#and the winner is whoever puts their puzzle together first

[ourhouseishaunted]

Vash and Chronica's terrible sibling game night

[gauloiseblue]

A Loyal Dog

Years of dealing with people, he too has developed some kind of intuition. Although it's more about who he can trust, and who is not

But in this case, he can sense a strange devotion from the gardener

He knew people who had blind faith in someone, just like him. And they're both the most submissive, and the most ruthless people he ever met. They're docile when it comes to the person they trust, but when it threatens the person's safety, they won't hesitate to bite

The boy's behavior might be normal for now, but he just feels it in his gut that it's more than that

He mentions the boy to Liv, and she immediately laughs

"Oh, that sweet boy." She chuckles, "He follows her around like a dog. He'd pick the loveliest flowers for her everyday, and she'd tell him to put it in the vase. It's a bit sad that they don't do that anymore, I guess she too keeps him at a distance now."

He learns that they both were close, before the words started to spread. Liv describes that she thought of him as a son, but he didn't seem to think of her as a mother figure

"I told this to her, and do you know what she said? She said, 'I'm glad then, it means he has a loving mother.' I mean, I get it, but he can take it in the wrong way, you know?" She groans, "Not to mention that he already took interest in her long he started working for her."

He raises his brow at her, "Really?"

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure when it started, but his uncle sells gardening tools. She's a frequent in his store before he took care of everything. You said that one day he suddenly knocked on her door right? Maybe he knew her from his uncle."

After his conversation with the baker, his perception of her changes slightly. There's a lot of people who prefers younger people, and it's possible that she's one of them. The distance that they put is just a facade, because behind all that, they do have a feeling for the person. If she's one of them, he won't know what to think of her

Perhaps the reason for it is just because he likes her, and he wants it to be yet another puzzle to solve. That the complexity of her feeling isn't about love, but something else entirely

Nevertheless, he keeps a good relation with her

Sometimes he dares himself to take her out, or simply hanging out in her place

She seems to enjoy his company as well, for a reason that he can match her witty remarks

Maybe it's a privilege to be in their late 40s, where they can be as free as they want, and not hiding anything from each other, knowing that they'll find it one way or the other

He doesn't hide his interest in her, and she doesn't shy away from it, so it's no surprise when they become close in relatively short time

"There'll be a festival next week," He told her one afternoon, "Do you wanna come?"

She pauses, idly traces the rim of her mug with her finger, "Sure, I want to. But Finn has asked me to come too, and I said no."

"Are you afraid that you'll run into him?"

"A little bit." She sighs, "He has a habit of dragging people along, I don't want to walk with him in the crowd."

"You can use me as an excuse." He smiles, "I won't let go of your hand."

She laughs, "You better hold it tight, then." She hums, placing her chin on her palm, "Let's just hope Bonnie sees him first, she won't let go of that boy's hand for sure."

"Bonnie? The carpenter's daughter?"

She nods, "She likes him, so she won't pass up a chance to explore the festival with him."

They both agree on the plan to wall together to the festival, and stay in the adult only place, which is an open bar with a poker table. They jokingly make a bet on whoever wins the most money, with the prize of whatever the winner wants

On the day the festival is held, they both meet up at her place, before heading to the town

It's a common festival, with food stalls and other items being sold at cheaper prices. She can't resist the discounted grapes, and ends up buying a basket's worth of it

Unfortunately, they both meet Finn before Bonnie could find him, and so they play the adult-only card

"I'm not a kid anymore, Mrs. (name), I can handle the alcohol."

"But you can't come with us, we're going to the gambling table."

"I'll stay at the bar—"

"No." She said sternly, "It's not your place to be in. I won't allow it. If I see you anywhere near the bar, I'll tell your parents."

It seems to have an effect on him, as he falls quiet. She keeps the stern expression on her, before she softens up and pats on his head

"Enjoy the festival with the other kids, Finn. I'm sure you'll have more fun with them."

