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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 4 years

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COSMIC - S3:E1; Chapter One, Suzie, Do You Copy? - [Pt. 1]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

Summer brings new jobs and budding romance. But the mood shifts when Dustin’s radio picks up a Russian broadcast, and Will senses something is wrong.

A/n: Honestly this entire episode is gonna be fluff. I sprinkled a whole bunch of Y/n and Lucas brotp cause y'all loved it so much and honestly I love writing it. Lots of roasting each other this chapter. Also the Mike and Y/n dynamic after season 2 will be explained more as the season progresses. Enjoy!

||3rd Person POV||

The faint sound of crickets could barely be heard over the soft music of The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and The News plays from inside Castle Byers. Soft yellow light spills out from the cracks and slits of the castle from the battery-powered lamp where the young couple sat planning a campaign. It was clear that both had done a great deal of growing over the summer, just as their friends had. Will most of all, as he sat now in Castle Byers, he did so with a slightest of hunches seeing as he had sprouted tremendously in height. His shoulders had broadened a bit, and his voice had lowered as much had he had grown.

As for Y/n, the changes in her were more internal than external. Like Will, her physique had changed though not quite as drastically. Her features were far more defined than they had been in previous years, but the biggest change within her was how she held herself. The months since that dreadful night at the cabin, she had dedicated every spare moment to learning about herself... About her powers.

And now more than ever, she was one with her abilities. With help from El and the overwhelming support from Will, she exuded a whole new level of strength and confidence in herself. Something that set her apart from her previous attempts in secret the year before. Now with help, she thrived.

"The power of love is a curious thing

Make a one man weep, make another man sing"

"So what if, when they enter the tomb of Kuzatan - the villagers being in danger I'm sure would give them no way to cheat their way out - and then they..." her voice trails off, getting lost in the notes that seep into the air. She quirks a brow at the boy before her. "Will, hon? You listening?"

"Mmm?" Will hummed, torn suddenly from his blissful gaze.

Having been caught staring at Y/n, she realized he had missed the question. She laughed, shaking her head. Butterflies erupted in Will's stomach at the sound, and he realized he may never grow tired of it. He still couldn't believe his luck that she was dating him.

The corners of his lips tugged into a small grin as he mumbled a 'sorry'. Y/n simpered, trying to shake off the dizziness in her head that always appeared when he made her heart flutter.

She returned to her notes, and he lovingly watched her speak. His eyes would occasionally fall to her lips but he was drawn back to her eyes and the concentration they possessed. All the while the sappy lyrics spilling their way into his subconscious as he listened.

"Don't need money, don't take fame

Don't need no credit card to ride this train"

Just two years ago, the thought of her liking him was a myth in his eyes. Her ever noticing him as more than a friend was a sickly sweet dream that would never see the light of day.

"It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes"

And last year, with the Mind Flayer... He hated the thoughts he had, the feelings he felt when the Mind Flayer took over. The hate and disgust that crept up whenever she was around but he fought it. Though he could never forget the look on her face when the Mind Flayer attacked her.

"But it might just save your life

That's the power of love"

But now. They were happy. She saved him, and after his recovery, they were finally together.

"Will!" She laughed sharply, reaching over and swatting him lightly on the arm with her notebook.

Will was pulled from his daze yet again, no longer trying to hide the happiness and bliss he felt.

She smiled fondly and shook her head, placing her arm on his shoulder and pulled him in for a kiss. The music playing from the radio she had gifted to him a year before swelled as their lips met in a tender kiss.

"That's the power of love,"

After several moments their lips break apart but their foreheads remained glued together. A light laugh breaks out between them, escaping through the blinding grins carved into their faces. Her eyes travel from the ground to meet with his, only to find he had already been staring at her with the same lovesick gaze. It brings the same storm of butterflies in her stomach and sporadic beating of her heart.

Neither Will nor Y/n could recall a time either of them felt this happy.

Y/n's gaze flickers back to Will's lips. She flashes a warm grin and gives him one last and swift peck on the lips before sitting back up. She tucks her notes father into her lap and that is when she catches sight of the time displayed on her watch.

"Shit,"

Immediately, Will's mood shifts.

"What? What's wrong?"

Her eyes find his and she quirks a brow, her hands already collecting their campaign papers and stowing them away in a safe place.

"We're gonna be late."

Out of reflex, Will checks his watch. His eyes widen in a brief flicker before gathering his things, though his movements are not as hasty as hers. He gathers his campaign papers, his eyes glazing over several notes he had made. The smallest bud of unease blooms in his stomach.

"You really think they'll like this campaign?" He asks, his gleeful composure fading for the first time since her visit.

The ache in his voice captures her attention, and quickly she drops what she's doing. She immediately recognizes the uncertainty in his features and feels a tug on her heart. A sad smile graces her face, and she drops her folder before leaning forward and cupping his face in her palms forcing him to look at her. His wide hazel eyes search hers finding nothing but love and comfort in them.

"They're gonna love it, Will. Cause, it came from you. Remember, " she smirks when his smile begins to return. "I'm just helping out."

Before he can protest she brings his face forward with a small hum, planting a kiss on his nose with a dramatic smack of her lips. His face erupts into a violent shade of scarlet against his wishes. After all this time, Y/n still managed to have this effect on him. She begins to lean away when she knows she's cheered him up, but before she can escape he captures her in another sweet kiss. He can faintly make out the f/f Slurpee that lingered from earlier that day. She hums contently and it blends perfectly with the drumming of his heart. He can feel his cheeks grow hot not just from his fluster but the feel of her palms growing warm against his skin.

Like Y/n's laugh, her warmth was something he was certain he would never tire of. It was something he had always seen in her, but after her powers had been discovered, it was only more obvious. Her touch always reminded him of the sun streaming in through the window on a chilly morning; a toasty blanket of light that hit your face just right. And he felt it now on his face as she kissed him. Although it was cut far too short in Will's opinion as she broke apart for air. Her thumb softly strokes his cheek, the pads of her fingers and palm still warm to the touch as sends him one more reassuring smile.

"And even if they don't," she continues, a spark of mischief in her eyes. "I'll blast 'em for ya."

Will chuckles, bringing his hand up to cup hers in thanks, nevermind the fact he didn't want her to let go quite yet. Alas, yet another moment lost to time. Her warm palms leave his face and immediately he feels colder, but he also knows they don't want to miss the movie. He smiles to himself as he packs up the remainder of his things as he thinks about it. His hands were almost always cold, a trait he had long before the Mind Flayer. And had it not been for her powers, Y/n might have been the same. It was yet another reason they fit so well together.

The crunch of a very small twig beneath Y/n's sneakers bring him back to reality for the third time. He looks up at Y/n to find her balanced on her tiptoes, legs folded ready to stand and she extends her palm for him to take.

"Come on, Sir Will," she says through a coy smile, her head gesturing behind her towards the cloaked entrance to the castle. "Starcourt awaits."

He brings himself to his knees to match her, ready to stand and duck outside into the night when he takes her hand. His thumb grazes her knuckles before planting a quick kiss on them, bringing a natural heat to her neck and face.

His face quickly contorts into a feigned expression of seriousness, all while dawning a fleeting and silly attitude as he waves his finger in the air. The way he always did as Will the Wise during campaigns.

"Then what are we waiting for, Y/C/N? Let us make haste!"

Will watches triumphantly as her lips press into a firm line that begins to twitch, the tell-tale signs she was fighting a losing battle with a grin as she shook her head. Y/n had yet to get used to this side of Will, though she did enjoy it. Since their time at the Snowball he had been far more relaxed. To the point where he would be cracking jokes, or surprising her with romantic gestures as such. It rarely came out like this, and when it did it was never around the others. It was something she wished they could see, but Y/n couldn't help the flutter of her heart knowing she was the only one to bring it out in him. She looks down at his soft gaze and humor in his eyes, before rolling her own, rising to her feet, and ducking out through the curtain door to avoid being caught with a smile.

"Dork," she laughs, her knuckles tingling from the unexpected gesture.

She hears his soft chuckles from behind her before he joins her side, and the couple falls into a comfortable silence as they grab their bikes off the forest floor and ride off into the night to the infamous Starcourt Mall.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

An excited grin finds Y/n's lips as the stunning neon lights of the mall come into view like a rather large homing beacon. Since its opening towards the beginning of the year, it had been flooded with people as it was now. And it was often frequented by the party as it quickly became their favorite hangout - besides Mike's basement of course - and it was on nights such as this they'd meet for a movie.

The giddiness in Y/n bubbled intensely when the welcoming aroma of salted pretzels and Hot Dog on a Stick mixed somehow perfectly with the scent of freshly-ironed linen and various perfumes, assailed her senses. It was the smell of the mall, the smell of summer, and the smell she often associated with many of her movie dates with Will. A favorite of theirs, which they had only seem a mere two weeks prior, was a newer film called The Goonies.

The rag-tag group of kids reminded them both of their own group, particularly the plucky and lovable Chunk who wistfully reminded Y/n of her brother who was currently away at camp. And Mikey, of course, the one to step up when everything went south reminded them both of their own Mike. And something about the kid on screen gave him a familiar and bittersweet feeling that tugged at his heart. Weirdly, he reminded Will of Bob and it made him smile a bit. Like he got to see him again.

The following week, the young couple dragged their friends to see it, assuring they'd love the film which they of course did. They only wished Dustin could make it there with them, but it was quickly decided they would a day of it when he got back. They certainly knew they wouldn't mind seeing it a third time, not if they got to see Dustin's reaction. Everyone back together again. Though Y/n and Will wouldn't miss the absence of teasing and/or disgusted remarks from Dustin on their relationship, that was for sure.

The pair slide their bikes into the bike rack before dismounting, and Will looks around a bit confused, his eyes flickering to his watch.

"Did we miss them?"

His worry melted when he saw her perfectly blissful composure, a soft smile playing her lips after checking her watch.

"Nope," she chirped, walking forward and taking his hand in hers walking him to the door.

"But the movie? You said it starts at eight," he asks, walking alongside her as his hand is tethered to hers. "It's eight twenty-five."

Y/n caught the closing glass door with her one free hand and the two slipped inside after the small group ahead of them, all the while her content never seemed to waver. She stopped suddenly and the crowd of people coming through the doorway flooded in around them, but his confused stare remained fixed on her as her wide eyes took in the exuberant sight before them. He could see the neon dancing in her e/c eyes as she looked to him smiling mischievously - and proudly at herself - as she pointed to the sign beside the door. His attention flickers to the bulletin board erected near the entrance. In a clear display of various showtimes, just under Return to Oz at eight-thirty was Day of the Dead at nine.

"I said the plan was to get here at eight," she smirked. "not that the movie started at eight. This way, you and I can swing by Scoops Ahoy, or whatever really, before the others get here."

"And they get here at..?" His growing excitement written on his face betrayed the hesitation in his voice.

She deflated a bit as she shrugged.

"Eight forty-five. Which gives us only twenty minutes, or so. I was hoping for more, but..." she trailed off with a smile, and gently poked his arm with her elbow, her hand still intertwined with his. "planning that campaign was fun."

A weak chuckle breaks loose, and he blushes under her gentle stare. Yet again Will wonders how he found himself with her, what he did to deserve her company. Almost as if sensing his thoughts, she shook her head wistfully, shutting down the thoughts before breaking out into a small jog towards the escalators.

"Come on," she laughed, pulling him along. "We don't have all summer!"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

The two emerged from Flash Studios with giddy laughter and stomachs coated with their favorite snacks from their previous visit to the food court. They smile down at the glossy photos they each possess, pointing out their favorite traits of the portraits they had just taken. Four photos of them - each in a more bright and colorful wardrobe than the previous - as they struck silly poses and crazy faces. All but one; which reminded Will of an even better version of the old science fair photo he had not-so-secretly admired for years.

Y/n wore an elated grin, but her eyes had closed. Her arm wrapped around Will as he planted a kiss on her cheek - the unexpected gesture being what prompted her eyes to flutter closed. All the while, the hand that had snuck around his back could be seen poking out from behind his head creating bunny ears.

The others were of equal quality, each with their own charms and unique mannerisms. Particularly the one of them back to back, arms folded and a silly feigned smolder but the bunny ears remained their favorite. It was a visual representation of their relationship and how far they had come.

Y/n slips her copy back into the thin plastic sleeve before dropping it at her side, the small handle hole dangling loosely from her curled fingers as she looks to Will. He is still admiring the photos in his hand and the look on his face - the happiness carved deep within his features - made her heart swell. He had been through such a great ordeal, more than any of them could ever possibly know - aside from El of course, who knew the heavy weight of trauma all too well. But now, in these moments together, and much like the ones back in Castle Byers, he seemed truly happy.

'He deserves it,' she thought to herself.

The two of them made sense together, and not because Will had carried a torch for her for so long, but because of the little things. The way they made each other laugh, the way they brightened each other's day. The way one spat between them, no matter how big, was never enough to break them but make them stronger.

It was because they were best friends.

Against her desires, Y/n broke her gaze away from Will and to the clock hanging over the fountain near the main entrance. The blue and yellow hands read eight thirty-eight. She deflated a bit, and nudged Will with her elbow.

"Well, the other's should be getting here any minute," she sighed, and he turned to look at her. "So I guess we should head back to the entrance."

Will nodded, already tucking the now sleeved photographs into his backpack before slipping it over his shoulder. Together, the two of them make their way back. Their footsteps have grown slower in the subconscious efforts of prolonging their alone time together. Will throws a glance Y/n's way as they walk, a tired smile fixed on his lips.

"What do you wanna bet we'll be waiting even longer for Mike?"

She now understands his subtle shift in demeanor, and it spreads to her as she lets out a flattened chuckle. She understands exactly what he is talking about. While she initially was very happy for her friends, Y/n was not immune to the growing impatience the rest of the party felt with how much time Mike and El were spending together.

"Nothing. I'm not dumb enough to take that bet." She scoffs back.

Will knew the frustration leaking through to her voice was not directed at him, but their shared frustrations with their friends. Each of them missed them a great deal despite a whole summer together. Y/n rarely saw El now, and Will saw Mike just as often. Alone time that is, any get-together the party planned - beside Starcourt due to the precautions surrounding El and her safety - El and Mike were hardly present. They globbed onto one another to the point they rarely spoke to the others - and no one could speak to just one of them alone anymore.

Like her boyfriend, Y/n enjoyed this summer greatly - particularly since Will had been such a big part of it - but the party had begun to grow lonely. More complicated that is. Dynamics between everyone were far more complex than they ever had been the older they got. Mike's frustrations with Y/n from the previous year were quicker to simmer down than she initially thought which relieved her greatly. But she wasn't sure if it was because they were all older, El was back to stay, or enough time had passed - or possibly all of the above - but things between her and Mike were just different. With everyone, in fact.

Y/n was grateful to have Lucas still, he remained the friend she could go to when she had a problem. Her best mate in DnD, and the boy she could always count on to be looking out for what was best for his friends as well as himself. But lately, he had been spending all of his spare time with Mike when neither of them were with their girlfriends.

This was another reason - out of many - that Y/n was more than thankful to have Will by her side. They both had felt a bit ostracized after the events of the previous year. Will's recovery had not been a quick one, but Y/n was there through thick and thin. As was he with her own struggles regarding the life of hers that once was, and the scary truths she faced with the tremendous powers inside of her. Hours of their lives had been spent pouring over the Missing Experiment files that Y/n still held in her possession - far away from her mother of course. A dark thought - not the first of it's kind - popped into her head about her friends' distance; Perhaps this was why she and Will were often forgotten...

Y/n immediately shakes the thought away, casting it further into the shadows of her mind. As she does, she is overwhelmingly grateful for the sudden sight of bright orange hair and a tye-dye cap. Relief washes over her and Y/n snatches up Will's hand, all traces of sadness gone and eagerly she drags him to the entrance doors faster.

Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair dismount their bikes, far too fixed on sweeping the crowd for any sight of their friends to notice Will and Y/n's bike parked just a few spaces over.

Lucas sighs, resting his hands on his hips as his head rolls to look at Max displeased. "First ones... again. Think they'll ever learn how to get here on time?"

Max shrugs, eyes scanning the parking lot wearing a less than impressed expression. "Doubtful."

"Welll," Lucas's expression changes quickly as he slips into a hopeful sing-song voice. He grins down at her from his less than obvious growth spurt. "At least we're alone..."

Max's deadpanned expression comes to face Lucas, though she can't seem to mean it. Her lips pucker as she tries not to smile, failing miserably. Instead, she laughs, her mouth parting to fire a comeback when the sound of her name enters their ears from behind them.

Max turns to find her best friend speed walking towards her, a hand gripped tightly around Wills. Will sent both Lucas and Max a soft smile, and she found it easy to replicate. She liked Will, and his somewhat timid presence made her induction of the party a lot easier. But it was Y/n she was most excited to see.

Max and herself had quickly become the best of friends. With Dustin gone, and the guys distancing themselves she once again began to feel adrift. Sensing the same discomfort in Max, and the bonds forged in the horrifying events of the previous year, the friendship blossomed.

"I stand corrected," Max remarks to Lucas as the couple approaches.

Lucas bit back a laugh.

Y/n simpered, sending a look Will's way. "We got here early. Got to roam around a bit."

The pair nod and Max sends Y/n a playful smile. Y/n releases Will's hand and with simultaneous grins, she and Max step forward towards each other. They bump fists three times before grasping one another's wrists and leaning back as they each balance on one leg and pull themselves back in. They share a small laugh and turn to the others with a giddy smile, Lucas and Will having already gotten used to their closeness. And the new handshake they had developed over the summer.

"So, tell us," Max begins, a mischievous smirk flickering to her boyfriend before landing on Y/n. "how is the happy couple enjoying their last night of freedom?"

Everyone laughs in response, knowing full well she is referring to Dustin's return from camp tomorrow. Since the Snowball, more specifically the official beginning of Y/n and Will's relationship, Dustin - while begrudgingly willing to admit he was happy for them - was less than pleased with their closeness. And he made no effort to hide it.

"Pretty good, I'd say," Y/n laughs, looking to Will who nods.

"We got some good photos over at Flash," he finishes.

Lucas and Max share a knowing expression before sending a flat, unimpressed look to either of their friends.

"What?" They ask in unison, furthering their point.

"Just," Lucas laughs, gesturing to them. "you two. You guys are-"

He looks to Max and it doesn't take her long to complete the joke they had clearly practiced at least once before.

"finishing each other's sentences." Without skipping a beat, or making eye contact, the second couple bump fists. Max laughs, revealing her light-hearted teasing. "Honestly, it's sickening."

More titters break loose, and Will rolls his eyes despite a smile."Whatever,"

"Yeah," says Y/n, amused tone growing flat again. "At least we're not like Mike and El."

A bitter, but mostly disappointed chuckle ripples throughout the gathered group of friends as they reflect, all of them silently agreeing. Finally, Will diverts their attention to the aforementioned Wheeler boy.

"Hey, where is he anyway?" He asks, looking at his watch.

"Take a guess." Lucas retorts.

"Well, he better hurry!" Max says, looking around matter-of-factly. "Or we're gonna miss the previews."

"Forget the previews," Y/n huffs, hands beginning to fiddle subconsciously with her watch. "We're gonna miss the opening at this rate."

"No way I'm missing the movie," Max remarks, arms folding over her chest as Y/n nods along with her."I'm going in with or without him. If he's late, that's on him."

"Wait-" Lucas's gaze fixes on a spot in the busy parking lot, and quickly he gestures. "There he is!"

"About time," Max grumbles.

Their collective gaze carries them to a bike being ridden by Mike Wheeler that peddles through the parking lot of Starcourt Mall. The entire lot is lit up by the strips of neon light, illuminating all the cars and turning the black tarmac of the concrete a deep blue. He sails into view, gliding through the intricate web of mall-goers with ease only to come to a gradual halt before their feet at the bike rack.

They all wear unimpressed looks as he discounts his new bike, a model he upgraded to only months ago, that he now secures in a spot beside Lucas's. Like the others - perhaps, even, the most - he has grown tremendously. He stands several inches taller, and for reasons unknown to a select few of his friends, the abrasiveness he had obtained the previous year lingered though not nearly as intense.

"You're late," Lucas huffs.

"Sorry," Mike says through shortened breaths.

"Again."

"We're gonna miss the opening," Will scolds.

"Yeah, if you guys keep whining about it." He retorts. "Let's go!"

Mike jumps into line with his friends, rushing for the doors as if the comment hadn't struck another nerve with his friends. Lucas' voice raises in pitch as he contorts his face, mocking Mike.

"If you guys keep whining about it. Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh."

The small act draws out a laugh in Y/n, a wide and mischievous grin stretches across her face as she matches his pace.

"No, Lucas," she corrects gently, pulling his gaze towards her as they walk."You gotta repeat yourself for emphasis if you wanna sound like Mike."

Everyone but Mike breaks into hysterical grins and wide eyes. Lucas' eyes light up as does his smile, his finger wagging excitedly as he nods and he scratches his chin and clears his throat. Mike all the while casts Y/n a sour look before rolling his eyes.

"My bad, Y/n, you're right." Lucas nods to her. "Set me up,"

Max and Will catch each other's smiling eyes before watching their partners' antics.

Y/n's smile drops, knowing immediately what he means, and exaggerated frown forms. "What are you talking about?"

Lucas's pitch grows high as does the volume of his voice as they enter Starcourt Mall, Y/n, and Will for the second time. Lucas's eyes grow wide.

"If you keep. Whining about it!"

The friends lock eyes and begin whining in sync.

"Nyeh-nyeh-NYEH!"

They burst into their own shared fit of laughter that doesn't quite reach the others in the same intensity, though smirks are still screwed tightly into Will and Max's cheeks. Mike's frown hardened as he stares dead ahead, and it breaks only once to send a cold glower to the conniving pair of friends.

"Hilarious." He deadpans.

"I thought so," Will chirps with a laugh.

The group rounds the corner, Shannon's Do You Wanna Get Away fights its way through the natural buzz of mall-goers as it plays overhead in the speakers, subconsciously filling the group of teenagers with building anticipation.

"Surprise, surprise," Mike fires back. "Look, there's nothing wrong with spending a little romantic time with my girlfriend."

"Of course there's not, Mikey," Y/n says, nimbly maneuvering through the small crowd that approached. "But this has been going on all summer, we're way passed,"

She brought her fingers in quotation marks. "'a little,'"

Before he can fire a response, The Party reaches the escalators. A plethora of apologies and 'excuse me's leave their lips as they weave through the crowd standing idly by as the escalators take them down.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry,"

"Excuse me, I'm sorry."

"'Scuse us! Thank you,"

They finally break through the wall of agitated people, Y/n's shoulder had accidentally hooked with another young woman who looked to be several years older and sent an apologetic look over her shoulder. Her gaze returned to the front just in time to see something similar happen to Mike, who collided with a girl their age rather roughly.

She continued walking with her friends but sent a bitter look his way.

"Watch it!"

"Yeah! Watch it, nerd!"

The Party's attention was brought to one of the benches surrounding the small decorative garden. There sat along the edge surrounded by her friends, was Erica Sinclair enjoying a vanilla cone with extra sprinkles.

"Isn't it passed your bedtime?" Lucas asks her as they pass.

"Isn't it time you died?" She fires back, causing a wide smile to break out on Y/n's face.

Mike is the first to enter Scoops Ahoy as he scurried inside ahead of everyone else, Lucas and Y/n being the last of the bunch inside.

"Lucas, you grossly underestimate your sister and it disappoints me greatly."

"Shut up, Henderson." He huffs.

A bright and satisfied laugh breaks loose from her chest as she files in with the rest of her friends and boyfriend to Scoops Ahoy. She quickly recognized the long cropped bob of dark blonde hair stuffed under the AHOY sailors hat and smiled subconsciously knowing Robin was at the counter. But much to her distaste, Mike began ringing the bell repeatedly in a shrill pattern that irked her.

Robin sent the boy a dissatisfied look, and without so much as blinking, she called back to her coworker in back.

"Hey, Dingus, your children are here."

The frosted glass windows are thrown open to reveal a disgruntled Steve Harrington in a matching vibrant blue sailor costume with a matching red name tag. His eyes land on The Party, all whom of which stand with blank and bored expression with the exception of the young Henderson girl who flashes a weak and toothy smile. He sighs with half-lidded eyes, his expression worn and tired.

"Again? Seriously?"

Mike slams his hand on the bell with an impatient look, earning three similar frowns from the two employees and Y/n Henderson.

Steve stands impatiently at the back door as the five teenagers seem to be taking their sweet time going through the back, completely disregarding his rules he had laid out. After all, he was risking his job for them to do this, and it seemed only few took it seriously.

"Come on, come on," he hisses.

They all file out of the door without so much as a second glance, except for Y/n, who held up the back and seemed eager to get out. She lingered by Steve, sticking her hand out and begrudgingly he complied. Their knuckles met in a quick fistbump they had begun doing one day when Dustin and herself had visited with him. A genuine smile lit up her face from a simple happiness that could only come from a Henderson.

"Thanks for all this Steve,"

She scurried down the hallway with her friends, remembering the rules, and not wanting him to get in trouble. But her face lights up, and Y/n spins on her heel to face him, still walking backward.

"I'll tell Dustin you say hi!" She calls.

Steve watches as the group disappears down the hallway, and he shakes his head with a heavy sigh as he leans against the doorknob.

Okay, so they weren't all that terrible.

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lilulo-12fanfiction · 4 years

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Rain Song- Chapter 2

Here is chapter 2! It’s another long one. It feels a little choppy to me, buuuut, I’m getting there. I don’t normally like to include so much from the original works, I like to create my own original content, but I think for the sake of setting up the rest of the story it’s kind of necessary. Also I had to include my favorite Hufflepuff in this story.

Thank you so much for all of your likes and the few comments I’ve gotten. It gives me motivation to keep going! If you would like to be tagged, please let me know!

Series Masterlist

Harry looked down at the girl he grasped in his hands. This must be her, she must be Hope. She matched Mr. Weasley's description precisely. Pale skin, rather short with curly blonde hair the color of dark thick honey. Well Mr. Weasley didn’t describe her hair quite like that, but all Harry could think of was thick, sweet honey when he looked at her hair. Her shiny spirals hung around her like a lion's mane and was wild in the best way possible. Harry could appreciate someone with wild hair. She had full lips that were parted in surprise. She looked up at him from under her lashes, her gray eyes wide. Mr. & Mrs. Weasley had pulled Harry, Ron & Hermione aside to tell them about Hope. She was starting at Hogwarts this year, but starting in her 3rd year. They mentioned she had been working an independent study as she was unable to attend in her first and second years. Professor Dumbledore had made an exception to allow her to start in the middle of her education. Arthur had mentioned to Harry that like him, Hope had lost both of her parents in the first Wizarding War and they had quite a bit in common. When Harry pushed for more information, Arthur had told him to get to know Hope. He urged him not to push her to open up though; she would need time. It was up to her to share her story with him. She had been in the back of Harry’s mind while Sirius Black claimed his immediate attention.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. A light shade of pink colored her cheeks and he could tell by her expression that something had her spooked. Harry internally groaned, The Boy Who Lived, flashed in his mind. He wanted, just for once, to meet someone who didn’t already who he was. She likely knew all about him and Voldemort while he had just heard of her this morning. "I should really watch where I'm going." She let out a nervous laugh.

