Tot Best

Tot Best
Art by @_waalkr
Basic Information
Team	LA Unlimited Tacos
Former Team(s)	Hellmouth Sunbeams
Overall Rating	(2.5)
Batting	(2)
Pitching	(3)
Defense	(2.5)
Running	(3)
Vibes	(1.5)
Dates Active	Jul 20, 2020–present
External Links	Blaseball-Reference Player Changes Player Page
Biographical Details
Pronouns	Tot: they/them Alieu: he/him Lamine: ae/aer Colum: it/its
Language(s)	Bayot, French, Wolof, English
Other Background Information
Heliolatric Zodiac	Flesh Euphony

Tot Best is a player for the LA Unlimited Tacos, and has been with the team since Fall Ball. Best has previously played for the Hellmouth Sunbeams.

Official League Records

Best joined the ILB as a player in the Shadows for the Moab Sunbeams with the Return of Blaseball.

On Season β24, Day 70, Best joined the Sunbeams' rotation in exchange for Nagomi Nava due to Night.

During the November 4, 2022 Fall Ball, Best fell to the LA Unlimited Tacos.

Background

Thierno Ousmane Best, known by friends and family as Tot Best, is the host of a plural system known as the Besties. Born and raised in Ziguinchor, Senegal, the Besties grew up with an affinity for art. Tot always loved the ability to get messy through creation and soon took up pottery, baking, and candle making. They spent years on these projects for fun, and were soon encouraged by their mother to stay with their aunt during a break from school. Their aunt, born in Senegal then living in Ireland, had been an artist and an inspiration for not only Tot’s works, but other members of the Besties as well. Eventually, she helped the Besties enroll in art school after graduation.

After completing art school, they decided to travel and seek inspiration around the world, eventually reaching Salt Lake City, Utah. The city had long been one on their list of places to visit as one of the Besties, Colum Best, had always wanted to attend the Sundlance Film Festival. While visiting the city the Besties learned from locals about the artistic history and modernity of the local area. They were specifically encouraged to visit the town of Moab, Utah and to spend some time studying various art forms in the Shadow Moabbey. However, during this visit another member of the Besties system, Alieu Best, learned of the approaching Return of Blaseball. Interested in the splort and desiring a means of expressing his own interests outside the realm of fine arts, Alieu signed Tot up for the game specifically, and they were soon brought onto the team as a Prospective.

Time as a Prospective

As members of the Prospective Path the Besties were immediately given accommodations at the Shadow Moabbey. Though they did not use them consistently, the Besties were greatly appreciative of the perks such as a potter's wheel, high quality paints, a large kitchen, and selection of fine, fresh cheeses. In spite of the perks offered by the Moabbey the Besties—aside from Alieu—had little interest in Blaseball, instead taking advantage of their seemingly infinite time and resources to further their individual careers as artists.

The majority of Tot's time after The Return was focused on furthering their craft, now influenced by the local area. They were eventually featured in the Utah Museum Of Contemplorary Art and became a known face in the Salt Lake City art scene. Their methods afforded to them by Adaptation gave their work a "unique Hellmouthian influence" that was praised by fellow artists and critics alike.

As a Prospective Tot often crossed paths with other members of the league—despite having little interest in the goings-ons of Internet League Blaseball. This includes the beginning of their friendship with Rush Valenzuela, whom they first met due to their shared interest in various artistic forms, most notably sculpture. The two became fast friends and have been seen collaborating on works in their free time.

Joining the Team

Shortly after joining the active roster, the Besties formally moved into Sigmund Castillo with the assistance of familiar face Paula Reddick and team captain Lars Taylor. Tot was also given an option of a new workshop within Castillo. Though initially hesitant to venture into the Lovers sections of Castillo, having never formally met the team on the Blaseball field, they did eventually work up the courage to introduce themself to fellow blaseball-playing ceramicist, Jacob Winner. Winner, excited to meet another potter and ceramic connoisseur in a castle filled with blacksmiths and weapons enthusiasts, was happy to show Tot around the workshop. Though Tot had been primarily using a workshop located in the Moabbey, they began to share the space inside Castillo with Winner. Tot has since become a known face to the Lovers as well as the Sunbeams, often getting visits from players of both teams. Alongside getting to know the team's roommates, Tot also got a chance to meet some of the longer term members of the Sunbeams while residing within Castillo. Given the rarity of a new Sunbeams pitcher, they were quickly acquainted with old school pitcher and "team mom" Sandoval Crossing who was quite happy to introduce another fresh face to the world of Sunbeams pitching. Tot was immediately given the rundown of the various intense pitching traditions of the Sunbeams.

