#arlo booth

[tfcrp]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, SAV!

Thank you for everything you contribute to TFC!

@mrplantman

XOXO, Admin X

[thefoxholecourtrp]

THIS IS YOUR GAME

Name: Arlo Booth Age: Twenty Three Class Year: Fifth Year Position: Striker,  #11 Hometown: Bridgeport, Connecticut

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT

TW: death, drug mention, cancer mention

For as long as he could remember, it was Arlo and his father. His mother, or so the story went, stuck around just long enough to leave Arlo with his father, Maxwell, and then she was gone. No forwarding address, no phone number, no hint of her in the years that followed. And while Maxwell had girlfriends that came and went—but mostly went—through Arlo’s childhood, there was nothing that was constant except for Arlo and his father and the thin walls and peeling wallpaper of their cramped one bedroom apartment.

That, and the drugs: Maxwell Booth was one point in a distribution network that stretched across the entire East Coast. He received massive shipments from his mysterious superiors, and distributed them to dealers who pushed their product across the entire state. And Arlo, though uninvolved, wasn’t ignorant of his father’s work: his business was often run out of their apartment, when Arlo was at Exy practice or sent to the corner store and subtly encouraged to take the long way there and back.

Arlo was at practice the day his father was arrested, leaving the field afterward to find a police car waiting for him instead of his father. In the months that followed, Maxwell plead guilty to several felony drug offenses, and was sentenced to over a decade in federal prison. And with his father behind bars and a mother long gone, Arlo found himself thrust into foster care at the age of thirteen. He bounced around from home to home for a time, until he found one that stuck longer than the rest: the impossibly wealthy Masseys.

With a child lost too young to cancer, the Massey house suddenly seemed too small to its grief-stricken parents, and so they opened their doors to children in need, becoming one of the nicest foster homes that any child in Fairfield County could ever hope to live in. And, of course, they were keenly aware of that fact—as well as aware of how well their boundless generosity played out in the society pages, elevating them far above their less-saintly peers.

And in the midst of that revolving door of children, the child that they had left got lost. The foster children seemed so much easier: the bar was already set so low, all they had to do was be there when the foster children’s own parents were not. But their own son—he had expectations, he had memories of the family they once were, and his parents found it difficult to look at the son they had without remembering the one they lost. Theo Massey was a well of resentment hidden behind the same polite smile his parents had so perfected, and he made no secret of the fact that he preferred Exy to dinners with his parents and the five or so other kids he was forced to share them with.

Arlo knew Theo before they ever had bedrooms across the hall from each other: Arlo played Little League in gritty Bridgeport while Theo played for the much wealthier Greenwich team. They were both strikers, and Arlo would have said that they were rivals, he had certainly taken losing to Greenwich much harder than losing to anyone else. But when he moved into the Massey home they became teammates, and in the end it turned out he did have something to thank Theo for: their closeness in age and their mutual love of Exy made Arlo a natural companion for Theo, and their friendship led him to outlast all the other foster children that came and went from the Massey home.

But even though they lived in the same house and went to the same school and played the same position on the same team, Arlo never lost sight of the differences between them: Theo had a family, while Arlo was just a temporary lodger. Theo could hug his father, while Arlo had to wait for one of the Massey parents to have enough free time and be willing to drive him to see his father in federal prison. Theo had everything. And Arlo? He was only borrowing. When he turned eighteen, he’d be out of the foster system, and he’d only have what he could fight for, only what he could grab hold of with clawed hands.

SEIZE IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT

Why should he have expected anything different? They graduated high school together, and walking across the stage was the only time that Arlo could remember coming in first when it came to him and Theo, and that wasn’t on his own merits, just the simple truth of alphabetical order. Because after graduation Theo was heading to USC, where he would join the ranks of the Trojans, golden and smiling. He’d have a home to go back to for summer breaks, a family to pick him up from the airport. Arlo’s father still had years left on his sentence, but Arlo’s sentence was a lifelong one: he would always be a misfit, never quite belonging. And so, it was only natural that when Theo got on a plane for California, Arlo got on one, too—except his took him to South Carolina.

