The UFL Special Teams Power Rankings are back with a new format for your viewing pleasure! Let's discuss the performances of each unit in this week's review;
https://preview.redd.it/myw6fwzrbs0d1.jpg?width=4339&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c39260aa3a281bd5a9200cfa5ecb8dc8fa0357b0

Special Teams Player of the Week

JJ Molson - USFL Conference
After not scoring a single point through nearly 2 quarters of football, Molson was called upon with 3 seconds left in the first half for ~a 48-yard field goal attempt~. He nailed the kick, putting the Roughnecks on the board with some momentum heading into the second half. In the third quarter, ~Molson would make a 31-yard field goal~ to take the lead. About 4 minutes later, he would attempt ~a 62-yard field goal~, the longest of his professional career. Molson showed off his power and accuracy, sending the ball straight between the goalposts with room to spare. He finished his night with a short, ~21-yard field goal~, accounting for all of the Houston Roughnecks' 12 points and keeping them competitive throughout the game.
Ryan Santoso - XFL Conference
The San Antonio Brahmas were locked in a stalemate with the Roughnecks through the first quarter of the game when the Brahmas got down to the Houston 8-yard line. After a quick 3-and-out, Ryan Santoso kicked a 26-yard field goal to take the lead. The Roughnecks would respond with field goals of their own, making the score 12-3 heading into the fourth quarter. A touchdown and 3-point conversion later, the Brahmas tied the game and gave the ball back to Santoso, who kicked off 78 yards to the Houston returner. The San Antonio Coverage Team forced a fumble and put the ball back into the offence's hands. The Brahmas only got to the 33-yard line, forcing a long field goal attempt. Unfazed, ~Santoso drilled a 51-yard field goal~, securing the win for his team!

Kickers

Kickers went 15/17 on field goals (88.2%) this week, slightly above the season average of 87.2%. There was a season-high of 5 field goals over 50 yards, including multiple attempts over 60 yards. Here are the UFL Week 7 Kicker Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/jc39k4yxbs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ca63e258f16d49d4dfb4cff5415ebfd5f65194e
Standouts;

1. Jake Bates (MICH) had a stellar game, going 3/3 on field goals and improving his outdoor record to 4/6. His longest field goal of the night was ~a 51-yard attempt.~
2. Andre Szmyt (STL) completed both of his field goal attempts, ~including a career-long 61-yard field goal~. He now holds the third-longest field goal in UFL history and has made a 50+ yard field goal in each of his last four games.
3. Matt Coghlin (MEM) made ~his lone field goal attempt from 54 yards~ out and now leads the league in field goal completion percentage at 92.3%.
   Slip-ups;
   
4. Matt McCrane (DC) went 1/2 this week, missing a 43-yard field goal. This marks his third consecutive game with a missed field goal and his second miss under 50 yards.
   
5. Ramiz Ahmed (BHAM) is in the same boat, going 1/2 this week, missing a 41-yard field goal, and recording his second game in a row with a missed field goal under 50 yards.
   

Punters

Punters averaged 45.4 yards and 38 net yards per punt across 26 attempts this week, both significantly higher than the season average through 7 weeks. They managed to keep 6 punts inside the 20-yard line (23%), including four that remained inside the 10-yard line. Kick power was on display with over 30% of punts travelling further than 50 yards. Additionally, 6 punts that travelled out of bounds, matching the season-high seen in Weeks 4 and 6. Here are the UFL Week 7 Punter Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/isar1dzybs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01fed113caa27a92efb40cb0100b9ed87d36f590
Standouts;

1. Sterling Hofrichter (STL) punted 3 times for an average of 47.7 yards and 45.3 net yards. He had 2 punts remaining inside the 20-yard line, with 1 landing inside the 10-yard line. After a rough Week 6, he returns to form, leading the UFL in net average, punts inside the 20-yard line, and punts inside the 10-yard line.
2. Paxton Brooks (DC) punted 4 times for an average of 42.8 yards per punt. He didn't concede a single return yard, forcing 2 fair catches and having 2 punts downed by the DC coverage unit. This resulted in his best statistical performance of the year, averaging 42.8 net yards per punt with 2 punts inside the 20-yard line.
3. Matt White (MEM) punted twice for an average of 42.5 yards and 43 net yards per punt. He is one of the few former USFL punters to excel under the XFL-style punt rules, with 39% of his punts remaining inside the 20-yard line while only recording 3 touchbacks.

Slip-ups;

1. Marquette King (ARL) punted 2 times for an impressive average of 49.5 yards per punt but struggled to keep the ball in play. Both of his punts resulted in touchbacks, hurting his net average, which was just 24.5 net yards per punt.
2. Brock Miller (MICH) averaged 47.8 yards and 41.6 net yards per punt, including a perfect punt that was downed on the opponent's 1-yard line. Although these numbers look good on paper, they could have been even better if 2 of his punts hadn't resulted in touchbacks. Miller has now recorded 4 touchbacks over his last 11 punts.