His face shows a disagreement for a split second, but he nods afterwards

He pats on his arm to cheer him up, before they both leave him, all alone in the crowd. He does feel bad for the kid, but the feeling doesn't stay for too long

When they join the poker table, the people around them seem surprised, but excited to see a new face in the game. Though it's mostly aimed at the woman beside him

As they agreed on, they'll only play for 2 hours, with £20 as the start

The thing about him is that he always wins at every poker game, but only when his opponents are men. He manages to outplay the other players until they fold and out, except for her

Still, there's people who dares to challenge her. They'd put their money on the table, and play against them both. But little do they know, they're the fool one on the table

They end up playing for more than 2 hours, and he begins to get tipsy from the beer he's been drinking. It's when he blunders by putting all in

Turns out, she has a 4 of a kind, while he just has a full house king

That's when she grins at him, signaling that the game's over

"Alright gentlemen." She announced as she stood up, "Thank you for the game, it was fun. I know you probably want me to go all in and give it to whoever's the luckiest, but I'll treat you all to a glass of beer, yeah? Sounds good?"

Almost everyone around the table agrees, with a few cheers and claps

After going through the rowdy crowd, they both manage to make it out of the festival, giggling and waking fast on the road

At her home, he sinks into the sofa as the wearin begins to settle. She slips into the kitchen with the basket, and comes back with a whiskey and two glass shots

He groans, "I had enough, I can't drink anymore."

"I'm not forcing you to drink." She said as she sat down, "We're just gonna play a game."

"What game?"

"Truth or drink." She grins, "If you don't wanna get drunk, you should tell the truth."

He snorts, but straightens his back to join the game

"I'll go first." She said, "Do you have kids, John?"

He shook his head, "Didn't have the time for it, and we ended up splitting. Have you been married to someone?"

"No, I didn't have the time for it." She said, which made him chuckle, "Why did you move to this town?"

"A friend of mine once told me about this village, it sounded good, and the land's cheap as well, so," He shrugs, "Why did you come here?"

"To escape from the big city." She replied, "Where's your friend now, John?"

He doesn't want to answer it, so he takes a shot. "Are you an artist, name? A big time artist perhaps?"

Now it's her turn to drink her shot. "Do you plan to move again someday?"

"No, at least not yet. Liked it here." He answered, "What do you think of Finn? Do you know he likes you in a romantic way?"

"One question at a time." She said, "I think he's a good boy, a bit naive though. What have you been talking to Liv about me?"

"Nothing much, just the basic stuff." He clears his throat, "What were you like when you first moved, your entire history with Liv, and then Finn. Do you know he likes you in a romantic way?"

She sighs as she scratches her head, "I know… I wish he'd see me like a mother, or a generous aunt, I don't mind, but then again, we always search for something we can't have, aren't we?" She shook her head, "Do you dislike him, John?"

"Not at all." He smiles, "I have no reason to dislike him, he's a good kid." He then lifts his gaze to her, "What do you think of me, (name)?"

She fell quiet for a second, before she told him, "I think you're just like me. We've been running from the past, until we forgot how to stop running. What do you think of me?"

"I think you're lovely." He replied, "You're like a pretty puzzle that I'd like to solve over and over again, something that I'd like to keep in my pocket, so I could unravel you whenever I wanted."

The alcohol in his blood begins to work, as he gets enough courage to lean closer, reaching out to touch her cheek

She doesn't pull away, but doesn't move either, instead, she asks him, "Do you like me, John?"

"One question at a time." He retorted, "Would you allow me to kiss you?"

To his disappointment, she prefers to take a shot than giving him an answer

"Well, let me ask you again, John. Do you like me?"

"Do I look like someone who'd kiss anyone I didn't like?"

"No, you don't." She lets out a chuckle, "Say, if I were to go to Italy, would you come with me?"

He snaps his head towards her, not prepared for the question. "... What?"

"Do you wanna go to Italy with me, John?"

"I already heard that." He tilted his head, "What's the occasion?"

"I won the bet, didn't I?"

"Oh… that." He rubs his face to sober up, "You're telling me you want to go to Italy with me as the prize?"

She nods, "I always want to travel the world with a partner, and I'd like to know if you're qualified for it."

"All expenses paid?" He jests, but she nods nevertheless, "What if I end up disappointing you?"

