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books · 2 years

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Writer Spotlight: Olivie Blake

Olivie Blake (@olivieblake) is the pseudonym of the writer Alexene Farol Follmuth, author of multiple novels, anthologies, graphic novels, and film scripts, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural. Her works revolve around the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love. Cult-favorite The Atlas Six was re-released in a revised hardcover edition last month with Tor Books. A sequel in October and a live-action series are forthcoming. Alexene lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and new baby, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull.

Read on for Olivie’s favored medeian specialty, lessons learned from writing fanfic, her take on dark academia, and the process of self-publishing books people love.

Not to spoil anything for the three and a half people who maybe haven’t yet read The Atlas Six, but can you tell us a bit about the world of the series?

First of all, I appreciate the wording of this question. Thank you for that. Secondly, The Atlas Six is about the six uniquely talented magicians vying for initiation to the Alexandrian Society, a secret society of caretakers who protect and contribute to the archives of “lost” knowledge from the Library of Alexandria and throughout history. In the book’s contemporary setting, the question of how to combat climate change is answered politically and economically with magic, so the characters exist openly in a world where magicians, called medeians, are university-educated and contribute to a system of capitalism much like ours. These particular six candidates each have a rare magical specialty and a myriad of personal motivations for pursuing the Society’s promise of wealth, power, and knowledge—which drives their tendency to want to kiss or kill any of the others at any given moment. (Two of them already hate each other, and the rest are about to.) And there is obviously a catch to this extraordinary opportunity: only five of the six are guaranteed initiation.

What’s the journey been like writing, self-publishing, and re-releasing The Atlas Six?

This is absolutely the weirdest timeline. I don’t know of any better way to put it. I wrote this book when I was starting to think that publishing wasn’t going to happen for me. I’ve always split myself in two, writing manuscripts to cold query to agents while also self-publishing the stories I wanted to tell that I didn’t feel were a good fit for the market. Basically, I was self-publishing for the handful of beloved weirdos willing to follow me wherever I went. (Find your flock, they say. Good advice.)

I knew from my initial concept that this book wasn’t right for publishing en masse—it was too hard to explain in a quick pitch to an agent without sounding derivative. It was too character-driven for genre standards. It had a familiar setting and hook but with a very unconventional execution. There was no hero or villain. Every character was 100% sexually fluid. It was too quiet for spec fic. I was in a really think-y place, trying to figure out whether it was responsible to bring a baby into a world where it’s impossible to be ethical. In the end, I figured I could just write it for myself, exactly as I wanted to write it, while nobody cared enough about me to say no.

So I wrote it. Released it. People seemed to like it, but it wasn’t doing numbers. Within a few months, I had finished another manuscript and finally gotten an agent for a completely separate project—my young adult rom-com, My Mechanical Romance. I figured, okay, I guess I’m a YA author now, at least until those obligations are fulfilled, so Atlas will have to wait. But, I reasoned, thankfully, only a few people were waiting.

Then I got pregnant. I wrote another YA manuscript. Something weird happened on Twitter. (A very “somehow, Palpatine returned” situation.) People started talking about the book. I gave birth to my son. Something weirder happened on TikTok. A LOT of people started talking about the book. Suddenly my book that had absolutely no commercial appeal was...commercially appealing? I signed with Tor to finish out the trilogy (!). Then…producers wanted to meet with me? So I was like? Okay? In between my baby’s naps, I wrote the sequel and optioned the book for TV. I…got on the NYT bestseller list? I went on tour in two countries? At this point, it all dissolves into a fever dream. Is this real? I really don’t know. I haven’t slept more than two consecutive hours in almost a year.

On a serious note, revising The Atlas Six was such an incredible opportunity. I went from being a one-woman show (with the help of one or two friends and, of course, my beloved collaborator @littlechmura) to suddenly having the resources to actually make the book into what I wanted it to be. I got to stretch out a little, narratively speaking, and take up more space. New illustrations! New cover! New feedback! New ways to reach a new audience! Suddenly the book of my mind became the book of many minds and was all the better for it. It was then, and is now, a product of some kind of magic. For five years, I wrote ten to twelve hours a day, posting millions and millions of words for free, purely because I loved it—loved it to the point where it broke my heart to think of doing anything else. And now?

Well, now I have imposter syndrome, of course. But my god, what a beautiful con.

Do you have a favorite character among the six? Why? What does their Tumblr look like?

I don’t have a favorite character—I personally think it’s detrimental for the author to have a favorite when creating an ensemble cast that relies so heavily on changing POVs for the narration—BUT I do feel strongly that Libby and Nico would be the most active on Tumblr. Libby writes poems and carefully curates her aesthetic. I sense a little cottagecore in her. Probably a lot of melancholy art, too. Nico definitely runs an absolute chaosphere of a blog depending on whatever his fixation is at the time. He’s one of those mutuals where you followed him five years ago and can’t remember why because he’s changed fandoms several times, but at least the GIF sets he reblogs are entertaining.

This reissue includes illustrations from your longtime collaborator, illustrator Little Chmura (@littlechmura). What draws you to this kind of collaboration?

If you were fortunate enough to become friends with a brilliant artist, wouldn’t you try to lure them in, any chance you got? I love art. I love storytelling as an art and writing as an art. I love the adrenaline rush of creativity I get from working with other artists who are equally passionate about their craft. Sometimes, brainstorming an illustration with Little Chmura makes me feel inspiration in its purest form. The incendiary kind. All of my books contain art from her because it just contributes that much more to the story. Or, at the very least, it helps the story vibe properly.

You got your start writing Dramione fanfic. What did writing fanfic teach you about writing?

Okay, random start here, but go with me: I really loved this Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again oral history on Vulture where they said that the film was referred to as a crowd-pleaser in a way that was meant to be an insult. A crowd-pleaser, how meaningless. But the producers posed a critically important question: do you know how hard it is to please a crowd? Fanfic authors do. There is no other medium as dependent on audience enjoyment as fanfic. The entire medium is reliant on characterization and emotional beats. Imperfect plot or disrupted pacing can be forgiven if something sweet or hot happens along the way, but failing to be true to a character’s narrative arc or committing to a cheap bit like gratuitous character death is grounds for the proverbial guillotine.

The number one thing I learned as a fanfic author is always to keep one eye on the audience’s heart. Should it be racing? Fluttering? Aching? Should it, dare I say it, break? Pleasing (or devastating) a crowd is best learned via the fanfic structure: episodic and evolving with constant feedback. Learning how to make someone keysmash in your reviews is a carefully honed skill.

You’re very active online, with copious amounts of asks answered on your Tumblr and a video series on Youtube. Do you have a favorite fan interaction?

I have been more active in the past—this is a very busy year, what with the chaos goblin I birthed, a slightly unhinged production schedule, and three book releases! I’m feeling very guilty about my untended inbox, but I do love Tumblr. There, I said it! I love Tumblr! I love the multimedia curation! The possibility of long-form communication! The ads that do not, in any way, appear to be stealing my data! Anyway, no, I don’t think I could pick a favorite. There have been too many beautiful interactions, especially from people who’ve been reading my stuff for years.

Well, I guess one that stands out is a seemingly small series of events: I wrote a short friends-to-lovers fic about two engineers. It sparked a conversation on Tumblr between women who were pushed out of STEM at an early age and women in STEM fields who had never seen themselves in fiction before. It led to my YA book, My Mechanical Romance, especially after one user told me she wished she’d had my writing when she was younger. I thought, okay, well, good point, I should tell a story specifically for our younger selves. And now here we are.

What would your specialty be if you were a medeian, and why?

Telepathy. I’m incredibly nosy. I’d love to have a more nuanced reason, but that’s honestly it.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve received?

Potentially a bit overused, but the thing that has helped me most is the “you can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank page” quote that Google is currently telling me comes from Jodi Picoult (I obviously first heard it on Tumblr). I have always been a pantser, meaning I fly by the seat of my pants when I write (fanfic is very conducive for such things), and I really had to learn to love revision. It doesn’t matter if you get the first draft right. The first draft is just the skeleton. To everyone who struggles with anxiety or creative blocks, I typically think it helps to tell yourself the first draft is allowed to suck. It’s kind of supposed to suck! Don’t romanticize this idea that writing is when the muse hands you the perfect words in perfect sequence. The craft of writing isn’t about the first draft. It’s about everything you do to bring the story to life.

What fuels your interest in dark academia? Do you have a favorite dark academia book/film/series/game?

To me, The Atlas Six is true academia—very The Secret History in terms of having long philosophical discussions about the meaning of art and beauty, except I did it with physics and psychology. It’s dark, of course, because of all the gray morality and institutional rot and inadvisable sexual tension. That’s a feature, not a bug, and I love when authors get a little weird with it. I love Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, Bunny by Mona Awad, Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth. Academia is weird and messed up by most standards, so the outsiders (BIPOC and queer authors) really do some fascinating work handling its darkness.

The Atlas Paradox comes out in October. Is there anything you can tell us about it?

I personally think it is funnier in the way things are funny when the characters have all begun existentially melting. (I’m an empath, she says chaotically.) People who have read it tell me it’s better than the first book. My publishers tell me hearts will be broken. But I leave all that for others to determine, of course…

Thanks @olivieblake! The Atlas Six is now available everywhere you can get books!

#writer spotlight #booklr #writers on tumblr #olivie blake #the atlas six #my mechanical romance #elisabeth thomas #mona awad #emily danforth #dark academia #fanfic #dramione #dramione fanfic #sff books #reading room #reading recs #tbr #long post

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teatitty · 2 years

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Sen told me to just go ahead and post the Lantern motto’s/Oaths so here they are!

Green - Willpower In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might Beware my power -- Green Lantern's light!

