#patch doe

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, SAMWELL!

Thank you for everything you contribute to TFC!

@secretpatchword

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, PATCH DOE!

Sketch some things or scribble down your thoughts or use the paper to make planes.

This mile marker was too funny not to take from the road. Hope it makes you laugh too!

THE FOXHOLE COURT: DECEMBER 17-DECEMBER 23

ONLINE:

“Are you all studying? We certainly are—if by ‘studying,’ you mean ‘studying various Exy players’ social media for clues about what went down at the Winter Banquet.’ And, lucky for you, when it comes to gossip we always get an A-plus.”

“There were so many Fox-Fox and Fox-Vixen couples that we can’t keep track, but you let us know, who were you surprised to see together? We might have said our favorite recurring soap opera, if only it had a happy ending—but judging by the tears on this Vixen’s face, happily ever after isn’t in the cards.” 

“And another Vixen, caught looking mighty ragged in the lobby of the Foxes’ hotel, might have fallen flat on their face as well—though at least this time it wasn’t in front of a screaming crowd. What’s the matter? Did your date not go well? There’s more dirt here, we just know it.”

“But while some people cry, others throw punches—or, at least, they come close. We’re not surprised there’s no love lost here, but we’re kind of disappointed in the lack of follow-through. There was one Fox involved who’s known more for breaking heads than having a cool one. We think he picked the wrong time to turn over a new leaf.” 

“But, don’t fret, punches were definitely thrown at the banquet—they were just friendly fire, one Fox goalkeeper taking a Vixen down. You couldn’t have settled this one behind closed doors? We don’t know why we bother asking: we should know by now that Foxes—and Vixens—will always choose the messiest and most embarrassing path. Why would we ever expect anything different?”

“So what’s the tally? Tears? Check. Punches? Check. Why not go for the trifecta and add in a drunken family reunion? We thought that was what Christmas was for, but I guess Christmas came early for one Fox, who was spotted outside of Castle Evermore with his brother, looking none too steady.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

The Foxes return to Palmetto just as finals fervor really sets in across campus: and the Foxes, even with their lighter courseload and five-year path to graduation, aren’t immune—they still have to maintain their grades to maintain their spot on the team. For the Vixens, who don’t have the same five-year luxury, their study schedules are even more jam-packed.

 As students wrap up their finals, the campus begins to thin out for the upcoming break, but the Foxes and the Vixens have time for one last party: their holiday party, and the exchange of Secret Santa gifts. The Vixens decorate the Den in between finals in string lights and paper snowflakes, a Christmas tree with ornaments for the Vixens that will stay over break, ready for the party on Friday, December 21, with Christmas cookies provided and ugly sweaters encouraged.

For some of the Foxes, and some of the Vixens, it might be the closest they get to Christmas: while campus will close over the weekend and the rest of the students will leave, Wymack has received special permission from the school for any Foxes who want to to stay in Fox Tower over break.

THE FOXHOLE COURT: DECEMBER 10-DECEMBER 16

ONLINE:

“Results in the Southeastern District came right down to the wire, but with the Foxes beating the Gamecocks 5-2 and the Jackrabbits beating the Dolphins 3-2, the Foxes inched ahead in the tiebreaker, pulling them ahead of the Jackrabbits for the fourth and final spot in the Spring Championships—by a single goal.”

“How does it feel for the Foxes to make it to Championships for the second year in a row? ‘It’s amazing,’ said junior striker Leo Duarte, who played for the first time since October after breaking his hand in a game against the Ravens. Perhaps even more shocking than the Foxes pulling off a last-minute victory was Duarte, who scored his first goal after a season marred by injury and poor play. On Friday, the relief was palpable: 'I’m really hoping that there will be more goals from me come Championships,’ Duarte added.”

“Freshman backliner Basil Walcott, seemed to agree, when he wasn’t sniping with reporters. ‘The Foxes are champions: never forget that,’ Walcott said. Bold words from a player whose team, prior to last year, hadn’t even qualified for the Championships anytime in recent memory. We’ll see if the Foxes are able to back up those words come January.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “SOUTHEAST SHOWDOWN: FOXES EKE OUT VICTORY.”

