Acid07

I technically joined a few months ago, but for the most part only as a lurker/reader, occasionally leaving a comment on a story. Only started looking much at the forums this week, so I'm gonna consider that fairly new haha. I'm from North Carolina, the heart of ACC country (for those who pay any attention to things at the college level). I'm an avid sports fan, enjoying a wide variety of collegiate & professional sports. I also spend a bit of time playing video games. Other than that, I generally use most of my free time reading. I used to dabble in fanfic-style writing, but haven't done anything in years. I was initially drawn in by some of the great sci-fi/fantasy writings here, but quickly expanded to reading from a number of genres. I also have a love/hate relationship with politics, which occasionally gets me into trouble. Looking forward to interacting with everyone (especially now that I've started looking at more than just the stories part of the site)!

I think that's fairly likely. His time with Bolton was extremely traumatic, creating a secondary personality. I think this could likely be PTSD or even a reversion to that secondary personality. Ready for Episode 4! Even if I probably won't watch it for a day or two. Also, at what point is something not a spoiler around here? Haha

This does strike me as fairly similar to Destiny (with just a bit of "honey, I shrunk the Titanfall"). You have different classes that you can attach different weapons/abilities to. You're leaving the safe place consistently to go out to fight enemies that look alien. Most of the join ups look similar to putting together a Fireteam for Destiny. Overall, I've always like Bioware for the RPGs, but this feels closer to a shooter than an RPG. If it falls into that same category, it'll have to go up against Destiny 2 already having a market footprint. Given how long Destiny has remained relevant, and the solid expansions they had, it could be a tough battle. I'll definitely be curious to see what the game does. There isn't a ton of info yet, and although it looks good, great visuals aren't nearly enough anymore.

Bioware is fairly consistent in making good stories in their RPGs. The character development of ME2 is still some of my favorite in all video games (I've heard Andromeda was lackluster but haven't played). Their narratives throughout the Dragon Age series have been entertaining as well, especially incorporating elements of prior games (Inquisition was a great game to kick off the new console generation). Breaking away from RPGs, the Modern Warfare series had a surprisingly interesting story arc over 3 games (COD4, MW2, MW3), which was probably the most attached I became to a story in a pure FPS. Gears of War really built the story & characters over the series, but I always felt the gameplay was slightly clunky.

Some might argue that Belichick has a tainted legacy, but it's hard to argue with longterm results. Since 2001, he's had 5 Superbowl wins in 7 appearances. 14 of the last 16 AFC East titles, including 8 straight. He has no issue cutting a player that is going to cost too much to keep, even if they're skilled, or parting with someone past their prime. They maneuver well in the draft and free agency, making moves that work for the long run. Love em or hate em, if there's a model to follow in the football world, it's Kraft/Belichick. While other teams get bogged down in loyalty or just bad decisions, New England stays above it and will cut anyone that needs to be cut. That being said, I'm not confident that basketball will ever work the exact same way. A couple of super stars can make a team, whereas football requires a much wider scope. There's also a lot less control of movement in the NBA. But for football..yeah. The New England way is a proven model for the 21st century.

On a bit of an AJR kick lately.

With the HoF game played, the 2017-18 NFL Preseason has begun. Position battles, injuries, and off the field drama will be interesting to watch over the next few weeks (gotta feel for a guy getting his dog stolen, being misidentified as a thief, and being cut from the team in a week), but most of the stars are pretty well-defined. So, who ya got? Who do you think is overrated or do you have concerns about as we enter this season? What sleepers are you thinking about? To start things off, my early thoughts on RBs. We've got Bell, who was great and isn't facing a suspension at this point (a big issue last year). We've got Elliot, who could face suspension, and also the concern of a sophomore slump (like Gurley had last year). David Johnson is coming off of a great 2016. There are position splits emerging, rookies eyeing starting jobs, and players coming out of retirement to play (and hopefully attend press conferences so they don't get fined). Personally I think Bell is one of the safest bets as long as he can stay on the field, especially since Ben seems to get hurt fairly regularly, but there are a handful of viable options for those early picks. Time for some football!

Much of the precedent suggests that the name will stay. Just this offseason, San Diego moved down the road to become the LA Chargers. The Rams maintained their name moving from St. Louis. The Colts kept the franchise name when they moved from Baltimore. In the NBA, the Hornets kept their name when they moved to New Orleans (even though they changed it a few years later). Overall, I'd expect them to keep the franchise name. However, although Las Vegas Raiders doesn't sound too bad, it isn't really practical the think of nautical pirates in the desert.

I'm glad that Derek and Will were able to make amends. I know some feel he was just covering his own back by apologizing, but I think he's legit. Theo wasn't happy at the time, nor was he really pleased with his husband now. Derek is right to feel ashamed, but he's clearly zealous in his work. He should have taken Will more seriously, but it's easy to forget they've known each other less than a year (if my count is right), even if the are/were extremely close. In the end, they are all part of the same team and even if it takes time, them working together can only benefit others that need it. Glad the crew got to have some fun. They deserve to get to do casual fun on occasion. They have so much going on that they don't get nearly enough of it.