"It's alright." Harry smiled. "There's a lot of us barreling into the castle right now." She was studying his face, it was like she was looking into his soul. He had never felt someone's gaze penetrate through him so sharply.

"Are you alright?" Her crystal grey eyes were flooded with concern. Was he alright? He had just passed out on a train after almost being attacked by a Dementor, but he wasn’t going to tell her that though he was positive she’d hear Malfoy making fun of him. Besides the intense embarrassment, he couldn't quite get the screams he heard out of his head. Before he could answer, Professor McGonagall was yelling for him and Hermione.

"Mr. Weasley-" McGonagall gave Ron a pointed look. "Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger will join you in The Great Hall. May I suggest you take Ms. Lupin with you to get settled down for the feast." Harry looked at Hope. Lupin... Professor RJ Lupin. She was related to him the man that had saved him on the train, their new Defense Professor, upon further thought he could see the resemblance between the two. He must be the Uncle that she grew up with. Harry had so many questions for her, but he didn’t know if he even had the right to ask them. Harry realized he was still holding on to her and let her go. She gave him a shy smile and waved at Ron slightly.

"Oi! Hope, it's been a long time. C'mon, we'll go get a seat. The food at the feast is wicked. Fred and George are excited to see you again. Ginny barely remembers you but she’s excited too." Ron gave Harry and Hermione an unsure look as he and Hope headed down to The Great Hall. Ron was curious as to what McGonagall wanted with his two best friends, but he decided to be happy he, for once, wasn't involved. Harry tried to watch the two of them as they walked away but Hermione was pulling him along the corridor to Professor McGonagall's office. ******************************************************************************** Dementors...Dementors on the train, Dementors on Hogwarts Grounds. Was that why Hope had been so sick the past week? The constant dread, desperation and despair she had been feeling would make sense. Was she overly sensitive to them? But then she realized those feelings started before she came to Hogwarts, it had just gotten more intense. Dementors...Dementors after her father. She felt panic rising within. She tried centering herself the way her Uncle had taught her. Dementors on the Hogwarts Express. It had been lucky that her Uncle Remus had ridden the train in. He had pushed them away. She could hear students at the Slytherin table making fun of Harry for passing out. She pursed her lips. Clearly the fools had no idea what being near a Dementor felt like. She knew why Harry had reacted so strongly, he knew emotion pain more than most people their age. Hope knew that many of their peers had lived charmed lives. Dementors fed on fear, Harry had plenty of reasons to be afraid. Her heart sunk again when she thought of her father, surrounded by them for 12 years. She shouldn't feel sorry for him. She should hate him. He killed so many Muggles and her father's best friend. He had abandoned her mother and her cause to side with the darkest wizard they had ever known. Yet it was the stories of his youth that she clung to. He had been a good person. He turned his back on all that Voldemort had believed in. The only person that could give her the answers her heart so desperately craved was her father. He wasn’t exactly accessible. She was jerked out of her own mind as Ron snapped his fingers in front of her face. George and Fred were sitting on each side of her and the 3 freckles boys were looking at her expectantly.

“Wait- what?” Her face flooded with embarrassment.

“We must be so handsome she can’t think straight Fred.”

“I reckon George.” Hope rolled her eyes.

“You two are pathetic.” Ginny scoffed and it made Hope giggle. Fred and George both grinned at Ginny and then Fred shot Hope a wink and she burst out laughing. They had just finished sorting the 1st years. It appeared that Ron was going to re-ask Hope his question as Harry and who Hope assumed was Hermione came rushing in quickly. It didn’t go unnoticed that the students around the hall were whispering about Harry. She could see the discomfort scrawled all over his face. Hermione gave Hope a bright smile.

“Harry, Hermione- this is Hope Lupin.”

“Lupin? Are you related to our new Professor?” Hermione questioned.

“He’s my uncle. He’s a really wonderful teacher. I think you’re going to really like him. I say that from a completely unbiased place. Actually Hermione, we’re meant to be roommates.” Hermione’s face lit up at the idea of having a real friend in the room. She often felt left out with Lavender and Pavarti. Hermione always wanted a really close female friend.

“Well seeing as how our last Professor was a useless lying git and the other was housing Voldemort in the back of his head, I reckon your Uncle won’t have to work hard to win us over.” Hope looked slowly over at Harry and he thought maybe he had offended her until he was a twinkle in her eye.

“What exactly goes on in this school?” Hope’s laugh rang out like a bell and Harry grinned at her.

“We may have some stories.” Hope felt relaxed for the first time in weeks. She glanced up at Remus and he was looking at her fondly. As she shifted her eyes, she saw Severus Snape’s intently watching her. Harry could see the smile melting off of Hope’s face. “What’s wrong.”

“Snape. He’s-“

“A creepy bloke?” Ron offered.

“Why is he staring at me like that?”

“Probably because you’re sitting with me and he hates me.” Harry offered. Hope was about to tell them how uneasy he made her feel when she met with him last week but she was interrupted by Dumbledore.

“Welcome!” said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. For the short time Hope had known Dumbledore, she realized she could listen to him speak forever. He had such a calming way about him. Harry was watching Hope watch Dumbledore. He could see the admiration in her eyes. The grey simmered into almost a silver color. He wondered if that’s how they always looked when she was content.

“Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast. . . .” Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, “As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.” Hope could sense Dumbledore’s displeasure with the presence of the Dementors. She focused her attention on his words.“ They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds,” Dumbledore continued, “and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks,” he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. “It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors,” he said. Hope noticed the look that had pass between Ron and Harry as Harry’s face flushed slightly.

“On a happier note,” he continued, “I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. “First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.” While her Uncle was met with mediocre applause, Hope knew he would soon win them over, he really was a wonderful teacher. She heard Rob whisper about Snape and she flicked her eyes back into his direction. A look of pure loathing had encompassed his face. Hope felt a defensiveness brewing inside of her. Her uneasiness regarding Professor Snape increased ten fold.

She felt Fred bump her shoulder to get her attention. “Don’t worry about Snape. He’s a git.” She looked over at him and he grinned. She felt a crack in the tension she was holding on to and she smiled back. The Gryffindor table erupted into applause as Dumbledore announced their new Magical Creatures Professor.

Hope hadn’t gotten the chance to meet Hagrid as she spent her last week in the hospital wing. Her eyes traveled to his spot at the table. He was at least twice the size of any normal man. He had a mass of wild black hair and beard that made it hard to see his face, but Hope could see his kind eyes and his joyous smile. She was disappointed she didn’t get to meet him yet.

“You’ll love Hagrid.” Hermione smile at Hope.

“I can’t wait to meet him.” Suddenly the golden plates in front of them filled with food. If Hope thought the food while she was here was amazing, she hadn’t seen anything yet. She took her fill of roast chicken and beef, potatoes and enough gravy she could swim in it. She hadn’t realized how ravenous she was. A week of being almost utterly unconscious had that effect. Hope happily stayed silent listening to those around her chatter about their holidays.

As Hope was tucking into her chocolate cake, as a tall and thin red headed boy with an assortment of freckles and horned rimmed glasses approached. Clearly another member of the Weasley clan. His haughtiness radiated from him. “Hello Hope. I’m not if I’d you remember me. I’m Percy Weasley. I am your Gryffindor Head Boy.”

“Merlin Perce! We had NO IDEA you were Head Boy!” George was quick to exclaim sardonically.

“I cannot believe you didn’t mention it at all this summer” Fred interjected. Hope didn’t think Percy’s pinched expression could get any tighter but she was wrong. Harry and Ron were trying not to laugh.

“I mean the red hair did give you away. It’s very nice to see you again Percy.” Hope tried time make him feel better. That seemed to satisfy his irritation, if only slightly.

“I just want you to know that should you need help making sure you abide by the rules of Hogwarts, I’m available. I’m not one to make exceptions for House members. Especially those who don’t think the rules apply to them.” She watched as Percy’s glare traveled between the twins, Harry and Ron.

“I will...keep that in mind. I did spend the last two weeks here with Professor McGonagall so she could get me up to speed. Should I find myself unsure, I’ll make sure I find you.”

“Excellent.” He turned on his heel and headed back to where he came from. Fred and George were beside themselves with laughter.

“He’s such an uptight git. Did you see how he was looking at us!” Ron was incredulous.

“I dunno Ron. I’ve only been with you lot for a couple of hours and I feel like his assessment might have been earned.” Harry could listen to Hope’s loud and barky laugh all night. It consumed her completely.

“She’s not wrong.” Harry shrugged.

“Yeah alright.” Ron agreed with a laugh.

“I’m really looking forward to hearing more stories.” Hopes eyes gleamed. Harry was anxious to get to know more about Hope. He wanted to ask her how exactly they were connected and why she hadn’t attended Hogwarts for their first two years. He didn’t want to ask in front of everyone else. He watched as she stood. “I’m going to go see my Uncle, he’s just left the teacher’s table. I’ll see you guys back in the common room. They all waved as she headed down the length of the table and out of the hall.

“She seems really great.” Hermione chirped. “I’m excited to get to know her.”

“She may give you a run for your money Hermione . Dad says she’s ruddy brilliant, especially in charms” Ron raised his eyebrows in challenge at Hermione.

“Well good! Maybe I’ll finally have someone that can keep up with me academically!” Hermione jumped from the table and stalked out of the hall. Harry groaned in response. They hadn’t been back at Hogwarts for a full day yet and Ron and Hermione were already at it.

“C’mon Ron, let’s go.” Harry stood and the two friends headed out of the Great Hall to the Gryffindor common room, Harry’s thoughts firmly on the mystery that was Hope Lupin.

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

Hope hurried down the corridors to get to her Uncle’s office. She wanted to hear more about the dementors and see him before class tomorrow.

“Excuse me, Ms. Lupin, you’re headed in the wrong direction. Your house common room is the other way.” Hope stopped in her tracks at the cold sound of Severus Snape’s voice.

“I’m stopping down to see my Uncle before curfew. I was unable to speak with him before the feast.” Snape’s penetrating gaze caused a shiver down her spine.

“Very well. Just know that just because your Uncle is on the staff at Hogwarts it does not mean you will get preferential treatment.”

“Sir, I would never ask for such a thing. In all honesty I just want to be treated like everyone else.” Snape considered her.

“And yet, you immediately made friends with Harry Potter.” Hope’s face contorted.

“I know the Weasley family. They happen to be friends with Harry. And I’m sure that you know that Lily Potter and MY mother were quite close.” Snape studied her for a moment. She may look like a carbon copy of her mother, but the defiance burning in her eyes was that of Sirius Black.

“You better move along or you will break your curfew.” Hope didn’t give it a second thought as she hurried down the hall. She didn’t like how Snape studied her. She felt like she was underneath a microscope. She approached her Uncle’s door and knocked loudly. She heard him yell to come in and she swung the door open. He was in the midst of unpacking his belongings.

“Uncle Remus!” She exclaimed and ran into his embrace. He held her tightly for a moment and then pulled back to study her.

“You had me so worried. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes, yes I’m fine. Whatever Professor Snape brought me seemed to help. I actually slept last night without any dreams. Dumbledore mentioned that it wasn’t something I could take all of the time. Which is a shame.” Remus smiled.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’m not sure what the potion was exactly but I’m happy it helped. I wanted so badly to get here and be with you.”

“Uncle Remus I was asleep most of the time. You wouldn’t have been able to do anything. I’m fine now. Please don’t worry.” Remus looked down at her fondly. “I missed you very much.”

“I missed you too. Thank you so much for the Owl. I’ve named it Nox. I thought it was fitting.”

“You’re very welcome. I’m glad to see you fitting in with your housemates.” Her smile was glowing. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw her this happy, but it had been a while.

“Oh! The Dementors!” She exclaimed. “I can’t believe they were on the train. It must have been awful. Harry was lucky you were with them. Do- do you think their presence could be what caused me to have such a horrible reaction?” Remus considered this for a moment. He could only wish that was the reason, any alternative wasn’t something he liked. His fear was that it was Sirius that was causing her issues. The darkness she continued to see, her more morose attitude since he had escaped caused Remus great concern. Her eyes were brighter and she seemed back to her lighter demeanor. No doubt Snape’s potion was responsible for that.

“It could be. We can’t be sure. We’ll just have to take it one day at a time. If you start feeling that badly you must tell me at once.”

“It was strange, it came on really strong. I could feel a headache approaching after my session with Professor Snape, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I just assumed that I would have a nasty headache the next day. But then it took me over and I was so sick. It was quite awful. But Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore were wonderful. As was Madam Pomfrey. Even Professor Snape showed concern. Once I could eat the House Elves were thrilled to have someone to tend to.”

“I had no doubt that you were in excellent hands.” He watched as something passed through Hope’s eyes. “What is it darling?”

“Professor Dumbledore brought me a couple of pictures. There was one of you and Mum while you were at Hogwarts. It’s a lovely picture. Then there was another.” She looked down for a moment and looked back up at Remus. He gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. “I was sitting with Lily and Harry was with my mother. James and my father were standing behind us. We all looked so happy.” Hope looked deflated. Remus knew the exact photo she was referring to. Nora had it in a frame on a bookshelf. Albus must have gone to her home after he delivered Harry to the Dursley home. It was like Albus to save things he thought Hope might want later on. Remus hadn’t been able to renter Nora’s home after she died. Albus and some of the remaining Order members had done it for him. He wondered what else Dumbledore had stashed. Remus flooded with concern as he saw Hope’s grey eyes water.

“What is it darling?” He was questioning Dumbledore’s timing of the picture.

“I just...I can reconcile the man from that photo and the mass murder that everyone is so scared of. I just want to know what happened. I need to know what made him do what he did. He loved us. I could see it in his eyes in that picture. I just wish I could talk to him, just once.” He watched as she closed her eyes for a moment. Remus felt alarm bells ringing in his brain. He pulled Hope over to the chairs in his office and sat her down. He took the seat across from her and she watches as he leaned forward, his head in his hands. When he finally looked up at her, she saw his eyes filled with fear.

“Hope- I know this is difficult. Merlin knows that I know. I have the same questions that you have. I would give anything to get the answers not only for you, but for myself too. You MUST promise me that you will NOT go looking for your father. He is dangerous. I don’t know what kind of state that he is in, but 12 years in Azkaban surrounded by dementors? I cant imagine he is stable.”

“Uncle Remus-“ Hope started but he stopped her.

“PROMISE ME!” Hope jumped. In her almost 14 years of life she couldn’t remember him ever yelling at her.

“Okay, I promise!” She blinked back tears. She wouldn’t even know how to find her father. It wasn’t like she’d be leaving castle grounds any time soon anyway.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t allow you to get hurt. I wouldn’t survive if something happened to you. I’m afraid I need you just as much as you need me.” Hope felt guilt flood her. This man gave up his whole life to take care of her. He loved her so much. Not one day in her life did she feel like the orphan she was.

“Uncle Remus you will not lose me. I promise that I won’t do anything reckless. I just, I guess I can’t help but to be curious.”

“I know darling, I know.” He went to say more but there was another knock at the door. Remus stood and walked over and opened the door.

“Good evening Professor Lupin, Professor McGonagall asked me to come fetch Hope so she was back in time for curfew. She apologizes for interrupting.” Hermione stood on the other side of the door.

“Of course, of course. Do you mind giving us just. moment?” Hermione nodded. Remus walked back over to Hope, who was now standing.

“We can talk more about this tomorrow.” The tension in his voice had melted a away.

“I don’t think there is much more to discuss. It’s alright. Please don’t worry Uncle Remus. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay darling. Go back to your common room and get some rest I’ll see you tomorrow.” Hope hugged him one more time and felt him kiss the top of her head.”

“Good night.” She quickly headed out into the hall to meet Hermione.

“Ready?” Hope smiled and Hermione nodded. “So what are Lavender and Pavarti like?”

“They’re...fine...the two of them are very close. They’re best friends.” Hermione’s voice was clipped. Hope scrunched her forehead. Clearly there must have been some strain in the relationship between her new roommates. Hope stopped walking and took Hermione’s wrist.

“Hermione, I’ve- I’ve never had any true friends. I grew up in a predominantly muggle town. It was on the beach so most of the kids only came in the summer. There were a handful of kids who lived there all year ‘round. But I was always the weird girl that was homeschooled and spent all of her time drawing. I’d- I’d really like it if we could try to be friends.” Hermione beamed at her. There was something about Hermione that set Hope at ease. That was one of the best things about being what she was, she could almost always tell if someone was trustworthy or not.

“I would really like that. If I’m being honest, I don’t always have the easiest time making friends. Harry and Ron are my best friends, but it would be really nice to have a close girlfriend.” Hope linked her arm through Hermione’s.

“It’s settled then. We’ll be best girlfriends and you can tell me about all of the ridiculous things Ron and Harry have done. I’ve known Ron for a long time, so I can only imagine.” Hermione laughed along with Hope, feeling lighter than she had earlier in the evening.

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

Everything had been a whirlwind after Hope and Hermione had returned to the Gryffindor common room. Once they arrived, they had said a quick goodnight to Ron and Harry and hurried off to bed. They spent breakfast the next morning consoling Harry over Malfoy’s jeers. Hope looked at Malfoy curiously. Tonks was right on her assessment of him. Though Hope did enjoy hearing about how he ran and hid from the dementors in George and Fred’s compartment. Then there had been Divinations. Sybil Trewlawney was a hack and Hope was insulted by her farce of a class. The whole set up was a joke. While she possibly had a small talent in sight, any Seer worth their salt didn’t behave that way. But announcing that Harry’s tea leaves showed a Grimm had their entire class on edge. McGonagall was trying to show off her Animagus form, but no one seemed to care. Hope had taken the seat next to Harry. She could see he was nervous, she bumped his shoulder with hers and smiled at him to try and make him feel better. His return smile didn't reach his eyes. She knew his thoughts were on her father. Arthur Weasley had told him that Sirius Black was most likely trying to find Harry to kill him as he was in the way of Voldemort's return.

“Really, what has got into you all today?” said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop and staring around at them all. “Not that it matters, but that’s the first time my transformation’s not got applause from a class.” Hope smirked. Professor McGonagall was definitely going to be her favorite teacher. Everybody’s heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand.

“Please, Professor, we’ve just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and —”

“Ah, of course,” said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. “There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?” Everyone stared at her. Hope could barely contain her laughter at this point. The Sardonic expression on McGonagall's face was too perfect.

“Me,” said Harry, finally as he slumped in his chair.

“I see,” said Professor McGonagall, “Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues —” Hope quirked an eyebrow as Professor McGonagall broke off, and she saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, “Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney —” When she mentioned True Seers being rare her gaze fixed on Hope. Hope could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, “You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don’t let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.” Hope could'nt contain herself anymore, her barky laugh echoed throughout the room, which apparently had pleased Professor McGonagall. Harry seemed to lighted slightly. Hope felt Harry's eyes on her and she glanced in his directions.

"Are you okay? You look kind of flushed."

"What? Oh, yes I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little warm, that's all." Hope turned her attention back to Professor McGonagall, feeling Harry's eyes linger on her for a few moments longer.

Later that evening, Hope sat in the common room looking into the fire. The calmness of her mind had ebbed and flowed back into liquid filled black and anguish. Snape's potion had started to wear off. She had a headache. Transfiguration had been followed by a lunch where Hermione and Ron had argued back and forth about how reliable Trewlawney and Divination was. Harry had apparently seen a black dog so Ron was convinced he was going to die. Hope had been slightly wounded by some of the things Hermione had said about Divination. Would she think Hope was a hack if she found out? Would she still want to be friends with her? Hope rubbed the spot in between her eyebrows trying to assuage her headache.

Care of Magical Creatures had included sniping between Harry and Malfoy, Buckbeak the beautiful Hippogriff and then Malfoy getting himself attacked by it. '"My father will hear about this" echoed in her brain. It didn't bode well for Hagrid or Buckbeak. She had wanted to punch Malfoy for his making fun of Harry and the dementors, but she didn't want to tangle with Malfoy if it could be avoided. At least Buckbeak got a few hits in. The stress of Hagrid's class had carried over to dinner. Harry, Hermione and Ron had gone to see Hagrid. Hope had opted to stay behind even after the three begged her to go and meet Hagrid. She really wasn't feeling well and needed a break from the bickering.

Her thoughts traveled back to her father. She was still unsure about what she was feeling. She had the picture of her and Harry's family in her hand. He seemed so carefree, and happy. Hope was obsessed with figuring out what exactly had gone wrong. She couldn't stand it. Hope slid the picture into her Transfiguration book when she heard the portrait swing open. Dean Thomas had stepped through.

"Uh...Hope...there's someone outside for you." Hope's brow furrowed. Who would be coming to see her that couldn't enter the Griffyndor common room? She didn't really have any friends yet outside of her housemates.

"Thanks Dean." She slid her Transfiguration book into her bag and left it next to her chair. She made her way to the portrait and slowly climbed out. Standing there was a tall and extremely handsome young man with chiseled features, dark hair, and bright blue-grey eyes. Hope felt something bubble within her stomach.

"Hey Hope." The boy had one of the most charming smiles she had ever seen, as it reached his eyes, the skin around them crinkled. "I'm Cedric Diggory. Madam Hooch asked me to give you some flying lessons. She said you've never been on a broom before?"

"That's correct. And I would really appreciate any lessons." Hope was willing herself not to blush, but she knew it was a futile attempt. His eyes bore into hers and she swore she could drown in them. They reminded her of the ocean back home.

"Excellent. Tomorrow afternoon? Meet me on the training grounds. We can have our first lesson before my Quidditch practice."

"Sounds good." Hope glanced away from a moment, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, nice meeting you." He reached out and squeezed her upper arm so she would make eye contact again and delivered his million dollar smile. "Goodnight Hope."

"Night Cedric..." Her voice trailed off. As she was watching him walk away, Harry, Hermione and Ron were heading towards her. Harry had a pinched expression.

"Your face is all red again Hope." He commented and Hermione grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"That's because she was talking to Cedric." Hermione teased.

"What did he want?" Ron had crossed his arms in front of him. Hope cleared her throat.

"Madam Hooch asked Cedric to give me flying lessons."

“Why wouldn’t she just ask Harry? He’s in your house and is the best flyer at the school.” Ron gave Hope an accusatory look which caused her to extensively roll her eyes.

“Maybe she heard about Trelawney’s prediction and is afraid he’ll be dead by then.” Hope threw her arms up. Harry started laughing. “I don’t bloody know! I was too sick mysecond week here to meet with her myself.” Hope realized what she had said but it was too late to take it back.

“Sick? Sick with what?” Harry’s face flooded with concern. Hope sighed, her loose lips would cause her to lie to her new friends again.

“I just- I get bad headaches. Potions don’t really help. I had a nasty few days before school started. That’s all. Can we go in?” Hope hurried into the common room, missing the looks shared between the three and their silent communication that signaled that they didn’t exactly believe her.

The next day had been another hectic day. Potions had been awful. Snape, ever the menace, had terrorized poor Neville. Hope and Hermione had gotten in trouble for helping Neville fix his potion so Snape wouldn’t poison his poor toad. But the things that Draco had said to needle Harry were fresh in her mind. Hope continued to question why Harry would want revenge on her father? Was there something else she didn’t know or what it just Draco being a jerk? Both possibilities were likely, It was hard to tell. She didn’t want to ask Remus. She didn’t know if he would be truthful. She was extremely proud of him though. He had knocked the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson out of the park. Snape dressed like Neville’s gran was the highlight of the class, though Hope was sure that it would get back to Snape and Neville would b e made to pay for it. It didn’t go unnoticed by her that he prevented not only Harry but also herself from facing the Boggart. No one seemed to notice his was the full moon. Hope thought on what her boggart would be. At first, she thought it would be her father, but deep down, she knew it was herself. She was terrified of who she would become.

“You shouldn’t take your flying lesson so seriously.” Hope hadn’t even heard Cedric approach. She really had to stop getting so lost in herself, this was not the first time today someone had caught her off guard. She had missed a whole monologue of Hermione’s as she was focused on the images in her mind. Black painted canvases with slashed through it.

“Sorry, I was just overthinking.”

“You seem to do that a lot.” Cedric has his hand on the back of his neck as he looked down at her.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You seem to get wrapped up in your own thoughts in the Great Hall. I pay attention.” Hope found herself trying to stifle another blush.

“I didn’t think I was so interesting.”

“You’re very interesting. You just don’t pay enough attention to realize it.” She scoffed. Cedric decided to not continue to push. “Your Uncle is a bloody brilliant teacher.” Hope beamed at his comment.

“Isn’t he?”

“I mean we’ve had some bad defense professors.” Hope’s laugh filled the air.

“So I’ve heard.” Cedric smiled brightly.

“You should do that more often. Your laugh is incredible.” Was he flirting with her? Hope grew slightly sheepish.

“Thanks Cedric.” There was absolutely no way her face wasn’t flaming red at this point.

“You’re welcome. So, let’s get started yeah?”

Cedric managed to teach her to get the broom in her hand, mount it and slightly hover above the ground. Actually taking off wasn’t going to happen. She was too nervous. Cedric made her nervous. Being up in the air was also terrifying to her.

“C’mon Hope...where’s that Griffyndor courage I hear so much about, eh?” He was standing behind her and whispered it in her ear. She felt goose bumps erupt over her skin. She was not about tolet some boy get the best of her. She elbowed him in the stomach, not too hard, but enough to throw him off his game.

“Oh shut It Diggory.” She spun around with a hand on her hip starring him down as he was slightly hunched over from her elbow to the stomach, but he was laughing.

“Oi, Hope! Are you guys almost done? I’ll wait for you so we can head back to the common room together.” Harry came jogging over, glancing between Hope and Cedric. His messy hair still damp from the showers after Quidditch practice. Hope was grateful for the interruption. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Cedric Diggory as of yet. While he was certainly handsome and very charming, but he was probably like that with every girl he spoke to. She wasn’t about to let herself fall into that.

“Am I done Diggory?”

“Actually yes, I think that’s enough for today. We’ll try again next week.” Cedric has straightened up since Harry had come over. “Have a good night Lupes.” The nick name hung in the air as he clapped Harry on the shoulder and headed towards the Quidditch pitch to start his practice. Harry had his eyebrows raised.

“Lupes?”

“Cedric thinks he’s cute.” Hope make an exaggerated eye roll. Harry was starting to like that expression as much as her smile.

“Do you think he’s cute.” Hope scoffed and shoved Harry slightly.

“Oh shut it.” She linked her arm in is. “C’mon, lets walk to the common room, you can tell me all about your Quidditch practice.

