfect metric for determining a league’s most valuable player. It’s a tool, a good one, but should be looked at in conjunction with other factors.

For each season and for each league, I ranked the players by WAR and assigned them the number of MVP points they “should” have had by using the 14-9-8 system, modified so the top 40 players in a league have at least one “should” point. From there, it was just a matter of looking at the differences. If a player had more actual MVP points than he “should,” then he has been overrated and vice versa. Now, for the results, or at least the highlights.

• On both a per-season and cumulative basis, the most underrated player since 1947 has been Willie Mays. Over his career, Mays should have had 5,198 MVP points. He actually had 2,550, a shortcoming of 120 points per season. Mays won the MVP award in both 1954 and 1965, but he led the National League in WAR nine times. In 1956, Mays ranked second in WAR but finished just 17th in the balloting. Yes, I realize WAR did not exist in 1956, but there were other subtle indications of Mays’ excellence that season, like 36 homers, 40 steals, a .557 slugging percentage and more walks than strikeouts.

• The most overrated player on a per-season basis is active: Colorado’s Nolan Arenado. Do I agree with that? Not really, but this result did make me look at Arenado’s Coors Field-inflated numbers with some fresh eyes. I’d still like to have him on my team, especially doing his Brooks Robinson routine at third base.

• The most overrated player on a cumulative basis has been Juan Gonzalez, likely because WAR is not swayed by flashy RBI totals. I have no problem with this result.

• Among active players, the most underrated has been … no, it’s not Freddie Freeman, the reason for all this trouble in the first place. In fact, this method suggests Freeman has been treated just about right by MVP voters over the years (207 expected points; 285 actual). No, on a per-season basis, it’s Clayton Kershaw. If you don’t like a pitcher getting this nod, then it’s Chase Utley. Kershaw and Utley are also the answers for being underrated on a cumulative basis. Now, armed with that knowledge, Utley and Kershaw can sit together in their Dodger Stadium clubhouse and grumble.

Since you asked

First-year Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos joined a team embroiled in scandal, but brimming with young talent. AP Photo/David Goldman, File

A Brave new world

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos took the Atlanta job last fall either in the best of, or the worst of, circumstances. His predecessor, John Coppolella, along with a couple of his assistants, were banned from baseball for misdeeds in the international player market. And the Braves subsequently had to relinquish their rights to 13 prospects. Still, he joined an organization brimming with talent. We’ve seen some of that talent hit the ground running this season, as the Baby Braves remain in the thick of the playoff race into the middle of June.

Anthopoulos is a Montreal native who got his start with the Expos, before going on to become the 2015 American League Executive of the Year with the Blue Jays. After that, he became part of the braintrust in Los Angeles under Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Now, Anthopoulos is tasked with returning the talented Braves to the glories of their 1990s and early 2000s predecessors. I had a chance to chat with him during my recent trip to Atlanta, a period in which he was hard at work with his staff in preparation for last week’s draft.

When it comes to the draft, I’m interested in how things evolve when it comes to someone who’s been in your position for a while now. I assume that you develop certain traits that you identify in a younger talent that you are attracted to, but does it become easier or harder to filter through guys? Do you have to guard against becoming too set in the criteria that you use?

Alex Anthopoulos: In theory, the longer you do it, you should be better, just from experience. You’ve made more mistakes, so there is more to learn from. The only caveat to that is there is so much more information right now that can really paralyze your thought process. We can overcomplicate things. There have always been psychological tests and so forth, but now we just have more. On the one hand, it should only help you inform your decision. You’re trying to separate guys, and having all of this data is great. But knowing how to weight it, that’s really challenging. But it would be an interesting study: Are we [as an industry] better in the draft than we were 20 years ago or 10 years ago? Do we have a higher rate of return with the higher picks?

When you took over in Atlanta and had a chance to do an evaluation of the talent on hand, how did that inform the way you approached the offseason in terms of immediate objectives?