Interesting chapter. Ryan definitely got a bit of a shock with new info, but he seems like he should handle it well. I will be curious to learn if the explosion had any effect on him since she was pregnant. Hopefully Ryan & Chris can start actually building something. There's obviously mutual attraction/obsession/something, but they haven't really been able to actually bond in anything that isn't physical. Chris doesn't seem as bad as his father, and even though Ryan's been warned off, he'll have to make his own decisions. It was nice of Chris to fix the locket, as the tie to his mother was a hard loss for Ryan. Looking forward to the next!

The destruction of the locket seems like a rather large breaking point for Ryan. Have to feel for him losing the last major reminder of his mother. It was, after all, something he had been willing to die to protect before he got noded (a situation that hasn't fully been resolved yet). Chris' role in its destruction is not going to go well for him, even if he seems to not be as malicious as it seems. I'll be curious to find out what exactly his father had to do with Ryan's mother. At least Ryan does have a father who seems to care. They aren't nearly as close at this point, but it's an adjustment for both of them. Hopefully the former President is able to be a good supporter for Ryan, as it sounds like Chris' father is going to be a bit of a problem long term. The fight between them is interesting. Chris clearly has some advantages that normal Champions don't if he can pull from different classes, but Ryan on a rampage seemed to do real damage as well. Have to wonder if it's because Ryan can actually be of similar power or if Chris let him, but he definitely got back into the fight when he was enraged.

Heh, it seems like Ryan is a little more taken than he was aware. Still, the last words are a bit ominous as to where they're headed haha.

Interesting to hear a bit of background on Chris. It definitely comes across a lot better than him just being a careless playboy. He also seems just a little more interested than Delilah suggested and Ryan seems quite intrigued already, even before he learned real info about Chris' struggles. Looking forward to the next!

I don't necessarily think that the situation with Derek was a misunderstanding so much as not Derek not giving Will the appropriate respect. Maybe Will could have stood his ground a little more firmly, but Derek did shut him down fairly abruptly. It was nice to see Liam pile on the evidence that this isn't some quick, emotional plan and that they really do have the drive to get it done. Maybe Derek can finally understand what he did to Will and start the process of actually being supportive. Will has been a bit emotional lately and seems to be having some trouble coping. Liam is right to at least acknowledge that he's having issues and might react a little strongly at times. Hopefully over time Will is able to learn to cope, as I can't imagine consistent panic attacks and other anxiety to be good for him. Liam is a good rock for him, but there will be times that he has to stand alone (even if it's just a week at a time). This little separation didn't go awfully, but Will has definitely had a pretty bad week. Shame to see what all Will's mother was capable of. I know the main characters aren't hurting for money, but it would be nice to see them get to recover some of what they had stolen, even if it's just to help with their dreams and the Foundation. Hopefully they can set some things right, as well as establish more family ties that were so wrongly cut off. Looking forward to the next!

That may be the worst "keep your distance" I've seen haha. Chris is a bit of a playboy based on what we've heard, but have to wonder if maybe there's something a little deeper to him. Curious to see his importance to the story and to Ryan moving forward. The troubled background makes him interesting, so I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.

Interesting fic so far. I'll be curious to see how it progress.

Will is difficult to get a read on sometimes. There are occasions where he's overly forgiving (like with Stephen), but others where he seems quick to write people off as unforgivable (like his initial reactions to Derek). I guess there's some element of time that helps with Stephen, while Derek and Will haven't really been able to hash out the issues that are festering between them. Derek is a bit rough at times, but he clearly cares about the shelter (as his reaction to helping Stephen still shows). While that doesn't always mesh well with Will's softer, more innocent personality, I still have hope that they can do good together. They both care, even if their attitudes aren't really aligned at this point. As much as Will may not want it, I don't think they'll ever really get over this without a heart to heart (or something to show Will that Derek actually cares about him). Glad to hear CC is doing ok. Hope to see her running around soon enough! Also good to see Will continuing to help at the shelter, even with his issues with Derek. Definitely a busy week without Liam around! Looking forward to the next!

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I think that could apply to both of them at the moment. From Will's side, he has grand ideas that could make a change in the lives of so many. He even has the resources and drive to start it. However, while we see inside the mind of the main character, others don't have quite the same insight, despite getting to know him. They can see the risk involved in investing so much hope in someone that is more prone (statistically at least) to "move on". We know it shouldn't be the case for Will, but who knows if Derek has been burned by someone he trusted before? It's easy for people to be caught up in the immediate fervor and want to jump in immediately and help, but 3 months, 6 months, years down the road a lot of that initial passion fades for many. Will has connections to the issue that should have been taken into account, but I would expect Derek has seen too much disappointment to be able to avoid being skeptical when things seem too good to be true. Will did not deserve to be spoken to like a child. Derek, despite his skepticism, should have listened to the plans. Challenged Will with things that he was concerned with. Unfortunately he didn't and hurt someone I believe he still cares about. I don't think he did it to be an ass to Will, despite how it turned out. I feel he was too focused on the risks to the kids to think about how it might come across to Will or to see that it could be a great opportunity. Like you said, he's used to being let down and doesn't want to hurt the kids by letting them hope only to have it stripped. I just like to give him a little bit of faith given what he does for a living, despite his initial reactions. The NPO world, especially involving kids, must be a hard passion to maintain when you see so much hurt regularly. I can't imagine him being a bad person for what he gives to those kids. And although Will was hurt by what was said, hopefully he can understand that Derek is able to make mistakes too and that he isn't trying to be malicious, but reacted out of fear & concern.