"Then I'll stay here for the rest of my life."

He can't help but grin. "It's a big commitment, y'know."

"Didn't you say you want to keep me in your pocket?"

"Won't it be suffocating for you?"

"That's what I asked." She tugs her lips slightly, "Suffocate me, John."

Her hand reached up to touch his, it was cold, pleasantly cold against his skin. His face heated up, as if he's been kissed, but what she gave him was sweeter than a kiss. It was indeed sweeter….

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[spellcasterlight]

hi there! i saw many titles in your wip tag game thing, but one in particular caught my attention i wanna know more abt ur shinoten hunger games au 👀 if youre comfy sharing of course !

have a good day ✨❤

Hi there @alumort!

Warnings: None - under the cut simply for length!

Thanks for the ask! ✨

WIP Titles Game! 📓

Ao3 ✨ | WIP Game Always Open ✒️| Ko-Fi ☕

So I was in a Hungers Games mood and started jotting down some notes!

The first chapter would of course be heavy in backstory and world building. Lee and Sakura dying in the games. Tenten being Gai’s adopted daughter. Her taking over the blacksmith shop after he is injured in an attack. Shino being the mayors son. 

I would have them both admire the other for different reasons, coming to light more during the pre-game interviews and training. Tenten would admire Shino’s intelligence, his wants to improve the lives of everyone who lives in his district, how he treats everyone the same no matter where they come from and his self-taught capabilities with a bow. 

Shino would admire her determination and drive as well as her loyalty to her family and her creative abilities as a blacksmith and her ways of handling swords as well as throwing knives because of her work.

Kakashi would be Tenten’s mentor and only because he promised Gai to bring her home. Kurenai would be a paid for mentor by Shibi. Both mentors make it clear to their charges they will sacrifice the other tribute should the need arise (for different but understandable reasons) but Shino and Tenten dig their heels in and stick to their plan to team up and win together.

I also wanted to do some changes to the games themselves. I would keep a permanent rule of ‘if two tributes survive from one district they both win’ but also add a mental puzzle aspect so I could bring in more of Shino’s intelligence and teamworking opportunities. I would also have an ‘end point’ to the game. A place were the potentials winners would need to have their last show down to win so to speak!

Below are some extremely rough exerts mostly in dialogue form!:

Tenten being asked about Lee and Shino in her pre-games interview:

So I have heard that your brother was also a participant in the games is that true?

Most contestants try to go it alone don’t even think about trying to team up with their nation partner and even if they do one of them dies before they can find each other.

The girl last year was Sakura Haruno, remembering what Kakashi had said she tried to engage the audience. Maybe some of you remember her? Cherry blossom pink hair, beautiful green eyes, just a little bit of a temper?

My brother had been in love with her since he first laid eyes on her.

When she was called for the reaping his is the cry you can hear in the playback.

Konan hadn’t even finished saying she was going to pick the boys name before he volunteered. And part of me knew he would.  There was just no way he was going to let her go into the games with someone who might not put her first. Who would go in with the intention of never teaming up with her. That whoever it was would have no intention of bringing her home.

Their plan right from the beginning was to find each other and win together.

Sakura worked in the small medical clinic we have but after that attack by the boy from the sound there was nothing she could do

Your other nation tribute, Shino Aburame, tell us about him.

Shino is the most intelligent person I’ve ever met and the politest him and his dad both are. Shino has all these ideas about how to improve the district for everyone and I- He’s-He’s good people. I admire him.

Shino being asked about Tenten in his pre-games interview:

And what are your thoughts on your other nation tribute, Tenten?

Tenten is everything I am not. She is fierce and powerful and skilled in combat and I find myself enraptured by her beauty both inside and out.

Do you plan on trying to win together?

I would not win without her. But she would have a chance without me.

Tenten and Shino planning on working together the night before the games:

Why did you lie? In your interview.

I did not lie. I do not lie.

Yes you did. You said you couldn’t win without me but I could win without you. That’s wrong and you know it. I’d never get out of there alive without you. You would know how to answer the riddles for the chests, you would know what we could and couldn’t eat, you would have a plan for each other tribute.

