Welcome to July's Best Kill and Best Death Awards. Before we begin, the rules:
1. In this thread, you may post as an anonymous guest to select one student to receive the day's Best Kill Award, and one handler to receive the Best Death Award. Prizes will be given out in-character for BKA, consisting of a weapon and food, and out-of-character for BDA, consisting of a quote from their character to be displayed on the board index until the next BDA is awarded.
2. You may only vote while logged out. You can identify yourself in your vote if you want, but you may not claim to be another handler.
3. You may only vote once, and you may not vote for yourself in either category. Staff can see IP addresses, and we will check them if we have reason to suspect shenanigans.
4. You must provide reasoning with your vote for why you think your choices deserve the award. Votes with no reasoning will not be counted.
5. Don't be a jerk. You can explain why some scenes are your favorites without tearing others down.
6. Make sure that your answers are clear; please don't use any formatting that might cause votes to be miscounted or left out.
7. Please be sure to read every kill and death before voting, please vote for your genuine favorites rather than just voting for your friends, and please don't campaign for awards in the chat or otherwise try to influence the vote.
And your Best Kill and Best Death contestants:
BEST KILL AWARD:
Blaise d'Aramitz for killing Stephanie McDonald
Ace Ortega for killing Connor Lorenzen
Ace Ortega for killing Justin Greene
Erika Stieglitz for killing Matthew Hunt
Erika Stieglitz for killing Zachary Beck
Darlene Silva for killing Arizona Butler
BEST DEATH AWARD:
decoy73 for the death of Stephanie McDonald
Cactus for the death of Connor Lorenzen
MK Kilmarnock for the death of Justin Greene
Super Weegee for the death of Matthew Hunt
Ryuki for the death of Zachary Beck
Deamon for the death of Arizona Butler
dmboogie for the death of Anna "Roxanne" Herbert
Voting will run for five days. Votes will remain hidden until time is up, and the winners will be declared in the following announcement.
V7 BKA/BDA Voting: July 2020
V7 BKA/BDA Voting: July 2020
"My man got too familiar and I’d ended up having to whoop his ass, man, you know. Because he would step across the line. Habitually. He’s a habitual line stepper.” -Charlie Murphy
V8 Relationship Thread
Slidin'
Lookin' for the opps, they been hidin'
I grew up 'round drugs, sex, and violence
We turnt off they street, we heard sirens
Since a juvenile, I been wylin'
Slidin'
Lookin' for the opps, they been hidin'
I grew up 'round drugs, sex, and violence
We turnt off they street, we heard sirens
Since a juvenile, I been wylin'
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Cheese
Best Kill: Ace for killing Justin. This thread was the culmination of a nice little arc between these two, and I think it did a good job of showcasing Ace's continual struggle with reconciling that he wants to be a good person but he also wants to win and has willingly turned to violence to solve his problems with increasing frequency. Killing Justin saw him really ramp up the violence and commit to it in a way that he hasn't before, and it leaves you wondering if Ace got fulfillment from his revenge and putting down one of the game's big killers, or if he's lost more of himself in doing so than he gained.
Best Death: Deamon for Arizona. I had feelings reading this thread, which is illegal. In seriousness, just the abruptness of this death, especially coming on the heels of Arizona's ice-cold execution of Michael and accomplishment of her revenge for Jonah hit hard. The fact that in a way she accomplished her other goal of finding Darlene, and that this was the thing that got her killed, and the moments of forgiveness and connection that the two of them managed to share anyway, were really touching. It's a tragic accident more than anything else, but I liked that Arizona managed to find some peace at the end too. Overall a very solid thread with great work from Deamon and MurderWeasel, and good chemistry between two characters who you'd otherwise think wouldn't gel together but who forged a connection over the course of the game.
Best Death: Deamon for Arizona. I had feelings reading this thread, which is illegal. In seriousness, just the abruptness of this death, especially coming on the heels of Arizona's ice-cold execution of Michael and accomplishment of her revenge for Jonah hit hard. The fact that in a way she accomplished her other goal of finding Darlene, and that this was the thing that got her killed, and the moments of forgiveness and connection that the two of them managed to share anyway, were really touching. It's a tragic accident more than anything else, but I liked that Arizona managed to find some peace at the end too. Overall a very solid thread with great work from Deamon and MurderWeasel, and good chemistry between two characters who you'd otherwise think wouldn't gel together but who forged a connection over the course of the game.
Four days and 21 hours 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."