“Alright.” Harry gave Hope a slight smile and tried to ignore that she didn’t answer his question. He liked spending time with Hope, she was captivating, smart and really witty. He wished she would open up more. He knew she was guarded. He knew there was something she wasn’t telling him. He didn’t think he liked her, liked her. But he also didn’t like the idea of her hanging out with Cedric. Cedric could win anyone over. She was laughing as he was giving her his best Oliver Wood impression as they approached the common room. Everyone was excited over Hogsmeade weekend. Hope bumped her shoulder into Harry’s as she often did to get his attention. She could see his good mood had deflated.

“If you can’t go, I’ll stay back with you.” Hope offered. She really didn't even mind, she liked hanging out with Harry. While Hogsmeade would be fun, she didn't want him to be alone.

“Hope, you don’t have to do that. You shouldn’t be stuck here because I can’t go.”

“It’s not a big deal. I only really want to go to Honey Dukes. I’m dying to stock up on some candy. I have a killer sweet tooth.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” Harry smirked at her. Hopes diet consisted of at least one piece of chocolate cake a day. She was always snacking on something sweet. She shot him a glare.

“Git...” They both laughed. “I mean it, I can literally just give Hermione a list and some money. I know she’ll get everything.”

“Maybe McGonagall will say I can go if I talk to her about explain about my Uncle.” Though Harry knew neither he or Hope really believed that she would. The rest of the evening was filled with homework and Ron and Hermione arguing over Crookshanks. It ended ubruptly with the cat trying to attack Ron’s rat. The tension between them carried on into the next day.

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

”Really Harry! I don’t mind staying behind with you.” Hope felt awful. Harry had been bummed out for days. As expected, McGonagall had shot him down.

“If you stay behind, I’ll just feel worse. Go, really, it’ll be fine." He gave her a light shove towards Ron and Hermione. “I’ll see you for the feast” he yelled after her. Harry didn’t want to ruin her day at Hogsmeade. She had missed out on her first two years at Hogwarts, he didn’t want her to miss this. Hope had become very good friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry liked how close she and Hermione had gotten. He knew it was good for both of them. There was still something she was holding back, he knew it, they all knew it. They also knew she wasn't ready to tell them everything yet. As much has Harry wanted to sit her down and beg her to spill her guts, he refrained. Arthur Weasley's advice to let her open up in her own time still rang in his mind. They did, however, ask why she hadn't started at Hogtwarts with them. She had told them that her grandfather had been seriously ill when they were in their first and second years at Hogwarts. She had decided to stay with him and Remus as she knew he was close to passing.. He had died half way through their second year. That summer, Dumbledore had suggested that both Remus and Hope come to Hogwarts. Something about the story seemed off to Harry, but he didn’t know how to bring it up. Harry headed back to the common room, contemplating the mystery that was Hope Lupin.

Hope walked arm in arm with Hermione and Ron, guilt flooding her. She hated leaving Harry behind. Ron tried to reassure her that everything would be okay. He didn't like leaving Harry behind either, but his friend was too proud to be okay with them not going and staying with him.

“He’ll be alright. We’ll bring him back loads of stuff.” Ron quipped. Hope tried to put her guilt to the back of her mind. She was happy to be going. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure Remus would even let her. Her father had been sighted by a muggle not that long ago and she was worried he would want to keep her on the castle grounds. Hope felt another twinge of guilt. This time because she still hadn’t told her 3 friends the truth about who she really was. The guilt was eating away at her. She just couldn't find the right time, or the right words. She could imagine Harry's eyes filling with disgust at the blood that ran through her veins. She knew she would have to tell them eventually. She hated lying and she really wasn't great at it either.

They went from shop to shop. The three had decided to hit Honeydukes last so they could bring Harry a bunch of treats and not have to carry them all throughout Hogsmeade. After a considerable amount of time with George and Fred in Zonko’s Joke Shop; Ron, Hermione and Hope made their way to The Three Broomsticks. As they walked in, it was packed with Hogwarts students and members of the magical community alike. They had been sitting at a table enjoying their butter beers when the chatter started. The words came swooping around Hope and overwhelmed her. “Sirius Black is a murderer. Sirius Black wants to kill Harry Potter. Sirius Black is a monster. He’s Dangerous. Muggle Killer. Death Eater.”

Hope got up quickly and bolted out the door. The pain on her head had been a minor irritation as of late, even if the blackness still swirled about. Hearing her fathers name over and over like a chant and everything the had done had been too much. It felt like her skull was splitting in two. She made her way over to a bench at an empty area near the pub and sank down. She couldn’t do this anymore. It was too hard. Hope felt a wave of intense sadness push through her. As she looked up and blinked back her tears, she could have sworn she saw a black dog in the distance, but when she wiped her eyes there was nothing there.

“Hope! There you are! What’s wrong? And don’t say nothing!” Ron sat down next to her, soon followed by Hermione.

“I can’t.” She shook her head started to cry. “You’ll hate me. Harry will hate me too.” Hermione wrapped her arms around her friend.

“You are our friend. We couldn’t ever hate you.” She tried to comfort Hope. “Seriously Hope, you’re one of us.”

“You- you cant tell Harry. I have to tell him on my own.”

“We won’t.” Ron jumped in. Hermione nodded in agreement.

“I- Sirius Black is my father.” Hermione and Ron both froze for a moment. They knew she was keeping some secrets, but neither one of them had expected that. No one ever mentioned Sirius Black having a child. Hope took a deep breath and blurted out everything. Who her mother was, what her mother was, what Hope was. How her Uncle had given up his life to take care of her. How he kept her from Hogwarts to protect her, terrified that Voldemort's followers would come looking for her too.

“You’re, you’re a Seer?” was the first thing Hermione could ask. “Merlin Hope! I’m so sorry. I said all of those horrible things about Divination." Hermione felt absolutely awful. She knew there were actual seers, but that class was just so ridiculous. Never in a million years did Hermione think she knew a seer. The regret was painted all over Hermione's face.

“No Hermione don’t apologize - that class is awful. My mother was never like that. I’m not like that. I don’t know if I’m a ‘true seer’ like McGonagall said. I don’t get clear visions yet. But my mother...she was the real deal. That’s why they killed her. Because she wouldn’t help Voldemort.” Hermione still had her arm wrapped around Hope. “You don’t hate me because my father is a murderer? They say-“

“They say a lot of things Hope. It doesn’t matter. It’s not your fault what he did. You’re a good person and a good friend. That’s what matters. That’s all that will matter to Harry.” Ron offered her a smile.

“You think so?”

“Definitely. C’mon- let’s hit Honeydukes before we have to go back.”

“Hope, just, tell Harry soon. He’d want to hear it from you.” Hermione helped Hope to her feet. She knew a secret like this could crack wide open. Harry wouldn't be upset that she was the daughter of Sirius Black, he would be upset if Hope didn't tell him and he found out that Ron and Hermione knew.

“I will. I promise.”

“A nasty temper he’s got...that Sirius Black” They had been having a perfectly lovely evening at the feast, Hope laughing audibly about the idea of Snape openly poisoning her Uncle, pointing out how ridiculous Harry and Ron were being. They enjoyed the wonderful food at the feast and told Ron stories of what Muggle Halloween was like. Now they were standing in front of the Gryffindor Common Room with the Fat Lady’s portrait slashed by her father. Hope had unknowingly gripped Harry’s hand. Harry had assumed she was just scared at the prospect of Sirius Black being in the castle.

"It'll be okay. We'll be safe." Harry had whispered in Hope's ear. If he only knew why she was so freaked out. She had wanted to tell him tonight, but now, there was no way. The entire student body was being whisked away to The Great Hall while the teachers searched the school. She hadn’t even gotten to speak with her Uncle. They had locked eyes, concern flooding his face, but now he was gone. Harry, Hope, Ron and Hermione had pulled their sleeping bags over to a corner. Percy’s “holier than thou” attitude grating on their nerves

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: “How did he get in?” “Maybe he knows how to Apparate,” said a Ravenclaw a few feet away. “Just appear out of thin air, you know.” “Disguised himself, probably,” said a Hufflepuff fifth year. “He could’ve flown in,” suggested Dean Thomas.

Hope's headache was overtaking her again. She was afraid she was going to get sick like she had prior to the start of the term. She felt frantic. She had to figure out how to get clear visions like her mother had. Maybe if she could really figure out how to use her Seer abilities, she wouldn't feel so awful all of the time. But who was there for her to go to? Trewlawney? That was a joke. Hope could feel Harry's eyes on her, but she didn't dare make any sort of eye contact with him. Luckily Hermione went on a rant that distracted them all.

“Honestly, am I the only person who’s ever bothered to read Hogwarts: A History?” said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.

“Probably,” said Ron. “Why?”

“Because the castle’s protected by more than walls, you know,” said Hermione. “There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can’t just Apparate in here. And I’d like to see the disguise that could fool those dementors. They’re guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They’d have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they’ll have them covered. . . .”

“The lights are going out now!” Percy shouted. “I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!” Hope was grateful for the silence. She was laying on her stomach in between Harry and Hermione. She was taking deep breaths to calm the anxiety pumping through her veins. She could sense the blackness ready to take over once again. She snapped her eyes open when she felt someone place their hand over hers. Harry's green eyes were staring back, filled with concern.

"You okay?" He mouthed to her, not wanting to draw Percy's attention. She nodded her head. He squeezed her hand to reassure her. She expected him to pull it away, but he didn't. She felt guilt flooding back in. He had been such a good friend to her since she got to Hogwarts and all she had done was lie to him. If Percy wasn't such an annoying git she could have pulled him to a back corner of The Great Hall and told him everything. Instead, they laid in silence with his hand over hers. He was trying to comfort her while every knew that the reason Sirius Black had come to Hogwarts was to get to him. Hope couldn’t help but wonder if he was there to see her too. The idea that he was only there to murder a teenage boy and not to see his daughter was too much for her to bear.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry and Hope watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from Harry and Hope who quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore’s footsteps drew nearer.

“Any sign of him, Professor?” asked Percy in a whisper.

“No. All well here?”

“Everything under control, sir.”

“Good. There’s no point moving them all now. I’ve found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You’ll be able to move them back in tomorrow.”

“And the Fat Lady, sir?”

“Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She’s still very distressed, but once she’s calmed down, I’ll have Mr. Filch restore her.” They heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

“Headmaster?” It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard. “The whole of the third floor has been searched. He’s not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either.”

“What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney’s room? The Owlery?” “All searched . . .”

“Very well, Severus. I didn’t really expect Black to linger.”

“Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?” asked Snape.

“Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next.”

“You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before — ah — the start of term?” said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

“I do, Severus,” said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

“It seems — almost impossible — that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed —” Hope felt red hot anger pulse through veins. She knew exactly what Severus Snape was referring to. There was no way that her Uncle would help Sirius Black get into the castle. It was taking all of her self control to not jump up and scream at him.

“I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it,” said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn’t reply. “I must go down to the dementors,” said Dumbledore. “I said I would inform them when our search was complete.”

“Didn’t they want to help, sir?” said Percy.

“Oh yes,” said Dumbledore coldly. “But I’m afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster.”

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

It had been two weeks since Sirius Black broke into Hogwarts. Hope was leaning against the tree in front of the Black Lake furiously sketching. It was cold, but sunny and she missed sitting near the water. She desperately wanted her music. She couldn't figure out why her Discman wouldn’t work until Hermione explained muggle technology wouldn't work at Hogwarts because of all the magic. She had all but thrown it out the window. The itch in the back of her head ever present, she was desperate for her music to soothe her.

She had been very quiet since Halloween night, withdrawn almost. Hope had avoided being alone with Harry since the night Sirius broke into the castle. Hermione was urging her to tell Harry every day since and Hope had every intention of telling him on Halloween. Now, the longer she didn't tell him, the easier it was to keep the secret. Her Uncle had noticed the change in her, but she refused to talk about it. She had been pushing him away as well, something she had never done before. Even the other students could see the crack in their relationship. While he never showed Hope favoritism, their closeness was always apparent, She didn't want to talk to Remus about her father. She knew he wasn't being entirely honest and she didn't want to blow up at him. She didn't want to hear about how she couldn't go and search for him again, even if she wanted to, it would be impossible. The entire staff at Hogwarts had been put on red alert. She noticed teachers, prefects and Percy Weasley lurking around Hope and Harry frequently. The fact that she had gotten away to get some time alone at the black lake was astonishing. She had even blown off her flying lessons with Cedric, he tried to coax her out of her morose attitude but she completely shut him down. He had relented and said that he would be in touch to reschedule her lessons. He had a feeling it wouldn't be happening any time soon. Hope's ears perked up and she slammed the cover to her sketch book closes when she hears footsteps approaching. Before she could move another muscle, Harry was standing in front of her.

”Hey- hey Harry. I th-thought you had Quidditch practice.” she stumbled through the sentence, not prepared in the slightest to speak with him.

”Yeah I lied. You've been avoiding me and the only way you'd let your guard down and not hide from me is if you thought I was busy. Did I do something to upset you? You can just tell me, I wouldn't do it intentionally.” Hope took a deep breath and pat the grass next to her. Harry gratefully took a seat. ”Tell me what’s wrong.” His green eyes were pleading.

”You’re right. I've been avoiding you, but you didn't do anything wrong. It's me. I- I haven't been honest. I was going to tell you on Halloween, but then everything that happened ruined the chance and I've been avoiding it ever since.” Harry knew you had been holding back but he didn't want to interrupt you. ”My father is Sirius Black.” Harry blinked. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. ”He and my mother met at Hogwarts. She was a year younger than my Uncle Remus, she and my father met when she was sorted into Gryffindor. They fell in love and for a while they fought Voldemort together.” It didn't go unnoticed that she said Voldemort's name without even a flinch, Remus had done the same thing. Hope paused for a moment to collect herself. ”I-I don't know what happened. Everyone that knew him said that he rejected Voldemort's beliefs. He was this charismatic and charming boy. That he loved my mother and his friends fiercely. He was a Gryffindor through and through. The happiest he had ever been was when my mother was pregnant with me. They had been so happy, HE had been so happy. Then on the night that the Death Eaters killed my mother, he killed all of those muggles. And now he apparently is after you.” Hope was teetering on the edge of hysterical.

”Hope- why we're you afraid to tell me?” Harry didn't know what else to say to her. It was no wonder she was keeping that close to the vest. He knew that some of the other students wouldn't react favorably.

”I was afraid you’d hate me. Everyone- my uncle, Dumbledore, Fudge, they all think that it's better that no one knows. Not everyone knew that Sirius Black had a child. I was born in the middle of a war and my parents wanted to keep me safe, so very few knew. But I couldn't not tell you guys, you're my friends. I don't want to keep lying to you.”

”You told the other two already. That's why its everything has been so weird since then” Hope nodded.

”When we were in Hogsmeade. I didn't even plan on telling them. There were so many people talking about him at the Three Broomsticks and I just got so upset. I had to tell them at that point. Harry, I-I swear I was going to tell you that night and then after everything that happened...I just got really scared again.” Hope felt Harry slip his arm around her as she cried with her face in her hands.

”Hope, it's okay. Listen, loads of kids have parents that were involved with Voldemort. You're not responsible for what he did.”

”There’s more.” Hope took a few deep breaths to calm herself. ”Voldemort went after my mother for her specific skill set. Skills she passed on to me.”

”Hope, you're killing me with the suspense.” Harry joked. He saw a little smile crack through her tears.

”My mother was a seer. A true seer. Nothing like the rubbish Trewlawney spouts. She was excellent Harry. He wanted her to help him win the war. Instead of being with us, my father was out doing his bidding. My mother begged Remus to get me to safety. She stayed behind to hold them off. She knew she was going to die. She died for me.” Harry felt awful. He didn't know what to say to make her feel better, how do you make someone feel better about that?

”Wait, so you can see the future?” Hope scoffed.

”Not exactly. It's a skill you have to work at. I see flashes of things, but it's hard to pick out what will happen from what could happen. Most of what I see right now is about myself, people that are connected to me or people that I've come into contact with. I sometimes can get flashes of a person's memory. It's not all of the time. I've learned how to kind of block that. It was harder when I was a kid. My mother learned how to hone her abilities on her own. She was truly amazing from what I've been told. There must have been a seer in our family at some point. I, apparently, am not as good as my mother. I just can’t figure it out.”

“What is it like?”

“It-it’s...you know Muggle puzzles? It’s like someone dumped all of the pieces into a pile and I’m trying to put it together, but I don’t have the picture on the box to guide me. It’s just a jumbled mess. I get a lot of headaches. Nasty ones.”

“Is that why you were sick before the start of term?” Hope nodded her head.

“Since my father’s escape, all I can see is darkness, blackness. I get these intense feelings of anger- rage almost, sadness, anxiety, horrible depression, but it’s as if someone turned out the lights. Except one night. I saw a flash of purple and then a pair of eyes.”

“A pair of eyes?” Hope flipped open her sketch book to the picture of Harry’s eyes that she drew. She heard him suck in his breath. “You saw my eyes?” He ran his fingers over the picture. He didn’t know what he thought or what he was feeling.

“Yeah...for a while after, until the night I met you actually I saw you looking at me. It’s why I was so freaked out when we bumped into each other and I realized it was you that I had been seeing.”

“You’re really talented.”

“Thank you. Drawing has always helped me clear my head.”

“Can I see what you were drawing when I got here?” He watched her freeze for a moment and then she flipped to the front of the book. He was younger, cleaner, well fed and happy; but Harry knew it was Sirius Black. He was at a loss for words again.

“I just- why wasn’t I enough? Why wasn’t she enough for him? I just want answers that no one can give me.” She was crying again. Hope hated crying in front of anyone. She felt Harry’s arm get tighter around her. “I get these polarized stories about him and I can’t sort it out. I was- I was hoping he would want to find me. To see me, to explain why he did what he did. Maybe he had a reason, you know? But then he broke into the castle and did what he did. And I know he’s here for you and not me. He thinks if he gets rid of you that Voldemort will return. I don’t mean anything to him. I’m nothing. And yet, the idea of him getting hurt, of the dementors getting their hands on him, it tears me apart.”

“Hope- you’re not nothing. And I can tell, your Uncle is so proud of you. I can see it when he’s looking at you and when he talks about you. You’re everything. You’re brilliant and brave. You’re kind. Your friendship with Hermione has transformed her. It’s hard being friends with me and Ron. Now she has you too. Hope you’re one of us. So to hell with Sirius Black. He lost out on having an incredible daughter. You’re amazing and I’m honored that you’re one of my best friends. And there's nothing wrong with not wanting anything bad to happen to your parent, even after they did terrible things. That's normal.” Hope leaned her head on Harry’s shoulder. They sat in silence for a while.

“Thanks Harry.” The two continued to sit there, not saying anything. Harry contemplated what to say next to reassure her. He wanted her to know that regardless of what happened with Sirius Black that he would always be on her side.

“I couldn’t ever hate you, not for anything. I will always be here for you. I will always be your friend. C’mon, we should get inside. It’s getting late and you’re freezing.” Harry stood and pulled Hope to her feet and then hugged her tightly. They stood that way for a moment before Harry led her back to the castle. In the distance, a black dog watched the two teens retreat with a feeling of longing that panged deep inside Hope.

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writings-of-a-british-fangirl · 6 years

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Fate Had Other Plans (Loki Laufeyson x Reader) [Fated Had Other Plans PART 1/?]

Title: Fate Had Other Plans Summary: After you return back to the Grandmaster (from you and Valkyrie's scrapper expedition), he introduces you to a familiar face. An old lover. Warnings: Emotions (??!!) Request: N/A- not requested, just feeling like a Loki hoe again

A/N: I know Valkyrie's name isn't actually Valkyrie (it's Brunnhilde), but for the purposes of this fic, that's what I'll be calling her. Also, there's implied Grandmaster x Reader!

And, the Reader is a Goddess but its barely mentioned! Depending on how this goes down, I might do a part two including more of the events of Ragnarok- let me know tho!

Also, I wrote this while listening to Wish That You Were Here by Florence + The Machine!!

PART 1: Fate Had Other Plans

PART 2: Fated To Fall

PART 3: Coming Soon… Possibly

Want to read more of my stuff? >>Here<< OR >>Here [Mobile]<< [Got any feed back? I’d love to hear it!]

Want to see the upcoming requests? >>Here<<

Loki Laufeyson~Fate Had Other Plans

Skaar, for the longest time now, had been home to you. It was where you resided. After a series of unfortunate events too long and too tedious for you to frequently recall, you ended up on Skaar- along with every other lost and wandering soul in the known galaxy it seemed. Despite your actual home, Asgard, being all but a distant memory, you did find yourself longing for it every now and then. Especially since you made a new friend.

Scrapper 142.

Well, that's what you had first known her as. You were introduced through the Grandmaster. He oversaw Skaar, and thanks to your wit and charming nature, you had managed to gain favour with him pretty quickly. Soon, you were practically by his side for most of the day. Including when he was brought prizes: champions.

His favourite champion had been brought to him by Scrapper 142, by Valkyrie, and he was known as the Hulk. You didn't have much interaction with him, but you did with Valkyrie. Whenever you could slip away from the Grandmaster, you would try and find her. She was usually drinking- you would join her and soon she started enjoying your company. Something about her reminded you of home, of Asgard. It wasn't long before she started to open up to- what could you say: being the Goddess of Truth had its perks!

But, as a good friend, you shared details of your past too- of your life on Asgard… Of your dearly missed Princes.

It was true: you had been close to Loki and Thor before you had been ripped away from them. They often crossed your mind. Particularly Loki. You and Thor had been friends- but, Loki? Loki was your best friend. You told him everything, dedicated most of your time to him, wanted more from him- with him…

Ultimately, fate had placed you somewhere. And, those desires and thoughts would only exist in your head, not in your reality.

~~~

Valkyrie had invited you out on one of her searches over the scrap heaps. After convincing the Grandmaster to let you out of his sight long enough to go with her, you jumped aboard her ship. As much as you loved the main city, the noise and the culture, the Grandmaster's pampering and attention, you also liked to get away. It helped you think: clear your mind.

Today, however, would pan out to be much more interesting that you'd anticipated.

While Valkyrie's scrapping went by pretty uneventful, as soon as you arrived back, you noticed something was off. Firstly, the Grandmaster was not there to greet you. Usually, he would be delighted to see his favourite Asgardian and his favourite scrapper return. Val didn't think much of it- she shrugged and suggested maybe he just got distracted or was busy. Before you had realised it, she had disappeared back to her quarters and you were left alone.

Slowly, you wandered down the hall to where the Grandmaster usually is.

You thought you recognised a voice, but you were too far away to be certain that it was… him. Eventually, you emerged from the hall way and were greeted excitedly by the Grandmaster. He grabbed your hand and led you over to a figure you didn't initially recognise.

"Y/N! There is someone I would like you to meet- he's a prince! Isn't that wonderful?!" the Grandmaster told you, giving you barely any time to react.

The man turned around: you almost died of shock.

There he was, in all his Asgardian glory. Longer hair than last time, and with a few more signs of age than you remembered but he definitely was still the trickster you played with when you were young all those moons ago. Still the God of Mischief you never thought you'd see again.

Still Loki.

The words of the Grandmaster fell on deaf ears and you could barely comprehend anything that was happening. Loki? Here on Skaar? It couldn't be… You gently tugged on the Grandmaster's sleeve and offered him a polite smile.

"I am very tired from my trip, darling," you murmur, "I can greet… our guest later."

He nods- the Grandmaster may have been eccentric and slightly unpredictable but he did care for you.

"Very well," he smiles, "See you later."

You nod and flee the room.

~~~

Loki watches you leave in absolute confusion. How were you here? Why were you here? And, why were you calling the Grandmaster 'darling'? An almost uncontrollable wave of jealousy was brought upon Loki. He hadn't seen you in… In what felt like a life time. Loki knew he wasn't entitled to feel jealous… Anything that had been between the two of you surely had long faded away. He cursed himself as he felt sour memories resurfacing.

He had to speak to you.

After the Grandmaster had finished introducing him to other party guests, Loki found a way to slip from the room and look for you. Loki had been here for a few days while you had been away with Valkyrie, and unbeknownst to him the Grandmaster had been talking about you (who he had fondly talked about but never explicitly named) this whole time. He sighed. It felt wrong to still… want you? Love you? Loki didn't know his own feelings, and that was the cause of the problem last time.

Loki paused.

He heard your voice- you were singing. It was an old Asgardian song and it made his heart ache for his 'home.' For how it was when you were children. Long ago.

Again, he found that he couldn't move- or didn't want to. He wasn't sure. Maybe he wanted to hold onto the moment; he was sure his presence would ruin the next moment. Gently, he knocked on the door and nerves collected in his chest like insects. They swarmed and hummed as he heard you move across the room and open the door.

"Val, you know you don't have to knock-"

"-Not, Val, sorry," Loki said, trying to make eye contact with you, "It's been a while."

"Loki, I…"

You falter and suddenly you don't know what to say anymore. The words get stuck in your throat, and your mind is trying to decide whether to scream at him to leave, or invite him in. After… After you had left Asgard, you never thought you'd see him again- let alone under these circumstances.

"I have some explaining to do, I'll admit," Loki murmurs, his voice as charming as ever.

You curse him for it.

"Some explaining?" you ask, almost in disbelief, "Loki, you died! You were dead! Thor… He said you fell from the bifrost! 'Some explaining'?! You have more to do than that! You-"

"-Well, what about you?!" Loki argued back, matching your anger.

Whenever the two of you had argued in the past, he always did have a habit of escalating the situation. Back then, you had Frigga to mediate and elevate tension from the argument. She… You hadn't seen her in an age. Inside you, you felt the anger boil down to sadness and regret.

"What about me, Loki? Do tell," you snap, trying to hold back tears.

"You! Here- here on Skaar, together with the Grandmaster? How did that happen, huh?" Loki yelled, but internally he was screaming at himself- he hadn't come here to yell.

"I needed someone! After you left, I had no one! No one!" you retaliated, tears welling up in your eyes, "Are you really going to condemn me because I felt lonely? Because I wanted someone to hold me again?!"

You sighed and stepped back.

"If you came here to yell-"

"-I did not. Truthfully," Loki said trying to lower his voice, "I came here… I came here because I wanted to see you again… I came here because I missed you."

"Loki…"

Part of you wanted to throw him out and tell him to never speak to you again, and the other part just wanted to embrace him. The part of you which had been scorned, which knew you should learn from the past told you to let Loki go. Leave it.

"The Grandmaster is probably looking for me- I should go," Loki whispers, his face soft.

He begins to walk off but you call him back.

"Loki, I missed you too."

Fate had other plans.

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iatheia · 4 years

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Obligatory Doctor Who ranking

1. Tennant - They say your first Doctor will be your doctor. He wasn’t my first, or even, technically, the second, but he blew me out of the water. I was hesitant over him at first, first time dealing with regeneration, didn’t know what to expect. But from his “did you miss me?” to “I don’t want to go”, he was an absolute joy to watch.