“The 2018 regular season is in the books, and after a season of ups and downs and some incredible upsets, we know who will be fighting for the Class I title in the new year:”

“Southeastern District: 1) The Edgar Allan Ravens; 2) The Breckenridge Jackals; 3) The Belmonte Terrapins; 4) The Palmetto State Foxes. Even with the top two spots falling into predictable place, the Southeast was more competitive than ever this year, and after the dust settled on a photo finish, the surprise victors were none other than the Foxes, who just managed to sneak into fourth place and back into the Championships for a second year in a row.”

“Northeastern District: 1) The Ohio State Buckeyes; 2) The Penn State Lions; 3) The Boston Terriers; 4) The Depaul Blue Demons; 5) The Binghampton Bearcats. The story in the Northeast is the story of the rise of the Buckeyes, who took first place in their district for the first time in history—but also the story of the fall of the Lions, who just barely managed to hold onto second place, after losing their entire coaching staff in the wake of scandal. But this story could be gearing up for a twist: in the odds bracket for the first time, the Buckeyes will have to fight through the other top-ranked teams to get to the semi-finals, while the Lions will have a much easier path through the evens bracket.”

“Southwestern District: 1) The UT Longhorns; 2) The UNLV Rebels; 3) The Arizona Sundevils; 4) The Baylor Bears. The Longhorns continue to hold onto the top spot, as the Sundevils continue to fall just short in their quest for past greatness, falling behind not only the Longhorns but the surging Rebels as well.”

“Northwestern District: 1) The USC Trojans; 2) The UC Davis Aggies; 3) The Washington State Cougars; 4) The UCLA Bruins; 5) The Idaho Vandals. While the rest of the districts have seen some upheaval, the Northwest remains predictable—save for the Vandals, who qualified for the Championships for the first time since making the jump to Class I in 2015.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “WELCOME TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: YOUR TOP 18 TEAMS.”

“Sadly, since the Foxes pulled out a win, we can’t offer you any Fox tears—but can we interest you in a Vixen absolutely eating it over and over and over again? That’s right, we’ve got the gif, and we’ve been staring at it nonstop since Friday. Just when you thought this squad couldn’t be any more embarrassing, they find a way to pull it off. What is that saying again? Laughter (at others) is the best medicine? Take it from us, this will do the trick.”

“It looks like two other Foxes have taken each other off the market—for now. We can’t say we’re surprised when two filthy rich trainwrecks hook up, but it does seem like an exercise in narcissism, doesn’t it? And if this party boy can keep it in his pants for his new lady love, we’ll be shocked.”

“The victorious Foxes might have tried to keep us out, but we’ve got gossip for you anyway. And we’ve got a riddle: what’s sloppy and drunk and red all over? Yelling at one boy, disappearing for some private time with another girl, and ending up with someone else at the end of the night? Seems like someone was busy.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

Even with finals rapidly approaching, the Palmetto campus is awash in orange and good spirits: and with both the Exy and football teams heading into their respective Championships, the stupid body seems willing to hop on the Exy bandwagon and temporarily claim the Foxes as their own.

With their spot in the Championships secure and no Exy left to play this semester, the Foxes enter into an abbreviated practice schedule, allowing them to maintain their conditioning and keep their on-court skills sharp, but still recover from their push to the postseason and conserve some energy for the coming Championships, where there will be a lot more brutal Exy to play.

The host for this year’s Winter Banquet is none other than the Edgar Allan Ravens. After an undefeated season that saw them squarely on top of the Southeastern District once more, the Ravens will welcome teams from both the Southeastern and Northeastern Districts into Castle Evermore on Saturday, December 15.

Of all the teams in the Foxes’ district, none are further away than Edgar Allan, and the over seven hour journey is a reminder of what’s to come next semester, when they take on even farther-flung teams.