But while Arlo had felt like a kind-of orphan since the day his father was taken away, he became a full-fledged one during his senior year, when his father died behind bars just shortly before he was due to be released, sending Arlo into a downward spiral that would last the entire rest of the year—one that ended with him, finally, meeting Theo again on the court. But though it took four years for it to happen, Theo had always been there in the back of his mind, always been the goal that had driven him on. They were rivals before they were ever teammates, and so it seemed only natural that they were rivals again. But, on opposite coasts and in separate districts, the only way for them to face off was to make it Spring Championships, giving Arlo a more personal reason to give the court his all: beating Theo, proving once and for all that he was better than him, even if it was just at one thing, just in one way. But, when they met again, he didn’t beat Theo: the Trojans beat the Foxes and Arlo and Theo pushed and pushed and pushed at each other until Theo snapped and lashed out—literally, with his racquet to Arlo’s helmet, ending with a concussion for Arlo and shame for Theo, each of them on their respective benches for the rest of the season. But another year means another chance—and for Arlo, now a fifth year, his last chance.

ARLO BOOTH is portrayed by SAMUEL LARSEN and is TAKEN

[tfcrp]

THE FOXHOLE COURT: FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 3

ONLINE:

“With the first games of the death matches quickly approaching, all eyes are on one game and one game only: the game between the USC Trojans and the Edgar Allan Ravens. Both teams were heavily favored to feature in the finals, as they did last year and numerous years before that, and there’s still a good chance that the winner of the Trojans-Ravens matchup will be the team to go on to win the whole thing.”

“But there are more games scheduled for Friday night. And while all eyes are on the odds bracket, one team from the evens will be making it to the semi-finals. And while an evens bracket team has taken the whole thing only a handful of times in history, with the one of the league’s heavyweights about to be eliminated and the field opening up, anything is possible. And having emerged undefeated from the first round of the Championships, which included a victory against one of the Big Three in the Penn State Lions—(though they certainly haven’t been playing like a Big Three team lately)—the UNLV Rebels are making their case: they’re a team to watch; they’re a team that could make it all the way to the end.”

“The Rebels’ opponents are none other than the Palmetto State Foxes, who fought their way into the death matches with an overtime victory against the UCLA Bruins in the final game of the first round. The Foxes, making it to the Championships for the second year in a row after years of not seeing the Championships at all, have proved resilient so far—but not, of course, without the controversy that they’re so known for. Their shootout victory against the Bruins was almost immediately overshadowed by a handshake-line brawl between Fox Louis Granger and Bruin Joe Carmichael that saw Granger suspended for one of his team’s most crucial games. The Foxes have been unpredictable all season, with moments of promise overshadowed by a familiar lack of discipline and, sometimes, total collapse. And there’s no saying which Foxes will show up in Las Vegas on Friday.”

“It’s yet another away game for the Foxes, whose luck has delivered them a brutal road schedule in the Championships so far. And while the death matches seem poised to deliver fireworks across the league—when it comes to Vegas, and the on-a-roll Rebels, we’re not sure about the wisdom of betting against the house.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “DEATH MATCH PREVIEW: DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE EVENS”

“It seems like one Fox had a little bit too much fun on their off week. And that alone isn’t news, but we have the pictures to prove it, and we have a heartfelt plea. Seriously, we’re begging you: next time you see a Fox passed out on the side of the road, draw a dick on their face, please, for all our sakes. We might even pay you.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

All of Class I took a pause last week, one last opportunity to breathe before the death matches, before the pace and pressure of the Championships ramped up. After the first round, 14 out of 18 teams remained standing. At the end of the next two weeks, there will only be seven—and, as the Foxes head into their final few practices before the death matches, they know what they have to do. Win, and survive. There are no other options. 

It’s yet another road game for the Foxes, and by now they’re used to the routine: they meet at the Foxhole Court early on Friday, March 1 to make the journey to Upstate Regional Airport and, from there, to Las Vegas. This time, they have the luxury of a direct flight, and it’s a smooth five hours before they’re landing in Vegas.  