I have what? I have a little muscle on me and I can run a bit.

Even if I managed to find one of the chests, crack the code, and there’s a sword or a knife in there. I’m doing nothing more than taking down a few of the other tributes before I-

You sell yourself short. I stand by what I said in the interview.

And I stand by what I’m saying right now.

Could we really do it?

I have faith in us. I have faith in you.

I have faith in you too.

So it’s settled. We’re in this together.

Together.

Kakashi and Tenten’s final talk before she enters the games:

Any last words of advice?

Stick to the plan. Get a weapon find water and find Shino.

We said we would both aim for the centre. They always place the tributes around the outside of the arena looking in so

That is what everyone else's plan is going to be.

It’s the only way we’re going to find each other.

I have to tell you Tenten. I made your dad a promise I would look after you if that means having to prioritise you over Shino I-

-I’m going to do that. I will not see Gai cry again.

Sensei.

We won’t lose you too.

If push comes to shove you need to look after Shino not me. He can do so much more for our village than I can. He’s smart and well connected and level headed he’ll make better decisions than I ever could. He’s the better choice for all of us.

Shino figuring out a puzzle in the games:

Tenten. A chest.

What on earth does that even mean?

Please Tenten be quiet a moment.

His fingers flailed staying completely silent

It worked!

I fear it will not be that simple.

The chest contained a beautifully made bow and a quiver that was unhelpfully empty as if to only half-heartedly congratulate Shino on his working out of the clue.

It is as I thought. The puzzle was too simple for anything truly helpful.

She wordless took them out of the chest only taking a second to admire the craftsmanship of the longbow before handing them to him.

At least you can swing it at someone

After the games, Tenten and Shino head home:

The train would stop in Konoha the next day

Tenten-

I like this. Us I think we make a great team and I-

I would like to look into this more. If you don’t want to please say now-

That is also what I wish.

But slow right?

Slow.

May I still kiss you sometimes?

What do you think?

[class1akids]

But what does Deku’s cape have to do with Bakugou’s endgame?

So I’m sort of still stuck on trying to figure out if Deku really took up unironically Gran “choose murder” Torino’s mantle...

and inevitably, I’m circling back to the official art, where this idea was floated first, all the ways back when. 

Looking at Todoroki and Bakugou, I think it’s clear that the capes they are wearing are not at all positive symbols - they are rather tainted legacies to overcome.

Shouto is wearing Endeavor’s cape from the Fantasy AU Art - where Endeavor is depicted in a long white cape of a pilgrim. Endeavor is the ultimate symbol of the hero, who is completely disconnected from his private self and while he saves strangers, he destroys his own family.  While Endeavor’s sins are personal and his own, the entire family ends up carrying that burden. Shouto’s path to become a hero is to save his family and become a person who is coherent - Shouto the hero and Shouto the person are one and the same. The cape symbolizes that change is possible, but the past never dies, so the path is long and arduous. 

I think along the same line of symbolism, Gran Torino’s cape may represent hero society’s sins by omission. Gran Torino is the hero who didn’t meddle when he could have, who didn’t take a risk to reach out when he got a second chance, and who seeing his own failure lead to Tenko to become a fearsome villain decided that the best course of action is to put him down like a rabid dog. Deku’s path as a hero is to meddle where he doesn’t need to, reach out to people who seem like the enemy because his drive to save is greater than his drive to win. 

The most puzzling is Bakugou wearing Stain’s cape. Puzzling, because Bakugou and Stain never crossed paths so far and while characters like Shouto, Deku or Iida have a lot of links to Stain, Bakugou doesn’t really have any. It seemed like an odd choice, but in light of the Chapter 310 spoilers, I wonder if it gives us some ideas about Bakugou’s endgame. 

I think Chapter 310 made it clear that whoever 2nd holder is EXACTLY (Bakugou ancestor, alt!bakugou, random Bakugou cos-player dude - I think bak-u-go is off the table), he is foremost Bakugou’s thematic parallel. He is Yoichi’s Bakugou. Like it’s not subtle at all. Sensei made sure that we know. 