With their banquet attire in tow, the Foxes and Vixens meet in the Court parking lot on Saturday morning to begin their journey. While they have no desire to stay in Ravens country for longer than they have to, the cumbersome journey means they’ll be staying overnight, and so when they arrive in West Virginia they check into their hotel and begin getting ready for the evening ahead.

THE FOXHOLE COURT: NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 2

ONLINE:

“With the regular Class I season coming to a close, the Championships picture is starting to come into view, but it’s still far from final. With only one game left, many teams are looking to lock in their positions—and many are angling for an upset.”

“The USC Trojans are the reigning champions, and with their continued domination in the Northwest, they’re not letting anyone forget why. On the other side of the country, the Edgar Allan Ravens have put together another undefeated season, and no one would be surprised to see these two teams meet in the final game for the Championship again.”

“The biggest story of the season is perhaps what’s happened to the final member of the Big Three. After losing their entire coaching staff and being buried under scandal, the Penn State Lions have faltered, leaving the door open for their long-time rivals the Ohio State Buckeyes to storm to the top spot in the Northeast. And they’re not the only team looking to capitalize on the Lions’ tumble, meaning that there’s room for even more surprises in the Northeast as we close in on the end of the regular season.”

“In the Southwest, it’s still unclear who’s going to be on top, as Texas, Nevada, and Arizona continue to battle it out with nearly-identical records. And while the top spots in the Southeast are already locked in, four teams are neck-and-neck for the remaining two: the USC-Columbia Gamecocks and the Belmonte Terrapins, both of which didn’t qualify for Championships last season; and the Blackwell Jackrabbits and the Palmetto State Foxes—who are improbably looking toward the prospect of back-to-back qualifying seasons—who did.“

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “CHAMPIONSHIPS UPDATE: WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT? WE STILL DON’T KNOW.”

“We may have been distracted by mom’s home cooking, but good gossip doesn’t take a break—and that’s why we’re thankful that some enterprising paparazzi took the mantle from us over the holiday break. Thanksgiving’s a time for family togetherness, don’t you think? This Fox seems to agree, except her family reunion wasn’t around the dinner table, it was in the graveyard. Did you bring a Ouija board—or would you rather not know what some ghosts have to say?”

“If we told you someone threw a tantrum over smoothies downtown, we’d bet money that you’d never guess who was behind it. It looks like Foxes don’t have a monopoly on losing their tempers—but, don’t worry, because it seems like there is justice in the world, and this temperamental Vixen was seen over the Thanksgiving break sporting a nasty black eye. We don’t know exactly what went down there, but we’re going to say that it’s fitting retribution for crimes against smoothies.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

The Foxes and Vixens return to campus after Thanksgiving along with the rest of the student body—but while the Foxes may be focused on Exy, on their last game of the regular season and their last chance to make it to the Championships, the rest of the campus only has on thing on their minds: football. 

The football team is in a similar predicament: they one game left to secure second place in their conference and advance to their Conference Championships. The opponent standing in their way? None other than the USC-Columbia Gamecocks, kicking off a hotly-anticipated Rivalry Series the weekend before the Exy Foxes face the Gamecocks themselves.

The Palmetto campus is awash in orange and white, banners loudly proclaiming Go Foxes! hanging on every building. And when the garnet-and-black clad Gamecocks and their fans flood into to town, they don’t come alone: their Exy team comes with them, in a show of support—and maybe one of intimidation.  

THIS IS YOUR GAME

Name: Patch Doe Age: Twenty Class Year: Sophomore Position: Vixen Hometown: Vermilion, Ohio This character is nonbinary and uses he/him and she/her pronouns.

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT

TW: child neglect/abuse, starvation mention, child death, homelessness

Kai’s parents were college sweethearts. When they had Kai, they gave him everything, and when they left Kai, they took everything as well. They passed away in a freak plane crash, and after their death his pregnant godparents took him in to honor their spirit. Kai was eight at the time, and despite the love they shared for his late parents, his godparents couldn’t help but dislike the fact that they now had two children to take care of, when they had been certain they were only going to have and take care of one.