Somehow when I started this story, I thought it was complete. Now that I'm caught up, I guess I'll have to patiently wait for new installments haha. Entertaining story thus far! To comment specifically on this chapter, although he was a bit harsh, I can understand a bit of where Derek is coming from. It's hard to imagine a high school student to have the passion to maintain this big dream (even if he should know by now that Will isn't a typical high schooler). What happens when Will/Liam go somewhere for college, which isn't that far off in the grand scheme of things? A lot of these ideas take time and need a solid foundation that won't just spring up immediately and while I don't think Will would ever get "bored" with it, he may not be able to devote the time and energy necessary if he's not around. Of course he can designate people once things get established, but it is a lot harder to do these things remotely early on. It would probably be even worse if Will made all of these promises and didn't follow through long term because the kids (and adults) have come to value him as a person. What could be more devastating to the kids that lost everything than to have people they trust ultimately fall through again. While Derek was probably right to be cautious, he handled it poorly and hurt someone who has his heart in the right place. Most of Derek's focus goes into defending these kids, one way or another. He messed up, but I hope that they're able to recover from that. And to top it all off, the poor pup gets herself in trouble. Hope that turns out well. You might have some pitchforks and torches organized if it doesn't. People get a little frantic when it comes to animals Looking forward to the next!

Very entertaining read. Excellent characters and it was quite enjoyable to read them pulling together when needed, as well as their general hijinks. Thanks for the journey!

As much as I've come to enjoy reading Chris' growth in this new environment (and would have continued to enjoy reading more), I think you chose an excellent place to wrap up this saga. In the previous 19 entries, he's slowly come to terms with everything, even if he'll never fully erase it. He's gotten a true pack experience and friends, as well as an emerging relationship with his family. And to top it all off, he got a mate to help guide him as well. Seeing him formalize membership in the pack and apologize to those he had wronged, all while continuing in his growth, was a great way to close the journal out. As with all great stories, I'll miss reading it regularly, but am glad to have been there for the ride. Looking forward to whatever you do next in this universe!

Nice to see the mates and families bond. I think my favorite element of it was removing the tracker. It shows that it was more oversight and misconception than an accepted element of Chris' punishment. He didn't deserve that pain and I'm glad others didn't think he did. As good as it was to see him getting to spend time with his mate and get further ingrained, that little bit showed how much trust he's earning within the pack as a whole and that they actually care about him. Nothing written thus far makes me think he'll break that trust and it's great that something so core to him was returned. Looking forward to the next!

It's great to see this developing nicely for Chris. I'm sure it won't be awesome to have to spend a handful of months without Rory, but at least it looks like they have similar plans for the future. That Rory accepted Chris' past and acknowledged his work to change (and the importance of him coming clean so quickly) provides hope for them moving forward. Being slightly older, hopefully he can continue to help guide the evolving wolf he's now tied to, especially since he seems to be a great role model for others already. The relationship between Kyle & Corey is a nice development as well. Given his history, Chris is going to need a resource for how being with a male should be compared to the acts of domination he partook in throughout his past. We've already learned that not all happiness has to be in true mates (Darrin/Casey/Cody), so it's nice to see another pairing developing away from fate. Great chapter and look forward to the next!

It's nice to see things turning around for him. Being kicked out of everything he's ever known was a tough life change, but it's really turning him into a decent person. With nothing holding them back, it would be great for his parents to be around and for both sides to be able to mend that relationship. Despite everything he was involved in to destroy Aiden & Ethan, I hope this thing works out for him. It would be a shame for his mate to deny him based on his rough past versus what he's done to correct himself. Still, it is a pretty ugly past, but I think Chris has earned a bit of a defense against what he once was. Looking forward to the next!

Sometimes it's hard to remember that Chris doesn't really know how a true pack should feel. He had a loving family and a great home pack, but his association with Michael really distorted everything. We all saw how Aiden, Trevor, and Casey were, and how they truly understood pack that it's easy to forget that not everyone experienced it. Can't blame Parker Valley, as clearly they have a great structure, but some wolves really did get left behind. It's nice to see Kyle and the others helping to grow Chris in how things can and should be. He did some terrible things and he's trying to make up for it, even taking the excruciating punishment from the shifts. Feel bad for him, but at least things are starting to get a bit better for him.