The first glimpse of 2nd is that he’s a guy who values strength and winning above all, who will do whatever it takes to achieve it, even if it requires using others as stepping stones in their path. Sounds like someone we know? But also this type of hero - unyielding enough in his convictions not to ever compromise his values and strong enough to carry them out is Stain’s ideal hero. Stain’s mantle is the mantle of an unyielding fanatic who is so obsessed with ideals that he’s lost the ability to see the human. Someone who is a slave to the idea of strength and convictions, wrongly equating the two - as if having an unyielding spirit was a privilege of only the strongest.

Still, 2nd changed history not by winning through strength and willpower (obviously, he lost to AFO) but when he acted in pure compassion and held out a hand to Yoichi. 2nd decided to save Yoichi, despite knowing he was AFO’s brother; despite Yoichi being connected to the mortal enemy. He took a big risk. 

We don’t exactly know what happened or whether this act of compassion cost them the fight here or somewhere down the line. In 2nd’s rigid worldview, everything is divided into winners and losers and that’s all that matters or at least that’s what he says. But still, choosing to save Yoichi, someone physically weak and powerless enabled Yoichi to become a hero, the both of them creating together that legacy of a growing power that could eventually overcome AFO.  

And the visual is surprising - because Yoichi is Tomura’s parallel (although I have a theory that he’s meant to be both Deku’s and Tomura’s parallel), and we’d expect Deku being the one extending the hand.  

But OFA starts not with a Deku-like character, but with a Bakugou-like character reaching out in pure compassion, placing above victory or strength saving someone; in an act that’s not driven by rationality or tactical considerations, but his heart. 

So I think this is a clue that Bakugou reaching his hand out in compassion will be the endgame win-condition, and just like 2nd, he’ll be leading a group of heroes who defy AFO. Not culling the weaker, but forging alliances with them, even a sickly, quirkless boy, enabling them to fight for their beliefs. T

It’s also interesting that out of any characters, it was only Bakugou who ever saw OFA as a cursed power, ever told Deku that he was “like AFO”. So I wonder if all this is moving in a direction where Deku will fail in some way, or will lose the trust of others (Dad4One? curse, curse) who may think he’s associated with AFO, and Bakugou will be the one to trust him and save him, despite all evidence to the contrary. 

Or perhaps Deku will save Tomura, and Bakugou will reach out to the both of them, trusting Tomura not because it tactically makes sense, but because it’s compassionate to do so.. 

Or maybe it is simply foreshadowing DvK3 (edition “THE TALK”), and after Deku reaching out twice, this time it will be Bakugou reaching out a hand, reminding Deku that he’s not alone in this fight. 

In any case, in Bakugou’s arc, we’ve covered winning, and saving, and self-sacrifice - but his true full circle I guess could be becoming someone who looks at a seemingly weak and powerless person and saw them as a hero.

It’s perfectly possible that this is completely off the mark, because the latest chapters really went in directions that felt like missing or speeding through story-beats and not in a good way. I also feel like we are changing direction and some of the things built up have been changed as an afterthought. Which is why I didn’t really feel like writing meta lately. 

[gray-is-neutral]

Before the Fall

Hey y’all! I posted this on my AO3 acount, but I wanted to post it here too.

......however, if you were to want to check it out.....my name is addicus_ace_of_gray. 

If not, that’s chill too. Let me know what y’all think! Leave a comment or don’t that is also chill. Thank you! :)

I looked at the ceiling, mapping out Moriarty’s next move in my mind. I blocked everything out. I had to. Everyone was starting to doubt me. I was used to them thinking it was me who killed the people whose murders I solved, but not John. Never him. He had to know it wasn’t me. He had to. He has to.

It was quiet when I came to. It was dark. Night had fallen while I had laid still. I looked around the apartment. It was a wreck and I understood that, but the idea of cleaning it sent panic coursing through my veins. It didn’t make sense, but I knew where everything was, and I will know where everything is in the morning. 