UNLV’s campus is only a short drive from the airport, the Vegas Strip visible in the distance as they make their way to their hotel. But the Foxes know they can’t be distracted by what Sin City has to offer, not so close to the game that will decide their fate, decide whether or not they’re improving on last year’s record or just matching it, falling at the same hurdle for the second year in a row. They settle in, try to relax—and then when evening hits, make their way to the court to prepare for the game.

(OOC information related to the game under the cut)

The results of the death match against the Rebels will be posted on Friday night and, in order to put it together, there are a few things I need from you:

Due to the size of the roster, there is a chance that not every player will get to play in every game, so if you want your character not to play in the game (for reasons that could be related to being late to practice, poor performance in practice, mouthing off to Wymack/Grant/Claudia, or any other reason you can think of!) please let me know. With the current size/composition of our roster, I’m looking at having to sit ONE GOALKEEPER, and potentially MULTIPLE DEALERS (depending on how I can finagle things).

If there’s anything exceptional you want to take place during the game (fights, red cards, injuries, exceptionally poor play, etc.) please let me know, and I’ll do my best to work it in. This will work on a first-come-first-serve basis, if the game is getting too packed with details, you might have to wait for the next one;

After each game, two players will be selected to answer questions from the press. If you want to volunteer your character for press duty, please message me! This will also be on a first-come-first-serve basis. And if you volunteer for press duty, please only do so if you expect to be able to play out the thread with your partner in a timely fashion. And remember, we’re now at a reset! If you’ve done press duty before Championships, feel free to volunteer again, though priority will go to people who have not yet had the opportunity. And, for this game, we only have ONE PRESS DUTY SLOT available!

Remember, you only have to reach out to me if there’s something very specific you want me to work in!

And, as always, I welcome any feedback!

[tfcrp]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ARLO BOOTH!

Arlo,

Hope you enjoy this. I’ve tested it already, and it should be big enough to fit all your Exy gear.

Happy Holidays,

FROM, YOUR SECRET SANTA

[tfcrp]

THE FOXHOLE COURT: NOVEMBER 12-NOVEMBER 18

ONLINE:

“The Palmetto State Foxes put together their most impressive game of the season against the Wilkes-Meyers Hornets, coming back from a two goal deficit to win the game in overtime on the back of strong performances from fifth year striker Carter Maddox, who put up two goals, and senior striker Arlo Booth, who scored the overtime winner.“

“Former Hornet goalkeeper Emmett Ashford let in one goal against his former team, and took a tumble to the court in the ensuing scrum. When asked about the shove that sent Fox freshman Glory Hoskins into their former player, Hornets Vice Captain Oliver Powell said: ‘Coach talks to us a lot about Hornet spirit, and how when someone does something to hurt the team’s reputation, it hurts all of us. So, yeah, we take that stuff seriously. And, you know, in games, when emotions are running high, maybe you want to send a message.’ The price of ‘sending a message’ for Powell? A red card, putting him on the bench as his team falls further and further from Championships contention.”

“While junior Fox Sasha Hart-Ashby may not have been a presence on the court, sitting out due to a red card against the Dolphins, she—like her mother, the well-known tabloid star Irina Hart—was a noted presence in the Foxes’ post-game press conference along with senior Grayson Sharpe, where conversation turned to the ever-complicated Foxes’ plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Both Hart-Ashby and Sharpe have lost family members under unusual circumstances: Hart-Ashby’s sister, when she was a teenager, in a drunk-driving incident with Hart-Ashby behind the wheel; and Sharpe’s mother, in a mysterious accident when he was young—one that Sharpe played a role in. In his own words, Sharpe said: ‘My dad and I don’t do anything special to honor my mom’s memory around the holidays. I mean, he might, but I don’t get involved. It doesn’t seem right, not when her death was my fault.’”