2. Whittaker - I can’t begin to describe how well she works for me. Watching her, I feel the weight of the history of the show, feel the connection to all the other Doctors, how all they culminated in her. She is their direct continuation, at the same time bringing her own unique charm. Very relatable. I couldn’t help but to fall in love with her from her very first appearance. And then, seeing her bubbliness crack open as she is trying to escape from herself... That alone cemented her as one of the most enjoyable takes on the character. Delightful, absolutely and utterly.

3. McGann - The movie was the very first piece of Doctor Who I have watched, a long time ago. He is singularly the best thing about the movie. He also has incredible presence in his dramas in Big Finish, having an ability to singlehandedly carry even stories without a great plot. And when he is given great stories, it is a match made in heaven. A daredevil, full of exuberant joy, someone who wants to try everything at least once, he is hard not to love. Altogether, his adventures spark imagination. A platonic ideal of who the Doctor should be.

4. C. Baker - Not the most auspicious of introductions, but I quickly had plenty of headcanons to take away and smooth the transition along, helped along by his immediate and strong commitment to the character, for thick or thin. His tv tenure was quite delightful if woefully short - starting to watch it, I found myself not being able to stop until I got all the way through (whereas seasons before his definitely started to feel like a bit of a drag). His boisterous persona made his quieter moments all the more poignant, and his emotional progression almost heart-wrenching. By the end of it, he was a walking wound, and I bled together with him.

5. McCoy - He doesn’t have the best TV run - his seasons had good character beats, but were hard to follow, and sometimes incoherent. At the same time, I end up remembering his run more fondly than I expected while watching, and furthermore, all his off-screen appearances are absolutely fantastic. Every encounter with him, every one of his schemes make him impossible not to love. And, of course, he has a very rrriveting voice.

6. Eccleston - Perhaps unfairly low to him, I really liked him a lot, and he was the one person who made me love the series to begin with. The first season of the New Who is basically perfect. Unfortunately, with only one season, and followed by such a great performance in Tennant, it’s easy to overlook him, so he ends up being a bit forgettable.

7. Troughton - A bit too childish at times, but there are a lot of layers in his performances, and sometimes that childishness is just an act - realizing that really opened me up to him. Really a solid portrayal, did enjoy him a lot, and a great team with Jamie and Zoe, they played well against each other.

8. Pertwee - The first Classic Doctor that felt like the Doctor I knew. A lot of stories that were bittersweet, and even some of the weaker ones had some great emotional punch. Like with Eccleston, basically the single most consistent run of the Classic Who. I can watch him and Delgado play against each other forever. I originally had him higher, but there are a lot of Doctor personas I ended up falling in love with just a tad more.

9. Martin - Such a short appearance, just a couple of minutes, but she clicked instantly, bringing in so much gravitas to the role, and opening up so many possibilities. I can’t wait for Big Finish to get their hands on her.

10. T. Baker - A favorite for many, but, eh. I understand why he works, but couldn’t really get into him for a very long time. Too unnecessarily cruel, especially to his companions, too unflappable at all times. Despite the longest on-screen reign, emotionally he was rather static throughout it. What you see with him on the surface is exactly what you get. Many great stories, though. But at the end of the day I was much more emotionally invested into Leela and Romana than I was into his Doctor.

11. Davison - He is too nice, too... bland. It really takes him a while to settle into the role, and until he does, he is more of a dad on a babysitting duty than an intergalactic adventurer. And even after he does, he is more hapless than anything else, the words “there should have been another way” often come to mind when watching or listening his episodes. Still, there are moments, moments where he has to willingly face the evil of the world, without turning away, without saying anything. Those are the moments where he shines the most.

12. Hurt - *sigh*. For me, Day of the Doctor is the single worst episode of the show, bar none, mere memory of it makes me shake with rage. And on top of that I’m still annoyed that McGann got shafted, he should have been the one to destroy Gallifrey. So the concept of the *War Doctor* was always a tough sell for me. I did want to give him a legitimate try in Big Finish. No fault to the actor, he performed spectacularly with what he got, but even there he didn’t necessarily have the strongest scripts. Too much existential angst, even at the moments when he doesn’t do anything other Doctors (Eighth in particular) wouldn’t have done, or indeed haven’t done, so, all that “oh woe is me, I am a monster” and “don’t say that name!!!!!!!1111!eleventyone!!” gets old fast. He does shine more when the distinction between them gets more pronounced, but unfortunately those moments are much rarer than I would have liked. His performance barely justifies the breaking of continuity that his existence has wrought.

13. Smith - I had such great hopes for him before his first episode. All of them were dashed almost immediately. Very unlikeable. Years later, having only vague recollections of what he was like, of his mannerism, of his quieter moments, far removed from the detestable plot, I had a realization that I might have enjoyed his take under a different showrunner that cared more about emotional consistency, may be. Alas, any time I remember the plot, I am reminded once again why I hated his seasons generally, and his portrayal specifically so much. He needs to be reworked almost completely from scratch for me to enjoy him.

14. Hartnell - Really hate that I had to rate him so low, but, very dated. This is the stage where it all started, without him we wouldn’t have had this series. Still, watching through his very slow paced serials, where frequently the issues they had to deal with were of his own making, made me want to give up on Classic in its entirety by the end of his run, and I did, for many years. Even now, after hundreds of hours watching/listening, I find it difficult to get through his run. The situation is not helped by the lost episodes, and the lack of the lore really worked against him. First Doctor is more enjoyable in Big Finish, but then again, that is true for all of them.

15. Capaldi - The only one whose era I could not finish originally, having sat through hundreds of hours of the Classic, the New series, and the extended universe. May be it’s not fair to the actor, and if he didn’t follow after a disappointing Smith run with the same showrunner, I would have given him a chance, but as is I was completely fed up. Forcing myself through it recently, can’t say that my opinion on him has improved much. Even with Smith, at least I can point to select few episodes and say “this is what his character could have been like”, I cannot do the same with him.

#doctor who

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vrheadsets · 7 years

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VR vs. 10 Franchises SEGA Would Be Crazy Not To Bring To VR – Part 2

Hello everyone I’m back to talk virtual reality (VR) and the House of Hedgehog for another week. As you may recall last week on VR vs. I started a list of ten franchises (and one honourable mention) that would – in my opinion anyway – be great for the leap to VR. SEGA is of course no stranger to VR down the years, there was the SEGA VR for instance. A headset which was initially designed with the idea that it could provide support for not just the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis and the SEGA Saturn but the arcades as well. A project that would have seen a 1994 release date after being revealed at 1993’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) event. This in itself is not to be confused with the SEGA Master System’s 3D Glasses that allowed you to play a number of titles in quote-unquote “3D”. Yes such things existed.

But enough of the hardware of the past let’s get back into those games franchises, eh? What else, via way of a lick of virtual paint, could hypothetically make its way to modern VR? Well when it comes to SEGA sometimes you’ve got to make some tough choices (as any long time SEGA fan can probably tell you) and when it comes to this list there’s one or two games that could easily occupy the same space. Such a dilemma can be found with our next title, it was a tough decision in the end but let me explain my reasoning.

Virtua Cop: OVERKILL

Admittedly having a game with “cop” and “kill” in it isn’t going to win much in the way of good publicity, but this combination name should tell you everything you need to know about where I’m going with this. For you see when it comes to VR genres we have the ever popular (and increasingly railed against) wave shooter, and it just so happens that for SEGA two franchises – Virtua Cop and THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD*. I could give you very good reasons for both being on this list but I’ve gone with Virtua Cop. Why? Because put simply we’ve not had a Virtua Cop game for nearly fourteen years.

FOURTEEN FREAKING YEARS.

Yet people still think of the series fondly. HOTD on the other hand has had quite a few iterations, is a staple of SEGA’s All-Stars franchise and has proven itself to be an arcade mainstay. In other words, if you’re going to use VR to help elevate some old properties why not help the one that needs it more. Increase your viable library of characters. Increase the interest and hence their and your value. At the very least you’d raise some interest in getting some ports of the older titles going.

For VR the idea is simple. We have wave shooters, and the idea of having such a game where hiding behind some oh so handy barrel or outcrop of rocks isn’t 100% infallible makes it a far more frantic experience.

But what about the suffix? Well people familiar with HOTD will like as not recall the Wii game THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: OVERKILL. UK studio Headstrong’s entry into the series took the franchise, supposedly back to the very beginning before all the nonsense at Curien Mansion and into the shoes of rookie cop and series protagonist Agent G. Except things weren’t quite as people were used to with the game. OVERKILL took the franchise to 18/R-Rated territory by spoofing the grindhouse genre. Partnering the straight-laced G with foul-mouthed Detective Isaac Washington a man incapable of finishing a sentence without a s***, f*** or m***********. (Except, ironically, at times when it would technically be accurate. Long story.) In fact there were so many swears it actually held the world record for number of swears in a single game for some time. Eventually only taken out by Grand Theft Auto 4 I believe.

The video below features some… examples of this. You have been warned.

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OVERKILL might not have set the world alight with sales but it, along with another SEGA title, Platinum Games’ MADWORLD, certainly held up the ‘adult’ end of the Wii gaming spectrum. It was later ported to PS3 and given extra levels, ported to mobile and eventually PC where it was converted yet AGAIN this time adding old SEGA favourite THE TYPING OF THE DEAD into the mix. Four games from one game. Not bad going, huh?

The point is OVERKILL was very tongue in cheek about the franchise’s own foibles, and that’s in a series that was already very self-aware. It was so fresh and different why not do a similar trick with Virtua Cop? Turn it into a self-aware parody of all those 80’s cop shows. Or even the 90’s, you meta humour all over the place then about old VR tech. Make it these two ridiculously out of touch cops dealing with endless suited gunmen in shades, ninjas and all the other lightgun game staples who for some reason think this is perfectly normal. Make it Miami Vice on acid with smart mouth and a stick up its ass. Make Virtua Cop but HOTD: OVERKILL.

In VR.

Then let me know so I can buy it.

Thanks muchly.

NiGHTS

NiGHTS is a pretty deep franchise, if you did but know it and one I have all the time in the world for. Not only do they have the most friendly fanbase I’ve ever met (no really, they’re all lovely) the game is fun, scary and promotes an array of ideas that would be very interesting to explore in VR. For a start there’s the obvious connotations of dreams and nightmares, and Sonic Team had no problem going dark. This shouldn’t be a massive surprise since in one of their games they once showed the moment a little girl gets shot for goodness sake**.

But NiGHTS isn’t just about dreams it is about the psyche itself. The original idea is based on the works of noted psychoanalysts Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. The ideya you collect are aspects of the Id – your personality traits. hope, growth, intelligence, purity (white) and lastly courage (red). Even their colours weren’t chosen randomly. The game deals with the topics of freedom, confidence, growing up, parental issues, loneliness, friendship, the idea of two people sharing the same experience and trust. NiGHTS is after all actually a Nightmaren – the bad guys. Trusting the person based on their actions and not on the preconception of where they were born is also something NiGHTS (particularly Journey of Dreams which has more of an outright story) touches on.

youtube

It is also about freedom and flight. So I want you to now imagine a first person NiGHTS game, one where you actually get to feel the simulation of flying, where you travel through a colourful level doing tricks and collecting… balls. And things. Now take that landscape with its SEGA blue skies and popping colours and what if we added a touch of Nevermind to it? What if the game reacted to your character’s welfare and became more dark and twisted the closer you came to running out of time or whenever you take a hit? It’s not that far fetched. The various levels in NiGHTS, the world of Nightopia is shaped by the Visitor (your character). The levels are given subtitles such as “The IDEAL”, “The POSSIBILITY”, “The CONFUSION” and are all based on relationships and aspects of their lives.

The feeling of flight and a bit of psychology. Sounds interesting?

OutRun

We all know that driving games can be translated over to VR, some of which can be done very well indeed. But what about SEGA? It has a number of driving franchises that you could port. But All-Stars Racing was never going to be on this list. SEGA Rally was a distinct possibility but no, I turned down that too. Initial-D was a strong contender considering its arcade longevity and popularity specifically in Japan. But ultimately the choice to fill this spot can only be OutRun.

So why OutRun over SEGA Rally let’s say? Because SEGA Rally is a game and OutRun is both a game and wish fulfillment. OutRun has, for decades, been not just about the game but about going as fast as possible in a sweet looking ride to impress the girl. About owning a Ferrari and being the personification of cool. It sells you a fantasy, one that gives tremendous satisfaction. A ‘long-medium right’ done well is one thing, but it doesn’t match slamming the steering wheel to full lock as you drift around a car and through a narrow gap between two buses in your Testarossa (or a British racing green Ferrari F40 if you’re me). It just doesn’t.

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Taking a first person viewpoint and actually living the ride would be quite something. But there’s another reason VR would be an interesting mechanic for OutRun. Do you not remember you have a passenger in your car? A passenger who is very… needy in her desire for you to GO FAST! KEEP PASSING CARS! ETC! As she either falls in love with you or, you know, violently berates you because you clipped a barrier. If you’re actually in the car with her it gives the game an extra dimension as you’ve got to check how your would be lady (or gentleman – I think some choice on who your passenger and driver is should definitely be included at this point) friend is reacting to the ride. They also in doing such act as a distraction, and OutRun is always a balancing act – particularly in Heart Attack Mode – of balancing speed and safety.

For me it’d be a very interesting mechanic to explore.

That’s all for this week. Next week we round off the list some more games including one I suspect none of you will have guessed is on my list. Until then!

* Old SEGA employee note: For some reason THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD is always supposed to be shown in capital letters. It’s part of the branding guidelines. If you see any SEGA official messaging with the game not in upper case it has actually been done wrong. #TheMoreYouKnow

** In Shadow The Hedgehog the moment young Maria Robotnik is fatally shot by government soldiers sent to wipe out the ARK facility is actually shown in the light of Shadow’s eyes at the end of a flashback. That’s messed up, Sonic Team.

from VRFocus http://ift.tt/2kL6imI

#VRFocus #vr #virtual reality #canada

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jamesbyerj · 4 years

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One with the Force - Kingo64

In the feature, we're chatting with Kingo64, the creator of the most popular mod for Blade & Sorcery - The Outer Rim. Being a bit of a Star Wars geek myself, this is a mod I've been following for a long time. [b]Thank you for joining me Alex ([url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/users/470810]Kingo64[/url]), we'll start as we always do, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself? [/b] Hey! My name is Alex, I’m a full-time software developer and a fairly recognisable member of the Blade & Sorcery Discord server. I’ve been modding the game Blade & Sorcery for a bit over a year now and have obliterated any notion of ‘free time’ I once had since starting [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/mods/528]The Outer Rim[/url]. It’s been said that I have ‘a bit of a personality’, and I’ve been blessed with many friends from modding communities over the years, notably from a now-defunct forum called Facepunch. I’ve been pretty fortunate and grew up with computers and video games from a young age. Without the internet you kinda needed to figure things out on your own, stumbling around through game files, seeing what you could change, trying to make the villains of the game bark like a dog for your own amusement. Modding was always one of the big appeal factors when it came to games for me since it essentially meant that the games were never ‘done’ as long as people remained interested it’s like an endless sunset. I’m still not sure if I’d ever want to work full-time in the video game industry but I suppose there’s always a possibility if I change my mind? There are always opportunities out there. [b]What are your favourite games of all time and what do you love about them? [/b] Ha, I’m not too good at picking favourites. I suppose I’ve always enjoyed first-person shooters the most; along with role-playing games. I think I’ll just throw out a fly fishing line and reel off a big list of names and see if we get any bites. [u]Multiplayer games[/u] [list] [*]Unreal Tournament ‘99 [*]Quake 3 Arena [*]Battlefield 1942 & 2 [*]Halo: Combat Evolved [*]Garry’s Mod [*]Worms Armageddon [/list][u] Single-player games[/u] [list] [*]Half-Life 1 & 2, Opposing Force, Blue Shift, Black Mesa [*]S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series [*]The Elderscrolls III: Morrowind [*]Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series [*]The Witcher 2 & 3 [*]Id Tech 3 classics such as: Jedi Knight series, Call of Duty + United Offensive, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix [*]Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory [/list] Without turning this into a TEDx Talk (call me TEDx if you want rambling subjective opinions on games), it mainly boils down to either enjoying the gameplay, the story, or the atmosphere/world building. All of these games have left me with long term memories, unique experiences, and wield some kind of spark that just makes me want to hope for a rainy day or a good excuse to dive back into them. I’d encourage those who haven’t played some of these games to check them out, they’re pretty fun. [b]Before we start talking about your mods, I'm guessing you're a huge Star Wars fan. There are tonnes of games, movies and other media in the franchise. What are your favourites? [/b] Fun fact, I wasn’t much of a Star Wars turbo nerd when I first started the project but I have had to do a fair amount of research into the lore, wikis, and books in order to create [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/mods/528]The Outer Rim[/url] in a way that respects both the Star Wars Expanded Universe / Legends and the canon. Fact-checkers are welcome. For those of you who have not watched the TV series ‘The Clone Wars’, do yourself a favour and watch that. Specifically with the ‘Ultimate Episode Order’ (you can find that online) which restructures it chronologically. It masterfully fleshes out the Star Wars universe and gives a plasteel backbone to the characters in the prequels and what they should be remembered for. This TV series in its totality is arguably better than the movies. As I’ve mentioned earlier with the games, I highly recommend Jedi Outcast / Jedi Academy from the Jedi Knight series along with the Knights of the Old Republic series. They are the primary inspirations for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/mods/528]The Outer Rim[/url] when it comes to gameplay design. [b]The sequel trilogy had a fairly mixed reception from Star Wars fans, what are your feelings about it? [/b] The sequel trilogy really garners a lot of mixed feelings from everyone. For younger audiences, this will likely be their introduction to the Star Wars universe on the big screen - bright-eyed without prior conceptions of what to expect, who they’ll see or what may happen. It’s all new to them and it’s all fantastic. They’ll grow up and look back fondly at the time they saw Star Wars Episode 7 in the cinema when the older generations were audibly grumbling at the thought of it. The same thing happened when The Phantom Menace came out and the same thing will happen again when the re-animated corpse of Darth Plagueis rears his head 15 years from now when another trilogy is announced for the next generation of kids. Personally, I thought the sequels were incredibly lack-lustre, disappointing, and almost a deliberate betrayal to the Star Wars ecosystem they’ve built up over the years. It’s no surprise some people prefer to stick their head in the sand and just pretend they never happened. All of the characters were either unlikeable or forgettable; excusing Kylo Ren - a pale imitation of Revan. The story was poorly developed, ham-fisted, and mostly surmounted to nothing (Last Jedi particularly). There was a very clear agenda on ‘throwing away the past / wiping the slate clean’ to absolve themselves of the original trilogy and prequels. I understand that their intention was to create a fresh footing to tell new stories on but it ultimately backfired on them pretty hard, unfortunately. Red Letter Media, in particular, gave a pretty good summation on the recent movies that mostly match my opinions for those looking for a meaty analysis. Rogue One was fantastic though, congrats. [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1597753699-614768287.jpeg[/img] [img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1597753704-1234122797.jpeg[/img][/center] [b]Talking about mods now, you started out modding back in the height of the Oblivion days with a few small compatibility patches, have you done much modding between then and when you discovered Blade & Sorcery? [/b] Well, to be frank, I’ve been modding games since the dark ages before stable internet connections and when we used to get games on discs in magazines. It made sense to me to try and create new content for yourself where possible, whether it is custom maps/campaigns, gameplay tweaks, asset modification, rather than waiting for the next game. Games were often released as a final distributable copy rather than the evergreen update cycle we expect today and often did not receive patches outside of expansion packs. Generally, when I make a mod it’s for personal use and may be shared with my friends at most. More often than not because the mod is an opinion piece on gameplay tweaking, or a compilation of other mods, or simply not worth uploading. Another big factor would be the fact that it was only within the last couple of years have I ever had an upload speed that could transfer information faster than a person flapping a blanket over a smokey fire. Between the Oblivion days and now, the most prominent mods I’ve released would be the shader packages for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, known as [url=https://sites.google.com/site/kingo64ssite/Home/optimised-game-shaders/stalker-shaders-max]STALKER Shaders MAX[/url], which primarily focused on improving performance and improving graphics - a necessity for my low-end 7300GT and mid-range 9600GT that I had back in the day which struggled to play the game. But yeah, mostly was just kicking back, enjoying everyone else’s mods until the creative itch started to kick in. It’s difficult to manage time with social life, work, family, friends, hobbies. [b]How did you discover Blade & Sorcery and what is it about the game that keeps you coming back? [/b] I bought it on a whim whilst growing out my VR library and was surprised by how polished and enjoyable the melee combat was, easily the defining feature of the game. The fluidity and believability of the melee combat have really set it apart from other games that have attempted it such as Boneworks and those not courageous enough to try such as Half-Life: Alyx. Even though it’s still currently a sandbox game, I’ve found it to be much more replayable than any other VR title I’ve played. I think it’s really setting the precedent on how good melee combat and item interaction should be achieved. In the VR FPS space, Pavlov VR has potential but it’s still stuck in its Counter-Strike mindset and Hot dogs, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades (H3VR) still has controls that make QWOP look like a walk in the park. Personally, I’m not really looking for online matchmaking when I want to play VR games, I kinda just want to pick it up and do my own thing - play however I want. That’s something that I’ve been able to do with Blade & Sorcery and the replayability I’d like to see in non-story driven VR titles. Each major update for the game has given us a glimpse of what to expect in the released version. The roadmap is really promising and I can’t wait to see what it develops into after it leaves early access. After many conversations with the lead developer over the past year, it’s pretty comforting to know that he shares the same opinions on gameplay design, decisions and direction as I do and I feel confident in saying that the game’s in good hands. The mod support for the game is incredible. I’m surprised by how large the modding community has become given the niche nature of the game. It’s a testament to how building a game with a positive attitude and public SDK only strengthens the community and widens the appeal, ultimately serving a more diverse and enjoyable experience for everyone. [center][youtube]fcyU6sE7rBo[/youtube][/center] [b]For anyone who hasn't played it yet, can you tell us about your biggest mod - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/mods/528]The Outer Rim[/url]? [/b] The Outer Rim (TOR) is a Star Wars total conversion mod for Blade & Sorcery which adds a humongous amount of content. There are 100+ lightsabers along with many blasters and other items to boot. The mod also includes custom maps, an optional player home, custom NPCs, and arena waves. It’s actively being developed and still has plenty of content planned and yet to be released. It is without a doubt, the largest mod available for the game with a focus on attention to detail. If you like Star Wars, get it. If you don’t like Star Wars, try it out anyway. If you don’t have the game but have a VR setup, get the game then try this mod. It’s worth it. If you don’t have a VR setup, sorry - play it at a friend’s place? [b]The Outer Rim has been a huge success. When you initially started working on it did you imagine it would be as popular as it is? [/b] It was pretty evident on the Blade & Sorcery Discord server that [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/mods/528]The Outer Rim[/url] was going to be a big hit when it eventually came out. The prototype weapons I released when I was still learning the SDK and Unity, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/mods/280]Lightsabers U6[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/mods/246]E-11 Blaster Rifle[/url], were a hint of what was to come. Those mods were largely successful on their own, given that the innovation and quality of scripted weapons were not like what we have today bar a few exceptions, notably MulleDK19’s Mjolnir among others. What I didn’t expect was for my peers in real life to recognise the mod and realise I was the creator, or how wide of a reach it would have - driven by gameplay footage uploaded to sites such as Reddit. It’s pretty surreal to see yourself directly influencing your own Youtube feed when Youtubers decide to play ‘that Star Wars VR mod’. [b]Do you work alone on the project or do you collaborate with other authors? [/b] I primarily work alone on the project. There’s something cathartic in knowing that if something in the mod doesn’t meet my expectations I only have myself to blame, improve, and resolve. It’s not difficult to manage large projects such as this with many moving parts, it’s just a very time-consuming process with a large learning curve. I’ve branched out to others who I feel could do a much better job than I, namely 3D modelling and texturing. One long term collaborator of the mod is Plasma, a prominent modder from the Jedi Knight community, who has created models for the majority of the lightsaber hilts among other unreleased items from the next major version. Other authors who have contributed assets to the mod include Sakhado, uiojkl09 (Butters), Vale-X and Spongy. [b]There are a lot of mods made by others that extend The Outer Rim or add new Star Wars related stuff. Do you have any favourites? [/b] I hope I don’t get crucified for this but I haven’t actually played any of the other Star Wars mods so I can’t really answer that question well. In fact, I haven’t really had much time to play the base game as is or even my own mod outside of dev/testing. [b]Now that U8 has been released, are you planning to add any cool new force powers using the magic system? [/b] Yep, that’s all been planned since the beginning over a year ago - with the intentions of being deeply tied into the skills tree proposed for the future version of the game, U9. There won’t be any force powers in the next major version of the mod, TOR 3, which is focused on blasters, but when I get around to it it’ll be worth it. The big backlog of stuff I have planned is daunting for me to say the least and exciting for anyone else. If you want an idea of what is to come in regards to force powers just play the Jedi Knight and KOTOR series and you’ll know what to expect. [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1597753345-139005324.jpeg[/img] [img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1597753352-264767641.jpeg[/img][/center] [b]What is the status of a U8 update for The Outer Rim, I know a whole load of people are waiting on it? [/b] The next major expansion pack for the mod, Clone Reinforcements, is mostly complete in respects to content and features however the magnitude of changes presented by U8 essentially forced me to remake the mod, virtually every file needed to be modified on some level to be made compatible, no stone left unturned. The mod got nuked essentially. There have been many challenges and issues to face with the mod that still exist today directly due to what U8 has given and what it has taken away that prevent the mod from being fully playable or meeting my expectations. I’ve been in contact with the lead developer of the game throughout U8’s release and have been trying to report and resolve issues where possible to expedite the process. I’m hoping U8.4 should be the one to fix it. Ultimately, I don’t know how big of a change U8.4 will be, what it will add, what it will do, how much it’ll break, how much it will solve. But if it turns out to be big, it might set me back a few months, who knows? It’s a big game of “are we there yet?” but the car is misfiring and billowing smoke but the kids in the back just want to get to Disneyland. [b]Do you have any advice for authors who want to create mods for Blade & Sorcery? [/b] If you have an idea for a mod, just go out and try to make it yourself. Take it as a challenge. Yes it’ll take time, yes you’ll have difficulties, but if you put in the effort you’ll be surprised by what you can achieve and how easy it is to learn and improve. There is a vast amount of tutorials and learning material out there on Unity and modding. Specifically to B&S modding, you can find information and example mods in the [url=https://github.com/KospY/BasSDK]Official SDK[/url] and on the [url=https://discord.gg/Yq4k2S]Blade & Sorcery Discord server[/url] in the #modding-howto and #mod-help sections. [b]Is there anything else you'd like to say to the community? [/b] It’s pretty thrilling to see how the VR community has continued to expand over the last few years as the games have become more compelling and the hardware more affordable. I encourage those with a VR setup to give the game a go, it’s a lot of fun, highly replayable, and a great place to flex those modding muscles. We’re welcoming new modders all the time and you know what they say; the more the merrier. A big thank you to those who have supported my work, whether it be leaving a nice comment, contributing their time to help others, leaving a donation, or who have shared it with their friends and loved ones. It’s a passion project with the intention of sharing good times, good memories, and hopefully inspiring people in one way or another. And also if you are wondering, yes I do read all the messages - I just don’t have the time to reply to everyone. Your comments have not fallen on deaf ears when you share your ideas, criticisms, and compliments. [line] A big thank you to Kingo64 for taking the time to talk to us! If there's an author or mod project you'd like to know more about, send your suggestions to [b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/64597]BigBizkit[/url][/b] or [b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975]Pickysaurus[/url][/b]. Published first at One with the Force - Kingo64

#Video Games #PC Gaming

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judefan824-blog · 4 years

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1994 was a big year for video games. Titles released that year on the SNES and Sega Genesis would be all time classics that are beloved to this very day. Sega had the Sega CD add on which had some hits and misses. Sega would release the short lived 32x in November of 1994 to try and keep the Genesis going just a little while long. But before I get into any of that, it is worth noting that the NES was still alive and kicking in 1994, although just barely. Most of my friends and myself has moved on to Super Nintendo by this point. My NES and the games got packed up, put in a closet, and forgotten about for a long time. Some friends of mine went so far as to throw their NES’s away, thinking it to be as antiquated as Atari and something they would never want to play again. That year, according to Wikipedia, there were 12 official releases in North America for the NES. I don’t have much to say about Mickey’s Adventures in Numberland or Mario’s Time Machine. They are both educational games for small children, focusing on math and history lessons. There is not much more to say than that. By this point, developers have figured out just what the limitations of the system were and learned how to make games for it. While not all the games I am covering today are gems, they aren’t the epicly shitty games you found earlier in the life of the NES. Many of these games could be a blind spot for some who, like myself, had moved on to other game systems and were unaware of these titles. Some of them are worth exploring if you are feeling in a retro gaming mood.