I smelled tea and reheated leftovers. John was home. I weighed my next actions. Does he want to see me? If he really did, wouldn’t he try to get my attention? What if he had been and simply gave up? What if he didn’t want to see me, and is just being really bad at sneaking about? What if he thinks I don’t want to see him? What if..what if?

“Are you here?” John asked in the same stern, but gentle I’ve grown used to. 

“Yes,” I responded, monotone. 

“Did you figure it out?” he inquired, setting a bowl of soup from yesterday in front of me. His eyes searched me. He was trying to deduce me. He was never quite good at it though. I honestly think that it would ruin him if he was. I would hate for him to ever be anything like me. I would hate for him to know what I see when I look at complete strangers. I would hate for his beautiful heart to become as cold as mine. I would hate for him to be a freak too.

“Sherlock?” he said after a long moment of silence.

“No,” was all I could manage. This was getting past mildly embarrassing. 

Moriarty was no longer just a difficult case. He was the cause of my humiliation. I never thought I would care if there was another who could outwit me. I was sure there was. John has many times, and so has Mycroft. I am by no means, unaware that others are more intelligent than I am, but this was something else. 

John loved it when I solved the case and saved the day. He has made me a hero, not only in his stories, but in his own mind as well. The problem is that I am no hero. I am a pathetic, lonely, broken addict who can barely call myself a man. I have no illusions about this. I may work on the side of Angels, but never confuse me for one of them. I knew how I am, but I wanted to be the hero he deserved. I let him believe I was a hero; we were playing pretend. We played out this fantasy so long, I almost believed I was good. I was the hero John wanted me to be. I was the hero he saw me as. The hero he needed.

Unfortunately, fantasies never last. Surely John knew I was not the hero he thought I was. Surely he’d listen to the whispers. 

“He’s sick.” “I knew there was something off about him.” “Psychopath.” “Murderer.” “Freak.” “Should have locked him up years ago.” “Any second. He’ll snap any second.” I replayed those whispers time and time again. I felt my throat close up. 

‘No,’ I told myself. ‘You are a sociopath, you can turn this off. You don’t have to feel this. You don’t have to feel. I don’t have to feel.’

“Sherlock?” John cautiously called to me, trying to pull me from a rut before I could fall into it.

“Yes?” 

“Let’s not think about Moriarty tonight,” he said, coming to sit by me. 

“Why don’t we play a game, or perhaps watch the telly?” he persuaded. 

“Why would we do that?” My heart sped up despite my brain telling it that this was only John. 

He was my John, though. He wasn’t like everyone else. He was what kept me here. He was what kept me from going too deep. He brought me to Earth. He put the fear of God in me. He brought me home, patched me up, and ran back out with me. He was my best friend. He made life worth living despite the constant boredom.

I looked John in his eyes; they had an odd look in them. What was that emotion? Was it emotion?

“Because,” he said. He mumbled something else too, but I never got to hear it.

“What?” I stammered a little. I took deeper breaths. He smiled just a little bit. A whisper of a smile that he reserved for girls he had been dating, but this one was more...natural? No. No. No no no no no no. Don’t think like that. Don’t do that to yourself. 

Please, don’t do that John. I’m really trying here. Don’t look at me like that. Don’t make my heart feel like it was close to exploding. Don’t make my stomach do cartwheels. Don’t make my face combust in a deep red blush that I can’t hide. Don’t make me blow my cover. Don’t- my internal panicking was interrupted.

“I said, because tonight, it’s just us. Don’t think about Moriarty. Don’t think about Mycroft or Molly or Mrs. Hudson. Let us have some fun while we have this moment?” he suggested. 

He avoided my eyes. He was fidgeting with his hands in his lap. He was nervous, and I guessed he noticed that I had figured that out because his ears went that cute shade of pink that could make me lose all of my senses. 

‘You are a sociopath! Stop that! Turn it off!’ I screamed internally. I was having a hard time turning it off, though. He looked up to meet my eyes and gave a small, but genuine smile. It was a nervous smile. A nervous smile, but sad eyes. What could that possibly mean?

“What did you have in mind?” I asked coldly. No emotion. I can’t do that to myself.

“Alright, two truths and one lie, but with alcohol,” he said. He leaned back into the couch. He now met my gaze.