(Sometimes the first line is changed to “In brightest day, in darkest night”)

Yellow/Sinestro Corps - Fear In blackest day, in brightest night, Beware your fears made into light Let those who try to stop what's right, Burn like my power -- Sinestro's might!

Black - Death The Blackest Night falls from the skies, The darkness grows as all light dies, We crave your hearts and your demise, By my black hand -- The dead shall rise!

Red - Rage With blood and rage of crimson red, Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead, Together with our hellish hate, We'll burn you all -- That is your fate!

Blue - Hope In fearful day, in raging night, With strong hearts full, our souls ignite, When all seems lost in the War of Light, Look to the stars -- For hope burns bright!

Orange - Avarice/Greed What's mine is mine and mine and mine And mine and mine and mine! Not yours!

(There’s also a semi-popular fanmade motto for Avarice which is:

This power is mine, this is my light, Be it in bright of day or black of night, I lay claim to all which falls within my sight, To take what I want -- That is my right!)

Indigo - Compassion (there's no translation for this one so we dont know what it actually means but Abin Sur was the GL that died to give Hal his ring) Tor lorek san, bor nakka mur. Natromo faan tornek wot ur. Ter Lantern ker lo Abin Sur.* Taan lek lek nok -- Formorrow Sur!

Star Sapphire/Pink/Violet (I know) - Love For hearts long lost and full of fright, For those alone in blackest night, Accept our ring and join our fight, Love conquers all -- With violet light!

White - Life In brightest day there will be light, To cleanse the soul and set wrongs right, When darkness falls don't fear the night, A new dawn comes -- LET THERE BE LIGHT!

#lore post #green lantern

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duggardata · 2 years

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Prosecution Rebuttal; Fottrell Recalled, Crossed

Prosecution is refuting the Defense’s assertion that a Dell computer was used, and that the relevant apps—TOR, uTorrent, and VLC Player—must have been installed using command codes.

Michelle Bush previously showed the jury that the underscore in the username would cause an error message. Fottrell apparently showed that that is not the case, seemingly confirmed what the Prosecution insinuated earlier: The error must’ve been caused by the software Bush used, not by Linux.

Then the Defense cross–examined Fottrell, again...

The Defense asserts that just because the apps are available on SnapStore in court today, doesn’t mean they were available in May 2019. (Fair point.) The Defense tries to get Fottrell to concede this, and Fottrell is like, “I don’t have a time machine,” and the Defense is like: “You wouldn’t need one if you actually had the evidence.”

Seems the Prosecution is trying to refute the Defense’s claim that command codes must have been used, and that that points to someone else, not Josh, since Josh is apparently too dumb to know how to use command codes.

(Note: Chicago and Arkansas are in the same time zone. I think this would be like setting your time zone to “San Francisco” if you’re in Los Angeles... Same time zone, so setting your clock to that city doesn’t mean the clock is wrong.)

Not sure what they’re getting at here, but what else is new.

Defense is seriously taking issue with this demonstration by the Prosecution, which they claim shows a process that wouldn’t have been possible in 2019.

At this point, I really wish we had some records to show whether uTorrent was or wasn’t available on SnapStore in May 2019... It’s not like it’s new software, though. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be available. I don’t know.

#josh duggar trial

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pochiperpe90 · 4 years

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Trust your instinct. Interview with Luca Marinelli

“Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes” wrote Brecht. Let alone superheroes. The vices and problems of the characters, however, are extraordinarily human.

There are people enthusiastic about the film and others who have seen it and have told me: "You know, it's not my genre, actually I wouldn't have gone to see it, but I would have been wrong because it's special, it thrilled me". Because it's about something real. There is the suburban boy who lives for his own sake, who only thinks about how to turn the day, then the superpowers arrive and he wonders what to do, and it’s like if the question was addressed to the public. After will comes the love, that will change him, will makes him go further. Love is the greatest superpower. I don't know, maybe I’m too romantic but the superpower of love is a very strong one, that we all own and that changes the movie as well.

Is Lo Zingaro one of the many young people "sick" of social networks?

He uses the modern roads to arrive at what for him can be the success, to be seen by anyone, so he uses the channels of social networks. As a kid he had tried to become someone and they closed the door in his face, so now that the world is moving in this direction he wants respect, he wants his greatness recognized. In my opinion he has never really been seen, maybe this is the problem.

Is this why he loves to perform?

The character has always been like that and that's the thing that drove me crazy: his histrionic side. It was also for this reason that when I went to the auditions I greatly exalted this theatrical part of lo Zingaro, but Gabriele planted my feet on the ground saying to always remember his paranoia, his strong pain, his great and real need. Then we gradually looked for these things, to enhance his desire to be recognized by everyone on the street.

Cesare from Don’t Be Bad and Lo Zingaro: two outcasts, two fragile characters who harbor anger.

I loved them both but I find it hard to put them side by side, but the fact that there is this suburbs background is certainly the common starting point of the two. And I like how Gabriele wanted to respect this place and its inhabitants, without ever labeling, without representing Tor Bella Monaca as the den of pirates, the place of bad guys.

Ostia for Cesare represented a prison from which to escape, does Lo Zingaro want to escape from Tor Bella Monaca as well?

There is this desire to go out, it’s true, to succeed in something, to escape, to at least try to escape. The watershed of the suburbs is different, if one never grow up there, they will never understand it. It’s a question of sensitivity. Cesare chooses one thing or the other, he sees his friend taking a path but doesn’t believe it completely, perhaps because he finds the other much more concrete. There is a basic desperation there, there is the world that crumbles under his feet little by little, here instead there is something different: it’s the nature of lo Zingaro, the nature of wanting to be, he is there. It must be. Lo Zingaro wants to escape from there, but even if he had been born in the Parioli it would have been the same.

For his androgynous look, Lo Zingaro resemble David Bowie. When building a character, do you start from an external characterization?

As for me, when I approach the character I try to mimesis with the text, with the director's ideas, with my visions. This changes everything, from the physical to the attitude. The character becomes a robe. When you put on the character's clothes, you are him, then you take them off and really slowly you separate yourself from him, then he comes back the next day when you get dressed, and maybe you just keep him as a memory in your head in the evening, at home, when you want to do something with it.

How important is instinct instead?

Fundamental. Many times things have happened, that I don't know how to explain. You have to trust your instincts, always. It’s a bit of a form of self-respect. Many times when preparing a character you don't have to think about it too much. You need to think about it first, then you have to make a blank page, because what you need is permeated inside.

“Una parola detta piano basta già ed io non vedo più la realtà” (A word said slowly is already enough and I no longer see reality), reads the lyrics of “Un’emozione da poco”, the song you sing in the movie.

We were looking for a song that could catch the eye of lo Zingaro during his adolescence. And if you go to re-watch Anna Oxa's performance at Sanremo, her first festival at the age of sixteen, here, putting myself in the role of the character, but also in mine, I thought: "Wow! Look at that woman. Look at that force." From this comes the fact that this is his song, which it’s also his cell phone’s ringtone. What I also like is that all his explosive strength comes from our wonderful singers of those years: Loredana Bertè, Nada, Gianna Nannini and Anna Oxa. And it's nice that it comes from there: it‘s the strength of women.

I remember your featuring in a song by the hip-hop’s crew “Jagermasterz”. Do you also have a passion for music?

A friend, Dj Demis, asked me about it many years ago, and I enjoyed it a lot. I've always had a passion for rock music, when we were kids we had a band, we played funky: we covered Red Hot Chili Peppers, but mostly our songs, good times.

Did you imitate Anthony Kiedis?

I was a little more in tune (laughs). No, I actually played the guitar. I was the second guitar of the group. I still keep playing for me, though. Every now and then I tell some friends to get together and make a small group, but it's just moments where we get together and play some covers. An artist with a folk guitar is something that drives me crazy, I really like everything acoustic.

I know you used to watch a lot of movies with your grandmother as a kid.

With my grandmother I saw all the great classics of our past, but as a kid one of the first films I saw alone was “The Silence of the Lambs”: I found this videotape and I watched it, my parents thought I was playing and instead … But I wasn't scared, I saw the fun of those people and I liked that. That's what I find in my work right now. I feel like I could make a movie for a year, because waking up in the morning and knowing I can go to the set is a great luck, it’s never a burden to me.

Now that the journey of Don’t be Bad is over, how do you remember the journey with the Caligari’s band?

For me it's not finished, tomorrow I will have to meet some guys in Rebibbia because there will be a screening of the film. I still feel it intensely. We are still a strong group, I still like what Don't be Bad means. The Caligari’s band is always there, it's in the heart.

Don't you have the impression that with his death, Caligari was "canonized"?

It’s sad. A person who was only allowed to make three films and now people cry it a miracle, when he could have made many more. This is the greatest sin. But I say “always and in any case, cheers to Claudio!”. I have never lived an experience like this: a person who is dying and wants to give something to others. Seeing a person who isn’t afraid in this way, who wants to give but without knowing what he will receive back. Indeed, knowing how many doors in the face he had received. A crazy life lesson. In the end, it’s an attitude that does not surprise me, it gives me a little stomach ache but that's okay. The film remains, this is the important thing, what a whole crew carries in their hearts remains, Claudio and the Caligari’s band remain.

For sentimental reasons you have lived in Berlin for years. How is our cinema perceived from abroad?

We are always a great cinema. All our movies that were in Cannes last year are now in theaters in Germany, in short, we are there, we are always there. I am really convinced that last year some great Italian films were released, not many, not distributed at their best, but all films that make me proud. The thing I like least about our cinema is the lack of courage of the producers, if I think that Don’t be Bad risked not being realized, I get goosebumps: a film that took us to Los Angeles risked not being made. And the same story goes for They Call Me Jeeg. The truth is that only comfortable things are done.