Kickoff Specialists

There were 38 kickoffs this week, with specialists averaging 68.4 yards per attempt, which nearly matches the league average of 68.2 yards per kickoff through 7 weeks of play. A total of 19 kickoffs (50%) that travelled further than 70 yards, which is slightly above average. Additionally, 8 kickoffs (21%) remained inside the 30-yard line. Here are the UFL Week 7 Kickoff Specialist Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/o3jpvvkzbs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a4db401ca06ff8fd2340c6f1be31e6bb8dea11e
Standouts;

1. Ryan Santoso (SA) kicked off 3 times, averaging 73.7 yards this week, with all 3 of his kickoffs travelling further than 70 yards. His 78-yard kickoff, which resulted in the opposing returner fumbling the ball, was key to the Brahmas' victory.
2. Jonathan Garibay (ARL) averaged 71.6 yards per kickoff, with 6 of his 7 kickoffs (86%) travelling further than 70 yards, giving his team great field position all game long. He also had 2 kickoffs (28.6%) remaining inside the 30-yard line.
3. JJ Molson (HOU) had 4 kickoffs, averaging 74 yards per attempt, with 3 kickoffs (75%) travelling further than 70 yards. He also kept 1 kickoff (25%) inside the 30-yard line.

Slip-ups;

1. Jake Bates (MICH) kicked off 6 times for an average of just 61.5 yards per attempt, marking the first time his average has dipped below 70 yards since week 2. This was also his first week without a 70+ yard kickoff.
2. Sterling Hofrichter (STL) took over kickoff duties this week, averaging 71 yards across 5 attempts, including 3 kickoffs (60%) that were longer than 70 yards. Unfortunately, he also recorded his second kickoff out of bounds in just 9 attempts.

Long Snappers

There were 25 long snaps that were shown in highlight packages this week, the most we've seen all season. These included 17 field goal snaps, of which 13 were Strikes (76%), and 8 punt snaps, of which 6 were Strikes (75%). This gives the long snappers a collective Strike percentage of just over 75%, which is lower than the season average of 84%. Additionally, 2 long snappers contributed in coverage, each recording an assisted tackle. Here are the UFL Week 7 Long Snapper Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/14vrws50cs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eae875d596c5bd0f3a444e0d3987d81c0b7a7d5c
Standouts;

1. Jordan Ober (MICH) was perfect in Week 7, with 3 field goal snaps and 2 punt snaps recorded as Strikes. He continues to excel in high-pressure situations and has also performed well in coverage.
2. Alex Matheson (STL) had all 4 of his snaps recorded as Strikes, including 2 field goal snaps and 2 punt snaps. More contribution in coverage would be ideal, but if he maintains this level of performance, he could reach the top spot in the Power Rankings by season's end.
3. Ryan Langan (BHAM) had 2 field goal snaps and 1 punt snap, all listed as Strikes this week, continuing his impressive performance. He has recorded just 3 Balls across 21 highlight snaps.

Slip-ups;

1. Logan Klusman (HOU) struggled this week, with just 3 of his 5 highlighted long snaps being recorded as Strikes. He was drifting up this week, with 1 field goal snap and 1 punt snap being sent above the Strike Zone. This marks his first missed snaps of the season.
2. Antonio Ortiz (ARL) was highlighted only once this week, with his lone field goal snap travelling too close to the ground and being recorded as a Ball.

Kickoff Returners

There were 37 kickoff returns in Week 7, with returners averaging 24.1 yards per return, the lowest weekly average all season. Although 8 returns (22%) travelled more than 30 yards, there were also 3 fumbles, the highest number in a single week. Here are the UFL Week 7 Kickoff Returner Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/32tqlnu0cs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc18d20c7599162fcc83491b5304f80ac3e5b9d5
Standouts;

1. Titus Swen (MEM) continues to dominate, returning 7 kickoffs for a total of 199 yards, averaging about 28 yards per attempt. He had 2 returns over 30 yards (29%) and recorded a new career-long of 38 yards.
2. Joe Powell (ARL) had his first return as a Renegade in 2024, covering 41 yards, the longest return in Week 7.

Slip-ups;

1. Juwan Manigo (ARL) averaged 23.3 yards across 3 kickoff returns this week, including a long of 31 yards. He might've had a better stat line if he didn't also record his first muffed kickoff.
2. Galvin Holmes (MICH) returned 3 kickoffs for a total of just 37 yards, with a longest return of 20 yards. He struggled fielding a kickoff, causing the Panthers to start their opening drive on their 6-yard line. Galvin Holmes was released earlier this week and Terry Wright has been signed to give the Panthers their first true threat at the Returner position.

Punt Returners

There were 12 punt returns this week, with returners averaging a season-low of just 5.1 yards per return. Only 2 punt returns (17%) travelled more than 15 yards, and there were 3 fumbles, all recovered by the opposing team. Here are the UFL Week 7 Punt Returner Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/bl591991cs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=091e1d66197990b5649974ad71466a31f7129e1d
Standouts;

1. Darrius Shepherd (STL) has returned after missing 2 games due to injury, returning 1 punt for 16 yards and reclaiming his spot as the best punt returner in the UFL.
2. Marquez Stevenson (SA) had 3 punt returns, averaging 9.7 yards per attempt, with a long of 16 yards.