Despite the sudden, chaotic nature of Tot's career they did not have to face the experience alone. Two days after Tot joined the active roster, Borg "Bo" Ruiz clocked in as well, replacing Guy Gulp on the lineup. Until then the two had merely been acquaintances, but given the overwhelming nature of the situation Tot and Ruiz quickly became good friends. Though Ruiz had to play every game for the remainder of the season while Tot only had a handful left, Tot was sure to show up to each game to support Ruiz as best they could.

Tot and Ruiz found themselves in a similar situation when joining the team. While they both used the accommodations provided by the team at both the Moabbey and within Castillo, neither had a permanent, more private residence in Hellmouth proper. The two eventually decided to become roommates in a small house on the east side of town. Tot also suggested the inclusion of Gulp, as a thanks for allowing Ruiz to play. After hearing about this plan various teammates suggested they take teammate Phineas Wormthrice along with them. Thus the four "newbies" moved into their house.

The Besties

Tot Best is currently the only member of the Besties system playing for the ILB. The majority of this page focuses on them for this reason, but other members of the system have interacted with members of the Sunbeams off the field in various ways. These members include: Alieu, Lamine, and Colum Best.

‌Alieu Best is best known for being the singer, dancer, and all around athlete of the Besties. Aside from Tot, Alieu is often seen fronting, though only off the field. Despite his interest in Blaseball, he is hesitant to join the big leagues. However, this does not mean that Alieu does not have a presence on the team. Alieu has been noted for being a good, motivational presence in practice and even has been seen writing motivational tips for Tot before games. Additionally, Alieu has built quite a rapport with teammates Nagomi Nava and Howell Franklin, the three of them becoming workout buddies during their free time.

‌Colum Best is a photographer, documentarian, and amateur investigative journalist. It does not front nearly as often as Alieu or Tot, but when it does it is often seen working on various film projects it has laying around. Colum has taken the time to interview nearly every past and present member of the Sunbeams and uses it's time in Hellmouth as well as on the road to look for the subject of its next film.

‌Lamine Best is an artiste, most notably a painter. Of all the Besties Lamine fronts the least and when ae does ae are generally quite solitary and introverted, spending the majority of the time in aer studio painting. Ae frequently paints landscapes and finds the Hellmouth to be a good inspiration. Lamine does not often interact with other members of the Sunbeams, but does enjoy the company of Phineas Wormthrice as a painting buddy.

Trivia

• The Besties use a cane due to a chronic condition, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
• Around the time of The Return Tot opened a small ceramics shop in Hellmouth, but with the implementation of the Anti-Tourism Board and lack of new patrons the shop is now commissions only. They sell a lot of dinner plates.
• Tot's favorite pizza is well done.
• Even though Tot is not a musician, they do own a mbira. They know how to play it, but have never successfully remembered a song, causing them to constantly relearn the same pieces.
• Tot keeps a formicarium, with a particularly large colony of Solenopsis salina.
• As a baker Tot loves to make food to share with friends and will show up to team practices with various treats and breads. The only rule of their kitchen is that they have a special spatula nobody is allowed to touch.
• The only way Tot listens to music is through videos of songs slowed down with reverb. The only exception to this rule is when listening to music with Borg Ruiz, who listens exclusively to nightcore.

Fan Works

• 

  Tot Best & Nagomi Nava
  by Olive

• 

  Mini-Blaseballer
  by @HetreaSky

• 

  Tot Best with Borg Ruiz, Guy Gulp, and Phineas Wormthrice
  by Olive

• 

  *tink tonk tink*
  by Ash

• 

  by @_waalkr

• 

  The artist and the muse
  by Olive