Money, glory, passion, desire to recover from shyness: Luca Marinelli for what reason is acting?

It seems a simple question, but it’s not. Passion in the end means nothing. I would tell you out of necessity, but maybe that doesn't mean anything either. So I'd tell you why I like it so much. Just like the Roman say: me piace (I like it). I think I'm lucky to have chosen what I love to do in life, and to be able to do it. Because I can't imagine being able to do anything else. Of course, if in five years I can't do it anymore, I will have to invent something.

What?

I don’t know. Before this I thought I was an archaeologist, unfortunately with little success. I was making a mess, I even got the lesson times wrong.

minima&moralia

Just wanted to translate this old interview for the non-italian’s fans ^^ (sorry for my English)

#Luca Marinelli #interview #Don't be bad #they call me jeeg #english #english translation

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lunaschild2016 · 4 years

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Belief - Part 2 (Edit)

Rating: M

Devi is Dauntless. Through blood sweat and tears she made a place for herself three years ago when she left her life in Amity behind. Not once in that three years has Eric Coulter even deigned to look her way. Not until that night. Now she has nothing but his attention. Eric/OC AU [Smut, Language, Romance]

Part 2

There is pounding.

That’s how I wake up. To pounding. That and to a bright light being directed straight at my face as curtains are ripped away from a window somewhere in the room.

I grab the nearest item that can help me make the evil light go away and muffle the pounding in my head, then I stuff it over my head. It’s promptly ripped away and then my senses are being offended by something else.

“Oh no, you don’t! If I have to deal with his rampaging, and judging by the sound of that knock I will be, then you sure are too. You don’t get to play the hangover hell card here when I’m up well before I even need to be!”

During this onslaught, of what feels like a banshee shrieking, I managed to get my eyes open and focus through the blinding light to see Tori hovering over me. Once she was done shrieking whatever she had to say at me she was gone in a whirl and I could only watch her bleary-eyed as I tried to figure out what the hell is going on right now.

Obviously, I ended up at Tori’s, but I have no clue how the hell that happened.

I’m still laying there looking around as she wrenches her door open and stands there for a second in silence. While she greets whoever is at the door I continue to look for clues as to what led me here.

I’m on her couch.

The coffee table has a bottle of pain relievers and a glass of water that hasn’t been finished.

There’s a bucket beside the couch too.

So, I got drunk, obviously, and it was enough that she thought I was going to be sick. Which, hardly happens but then again I hardly drink like that.

“Is she here?” I barely register the angry words from the other side of the room as I dig in my mind for answers.

I remember that my friends started the night out with me. The plan was to let me be the one to get drunk out of my mind for once in my life so that I could forget for a little bit what had me so livid I was spitting mad.

So, where were those friends that were supposed to have my back and how did Tori get involved?

A shadow falls over me and I look up to see who it might be because I know that this is not Tori and it's whoever is pissed off enough to be knocking her door down. When I see the person my mind switches gears in trying to figure events out.

Better question, Nunez. Why is Four staring at me like he doesn’t know whether to hug me or slap the crap out of me?

“Uh oh,” I mutter with wide eyes as small and distant parts of the night filter through the pounding that’s still going on in my head. I raise up slightly on my elbows and pull the blanket back up that slipped slightly at the action.

“Well at least he wasn’t lying about this,” Four mutters darkly as he looks me over while squinting down at me. “You don’t remember a thing about last night, do you?”

“Muy poco,” I reply with a sheepish shrug and wince before laying back down and covering my eyes with the throw pillow from the couch.

“You know I don’t understand when you…”

“She said very little and you aren’t going to get more out of her if she is going to Spanish, Four. Look, I don’t know what she did and I don’t care because you’re going to cut her some slack, yeah?” Tori had that tone in her voice, the one that left no room for misunderstanding. The words were a request but it’s more like a threat. Telling Four he better or he would deal with her.

“Fine. We’ll be talking later, Devi. You can’t just do that to a leader in the middle of…”

“Oh, ahora arrojas el estado de tu líder. No ... aw shucks, solo hago lo que puedo ahora ¿verdad?” I grumble into the pillow and tune out what he’s saying.

The night after I left work might be a blur but not everything that happened before that. Remembering it brings a fresh wave of everything I left feeling. Angry, frustrated, grief-stricken and so damn full of guilt.

“Just go Four. I’ll talk to her.” I hear her tell him after he finally finished his mini-lecture. He goes without another word leaving only the sound of their moving away towards the door and finally it closing.

For a time it’s quiet in the apartment. With faint sounds of Tori moving around in the kitchen. The silence brings me the time I need to gather my strength and courage for the hell moving from this couch is going to be. I clench my eyes shut as I brave moving the pillow from them. I slowly open my eyes and move to sit up even slower. I succeed in sitting up straight without dying but my head is killing me and making me feel like I want to. I spot the pills again and grab the bottle to shake out a couple then use the rest of the water from the glass to swallow them quickly. Next, I use a little trick I know from doing adjustments and massages of applying pressure to certain areas that can help to relieve tension or pain. I concentrate on areas along my scalp, neck, and face. This isn’t going to be much help with a hangover but it will help some.

The rest of my recovery is going require time, my darkroom, and a comfy bed. I groan as I stand slowly, thinking that I’m thankful I at least didn’t pull this stunt on a day I have to work. I join Tori in the kitchen area where she is currently brewing her favorite tea by the smell of it. She moves like liquid with her silk robe swishing around her. She glances at me as I gingerly slide into a stool, wincing and moaning.

“Eric will be here shortly so you might want to get that tea,” She says and places a cup in front of me then whirls around when the toaster pops up to snatch it out and onto a plate “...and that toast in your system before getting cleaned up.”

I frown and reach to where she has butter and honey already on the counter. “Jeez, Tor. I didn’t realize you had guys coming over for morning house calls now.” I spread the butter onto the still-warm toast and watch as it melts then pause and look at her when I realize whose name she just said. “When did you and Eric become a thing, or is this you guys starting it up again?” My lips tilt slightly in a smile and I resume applying butter and honey.

Tori glares at me as she slides onto a stool and lowers her cup. “You know very well those rumors were short-lived and untrue.” She snorts and shakes her head as she raises her cup back to her lips. “Dauntless is just one big ball of gossiping old women.”

I smirk and take a sip of the tea slowly. “Yeah, but it was funny while it was going around. Who was it that started the rumor again?”

Tori groans and shrugs. “Who’s usually at the center of pranks and gossip around here? Pick a Pedrad they were both equally as guilty, deciding to play Chinese whispers using mine and Eric’s names.”

I laugh then grab my head and wince. “Fuck! I really have to remember why I don’t drink like that in the future.”

“About that...tell me what happened. I need to know to be able to handle whatever drama is going to go down with Eric and Four from this.”

I frown as I look into the cup, drumming my fingers against it and searching my fragmented memories of the night for anything about Eric. Finally, I shrug and answer.

“Look, I’m drawing a complete blank here as to why Eric would even be involved in this at all. I was pissed as hell at Four about what happened with Rain,” I say meaningfully to Tori and she nods then motions for me to continue “My friends decided to take me out to blow off some steam and have a few drinks. I vaguely remember that I spoke to Four about it but I don’t even remember what I said. I don’t remember Eric being there or involved at all. Even if he were there, I don’t really see him giving a shit that I said anything to Four. Hell, he would have probably been amused about it. So, you tell me why he would be coming here if it isn’t to see you?”

A slow grin spreads across her face and she shakes her head at me. “I don’t think so. I think I’m going to sit back and watch all this unfold.” She laughs at my confused expression and motions with her hand to my cup. “Drink up, time is ticking.”

Then she sets her cup of tea down with a chuckle and swishes away from me into her bedroom, her silk robe billowing out behind her.

The tone of her voice, the words, and her smile all have chills of foreboding going down my spine. Tea had sounded good but what's sounding better is the idea of me getting there hell out of here fast.

I can’t be good that Eric is coming here for me specifically. I mean, what could have him so pissed off at me?

Seriously, what happened to my friends having my back!

I do take a few gulps of tea as I make my way over to where I spotted my discarded dress, heels and clutch laying in a heap beside the couch I slept on. At least I have the purse and its contents. That means I have a way to get into the apartment if my roommate isn’t there to let me in. With the way I’m feeling right now she better not be there.

There is no way in hell that she wants to deal with the aftermath of leaving me to do the walk of shame while hungover as hell and running from Eric for something I don’t even remember doing.

Tori’s shower water is turning off about the time I’m dressed and I scowl in irritation towards the closed door of her room. An idea hits me and I rummage around in my clutch then laugh giddily as I grab the lipstick.

I use it to scribble a note on her entryway mirror using the bloodred makeup. I give a nod of satisfaction and slip out of the door with a smile.

She had been so willing to leave me to deal with Eric on my own, was even looking forward to it. Well, let’s see how she likes being left high and dry with Supreme Leader Stick In the Mud.

****************************************************

I make it into my apartment and have every intention of showering, taking more medicine, getting more water in me, and then passing out again in a darkened room.

Work has other plans.

I’m dripping wet and wrapped in a towel when I hear my phone going off. I know from that first ring who the caller is. The ringtone is one that I have specifically for the extension in the clinic.

As usual, someone got called out to work medic with the patrols and I’m being called in to cover for them.

Dauntless has few trained medics or nurses. Most of the qualified nurses we have come from Erudite. They work set hours during the week and generally only a few of them at that, leaving am our already short of staff during the week that only gets worse on the weekend. Should anything happen and even one single nurse not be able to make it in things get backed up and in a hurry. Especially on a weekend. The patient turnover rate is insane.