Wario’s Woods

I guess I will start at the end. Wario’s Woods was the last game released on the NES in North America. It is an addictive puzzle game with game play elements from Super Mario Bros. 2. In this game you play Toad. The story goes that Wario has taken over a portion of woods in the Mushroom Kingdom called the Peaceful Woods. Wario has cast a spell over the creatures of the woods and are making them do his bidding. It is up to Toad ,with help from a fairy named Wanda and Birdo from Super Mario 2, to defeat Wario and reclaim the Peaceful Woods. Why Toad and not Mario or Luigi or Princess Peach? I guess they were busy that day.

What happens is that Wanda makes bombs and drops them into the game area. As Toad, you lift the various creatures, matching the color of the creature to the bomb. Blow up all the creatures and move on to the next level. Birdo is in the corning doing….something. I think the official explanation is offering encouragement. You are up against a timer. If the timer runs out, Birdo runs off and Wario shows up. Wanda is also replaced by a pigeon which drops monsters into the game area. DON’T LET THE PIGEON DROP MONSTERS INTO THE GAME AREA. Wario also drops the ceiling lower on you to make matters more difficult. Eventually, Wario gets bored and goes away. Birdo comes back and now you can resume blowing up critters with bombs. Unlike many puzzle games of the time, this one has a proper ending. Get to the last level, defeat all of Wario’s critters, and win the game.

The NES was good for addictive little puzzle games, Tetris and Dr Mario being the most fondly remembered. Wario’s Woods fits right into that category. However, I feel like this game gets overlooked . Most likely because it came out so late in the life span of the system. Wario’s Woods has been released a few times and is currently on the Switch NES Online Library. If you have that service, I would encourage you to give this game a try. It’s easy to learn and hard to master. The gameplay is a lot of fun. Getting to the end was a rewarding experience for me. Wario’s Woods is a concept I think would work out quite well if they retooled it and put out a new version of the game in mobile devices. That is the home of puzzle games these days and I could see this catching on if they did it right.

Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2

Here is a game I didn’t know existed until I started this project. Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 is a sequel to the 1990 game and is based on the Disney Afternoon cartoon. Developed by Capcom, it has all the elements one would expect from a Capcom side-scrolling platformer. You have a catchy 8-bit soundtrack, smooth gameplay and controls, , good looking graphics, and fun elements added to each stage. Capcom really mastered making this type of game and even with this being a late entry into the NES library, they still lived up to their reputation.

Fat Cat has escaped from prison. While that was happening, Chip, Dale, and their friends are all called away on a time bomb situation as a distraction. With Fat Cat safely on the loose, he steals the Urn of the Pharoh and plans to set the evil spirits loose. Chip, Dale, Monterrey, Gadget, and Zipper all track down Fat Cat to an amusement park to bring him to justice.

If I have any criticism of this game its that their isn’t a lot of challenge to it. It’s a lot of fun. They put some time and thought into the platforming and level design. I breezed through this game without much of an issue. You can find this game on PS4 and XBOX One in the Disney Afternoon Collection along with other fantastic games like Duck Tales, Tale Spin, and Darkwing Duck. Disney and Capcom were on a great run in the early 90’s. Watching these shows after school was a favorite part of my day back then. It is a concept that has been lost over time and that is just the way it is. After school programming was so much fun back then. Get home, catch the last part of GWF on ESPN, then it was Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers, then change the channel to PBS for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, wrap it up with Tale Spin, finally it was time to go outside and play for a while before dinner and homework. Playing these games certainly is a part of those nostalgic feelings. I am curious how the younger people would feel about these games. To me, they hold up as some of the best from the NES library.

Mega Man 6

Speaking of Capcom, Mega Man would see it’s last entry on the NES in 1994, released in March of that year. Like the aforementioned Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers 2 , the game features a catchy soundtrack, fun platforming elements, smooth controls, and colorful graphics. If you liked the other Mega Man games, then you should like this one because they stayed fairly close to the formula. There are eight robot masters each with their own themed stages. Beat the robot master,gain a special ability move on to the next. Once all the robot masters are defeated, storm the castle. Complete each level of the castle, fight the last boss and win the game.

With the world at relative peace since Mega Man 5, the people decide to have an robot fighting tournament hosted by the mysterious Mr. X. During this episode of Robot Jox, Mr. X takes control of the top eight robots and attempts to take over the world. Mr. X explains he was behind Dr. Wily’s plots all along. Dr Light sends Mega Man into action to take down the rogue robot masters. The eight robot masters are Centaur Man, Blizzard Man, Flame Man, Knight Man, Plant Man, Tomahawk Man, Wind Man, and Yamato Man. Once they are defeated, Mega Man goes after Mr. X directly. You will never guess who Mr. X really is.

The focus of this game seems to lean heavily on the level design. Each of the robot masters levels have some unique challenges consistent with each of their powers. Wind Man’s level has you riding over pit traps and spikes with strategically placed fans. Flame Man’s level has rivers of oil that you don’t want to be in when they get set on fire. This time Rush combines with Mega Man to give him a Jet Pack and Power Punch. The robot masters aren’t terribly difficult this time around. In fact, they are painfully easy to beat. For as difficult as Mega Man 1 was, it’s kind of ridiculous how Mega Man 6 is so easy. The thing I will remember about this game is the contest in Nintendo Power where people could enter their ideas of Robot Master. I submitted an entry and got a pleasant form level in return. I was just happy to have had chance to enter my ideas.

It is fitting that the NES would go out with a Mega Man game in it’s last year. This style of game was defining for the system. The first six Mega Man games were so popular that the 8 bit style would be brought back years later for Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10. Mega Man 6 has been rereleased in several compilations, such as the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on the original X Box and PS2 as well as the Mega Man Legacy Collection Vol. 1 on the Nintendo Switch, 3DS, PlayStation 4, and X Box One. Mega Man would have a rough transition going forward. The SNES I will always associate with the Mega Man X series. It was the home of Mega Man 7 but somehow it just didn’t feel right. The less said about Mega Man 8 on the PS1, the better. Mega Man 6 will probably be remembered as one of the best late entries into the NES library and a bit of a curiosity as most people had moved on to the 16 bit systems by the time it was released.

The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak.

If you happened to buy this game in a bargain bin at Blockbuster back in the day and kept it in your closet all these years, I have great news for you. The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak is one of the rarest games in the NES library. As of press time, a copy of this game sells for anywhere from $800 to $2000. There are apparently less than 10,000 copies of this game floating around. It is believed that Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak was an exclusive to Blockbuster in 1994 although there is some dispute to that. Chances are, the only way one played this game back then was to get it from a rental location.

The game is somewhat of a sequel to The Flintstones: The Rescue of Dino and Hoppy also developed by Taito. In Surprise at Dinosaur Peak, you switch back and forth between Fred and Barney. They each have different abilities that help one navigate through each stage. The idea is that Pebbles and Bam Bam are stuck on a lava flow from an erupting volcano. The only way to save them is to walk all the way around the volcano to the other side. In an odd scene at the beginning, The Great Gazoo appears to Fred to tell him that he can’t help because teleportation is behind his abilities. (?) No matter. You side-scroll and platform through the various levels and there are bonus stages with cave man hockey and basketball.

Overall, its a good looking game that plays pretty well. They put some thought into each level as well as the cut scenes. Given how few of these carts were made, it really is impressive just how much care and detail they put into the game. It’s not terribly difficult. You can breeze through it without too much of a hassle. I have to think this game would have done better if it had been released earlier in the life of the NES. Movie and TV show license games were notoriously bad. I had the misfortune of owning Back to the Future. A good friend in my neighborhood ended up with Fester’s Quest. The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak is a drastic improvement from those games. The graphics and game play are far superior to much of the early NES library. Fans of The Flintstones will appreciate the references that the game adds in. It is a genuine Flintstones experience. However, if you want to play this game as a curiosity, I can’t recommend paying up to $800 and beyond for a copy. This a fine game but not worth that much money unless you plan on becoming a serious collector of NES games.

Bonk’s Adventure

There is some similarity between Bonk’s Adventure and the game just discussed The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak. They are both fairly expensive games that were released late in the lifespan of the NES and have a prehistoric theme. Bonk is best remembered as the mascot for the short lived Turbo Grafx 16 consoul. While the NES version doesn’t look as good as the Turbo Grafx one, it is a really good looking game for an 8-bit system. The game play is very similar to other side-scrolling platformers. The goal is to go from level to level through this prehistoric world trying to save Princess Za from King Drool. A lot of video game plots back then were inspired by Super Mario Bros. Bonk walks through the world with nothing but a headbutt attack. You have a volcano level, water level, ice level,your typical affair for this type of game. Aside from the rarity, what makes this game remarkable is how faithfully they were able to port a 16-bit game onto an 8-bit console. Much like the last game we discussed, it would have been more fondly remembered if it had been released earlier in the NES’s life. Bonk’s Adventure is better than much of what we were stuck playing when the NES was at it’s peak. Bonk’s Adventure was rereleased on the WII and WIIU Virtual Console if you would like to play it without having to pay the obscene price for the actual cart. It is a must have for serious collectors though.

Alfred Chicken

Alfred is a chicken who flaps and pecks his way through five levels popping balloons along the way. I don’t know that there is a story to the game beyond that. Alfred Chicken is a platformer with puzzle elements added in for fun. In each level you have to find green balloons. Pop the balloons and float to the next level. The bulk of the game is climbing up platforms and reasoning out where balloons may be. Unlike many of the games previously discussed, the graphics aren’t all that good looking. It looks like a colorized version of a Gameboy game. The music is also quite annoying and very repetitive. What it lacks in visuals and sound, Alfred Chicken makes up for in gameplay. The levels are a lot of fun to work your way through if your a fan of platforming. The best I can describe it would be like a combination between Krusty’s Fun House and Kid Icarus. There are a few boss fights at the end of each level which resemble a shooter like Life Force or UN Squadrons. That kind of variety is appreciated. Alfred Chicken got a remake for the PS1 in 2002. That game looks a lot better and has more levels to it. I would probably recommend finding that game rather than this once, give how much some of these later years NES game cost. Alfred Chicken is a fun game to pick up and play but they could have done more with the concept and flushed it out better. My hope is that they did that with the remake and made a better gaming experience. The NES version feels like the playable Beta test for a much better game.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighters

At this point, I am understanding some of the complaints that the younger generation has about the NES. I have discussed a lot of platformers and puzzle games. If you cut your teeth on these games, then they are great but there isn’t a lot of variety on the system. The NES was a bit too late to cash in on the popularity of fighting games in the mid 90’s, lead by Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II. Neither of those games would be ported to the NES, although oddly they did make their way to the Sega Master System. If you have played those games or own them, then I tip my hat to you. There weren’t many games on the NES that could fit into the fighting game genre. So imagine my surprise when I found Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighters. If you have this one sitting in the back of your closet, I have great news for you. It is worth quite a bit of money.

The idea of the game is that you pick from one of six characters. Included are the four Turtles, Casey Jones, and Hothead, apparently a character from the comics. You fight each of the Ninja Turtles then go on to face Casey Jones, Hothead, and a final battle with Shredder to beat the game. Shredder is absurdly difficult so there is a great sense of accomplishment when you manage to beat this one. Sadly, in this version of the game, the Ninja Turtles aren’t given their weapons. There is a little bit of move variety from Turtle to Turtle, mostly inspired by Street Fighter II. Leo does a Tornado Kick similar to Ryu and Raph does a Torpedo Launch similar to E.Honda, you get the idea. In the context of the game, there seems to be no reason the Turtles are fighting each other. The pregame cut scene only tells us that Shredder has challenged the Turtles to a fight in the streets of Manhattan. It doesn’t explain why you have to fight all your friends before facing Shredder. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Tournament Fighter is your run of the mill fighting game. Win the best two out of three and move on to the next fight. The game can get a bit glitchy. Graphically, they are really pushing the limits of what the NES could do. The NES controller really wasn’t made for this type of game. The controls don’t feel smooth at all. If you force yourself to get used to it, the game is playable but it feels awkward. By 1994, The Ninja Turtles and the NES were waning in popularity. There are such better examples of fighting games on the SNES and Genesis, including superior versions of this game. It’s no surprise that this was overlooked. Still, Konomi put a lot of work into a game that few people played. The music is excellent and it looks pretty good. The NES just wasn’t made for this type of game.

Zoda’s Revenge: Star Tropics II.

Star Tropics II can be best summed up as more of Star Tropics. This time though your main character Mike Jones (Who?) and his uncle, Dr. J, are flung through history to collect blocks called Tetrads. You play through nine chapters, each one a different point in time of human history. You meet characters like Cleopatra and Sherlock Holmes, who help you along the way. Like the first one, they combine RPG elements with dungeon crawling, puzzle solving, and adventure aspects. Play through the dungeon, collect the Tetrad, go back and talk to the villagers, proceed to the next chapter. I am making it sound simple but this is an incredibly fun and satisfying game. They improved the controls from the first one, now letting you jump and move in a few different directions and not just hopscotching along. Other than that, they didn’t change much from the first. The game still has a quirky sense of humor. The graphics, enemy design, level design, and gameplay all mirror the first one. I don’t mean to be disparaging when I say it’s more of the same because it’s more of a really great game. This has been rereleased a few different times over the years. Although it is not yet on the Switches NES Library, I expect it to appear before too long. Of all the NES games to come out in 1994, this is the one I recommend most.

So that is the NES in 1994. I hope that I have given you some ideas for different games to play that you may have missed when they were first released. Many of these games are worth checking out. Nostalgia for the NES is alive and well today. For many of us, this was our first game console. When you are out and about, you see t-shirts with the classic characters on them in all their 8-bit glory. I have a pair of socks with NES controllers on them. Merchandising the warm feelings for this system to Gen Xer’s and Millinials is going strong and can be found at just about any retail outlet. Something about the NES will always be special to us.The warm, fuzzy, 8-bit memories never really go away although by 1994, we had mostly moved on to bigger and better things. As will I as I continue to celebrate all that was 1994 as we approach the New Year.

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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Sega Ages Brings the Arcade Glory Days to Your Switch

Growing up in Puerto Rico, arcades were pretty scarce, with only a few real options available to me when I was a kid. Sadly, none of them ever really carried the great Sega arcade games like Out Run, Space Harrier, Super Hang-On, and the like. In fact, before I moved from Puerto Rico to the United States, the only Sega game I got to experience in arcades was Virtua Fighter! I’ve always loved arcades, and was even more heartbroken to realize that the heyday of arcades was long past by the time I was able to go out on my own as an adult.

While there are certainly many great places today to find arcades, from retro-revival places to big arcades like Round1 and Dave and Busters, it’s still hard to find a place to play those great games from years ago and experience them in their former glory. Well, for Sega fans at least, the SEGA AGES line is here to try and save the day; while these games don’t come with their own unique arcade cabinets or that sultry allure of arcade atmosphere, they are quite affordable and portable. We were graciously given copies of both Space Harrier and Puyo Puyo for the Switch to review by the fine folks at Sega, so let’s get down to whether or not these titles are worth your combined quarters or not!

One of the first things that needs to be addressed when it comes to reviewing revamped or re-released arcade game ports, however, is the fact that arcade games were generally made with one goal in mind: separating you from your quarters. To this end, arcade games were generally pretty difficult, and sometimes cheap and unfair as the difficulty would ramp up or spike in order to keep you inserting your (or your parents!) hard earned coins in the hopes of getting just a bit further, or just a bit closer to getting your three initials into the hi-score rankings!

In a lot of cases, this means that when revisiting arcade games without the limit of time and money in play, a lot of earlier games tend to fall noticeably flatter; when they aren’t entirely centered around score and money, some games reveal themselves to have little else to offer but nostalgia. It may even be fair to say that much of the attitude around gaming being a skill based hobby, in which one’s supposed level in a hobby based around amusement is how “good” you are at games, probably originates from simply justifying how much money many players threw into arcade machines over the years. So how do the SEGA AGES versions of Space Harrier and Puyo Puyo deal with this legacy? Well… it’s complicated.

On the surface, both of these games are pretty barebones, with Puyo Puyo have the added benefit of online multiplayer to give it quite a bit of extra life and longevity to play. In a previous review of another Puyo Puyo game, I mentioned how the recent energy surrounding the online and competitive Puyo Puyo scenes have really helped breathe life into the series again between Puyo Puyo Champions and Puyo Puyo Tetris. In the SEGA AGES version of the original game, the online mode again gives you the ability to try your luck against online opponents, and you can also play the game locally against your friends and foes offline. The Switch is great for this, since the ease of multiplayer anywhere allows you to throw down in some Puyo battles pretty easily. As a single player experience, you’ll find yourself fighting increasingly difficult stages of the original arcade version of the game, and to be honest the CPU doesn’t mess around! I was actually caught off guard at first by how difficult the CPU was at times before reminding myself that getting you to use more continues was part of the arcade game lifecycle.

For the unfamiliar, the Puyo Puyo series is a VS. Puzzle game in which you make attacks against your opponent by clearing various colored puyos from your side of the screen; however, unlike a game such as Tetris where the goal is to simply clear the board, the Puyo Puyo series has always relied on building chain combos to do the most damage. This unique take on puzzle combat means that your decisions need to be long term, rather than simply worrying about clearing the board, and a single wrong move can cost you dearly. You have the ability to choose between a simplified or original version of the game that changes how many colors of puyos you’ll need to deal with, meaning if you’re totally new to the game (or, apparently, rusty like I was!) you can ease yourself into the game by switching between how many color combinations you’ll need to keep track of.

That said, there really isn’t a whole lot to do in Puyo Puyo other than that. You can play online, you can play your friends, and you can play against the CPU in the absolutely bonkers single player mode (if anything, buying this game just to see the very weird dialogue is maybe worth the price of admission alone), but right now the market for Puyo Puyo series titles is actually quite crowded. If you’re looking to scratch that retro-puzzle itch, then this version will likely give you some good entertainment, but sadly a lot of the value of this game will rest on whether or not you will find online opponents (always a crapshoot to predict), or have local opponents to play against… and that you also don’t want to just play either of the other 2 more modern versions of Puyo Puyo.

For those who like to recreate that sense of nostalgia or emulate the games you only played a few times in arcades and movie theater lobbies, however, this is a fairly strict arcade to console port with little loss of sound quality, with the charming digitized voices and soundtrack intact, and the graphics, while not outstanding, look as bright and colorful as they likely ever have. The controls on the Switch are also spot-on, and there are a few gameplay tweaks made to the game for some slight quality of life improvements, such as the ability to spin Puyos counterclockwise, and the ability to quickly spin Puyos right before placing them for some Tetris T-spin-esque antics. For my money, I’d guess these changes were made to fall more in line with how modern Puyo players likely understand the game, and I did appreciate them while I played the game, as I would probably have found myself utterly confused by why I couldn’t do what I’m used to!

Of the two, Space Harrier may be the less familiar title to many players, and some of you probably played this game in other Sega game collections or games like Shenmue or Yakuza 0 than in the arcades themselves; that’s how I ended up encountering it first before finding an original cabinet during an arcade trip! Taking place in the “Fantasy Zone”, Space Harrier is a behind the back shooting game that takes place on an auto-scrolling plane, giving off a pseudo-3D vibe. Perhaps one of the main reasons Space Harrier has always been so fondly remembered is due to the unique visuals and fun, fast shooter action, and the SEGA AGES version really helps make that visual appeal shine.

While Puyo Puyo doesn’t really have a lot of moving parts, so to speak, Space Harrier really shows off some of the amazing emulation qualities that the SEGA AGES renditions have taken advantage of, with the game running in an amazingly smooth 60fps just like its original arcade incarnation. The game looks absolutely fantastic and feels like you’ve been transported right back in front of that gorgeous cab, although you’ll have to recreate the leaning chair sensation yourself (don’t do this, please play responsibly!). Compared to versions I’ve played emulated in other games like Yakuza 0, I’m actually shocked by how much smoother this version of Space Harrier looks and plays compared to those; by far this is one of the games that has really been served best by the framerate being able to match its original arcade incarnation.

Like Puyo Puyo, however, there really isn’t much here other than just playing Space Harrier. The game never featured a multiplayer mode, and there’s no real online component other than score uploads. That said, you do get two ways to play in this version: regular, which gives you a limited 3-continue run to defeat the challenging 18 stages of the game, and the new KOMAINU Barrier Attack mode, which not only gives you unlimited continues, but also provides you with 2 komainu buddies (komainu are lion-dogs that appear in pairs near shrines and other Japanese locations as guardians) that protect you from one of the most common Space Harrier deaths: collisions with objects. One of the downsides of the auto-scrolling action madness in the game is the fact that sometimes you’re so busy dodging bullets and trying to plan your shots that you forgot all about that tree, and… Game Over. Here, your Komainu friends will protect you from collision deaths, only going offline if they are shot, and shortly recharging the barrier after a small amount of time has passed.

There are also some small text blurbs that add a bit of flavor and character to the overall game, which I found to be kind of charming and cute (they are also really supportive of you, which is nice after you die three times in a row…) but not really a huge addition in any way. The biggest addition to Space Harrier is a rapid fire button, which helps make the need to predict and aim after troublesome enemies less of a hassle, and is available in both versions of the game available to play, making the regular mode just a bit smoother in terms of playing through it on 3 continues by alleviating some of the difficulty against particularly annoying enemies and patterns.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with both SEGA AGES titles, but I will admit that they are exactly what they say on the box and little else. If you’ve always been curious to try these games, or are simply a fan of older arcade games, then the $7.99 US price-tag per game is a pretty easy selling point, and you’ll certainly get your money’s worth even if you only play through the games a few times. Of the two titles, Space Harrier really impressed me with how gorgeous it looks in motion on the Switch, and the KOMAINU mode really does make the game more approachable and inviting. Puyo Puyo is no slouch, though, and while it doesn’t have the graphic pizzaz to take advantage of the framerate and smooth quality, the online and offline multiplayer give you and some friends the ability to duke it out in some retro puzzle glory. Either way, if you’re itching to get some arcade action in while on the go, in your bed, or anywhere you might play your Switch, then the SEGA AGES line seems like the perfect way to scratch that itch and get some solid play time in!

REVIEW ROUNDUP

+ Arcade perfect ports, especially in the case of Space Harrier.

+ Controls on the Switch are great, and in some cases improved from their original arcade incarnations.

+ KOMAINU mode in Space Harrier makes the game less frustrating to beat.

+ Puyo Puyo’s online mode gives some extra life to the game.

+/- Games have little to offer other than their stated modes; don’t expect more than that.

- Puyo Puyo suffers from having 2 newer and more robust versions available, making this an odd choice.

Do you have any fond arcade memories? What’s your favorite Sega game? Let us know what you think of the game in the comments!

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Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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ryanonwrasslin-blog · 7 years

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The Wrestling Optimist - March 23, 2017

Welcome to my weekly, mostly optimistic, look at the wonderful world of professional wrestling. This came about because I’m working my hardest to stop being such a miserable smark, and this column is my best effort at both keeping myself honest and funneling out the various thoughts I have on wrestling. For the most part, this will be a WWE-themed piece every week, and it’s still evolving, but for now I think I’ve found a solid format. I urge you to join me in being a happier wrestling fan, whatever that may mean to you!

Theme of the Week

Changes, they are a-comin'.

I touch on a few specifics in the "Hitting the Finisher" section, but it's been widely held that, post-Mania, there will be roster shake-ups all throughout WWE. We see some hints of that on TV this week, with Foley being fired, Steph "punishing" Mick's closest friends on the roster, AJ maybe being on the outs with the SDL management, the Usos perhaps teasing a new direction for Smackdown's tag divison, some NXT wrestlers finishing up their storylines, and new faces on NXT (Ember, Ohno, Ruby Riot) getting attention.

And that's without even touching on the several storylines likely to conclude at Mania that will open up several dance cards from April onward (KO/ Jericho, Cena/ Miz, Goldberg/ Lesnar, Reigns/ Taker, and Shane/ AJ all figure to not go past Mania). There's a reason why the shows right after Mania are often considered the most must-see TV of the wrestling year, because no other point in the year has so many resets and surprises. In this smark-ass world, that sort of unknown is rare.

10 Best Moments of the Week

Total Bellas Bullshit Smackdown Live as a whole was incredible this week, as you can tell by how frequently it shows up in this list. It had two really strong matches, two other fun, short ones, and just had a good time all around by, in part, not taking itself too seriously or grounding itself too much in reality. But the highlight was the Miz and Maryse and it wasn't even close. Miz's Cena impression was the height of parody, and Maryse, in addition to looking as jaw-dropping as ever in that Nikki outfit, stole the show from right out under him. I can't give this enough praise.