“Mrs. Hudson doesn’t like drinking-” I reminded him. 

“I know, but she isn’t here,” he responded.

I couldn’t argue with that.

“How does the game work?” I asked him. 

“Someone tells two truths and one lie, you have to guess the lie. Guess wrong, take a drink. Guess correctly, the other person has to drink. Winner is whoever is the least drunk,” he explained. 

“Okay,” I hesitated. “Who goes first?”

“I’ll go,” he said.

We started the game. As it turns out, I did not know as much about my friend as I thought I did.

I soon got very drunk. Very, very drunk. 

Everything was nice, though. I was nice and warm. I was with John, who I think might have been just as drunk as I was. How would I know, though. I was so very drunk.

“Okay. Okay. It’s your turn,” I said, downing the shot. 

“Okay, let me think.”

“I actually like the way you turn up your collar when you want to feel cool. I am in love. I’m tall,” he was almost giggling. 

I laughed and said, “The lie is that you’re tall.” He smiled and took a drink. 

“Your turn.”

I was drunk. I wasn’t in control. I was looking at him. Flushed from alcohol. Laughing from genuine happiness. He was beautiful.

I could hardly be responsible for what I said.

“Okay,” I said. “I am experiencing extremely high levels of dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine, and serotonin. I like making you blush. I am not in love with you.” I smiled, proud of myself. I had managed to make him blush again. 

“Perhaps we should end the game here. You are hammered,” he said. I took a drink and tried to say something witty. Maybe I had?

I was sleepy.

Maybe I walked to my room? No, he helped me there.

He said something maybe?

He put me in my bed, I think?

He sat at the foot and he...he 

He sobbed. Was I imagining this?

He wailed with an anguish I have never heard before from him. Why? Why was he crying?

What did I do wrong? 

I blacked out, but as it turned out, I would be asking why a lot more than I had ever thought.

It was early that morning when I realized something was wrong. The memory from the night before was hazy and pieced together from what I found around the flat. 

John must have not woken up yet, so despite my splitting headache, I cleaned up the place for him and put on some water for tea. 

All I remembered from the night before was his laugh and smile. I also heard this God awful wail that must have belonged to a banshee. God, it still rang in my ears.

I also started up what I hoped could pass for food. I’ve never been much of a cook, but I tried all the same. 

As I was making my way to the fridge to look for the eggs, a knock came to our door. It was an odd sort of knock. Solemn and quiet, as if the person on the other side didn’t want to be here. Lestrade maybe?

I went to the door. It was indeed Inspector Lestrade. He stood with his hands folded in front of him. Mrs. Hudson was with him. That was odd. 

I looked them both over. They had been crying. Not a good sign. 

“Sherlock. We need to deliver the worst sort of news, but we need you to sit down first,” Lestrade said. 

I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Why? If it’s that horrible, let me go and wake John. He will need to hear this too,” I said, dashing to go get John. 

“No. Sherlock-” Mrs. Hudson called after me, but I didn’t get why. John would need to know of this too. He is family. If it concerned me, it concerned him too.

I knocked on his door before dashing through the door. “John wa-” I stopped. He wasn’t there. His bed was made neatly. Everything was in order, but he was gone. Where could he have gone?

“Sherlock. Please sit down!” Lestrade begged as he struggled to hold in his tears. “Please.”

I turned to face him. I was confused. “Have you any idea where John might be?” I inquired. “I can’t be told devastating news if he’s not here. There is no use in-”

“Sherlock John is dead!” he yelled, but I ignored him. 

“There is no use in repeating it twice. If John isn’t here, and you go ahead and tell me, then I will have to tell him and if it is truly terrible news, I don’t want to have to tell him.”

“Sherlock did you not hear me?”

“Hush now,” I said as I felt something warm and wet roll down my cheeks. “I have to find John.”

I went weak in my knees. “Sit down Sherlock,” Mrs. Hudson cooed and tears ran in black streams down her face. “He’s in a better place.”

“Better place?” I demanded. I was losing my grip. I could feel my world crumbling.