Slip-ups;

1. Juwan Manigo (ARL) appears on the Slip-ups list again after returning 2 punts for -3 yards, including ~this muffed punt~ that was recovered by the opponents.
2. Chris Rowland (DC) only recorded 2 yards on 2 punt returns this week. He also muffed a punt leading to the opposing team recovering the ball.
3. Isaiah Zuber (BHAM) couldn't record any return yards across his 2 punt returns and was the third Punt Returner to ~have trouble fielding a punt, resulting in a turnover.~

Coverage Teams

Coverage Teams across the league performed well this week, allowing an average of just 5.1 yards on 12 punt returns and 21.4 yards on 37 kickoff returns. There were 7 penalties for a total of 55 yards, which inflates the average yards allowed per kick to 20.6 yards. Additionally, another punt was blocked, bringing the total number of blocked kicks to 8 through 7 weeks of play. Here are the UFL Week 7 Coverage Team Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/4obbsup1cs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82726e22fac9bf67921939abd66a4ec590a100d2
Standouts;

1. The St. Louis Battlehawks allowed an average of 2.3 yards on 3 punt returns and 27 yards across 4 kickoffs. They recorded their third blocked punt of the season and continue to lead the league in blocked kicks through 7 weeks.
2. The DC Defenders made a strong comeback after struggling the past 2 weeks, allowing an average of just 12.3 yards on 3 kickoffs, the lowest we've seen in a single game all season.

Slip-ups;

1. The Michigan Panthers were handed 2 penalties on special teams this week, totalling 15 yards. This marks their third consecutive week with a penalty after not receiving any through the first 4 weeks of the season.

Individual ST Stats

Here's who is making an impact on Special Teams;
https://preview.redd.it/0hns0152cs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b381e9002d7ef63d70f2a9fcdeef879bfcc68556
Here are your most penalized Special Teams Players;
https://preview.redd.it/2kbhrij2cs0d1.jpg?width=867&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d150fc84e081dacfdb70131fe49469a9fddf186

Holders

Here are the UFL Week 7 Holder Power Rankings;
https://preview.redd.it/tzey3pm3cs0d1.jpg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef2df46daa26a7959118da977f23742440be7424
Standouts;

1. Paxton Brooks (DC) wrangled in a low snap this week and had the ball where it needed to be despite McCrane missing the kick. He has faced the most challenges holding on field goals and consistently gives his kicker the best chance with errant snaps.
2. Marquette King (ARL) handled a low snap on this field goal attempt, setting his kicker up for success.
3. Brad Wing (SA) faced his first challenge as a holder with a snap that was inside. He managed it without issue, ensuring a successful attempt.
4. The UFL Special Teams Power Rankings are back with a new format for your viewing pleasure! Let's discuss the performances of each unit in this week's review;

Thank you for reading my work! If you have any questions/feedback please let me know down below.

As Q falls at the final hurdle, so do our chances of having a WTF winner. Regardless of what happens, Charlie, Maria and Kenzie all clearly sweep Ben and Liz at final tribal, but which of them has the best shot to win?
Here are my contender rankings heading into the finale ...
Who is the winner of Survivor 46? ...

1. Kenzie. (-) This episode continued to bolster her social game with yet another lengthy segment where she helps Ben deal with his night terrors. She also finally got her home footage package, with huge focus placed on the fact that she moved her wedding to play the game. The editors also gave her and Liz dual credit for finally getting rid of Q, fulfilling my trophy prophecy from last week, and despite this being a bad thing for Liz, which I'll cover later, for Kenzie it makes perfect sense and completes her narrative since the pre-merge about her battle with Q (initially over Tiffany, and later over the way he was playing the game). I would be perhaps the most shocked ever about a loss if Kenzie were to lose, the amount of care put into her edit is insane, and you can see the legwork they put into her story since the first episode. Mermaid Dragon, 'She'll be in the final three' (Jess), and 'she'll slide through to the end' (Q during Hide and Seek) being just three of many many examples of foreshadowing in this season.

Who is not winning? ...