I let them know I'll be in and am already pulling on my black scrubs as I say this. I toss my hair up into a messy bun, pull on the shoes that make being on my feet all day bearable; then grab my regular bag and rush out of the door within ten minutes of getting the call. I don’t even have time to stop and grab anything to eat or drink. When I get there I hit the ground running.

Most of the time our clinic sees minor wounds coming in. Things caused from training injuries or even from the entertainment fights that go on. Most of those entertainment fights don't have really serious crap happen because they are heavily regulated. Broken bones, head injuries, and split lips are all just par for the course and regular in Dauntless regardless.

There is a bar though, that serves a rougher crowd and allows some dirtier fighting. It's aptly named Big Shots. The name coming about because that's what frequents there.

The big shots.

The big bad fighters that crave a little more in the action. It's the only place that fights can be wagered on and apparently last night business was booming.

“What the hell went on last night?” I growled out to my Med Aide. She's rushing beside me with charts that are filling her arms and struggling to juggle them around as we go through them.

Dauntless is mostly old school, preferring to use paper over electronics, but there are departments that are fully electronic. My clinic isn’t one of them and not by my choice or preference at all. The amount of paperwork

“There was a brawl at the bar just before shut down a few hours ago. Not sure what happened but it was bad enough leadership was called in and they had to bring some guards to sort things out.”

“Jesus,” I sigh and start taking a few of the charts while I resign myself to a long day. “Well, let's get a triage set up. Whoever hasn’t been gotten to yet will go in order of priority. I know that there are a few appointments for regular visit crap scheduled for today but those are going to have to be pushed back until we get a handle on this. Try and contact them and see if we can reschedule them and I will get started on the worst cases we have right now.”

She nods and gets bustling as I walk into the curtained off area where the first of many patients wait for me.

A story starts to unfold for me with each person I see.

There was indeed a brawl. The guy that had been the current champion of Big Shots got taken down, ending a four-month-long streak. Which, considering this is Dauntless, is pretty damn good. Anyway, this caused an uproar and things got out of hand when people claimed that it was rigged or he lost the fight on purpose. Either way, it got bad enough that both Eric and Four showed up to get it under control.

Some of the injuries I treated were from one or both of the leaders and it had me shaking my head. I've said before that the two of them are more alike then either one will admit. There are differences, of course. Major ones really, and this is really only going by what I've observed of the two during training or other various encounters. It comes down to them having the same goals but just going about achieving them differently.

I don’t have time to reflect on more about either Four or Eric. I don’t have time to wonder what Eric could want with me when he hadn’t seemed to even know I existed for all of the three years I've been here. And he certainly hasn’t seemed to care or consider the multiple requests I've submitted for the improvement to the med services that Dauntless provides or even the many requests for the much-needed equipment and supplies we are always short of. Thinking about that particular subject always fans the flames of temper but add it with my thoughts of Rain and her leaving and it has made me into a simmering mess at the moment. Which is a really bad time to suddenly be faced with one of the sources of that anger.

I open the door to one of the private rooms with a chart in my hand looking it over. It appears the patient has a knife wound to the ribs that will need to closed. Whoever the patient is was apparently part of the brawl but only just now strolled in. He also got himself bumped up to be seen immediately. I blame the fact that I still have a lingering hangover, in addition to little sleep and no food, for completely missing who that most likely meant it would be. I doubt the few seconds of preparation would have helped me from coming to stop or the muffled squeak I cut, barely, cut off. Thankfully.

Eric is leaning against the table in the room with his arms crossed over his chest and wearing a pissed-off expression that is completely marring his normally emotionless features. His eyes narrow when I come in and they sweep over me from top to bottom very quickly before reversing course and doing it one more time, but much more slowly.

“About time.” He drawls out, not moving even a little while he continues to study me leisurely. “I got your note. Real cute. You’re lucky I had shit to do and didn’t come to find you sooner.”

“I….” I swallow and take a steadying breath then square my shoulders and lift my chin. “You aren’t the only one that had things to do. As you can see I'm busy handling that mess from Big Shots.” I wave my hand in the direction of the waiting room which is still full. “Is there something medical you need or is it just your pride that's wounded? Because I’m afraid I don’t have anything to help you with that.”

There goes my temper, making me talk out of my ass again. I was a little careless in how I’m talking to the feared leader but I also know I’m the one in charge here. He might be a leader but the health and well being of faction members trumps whatever personal slight he might think he received.

Regardless of knowing that I’m still waiting for an explosion. After all, he has and will always have a short fuse for disrespect. But I never get one. What I get instead is a deep chuckle while he reaches down for the hem of his shirt then starts a slow lift.

It’s impossible to deny the man has a spectacular body. It’s also impossible for me to deny that Eric has been the subject of a few fantasies of mine in the past. There was and always has been a passing attraction or fascination with him for me. But after a few years of it being made clear that there wasn’t a chance he would look my way it was also something I moved on from.

So you thought.

Going by the way my body starts to tingle in the slightest and it felt like the temperature in the normally cool exam room seemed to get significantly warmer as I watched him slowly ease his shirt up, it’s clear I might still harbor some of the fantasies for the man.

He's moving extremely slow and I feel a flash of irritation at that thinking he's doing it on purpose. Until I notice that Eric is wincing, even as slight and barely noticeable as it is, letting me know this isn’t some kind of show or cocky tease on his part. He’s actually hurt in some way. I move immediately and without thought. My hands push his away and I whip the shirt off and over his head. Accomplishing this is rather a feat because I have to do a very slight jump from my tiptoes.

Damn my height.

He mumbles thanks while I’m already looking him over.

He’s definitely my knife wound. Thank god it looks to be more of a slash instead of the knife actually stabbing into his side, but even that is bad enough. Whoever it was used one of the serrated blades and it left the flesh a jagged mess.

“Table.” I hiss out the order with narrowed eyes, evaluating what will need to be done and what I will need, then I spin on my heel to start gathering everything.

“You are a bossy little thing aren’t you?” He mutters behind me but I hear him sliding on the table, so he at least followed the order. “Can you take orders as well as you give them?”

I’m turning back towards him as he says this with a cocky smirk and tone full of innuendo. I carefully ignore both and move back to the table then lay out all the supplies to the side of him. I take another inspection of the wound. It looks like he might have tried to clean it up before coming in, maybe even started to stitch himself back up as well but thought better of it. All he ended up doing was making it bleed and tearing the edges a bit more. He’ll need to be cleaned up again and I'll need to make sure there isn’t anything in the wound before I can start patching him back up.

I started to prep a needle for anesthetic but he grunts out that he doesn’t need that shit.

“Okay, Dalton. Let’s see if that ‘pain don’t hurt ’ philosophy pans out for you.” I reply with an arched eyebrow and a smirk on my lips.

I shake my head with a smile I can’t help after he gives a full-on laugh and grins at me. “Well aren’t you just a fun-sized package of surprise. The question is, was it the remake or the original you watched?”

I scoff and move away to get something to clean the wound. “That isn’t a question. There's no replacing Swayze and Elliot.”

Once I’m away I take quiet slow breaths to get myself under control and to scold myself for letting him have any kind of effect on me. I use this time to prepare a small bowl with, not only the disinfectant soap I will need, but also add in a few things that will help with the healing of the wound and to keep infection at bay.

I go to the case that all of the private rooms have where certain supplies are kept under lock and key and quickly enter in my code. I pull out a few small vials and take them back to the bowl, then add them to the mix.

One vial is a mild numbing agent that I often use for the younger dependents when they have to come in and have their own wounds tended to. The other is a serum provided by Erudite and that I only use in cases where I know the healing process will need to be accelerated. Generally, I save them for gunshot wounds but Eric’s knife wound is bad enough that I feel justified in using the normally expensive serum.

Sure, keep telling yourself that.

I scowl at myself and the thoughts in my head as I make my way back over to him with the bowl, an irrigation bottle, and a sponge.

I’m completely off balance right now and I want to blame it all on the night I had and my morning hangover but I can’t. Not when I feel Eric’s eyes on me the entire time I’m moving around the room. Not when being near him and feeling how he's looking down at me with such intensity as I start to work on him has thrown me so off that I've completely lost the ability to keep this impersonal and professional.

It isn’t just my choice of using the serum I usually reserve for much more serious injuries. It’s also the fact that I completely forgot to put on gloves before I started to tend to him. I don’t even realize this major blunder until I’m doing using the irrigation bottle to flush out the wound. I set it down and then pick up the sponge to do a light cleaning and notice that something is off. It takes me a second to realize that my hands aren’t gloved as I run one of them along the bare skin of his ribs.

Fuck! Well, it’s too late to put them on now.

I avoid looking anywhere but at the area that I'm working on as I continue cleaning then patting it dry with gauze pads. Once I’m done with that I dump the bowl of water and make to put on gloves finally.

“No gloves.” Comes his gruff command as I'm about to slip one on, making me jerk my head up to look at him finally.

His eyebrow is raised but otherwise, there isn’t much of an expression on his face to tell me what the hell he’s thinking.

I put a hand on my hip and shake my head. “I’m afraid that I’m required to wear them if I’m going to have to close that wound. Unless you have some medical reason for not wanting me to wear them?”

Oh, Dios! Why in the hell did I say that? I know very well he doesn’t have one or it would have said it on the chart. And I just gave him an excuse and from the look of that slow wicked smile that’s crossing his face before he wipes it away and gives a nod….

“Yeah. Allergy.”

I hesitate for a second. I could call him on it but I decide not to. Calling him on that could bring about him calling me out and I don’t need that. I snort and push down the flutter I feel when I get close to him again. “Well, that must put a damper on your love life.”

Of course, I would pick saying this when I’m between his legs. I curse myself for not being able to just let it go completely. One of his arms is raised over his head to allow me access but I feel his legs squeeze just a little bit. As if he knows I realize where I am and he isn’t letting me go.