Now THAT'S how you start building a Tag Team division I’m talking of course, about American Alpha and the Usos. can someone tell me why this wasn't this done at one of the recent PPV's? These two teams worked really well together, and I hope they draw out Alpha's inevitable chase for their belts. Since it's not clear that anything is happening with the SDL Tag division at Mania, let Alpha feud with someone else for a month or two, win clean as a whistle, build momentum, and take the titles from the Usos over the summer so that it means something. This is the first step of rebuilding the division, and it's a great one, but they still need to take steps 2, 3, 4, etc.

My God, that list has a family! I'm all the way in on this KO/ Y2J feud, even more than I was before, incredibly enough. This segment was the best of Monday night, with Jericho's line about a young KO marking out, maaaaaaaan, a particular highlight that humanizes KO while also making him look like an even bigger asshole for throwing away his true self for what he thinks are his own personal interests. And then he starts playing mind games with KO about it. It's not easy for a babyface to play mind games, but Jericho walks that line skillfully. And KO roughing up Jericho and even eating the list was just beautiful. Also, Jericho at the peak of his powers with the fans is a sight to behold. They were loving that dude last night. When he's done with the pro graps business we're going to have a very tough time figuring out where Jericho ranks in the all-time pantheon of superstars. Not only has he had some incredible highs, but his frequent sabbaticals have allowed his career to stretch on for a duration of excellence that almost no one has ever reached in wrestling history. This guy debuted in WCW over 20 years ago and we're coming up on the 19th anniversary of the list of 1,004 holds. Unreal.

Southpaw Regional Wrestling This wasn't an actual happening on one of the wrestling shows this week, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the series of YouTube videos that hit the internet this week. I honestly can't pick out a favorite part. Go watch the whole 25 minutes of the series.

This version of Mick Foley can be my babyface GM anytime You can see below that I'm not sure where they're going with this storyline involving Foley's buddies backstage, but I do have some possible high hopes. That aside, Foley cut a really strong promo and then got to have meaningful interactions backstage that likely reflect how many of these wrestlers actually feel about the man. Shouldn't we have been letting him have these kinds of interactions since Summerslam? That would have beat him getting preachy about Hell in a Cell or trying to motivate Sami Zayn in the weirdest way possible or whatever. This was always the payoff, and hopefully they nail the ramifications of it in a way that makes it all worth it, I just wish we could have had more of it.

Randy Orton and Baron Corbin should do that again soon I wasn't sure in the least how this would work, but I really dug Orton and Corbin's work together.

Bray Wyatt and his literal sheep followers This is the kind of stuff they've needed to do with Wyatt for months or years even. This was genuinely creepy stuff, and I loved Renee recognizing what was happening right away and dashing the hell out of that interview when the light flickered.

Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn This will always be a good match. I like the way they work against one another. I remain surprised SmoJo isn't booked for Mania yet. I guess he could be in the AMBAR, but that feels like a bit of a letdown. Maybe they let these two do it again at Mania and give them like 10 electric minutes?

Your Crazy Matches My Crazy I'm not going to pretend like I really knew Heidi Lovelace. Like most indy wrestlers, I'd mostly just seen her on a handful of YouTube videos here and there, most of which I watched after hearing that she'd been signed by WWE. But that was a hell of a debut last night on NXT as, apparently, Ruby Riot. And I'm really into her going against crazy-ass Nikki Cross. Ruby seems like she'd be the type to not be afraid, or even a little bit worried, about Nikki's lunacy. Not sure if they'll rush these two into a program for Takeover or just have them on the periphery of a 6-man tag and lead to a long-term feud from there, but either way I'm into it.

Breezy Bella and The Southpaw Regional Wrestling Announce Team Explodes Only Smackdown Live would even think to not just acknowledge the viral YouTube sensation but also book their biggest star into a match based off of it. And then, because Breezango is just the best and most under-utilized, Tyler Breeze comes out dressed as Nikki Bella. And in maybe the most surprising moment of the night, we get a taste of intergender wrestling, with Nikki hitting her cutter and her STF on Breeze while Cena does likewise on Fandango. Fun stuff all around.

Let The Smark Out

For as much as I’m trying to be an optimist, wrestling is not a perfect product. Far from it, really, and when you have problems with something, it’s healthy to let that sort of thing out. So, in the hopes of keeping a 5:1 ratio tilted toward the good side, here are my two complaints of the week:

-Did we really need to find a way to shoe-horn just about every woman with a pulse into two matches? We couldn't have let one championship stand as a singles match and then put together, like, a third match for the pre-show that was like a 6-woman tag of Raw vs. Smackdown? I think WWE will give both matches at least 10 minutes at Mania and put them both of the main card (though this might be a foolish assumption on my part), so I don't want to act like we're back in the old days of utterly disrespecting the entire division, but one of those titles should have been 1 on 1.

-I'll give WWE credit for making a few of the less-certain 'Mania matches into worthy fights. The mixed tag is a great example of this, and I'm beyond hyped for that match. But the one match that should have been a lay-up, Triple H vs. Seth Rollins, has fallen flat for a multitude of reasons. Seth has gotten his ass-kicked repeatedly by Trips and SmoJo, and of late the build has just been Seth and Trips talking at length to crowds that aren't really that into it. Trips was working hard to get the crowd to launch into "Rollins" chants Monday night, but that garnered about as "meh" a reaction as you could imagine. I imagine the match will end up being strong because Rollins is excellent in the ring and Trips loves the opportunity to fight guys like that, but this build has not given me anything like the attraction I was hoping for.

Let’s Rank Stuff!

One of the best things to do as a wrestling fan is to compare things. Who’s on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling? Who was the most over with the crowd? Who’s the best in-ring worker? What’s the most uncomfortable Attitude Era storyline in retrospect? That’s what I’m going to do here every week, pick a topic and rank it as I see it. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts! I’d love to hear them.

10. Dean Malenko - I wasn't a WCW guy so this is based basically on the clips from the "1,004 Holds" list time. 9. Christian - The way they handled some of the intergender stuff can be weird in hindsight, but I still remember this pretty fondly. 8. Chris Benoit - Great as both a pairing and fighting against one another. 7. Kevin Owens - This could go higher if the Mania match is as good as I hope. 6. Rey Mysterio - Dude unmasked Rey Mysterio. That's worth a spot alone. 5. Triple H - It feels like these guys fought a billion times, and that's not by accident. Regardless of alignment, they work well together. 4. CM Punk- I have a soft spot for this feud. Prior to the KO stuff, this was my favorite late-prime version of Jericho. 3. Stephanie McMahon- Obviously they didn't actually fight, but goddamn if these two don't have a lot of chemistry cutting promos on each other. 2. The Rock- Rocky being Jericho's first foe in WWE immediately made Y2J matter, but the better feud is after the Invasion for the WCW title in 2001. 1. Shawn Michaels- There was no one even in consideration for this spot. One of the defining feuds of 21st century WWE.

Match of the Week

The Usos vs. American Alpha for the Smackdown Live Tag Team Championships

WWE can never quite seem to figure out how invested they ought to be in tag team wrestling. NXT in 2016 miraculously turned a once-miserable division into one of the strongest divisions in all of wrestling. But that mostly hasn't translated to the main roster, which is why it can be even more frustrating when, even for a night, they get tag team wrestling so very, very correct. And that's what happened this past Tuesday, as the Usos and American Alpha put on, like, the best tag match the main roster has seen in... years? I honestly don't remember a better one though that could be a recency bias. The Usos were the right kind of heel, acting like assholes, cutting a few corners, but still showing that they are very, very good at this. And American Alpha, as white-bread babyface as they get, matched them in the ring for several electric minutes until the Usos, in the end, prevailed. If WWE can't build off of this, then I give the hell up.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I thought I'd consider the sort of surprises and turns we might be able to expect from Wrestlemania. The most obvious area of interest centers around the New Day. Whether it's a segment with the Rock, the Broken Hardys, some celebrities and legends, or maybe (pretty please) a certain Top Guys from NXT. Regardless, something fun will be happening with New Day, and here's hoping it gives these dudes some kind of a direction after Mania.

There are similar possibilities with the Usos and Smackdown's tag division as a whole. There are rumors they might be the target of the Broken Hardys, or perhaps it's all folded into a segment with New Day that results in a trade to Smackdown and a serious beefing up of that division. They may not get a match, but I don't believe Smackdown's tag division will be ignored entirely.

The Smackdown Women's division is teasing some vague language across the board. I'm still hoping for a Ladder match announcement, and that we get Evil Emma and Summer Rae in the match, along with a returning Naomi, possibly a WWE alum, and maybe even the almighty Asuka. This could be a fun match if they give it a chance.

The AMBAR is obviously a spot where we'll see who gets the big push post-Mania. Strowman is the heavy favorite if he enters, but I'd be into someone talented but underutilized getting a shot here. We also figure to get a surprise entrant or two.

Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles feels like it could be a spot for a surprise appearance. AJ is the best wrestler in the world and should murk Shane O'Mac, which makes me think shenanigans are in play. Does something Bullet Club related happen here?

Lastly, I remain fascinated by Braun Strowman's tangential involvement in the Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns match. If this goes to some kind of No-DQ stipulation, you better believe Strowman is showing up.

Hitting The Finisher

There has been talk about AJ Styles going to Raw after Mania as an result of this Shane O'Mac feud, a monumental change because Styles has, quite frankly, been the biggest reason for Smackdown being the best wrestling show on TV for months now. And given that the rest of Smackdown's roster is relatively thin (without Styles and assuming Cena is on another hiatus, the top of that card is: Wyatt, Orton, Ambrose, Corbin, Miz. And then you'd have a midcard where Mojo, Kalisto, Ziggler, and Crews feud for eternity because there's literally no one else unless you split up a couple tag teams (which they probably should do). Basically, without multiple additions to the roster, you're setting up Smackdown for failure. And I'm starting to think that's where Monday Night Raw is heading with the Steph storyline. In kayfabe, it's kind of a mess, but there is a potential end goal where Raw signs AJ and multiple under-utilized stars go to Smackdown. Sami Zayn is certainly the primary candidate. Raw has a stacked upper card above Zayn, and there is a relatively coherent story being told about Zayn's issues with Steph. Zayn could be a big asset for Smackdown. But if you're giving up the best wrestler in the world, you need more than Zayn, as great as he is. And so I wonder if they're starting toward a similar storyline with Cesaro and maybe Sheamus. They've been quite good as a tag team, but I'd like them even more going over to Smackdown and being occasional hard-hitting allies but mostly just brute-force singles starts. Maybe it's the fantasy-booking-mark inside of me, but I salivate at the thought of what Smackdown could do with Cesaro and Zayn in finally giving them both an upper-card shot. Sheamus is a nice piece as well, but he's long been a guy established as being capable of fighting at or near the main event, whereas the other two have not quite had that shot.

#WWE #Wrestling

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placetobenation · 6 years

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“The revolutionary force for over 50 years in sports entertainment” was a clever tag line used in the mid 90s before every WWF show. For most United States wrestling fans that are still alive, it is a way of life. Greater by the day is the lack of variance in the answer of what wrestling an individual grew up on. For better or worse, WWE has been the standard bearer. Throughout that rich history, performers ranging from Nature Boys to Undertakers have graced the squared circle. Foreign legends have had extended runs and some of the most iconic figures in pro wrestling history have been aces of the promotion reaching unequivocal mainstream pop culture heights in the world of wrestling.

With such a large history to play with, discovering the beauty of Bob Backlund’s charisma or the connection of Bruno Sammartino to the MSG crowd was a new development throughout this project similar to rewatching The Godfather and On the Waterfront to rediscover the genius of Marlon Brando. WWE may not have always been YOUR promotion but for the better part of 50 years, it was THE promotion in the United States and transformed the pro wrestling landscape. This project serves to praise the individuals that best helped shape the vision of Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr. Place to be Nation is proud to present to you a ranking of the Greatest WWE Wrestlers Ever.

– Chad Campbell

Note: Results of this list are based on 118 ballots received between May and December 2017. Voters were asked to submit their list of the 100 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of all time and consider only their WWWF/WWF/WWE career. Ties were broken based on 1) number of ballots a wrestler appeared on and 2) high vote.

Every wrestler who received at least one vote will be recognized in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to Place to Be Nation as we reveal all of the honorable mentions right through the cream of the crop. Read the other installments, both written and audio, of this project here.

54. Billy Graham Total Points: 4,355 Total Ballots: 83 Average Rank: 48.6 High Vote: 7 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Grady Blount

Nuance: Superstar was cool baby! There was no cooler cat in the promotion throughout the 70s. There was a bigger cat, but we’ve probably been raked over the coals enough for him not being higher on the list. Billy Graham was absolutely an innovator and his influence can still be felt on the world of wrestling today. His promo style and… workout regiment would go on to inspire Jesse Ventura, Hulk Hogan and the Incredible Hulk. He was one of the first cool heels the territory had seen, with his flashy tights and feathered boas enraging fans to no end as he snuck away with the WWF Title night after night. His face run years later was marred by kung fu and attempting to turn Don Muraco into a literal rock, but hey, they can’t all be winners. He is extremely underrated when it comes to having the most wrinkled head known to man.

Jump Up Moments: Superstar became the first heel to hold the WWWF title for a substantial period of time when he defeated Bruno Sammartino on April 30, 1977. His run of defenses against Dusty Rhodes are still looked back on fondly. Throughout his nearly year-long run he had memorable matches with Pedro Morales, Bob Backlund and Mil Mascaras, of all fucking people. Returned for a short stint in 1982 but did little else besides smash a title belt and lose to Bob Backlund. Old Man Graham required a hip replacement so Butch Reed and One Man Gang beat his ass for being a jive soul bro. Convinced Don Muraco he was Jesus Christ. Nearly ruined the first SummerSlam.

Promos/Character: Here’s where his influence truly lies. Is he a better promo than some of the greats we have seen since him? Of course not, but there was no one, no one in the promotion doing what he did on the mic in the 1970s. It’s no surprise that his feud with Dusty Rhodes popped, both guys could sling words with the best of them. Check out his promos leading up to those matches, or in the build up to fighting Bob Backlund. Graham shines with a mic in his hand (or shoved in his face); he was smooth and very comfortable off the cuff. It’s no surprise that when many of us heard there was a preacher named Billy Graham we were horribly disappointed that it wasn’t the Superstar shepherding the congregation.

Workrate: Some people despise his work while others seem to have outed him as merely adequate. What is undeniable is that he was effective. His every move was booed out of the building in some matches. Wrestling as a heel has its challenges, especially when you’re jacked to the gills, but Superstar played it perfectly. Despite his size, he appeared weak and cowardly, which did nothing but enhance his status as one of the most hated men in the promotion. His selling of beatings as though he was being killed is an oft-overlooked aspect of his in ring game.

Staff Thoughts: Billy Graham was a heel champ for nearly a year in an era when that didn’t fly for the McMahons. He kept his spot with his over the top personality and crazy connection with the fans. His influence is huge and he’s still a ton of fun to watch today. It’s no surprise he landed so close to the top half of this list, he’s a god damn superstar!

From the Voters: “Superstar was a trend-setter. Ventura and Hogan both borrowed from Graham for their look and personas. Ring-wise, he was solid if unspectacular but he had the crowd in the palm of his hand with that charisma. He was way before his time and is easily remembered by any fan from his era. He was probably Macho Man to Bruno’s Hogan.” – Chris Jordan, May 29, 2017

“Has to be in the top 100. Although I’m going to be completely honest here: despite their influence, I haven’t been blown away by his promos. He comes off as doing a very low end Ali impression.” – Greg Phillips, June 12, 2017

“Superstar makes it on my list, somewhere in the middle. I think everyone else on here has hit the nail on the head in describing him so no need for me to repeat everything. Regarding his workrate, WWWF/WWF was never a workrate company. You had exceptions, especially Backlund’s matches, but otherwise style definitely ruled over substance. Bruno was the most popular wrestler pre-Hogan and he was pretty much punch-kick-punch-kick-bearhug. Yet he was a megastar because of his charisma and Everyman persona. You didn’t want to see Bruno wrestler, you wanted to see him kick ass. Same thing with Superstar, his super style more than made up for his lack of substance. I think his 83 and 87 returns hurt his legacy, but not enough to knock him out of the top 50 for me. Workrate, for me, really has to be looked at on an era basis, especially if you’re more a fan of the modern product.” – Tim Tetreault, August 10, 2017

53. Sheamus Total Points: 4,378 Total Ballots: 96 Average Rank: 55.4 High Vote: 15 Low Vote: 94 High Voter: Dean Coles

Nuance: Is there anything that Sheamus isn’t good at? Great heel, fun face, excellent tag team worker. There are few guys who have had that much variety in such a short amount of time as Sheamus. He’s been in the promotion nearly ten years and has reinvented himself many times along his shameful, lobster-headed run. Who screams “FELLA!!” better than Sheamus? No one. Not Bob Backlund, not Hugo Chavez, NO ONE. He also goes full tilt into whatever he’s doing. Need someone to dress up like the Celtic Kings of lore? Sheamus is there. Want a guy who will disfigure his face and live every waking moment in a living hell because of his hair? Sheamus O’Shaunessy Patrick Fitzgerald will do it! Just good Lord keep him out of the sun!

Jump Up Moments: Won the WWE title from John Cena at TLC 2009 after being in the promotion a couple of months. Had the honor of laying down for Triple H at WrestleMania XXVI and then at Extreme Rules beat up The Game so bad he was out for ten months. TEN MONTHS. That’s huge for a guy who was nearly murdered in a car and recovered in a week and a half. Those kicks are stronger than a car! On June 20, 2010 won the WWE title for a second time in a Fatal Four-Way match. Won the 2010 King of the Ring Tournament, beating Kofi Kingston and John Morrison along the way. At TLC 2010 had an excellent ladder match with Morrison. Irish cursed with the King of the Ring title, started 2011 on a bit of a losing streak but eventually won the US title from Daniel Bryan. Turned face by simply saying “I’ll fight him,” in reference to Mark Henry’s open challenge. At SummerSlam 2011 had one of the more satisfying countout losses to Mark Henry. Won the 2012 Royal Rumble, last eliminating a silent Chris Jericho. Beat Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 28 to win the World Heavyweight title and at Extreme Rules had possibly the best match of his career against Bryan as they battled in a two out of three falls match. Would have a solid, if unspectacular year defending against Alberto Del Rio, Christian and Dolph Ziggler. Sheamus lost the Title at Hell in a Cell against the Big Show in another fun match. Teamed with John Cena and Randy Orton to go down in defeat to the Shield at Elimination Chamber 2013. Sheamus helped legitimize the first Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale at WrestleMania XXX. Helped legitimize himself as he searched the world for his father. Won the 2015 Money in the Bank and cashed in to win the WWE Title at Survivor Series 2015. Had a great best of seven series against Cesaro throughout 2016. When their series ended in a draw, started what could have been a disaster and teamed with Cesaro. It was no disaster though as they became one of the best teams of the last decade having a wonderful Survivor Series 2016 and then defeating the New Day at TLC 2016. With Cesaro was involved in the great tag team ladder match at WrestleMania 33. Again with Cesaro had a tag team Iron Man Match at (sigh) Great Balls of Fire against the Hardys that far exceeded expectations.

Promos/Character: Probably his weakest category, but at times could still cut a strong promo, especially as a heel. There was something great about the scary Irish guy who said little, cried, then beat your ass. As soon as he started calling Del Rio “Berty” the promos became cringe-inducing. His “you look stupid” era was lazy on the writer’s behalf but his character work in his tag run with Cesaro has been tremendous. The slow transition from them hating one another into friends is seldom done right but they nailed it.

Workrate: Sheamus is a great, hard-hitting worker who rarely gets the credit he deserves. His consistency is stunning as he almost always is involved in one of the better matches on the card. He’s excellent on his own, solid in a team and is always a glue guy during multi-man ladder matches or Royal Rumbles. His moves are crisp, stiff and look legit every step of the way. Sheamus has a repertoire of signature spots that work every time he’s out there. Ten Beats of the Bowery, The Irish Curse, the Celtic Cross, the Fella Scream, they all work. The Brogue Kick is a killer finish as well. He’s just a guy that you want to see work every night and are rarely let down by.

Staff Thoughts: Man, if the rumors are true that he’s winding down due to injury the WWE is going to be much, much poorer for it. Sheamus really has done it all over the past decade and has succeeded in nearly every position on the card. Despite there being way to many limes, when you get right down to it, Sheamus more than deserves a place on this list. He also deserves a tan. He’s earned it. FELLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

From the Voters: “I love Sheamus. Awesome TV worker. One of the best in company history. Loads of good to great matches. Great tag & singles worker. Good up & down the card. Great offense, great learned psychology, great selling. At times has had a very entertaining character & at other times a pretty lousy character. His 2012 is one of the better in-ring years ever for a WWE wrestler. Gets lost in the WWE shuffle sometimes which hurts him. He’s on my list. Bottom half somewhere.” – Devon Motivator Hales, June 2, 2017

“Pretty much close your eyes and point to a episode of Smackdown in 2011-2012 and it will have a good sheamus match” – Brian Meyer, June 6, 2017

“Won’t make my list…boring character…can’t work heel or face, promos suck, feel bad Cesaro is stuck with him right now” – Mike Thomas, June 16, 2017

52. Big Boss Man Total Points: 4,428 Total Ballots: 107 Average Rank: 59.6 High Vote: 20 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Andrew Lacelle

Nuance: Quite frankly, until you’ve taken a trip down to Cobb County Georgia, read the signs and respected the law and order it’s hard to get a grasp on the aura of one Big Boss Man. Hated as a heel, beloved as a face, Ray Traylor was able to pull off both in two very different eras. All while having one of the mosts memorable theme songs off all time and… one of the most boring one-note theme songs of all time! He was a paradox. Virtuous and good when faced with the same corruption that plagues modern police forces, but when pushed, could be the most heinously evil man walking God’s green Earth. His original run was about five years with another two and a half tacked on at the end; so he… did his time… so to speak.

Jump Up Moments: Upon entry into the WWF, Boss Man was quickly inserted into a feud with Hulk Hogan, culminating with that awesome cage match on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Despite being a correctional officer, he allied himself with a known pimp and fraudulent African to form the Twin Towers. Along with Akeem was a catalyst in the breakup of the Mega Powers during The Main Event in February of 1989. The Towers would go on to have a fun match with the Rockers at WrestleMania V, as well as a decent six man teaming with Andre against Demolition at SummerSlam 1989. Left Dusty Rhodes a bloody, beaten mess at the 1989 Survivor Series. Rather than take a bribe, turned face in early 1990 which led to a squishing of Akeem at Mania VI. Became almost the de facto number three face in the company as he helped Hogan battle Earthquake. Towards the end of 1990 got in the best shape of his career, which drew the ire of Rick Rude and the Heenan Family. They mercilessly mocked his mother, so he systematically worked his way through them all. His match with Barbarian at Royal Rumbe ‘91 was a highlight as was his clash with Mr. Perfect at WrestleMania VII. Put the Mountie in jail in the summer of 1991, but in truth the moment is much more remembered for Mountie’s antics. Was a FORCE in the 1992 Royal Rumble, until the bizarre convulsion that led to his elimination. In mid-92 was…ahem… nailed by one of his former inmates. The beatdown was legendary, the inevitable night stick match was not. Before leaving the promotion did a hell of a job putting over Bam Bam Bigelow at the 1993 Royal Rumble. Returned to the company in 1998 as Mr.McMahon’s head of security. Became an important cog in the Corporation, winning the Tag Team Titles with Ken Shamrock as well as the Hardcore Title. Killed a dog and served it to Al Snow in the form of steak. Mind-fucked Big Show into thinking his father had died, and then when the man did die, turned a low-key family mourning into a legendary affair. Mentored Bull Buchanan as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Promos/Character: Boss Man made the most of his southern drawl, and he yelled and screamed about law, order, and justice. He was confident on the mic, articulate and even made you believe, if for the briefest of moments, that he was a legitimate police officer. His promo as Dusty Rhodes is being carried from the ring at Survivor Series 1989 is a picture of a man in full command of his vocal faculties. He also had a way of just making you believe in his virtue as a face. He was a cop for Christ’s sake! Why wouldn’t you be on his side. His turn into most evil man on Earth is spectacular though. In a business that has housed horrible, horrible people, Boss Man stands alone atop Mount Despicable. He reveled in killing that dog. He presumably built that giant megaphone with which he ruined that funeral. No man enjoyed being evil more than Ray Traylor.

Workrate: One of the best big men of all time. By 1991 he was in such great shape that he moved around like a guy a hundred pounds lighter. Despite his size could also work believably from underneath. Check out his selling in his matches against Earthquake and Bam Bam Bigelow for further evidence. Oh and the punches! Oh, the punches. He slowed down considerably in his second run, but was still a welcome addition to the roster and fit nicely into the Hardcore division.

Staff Thoughts: The Big Boss Man was a super-memorable character who improved so much in his first few years. Just think of his first few months. That shirt would get untucked EVERY single time he wrestled. By 1990 that tuck was so strong that we never saw that correctional belly again. Sure he was involved in one of the worst matches of all time and was later literally hanged in the center of the ring, but really, who could have had a match surrounded by those shitting dogs? Certainly not the Junkyard Dog, or the Dog Faced Gremlin, or Road Dogg; no, they’d be shitting along with their compatriots. Boss Man could be counted on to take dog shit and turn it into steak. A stud in the ring, a monster in the graveyard, Ray Traylor was an entertaining son of a bitch, always delivered and the hours spent watching his matches were definitely not HARD TIMES.

From the Voters: “1990-1991 was where he shined. This guy was huge over as a babyface. As he dealt with injuries sure he deteriorated some. But still a great character. And I have a soft spot for the early work he did in his 1998 return. A great way to reinvent a character from the Federation era and make him feel at home in the Attitude era. I feel somewhere in the middle third for him, that 40-65 range.” – David Mann, June 8, 2017

“One of the most agile, entertaining big men ever. Was believable as both heel and babyface. Had some great matches with Hogan. I was convinced he was actually a former prison guard as a kid, even though I recognized him as Big Bubba from Crockett TV.” – Mike Andrews, June 8, 2017

“Had hellacious runs as both heel and face in the late 80s and early 90s. Good matches with the Mega Powers, and a guy who put on really fun squash exhibitions. Got over with a unique character that could have tanked. Physically diminished in his later run, but still had a presence and could deliver a good promo.” – Ben Morse, June 7, 2017

51. Sean Waltman Total Points: 4,485 Total Ballots: 98 Average Rank: 55.2 High Vote: 26 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Jamie McGleave

Nuance: Sean Waltman had about a three-year run as the 1-2-3 Kid and another four years as X-Pac, so solid longevity with the company. He was a great underdog babyface as the 1-2-3 Kid and played both a heel and babyface as X-Pac. He had a singles run and successful tag teams with multiple partners, including Marty Jannetty, Bob Holly, Kane and others.