• Charlie. (-) This episode continued to show the strong social and strategic game Charlie is playing. I'm torn whether he will lose to Kenzie Aubry-style or whether he will lose fire-making, but I'm sure he's not winning now. I think he may lose fire making because they reused a shot of him being zoomed in on past the fire in the Previously On segment this week, and because of how adamant Maria was that 'Charlie will win if he gets to the end'. I also think the edit is telling us that Charlie is playing the best strategic game, especially in the last two episodes, and I don't think they would hype him up so much if Kenzie were to beat him on social game alone. They've also given no real reason as to why the game he is playing would fall flat in front of a jury, other than the perception that he has just been Maria's number 2 which he can easily end with his proven articulate speaking. He was undermined a few times this episode, his confessionals about him not thinking Maria would ever take a shot at him being shown in sequence with Maria's 'Charlie has to go' confessionals being the main example, and he also got a shorter letters from home segment than Kenzie and Liz.
• Maria. (+2) Maria moves up two spots this week due to the set up of the endgame meaning logically Liz and Ben cannot win. A really strong episode for her all around, and I really think she has played one of the best games of the New Era. But her plan fell through, and now she is guaranteed 5th place.
• Liz. (-1) Not only can she not win logically, but her whole narrative in the edit has been that despite being ready to burst with emotions, she has had to keep her cool and go with her head over her heart, taking part in huge blindsides and putting her strategic foot forward. This episode she was positioned to do it again, blindsiding Charlie and saving Q once more, but instead she went along with Charlie's plan, finally taking out Q. In her confessional she even states her reasoning for doing so as wanting to finally get rid of him as she dislikes him as a person, thus ending her own narrative winning condition and her chance at an additional million dollars.
• Ben. (-1) The editors never really bothered to give Ben a story. All his content has told us is that he's a nice human being and he's not really playing the game, and 75% of that content has been used to prop up Charlie and Kenzie rather than being about himself. The least likely to win by far.

If I had to guess the finale boot order - 5th: Maria, 4th: Charlie, 3rd: Ben, 3rd (also zero votes): Liz, 1st: Kenzie.
https://preview.redd.it/l6u0ldb78s0d1.png?width=1277&format=png&auto=webp&s=5b85d5d98a383e53edbf85cd928a526ca73b5d02