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Daddy Daddy Do
Best Kill Award and Best Death Award this month have to go to the death of Connor Lorenzen at the hands of Ace Ortega. It's a fantastic scene that reminded me a bit of Wallace's death from The Wire. One person is at such a dead end, the other has all the power, and both boys are stealing themselves for what's about to happen. Ace feels he has to kill Connor to survive, and Connor is facing his mortality with a grim reminder that he's still just a kid in a terrible situation. Props to Buko and Cactus for this scene. It's so good, and so right for this stage of the game.
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TheSecretaryOfChill
Don't usually do this in terms of giving both votes to one scene but in this instance I think it is very much deserved. Voting for Darlene for BKA and Deamon for BDA. I thought this was a very strong scene on both of their ends with echoes of both island and pre-game plot lines coming to fruition. I thought this death hit the right tone in terms of tragic and sweet and I enjoyed the chemistry between Deamon and MW as writers and Zona and Darlene as characters. A stand out moment for me is when Zona calls Darlene 'beautiful', it provoked an audible reaction outta me. I think in deaths like this, the tendency may be to lean towards melodrama and really tug on and twist the readers heartstrings--there is a fair amount of twisting here but it's never melodramatic and it doesn't overstay it's welcome. This piece is both great from a storytelling and arc standpoint and also just a masterclass in terms of manipulating the emotional weight and pacing of a death. I really enjoyed it a lot.
I'd also like to maybe see Darlene have a chance of getting that peanut butter and jelly she asked for!
I'd also like to maybe see Darlene have a chance of getting that peanut butter and jelly she asked for!
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Guest
For the Best Death Award, I cast my vote to Super Weegee for the death Matthew Hunt. Weegee really sold the struggle Matt went through to try and kill Erika, as well as the frustration when dealing with Zach. The death blow was pretty brutal as well, with Matthew being shot in the jugular and is left gurgling in a pool of blood
For the Best Kill Award, I cast my vote for Darlene Silva’s killing of Arizona Butler. The scene reminds me of how Hiroki was killed by Kayoko in Battle Royale. Darlene was scared and sleep deprived at that point, so it made sense as to why she fired her weapon the way she did.
For the Best Kill Award, I cast my vote for Darlene Silva’s killing of Arizona Butler. The scene reminds me of how Hiroki was killed by Kayoko in Battle Royale. Darlene was scared and sleep deprived at that point, so it made sense as to why she fired her weapon the way she did.
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bork laser
BKA: Erika Stieglitz for the death of Matthew Hunt -- a lot of ink has been spilled on whether or not gunfights are easy to write or not, and I want to show a little love towards the three handlers that tried very hard to make one work out. Erika's kill of Matthew isn't anything special as far as the actual kill is concerned; it's a gunshot. What I like about it is that it uses Erika's preexisting knowledge of firearms to explain why Matt isn't hitting her with his shot. It takes her only a second to work it out and she does what she does best - makes him pay with a weapon. I think it's a well-crafted scene and as someone who's not overly confident in their ability to write gunfights as it is, I was impressed by how it all went down.
BDA: Super Weegee for the death of Matthew Hunt -- this is kind of an 'achievement award' in a manner of speaking for me. Matthew was a really enjoyable character who flew under the radar from a first-time writer on the site. I think he made virtually every scene he was in better, and coupled with the above, I enjoyed the fact that he died because of a piece of information that he *wouldn't* know about - the mis-sighted weapon. I think it's really good stuff and I think Weegee should be really happy with their output this time around. Can't wait to see what they come up with next. Nice work!
Good stuff all around this time, not overly surprised by the quality as the game creeps closer to the end.
BDA: Super Weegee for the death of Matthew Hunt -- this is kind of an 'achievement award' in a manner of speaking for me. Matthew was a really enjoyable character who flew under the radar from a first-time writer on the site. I think he made virtually every scene he was in better, and coupled with the above, I enjoyed the fact that he died because of a piece of information that he *wouldn't* know about - the mis-sighted weapon. I think it's really good stuff and I think Weegee should be really happy with their output this time around. Can't wait to see what they come up with next. Nice work!
Good stuff all around this time, not overly surprised by the quality as the game creeps closer to the end.
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Slowpoke
BKA: Ace for Connor
This kill stands tall for a few reasons, but a big one is the way it works on a character level. It serves as the twisted culmination of a relationship that's been bubbling since Pregame, one that saw friends turn on each other and one that saw plans and ideologies reverse time and again. Ace kills Connor not because he wants to, but because he doesn't—he takes his shot when he has it and has the mentality for it in case later he won't be able to. And, importantly, it moves him and it matters and it lingers, coloring his actions moving forwards. It's a wonderful character beat, a moment of good chemistry IC and OOC, and a highlight of the lategame.