When I got the GM job in Toronto, I had been in the organization a long time. I was an assistant GM, I was in scouting, so I knew the organization up and down. I knew the players, I knew the staff. Even though, on one hand, I came into this job with experience, I had never experienced coming into a brand new organization with no ties, no relationships. The role of general manager and the responsibilities that come with it, I was familiar with that. I knew what to expect. But the new organization, I wasn’t. So I actually reached out to a few GMs who had gone through the same thing, who had come to brand-new organizations, and asked if there was anything they would change, anything they would do differently in hindsight. I think I spoke to three of them. And all three of them told me, “You know what, I just wish I had moved a little slower.” They all said they moved on a player more quickly than they should have because they didn’t know the player as well as they could have.

“Look, young players — some perform, some get hurt, some regress. All of a sudden, we might have a lot more holes at the end of 2018 than we thought we did.”

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos

You’re always anxious. You want to make the team better. All I knew from the outside was that there was a lot of young talent here. All the previous regimes and scouting departments had done a fantastic job collecting and accumulating a lot of talent, even though the team wasn’t winning at the big-league level. It was just a matter of, let’s make sure we are not too quick to dismiss … someone. Let’s give the young guys as much opportunity as we can.

When I look at rosters, I always look at breakout and collapse potential, and even tried to incorporate that into my simulation model. How important is the variability that comes with young teams when you are talking about “surprise” teams in one form or another?

When I talked to everyone in the organization, going through reports and on the phone, there wasn’t really a consensus on every player. I could talk to 10 people, and five would say this player is going to be a star, and another five would say, “We’re not sure, the jury is still out.” There was never really a consensus. So even though I didn’t know the evaluators, wasn’t necessarily familiar with the information that we had internally, there was still [much] undecided internally. So that was a big part of it, looking around and giving guys opportunity and saying, “We’re going to find out who is part of this core and who isn’t.” At least we would have a much better indication. We were going to want as much payroll flexibility as possible going forward because, look, young players — some perform, some get hurt, some regress. All of a sudden, we might have a lot more holes at the end of 2018 than we thought we did. We may have fewer. The hope is, and we’re still not there yet, is that we fill as many positions on this team as possible internally. That will just free up dollars for us to do other things, whether it’s in the free-agent market or the trade market.

Conversely, what if our young players don’t take a step? What if they regress, or there are injury concerns? We’ve got an elite-level player like Freddie Freeman, a stud defender like Ender Inciarte — we have players that we still want to capitalize on. How can we continue on to take a step in 2019? That’s where the payroll flexibility is going to come in. Right now, two months in, [Ozzie] Albies looks outstanding. Dansby Swanson has been very good. Johan Camargo has been coming on. [Austin] Riley is in Triple-A, so we feel good about that spot. … I can go through the whole team, but it could have gone the other way. We just didn’t know, but 2018 was a critical year for us to find out what we had.

Coming right up

Isn’t Mike Trout grand? EPA/PAUL BUCK

Here’s to the next 1,000 …

The Angels have six games scheduled between now and next Friday’s column. If Mike Trout plays in them all, then when the Angels take on Toronto at home next Thursday, Trout will be making his 1,000th appearance in a big-league uniform. Suffice to say, it’s been a grand grand for Trout.

Including the 40 games Trout played when he broke into the majors in 2011, he has played fewer than seven full seasons and he missed 48 games last season because of an injured hand. (Please don’t let your stars dive into a base.) Officially, though, he’s in his eighth season. According to baseball-reference.com, only Ted Williams, Albert Pujols and Mickey Mantle had more WAR than Trout over the first eight seasons of a career. If Trout maintains his 2018 pace, he’ll easily pass Pujols and Mantle.

Williams (72.6 WAR) is safe, but because of the time he missed flying fighter planes in World War II, he was 30 by the time he finished his eighth season. Pujols was 28. Meanwhile, Mantle, like Trout, was just 26. What a player. Can’t wait to see what happens over the next 1,000.