“It seems like league expansion came a little bit too soon for the Georgia Southern Eagles: in their fist season as a Class I team, they’ve put up a dismal record, and have yet to record a single victory as they head into their game against the Foxes next week. It’s as close to an assured victory as the Foxes will get all season—which is good news for the Foxes who, after a disastrous first half of the season, are improbably among a few teams vying for the two remaining Championships slots.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “WITH OVERTIME WIN AGAINST HORNETS, FOXES CONTINUE SOUTHEAST CLIMB.”

“Hey South Carolinians, Foxwatch here. Spotted at Fox Tower, bags in hand: a certain Fox pistol, back in town. Was it only a month ago our Grunge Princess mysteriously disappeared? And just as suddenly, she’s back. On a team this disastrous, it’s unclear what she could have done to earn this forced sabbatical, but we’re taking bets. What’s your money on?”

“We’ve got to give it to the Fox press conference for reminding us all the Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and you know we’re more excited about family drama than about pie. We spotted a Vixen having a very heated phone call. (Choice quote: HOW COULD YOU?) And we’re hoping that’s just the prelude to more.”

“But it isn’t all doom and gloom: by the looks of this little ice cream outing, we’ve got another Fox-Vixen romance on our hands. It’s adorable, we guess, if you like red-headed Vixens and goalkeepers who spend more time on the bench than on the court.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

It’s the second-to-last game of the regular season as the Foxes continue to battle for a spot in the Spring Championships. The Eagles may not be the most fearsome opponent they’ve faced, but that doesn’t mean that the Foxes can relax, a fact that Wymack makes clear in their practices.

This is also the Foxes’ last game before Thanksgiving break. While many of the Foxes and Vixens will be staying on campus, some of them will be going their separate ways after the game for the week-long holiday.

On Friday, November 16, the Foxes and the Vixens gather at the court in the afternoon to load themselves and their gear onto buses for the drive to Statesboro, Georgia, the home of the Georgia Southern Eagles, a three and a half hour drive from Palmetto.

As usual, they arrive at their hotel with enough time to spare to let them settle in and mentally prepare for the game ahead. After some downtime in their rooms, they gather for dinner together at the hotel before it’s time for them to head over to the Eagles’ court.

(OOC information related to the game under the cut)

The results of the game against the Eagles will be posted on Friday night and, in order to put it together, there are a few things I need from you:

Due to the size of the roster, there is a chance that not every player will get to play in every game, so if you want your character not to play in the game (for reasons that could be related to being late to practice, poor performance in practice, mouthing off to Wymack/Grant/Claudia, or any other reason you can think of!) please let me know. While you can still let me know if you want your character to get a red card during the game, no one is required to be benched for this game: with our current roster, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to play everyone!

If there’s anything exceptional you want to take place during the game (fights, red cards, injuries, exceptionally poor play, etc.) please let me know, and I’ll do my best to work it in. This will work on a first-come-first-serve basis, if the game is getting too packed with details, you might have to wait for the next one;

After each game, two players will be selected to answer questions from the press. If you want to volunteer your character for press duty, please message me! This will also be on a first-come-first-serve basis. And if you volunteer for press duty, please only do so if you expect to be able to play out the thread with your partner in a timely fashion.

Remember, you only have to reach out to me if there’s something very specific you want me to work in!

And, as always, I welcome any feedback!

[tfcrp]

THE FOXHOLE COURT: NOVEMBER 19-NOVEMBER 25

ONLINE:

“The Palmetto State Foxes notched another win against the abysmal Georgia Southern Eagles, marking the Foxes’ third win in a row—and the Eagles’ seventh loss. For an expected outcome, it was a dynamic game for the Foxes, with 5 different strikers scoring goals, and senior striker Arlo Booth recording two goals. There were a few surprises, though, most notably the absence of sophomore striker Octavia Dawson. When asked why Dawson was scratched from the game, Fox Coach David Wymack offered no answers: ‘That’s an internal team matter. Dawson knows why she wasn’t on the court.’“

“If you were hoping for more insights into the Foxes’ biggest enigma this season, freshman dealer Raphael Peruggia, you might be disappointed. But, back from an ERC-levied suspension after a disturbing early pattern of deliberate injury on the court, Peruggia finally showed that he’s capable of playing Exy, and not just making predatory hits. For the sake of everyone in the league, we hope this change is here to stay. But, if the anger he showed in response to a post-game journalist question and his inability to get through press without arguing with teammate Emmett Ashford are any indication, it might not be.”