/uw TLDR: A bunch of Cocos from alternate timelines and dimensions fall through a rift and land in this current world. They all have slightly different personalities and hobbies, and go their own separate ways. All of their stories are told on this account, while the original Coco's story remains on the main account. /rw
“And… hah… why are we hiking up a mountain for this?”
“Because his ability will affect basically anything near him. Out here, his powers won’t bring about too much chaos… Thank you for bringing those fruits here, Coco. It means a lot.”
The two women, dressed in black and white, stood out like a sore thumb amidst the greens and browns of the forest leading up the mountain. Coco trailed behind Alentu as they ventured higher, her exhaustion quite apparent compared to the latter’s calm and collected steps. Though their physical capabilities seemed miles apart and their gaits completely unalike, there was an invisible harmony to their movement. This ironic harmony extended to their clothing, their outfit and hair colors the exact inverse of each other. In Coco's hand was a basket of various fruits, freshly picked to be delivered to a certain someone.
Today was an unfortunate day for the Ventures. One where each would 'pay the price' for their position in the family. All except Alentu, who took it upon herself to look after her family at their weakest and most vulnerable. She had, by chance, also ran into Coco that day, who she had forged an unexpected bond with, one almost unimaginable to anyone who knew her well. They agreed to meet at the outskirts of the forest to bring some goods to Error, who had isolated himself in a cave atop one of the mountains within the grove.
It was late afternoon, and they were now halfway to the peak where the cave resided. They had walked uphill for well over an hour, and the incline only grew steeper. To try and ignore the numbness of her feet, Coco tried to strike up a conversation.
Coco: "So Alentu, do you... T-think they'll... accept us together?"
Alentu: "Accept?" She giggled. "I was the head of the Venture family long before many of the rules were in place, so you have nothing to worry about. You won't go forgetting about me anytime soon, even if you don't officially marry into the family. And after today, you'll see why I don't want you becoming a Venture, for your own sake."
Coco: "Ah, yeah... I-I was more meaning, like... Would your family... Like me?"
Alentu: "Hmm... It'd be hard to tell without you talking with them one on one. But if we're talking about Error, you've got nothing to worry about, Coco. He certainly isn't as scary as he looks, even today!"
Coco: "R-right. Well that's good... To be honest, I have been a bit nervous about it all... Not just meeting your family, but telling them we're p-"
Alentu: ahem "M-maybe not that part yet... One thing at a time... Let's just focus on first impressions and making sure he's doing alright, okay?"
Coco: "Oh, sure- HUH?"
Coco's exclamation made them both stop in their tracks. Alentu turned her head quickly, but Coco's finger pointed her gaze ahead of them to a nearby waterfall, or what would be one, if it hadn't been flowing up into the sky. That wasn't all. Loose rocks and trees floated around the mountain's peak, birds flew through the air backwards, and the stone faces of the mountain were jagged and blurry. It was as if they had walked into an unstable simulation of reality. Coco stood in shock as she tried to comprehend what she was looking at, but a tap on her shoulder brought her attention back. Alentu signaled to keep walking and stay cautious, taking her hand and leading her through the lawless, almost artificial world they had entered.
As they neared the peak, the anomalous sights grew more and more common, and the terrain more and more hazardous. They carefully climbed the last incline, and atop the mountain awaited a beautiful mess of nature. A sea of flowers and grass covered the ground, the variety of which was exotic and almost timeless. The local flora was still intact, but among it grew untamed vines, metallic displays that mimicked plants, and all kinds of life that had never once grown in that area. There were also several shrines in the area, each having the same features, colors and style, but of completely different makes and materials.
Coco: "What the... I-is this what Error is capable of? Holy shit..."
Alentu: "Yes... It's just as bad with everyone else... Having such little control over such strong powers... It's why today's so important for me. I have to protect everyone..."
Coco: "Alentu... I-I'm so lost in what... What this is. Everything feels so... broken..."
Alentu: "...We should head into the cave. Watch your step, and whatever you do, do NOT go near any smoke. Understand?"
Coco: "I do..."
Alentu wrapped her arm around Coco and helped her across the dense foliage. They soon reached the cave, and in it layed a blurry mess of static and black smoke. Heeding the warning, Coco kept her distance, averting her gaze from the eyesore within, while Alentu called out into the darkness.
Alentu: "Error? Are you okay?"
Error: Am I...
Alentu: "Error! What's wrong?"
Error: Am I so hideous you have to look away!?
Alentu: "...Seriously?"
Error: "Sorry, sorry! He laughed. Just wanted to lighten the mood. You've had a busy day, haven't you Alentu? Oh... And who's this you've brought with you? Do ya live around these parts? Sorry about the mess, everything will be back to normal by midnight! Well, probably..."
Coco: "O-oh, I don't... I-I came here with Alentu to bring you some food. S-she's my... My..."
Alentu: "Coco's my wife."
Error: "Oh, I see! Wait... WHAT? You? Wife? After all this time?? Oh, I see! Getting me back for my joke-"
Alentu: "I'm not joking. It won't be official, but... We both found it in our hearts to share our love with another."
Coco blushed from the sudden introduction, having never heard her say those words in public, and while Alentu had a confident demeanor and tone, even she looked a bit anxious. The cave was silent apart from the crackling of the rifts forming in reality, as no one really knew what to say next. After a long pause, Error finally came to process what she had said.
Error: "I hope Conat's watching... I think he'd be happy knowing his wife found love again... As am I."
Alentu: "Thank you... I hope he is watching, too..."
Error: "Now, I would say celebrations are in order, but... Well, I'm sure you know why I can't hand ya a cold one. I am, however, very hungry, so let's have a little picnic, shall we? That'll give us the chance to get to know each other and such...
Coco: O-oh, s-sure! I'd be happy to!
Alentu: "But I really should... Ah, I've already checked up on the others at least once today... Alright, but I need to be back by evening, for everyone else's sake. Today's not a day I can slack off, you know."
Error: "You got it, ma'am! Nice and quick. Now, let's see if I can peel an orange or two without sending it to another dimension!" He chuckled lightheartedly.
Coco and Alentu took a seat at the entrance of the cave, sitting in a patch of stone untouched by the smoke. They unpacked their basket of fruit, dividing up the softer fruits between the two, while rolling the ones with peels to Error for him to reach himself. Most of the food he touched was whisked away through time and space, or replaced with another version too unripe or rotten to eat. He did, however, experience the opposite as well, having fresh fruit pop into his hands out of nothingness. It was at least enough to not go hungry for the remainder of his voluntary exile.
During their picnic, they chatted about how Coco and Alentu met, skipping over the more intimate details, and sharing stories from their life to break the ice. Everyone got along well, and though Error couldn't even be seen, it was clear he greatly valued the company. Sooner than anyone would've liked, the banter and fruits were no more, and the time to leave was upon them. The sun had fallen low enough to be visible from the cave, and the breeze began to pick up. Coco began to pack the leftover peels and stems back into the basket as Alentu stood up, walking into the sunlight as she stretched.
Alentu: "Ah~ Alright, it's best I head back now... I hope you don't get too cold when night comes, Error. It feels like it's gonna be a windy night..."
Error: "Oh, don't worry about me. Thank you for the food. Especially you, Coco, you don't know how happy I am to meet you!"
Coco: "Oh, you're fine! I share what I grow at home with everyone! It was nice to meet you, too!"
Error: "Pleasure is all mine... Damn, I can feel the breeze even in here... The breeze... THE BREEZE! GET OUT!"
Alentu's eyes widened, turning around and running towards the cave, reaching out for Coco.
Alentu: "COCO! RUN! The wind is gonna push the smoke into us!"