When Tye was born, Kai’s godparents were enamoured with him—and Kai was too. Tye was such a bubbly baby, and while Kai was still aching from the loss of his parents, he found that his adoptive little brother’s attitude was contagious, and latched onto the change into being a big brother with a single minded passion. For two years Tye’s parents were completely taken with Tye, and Kai felt himself disappearing from their minds. He was sure his godparents didn’t mean to forget to feed him or pick him up for school; it was just because Tye was a lot to handle. Kai didn’t mind learning how to take care of himself all that much, although when he was sick or had nightmares about losing his parents, he missed sound of his mother shushing him as his father stroked his back.

However, Kai’s godparents became disenchanted with their birth son once he hit his terrible-twos. And, when the burden of being parents seemed too much, they left that responsibility to Kai. If he was going to be living in their house out of the goodness of their hearts, he might as well help out as well. And if Tye were to grow sick, or take a tumble, or cry in the middle of the night because he was hungry, it was Kai’s fault. Kai didn’t like it when it was his fault. And so he learned, and he learned fast. He already knew how to take care of himself, surely he could handle his little brother. And for three solid years, he did handle it. He made them breakfast before they had to leave for school, walked Tye back home after school, helped Tye with what little projects he had to do in his first grade class, made Tye dinner, and then hid him before their parents got home and ripped Kai a new one for leaving the house such a mess.

He was okay with how he had to live, because his brother was innocent in all of this. He hadn’t asked to be born to his parents, just like Kai hadn’t asked for his parents to die and leave him with them, and Kai was going to do everything he could for him. But Kai was still a child, growing into a young teen. He wanted to live his own life, too. He started sneaking off when Tye was five, always making sure his brother knew not to tattle if their parents came home early. He found love in painting, and would run to explore different medias with friends in the middle of the night. That was when he discovered his love for graffiti. Through it, he was finally able to be heard, even if no one knew who the voice belonged to.

Except, one night, he came home to an eerie stillness to the house. And what he found would change his life forever.

Kai knew deep down he should’ve never left Tye on his own, but he certainly hadn’t expected him to really hurt himself, to get into the laundry cabinets and consume what he found there. By the time he got home, Tye was already long dead.

And that’s how his godparents found him, hunched over the body of his little brother, trying so hard to wake him up. Even though they were removed from Tye’s life, they still loved him, and were devastated. They immediately accused Kai of murdering him out of jealousy. Like the loss of their real son was an opportunity to finally get rid of Kai, who had been, in their eyes, the start of their bad luck in life. Kai heard them talking to the police. He heard their hysterics from the other room as he stayed with his brother, and he knew exactly what would happen if he were to stay. He was scared, beyond terrified. He didn’t want to go to jail at fourteen. And so he did what he thought was best.

He ran.

He ran, and he ran, and for six months he ran. He doesn’t remember much of those six months. But he knows something horrible happened in them. But after those six months, Kai was taken in by a homeless shelter, where he stayed for the next two years, dodging any attempts to find him. He knew he couldn’t go home. He knew they would lock him away while they figured out what had happened.

And while Kai was at the homeless shelter, he found a family he had never had before. A sort of kinship. He was able to express his love for art to them, and they ate it up. It was why he felt it was his duty to do more for them. He was excellent at sewing, and was able to fix most of their clothing, which was especially important in winter. It was where he got the nickname Patch. It fit well, especially since he had never disclosed his name to them. So Patch was who he was, and he liked it that way. He also got very good at parkouring through the city to evade police, especially when he was caught shoplifting for the homeless shelter a few times. He learned how to be flexible, to fling himself and tuck and roll across rooftops and down fire escapes, because he knew if they caught him, he’d get worse than a slap on the wrist.

When he was sixteen, he looked at one of the ratty TVs at the homeless shelter, and was stunned to see mugshots of his godparents. Arrested for neglect—negligent homicide to be exact. Patch’s name was cleared, and he could go home.