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Roger Federer takes 9th Halle Title with Zverev win

Wimbledon will be really exciting if Roger Federer continues playing like he did to win his ninth Halle title in just 53 minutes on Sunday. Roger Federer defeated Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-3 to win the Gerry Weber Open for a record ninth time on Sunday. The bare numbers hardly tell the tale: 6-1, 6-3 to Federer, 58 points to 33 overall, winning 79% of his service points, 52% when receiving. He was razor sharp at the net, solid at the back, ruthless in the finish. Playing in his 140th career final, Federer saved the only break point he faced and converted four of his eight opportunities to clinch his 92nd career title in 53 minutes. At 35, the Swiss player became the oldest winner of the grass-court tournament. "I played unbelievably well. I felt good and never let up," said Federer, who dropped just nine points on his serve. "It was my best game this week. Nearly everything worked out for me." Federer, who skipped the clay-court season after winning the Miami Open in early April, claimed his fourth title of the year, matching Rafael Nadal's tally, and he will be seeded ahead of his Spanish rival for Wimbledon, which starts in eight days. Federer had already won the Australian Open before titles in Indian Wells and Miami in 2017. The 18-time Grand Slam champion was surprised by German veteran Tommy Haas on his return from the two-month break last week in Stuttgart but brushed off any doubts over his form in Halle. Against the 20-year-old Zverev, who lost last year's final to Florian Mayer, Federer raced to a 4-0 lead before wrapping up the first set in 22 minutes. Zverev created his only break chance in the opening game of the second but ultimately was unable to show why he is regarded as one of the sport's brightest prospects. "You could have been a bit nicer and allowed me a couple more points," Zverev joked to his idol. Federer had words of affection for Zverev, who won their semifinal in Halle last year. "He's a very nice lad. I'm very happy for him, how he's developed in the last years. The future belongs to him," Federer said. There was hardly an area of the game Federer did not dominate for extended periods, although the rallies rarely went longer than a few shots. Zverev, who had been so impressive all week, rushed his counters, botched several winners and at no point was really in the contest. This was a statement match for both of them, brought together for a third time at opposite ends of their careers. The 20-year-old German wears his hair fashionably long; the 35-year-old Swiss recently had a serious short back and sides, reaching for the look of youth, perhaps. Inside a minute, Federer broke Zverev to love: the tennis equivalent of Anthony Joshua knocking out a young contender with the first punch of the fight. Zverev, who had lost his first eight matches against top‑10 players then beaten seven of the next 11 – including Federer in the semi-finals here last year – encountered the Swiss on one of his magical days. He was 0-3 down after 10 minutes. Twenty minutes in, Federer had three set points. Zverev hit long. Embarrassment loomed. Federer gifted him a break with a sloppy forehand but quickly repaired the damage. In the final point of the third game of the second set, Zverev hunted down one of Federer’s many drop shots, slid under the net and jarred his left ankle. The old man in the bandana gave him a consoling pat on the back then resumed his systematic beating. A final, imperious backhand volley put Zverev out of his agony. He took his licks graciously but, if it was a street fight, someone would have called the police. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to win this tournament again,” Federer said in English courtside. “So I’m just going to enjoy it as much as I can.” He had to be kidding. Having watched Rafael Nadal compile La Décima three times on clay this summer, Federer will strain every sinew to post just one on the grass of Halle. He might even get an eighth title on the grass of Wimbledon and then can start dreaming anew. Marin Cilic and Feliciano Lopez recovered from having their serves broken for the first time this week to secure returns to the final of the Queen's grass-court tournament on Saturday. Cilic, the 2012 champion, ended Gilles Muller's seven-match winning run on grass with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory in the first semifinal. Lopez then gained a measure of revenge for his loss to Grigor Dimitrov in the 2014 final by beating the Bulgarian 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in a hard-fought contest that was delayed mid-match by the first bout of heavy rain this week. It's not the title match many would have predicted at the start of the week, with Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Milos Raonic - the top three seeded players - all getting eliminated in the first round. But it still contains two strong grass-court players who will be gaining plenty of confidence heading into Wimbledon, which starts on July 3. "I am so happy to be in the final; it's one of the most special tournaments for me. I have wanted to win this tournament so bad," said No. 32-ranked Lopez, who expressed delight that Cilic was playing in a semifinal of the doubles