Coco looked in horror at the floor under her, their unaffected safe spot having shrunk to just the space she occupied. Black smoke began to blow around the cave, trapping her in a hazy web. She looked to Alentu, her eyes desperate and in disbelief as her heart sank. What would happen if she got touched? Would she disappear forever? Would she be thrown into another time and space with no way home? Would she be transformed beyond recognition? She screamed in terror and made a run for Alentu, ducking low and reaching out for her. Their hands stretched out for each other, but just as they almost touched, a veil of smoke covered her vision. The smoke had consumed her.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing on a bridge in an endless void. There was no land in sight whichever way she turned her head, and the sky was a starry night completely alien to her. Her fear made her too scared to open her mouth, let alone yell for help. She looked down, and saw her reflection rippling in the darkness... No, multiple reflections. The void became a sea of her form. Terrified, she stumbled back, but tripped over the rope suspending the bridge, causing her to fall in.
As she fell, she felt her body get caught up in a mass of limbs and hair. These body parts were connected to her reflections, and as one began to scream, the rest followed. They fell together for what felt like forever, but as Coco looked up, she saw the other countless reflections looking back at her, slowly fading from view. She closed her eyes, accepting what was likely her demise. Eventually, she hit the bottom, but instead of the cold impact of death, she fell into a warm embrace, and instead of falling straight down, she fell forwards.
Alentu: "Coco! Coco, are you o- AH!"
Coco's eyes jolted open, and before her was Alentu, holding her like she never wanted to let her go again. Their hug was tight, but behind her black hair, she saw the familiar sight of the corrupted mountaintop.
Coco: "A-Alentu... A-am I still here with you?"
Alentu: " Y-yes! T-thank god you're safe, if you had disappeared for good- I-" Alentu's eyes were teary, and her voice unusually shaky. "You only vanished for a second, but that was one of the scariest moments in my life... B-but now..."
Coco: "Alentu, I-I was so scared, I-I don't know what happened..."
Error: "That's a relief... It seems only your jacket was lost... but... Miss Coco... Please turn around."
As instructed, while still hugging Alentu, she turned her head to look behind her, and realized the nightmare she experienced really did happen. The reflections she saw were real. The bodies she got tangled up with were even more real, and they were all right behind her.
https://preview.redd.it/g7j91mvnas0d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=2448c5e661a34adb003dfa39743f611ed0cfb6a9
One by one, her mirror images began to climb up from their dog pile. They were all as confused as she was, though they didn't seem to recognize where they were. Getting a good look at them, she could see that they were almost exactly alike, at least in terms of appearance. Once they all realized they were looking at replicas of each other, their panic ensued.
"W-what the fuck is this? God damnit, did I drink too much?"
"Ah- Mom? Where are you? Where did you go? W-why am I here?"
"Mimics? Damnit, what have I gotten myself into?"
While their appearances were quite similar, they all seemed to have slightly different personalities and reactions. Some were confrontational and agitated, some were lost and scared, and some were speechless, still trying to understand what happened. The original one stayed in Alentu's arms, holding her close as she watched the unbelievable scene unfold.
Error: "I see... It appears that when Coco contacted the smoke, she became a bridge to other versions of herself in different times and dimensions."
Alentu: "W-what... S-so, t-this Coco is fine, b-but all of these others have..."
Error: "Have been snatched away and thrown here, it seems. All from different times and dimensions..."
Alentu: "And these other Cocos... They can't go back, can they?"
Error: "Not by me. Safely, anyways..."
The crowd of altworlders began to yell and shout at the voice in the cave.
"What the hell? You brought us here, but you can't bring us back?"
"Shit! I have to get back home, now! I don't care if I need to give my soul to a chronomancer..."
"T-this is the future? O-Or the past? Or even a d-different dimension?? No, that can't be!"
Error: "Hey, wait a second! If a bunch of clones start running off on their own-"
"I'm not a god damn clone!"
One by one, they ran away, each resolved to accomplish something different. The sudden crowd poured down the unstable mountain, until only one remained, staring back at Coco and Alentu in disbelief.
Alentu: "And you?"
AltCoco: "Alentu... T-thank god you're here, too?"
Alentu: "Hm? Ah, so we've met in your world... Since you're here, I think we need to figure out how we're gonna fix this mess. Please, come with me..."
They moved to sit by one of the many shrines near the mountain path. Alentu then led a discussion between the three, asking the other Coco what she remembered about her own world's history. Her description appeared to describe a similar reality to their own, but at an earlier point in time. As such, the events that lead her life were different, and she was only able to recognize Alentu. The two forms of Coco began to discuss more specifics about their own lives.
AltCoco: "Huh, s-so you're getting married to someone else, and have a family of your own already... B-but, you're also with Alentu?"
Coco: "Yes... But I'm honestly amazed to hear how differently my life could have been if I was born only a few decades earlier..."
Alentu: "Where you only met me..."
AltCoco: "Yes- A-and Alentu, y-you're almost exactly the same as the one I know... I-it's like I'm talking to the same person. Everything we did together matches up too... B-but now she's..."
Alentu: "I'm sorry, Coco... There's not much we can do. I still love you, but..."
AltCoco: "Wait! Please! Let me stay with you, Alentu! E-even though we're from different worlds, you're still the same woman I love! Please..."
Alentu: "But this world's Coco is..."
All three fell silent as an uncomfortable truth settled in: There were two Cocos, but only one Alentu. That wasn't even mentioning the fact that even more were out there in the world, with absolutely no way to control their actions, however reckless they may be. Despair began to creep onto the altworlder's face, tears falling from her eyes as she began to accept her cruel fate. Coco's own face was clouded deep in somber thought, but after gathering her resolve, she spoke up.
Coco: "I... I have a proposal, but... You might not like it, Alentu. And it doesn't really solve our other problem..."
Alentu: "We're already in a shitty situation. Please, just tell me."
Coco: "My family at home needs me. I'm about to have little Iza, and... Since this Coco was ripped away from her own family... Well, I don't think she should be deprived of that joy... You should also be able to spend time with your kids..."
AltCoco: "Y-you want me to raise this Alentu's kids instead of you?"
Coco: "And... Stay with her... Be a good wife to her, so we all can get a happy ending..."
Alentu: "But Coco- A-are you saying you want her to take your place beside me? But that would mean you, yourself, wouldn't be with me... This hurts you more than any of us!"
Coco: "I suppose so... I do really care for you, but... I'm the only one that can be there for Mikhail and the kids I planned to raise with him. If we want to spend as much time as possible with family, you, Alentu, are the only family this Coco has. I don't want either of the people I care about to feel like I'm not there for them, so..."
AltCoco: "I... I understand... If you're really okay with it, both of you, then... I'd be so happy... I'm honestly scared to think about what I left behind, but, if I can be with Alentu, no matter what time or place..."
Alentu: "I'm okay with that... This feels... strange, but... I think it's for the best for each of our families. I love you, Coco, but I know your family needs you. I wanted to make it work despite that... I didn't want to lose you, but-"
Coco: "Don't think like that, Alentu! Let's not look at this as a mistake, but a blessing... One that lets everyone find their own happiness. You didn't lose me! Instead, you'll now be able to spend all the time you like with your love! I want to protect your smile no matter what, and leaving it in the hands of someone I know will bring you happiness... I can't possibly be sad about that."
AltCoco: "I agree... It means neither of our families will worry... This world's Coco can be with her family, and I can become yours, just as it was before with both of us. I want to make this work, for everyone's sake!"
Alentu: "Hah... Coco, that's why I love you. You always know how to cheer me up, and make me feel loved. When I'm with you, my worries always seem to melt away... I accept your proposal. You're both my lover, so I could never look at either of you any differently. To a bright future with our families..."
Alentu pulled the two in for a big hug, and gave a kiss to this world's Coco. The two shared their goodbyes and well wishes to each other before Coco sat down in front of her counterpart, a happy look on her face that inspired the other to brighten up. Alentu stood up and ruffled both of their hair, leaving the two by themselves as she waited nearby. The Cocos then turned to each other, smiling as they shook hands.
Coco: "To a bright future with our families"
AltCoco: "To a bright future with our families"
https://preview.redd.it/klgk6wclas0d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=100636d165f5d3dc02cc4cdd902b16a285b56fe0