Jump Up Moments: The Kid’s victory over Razor Ramon was one of the most memorable moments of the early years of Raw. His tag team with Marty Jannetty was fun and led to a surprising Tag Team Title reign and a very good match with the Quebecers. His match with Bret Hart on the July 11, 1994 Raw was one of the great matches of the early Raws. Kid formed a tag team with Bob Holly, winning the vacant Tag Team Titles in a strong match with Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka at the 1995 Royal Rumble, leading to the Bigelow and Lawrence Taylor angle. Waltman’s return to the company as X-Pac was a huge moment in the Monday Night Wars, as he was one of the first defectors back to the WWF side and he cut a scathing promo on WCW the night after WrestleMania XIV. X-Pac was a huge part of the Attitude Era with D-Generation X and he formed a solid tag team with Kane, before turning on him and feuding with the Big Red Machine. While his star dimmed toward the end of his run, he still churned out real good matches with a variety of new talent.

Promos/Character: X-Pac’s promo when joining the D-X “Army” felt like one of the signals that WWF was turning a page and that the momentum in the Monday Night Wars was shifting back to New York. In other promos, X-Pac was solid, if unspectacular. The 1-2-3 Kid was a great white meat babyface underdog, though the heel Kid left a bit to be desired. X-Pac was a fine character in his initial stages with D-X, but his character grew stale rapidly. This lack of character evolution was likely one of the driving forces in fans turning against him by 2001, leading to the much debated “X-Pac heat” term. At any rate, by the time X-Factor was a thing, fans had tired of the character.

Workrate: Whether he was The Kid or X-Pac, Waltman was one of the best and most consistent workers of his time. Always a great TV worker, Waltman filled the time and even had decent matches in Russo’s Attitude Era Crash TV environment. His match with Bret Hart on Raw is one to track down, the “Clique” tag team match with Razor Ramon against Shawn Michaels and Diesel is another highlight and his tag matches with Jannetty were good as well. As X-Pac, he had solid feuds and matches with Jeff Jarrett, D’Lo Brown, Tajiri and got a decent showing out of Shane McMahon at WrestleMania XV.

Staff Thoughts: Two distinct characters during two very different eras and being one of the best in-ring workers during each of those eras gets Waltman on the list. The upset of Razor and match with Bret on the early Raws, along with the two short tag-team runs and feud with Razor might have gotten Kid on the list. X-Pac was a memorable character and part of one of the most popular factions during one of the hottest periods of all time for the company. That along with his famous promo on his re-debut and solid workrate with everybody he worked with at the time might have gotten X-Pac on alone. Having both the X-Pac and 1-2-3 Kid work is more than enough to overcome X-Factor and their god-awful music and earn a place on the list. Hear what the guys had to say about Waltman on this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “He’s in. Great during the New Generation Era. One of, if not the best worker in the company during those years. The X-Pac character sucked, but he was still having good matches up until he left in 02. A few great moments in 93-94 as Dylan mentioned help his case as well. X-Pac got really old even for me as an 8-9 year old kid. Bottom quarter.” – Devon Motivator Hales, June 2, 2017

“Big fan of Xpac and 123 kid. Doesn’t get the credit he deserves for breaking barriers for smaller guys getting a push. The upset win over Razor Ramon was truly shocking. Great angle. He’s in my top 100.” – Troy Brostrom, June 30, 2017

“Easily in. Consistently solid worker week to week. Probably the best wrestler during the god awful 1999. Faint praise? Yes, but at least it’s something. Provided one of the earliest great moments on the flagship show.” – Brian Meyer, June 3, 2017

50. Booker T Total Points: 4,495 Total Ballots: 98 Average Rank: 55.1 High Vote: 18 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Michael DeDamos

Nuance: Right here you’ve got one of the most successful imports from another promotion right there. Booker succeeded on both sides of the alignment and was great on his own or tagging with some FREAK. There was a period of time where he was legitimately one of the top babyfaces in the promotion; his spinarooni connected with the fans and his inspirational story should have easily culminated with a title win at WrestleMania. Perhaps WrestleMania XIX. Strange that never hhhapened. Six years in the promotion checks the longevity box, and surviving the Alliance scored him some points as well.

Jump Up Moments: Debuted by jumping Steve Austin at the 2001 King of the Ring. The next moth was part of the excellent ten man tag at the Invasion pay per view. Spent the summer of 2001 feuding with the Rock and the winter getting his ass beat in a grocery store by Steve Austin. In the spring of 2002 started a film discussion show with Goldust that sadly wasn’t picked up by any of the major networks. Also went above and beyond the Rock’s performance in the Scorpion King. And I’ve got a sword TOO! Teamed with Goldust for the better part of the year finally winning the World Tag Team Titles at Armageddon 2002. Had the honor of feuding with Triple H at WrestleMania XIX during the time he was arguably the top good guy in the company. On July 7, 2003 Booker defeated Christian to win the Intercontinental Title. It is still unclear if he did this to celebrate the American Thanksgiving, sucka. At the 2003 Survivor Series, the other Mr. T was part of Steve Austin’s team in and excellent Survivor Series style match. On February 16, 2004 Booker tagged with RVD to reform the ALLIANCE and win the World Tag Team Titles. Along with the Dudley Boyz was traded to Smackdown for Triple H. WHAT A DEAL!!! Feuded with John Cena in the summer of 2004 and won the WWE US title in an eight man elimination match. While their chemistry was questionable at times, fought John Cena in a generally well received best of five series. In 2005 fought a best of seven series, this time trying to recapture that old WCW magic with Chris Benoit. WON THE KING OF THE RING TOURNAMENT IN 2006! After the win everything was pure gold. Defeated Rey Mysterio at the Great American Bash 2006 to win the World Heavyweight Title. Had William Regal scream “All Hail King Booker,” for what felt like a half an hour through a commercial break. Returned to a MASSIVE pop at the 2011 Royal Rumble.

Promos/Character: Booker T was a fun promo who could do the serious and the silly. His catchphrases worked great including the whole ‘Now can you dig that…SUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Sadly he never found a coherent way to tell us how many titles he had won. He absolutely thrived as King Booker though. He changed every aspect of his countenance, right down to the look on his face. He was the most benevolent king the Federation had ever seen, as no one, and I mean no one has ever immersed themselves in the royal regalia more than Book. His accent was hilarious and his interactions with the plebeians made for special television every time he was on. All Hail King Booker indeed!

Workrate: Booker was a solid in ring hand whose moves always looked crisp and painful. Surprisingly agile for a man his size he combined a great brawling style with a hint of high flying that few had. Seemed the slow waaaaay down when wrestling as a heel so it’s unsurprising that his better matches are when he’s fighting for the good.

Staff Thoughts: Booker T would probably make this list without King Booker but we’re unsure if he’d be as high. He came in hot, got cooled down, got hot again then coasted for a few years until ambition drove him to the throne. One of the few survivors from the dreadful Invasion, Booker deserves all the credit in the world for finding his own niche in a very crowded company. Whether you wanted a serious feud or just a laugh Booker was your man. TONIGHT!

From the Voters: “I like Booker and always have. He definitely gets in based on a number of memorable moments, storylines and promos, not to mention some fine matches along the way. The reason he won’t rank super high for me is, primarily, that he often found himself in a no man’s land of sorts, in my eyes — as a heel, his promos were sensational but his matches were often dull. As a babyface, his matches were exciting but his promos were dull. He had a natural in-ring babyface charisma that sometimes was at odds with his natural arrogant heel persona. Still, a tremendous character and a good performer, so he’s in.” – Greg Phillips, June 8, 2017

“Maybe the greatest African American wrestler of all time. Great gimmick with King Booker. Low 60’s high 70’s” – Eric Boyd, May 28, 2017

49. Mr. McMahon Total Points: 4,541 Total Ballots: 73 Average Rank: 39.6 High Vote: 2 Low Vote: 98 High Voter: Chad Campbell

Nuance: Vince McMahon straight up is in the conversation for best single performer the company has ever had. He excelled at everything. Play a good guy? He did that surprisingly well. Play a bad guy? Probably the best in the history of the company. Draw the ire of the fans? As recently as January 2018 he turned 20,000 adoring fans from bowing to him to chanting asshole in the span of three sentences. He spearheaded, along with Steve Austin, a complete renaissance of the company in 1998. Without him (as a performer) we may be doing the GWCW 100. Vince, as a general rule, also gets it. He gets what it takes to be an effective heel. He’s always willing to look the fool to get someone over. Unlike the many AUTHORITIES we’ve seen, there’s an unselfishness to Vince that only enhances everything else he brings to the table. It seems strange to use the word unselfish to describe Vince. It’s plausible he’s very selfish. He’s probably been put on TV way more than he should have been. He’s also pissed his pants on TV, had feces dumped on him, shaved his head and been beaten to a bloody pulp more than anyone is company history. He says he wouldn’t ask his employees to do something he wouldn’t and he means it!

Jump Up Moments: Challenged Steve Austin for the WWF title with one hand tied behind his back; a moment that finally turned the tide in the ratings war with WCW. The Night after WrestleMania XIV, kicked off the Austin feud with a hellacious promo and a beating. Got sack whacked during a photo op a couple of weeks later. Took an all time sick chair shot at Unforgiven 1998. His performance at Over The Edge 1998 should go down as the best guest referee spot n company history. Including the arrogant promo he cut off the top of the show with Patterson & Brisco. CAHOOTS! After being assaulted by Steve Austin jumping off a zamboni, got caught flipping off Undertaker and Kane and had his leg broken in a hilarious scene. The hospital bits with the bedpan. All of it. In fact his entire fall of 1998 is the stuff of legend. The corvette, squealing like a pig, it’s all gold. The go home promo for Judgment Day 1998 may be the best heel promo of all time (I WILL FIRE YOUR ASS THIS SUNDAY). At Survivor Series 1998 jumped out of his wheelchair and began to run in a miraculous scene. Won the 1999 Royal Rumble last eliminating Steve Austin. The montages of him training leading up to the match are also all timers. At St Valentine’s Day Massacre was beaten to a bloody, finger waving pulp by Steve Austin. Imagine how many men had to make compromises to watch that show? Because of Vince. Was a reluctant caring father in the spring of 1999. While it was a stupid plot twist “IT’S ME AUSTIN!!!!!” is incredible in its delivery. Won the WWF title from Triple H on an episode of Smackdown in Fall 1999. Fought The Game at Armageddon 1999 in a typically long match. After WrestleMania 2000 joined Triple H and company and cut the “Life Sucks and Then You Die” promo. Did an amazing walk of hurried fear at Judgment Day 2000 and dubbed his balls “grapefruits” a few weeks later. In late 2000 DEMANDED a DIVORRRRCE from Linda McMahon. Fought Shane McMahon at WrestleMania X-7 in an excellent street fight. As the beleaguered owner, he actually made us cheer for him during the Invasion. Was in fine form the night after Survivor Series 2001, firing Paul Heyman, making William Regal kiss his ass and pulling his ear at the sight of Ric Flair. Fought Flair at the 2002 Royal Rumble. At WrestleMania XIX had a classic against Hulk Hogan, which included the best camera shot in television history as he rose from behind the ring, face bloodied, lead pipe in hand. Bled like a sieve in matches with Zack Gowan and Undertaker throughout 2003. Was tremendous in the buildup to his match with Shawn Michaels, playing the proverbial devil to Shawn’s angel. Their match at WrestleMania 22 over-delivered. The next month he would fight GOD! We were also graced with the skit in the church as well as Vince “dancing” to When The Saints Go Marching In. In 2007 drew the biggest WrestleMania to date against Donald Trump of all people. His head shaving is spectacular right down to the screaming. Later that year he would win the ECW championship against Lashley while wearing a doo rag. The match with Bret Hart was an abomination but Vince was golden in the set up. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Vince’s involvement in the 2011 Summer of Punk. The live contract signing was wonderful and his work in the main event of MITB 2011 helped seal the importance of the moment. His match with Punk was also way better than it had any right being.

Promos/Character: The best heel promo in wrestling history. Sold more pay per views through his words than any other man, most of which were matches he wasn’t even in. Vince could nail you with the all time heel promo but also be hilarious when needed. Look at his throat when he’s scared, it bobs up and down with the greatest of ease. Watch him when Mick Foley wins the title for the first time on Raw, no one had that level of commitment to their character. No one talked like him. No one could growl a “YOU’RRRE FAHHHHHHHHHHRED!” like him. No one walked like him either. That strut still brings a smile to our faces. And why in the hell is he stomping his feet so hard on the stairs? He’s the living embodiment of “what’s this guy’s fucking problem?” Quite frankly, an amazing performer through and through on the mic.

Workrate: Certainly not known for his catch as catch can skills, Vince’s matches are almost all universally good, with many bordering on great. He was the most uncoordinated in-ring guy they’ve ever had but he made it work for him. He didn’t take fifty percent of the offense like his son or one hundred percent of the screen like his daughter, he got the crap kicked out of him every time out. If he got the advantage it was either by kicking a guy in the nuts, a ton of guys running in or literally fighting the disabled. He looked great taking a beating because he was an old man literally taking a beating for his company. The fact that almost every match ended with him on stretcher giving the finger only helps his case.

Staff Thoughts: While he finished just this side of 50 there’s no argument that he’s among the top five most important performers the company has ever had. His appearances were appointment TV and his matches always over-delivered. If there was any doubt that Vince shouldn’t be included on a list such as this, we challenge you to go back and watch the fall of 1998 for his promos as well as his WrestleMania encounters. Vincent Kennedy McMahon (damnit) is pro wrestling.

From the Voters: “I’m not going to rank him. Didn’t have enough matches, and I personally feel a little icky ranking him instead of someone who busted his/her ass working for Vince. Not that my list means anything, but it’s a personal deal. I also thought VinceMcMahon: WWF Champion was David Arquette-level bad, but I can’t deny his impact, and I legitimately think he’s one of the greatest on-screen characters in television history.” – Greg Phillips, June 8, 2017

“I think he wrestled enough matches to be considered a part time worker. Add in his character work as a GOAT contender heel and he will be on my list. His matches were generally good -> great too.” – JT Rozzero, June 8, 2017

“The more important heel and character in company history including Piper, Hogan, and Austin. The role the MrMcMahon character played in the boom is wildly understated, but it’s worth noting that his turn and transition into a guy who could actually have his ass kicked is when the WWE really started to right the ship. Like Post-return Brock, his matches were special spectacles even right up to the end (the Punk match from TV rules). Top 3 promo in company history at worse. Drew the biggest buy rate in Mania history against Trump with surrogates. Tough to figure out what to do with him because of the small number of matches, but I’ll consider him for number 1” – Dylan Hales, June 3, 2017

“He’s on my list simply because without him, THERE IS NO LIST.” – Scott Criscuolo, June 7, 2017

48. Chris Benoit Total Points: 4,554 Total Ballots: 65 Average Rank: 31 High Vote: 7 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Sam Symonds; Eric Vejnovich

Nuance: Chris Benoit spent seven years with the WWF/E, so he has solid longevity. He worked as both a heel and babyface, and had notable tag team runs with Kurt Angle competing for the WWE Tag Team titles as part of the “SmackDown Six,” and won World Tag Team Titles with Chris Jericho and Edge as well.

Jump Up Moments: Benoit won the 2004 Royal Rumble and went on to win the World Heavyweight Title in a triple-threat match against Triple H and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XX, which was heralded at the time. He had very good matches with Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle over the Intercontinental Title in 2000-01, and his tag work with the SmackDown Six in 2002 was top-notch. His WWE Championship match against Angle at Royal Rumble 2003 was a classic as well. Benoit was a World Heavyweight Champion, a four-time IC Champion, a three-time US Champion, three-time World Tag Team Champion and one-time WWE Tag Team Champion.

Promos/Character: Benoit was never a good promo, with that being a notable weakness limiting his potential somewhat. His character was always a no-nonsense wrestler, that did not change significantly whether he was a babyface or a heel.

Workrate: Benoit was one of the most skilled in-ring technicians of all time and his list of high-quality matches is quite long. There are many more very good matches if you would like to rewatch his work.

Staff Thoughts: Nearly the entirety of the Facebook discussion revolved around whether voters were comfortable ranking Benoit based on his final days. Many voters were uncomfortable watching Benoit matches or ranking him, resulting in him appearing on far fewer ballots than others finishing in the same area on the list. Other voters focused completely on the in-ring merits, where his obvious talents drove him up the list, reflected in a higher average ranking. There is no right answer and each voter had to come to determine their own approach. Some voters can separate Benoit’s final actions from his in-ring work, but still, this is no fun to write and we assume no fun to read. We all know some of his memorable matches and fans that are interested can track them down. But we’re not spending any more time talking about Chris Benoit.

From the Voters: “Up to you whether to include him or not. It is a personal choice with no right answer IMO. I will be ranking him and pretty highly. His workrate is excellent to make up for the fairly shoddy promo ability. In the N category he kind of falters on some points such as longevity (7 years isn’t that long for someone that may be in the upper half of my ballot) but works really well on the flexibility criteria.” – Chad Campbell, May 28, 2017

“It’s like being at a party and trying to enjoy the punch, even though you know there’s a turd In the punch bowl. Unfortunately, his actions disqualify him for me.” – Michael Schoen, May 29, 2017

“Still struggling with this. Going strictly on his merits as a performer, he’s as good as I’ve ever seen in the ring. A master of his craft.But his actions also nearly killed my love of wrestling, and wrecked havoc in such a way that I don’t know I can compare it to anything else in the business. I’m really having a tough time deciding what to do here.” – Greg Phillips, June 22, 2017

47. William Regal Total Points: 4,605 Total Ballots: 97 Average Rank: 53.5 High Vote: 9 Low Vote: 98 High Voter: Microstatistics

Nuance: William Regal was part of the company for a good ten year stretch, supplemented by earlier time as a “Real Man’s Man” and returns for sporadic matches after 2010. Even missing time with injuries and other issues, Regal has longevity with the company. He’s a natural heel, but the times he has played a babyface, crowds have supported him. He’s been primarily a single’s wrestler in WWE, but has had tag team success with Lance Storm, Tajiri and Eugene. Regal is the king of intangibles, doing so many little things to help both his matches and character get over. His facial expressions may be the best in wrestling history.

Jump Up Moments: For someone who is outstanding at so many things, his stand out moments are few and far between. His work as Raw Commissioner and Goodwill Ambassador with Tajiri produced great comedy, and he challenged Chris Jericho for the IC title at WrestleMania X7 during this time. He was the first member of Vince McMahon’s Kiss My Ass Club, which was memorable, we guess. Worked the “Power of the Punch” gimmick during his IC title run in 2002, before joining the Un-Americans and then teaming with Lance Storm, winning tag team gold. Regal’s acting and character work during the Eugene angle was a bright spot in what eventually became a crappy angle. Regal was the town crier and later knighted in King Booker’s Court and had good matches with Chris Benoit and Finlay in 2006. He won the 2008 King of the Ring and appeared to be in line for big things with the gimmick, but a suspension derailed that push. Regal is a five-time Hardcore Champion, a four-time European Champion, a two-time IC Champion and four-time Tag Team Champion, as well as King of the Ring.

Promos/Character: Regal is a fantastic talker and an even better character worker. His facial expressions are incredible, and his work with Tajiri as his assistant was great stuff. He’d later show the acting chops and character evolution to make the Eugene angle good before it jumped the shark and sucked. He was good in King Booker’s Court and the Ruthless Roundtable. He was never afraid to show vulnerability and be made a fool of, which shows up numerous times when he is GM and also notably by being the founding member of the Kiss My Ass Club.

Workrate: Regal is a great worker almost always having good to very good matches in the mid-card. His matches are sprinkled with little touches to make them better for viewers that are paying attention. Regal uses a believable style featuring a lot of holds and stretches, as well as stiff strikes. His work in 2006 with Benoit and Finlay was very good, and his last match with Cesaro on the Dec. 25 NXT 2013 was strong as well. Regal had solid matches with Christian as part of the Ruthless Roundtable during the dying days of ECW in 2010 too.

Staff Thoughts: William Regal is the definition of a wrestler that can do everything well, checking every box for a skilled professional wrestler. He was always in the mid-card and never had any blow-away angles, but did a tremendous job of making whatever he was doing more memorable and significant than it had any right to be. He was great as a character and he was great in the ring. However, he would have long stretches where he disappeared, whether due to injury, suspension or the creative team forgetting he exists, so that works against him to some degree. Still, there’s more than enough there to land Regal prominently on the list. Hear what the guys had to say about Regal on this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Amazing when you consider his entire WWE run was basically his second act. Perpetually over, natural heel, but he’s shown he can play babyface just fine as well. Few better at the mechanics of working a match. He’s easily on my list, though never really sniffing the main event despite seeming opportunities to do so could keep him in the back half.” – Ben Morse, June 9, 2017

“Regal is awesome at anything he does. If he was the Corporate Commissioner for Vince, holding the European Title multiple times, feuding with Chris Jericho, a lackey for King Booker, literally kissing Vince’s backside, the RAW GM/2008 King Of The Ring, or the current NXT GM he’s got a spot for me too.” – Jay Hinchey, June 3, 2017

“Incredible pro wrestler, but the problem I have is that he always he had these weird disappearances that seemed to stunt his momentum. He would have a great match and then you wouldnt see him for like six months. I need to do some digging figure out his career arc because I dont understand how someone who was having awesome matches with Benoit in 2006 was then having awesome matches with Christian in 2010, but what happened in between I honestly cant remember. I need to go to cagematch.com. Regal, Christian, Mark Henry are the three wrestlers I need to watch a lot more of.” – Martin Boulevard, November 19, 2017

46. Paul Orndorff Total Points: 4,690 Total Ballots: 101 Average Rank: 54.6 High Vote: 4 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Andrew Lacelle

Nuance: Paul Orndorff had a solid four-year run with the company in the 1980s and worked as both a heel and a face, having memorable turns going from heel to face and vice versa. He worked primarily as a singles competitor but did have several tag team matches with Roddy Piper and later Hulk Hogan.

Jump Up Moments: Mr. Wonderful was a fixture in the main event scene his entire run with the company. He started as a heel aligned with Roddy Piper as one of the first challengers to Hogan in 1984. Orndorff teamed with Piper to take on Hogan and Mr. T in the main event of the first WrestleMania, where he took the pin after getting accidentally hit with Cowboy Bob Orton’s cast. Orton and Piper blamed Orndorff for the loss, turning on him during the first episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Orndorff would come to the aid of Hogan to fight off Piper and Orton later on the same SNME. Orndorff teamed with Hogan, Bruno Sammartino and Andre the Giant in his feud with Piper and Orton. He fought Don Muraco to a double countout at WrestleMania 2. Tensions mounted between Mr. Wonderful and the Hulkster with Adrian Adonis stirring the pot, including a notable on-air phone call when the champ big-timed Orndorff being too busy training to answer his call. Orndorff then turned on Hogan after a match with King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd, clotheslining and piledriving the champ. This started a white-hot feud between Hogan and Orndorff resulting in matches at the Big Event in Toronto and a cage match at the January 1987 SNME, both of which saw rabid crowd reactions. Orndorff injured his arm during the Hogan feud, but worked through the injury until the completion of the program, when he took time off and received a babyface reaction upon his return. His last major appearance with the company was at the inaugural Survivor Series teaming with Hogan and others in a loss to Andre the Giant’s team.

Promos/Character: Orndorff’s promo ability is a mixed bag as he always talked with a passion and he was believable as a screaming maniac, but he often mangled his lines horribly and had some questionable content as part of his promos. He was paired with Heenan during his heel run to do his talking for him as he opposed Hogan. The Mr. Wonderful character was memorable with the Mr. #1derful on his tights and a series the great vignettes. One vignette featured him at the gym berating fellow gym goers until one “fat hog” put her hands on Orndorff resulting in a meltdown and demonstration of how to work out to get a perfect body like Mr. Wonderful.

Workrate: Orndorff was one of the top workers of his time, having very good matches with everyone up and down the card. Everything Orndorff did meant something during his matches and his punches and piledriver always looked good. His matches with Roddy Piper and Hogan held a special intensity that drove the crowd into a frenzy, both in support of and in opposition of Mr. Wonderful.

Staff Thoughts: It’s hard to imagine anyone having a hotter character arc than Orndorff, first as the heel in opposition to Hogan, then joining forces with the Hulkster and turning on him again to have an incredibly hot series of matches around the circuit with Hogan. The character work and turn were so well executed and the matches so intense that the Hogan feud was amongst the best business the company had done at that time. His run flamed out quickly, and the hot feud with Hogan happened between WrestleMania 2 and III, so sometimes gets forgotten or overshadowed by the hot WrestleMania III angle. Still, Mr. Wonderful was a huge part of Hulkamania, as both an ally and a top opponent and that stuck with voters. You can hear Good Ol’ Will and the guys talk about Orndorff on this FYC.

From the Voters: “I am in on Mr Wonderful. He had of the more profitable runs with Hogan, and was over with wwf crowds, as both face and heel. And, if his run was not early wwf expansion, he probably wins some gold. He also had memorable feuds with Piper, and others. His longevity is against him, in wwf, however, they have seen fit include him and his glorious moustache in their HoF, so, that should count for something. I say absolutely include, Mr. Wonderful, Paul Orndorff!” – Will Olson, June 1, 2017

“After Orndorff turned face following Wrestlemania I, the reactions for him were red hot. This is a guy they would have slapped the title on….if it wasn’t for Hogan. He and Tito had another pretty good match at the Wrestling Classic. The heel turn on Hogan in ’86 was done to perfection and Orndorff made a ton of money off that run. If it hadn’t been for the neck problems, he would have been a big part of Wrestlemania III. I say YES to Mr #1derful.” – Chris Jordan, June 2, 2017

“A bigger star than a lot of people realize because his major feud with Hulk Hogan took place between WrestleManias and got overshadowed by the Andre heel turn. Red hot as both a heel and a face. Historic value as part of the first Mania main event. Superb piledriver. Makes the cut.” – Ben Morse, June 9, 2017

45. The Miz Total Points: 4,692 Total Ballots: 100 Average Rank: 54.1 High Vote: 13 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Scott Butler

Nuance: Miz debuted in 2006, so he’s had more than a decade with the company, with almost no injuries or time missed, so he’s got the longevity. He’s worked as a babyface and a heel, but his babyface work was unimpressive and he’s such a natural douche. He’s had successful singles runs and tag runs with John Morrsion, Mizdow, Big Show and R-Truth. Miz is tremendous at the nuances of character work that help him get legit heel heat.

Jump Up Moments: Miz has main evented WrestleMania, though that may be one of his low points, as it was an unimpressive main event due to an injury to Miz and booking of the match focusing more on Rock and John Cena. He had an enjoyable feud and good TLC match with Jerry Lawler on Raw and another title defense at TLC 2010. Still, Miz felt out of place in the main event, but he’s always making his mid-card programs seem more important than they should be. He’s an eight-time IC champion and is a master at creating interest in these programs, with his feud with Dolph Ziggler in 2016 being a good example. He’s had enjoyable tag team runs with Morrison and Big Show. Miz is great on the stick and that’s led to interesting interactions with MVP, Morrison, Daniel Bryan and many others. Miz is a former WWE Champion, an eight-time IC Champion (tied for the most reigns ever,) a two-time US Champion, a four-time WWE Tag Team Champion and a two-time World Tag Team Champion.