on Saturday evening. That was suspended near the end of the second set, with Cilic and Marcin Matkowski leading 6-1, 3-5 against Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. That match will conclude after the singles final on Sunday. Cilic is bidding to become the first man since Pete Sampras in 1995 to win the singles and doubles titles at one Queen's. The fourth-seeded Cilic certainly looks the fresher after four singles matches this week, with Lopez initially appearing jaded against Dimitrov following his tough three-set win over Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. Lopez remained rooted in his seat, head in his hands, after clinching victory on Centre Court. It took nearly nine sets this week for Lopez to lose his serve, helping Dimitrov take the semifinal to a deciding set. The left-handed Spaniard pounced on Dimitrov's sudden weakness on his topspin backhand, wasting six break-point opportunities in the 10th game but succeeding in the sixth game when the sixth-seeded Dimitrov volleyed into the net. "We had a great battle in the 2014 final, so I knew it would be tough," said Lopez, referring to a match that featured three tiebreakers. "I was playing some of the best tennis of the whole week," he added. Cilic is guaranteed to be at least No. 6 in the rankings, which is a career high, after dealing Muller a first loss of the grass-court season following the left-hander's title win in Netherlands last week. Cilic sent a backhand down the line to clinch the sixth game of the match and the only break of the first set. His serve remained dominant until the final game of the second set when he went 0-40 and was broken on the second set point. It proved to be a momentary lapse, as Cilic regained control and converted his second match point when he fired down a second-serve ace. "Today's match was an extremely high level," Cilic said. "I was playing really, really good throughout and Gilles was pushing me to the limit. I was mixing it up really well and just playing really smart in some critical points." Cilic, a former U.S. Open champion, looks like being a danger at Wimbledon, where he has reached the quarterfinals in the past three years. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Lucie Safarova in the Aegon Classic semifinals on Saturday to reach the first final since her playing hand was injured in a knife attack at her home. This is Kvitova's first grass-court final since her triumph at 2014 Wimbledon, though this significant achievement was tinged with anti-climax as Safarova quit with a right thigh strain after only eight games. Kvitova was leading 6-1, 1-0. Nevertheless, Kvitova hit her groundstrokes with pace and accuracy, especially from the forehand side. In the final, the Czech leftie will play Ashleigh Barty, an Australian who was impressive in containing former French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. Whatever happens, Kvitova was already delighted with her progress. "The hand is good, which is the best news I could have," she said. "I am not feeling any pain." Remarkably, she's playing only her second tournament and only her sixth match since she was attacked in December. Asked if the comeback had gone better than expected, she replied: "Yes. I could not have imagined a better comeback." But she remained reluctant to agree that she was now one of the players who could win Wimbledon. Her win had a hint of inevitability from the start, for she had prevailed in all nine previous encounters against Safarova, a former world No. 5. Kvitova captured 14 of the first 15 points and the first five games. After losing her service game at the start of the second set, Safarova shook hands and departed. She had been suffering from exhaustion as well as a thigh strain, having played two monster matches in her previous three wins. "I am sorry for Lucie and hope she soon gets a bit better, but I love playing finals," Kvitova said. "I like big matches, and I've missed it over the last six months. So this is quite a dream." She will go for her 20th career title in her 27th final. Barty was ranked at 271 at the start of the year, won her first career title in March in Kuala Lumpur, and has become the first Aussie finalist here in 25 years. From the moment she broke serve for 3-2 and consolidated for 4-2 in the second set, it was clear Barty had a formula which had a good chance of working. She sliced the ball hard, kept it wide and low, and denied Muguruza chances to develop pace and rhythm with her elegant groundstrokes. Given a glimmer of a chance to counterattack with rolling forehands, Barty always took it, and more often than not hit her targets. Muguruza called for her coach, sought to swing the ball around, and eventually just tried to scrap as best she could. But Barty gained adrenaline and self-belief from her second set success, and five games in a row from 0-1 in the final set effectively decided the outcome. "I will keep playing this way, and I know that sooner or later I will get the chance of getting another trophy," said Muguruza, for whom this tournament has been mental rehab after her title-losing trauma in Paris two weeks ago. Barty was ebullient. "I executed exactly the way I wanted to," she said. "I like slicing it around on the grass, and I didn't do much wrong."

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