“I seem to manage just fine.” His words are purred and made all the more unsettling because the other arm moves so that his hand is resting against my hip.

I have to bite my lip to manage not making another comment and choose to just ignore all of that and work.

I feel him taking a breath, holding it slightly and releasing slowly as I start to use the staples that I’m using to knit his flesh back together, but otherwise, he doesn’t make a sound.

That is until he decides to start talking.

“So what was all that about with Four? Last I checked, you’re pretty good friends with his little posse.”

I steal a glance at him and his expression but he isn’t looking at me. His forehead is wrinkled and he's looking straight ahead, eyes squinted slightly. I recognize what he’s doing. He’s trying to focus on something, anything, other than the pain.

So the fearsome leader is human after all.

The thought that he’s feeling pain and that I’m causing it makes me frown. I shrug and hope that giving him what he needs will help some.

“I was…” I stop and squint while taking a breath. “Scratch that. I am angry about what happened with Rain.”

“You’ve seen others leave or get cut before. So why was it different for you with her?”

“It isn’t like I love seeing it with the others. Even in our initiation when those two girls dropped out I didn’t like it.”

He huffs forcefully, causing me to look up and see he has an expression of dark anger. “You mean the girls that were also your terrorizers?”

I shrug not liking the memory of that or them really. I’m honestly surprised he even remembers that.

“I didn’t think we were going to be best friends and I would have been happy to never have to see them again. I still don’t wish being factionless on anyone, Eric.”

“Okay. I can…” He stops speaking and I shakes his head before going on. “No, I can’t get it. That’s not my style, but whatever. So, what made Rain the person that set you off on Four? Was it just something that was building for a long time?” Damn, he's persistent. I can tell I’m not going to get around telling him what upsets me so much about it. “Tell me, Devi.” He barks out the order.

“Because it could have been me okay!” I stop what I’m doing, slam the tool down on the table and try to shove away but his legs lock around me. “Rain was from Amity, Eric.” I put my hands on his legs to try and pry them from me but the damn things are like the jaws of a locked bear trap and I look ridiculous the longer I struggle.

I finally give up with a huff. Exhaustion pouring through me and I look up to find him studying me quietly.

“She told me that she only chose Dauntless because of me,” I whisper finally and see his look of surprise. “They talk about me there apparently. Talk about how I was the perfect Amity and that it was such a shame I left. She also said there was always a good amount of surprise that I made it through initiation. When her test came back Dauntless she wasn’t going to transfer. Then she remembered hearing about me and thought that if I could do it so could she.”

Understanding flashes in his eyes and he sighs heavily, his hold loosening on me a little as he looks away. “So everything you said to Four, was just because of you feeling guilty?”

I shake my head and trying to think back to what all I might have said. Faint remnants of it come forward.

“No,” I say softly and firmly. “I was and still am very angry at him. It wasn’t all guilt. I don’t remember everything I said, but whatever it was...I meant it. I don’t do it often, but when I get drunk I become more honest. Less likely to just hold it all in.”

“Hmm.” Is his only reply as looks down at me again, a slow small smirk appearing on his lips. “Good to know.”

That’s all he says and I squint waiting for something else but he just shrugs. I roll my eyes, look at his side and see I still need to finish. I pick up the stapler and resume my work. The silence in the room resumes while I work. The only sounds are his slightly more noticeable breathing, the hum of the fluorescent lighting and the click of the stapler as I work.

When I get to the last few ones that need to be done I feel his hand that’s on my hip move so that it just barely skims the hem of the scrub top. I don’t really register this or what he could be doing until I feel his fingers grazing bare skin and I realize he just slipped his hand under the material.

This causes me to jerk as I put the last staple in with much more force than I had been using.

He winces and curses but I don’t bother apologizing as I slam the tool down once again then push his hand away then yell at him.

“What the hell?”

He frowns at me and tilts his head. “You didn’t seem to mind last night when you were basically begging me to take you home?”

My stomach lurches into my throat and I shake my head.

I wouldn’t have...would I?

No! I’m sure I didn’t do anything like that. Yeah, I can be more aggressive when drunk but I also don’t go around throwing myself at random people!

Eric isn’t exactly random though is he?

I back away from him scowling and feel my heart in my throat as I see that, despite him letting me go, he is also following me closely. He slides off the table smoothly and matches me step for step. Catlike and advancing slowly and with a smirk.

“If that’s true then how did I end up at Tori’s?” I ask just as my back hits a cabinet.

“I know I’m a bastard and all, but even I won’t engage in sex with a drunk girl. What’s the point if she can’t sing my praises the next morning?” He gets in close as he replies in a soft voice. There is a teasing quality to his words, brushing off that he would be doing anything that can be considered good or noble.

“So you think it’s ok to just try to come to pick up something that you are assuming I even wanted in the first place? Coming in here thinking that just because you lift your eyebrow my panties are going to get all wet and I’m just going to spread my legs for you? That might work for you with the other girls, but I’m nothing like they are.”

I spit the words out at him with venom. Hoping that they will piss him off and push him away so that he will turn around and walk out of here before I do something I know I'm going to regret. Whether that's slapping that smirk off his face or....somethings else...I'm not sure.

He doesn’t though. Instead, he moves in closer making my chest start to heave as my breathing becomes labored. The heat coming off his body seems to be shooting straight through my body and making me want to squirm. I claw at my willpower to keep it together as his nose brushes against me and he presses even further. I can feel the tip of his nose brush against the tip of my ear first and lose my breath as it starts to ghost down further.

This seems to take an eternity until his lips are near mine.

“I’m counting on that, little Devi.” He whispers this, just a hair's breadth away from my lips. My mouth goes dry with anticipation and despite my words, I think I really do want him to kiss me. “I’m very much looking forward to finding out exactly what you’re made of.”

He moves in and I feel the slight skim of his lips against mine before he pulls away. I sway forward a little because I had been following him to complete the kiss that never came. He smirks and steps back still looking at me as he rolls his bottom lip in, almost biting it before he turns away from me and walks over to the table to grab his shirt.

He whips it on while I feel like I want to slap the shit out of the smug look on his face. I stand with my back against the cabinet, just watching him with a growing scowl on my face. His jacket is laying over the chair in the room and he grabs that, revealing a brown paper bag that was underneath it. He grabs that bag up after pulling his jacket on and then walks back over to me.

The smirk is gone as he presses the bag into my hands.

“You’re right. You are different. But there is no escaping this" he uses one finger to move between the two of us, "or me now, little one.” He looks to the bag and smiles. “I expect you to eat all of that before you go see another person. Your staff will be informed that you’re busy.”

I start to tell him off for what he’s trying to do but he leans forward and before I can utter a word his lips seal around mine. It’s so fast and forceful that I don’t have time to process that it immediately has me mewling for more before he pulls back and turns towards the door.

He pauses as he gets the door open and looks over his shoulder, letting his eyes linger on me in a completely heated way. “I will be seeing you very soon, Devi.”

The door closed behind him and I sunk to the ground right there.

My hand shakily presses to my lips as I try to figure out what the hell just happened.

What the hell made Eric even look my way when he hasn’t before in all my years here?

Remembering the bag I still have clutched to my chest I open it to find a sack lunch from one of the best delis here. My favorite deli. Not only that but inside is the sandwich I prefer made exactly the way I like it. Roast beef with extra pickles and spicy mustard.

How does he even know about that?

It left me wondering if maybe Eric wasn’t as oblivious to my presence as I once believed?

#fanfiction #divergent fanfiction #eric coulter fanfiction #divergent au #smut #romance #humor #fluff #angst #eric x oc #eric coulter #oc #jai courtney #diane guerrero

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art-and-the-hockeys · 4 years

Text

Tagging System

Hello everyone!

Thank you for sticking with me and continuing your amazing support through this patch of sporadic updating and having requests closed.

I just want to tell you that I have created a tagging system to help give more specific results.

This is only applicable for wallpapers and on my blog.

Lemme explain:

1. If you want to see the wallpapers available of a specific player...

Just simply add the player’s last name + “wp” to the backslash after “tagged”

So it’ll look like this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/lastnamewp

For a real-life example:

I want just Nolan Patrick wallpapers, so I’m gonna type this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/patrickwp

wp meaning “wallpaper”

no nicknames to avoid confusion

it does not matter if two players share the same last name, all players with the same last name fall under the one, same tag

accents on last names are not taken into account

2. If you want to see the wallpapers available of a specific team...

Just simply add the team’s abbreviation + “wp” to the backslash after “tagged”

So, it’ll look like this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/teamabbrivationwp

For a real-life example:

I want just Philadelphia Flyers wallpapers, so I’m gonna type this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/phiwp

Team’s abbreviations:

Anaheim Ducks: ana

Arizona Coyotes: ari

Boston Bruins: bos

Buffalo Sabres: buf

Calgary Flames: cgy

Carolina Hurricanes: car

Chicago Blackhawks: chi

Colorado Avalanche: col

Columbus Blue Jackets: cbj

Dallas Stars: dal

Detroit Red Wings: det

Edmonton Oilers: edm

Florida Panthers: flr

Los Angeles Kings: lak

Minnesota Wild: wild

Montreal Canadiens: habs

Nashville Predators: nsh

New Jersey Devils: njd

New York Islanders: nyi

New York Rangers: nyr

Ottawa Senators: ott

Philadelphia Flyers: phi

Pittsburgh Penguins: pit

San Jose Sharks: sjs

St. Louis Blues: stl

Tampa Bay Lightning: tbl

Toronto Maple Leafs: tor

Vancouver Canucks: van

Vegas Golden Knights: vgk

Washington Capitals: wsh

Winnipeg Jets: wpg

3. If you want to see the wallpapers available of a specific style for a specific team...

Just simply add the team’s abbreviation + the style’s abbreviation to the backslash after “tagged”

So, it’ll look like this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/teamabbstyleabb

For a real-life example:

I want just Philadelphia Flyers with cute aesthetic wallpapers, so I’m gonna type this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/phica

Styles’ abbreviations:

cute aesthetic: ca

minimalism: min

texture: texture

dark: dark

holiday: holiday

4. If you want to see the wallpapers available that have been requested and completed for a specific team...

Just simply add the team’s abbreviation + "request” to the backslash after “tagged”

So, it’ll look like this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/teamabbreviationrequest

For a real-life example:

I want to see just requested Philadelphia Flyers wallpapers, so I’m gonna type this:

➡︎ art-and-the-hockeys.tumblr.com/tagged/phirequest

Other tags normally placed:

player’s full name

example: nolan patrick

full team name

example: philadelphia flyers

league

example: nhl

team abbreviation

example: phi

style of wallpaper

example: cute aesthetic

format

example: edit, wallpaper

requested (if applicable)

NOTES

For baseball wallpapers:

the team name abbreviations are not used. Instead, replace with “baseball” or “mlb”

For best requests, use the player’s last name + wp or the player’s first and last name

For IHFF/Olympic hockey wallpapers:

use the team’s country’s name in place of the team name’s abbreviations

examples: USA, Canada, Germany

For junior hockey wallpapers:

the team name abbreviations are not used. Instead, replace with “chl” or the league’s specific name.

