BKA: ok for mah girl tirzah once more, yep yep yep, bc while it might be like oh no she . popped out and killed a bitch it's too sudden, i kinda enjoed that she popped out and killed a bitch suddenly? concision and precision that's the worrrds
bda: mercy sadly got not sorta mercy, which was depressing bc she just wanted the best, wanted to help better all the rest, and ended up just getting a whole lotta of her own guts on her chest. i think, though, relating back to mercy's desire for independence, i think the dark reprisal of the fact almsot with her dying pretty much alone as everything goes to hell 'round her was like real poetic and a fitting end.
also for an honorable mention the notorious CWG made my cold heart just a lil warmer. THE FLOWERS WILT, BISH. YOU MADE THEM.
V7 BKA/BDA Voting: August 2019
-
h-e-l-l-o
-
and i'm jajvert
BKA: Violet Schmidt. The relative minimalism of the posts leading to the kill itself was wonderfully contrasted by Violet's complete and utter breakdown immediately afterwards; giving us a visceral and beautifully-written look inside her head. "Well, i'm going to hell now for sure, so might as well win so i can delay that for as long as possible" is such a fascinatingly twisted direction to take a character, so I look forward to seeing where she goes from here.
BDA: Jeremiah Anderson. This one made me genuinely sad, man. Jeremiah's posts have always had a strong voice, and this one really hammers in that we're not gonna be hearing it again, y'know? His glossing has always been an integral part of that voice, and as such it's heartbreaking when he finds himself able to neither speak nor twitch his fingers enough to sign a single word. S/O to everyone else in the thread (except Alexander, what a nerd lmao) for hammering in the tragedy even further, even after his demise.
Honorable Mentions:
The lighthouse scene was super ambitious, and while I have a couple quibbles I'm very glad it was able to happen. The formatting trick of dropping all the death tags at the end was genius.
Nick's fight with Jeremiah was written with hella impact, and I love the broken direction he's taken after his victory.
Kelly and Mercy's little arsenic adventure legitimately horrified me a bit, so, uh, props to everyone there.
Marco's self-actualization accompanied by completely tearing open Kayla's body was hella rad character work, and also pretty dang stomach-churning.
I liked Danny's meanwhile art a lot.
BDA: Jeremiah Anderson. This one made me genuinely sad, man. Jeremiah's posts have always had a strong voice, and this one really hammers in that we're not gonna be hearing it again, y'know? His glossing has always been an integral part of that voice, and as such it's heartbreaking when he finds himself able to neither speak nor twitch his fingers enough to sign a single word. S/O to everyone else in the thread (except Alexander, what a nerd lmao) for hammering in the tragedy even further, even after his demise.
Honorable Mentions:
The lighthouse scene was super ambitious, and while I have a couple quibbles I'm very glad it was able to happen. The formatting trick of dropping all the death tags at the end was genius.
Nick's fight with Jeremiah was written with hella impact, and I love the broken direction he's taken after his victory.
Kelly and Mercy's little arsenic adventure legitimately horrified me a bit, so, uh, props to everyone there.
Marco's self-actualization accompanied by completely tearing open Kayla's body was hella rad character work, and also pretty dang stomach-churning.
I liked Danny's meanwhile art a lot.
-
elio
BKA: Tough sledding this time around. I think everyone's doing a good job with one of effort or execution, but I didn't see a ton of landing on both this time around. Not to be a naysayer but I found everything 'just okay' this time around in the kills department. Everything was a nice read, but nothing stepped up to the batter's box and socked it out of the park for me. Both of my favourite kills this time around started happening off-screen, which is neat in concept but I don't think entirely landed for me in execution. With that being said; with a special mention to Erika Stieglitz's kill, I want to vote for Kelly Nguyen for the murder of Mercy Ames. I think that particular kill was interesting and while it left us wondering what was going on for a large part of the scene, it's also laid down some groundwork for where Kelly's headed and given all of the group Mercy was with some juicy stuff to play with. Solid triple, to stick with the basbeall reference. Nice work, all.
BDA: This one had way more competition. There were a lot of really excellent death scenes, but one stood up and screamed its way above the rest; Tonyksin for the death of Regina Petrov. This death had me feeling things. Regina was a really kind and pure character, and in choosing to die with dignity to try and spare the feelings of her mentally ill friend was true to form and a really nice way for the character to go out. Regina felt a lot different than Tonyksin's other characters and in giving her the death that he did, I think made her really stand-out. Really excellent job and I'm looking forward to the rest of your work this version.
BDA: This one had way more competition. There were a lot of really excellent death scenes, but one stood up and screamed its way above the rest; Tonyksin for the death of Regina Petrov. This death had me feeling things. Regina was a really kind and pure character, and in choosing to die with dignity to try and spare the feelings of her mentally ill friend was true to form and a really nice way for the character to go out. Regina felt a lot different than Tonyksin's other characters and in giving her the death that he did, I think made her really stand-out. Really excellent job and I'm looking forward to the rest of your work this version.