BDA: Cactus for Connor
All that stuff I just said above is true here too! From Connor's side, however, it's cool to see him go out in part because of his choice to treat Ace differently and to trust. Connor's journey saw many thinking him the more likely candidate to pull this sort of betrayal, and his decision to leave Ace all the way back in the early game was a symptom of that seemingly pragmatic mentality. It's great, then, to see it come full circle, to see Connor at the end as the one who actually has retained more of his morality and sense of what needs to be done, and to see him fall for it. And the emotional beats, the gestures, his last words... it's all really excellent stuff.
This kill stands tall for a few reasons, but a big one is the way it works on a character level. It serves as the twisted culmination of a relationship that's been bubbling since Pregame, one that saw friends turn on each other and one that saw plans and ideologies reverse time and again. Ace kills Connor not because he wants to, but because he doesn't—he takes his shot when he has it and has the mentality for it in case later he won't be able to. And, importantly, it moves him and it matters and it lingers, coloring his actions moving forwards. It's a wonderful character beat, a moment of good chemistry IC and OOC, and a highlight of the lategame.
BDA: Cactus for Connor
All that stuff I just said above is true here too! From Connor's side, however, it's cool to see him go out in part because of his choice to treat Ace differently and to trust. Connor's journey saw many thinking him the more likely candidate to pull this sort of betrayal, and his decision to leave Ace all the way back in the early game was a symptom of that seemingly pragmatic mentality. It's great, then, to see it come full circle, to see Connor at the end as the one who actually has retained more of his morality and sense of what needs to be done, and to see him fall for it. And the emotional beats, the gestures, his last words... it's all really excellent stuff.
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RareVoter
Hello! I do not usually vote in these, but I happened to read all the deaths this round and thus feel comfortable sharing my opinions.
For the Best Kill Award, my vote goes to Darlene Silva for killing Arizona Butler. Darlene has spent the whole game skating by as a relative unknown despite the fact that she was the one truly responsible for one of the earliest deaths in the version (that being the death of Beryl), one that had far-reaching ramifications for a ton of characters, especially Nick (whom was the one who was actually credited with Beryl's death). Now, Darlene finally has to face the music with yet another accidental shooting that satisfyingly echoes the events of the Beryl thread, only this time around there's nobody else to clean up the mess for her. Not only that, but MurderWeasel does an excellent job conveying Darlene's sorrow at her making the same mistake again and getting another person killed that is suitably gut wrenching. All in all it was excellent work, and deserving of the Best Kill Award.
(Also I hope she gets that PB&J.)
Similarly, for the Best Death Award, my vote goes to Deamon for the death of Arizona Butler. This death was really good at serving both as the culmination of Arizona's story but also as a point of contrast to the cycle of violence that she had found herself in prior. It neatly tied up the Arizona/Jonah/Darlene/Michael story with a neat little bow and an emotional throughline regarding Arizona's relationship that hits just right, right when it needs to hit. Not only that, but it ended up resolving her arc in a satisfying way by having her final moments be a celebration of love, despite her prior violent actions. Both for Arizona's love of Jonah, but also her care and compassion towards her accidental killer Darlene. There's a lot of beauty to be found in that, and I think both MurderWeasel and Deamon captured that beauty really well, especially juxtaposed to the inherent sorrow of the situation.
For the Best Kill Award, my vote goes to Darlene Silva for killing Arizona Butler. Darlene has spent the whole game skating by as a relative unknown despite the fact that she was the one truly responsible for one of the earliest deaths in the version (that being the death of Beryl), one that had far-reaching ramifications for a ton of characters, especially Nick (whom was the one who was actually credited with Beryl's death). Now, Darlene finally has to face the music with yet another accidental shooting that satisfyingly echoes the events of the Beryl thread, only this time around there's nobody else to clean up the mess for her. Not only that, but MurderWeasel does an excellent job conveying Darlene's sorrow at her making the same mistake again and getting another person killed that is suitably gut wrenching. All in all it was excellent work, and deserving of the Best Kill Award.
(Also I hope she gets that PB&J.)