For best requests, use the player’s last name + wp or the player’s first and last name

For minor hockey wallpapers:

use the parent team’s abbreviation

Example: no lehigh valley phantoms abbreviation + wp, just "phi” + wp or style’s abbreviation or “request”

I hope this all makes sense! If not, do PM me or comment on this post!

Thank you!

-Katt 😊

#notice #notification #tag #tags #note

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unofficialkfamtranscripts · 4 years

Text

King Falls AM - Episode 5: Night of the Living Dread

View on Google Docs

Summary: July 1, 2015 - Sammy & Ben learn of some breaking news regarding the Lake Hatchenhaw John Doe, but not everyone is as pleased as the broadcast duo.

[Podcast intro music]

Announcer Dear listeners, please note that the following program may contain views that do not reflect that of King Falls AM, its management, or its subsidiaries. Listener discretion is advised.

[KFAM intro music]

Sammy You’re listening to King Falls AM, that’s 660 on the radio dial. I’m your host, Sammy Stevens, and as always we are joined by producer and co-host extraordinaire, Ben Arnold.

Ben [trying not to be amused] You’re so- you’re so happy, aren’t you? You’re a child. Getting so giddy over that message.

Sammy Listening to a warning before a radio broadcast I’m on has literally been on the bucket list for a long time. Thanks Merv!

Ben *laughter* Ridiculous. A glutton for punishment.

Sammy What can I say? I enjoy a nice game of hard ball! Uh, y’know, but enough about what Merv doesn’t want you to hear, let’s talk about what he does want you to hear. And what do we have cooking tonight, Ben?

Ben Dude, it’s stacked alright? Stacked. We’ve got the- lovely Miss Emily Potter from the King Falls Library giving us her picks for enlightened summer reading.

Sammy Terrific! We always love speaking with Emily!

Ben You and me both.

Sammy I said “we,” Ben.

Ben Uh, I know. I- *breathes in* [stilted] I- We-We-uh, We’ve got some really cool news! here. We-we are announcing the line-up for the first annual King Falls Ambient Music Festival. That’s coming up the second hour.

Sammy Wait a second. The King Falls Ambient Music Festival? Is this town even big enough for a festival?

Ben Oh yeah! It’s like Coachella[1] but for hipsters that just want to relax. It’s all about “setting the mood.”

Sammy You know, I’m wondering if they’re gonna make it to a second annual.

Ben And then, um, [reluctant and slipping into mumbling] opening up the show we-we’ve got the- doctor *mumbling*

Sammy I-I’m sorry, Ben, what was that? You’re trailing off, buddy.

Ben We have that umm, *sniffs, lets out breath* one… guy. You know that- fo- w- talking about that *deep breath* one thing—

Sammy [trying to cut him off] Ben—

Ben —from a month ago or so—?

Sammy What? What are you talking about?

Ben You know— May- maybe we should start it with Uh, callers first! [mildly frantic] Just-uh-Give us a call at 424-279-3858 and let’s talk about… *tsk* anything! Let’s uh, whats your-whats your-whats-whats on your mind King Falls?

Sammy Ladies and gentlemen, put down your phones for a second. What Ben is trying to say is we’ve got a scoop here this evening on King Falls AM. We’re gonna be speaking with—

Ben [cutting Sammy off]Or you can tweet us! @kingfallsam. I-I-I will literally talk about anything right now. Even to Mr. Derschwitz about that weird toenail thing. Let-lets-lets go, people!

Sammy I thought we agreed—

Ben I know. Sammy, I’m sorry it’s just, [slightly more frantic] I’m-I’m not feelin’ the best here. Alright? my stomach, is all… knotted up, just thinking about this.

Sammy That is journalism. That feeling is journalism—

Ben [speaking over Sammy] I think it might actually be an ulcer! It Tastes, like Fear and Feels, like Cancer . It’s way more than anxiety. I-I’m gonna call Dr. Raúl, at break.

Sammy He’s a chiropractor!

Ben Maybe he can refer me?

Sammy Power through it, buddy! Look at this folks, we got somebody dialing into the hotline right now! You ready for this Ben? Come on.

Ben Please, be Reverend Hawthorne so we can talk about the Revival next month.

Sammy Oh stop it. You know he isn’t even scheduled!

Ben I just thought— maybe that’s how prayers work, I don’t know, I’m not a reverend!

Sammy King Falls AM, you’re on the air.

Dr. Rosenblum [Dr. Rosenblum’s voice is measured and monotonous and mildly creepy at all times] Good evening, this is Dr. Jeffery Rosenblum, with the, King Falls County Coroner’s Office.

Ben C-can I please just say—

Sammy Dr. Rosenblum, it is a pleasure to speak with you this evening.

Rosenblum Excited to be here, Sammy. Ecstatic even. We listen on slow nights.

Ben That’s the scariest thing I’ve ever heard.

Sammy Much appreciated, Doc. Now, as fate would have it, you were the overseeing physician working on the Lake Hatchenhaw John Doe, is that correct?

Ben Doc? Can you just, hold on for- one- moment- please?

Rosenblum Of course, Ben I—

Sammy Don’t start, Ben! We agreed to see this through.

Ben All I’m saying i- lemme finish- a- i-is that maybe it’s not our place *deep breath* to break this kind of news.

Sammy Fine. You know what? You’re right! Let’s just give this to our friends down at Channel 13 and let them be the ones to alert the public about this.

Ben [journalist voice] Doc, Ben Arnold. Tell us about cracking open the mystery body.

Sammy [quietly] Oh.

Rosenblum It’s true that I was the operating physician on that particular John Doe, y-es, irrefutablyy

Sammy Now, as I understand, your official report was released yesterday morning, doctor, but amazingly enough, not one publication or news station in our town- including King Falls AM- reported on it.

Rosenblum You are correct. Busy news day- one would assume.

Ben So, that means, you are— free to talk about it on air.

Rosenblum I would be elated

Sammy First and foremost on everyone’s minds: were there any signs of, uh, y’know, the lake mo- *sighs* I can’t.

Ben Did Kingsie make the body, bite the big one?

Rosenblum There was no evidence that a creature large or small had anything to do with the deceased.

Ben *sigh of relief* That- I knew Kingsie didn’t have it in her.

Sammy Now, Dr. Rosenblum, can you tell us if there was any foul play involved at all?

Rosenblum During our first autopsy we were not able to distinguish with certainty the cause of death. But there were no signs of foul play

Sammy I’m sorry, did you say “first” autopsy?

Ben [confused] Is that normal? Did you- find out the cause of death during the… second autopsy?

Rosenblum Indeed. It was six individual gunshot wounds to the victim’s head. Three shots to the temporal lobe, two to the mendulla oblongata—

Sammy What?! Six gunshot wounds?!

Rosenblum To the cranium, yes. One to the frontal lobe, another to—

Ben So the Lake Hatchenhaw John Doe was, murdered?

Sammy I can’t believe this! This is big! Why didn’t one news outlet report this thing yesterday?!

Rosenblum Well, the cause of death was inconclusive and with no signs of foul play, it was not exactly a juicy story.

Ben and Sammy Wait a second.

Rosenblum …yes?

Sammy I’m sorry, doc. I’m not in the medical orrr criminal fields but, how is six gunshots not foul play?

Rosenblum Well, that was between the first autopsy and the second. The gunshots were self-defense administered via Deputy Kreighauser at my behest.

Sammy Ben, we’re gonna wanna get Troy on the phone and see what he’s got to say about this.

Ben “Things Ben Arnold would never think under ordinary circumstances for 800, Alex.”[2]

Sammy Doc, while we’re getting Deputy Troy on the line, would you mind if we took a quick break to hear from one of our sponsors?

Rosenblum That’s just- Dandy.

[light bg music]

Greg Frickard After a long day’s work or a tough day’s play, you probably just wanna come home and relax. No need to slave over a hot stove for hours on end. Well that’s where we come in! Here at Granny Frickard’s, we know that the less time you spend doing the things you don’t like, is the more time you spend with the ones you love. So come get some of the best frog legs that money can buy. Granny Frickard’s French-fried farm-fresh never-frozen filleted-and-fricasseed fried-and-flambeed frog legs. Mm-mm-mm. So get on down to Granny Frickard’s Froggery at the corner of Main Street and 7th Avenue. We’ll put some pep in your step and some hop in your heart.