But he didn’t. He had his place now, and it was nowhere near where he had been. But it did mean he could finally come out of hiding, and so he did: he got a job, he worked, and he painted, and he helped the shelter. He continued to practice parkour, because he had found something that made him feel like he was flying. There was something about perfecting his back flips off of ledges that made him feel alive. Painting was nice, but sometimes he needed to move his body. Throwing himself into handstands and walking along the ledge of buildings high in the air gave him a rush of adrenaline that fueled his more maudlin days. It also helped that he was very good at entertaining the people at the homeless shelter on a rainy day by launching into practice routines he had studied on their one shitty computer. They loved it, and he loved it too.

He saved up enough money to get his GED and enroll in community college close to the shelter, where he still stayed. He didn’t really think he would get a degree, but he liked taking the art classes. He liked talking with the other students there. He officially changed his name to Patch Doe. He didn’t want to be associated with anything from his past. Not his given name, nor his last name. He wanted that part of his life to disappear, and if he didn’t look at the memories of it for long enough, he could feel it slowly slipping away into a dark place in his mind.

And he was okay with that.

SEIZE IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT

It was at the insistence of those at the homeless shelter that he decided to apply for a four-year college and move away to get his degree. The scholarships Palmetto offered for those in need made it an easy choice and, as a bonus, they were offering additional scholarships for those in athletics. So naturally, Patch had to try for that too, even though he was absolutely certain he wouldn’t get anywhere with it. However, the Vixens were a surprisingly good fit—something all of his years scaling and learning the city meshed well with. Doing standing flips wasn’t quite the same as the rush he got leaping from one building to another and landing in a roll, but it felt similar enough, and he hadn’t ever had as much connection with others his age. Besides, he had gotten quite the love for performing given how often he had agreed to do so for the people back home.

And Patch has to admit, this life he has now is much better than the one that he pretends never existed.

THIS IS YOUR GAME

Name: Patch Doe Age: Twenty Class Year: Sophomore Position: Vixen Hometown: Vermilion, Ohio This character is nonbinary and uses he/him and she/her pronouns.

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT

TW: child neglect/abuse, starvation mention, child death, homelessness

Kai’s parents were college sweethearts. When they had Kai, they gave him everything, and when they left Kai, they took everything as well. They passed away in a freak plane crash, and after their death his pregnant godparents took him in to honor their spirit. Kai was eight at the time, and despite the love they shared for his late parents, his godparents couldn’t help but dislike the fact that they now had two children to take care of, when they had been certain they were only going to have and take care of one.

When Tye was born, Kai’s godparents were enamoured with him—and Kai was too. Tye was such a bubbly baby, and while Kai was still aching from the loss of his parents, he found that his adoptive little brother’s attitude was contagious, and latched onto the change into being a big brother with a single minded passion. For two years Tye’s parents were completely taken with Tye, and Kai felt himself disappearing from their minds. He was sure his godparents didn’t mean to forget to feed him or pick him up for school; it was just because Tye was a lot to handle. Kai didn’t mind learning how to take care of himself all that much, although when he was sick or had nightmares about losing his parents, he missed sound of his mother shushing him as his father stroked his back.

However, Kai’s godparents became disenchanted with their birth son once he hit his terrible-twos. And, when the burden of being parents seemed too much, they left that responsibility to Kai. If he was going to be living in their house out of the goodness of their hearts, he might as well help out as well. And if Tye were to grow sick, or take a tumble, or cry in the middle of the night because he was hungry, it was Kai’s fault. Kai didn’t like it when it was his fault. And so he learned, and he learned fast. He already knew how to take care of himself, surely he could handle his little brother. And for three solid years, he did handle it. He made them breakfast before they had to leave for school, walked Tye back home after school, helped Tye with what little projects he had to do in his first grade class, made Tye dinner, and then hid him before their parents got home and ripped Kai a new one for leaving the house such a mess.

He was okay with how he had to live, because his brother was innocent in all of this. He hadn’t asked to be born to his parents, just like Kai hadn’t asked for his parents to die and leave him with them, and Kai was going to do everything he could for him. But Kai was still a child, growing into a young teen. He wanted to live his own life, too. He started sneaking off when Tye was five, always making sure his brother knew not to tattle if their parents came home early. He found love in painting, and would run to explore different medias with friends in the middle of the night. That was when he discovered his love for graffiti. Through it, he was finally able to be heard, even if no one knew who the voice belonged to.