-
Guest
BKA: Violet Schmidt for killing Kyle Harrison
I really liked this death. It was appropriately senseless and MS did a really good job of selling her reaction to it. When it was first posted I didn't have much of an emotional reaction to the death but after I read it over again I found it to be particularly heartbreaking. The juxtaposition between her trying to comfort Kyle that there was something waiting for him on the other side, and her own terror at what might await her given her actions - that's what really sold it for me.
Honorable mentions:
Lorenzo Tavares for killing Sapphire Waters
I think he's managed to convince himself that he is actually as bad as everyone says he is, but he isn't really actually ready to become the monster folks expect him to be. I know people have really hammered at him as a terrible person ooc and I won't say that he's exactly good by any stretch of the imagination, but I think there's a lot of room for grey area with him that Tonyk is starting to explore a little bit. This is more of a mention for Lorenzo's reaction to the kill itself, that I think is going to be something Tonyk can really work with if he can manage to shrug off the expectation that Lorenzo absolutely has to be an entirely evil person.
Kelly Nguyen for killing Mercy Ames
Somersault managed to pull off a kill idea I really wanted to see on the island. The whole situation she created was altogether horrifying, and the folks in that thread really did an excellent job of selling it. There's not much more to say other than I really felt for Mercy in that situation and I hope Kelly gets her just desserts.
BDA:Tonyksin for the death of Regina Petrov
Even though I knew what was coming, even though I knew how she was going to die, this one still got to me. Tonyk did an excellent job selling the effects of blood loss on someone's perceptions and the genuinely frightening idea of the world beginning to close out on someone. Though tragic, the death came up as actually kind of touching in those final moments as she reunited with Abel's spirit, or at least believed she did. Regina died with a smile, and I found that really easy to visualize and believe. It was one hell of an act to try to follow, but seeing you pull it off gave me the confidence to write the death I had in mind for Caroline - the first one I've done since returning to the site. Thank you.
Honorable Mentions:
CondorTalon for the death of Cammy Walker-Grimsley
This one was really, really upsetting. CondorTalon has continued to impress me with their ability to write genuinely chilling death scenes. This was one worth taking a drink and a long, cold stare at a wall to.
All of the deaths in Children of Cain
I was really shocked to see the massacre take place as I'm sure everyone else was, and I think the deaths in the thread were sold really well. Some of my favorite scenes this version have been ones where all hell breaks loose out of an unfortunate misunderstanding, and this one ranks high among them.
One thing I would have liked to see, to be honest, would've been to have them all killed unrolled. While the heroes were definitely nice for the handlers involved, I think it would've had more impact if the deaths had fallen outside of the predetermined rolls. Either way, it'll definitely go down as a defining moment of the first few days of V7.
I really liked this death. It was appropriately senseless and MS did a really good job of selling her reaction to it. When it was first posted I didn't have much of an emotional reaction to the death but after I read it over again I found it to be particularly heartbreaking. The juxtaposition between her trying to comfort Kyle that there was something waiting for him on the other side, and her own terror at what might await her given her actions - that's what really sold it for me.
Honorable mentions:
Lorenzo Tavares for killing Sapphire Waters
I think he's managed to convince himself that he is actually as bad as everyone says he is, but he isn't really actually ready to become the monster folks expect him to be. I know people have really hammered at him as a terrible person ooc and I won't say that he's exactly good by any stretch of the imagination, but I think there's a lot of room for grey area with him that Tonyk is starting to explore a little bit. This is more of a mention for Lorenzo's reaction to the kill itself, that I think is going to be something Tonyk can really work with if he can manage to shrug off the expectation that Lorenzo absolutely has to be an entirely evil person.
Kelly Nguyen for killing Mercy Ames
Somersault managed to pull off a kill idea I really wanted to see on the island. The whole situation she created was altogether horrifying, and the folks in that thread really did an excellent job of selling it. There's not much more to say other than I really felt for Mercy in that situation and I hope Kelly gets her just desserts.
BDA:Tonyksin for the death of Regina Petrov
Even though I knew what was coming, even though I knew how she was going to die, this one still got to me. Tonyk did an excellent job selling the effects of blood loss on someone's perceptions and the genuinely frightening idea of the world beginning to close out on someone. Though tragic, the death came up as actually kind of touching in those final moments as she reunited with Abel's spirit, or at least believed she did. Regina died with a smile, and I found that really easy to visualize and believe. It was one hell of an act to try to follow, but seeing you pull it off gave me the confidence to write the death I had in mind for Caroline - the first one I've done since returning to the site. Thank you.
Honorable Mentions:
CondorTalon for the death of Cammy Walker-Grimsley
This one was really, really upsetting. CondorTalon has continued to impress me with their ability to write genuinely chilling death scenes. This was one worth taking a drink and a long, cold stare at a wall to.