[KFAM intro music]

Sammy And we’re back on King Falls AM, here with King Falls County Coroner, Dr. Jeffery Rosenblum.

Rosenblum A Pleasure.

Sammy Do you have Troy, Ben?

Ben He’s booking one of the Williams boys for mooning. He’ll call us in a few.

Sammy I’m a little out of sorts here, doc. Can you explain what happened between the first inconclusive autopsy and the point where Troy filled the cadaver full of lead.

Rosenblum Of course. As I was finishing the initial post-mortem, it came to my attention that the deceased began to emit a hissing sound, fluctuating between the lower thorax and the larynx.

Ben Oh my God.

Rosenblum I called for Deputy Kreighauser and he entered, as I wanted someone else to see this- phenomenon. That’s when the John Doe began a slight, thrashing about the upper torso.

Ben Um… are you saying—

Rosenblum The deputy began to fumble for his sidearm while we both discerned that something was wildly- amiss. The deceased opened its eyes and instantly grabbed for the lapel of my lab coat with voracious tenacity.

Ben Wh- ah- go on.

Rosenblum It gnashed its teeth as I emitted a terrified, albeit, high pitched, scream. And that’s when Troy unholstered his sidearm and administered six lethal shots to the reanimated corpse’s cranium.

Ben A zombie.

Sammy Alright, is there- [fumbling] Let’s just say- is there-

Ben We’ve got Troy on the line.

Deputy Troy [in bg] I don’t care if he was only joshin’. You can’t show your G-D derriere out in public! [car door slams] [pleasantly] Hey boys, what’s goin’ on tonight?

Sammy You tell us, Troy, holy geez! Uh, we’ve got Dr. Rosenblum on the line here and—

Deputy Troy Is this about the zombie?

Ben Yes! So-so you’re confirming this story, Troy?

Deputy Troy Well, hell yeah I’m confirming! I had to do three hours of damn paper work from unloadin’ my pistola into a corpse! Sheriff Gunderson was not the happiest of campers.

Ben [excited and awed] This is amazing… This is unprecedented .

Sammy [skeptical] This is a little unbelievable, Troy.

Rosenblum It is a first in my profession. Believe you me. [still tonelessly] Wowzers.

Deputy Troy Honest engine[3] boys. I capped the all get out of that thing! It had the doc by the face ‘bout to start chewing!

Rosenblum You’re my hero, Deputy Troy.

Deputy Troy Shucks, wasn’t nothin’ special.

Ben [slightly sullen] Except killing the first instance of a zombie in King Falls since—

Sammy Don’t say “since”.

Ben … Well… Since that one time at the mall in the '80s.

Sammy No, that’s not a real thing, Ben. That’s a film.

Ben [worked up] Sammy? How many extraordinary things are gonna have to SLAP you right in the face to make you buy into this? KING FALLS, MAN.

Deputy Troy You know me, Sammy. I always shoot ya straight. But it was the craziest sh[bleep]t I’ve ever seen. I mean it was like my-ex-wife-needs-alimony-money crazy.

Ben See? Even Barney Fife[4] saw it.

Sammy *sighs* I just—

Rosenblum I don’t want to cause an uproar here, but since that exam, there have been, other cases.

Ben Of frickin’ zombies?

Rosenblum Of reanimation among corpses… yes.

Deputy Troy Doc, you just give me a call if you need. I’m more than happy to go Clint Eastwood if the situation arises.

Rosenblum Will do, Deputy. Thank you so much for your- assistance. Without you, there may not have been this- interview.

Deputy Troy [proud] To protect and serve.

Sammy I can’t take all this in right now, Dr. Rosenblum I- e- Thank you so much for your insightful information.

Rosenblum As they say, [still monotone] “you got it, duude.”

[click, dial tone]

Ben You okay, Sammy? You… don’t look so well.

Deputy Troy Ah, hell, boys.[siren whoop] I gotta go. I’ll call you back later tonight! One of the Williams boys is tryin’ ta saw through the bars outside the jailhouse? [sirens in bg] [through megaphone] Jacob Williams put your hands UP and the file DOWN.

[click, dial tone]

Ben Alright King Falls, you’ve heard our story, let’s hear yours. Have you or anyone you know experienced anything like what the doctor spoke of? Reanimation? The walking—

Sammy Don’t.

Ben You know what I mean. Give us a call or tweet us.

Sammy Looks like the board is lighting up!

Ben Um…

Sammy What’s up? Okay, it can’t be any crazier than what we just heard, Ben.

Ben Line One, Sammy.

Sammy Welcome to King Falls AM, you’re on with Sammy and Ben.

Line 1 [female, almost sounds automated] Good evening, Sammy—

Sammy Do I know you ma'am?

Riley — please hold for Mayor Grisham.

Ben He… Probably just wants us to— mark these tapes as, evidence. *nervous laugh* Right, Sammy?

Sammy Or burn them.

Riley Sammy Stevens, Mayor Grisham.

Sammy Mayor?

Mayor Grisham Sammy… Ben.

Sammy You’re on live on King Falls AM, sir.

Mayor Grisham [commanding] Take me off and go to break. We need to chat.

Sammy No can do. Ben says we aren’t scheduled for break for another- uh- at least ten minutes.

Mayor Grisham Ben. Cut. To. Commercial.

Ben Uh- uh- uh- the thing is- I- I- I can’t- do that. Sir.

Mayor Grisham [threateningly pleasant] You boys want to talk live on air? We can talk live on air.

Sammy [challenging] Nothin’ to hide on this end of the phone, Mayor Grisham.

Mayor Grisham I hear your snide remarks, Sammy. I’ve read the transcripts.

Sammy Which! let’s be honest, is pretty weird. We’re a late night AM talk show, why are you bothering with us?

Mayor Grisham Oh, I don’t bother with you. I try to keep up to date with all the local news and entertainment. I gotta say, I was really happy a big city radio guy decided to come play host at our little radio station.

Sammy Well, I’m more than happy to—

Mayor Grisham I wasn’t finished… But I have to say, I’m a little less than thrilled with [accusingly] all the excitement you brought with you.

Sammy I’d hardly call reporting the news “excitement”, sir—

Mayor Grisham It’s interesting to me that I don’t see Channel 13 breaking these crazy stories.

Ben [quickly] No offense, your honor, but those idiots don’t know their a[bleep]holes from their elbows.

Mayor Grisham And you boys being on site when these “events” happen? [softly, still accusing] It’s a little bit of a coincidence don’t you think?

Sammy Are you insinuating that we are staging these events, Mayor?

Mayor Grisham I’m stating facts. I’m sure your ratings are way, way up there since all these sensational events seem to coincide with your broadcast. Why do you think that is? Furthermore, I mean who’s up listening to you at this ungodly hour of the night?!

Sammy Seemingly most of the town, Sir. As well as whomever you’ve hired to keep an ear on us.

Mayor Grisham I’ve tried to be nice about this… And I tried to be civil… but I think it’s about time that you troublemakers changed formats. No more of this funny business. It’s not good for the listeners. It’s not good for the residents. And honestly? it’s not good for me. I don’t appreciated being painted in this light, gentlemen.

Sammy Oh! You mean the light where you as a public service,[sic] try to quell the voice of the people.

Ben It’s not your right to tell us what we can and can’t report on, sir. All due respect.

Mayor Grisham [rudely] All due respect, Ben Arnold. Just a couple of months ago you were digging up old records on eBay for Chet Sebastian to run on about. Now you’re a media star?? That’s worrisome! Seems you fellas have All the reasons in the world to fabricate these issues, and I have to say I’m not gonna sit here and listen to this, while you LIE TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF KING FALLS.

Sammy Well, when we start “fabricating” and “making things up,” you can come throw the book at us. But until then- [click, dial tone] Whoops! Looks like you just got disconnected. I’d wait for you to give us a call back and all, but with it not being an election year I probably shouldn’t hold my breath.

Ben Line One iiis lit up again, Sammy.

Sammy [insincerely] Oh, sorry about that Mayor! I must have fabricated accidentally dumping your call when-

Esther Rollens [heavy metal music in bg] [voice old and wavering] Did you boys fund a lavender ball of yarn in there? Been looking for it all week! [click, dial tone]

Ben [shaken] Sammy, I think that commercial might do us some good right now.

[KFAM outro]

[CREDITS]

References

[1] Coachella - The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called Coachella or the Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert.

[2] Reference to the TV game show Jeopardy!

[3] I honestly can’t tell if he’s saying “honest engine” or “honest injun” but i’mma go with the one that’s technically incorrect but also not super racist.

[4] Barney Fife - Deputy from the Andy Griffith Show. Calling a police officer or authority figure "Barney Fife" has become an American slang term for gross ineptitude or overzealousness.

#king falls am #king falls #kfam #sammy stevens #ben arnold #troy krieghauser #dr. jeffrey rosenblum #mayor grisham #kfam transcripts #kfam ep5

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beersfromthebleachers · 5 years

Text

Bold trade deadline moves for 2019

The 2019 MLB trade deadline will have a bit of a different feel to it this year. The July 31st deadline remains the same. However, unlike in seasons past, this will be the last time that teams can trade for players in order to improve their teams. Gone is the waiver trade deadline, which allowed teams to add players via a waiver trade up until August 31st. Once the date passes for players to be traded, teams have to start figuring out their strategies for the post and offseason. There has always been some last minute acquisitions that have been a difference maker for any team that potentially will be holding the World Series trophy come the end of the playoffs. Here are some bold predictions that I personally would like to see happen. Please note, I AM NOT a professional baseball journalist, I am only throwing my two-cents in on what would be interesting trade concepts before the deadline.