Similarly, for the Best Death Award, my vote goes to Deamon for the death of Arizona Butler. This death was really good at serving both as the culmination of Arizona's story but also as a point of contrast to the cycle of violence that she had found herself in prior. It neatly tied up the Arizona/Jonah/Darlene/Michael story with a neat little bow and an emotional throughline regarding Arizona's relationship that hits just right, right when it needs to hit. Not only that, but it ended up resolving her arc in a satisfying way by having her final moments be a celebration of love, despite her prior violent actions. Both for Arizona's love of Jonah, but also her care and compassion towards her accidental killer Darlene. There's a lot of beauty to be found in that, and I think both MurderWeasel and Deamon captured that beauty really well, especially juxtaposed to the inherent sorrow of the situation.
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GuestMcGuest
BKA: Erika for killing Matthew
Reason: I saw this getting kind of ripped on in the discord, but this to me was a very realistic feeling gunfight. The gun play was believable and the characters reactions were too. All three handlers involved did a really nice job here. It wasn't overly drawn out like some deaths and kills can be. Fast paced action and a great overall feel.
BDA: Cactus for Connor
Reason: Almost to contradict what I just said for the BKA, this death did seem like it was going to drag out, but at the same time, I felt like Cactus' writing for Connor in this thread made me invested. You can really tell that Cactus wanted to send his kid off in deserved fashion, and I think that he nailed this thread. That is what put Connor's death above the others this month for me.
Reason: I saw this getting kind of ripped on in the discord, but this to me was a very realistic feeling gunfight. The gun play was believable and the characters reactions were too. All three handlers involved did a really nice job here. It wasn't overly drawn out like some deaths and kills can be. Fast paced action and a great overall feel.
BDA: Cactus for Connor
Reason: Almost to contradict what I just said for the BKA, this death did seem like it was going to drag out, but at the same time, I felt like Cactus' writing for Connor in this thread made me invested. You can really tell that Cactus wanted to send his kid off in deserved fashion, and I think that he nailed this thread. That is what put Connor's death above the others this month for me.
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Yeehaw
My vote for the Best Kill Award is sort of split between Ace and Darlene, but I think it ultimately goes to Ace Ortega for killing Justin Greene. It's got all the right beats (get it beats) amd all the right beatings (ha get it beat-ings) and it's so damn... satisfying, in a way, yet quite sad because it really makes it clear that they are just kids who got murderous-fied by the murder island. Also, I'm interested in seeing what being rewarded for brutal bloody murder by rhe terrorists will do to his mentality.
My vote for the Best Death Award is Deamon for the death of Arizona Butler. To be honest, I was just starting to get more invested in Arizona's story, and her being rolled really devastated me, so It's really nice that you managed to give a satisfying conclusion to her story. The whole scene has a feel of resolution, like it's the last page of a bittersweet ending, which it sort of is. It's realistic and unfair and a tragic mistake and sad, but you managed to make it heartwarming, in a unique, beautiful way.
My vote for the Best Death Award is Deamon for the death of Arizona Butler. To be honest, I was just starting to get more invested in Arizona's story, and her being rolled really devastated me, so It's really nice that you managed to give a satisfying conclusion to her story. The whole scene has a feel of resolution, like it's the last page of a bittersweet ending, which it sort of is. It's realistic and unfair and a tragic mistake and sad, but you managed to make it heartwarming, in a unique, beautiful way.
18 hours and 38 minutes left for votes.
"My man got too familiar and I’d ended up having to whoop his ass, man, you know. Because he would step across the line. Habitually. He’s a habitual line stepper.” -Charlie Murphy
V8 Relationship Thread
Slidin'
Lookin' for the opps, they been hidin'
I grew up 'round drugs, sex, and violence
We turnt off they street, we heard sirens
Since a juvenile, I been wylin'
Slidin'
Lookin' for the opps, they been hidin'
I grew up 'round drugs, sex, and violence
We turnt off they street, we heard sirens
Since a juvenile, I been wylin'
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dickzout
BKA: Ace Ortega for killing Justin Greene. This scene felt key for Ace. He’s straight up murdered before, so not key in that way, but still a sign of his further descent as he drags out the beating for the sake of emotional revenge instead of just killing like he had before. I really liked the descriptions of him losing control of his senses as he got into it, along with tying those feelings back to his football experience, making it clear that this is Ace and not some other character.
Also I laughed my ass off at the Code of Harambe (instead of Hammurabi).