“To Buckeyes fans, it may have been a familiar sight: junior backliner Casey Hendrix down on the court after taking a hit along the wall from Eagles striker Scott Sellers as they grappled for possession. According to Coach Wymack, Hendrix is undergoing concussion protocol. Sellers, who received a red card that seemed to have more to do with the ensuing team-wide brawl than a hit that no one would look twice at if Hendrix hadn’t unfortunately been injured, said: ‘You know, it’s unfortunate. All of it. This isn’t the season we wanted to have. You never want to see another player get seriously hurt. I don’t know—Hendrix’s head was down. It’s a dangerous position to be in. Things like that can happen in the blink of an eye. That’s why you’ve gotta keep your head up.’”

“After a rough start to the season, the Foxes have turned their record around: in seven games, they are now 4-3. As the Exy season takes a pause for Thanksgiving and with one game left for each team, here’s where we are in the district standings: the Edgar Allan Ravens are the undisputed number one with another undefeated season; the Breckenridge Jackals are equally secure in second place, having only dropped one game; the Belmonte Terrapins are sitting in third, having lost only two games, but with the nigh-unbeatable Ravens as their final opponent; and sharing the Foxes’ 4-3 record are the Blackwell Jackrabbits and the USC Gamecocks—who the Foxes will be facing after Thanksgiving.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “FOXES: ONE WIN AWAY FROM CHAMPIONSHIPS?”

“Spotted: Tetsuji Moriyama—no wait, we mean Justin Kimura—no wait, we mean—oh, you know who we mean, being dragged out of a bar in Statesboro by none other than the Fox Captain. What’s the matter, had a little bit too much? Or is it something else? The photo’s pretty blurry, but we’re pretty sure it’s not his name on the back of that sweatshirt.”

“Is it a surprise anymore when a Fox loses their temper? Still, we heard two Foxes were having it out outside the court this week—and that the Foxes came this close to losing a goalkeeper to a nasty tumble down some stairs. Somehow, we don’t think this one’s going to make it onto YouTube. Now, we’re not Exy experts or lawyers but we’re pretty sure that while on the court that’d be a red card, off of it, there’s another word for it—and it’s called assault.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

The Foxes that haven’t departed for home from Statesboro return to a significantly emptier campus, with most of the student body leaving Palmetto in droves for a week-long break and the Thanksgiving holiday.

For the Foxes and Vixens with nowhere to go—or nowhere they want to go—there’s a yearly Fox tradition of a large and boisterous Thanksgiving dinner at Team Nurse Abby Winfield’s home on Thursday, November 22. Open to all, and especially open to those that want to help with the cooking, it’s an opportunity to take a break from the stress of school and the season, and to enjoy camaraderie with their teammates and coaches off the court. 

With the Foxes’ last—and potentially most important—game of the regular season coming after the break, Captain Grant Rollins doesn’t want to rest, and doesn’t want the Foxes on campus for break to rest either, scheduling highly-encouraged optional practices for the remaining Foxes during the week.

[tfcrp]

TFC HALLOWEEN COSTUME COMPETITION RESULTS!

At the conclusion of the voting at the Vixens’ Halloween party, the following winners are announced and prizes handed out: winners are given gift cards to Sweetie’s in Columbia and a hand-written certificate, while the second-place finishers in every category but the grand prize are only given a certificate.