We're ready for a refresh in this room. We were thinking we were going to move, but it looks like we'll be hanging around much longer, so I want a room I'll like but am struggling with everything...layout, decor, lighting. Our house was built in 1908 and this front parlor has two wide openings and it's not square, so it's awkward. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

• I'd like to lean into dark, cozy, decor. Baroque, maximalist (without TOO much), cozy are styles I've seen lately that I like. I've attached a photo of Paul McCartney's living room that I really like. I've always loved color but jumped on the clean look train for a bit. Mistake.
• Problems are the two openings, the lack of overhead electrical and only one window.
• We've tried the couch in all the places, which you'll see in the picture. The most recent is the angled version, which is nice for walking through the space and feels good. The one where you see the back of the couch probably looked the best, but the walkway was awkward. A smaller couch might fix that.
• We have a dog, but the kids are out of the house. Don't NEED a TV in this space, but it's nice to have sometimes.
• That stupid couch is really uncomfortable. Definitely getting a new one. The antique chair is a new inheritance and super comfortable. I could recover it. The yellow LazyBoy has done well for us and we use it a lot, but it's breaking.
• This is not our main hang-out space. That's in the basement.
• We can do some construction, add lighting if that'll help. Budget is $10k.

Today1
today2
today3
south facing
east facing
south facing bubble lense
south facing2
east facing north couch
south facing from foyer
Paul McCartney's house.
https://www.omnihomeideas.com/design/celebrity-homes/paul-mccartney-house-in-london/