All of the deaths in Children of Cain
I was really shocked to see the massacre take place as I'm sure everyone else was, and I think the deaths in the thread were sold really well. Some of my favorite scenes this version have been ones where all hell breaks loose out of an unfortunate misunderstanding, and this one ranks high among them.
One thing I would have liked to see, to be honest, would've been to have them all killed unrolled. While the heroes were definitely nice for the handlers involved, I think it would've had more impact if the deaths had fallen outside of the predetermined rolls. Either way, it'll definitely go down as a defining moment of the first few days of V7.
-
frighthouse
BKA: Zachary Beck for Killing Bree Jones. The entire lighthouse sequence was fantastic, and the gut punch of Zach trying to pull someone out of the ashes with them only to paint a target on his back finishes it off in a big way. We haven't seen the long-term implications of this kill yet, but I'm very excited to see how others react to Zach once it becomes public knowledge. Out of all the mercy/accidental killers, I think Zach stands to be fucked over the most, and the BKA nod will only twist that knife further.
BDA: Backslash for the death of Mercy Ames. Stiff as hell competition in both categories this time, but BDA in particular was a real nail biter for me. Ultimately I think Mercy's death is the one that hits me the hardest. She's surrounded by people she thought she could trust, taking a reprieve from the stress of the island in a friendly game, and she's too fucked up by the time her end comes to be sure of anything other than one of them betrayed her. Somebody at this table went out of their way to make sure she died painfully and even with the extra time poisoning grants her over a more decisive exit the only option available to her is to seesaw back and forth between physical and emotional pain. It's the worst way to die we've had this version, and Backslash sells it like a champ.
BDA: Backslash for the death of Mercy Ames. Stiff as hell competition in both categories this time, but BDA in particular was a real nail biter for me. Ultimately I think Mercy's death is the one that hits me the hardest. She's surrounded by people she thought she could trust, taking a reprieve from the stress of the island in a friendly game, and she's too fucked up by the time her end comes to be sure of anything other than one of them betrayed her. Somebody at this table went out of their way to make sure she died painfully and even with the extra time poisoning grants her over a more decisive exit the only option available to her is to seesaw back and forth between physical and emotional pain. It's the worst way to die we've had this version, and Backslash sells it like a champ.
5 hours and 4 minutes for votes!
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
-
SOMBERLUPINE
BKA goes to Erika Stieglitz. That is a pretty unusual way to kill someone, and is handled hauntingly both in-thread and out. Practical, tactical, and terrifying.
BDA goes to Condor's Cammy, for being fucking haunting. I'm a sucker for these kind if mantra deaths, and Condor kills it. Honorable mentions to Danny for the unusual format really catching my attention and Caroline's for being...kind of a perfect cap to her story.
BDA goes to Condor's Cammy, for being fucking haunting. I'm a sucker for these kind if mantra deaths, and Condor kills it. Honorable mentions to Danny for the unusual format really catching my attention and Caroline's for being...kind of a perfect cap to her story.
-
helltrain
BDA: Jeremiah Anderson, special mention to Philip Olivares
I think what grabbed me here was his final thoughts of spite? Like, the thoughts of willing to do the wrong thing just to avoid everything. It speaks volumes to how much Jeremiah thought of Beryl, to the anger that propelled him through his final moments. The fight, by the way, was really well-choreographed. And, like, that last bit with the GGOOGOGOGOGOGOGO really got me. I love the desperation of it. Everyone in this thread did such a great job, everyone deserves praise here.
And with Philip, I loved the simplicity of it. It was a really touching death.
BKA: Violet Schmidt
I think what impressed me about this kill more than anything was the aftermath of it? Like, the physicality of it, the rawness of it, the weight of the regret and consequences she feels after. It's dealt with in such raw, unrelenting detail, in a really comprehensive manner, in a way that really makes you feel what she's going through. And I loved the horror of realizing that you have to do this over and over and over again if you want to have any chance to get out. CBP really did amazing work here.
I think what grabbed me here was his final thoughts of spite? Like, the thoughts of willing to do the wrong thing just to avoid everything. It speaks volumes to how much Jeremiah thought of Beryl, to the anger that propelled him through his final moments. The fight, by the way, was really well-choreographed. And, like, that last bit with the GGOOGOGOGOGOGOGO really got me. I love the desperation of it. Everyone in this thread did such a great job, everyone deserves praise here.
And with Philip, I loved the simplicity of it. It was a really touching death.
BKA: Violet Schmidt
I think what impressed me about this kill more than anything was the aftermath of it? Like, the physicality of it, the rawness of it, the weight of the regret and consequences she feels after. It's dealt with in such raw, unrelenting detail, in a really comprehensive manner, in a way that really makes you feel what she's going through. And I loved the horror of realizing that you have to do this over and over and over again if you want to have any chance to get out. CBP really did amazing work here.
Time's up, tallying and approving votes shortly.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."