1) LHP Madison Bumgarner (SF): The rumors around MadBum have surrounded him since the beginning of the season. As much as a staple name Bumgarner has been for the Giants, the dynasty window looks like it will be closing if San Francisco keeps up this performance for the season. However, loyalty is more important to Bumgarner in wanting to stay over actually wanting to be traded. That’s why he listed his no-trade clause with a group of teams that are potential contenders for this season (Astros, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees). It’s hard to say, but the landing destination for Bumgarner is a small field. However, the best spot for where he could potentially wind up is the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have a commanding lead of the American League Central and are in the best position to beat out the favored Cleveland Indians for division. The Nationals are another team not listed on Bumgarner’s list and have the potential to send some of their top prospects for the veteran and make their pitching staff lethal in the rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin. As much as MadBum would like to stay a Giant for life, his potential of winning his fourth title could make his value as a free agent in 2020 more valuable.

2) RHP Marcus Stroman (TOR): The Toronto Blue Jays are in same comparable situation as the Giants, the difference that they are currently taking advantage of is exposing their young talent that is ripe enough to be exposed from their farm system. Someone who is willing to stick around for that talent to blossom is ace, Marcus Stroman. Stroman has been the best pitcher in the Blue Jays system and has as much to offer as Madison Bumgarner does, and should not shy away the contention of being able to compete at a high level. Although he does not have the World Series rings like Bumgarner, Stroman was the star pitcher that led the United States in winning their first World Baseball Classic title in 2017. Stroman has been fighting arbitration cases with the Toronto front office over the past couple of seasons; and he even lost his case in the offseason before the 2019 campaign began. It would be in high favor that Stroman would be traded to a division rival that has the chance of running deep into the playoffs this fall. The Yankees have eyed Stroman as a favorite to switch sides in the division, and for that potential youth factor for their rotation going forward can be solved by replacing C.C. Sabathia in the long term.

3) 3B Anthony Rendon (WSH): There have already been stirring rumors of Rendon’s agent Scott Boras working on an extension with the Washington Nationals, but it has always been a routine of Boras telling his clients to deny any extension and see what said player could find in free agency. The Nats could probably have the financial means to extend Rendon in any ridiculous fashion that Boras would throw their way. After the departure of Bryce Harper, which happens to be Boras’ prized client, the front office of Washington would move forward to invest more in supporting players, like Rendon, and make him a big time All-Star. However, in the terms that the Nationals come up short and do not look like they will be in the playoff picture, it would not be unrealistic for them to hold Rendon valued enough to a team looking for that edge at third base. A team that could easily shop for Rendon is any American League contender. The Minnesota Twins could squeeze Rendon into their lineup and push Marwin Gonzalez to the outfield platoon that has lingered with injury all season. The Yankees do not need a third basemen with the explosion from Gio Urshela, but after the shortcomings of missing out on Manny Machado, it is too good to be true to go after Rendon.

4) OF Yasiel Puig (CIN): Another free agent piece that is up for grabs in the 2020 season, Yasiel Puig could be a perfect rental piece for any contender that needs strong outfield presence with an explosive bat. At the beginning of the season, it looked like the Cincinnati Reds were loaded up to go against a talent stacked NL Central, but their efforts have left them in last place of the division at the halfway mark. Puig’s efforts should not go without appreciation: in a Reds uniform he is currently has a batting average if .263 with 22 home runs and 56 RBIs. Another statistic that needs to go into focus is Puig’s career numbers over the past three seasons is what he hits for in the second half of the season. From July through September, he has hit for .282/.264/.294 for his averages and collecting 32 home runs alongside 89 RBIs. The icing on top is how he hits for in the post season, where his career numbers in October is hitting .280 for batting average with five home runs and 23 RBIs since 2013; he has not missed a post season ever since his debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the same year. Puig will not come cheap; he is almost a $10 million-dollar-man and will need to go to a team that has the salary room to afford him for the second half of the season. For an outfielder that has experience playing in a World Series, a team that is willing to pay for the right fielder could be the Cleveland Indians or the St. Louis Cardinals.

5) LHP Will Smith (SF): So the best closer that all the experts have their eyes on is Kirby Yates of the San Diego Padres, but the Friar Faithful are in consideration of being a fringe team in making the Wild Card for the National League. Even if the Padres come up short, the probability of dealing Yates is low because their potential in the future looks promising with what they are currently producing as a unit. In the same division, the Giants continue to be in the mix for selling their key assets of the season, which includes closer Will Smith. Smith is another pitcher that is eligible for free agency in 2020 and the Giants could let him go without any loss to their team. His numbers this year are impressive, with a 2.11 ERA, 54 strikeouts, and 24 saves in the 2019 campaign. That is second behind the league leader Yates, which makes him the second best closer in the National League halfway through the season. There are a handful of playoff contenders that are looking to improve their bullpens for short-term retainer for the playoffs, including the Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers, Rays, and Red Sox. There would be an expectation that if Smith were traded, it would be a last minute transaction before the deadline closes.

6) 1B Jose Abreu (CWS): The Chicago White Sox are on the fringe of becoming a competitive unit within the coming season or two. In the current season, they are not even close to being considered as a Wild Card team for the American League. Sending out Jose Abreu for the last few months of the season would be the perfect sacrifice that the White Sox could do to address any missing links they need for the next season. The primary reason why this is acceptable is Abreu has been vocal about his pride for the South Side and even if he were traded, his first priority would be to come back and resign in free agency after the 2019 postseason. Besides the faithful commitments by Abreu, his 2019 season has been stellar with 21 home runs, 66 RBIs, and scoring 44 runs with an OPS of .807. There are a great deal of playoff contenders who are full at first base, so the potential suitors for Abreu would be a Wild Card worthy team. It would be in his best interest to go to a fast producing offense, like the Rays or Indians. A strong team that would love his bat would be the Houston Astros who would love the rental at first base.

7) RHP Noah Syndergaard (NYM): We get to the same point every year for the New York Mets and it ends up to be in the same miserable place they suffer in. If the hitting is connecting, the pitching is off and sometimes vice versa. Lately, they continue to have trouble closing out games having a carousel of closers including Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz. At the brink of hitting the “fire sale” button, it would be in their best interest to let go of any players where they could gain an edge for potential future, and it starts with Noah Syndergaard. Thor has lingered with injury on and off ever since the Mets were great contenders to command the National League East, yet everyone in the division have managed to catch up to them (outside the Marlins). Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen has laughed off the idea that Syndergaard be traded at all, but it would not sound like a bad idea. The rumors have stirred that the Padres would be more than willing to fit Thor into their future system, and after paying for Manny Machado they can assure that they can afford him. With the Padres having one of the best farm teams, they have plenty of players to send over that can fit the replacement of Syndergaard. Another factor is Thor comes cheap, as he still has another year of arbritation before he becomes a free agent in 2020.

8) RHP Shane Greene (DET): There have been more rumors circulating around starting pitcher Matthew Boyd for the Detroit Tigers to trade before the deadline. However, in the hopes that their rotation will be competitive for the following season with the return of Michael Fulmer and potentially their first overall draft pick Casey Mize, the team would like to keep Boyd as a seasoned veteran. Greene has been one of the best closers for the American League and proved it by being a nominated an All-Star this season. He has been setting his career high for someone that has never been in the considerations of making the Midsummer Classic. The 30-year old is holding down a 1.06 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 22 saves for a team that is currently in last place of their division. Probably the best asset the Tigers have to offer for trading, they could move Greene to any potential suitor for a cheap price who is only making four million dollars and would not be too awful to any team’s payroll. Not to mention that he has one more year of arbitration left and would not be considered a free agent until the 2021 off-season, but he could be an asset for a team that potentially needs a closer for the post season. Teams with the fewest saves this season that are playoff contenders include the Red Sox, Rangers, and Cubs.

9) SS Didi Gregorious (NYY): This is a bit of a reach, but this is valuing the concept of free agency in the 2019 postseason, and Gregorious is one of the top names that are in that class. In high regard for how well the Yankees performed this season, they reached first place with strictly bench and farm players with a great deal of their prime talent on the injury list, which also included Gregorious. That is not assuming that the Yankees are going to let go of Gregorious, but rather insisting that they do not need him. The way the Yankees can take advantage of trading away ‘Sir Didi’ would be in their favor for a potential pitching piece that can make them more dominant not just for this season, but for future seasons as well. Gleyber Torres has the youth and the potential to be the club’s future shortstop and the team is doing fantastic with recent free agent addition DJ LeMahieu. Worst case scenario, the Yankees will do the same play the White Sox would do for Abreu: if he looks to be a part of the big picture for the team in the future. Unless of course the Yankees are looking for the fountain of youth, which would not benefit potentially 30-year old Gregorious in the 2020 season.

10) OF Nicholas Castellanos (DET): Probably one of the best rental outfield pieces is Nicholas Castellanos of the Detroit Tigers. The third baseman turned outfielder is one of the cheapest players available before he becomes a free agent in 2020. As one of the best hitters in the Tigers lineup, Castellanos is hitting .283 for the season with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs. If the dramatics for Yasiel Puig is not anything a potential playoff contender is looking for, Castellanos comes roughly at the same price at slightly under $10 million to fit anyone’s payroll. The difference however happens to be his lack of playoff experience, which is why he is ranked lower on this list than Puig. In the advantage that the Tigers have over the Reds is that they are almost finished with retooling their team. The Reds made more aggressive trades this season in order to remain competitive with the remainder of their division, but their efforts will look like that they are about to hit the reset button as well before the start of next season. A trade deal with Castellanos to be packaged with Greene to a team that looks hungry to win would be exciting to see towards the end of the trade deadline.

Do you agree with this list at all? Is there any MLB player on this list that you believe who will be on the move instead of any of these names? I am no psychic nor do have I have a crystal ball, but these are some bold decisions on who will be traded before the 2019 deadline.

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