BDA: Deamon for the death of Arizona Butler. This whole scene is wonderful. In particular I like the cycle of vengeance and hate being broken by Arizona not blaming or being mad at Darlene as she’s dying, in comparison to the multiple murders Arizona committed in response to the death of Jonah. I also liked the characters talking about Jonah during the scene, as it connected it all to the pre-island experiences, which is nice when at this point in the version a lot of characters are getting tunnel vision about the island. The gradual description of her vision fading out woven into the post was also great, as it was scary, and gave a key sign of her worsening condition without distracting from the emotional heart of the scene.
Also I laughed my ass off at the Code of Harambe (instead of Hammurabi).
BDA: Deamon for the death of Arizona Butler. This whole scene is wonderful. In particular I like the cycle of vengeance and hate being broken by Arizona not blaming or being mad at Darlene as she’s dying, in comparison to the multiple murders Arizona committed in response to the death of Jonah. I also liked the characters talking about Jonah during the scene, as it connected it all to the pre-island experiences, which is nice when at this point in the version a lot of characters are getting tunnel vision about the island. The gradual description of her vision fading out woven into the post was also great, as it was scary, and gave a key sign of her worsening condition without distracting from the emotional heart of the scene.
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Guest
BKA: Darlene Silva for killing Arizona Butler
I continue to really enjoy MW's work with Darlene this version, and I really liked the callback to her previous mistakes in accidentally shooting people. The conclusion of the arc involving her, Jonah, and Arizona was really satisfying to see play out.
BDA: Cactus for Connor Lorenzen
I really liked the idea of a character going out still taking the high road, and still sort of "winning" the engagement even though he wasn't the one that got to walk away. Connor was an interesting take on the "popular sportsball guy" this version for a few different reasons, and I was sad to see him go.
I continue to really enjoy MW's work with Darlene this version, and I really liked the callback to her previous mistakes in accidentally shooting people. The conclusion of the arc involving her, Jonah, and Arizona was really satisfying to see play out.
BDA: Cactus for Connor Lorenzen
I really liked the idea of a character going out still taking the high road, and still sort of "winning" the engagement even though he wasn't the one that got to walk away. Connor was an interesting take on the "popular sportsball guy" this version for a few different reasons, and I was sad to see him go.
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simpinainteasy
BKA: Ace for Justin. This is a grudge match that's been a long time coming. Going into this thread Ace has watched Justin slip through his fingers more than once and you could argue that the constant failure to bag him is one of the stand out failures that has led Ace to the hard edged survivalism that's on display when Ace takes out Connor. That other excellent kill connects well with this one, as when Ace finally catches Justin it's not just about revenge anymore. He drags the kill out as a statement more to himself than anyone else that the soft boy handwringing is over. Remember when everybody thought this guy was an innocent puppy in human form? I fuckin remember.
BDA: Deamon for Arizona. When Arizona got rolled I was worried. I had no idea where her arc would end after such a powerful showing in the quest to bring Mikey down. I never expected Darlene being the one to take her out, but when you look at it from the top down it's like the whole thing was planned from start to finish. Revenge is such a tricky subject in SotF to get right without triggering a descent into darkness or losing all momentum without your obsession to guide you, but I think Arizona ends up a head and shoulders stand out on how to healthily avenge a loved one because of this thread. She's at peace with the mistake and doesn't take it out on Darlene. She echoes Jonah in comforting her killer but her assurance that it's okay doesn't have that barbed inevitability that Jonah's did. No one is coming for Darlene in her name and that's good. The stride she takes her death in should come as no shock; while I would have loved to see Arizona take it all the way to endgame, her story has been comfortable with death since that first post averted her suicide. Arizona was never someone who needed a win to get her Good End and I think she'll be referenced as an example for how to run a realistic heroic arc often in the future.
BDA: Deamon for Arizona. When Arizona got rolled I was worried. I had no idea where her arc would end after such a powerful showing in the quest to bring Mikey down. I never expected Darlene being the one to take her out, but when you look at it from the top down it's like the whole thing was planned from start to finish. Revenge is such a tricky subject in SotF to get right without triggering a descent into darkness or losing all momentum without your obsession to guide you, but I think Arizona ends up a head and shoulders stand out on how to healthily avenge a loved one because of this thread. She's at peace with the mistake and doesn't take it out on Darlene. She echoes Jonah in comforting her killer but her assurance that it's okay doesn't have that barbed inevitability that Jonah's did. No one is coming for Darlene in her name and that's good. The stride she takes her death in should come as no shock; while I would have loved to see Arizona take it all the way to endgame, her story has been comfortable with death since that first post averted her suicide. Arizona was never someone who needed a win to get her Good End and I think she'll be referenced as an example for how to run a realistic heroic arc often in the future.