Promos/Character: Promos have always been Miz’s strength and he may be the best talker in the company today. As part of his team with Morrison he co-hosted the Dirt Sheet, getting the team good heat in their feud with D-Generation X and other feuds. His heel character work has helped other wrestlers like Alex O’Reily, Mizdow and the Mizdourage get over when they were going nowhere before working with Miz. His past year plus of work has been one of the highlights of his career, being paired with wife Maryse as the Hollywood “It” couple and forming the Miztourage.

Workrate: In-ring work has been a weakness of the Miz’s during most of his career. However, he’s shown great improvement and is currently doing some of his best in-ring work. His match with Ziggler at No Mercy 2016 with Ziggler’s career on the line feels like an important match and is work with Lawler in 2010 is another highlight. His match at Extreme Rules 2016 against Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn is another highlight.

Staff Thoughts: Miz makes the list due to his great mic work, tremendous commitment to getting heel heat when so many try to be “cool heels” and his improvement in the ring. His commitment to being the elitist Hollywood A-Lister helps every feud he’s in and every opponent he faces, leading to more heated matches. He’s been a fixture in the mid-card and tag team scenes for over a decade, which is enough to overcome some rough in-ring work during much of his career. The guys discuss The Miz on this episode of FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Has a good shot at finishing fairly high on my list. Always a good talker, has great longevity, and has a Wrestlemaina main event victory to his credit. Also has turned into one of the more reliable in ring guys in recent years. He was probably the second best in ring worker in the company last year behind Styles. A lot of good TV matches and MOTY canidates with the Ziggler match at No Mercy as well as the four way at Extreme Rules.” – Wade Ferrari, June 3, 2017

“Will make it. I actually think he’s similar to Jericho in that he’s been used all over cards, his lows are really low, but his highs are great. In truth I prefer his highs to Jericho’s. I’ve loved him for the last year, but also loved his heel run in 2011, the initial R-Truth stuff, and the team with Morrison. Underrated tag guy in general. Great promo.” – Dylan Hales, June 3, 2017

“He was actively horrible at points and bordering on great at points. He’s been helped by a spectacular 2016-17. But he was a miserable failure as a babyface, and most of his in-ring work is much more boring than even a non-invested Randy Orton. He probably makes my list on the strength of his last year and a half and some good stuff with Morrison and early in his solo “main eventer” run (pre-Cena feud).” – Greg Phillips, June 20, 2017

44. Matt Hardy Total Points: 5,020 Total Ballots: 102 Average Rank: 51.8 High Vote: 15 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Stacey O’Loughlin; Boss Rock

Nuance: Matt Hardy had a 12-year run with the company from 1998 to 2010, and has supplemented that with four years of sporadically working as a jobber in the 90s and his current run. He was half of one of the best tag teams in company history and also had significant singles runs. Matt played a babyface most of his career, but has worked heel with the V1 character and when he feuded against his brother in a few instances.

Jump Up Moments: The Hardy Boyz were a huge part of rejuvenating the tag team scene from their ladder match with Edge & Christian at No Mercy 1999. Those two teams, along with the Dudley Boyz, had a hot three-way feud highlighted by ladder and TLC matches at WrestleMania 2000, SummerSlam 2000 and WrestleMania X7 in tremendous classics. His feud with Edge in 2005 felt different than anything else the company was doing at the time, blending real-life elements to the feud and providing a series of good matches from SummerSlam 2005 through October. The Hardy Boyz reunited having excellent tag bouts with MNM and multi-team matches, including the infamous outing where Joey Mercury’s face blew up. In 2007, Hardy began an extended feud with MVP over the US Championship that is one of the better mid-card feuds in recent company history. The long-running feud featured Hardy costing MVP the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV, and Hardy finally winning the US title at Backlash 2008. Matt won the ECW Championship during a championship scramble match at Unforgiven 2008 and then turned heel and feuded with his brother Jeff in 2009, before his release from the company in 2010. The Hardy Boyz returned to the company at WrestleMania 33, winning the Raw Tag Team Titles and having strong matches with Sheamus and Cesaro during the past year. Matt’s a former ECW Champion, Cruiserweight Champion, US Champion, European Champion, Hardcore Champion and nine-time Tag Team Champion with Jeff (eight times) and MVP (once.)

Promos/Character: Matt is not the strongest promo, but he has been able to reinvent himself numerous times by tweaking his character. Team Xtreme (spell check does not like Attitude Era WWF, FYI) was an incredibly popular act, but Matt was able to go in a completely new direction with the V1 character. Between Matt Facts and cutting weight to challenge for the cruiserweight title, this run made us all MF’ers. Later, Matt incorporated real-life issues into his feud with Edge in 2005 making fans wonder if there were shoot elements in the feud. His feud with MVP was one of the better long-term feuds of recent years, and much of that was carried by character work from both performers to extend the feud due to injuries from both guys. Matt’s reinvented himself again as he is becoming “Woken” with a recent feud with Bray Wyatt, with the results being mixed, but with more from the character to come.

Workrate: The Hardy Boyz are among the best teams in company history having good ladder, TLC and tables matches with Edge & Christian and the Dudley Boyz. The match with MNM at Royal Rumble 2007 is on the list of the best non-gimmick tag team matches in company history. The matches with Edge in 2005 were unique from other matches going on at the time and had an element of intensity and reality often lacking. The blow-off match to his feud with MVP at 2008 was a memorable match. Upon the Hardy Boyz return, they’ve had good matches with Sheamus and Cesaro including a 30-minute Ironman match at Great Balls of Fire.

Staff Thoughts: Matt Hardy’s got a really diverse resume of strong moments, both in singles and tag matches. The Hardy Boyz feud with the Dudleys and Edge and Christian was a big part of the late 90s and early 2000s, providing excellent matches to go along with storylines of the time. Matt reinvented himself at V1, which was an entertaining and underutilized character. His feud with Edge was great in 2005, as was his feud with MVP in 2007-08. He as also arguably the best TV worker on and off in the company between 2006 and 2010. He had some misses, usually when he was feuding with Jeff, as the two just didn’t have the chemistry as opponents they have as a team. The recent return has been a lot of fun and resulted in some good matches with The Bar. Matt has shown versatility in reinventing his character, has a history of steering excellent undercard feuds and has great matches from the first Hardy Boyz run to his credit, so he checks every box.

Staff Thoughts: “Probably top 50 for me. Is hurt slightly by the fact that he never was a main event guy as he lacked the IT factor his brother had despite being a better worker mechanically. Still a very versatile guy as he’s someone that’s always been effective no matter what role he’s been put in. In all three of their separate runs together the Hardy Boyz were big contributors to the tag division including this recent one so far. Has also been a great hand as a singles in the midcard both with his version one heel run in 2003 which showed he could be entertaining as a character and also as a workhorse babyface from 05-09.” – Wade Ferrari, May 31, 2017

From the Voters: “I would have him in the Top 100. He was really great as a tag team wrestler and V1 was really fun. While Jeff got a lot of the spotlight from 07-09, Matt was having great matches in the midcard. His feud with MVP was outstanding.” – Mike Eller, June 1, 2017

“Very possible he makes my top 20. Other than Jericho, not sure there’s been someone who’s been able to reinvent himself so many times and still make it work. Truly one of the most versatile wrestlers I’ve ever seen. Helped revitalize tag team wrestling the 2000’s with Jeff. Had an all-time great heel/comedy character with Matt Hardy V.1. Great babyface runs against Edge and MVP, the latter of which is one of the greatest midcard feuds of all-time. While he never reached the levels of his brother or having the same amount of star power, I would argue he was the superior of the two when it comes to the little things.” – Greg Rossbach, July 7, 2017

43. Big Show Total Points: 5,519 Total Ballots: 106 Average Rank: 48.9 High Vote: 9 Low Vote: 95 High Voter: Corey Pierce

Nuance: Big Show has been with the company since 1999, so nearly a 20-year run, scoring significant points for longevity. He’s had more face and heel turns than anyone, and has had success in both roles. Show can play a monster main event singles star and has also had successful tag teams with Chris Jericho, The Miz, Kane and Undertaker.

Jump Up Moments: Big Show had a memorable debut tearing through the ring at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre throwing Stone Cold Steve Austin through the steel cage door allowing him to defeat Vince McMahon. Show won his first WWF Championship at Survivor Series 1999 taking Austin’s place when he was run over andd later challenged for the WWF title at WrestleMania 2000. He had a strong feud with Brock Lesnar in 2002-03, leading to him winning his second WWE Championship and imploding the ring with a superplex on SmackDown. During his feud with Kurt Angle, he was shot with a tranquilizer dart and “robbed of his dignity” when Angle shaved his head. He won the ECW title from Rob Van Dam. Show had a great feud and one of the best celebrity matches of all time against boxer Floyd Mayweather at WrestleMania XXIV. He challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXV. With Chris Jericho, he formed the Jeri-Show tag team, having a strong run with the Tag Team Titles before transitioning to a team with The Miz that also had a success, defending the titles at WrestleMania XXVI. In 2011, Big Show had a stellar feud with Mark Henry where he was one of the inductees into the Hall of Pain, and he followed it up with good feuds with Daniel Bryan and Sheamus in 2012. Big Show won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. Show is a two-time WWE Champion, a two-time World Champion, an ECW Champion, a three-time Hardcore Champion, a US Champion, IC Champion and an eight-time Tag Team Champion.

Promos/Character: Show is a good talker and has shown the ability to be a good comedic figure as well as a serious monster challenging main events. He has been around so long he’s gone through many character makeovers and has been shuffled up and down the card at various times.

Workrate: Big Show’s matches have been an incredible mixed bag, with some dreadful matches, particularly in his early years, but some incredible bouts later in his career. His first really good matches came against Brock Lesnar in 2003 in fun power struggles. His matches with Mark Henry at Money in the Bank, Vengeance, Survivor Series and TLC in 2011 are great big man slugfests. That feud transitioned into a series with Daniel Bryan featuring solid matches on SmackDown and a triple-threat cage match at Royal Rumble 2012 that was quite good. His matches with Sheamus in the later part of 2012 at Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series and TLC are also very good.

Staff Thoughts: Big Show has been around so long he’s compiled an incredible resume. His early years had some really rough stuff, both in-ring and character work with him being hurt by too many turns and too much moving up and down the card. He did some good work with Lesnar and Angle on SmackDown in 2003, and his matches from 2011-13 against Mark Henry, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan are amazing. His work in the Jeri-Show and ShowMiz teams is also very strong. The feud with Money Mayweather is as good a celebrity match as you’ll find and Show did a fantastic job of making Mayweather into a credible threat despite the huge size difference. He’s got the comedy chops, but plays the monster heel very well. It’s shocking to think how far Show has come from his 1999 debut, and he’s done a fantastic job staying the course to provide late career gold and shoot his way up voters’ lists.

From the Voters: “Absolute lock on the list. Maybe the most infuriating wrestler on the list because he has moments of brilliance. His feud with Mark Henry was epic. Had great matches with Daniel Bryan. I enjoyed his Jericho & Rey tag teams. I loved the Power of the Punch. He also has some complete dogshit feuds that will hurt his overall rating.” – Good Ol’ Will From Texas, June 3, 2017

“The giant character always runs the risk of growing stale. Andre would do a loop in a territory and move on before he destroyed everyone and the novelty wore off. Big Show doesn’t have that luxury in this era. Thus he has to go through countless face/heel turns to stay relatively fresh. He’s done it all; remorseless destroyer, hired muscle, comic relief, bully, anti-bully, grizzled veteran. Yes there’s some crap to wade through and some low points but I feel like it’s impossible not to respect him and his place in the business’ history.” – Jeremy Ray, June 4, 2017

“The further away I get from “Durrrr, any guy over 300lbs sucks. Wrestling’s only suplexes and chain wrestling, duhhhh”, the more I appreciate a guy like Show. Yes, he let himself go a lot of the time. But man after he returned in 08 he really found his grove. And overall he stayed their. Yes, his run in 14-15 as Authority lackey was crap, but I won’t dog him for that too much. It will be interesting for me to see where he lands. Right now a likely Top 50 guy.” – David Mann, June 5, 2017

42. Rick Rude Total Points: 5,912 Total Ballots:109 Average Rank: 46.8 High Vote: 12 Low Vote: 93 High Voter: Taylor Keahey

Nuance: “Ravishing” Rick Rude had only about a three-year run with the WWF, and played a heel his entire career, with no tag team run. So, longevity and a lack of flexibility hurt Rude. However, he had a number of intangibles that always made his feuds seem important. He had a distinct look with the chiseled abs, trademark mustache, robe and especially the airbrushed tights, which played a part in his feuds.

Jump Up Moments: Rude’s first major feud with the company was with Jake Roberts, after he tried to kiss Rude’s wife during his post-match celebration. Rude famously airbrushed Cheryl Roberts onto his tights, sending Jake into a rage, causing him to charge the ring and strip Rude of those tights. Rude would continue to wear a second pair of tights underneath his regular ones, causing Jake to attack Rude during his SummerSlam 1988 match against the Junkyard Dog. Jake pinned Rude at Survivor Series 1988 to end the feud. The Ravishing One then moved on to feuding with the Ultimate Warrior, winning the IC title at WrestleMania V in a shocking upset. Rude dropped the title back to Warrior in a very good match at SummerSlam 1989 due to interference from Roddy Piper, sparking their feud. Rude and Piper had a heated feud, including a good cage match until Survivor Series 1989 when the Rude Brood defeated Roddy’s Rowdies and Rude and Piper brawled causing both men to be counted out. Rude then challenged Warrior for his WWF title in another good match at SummerSlam 1990. He was then suspended indefinitely by Jack Tunney for making degrading comments about the Big Bossman’s mother. He would return in 1997 as the “insurance policy” for D-Generation X, which allowed him to appear on Monday Night Raw and Monday Nitro on the same night.

Promos/Character: “Cut my music! What I’d like to have now…” is for all the voters to recognize that while Rick Rude had basically one promo, it was an awesome promo. His pre and post-match routine of disparaging the crowd before opening his robe and showing the audience what a real man looked like and then kissing a lucky lady after his victory, were guaranteed heat generators. His character work with the routine, his promos, his alliance with Bobby Heenan and his airbrushed tights all helped make Rude an unforgettable character.

Workrate: Rude’s matches were a mixed bag, with a lot of boring matches early on, but the bouts with the Ultimate Warrior were some of the best either guy had to that time. Rude’s feuds were always loaded with heat, making the Roberts and Piper matches better than they otherwise would have been.

Staff Thoughts: “Ravishing” Rick Rude was an unforgettable character during a hot time for the company. He had three hot feuds, which was really the story of his relatively short time with the company. He fit with the Heenan Family like a hand in a glove. Rude’s promos were pretty one-note, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The spiel while he took off his robe to reveal what a real man looked like was pure gold, and he airbrushed another man’s wife on his Ravishing parts, for God’s sake! That set up the hot feud with Jake the Snake. His matches with the Ultimate Warrior were very good and the best in-ring work of Rude’s WWF career, and his feud with Piper featured some intense matches as well. He played his role with D-X too, fitting the part. All of this adds up to all you sweathogs voting the Ravishing One onto the list. You can hear the guys talk about Rude on this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Lock him in for me, could be relatively high for me. He did his best in ring work in WCW, but he was no slouch in the WWE. He drug solid stuff out of Warrior and that was no throwaway task. His character was a high point on the undercard when I was a kid. I honestly think they dropped the ball a bit not giving him a world title run, but oh well. Complete talent who’s work holds up.” – Matthew Richards, June 2, 2017

“Aside from being my favorite heel of all time, he was the first guy to get good matches out of the Warrior. Instant heel heat the second he grabbed the mic. His airbrushed ring tights ranks in the top five of best ring attire ever. Dude put another guys wife on his fucking tights! Now that’s HEAT!” – Jason Greenhouse, June 3, 2017

“One great thing about Rude was he, like Jake, had a real knack for making his feuds feel like they really mattered. Just an example – the kickoff of the Piper feud, seen here. So great, and maybe only his third best while in the WWF.” – James Proffitt, July 25, 2017

41. Davey Boy Smith Total Points: 5,937 Total Ballots: 111 Average Rank: 47.6 High Vote: 6 Low Vote: 82 High Voter: Bret Hart

Nuance: Davey Boy Smith spent about nine years with the company during four different runs, so he has nice longevity. He gets points for flexibility as he had two very good tag team runs with the Dynamite Kid and Owen Hart (and another run with Lex Luger) and a solid upper-mid-card singles career.

Jump Up Moments: The British Bulldogs were one of the best and most influential tag teams of the 1980s WWF, winning the Tag Team Titles from the Dream Team at WrestleMania 2 in a very good match. The Bulldogs had notable feuds with the Islanders, Hart Foundation, Rougeau Brothers and Demolition as well. Smith returned to the company in 1990 taking the British Bulldog name and had a surprisingly fun feud with Warlord, including a good match at WrestleMania VII. His high-point was likely his main event match with Bret Hart over the IC title at SummerSlam 1992. Bulldog had an all-time great bout with Hart and was incredibly popular in his home country at Wembley Stadium. He had a good showing at the 1995 Royal Rumble entering at #2 and surviving until the end when he was eliminated by winner Shawn Michaels. Challenged Bret Hart for the WWF Title in a great match at In Your House 5, and challenged Shawn Michaels in good matches at IYH: Beware of Dog and King of the Ring 1996. Bulldog was the first European Champion, defeating Owen Hart in the finals in one of the best matches in Raw history. Bulldog formed a tag team with Owen Hart winning the WWF Tag Team Titles and had a great match against Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels on Raw. He was part of the Hart Foundation in 1997 and part of the great main event at IYH: Canadian Stampede. Davey Boy was a two-time European Champion, a two-time Hardcore Champion, an IC champion and a two-time Tag Team Champion.

Promos/Character: Bulldog was not a good promo because he’s BIZARRE. Never a good talker, he was paired with Jim Cornette and later let other members of the Hart Foundation talk for him. His character never evolved much past being British… and a Bulldog in the ring, I guess. Lack of character depth and promo skills are a definite drawback to Davey Boy’s case.

Workrate: The British Bulldogs had very good matches against the Dream Team, including the big one at WrestleMania 2 giving them the “Nightmare at the Rosemont Horizon” that probably still haunts Valentine to this day, and a series of very good matches with the Hart Foundation, as well. Davey Boy’s match with Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1992 is a classic, though Hart had to carry more than his fair share in that match. His run in 1995-96 carried a mixed bag with good matches against Hart and Michaels and some stinkers against other opponents like Diesel. He’s been involved in two of the best matches in the history of Raw, with the European title finals against Owen Hart and the tag team match with Owen against Michaels and Austin. His match with Michaels at One Night Stand is insane with Davey losing in front of his countrymen after dedicating the match to his dying sister. Bulldog was an important part of the Hart Foundation and the 10-man tag at Canadian Stampede was another classic match on Davey’s resume.

Staff Thoughts: Davey Boy Smith has a very significant spot in WWF history from the innovative matches the British Bulldogs had with the Dream Team to his run with the Hart Foundation in 1997. In between, he had the SummerSlam match at Wembley Stadium and a solid upper-mid-card run that saw him main event several PPVs in 1995-96. His tag team with Owen Hart was very good during a shaky time for the tag team division. And if he doesn’t throw that trashcan giving Stephanie McMahon amnesia, maybe she goes ahead and marries Test and the current WWE looks very different. We have no idea if that would be positive or negative but that’s the last we’ll say of his jeans wearing return in 1999. But overall, Bulldog added tons to the WWF/E and is considered one of the greatest wrestlers to have never been a World Champion, which is more than enough to land him on the list.

From the Voters: “Held up his end of the bargain in some good-to-great matches during different singles pushes, and was part of one of the best teams of one of the best eras for the tag division. Did great work in highlight matches & angles for the Bulldogs, e.g. WrestleMania 2 against the Dream Team.” – Glenn W. Butler, May 28, 2017

“I’m a big supporter of Davey for this project. If you go back and watch the Bulldogs, as others have said, he wasn’t nearly as far behind Dynamite as history has said. In fact, he carried Dynamite the last two years they were together to some shockingly entertaining bouts where Dynamite was severely limited. In his solo run, he was a massively over babyface who was probably third behind Bret and Macho in that department at points. His matches with Bret (the SummerSlam classic and the IYH forgotten gem), Shawn and Owen are classics, and he was able to play a convincing bully heel or an inspirational babyface when the need arose. Also had a great team with Owen. He has a shot at the top 50 for me, maybe higher.” – Greg Phillips, June 20, 2017

“I personally think The Bulldogs are overrated though I like them. Feel kind of the same way about his first big singles run. On the other hand I think his match with Bret in 95 was awesome, and I like him a lot in the heel period in 96 and 97. I actually think he’s underrated historically in terms of impact, how over he was, and as a worker. Not a terribly dynamic character, but I could see a case for him being near the top of the “career mid-carders” portion of the list.” – Dylan Hales, June 7, 2017

40. Roman Reigns Total Points: 6,126 Total Ballots: 109 Average Rank: 44.8 High Vote: 8 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: James

Nuance: Roman Reigns has been with the main roster a little over four years, and has had tag team runs with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose with The Shield. He was a heel when he debuted with The Shield and has been a babyface since the team turned, even if a portion of the fanbase refuses to acknowledge he is a fan favorite (which is a problem that is not exclusive to Reigns). Roman has a presence about him and carries himself like a star in a way few wrestlers today are able to.

Jump Up Moments: The first PPV match with The Shield was a classic against Team Hell No and Ryback at TLC 2012. The Shield would have great six-man matches with a number of opponents and the match against the Wyatt Family at Elimination Chamber 2014 is another classic. Reigns won the WWE Tag Team Titles with Rollins and had a great feud with Cody Rhodes and Goldust, losing the titles at Hell in a Cell 2013. At the 2014 Royal Rumble, Reigns set a record by eliminating 12 wrestlers, winning fan support surviving to the final two before being eliminated by winner Batista. The Shield turned babyface and then dissolved when Rollins turned on Reigns and Ambrose and Reigns challenged for the WWE title during this time. Roman won the 2015 Royal Rumble, though this time the fans were NOT in his corner after Daniel Bryan was eliminated earlier. He defeated Bryan in a very good match at Fastlane 2015 to defend his WrestleMania title shot. Reigns would go on to have an excellent match at WrestleMania 31, challenging Brock Lesnar for the title until Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the gold. Reigns won the WWE World Championship in a tournament winning the finals over Dean Ambrose at Survivor Series 2015, before Sheamus cashed in his MITB briefcase giving Reigns a five-minute reign. He then regained the title in January 2016, but had to defend it in the 2016 Royal Rumble, losing to Triple H before regaining the belt at WrestleMania 32. Roman had an excellent feud with A.J. Styles in 2016, before losing the WWE World Championship to Rollins at MITB 2016. He won the US title from Rusev and feuded with him in late 2016. Reigns defeated the Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 in what may, or may not have been Taker’s last match. Roman had a very good feud with Braun Strowman with matches at Payback, Great Balls of Fire and both were part of a four-way match at SummerSlam 2017. He had an excellent match with John Cena at No Mercy and finished the year with a Shield reunion and an IC title win and feud with the Miz.

Promos/Character: Roman has had some atrocious promos, perhaps being the biggest victim of the scripted promo era, having been supplied with awful material like “sufferin’ succotash.” He has improved on the mic, but it’s probably never going to be his strength. His best promo came the night after Wrestlemania 33, soaking in the boos before simply stating “This is my yard now” before leaving the ring. Reigns’ character work isn’t great either, as he rarely shows the vulnerability that endears a top babyface to the fans. He has a great presence and plays a convincing badass, but misses something in connecting to the fanbase.

Workrate: Reigns is a great worker with a list of fantastic matches a mile long. His Shield six-mans and tag team with Rollins yielded top-notch matches against Team Hell No, the Wyatts, Evolution and Cody Rhodes & Goldust. His main event against Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 is a classic. Roman’s matches with A.J. Styles at Payback and Extreme Rules 2016 were outstanding. His feud with Braun Strowman in 2017 is great, producing very good matches at Payback, Great Balls of Fire and SummerSlam. The match between Roman and Cena at No Mercy was another great match.

Staff Thoughts: There may never have been a main event player that the company presumably wants to succeed that has been more mishandled and hurt by bad booking. Fans were solidly behind Reigns at the 2014 Royal Rumble, but the company hurt him tremendously by entering Bryan into the 2015 Rumble only to have Reigns win. Then he goes on to have a great match with Lesnar at WrestleMania, headed to a classic that may earn the fan’s respect, only to have Rollins cash in and have the big win elude Roman. He also could’ve benefitted from a heel turn during this time, in much the same way as the Rock was helped by his heel turn. From this point on, the company insists Reigns MUST be the next big thing regardless of fan sentiments, while at the same time has him lose far too often, but in a way that convinces fans he is being shoved down their throats. Reigns is damn good in the ring and he may be able to overcome awful booking and a character that just doesn’t connect with the fan base on the level WWE so desperately wants him to. He suffers from many of the same challenges Cena faced, showing little vulnerability and shrugging off losses too easily, but Reigns is putting together a list of great matches that may win fans over with time. He’s one of the more divisive wrestlers on the list as his matches and high-profile position says he should be higher on the list, but the lack of connection and shitty booking robs him of a few big time moments and a greater sense of importance. Ultimately, he has a strong enough resume for voters to place him on the list and only time will tell if he can rise up the list in the future to a level his talent would indicate he belongs. You can hear the guys talk about Roman on this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Amazingly unselfish, very hard worker, excellent team player. Very few wrestlers in WWE history had as many very good to great matches in their first 4ish years. Major star despite being the most poorly presented alleged top guy in wrestling history. Hard to know where to rank him, but if you compare his first 4 years as a top guy to Bret or Shawns I don’t think it’s a stretch to conclude his run is equal or better.” – Dylan Hales, June 2, 2017

“Is probably never going to be what the company wants him to be but has an impressive resume of singles matches and his run in The Shield was great. He’s an easy choice for my list.” – Brian Cullinane, June 2, 2017

“Roman is very tough for me to rank because while I acknowledge all the praise this thread gives him…..I. Just. Don’t. Care. That is essentially my knock on the product as a whole right now, but he’s the poster child of it. Great matches that are fun in the moment, but I ultimately do not care about one way or the other. I don’t care who Roman feuds with or if he wins or loses. MOST of that is his booking, yes-but if we are going to rank guys high like Hogan because he had a long title reign which is booking too, then I have to take his into account. Won’t miss my list, but I genuinely have no clue where he will place. Even if he’s #100 though, he’ll finish higher than Rollins.” – Jordan Duncan, June 2, 2107

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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