FUNNIEST COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): SYDNEY McCRAY as MOTH WITH LAMP (HONORABLE MENTION: BRAYDEN SYKES as CAT)

SEXIEST COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): LEO DUARTE as (SEXY) WINTER SOLDIER (HONORABLE MENTION: CASEY HENDRIX as THE RIDDLER BUT SEXY)

MOST ELABORATE COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): SYDNEY McCRAY as MOTH WITH LAMP (HONORABLE MENTION(S): RIPLEY VAN SANT as MALEFICENT, MEREDITH COTES as THE BLACK SWAN, and ARLO BOOTH as THE BLACK DEATH)

BEST CLOSET/LOW BUDGET COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): NEEL AVERY as LIT MAJOR (HONORABLE MENTION: GRANT ROLLINS as REFEREE)

BEST THROWBACK COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): ALIS TAN as THE AMERICAN DRAGON (JAKE LONG) (HONORABLE MENTION: ROSIE TOMMASI as KIM POSSIBLE)

BEST COUPLES COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): BRAYDEN SYKES and STERLING WALSH (HONORABLE MENTION: JEN BROOKHART and CARTER MADDOX)

GRAND PRIZE: BEST COSTUME ($25 GIFT CARD): SYDNEY McCRAY as MOTH WITH LAMP RUNNER-UP: BEST COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): GRANT ROLLINS as REFEREE)

[tfcrp]

THE FOXHOLE COURT: SEPTEMBER 3-SEPTEMBER 9

ONLINE:

“It was a disappointing start to the season for the Palmetto State Foxes as they took on the Breckenridge Jackals, erasing much of the goodwill they’d accumulated in a surprise Championships performance last year. Early in the first period, it look to be a fair fight: a save on a penalty shot from goalkeeper and Captain Grant Rollins kept the score at 1-0, and then a tying goal from Senior Arlo Booth gave the Foxes a chance to fight for the lead—but the Foxes soon fell apart and, with the exception of a late goal by Fifth Year Logan Trask, were outplayed by the Jackals on every metric and on the scoreboard for the majority of the game. After last season’s performance, the Foxes resembled more of what we’ve been used to seeing from them: better at throwing punches than scoring goals—or blocking them.” 

“Rollins, however, appeared optimistic, even in the face of a 6-2 loss: ‘Last year was a success. This year will be too,’ he said following the game. Junior Elior Lowell, new to the Foxes after last year’s scandal with the Breckenridge Jackals that saw fellow former Jackal Conor Bristow imprisoned, also spoke to the press, and was full of kind words for the Foxes—and less-than-kind words for his former team. ‘Even if I was given the opportunity to go back to [the Jackals]...I wouldn’t even waste my time considering it,’ Lowell said. For the Jackals, the feeling appeared to be mutual: ‘Tonight we showed what a good team we are,’ said Senior Jackals striker Skyler Erickson. ‘Losing teammates hasn’t made us weaker, it’s made us stronger.’

“Next, the Foxes will play their first game at home against the Belmonte Terrapins, the team they narrowly beat out for a slot in the Spring Championships last season. One loss might be a bad night, but two in a row might be a pattern, and we’ll be waiting to see if the Foxes can get their season back on the rails after a disastrous start. Elsewhere in Class I: The Ravens got off to a strong start in the Southeastern district, as did the Trojans in the West. In the Northeast, the Lions have yet to return to full form after a disappointing and scandal-wracked previous season—could this be the year that the Buckeyes finally overtake them as district champions?”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “AFTER PROMISING PREVIOUS SEASON, FOXES FALTER AT FIRST HURDLE”

“The Foxes might not have scored much on the court, in their first game of the season, but some pictures posted to Twitter from the Breckenridge Jackals’ parking lot after the game show that, for two Foxes at least, scoring off the court might not be a problem. Young love, so cute—but we’ll start taking bets now on how long it lasts, and we’ve got our money on trainwreck.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

The Foxes’ and Vixens’ return to campus is less-than-triumphant, and with the surging rivalry between the campus’ cheer squads, it seems like the Palmetto student body is paying more attention to the Foxes than ever—and keeping score.

But the Foxes don’t have much time to worry about what their classmates might be whispering behind their backs: they return to practices in preparation for their next game the following week—a home game, on the same weekend as a Palmetto football game, when alumni and parents alike will be on campus for homecoming. Some Foxes don’t have anyone to invite, but some of them do, adding another layer to the tense atmosphere hanging over the Foxes’ practices.