Except, one night, he came home to an eerie stillness to the house. And what he found would change his life forever.

Kai knew deep down he should’ve never left Tye on his own, but he certainly hadn’t expected him to really hurt himself, to get into the laundry cabinets and consume what he found there. By the time he got home, Tye was already long dead.

And that’s how his godparents found him, hunched over the body of his little brother, trying so hard to wake him up. Even though they were removed from Tye’s life, they still loved him, and were devastated. They immediately accused Kai of murdering him out of jealousy. Like the loss of their real son was an opportunity to finally get rid of Kai, who had been, in their eyes, the start of their bad luck in life. Kai heard them talking to the police. He heard their hysterics from the other room as he stayed with his brother, and he knew exactly what would happen if he were to stay. He was scared, beyond terrified. He didn’t want to go to jail at fourteen. And so he did what he thought was best.

He ran.

He ran, and he ran, and for six months he ran. He doesn’t remember much of those six months. But he knows something horrible happened in them. But after those six months, Kai was taken in by a homeless shelter, where he stayed for the next two years, dodging any attempts to find him. He knew he couldn’t go home. He knew they would lock him away while they figured out what had happened.

And while Kai was at the homeless shelter, he found a family he had never had before. A sort of kinship. He was able to express his love for art to them, and they ate it up. It was why he felt it was his duty to do more for them. He was excellent at sewing, and was able to fix most of their clothing, which was especially important in winter. It was where he got the nickname Patch. It fit well, especially since he had never disclosed his name to them. So Patch was who he was, and he liked it that way. He also got very good at parkouring through the city to evade police, especially when he was caught shoplifting for the homeless shelter a few times. He learned how to be flexible, to fling himself and tuck and roll across rooftops and down fire escapes, because he knew if they caught him, he’d get worse than a slap on the wrist.

When he was sixteen, he looked at one of the ratty TVs at the homeless shelter, and was stunned to see mugshots of his godparents. Arrested for neglect—negligent homicide to be exact. Patch’s name was cleared, and he could go home.

But he didn’t. He had his place now, and it was nowhere near where he had been. But it did mean he could finally come out of hiding, and so he did: he got a job, he worked, and he painted, and he helped the shelter. He continued to practice parkour, because he had found something that made him feel like he was flying. There was something about perfecting his back flips off of ledges that made him feel alive. Painting was nice, but sometimes he needed to move his body. Throwing himself into handstands and walking along the ledge of buildings high in the air gave him a rush of adrenaline that fueled his more maudlin days. It also helped that he was very good at entertaining the people at the homeless shelter on a rainy day by launching into practice routines he had studied on their one shitty computer. They loved it, and he loved it too.

He saved up enough money to get his GED and enroll in community college close to the shelter, where he still stayed. He didn’t really think he would get a degree, but he liked taking the art classes. He liked talking with the other students there. He officially changed his name to Patch Doe. He didn’t want to be associated with anything from his past. Not his given name, nor his last name. He wanted that part of his life to disappear, and if he didn’t look at the memories of it for long enough, he could feel it slowly slipping away into a dark place in his mind.

And he was okay with that.

SEIZE IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT

It was at the insistence of those at the homeless shelter that he decided to apply for a four-year college and move away to get his degree. The scholarships Palmetto offered for those in need made it an easy choice and, as a bonus, they were offering additional scholarships for those in athletics. So naturally, Patch had to try for that too, even though he was absolutely certain he wouldn’t get anywhere with it. However, the Vixens were a surprisingly good fit—something all of his years scaling and learning the city meshed well with. Doing standing flips wasn’t quite the same as the rush he got leaping from one building to another and landing in a roll, but it felt similar enough, and he hadn’t ever had as much connection with others his age. Besides, he had gotten quite the love for performing given how often he had agreed to do so for the people back home.

And Patch has to admit, this life he has now is much better than the one that he pretends never existed.