Not sure how many people here are interested in What the Fog but since it doesn't have it's own subreddit I thought this would be the next best thing.
I'm going to ramble a lot about the games history that I can tell from its files, so if you're not really interested in that skip down to the next sentence with bold text to get to the meat of this post.
So I'm sure most of you who did redeem What the Fog for free found it a little bit weird that in order to get your steam code you had to agree to two conditions being bHVR is allowed to data-mine from your game and share that data with 3rd party corporations. If you didn't want to agree to this you have the option of just buying the game on steam for the full price instead. Although not really major this did seem like a bit of a red flag and a couple of my friends thought so as well so I did a little digging.
It didn't take long at all from looking in the games files that this game was never intended to be Dead by Daylight themed, I'm not just talking about the fact that the weapons are overly fantasy-like or the enemies and abilities don't fit the characters I mean the fact that there are literally 3 unused characters in the games files named "Paladin", "Ranger" and "Sorcerer".
The folder containing all character models, textures, animations and abilities.
The Paladin and the Sorcerer still have their character models left over in the files but I'm unable to view or export them (if someone figures out how, please let me know). The texture files still exist however.
The diffuse textures for the Paladin, Ranger and Sorcerer
While I cannot view the models I can make a rough guess of what they looked like from their UV mapping.
The Paladin most likely wore a pink jacket with a white stripe and black shorts. In terms of weapons it looks like she had pink and silver armor with a pink shield baring a red emblem and a pink sword. Her skin was light with green hair and blue eyes.
I originally thought that the Ranger wore a green puffer jacket but upon some more consideration with the fantasy theme it could be a gambeson that they wore over a white shirt and brown shirt, I can't see any pants on the texture so this is my best guess. Their shoes were green with black detailing and they wore a green headband with yellow writing with a yellow gem in the center of their headband. Their weapon was a green crossbow bearing yellow gems. They have dark skin with black curly hair and black eyes.
The Sorcerer wore some kind of yellow plaid shirt with blue shorts, white socks with blue and red stripes, red and white shoes as well as a blue wizards hat. His weapon of choice was a staff with a bright green crystal at the top of it. He has light skin with short blonde hair and black eyes.
If you've played What the Fog then you'll be able to guess that the Sorcerer was replaced with Dwight, the Ranger was replaced with Claudette and the Paladin was replaced with Feng. This sudden change was assumedly made pretty late into the games development considering the fact that some abilities still reference removed character weapons and the 'SkullNBones' models that each survivor use are still using the old weapon designs from these characters when you die which I'll go into more detail about.
Feng has 3 skills she can learn which feel off, those being 'Shield Bash', 'Plated' and 'Resolve' which you can see the icons for below in that order.
Shield Bash, Plated & Resolve
Two of these skills still depict the character with a shield or some kind of armor despite both being absent in the final release, rather than reworking these abilities they just simply left them in despite them not making much sense. The last ability being Resolve feels off due to the art style, it's inconsistent with the rest of the drawings and the shading has more of a smeared paint look to it rather than the gradient every other icon in the game has, suggesting it was drawn over when they made the switch from the Paladin to the Ranger. (It's hard to see from this image, if anyone wants the HD texture files to compare let me know.)
Despite those remnants still left over you can actually see the literal remains of the Paladin, Ranger and Sorcerer when a player dies and isn't revived by the end of the level. Below you can see the 'SkullNBones' models for each character where you can see that the sword has the Paladins design on the blade rather than the cloth wrapped around Feng's, the crossbow has the Rangers yellow gems on it instead of Claudette's pink gems and the staff has the Sorcerers green crystal in it rather than Dwight's blue crystal. The changes to this game to make it DbD themed must have happened late into development since the game already had original characters, mechanics and models before it was turned into a DbD spinoff. I assume they were also made very close to release considering how the wrong weapons displaying on dead players really should have been noticed before release.
The remains of the Paladin, the Ranger and the Sorcerer being used by Feng, Claud and Dwight respectively.
So what's the point of this post, well I'm a bit worried about what this game means for bHVR and DbD in the future.
On the surface this game looks like a funny little DbD spinoff but from what it looks like bHVR rebranded this game as a DbD game in order to get the fanbase of its biggest title to go "Omg! New DbD thing!" and start downloading it, normally this wouldn't be a problem as a lot of game studios make sequels upon sequels to games and spinoffs because the franchise sells but this game is a little different.
Assumedly the game was either a little side project of bHVR's or a test for the Devs when moving from UE4 to UE5, they either finished work on it or were interrupted as they have said that they don't plan to work on it anymore then slapped DbD onto it and released it for free if you agree to bHVR data mining and selling your data to third party businesses.
TL;DR What the Fog is basically a cash grab that bHVR slapped the DbD brand on very last minute to make fans buy the game. They don't plan to update it and they also offer it to existing DbD fans for free as long as bHVR can sell and use your data.
While I know that some of the decisions in the past made by bHVR have been questionable but this paired with the layoffs of 45 DbD developers back in January is making me worried that this is like the start of some drop-off for bHVR where they're going to shift their focus to how much money they can make where the qualiy of DbD suffers for it (more than it already has) and we start seeing more of these spinoffs get pushed out by the month...
What really saddens me is this game could have been a passion project for some of the Devs at bHVR, then the decision was made to make it DbD branded and send the game out asap to make money.
Just thought this was an interesting and somewhat saddening discovery. In any case if you did receive this game for free by redeeming a code you should go and turn off the data mining on your account through this link: https://account.bhvr.com/account/communication-preferences
You'll still be able to play the game, but bHVR won't be able to collect your data anymore.
Stay safe friends.