“Sherlock, I’m genuinely very sorry for your loss.” Mycroft came in. He was not mocking me. He had real tears in his eyes.

“No.” I begged. My whole body shook.

“Sherlock. John’s gone,” he said, stepping between Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson. He pulled me into a tight embrace.

I let him. “Tell me it’s a joke. Please please Mycroft. Please. Tell me this is a joke. He’s okay. He’s not gone. Tell me. Tell me please.”

“He’s gone.”

“How?” I demanded. “If he’s dead then tell me how!” I demanded.

“No. Sherlock,” Lestrade pleaded. “Give yourself a little time to process before-”

“He committed suicide.” Mycroft’s cold, monotone voice broke me with his words.

The world seemed to break with me. My mind palace was crumbling. A sound so horrible filled the air. I couldn’t understand where it was coming from. It was similar to the one I heard from the night before.

“I’m sorry Sherlock. You’ll understand one day,” was the last thing I remembered John saying. That wail of anguish was his last night. This morning, it was mine.

I curled into myself and I sobbed. I never knew that I could.

I sobbed and sobbed. I was more than broken. I was more than grieving. I was dying. And at that moment, it didn’t seem all that bad of an idea.

Thank you for reading. :)

[remedialpotions]

It’s December and I’m fully in the Christmas mood. Could I request Some Harry-Ron-Hermione friendship fluff doing something Christmas-y while at Hogwarts? Any time between first and third year? If not maybe do you have any Harry Potter Christmas themed friendship centric fanfics to recommend?

Hermione Granger has always been called an ‘old soul’. She’s never been naive enough to believe in Father Christmas - the handwriting on her gifts from him always looked a bit too much like her mother’s, and the logic of one man visiting every home on the planet in one night was never sound - and she’s never been particularly swayed by all the trappings of the holiday season. Elves and carols and decorating the tree have always seemed frivolous, a waste of time that could be better spent on almost anything else.

So at first, she wasn’t particularly fussed about staying at Hogwarts over the Christmas break. The Polyjuice plan, as ill-executed as it had ended up being, had required it, and Hermione felt it was much more important to protect her fellow students from Slytherin’s monster than to drink hot cocoa and watch It’s A Wonderful Life with her parents.

But now, on Boxing Day, lying in the hospital wing with glowing yellow eyes and whiskers and a tail - a tail - she cannot help the childish thought that continues to cross her mind over and over again: Christmas is ruined.

[[MORE]]

She knows it’s immature. It sounds like the sort of thing Harry’s cousin might say if he doesn’t get the gifts he wants. But she can’t help that none of this has gone how she imagined it. All they’ve learned is that Draco Malfoy isn’t the one setting Slytherin’s monster on all the Muggleborns, but they’re not much closer to finding out who is, and she’s stuck here looking like something out of a low-budget horror film. Her only company is the disturbingly-still figures of Justin Finch-Fletchley and Colin Creevey, and she can hardly bear to look over at that side of the room.

She’s not one to get all worked up over Christmas, but she’s had better holidays.

She doesn’t even have any proper reading material. Madame Pomfrey has the hospital wing stocked with plenty of magazines, but they’re all wildly outdated and pertaining to subject matter that doesn’t interest her. The most recent one is the summer edition of Quidditch Quarterly from 1987, and with a sigh, she picks it up and starts paging through. Headlines in big bright letters pop off the page at her:

Kenmare’s King: World Cup Hopes Rise for Kestrels’ Keeper

“Wimbourne are Winners”: Ludo Bagman’s Predictions for the Upcoming Season

She rolls her eyes and keeps turning the pages. Is there really this much to say about Quidditch? It’s rather a straightforward game - and it is, truly, just a game - and yet grown men have dedicated their entire livelihoods to it.

“Harry,” comes a loud, boisterous voice from the corridor. “Call the Daily Prophet - no, the Evening Prophet, they’ll want the world to know about this right away.”

Hermione lowers the magazine and her heart leaps gleefully in her chest: her two best friends - best friends, she’s not even used to having any friends, let alone ones she can call best - have just walked through the door, rucksacks over their shoulders.

“Hermione Granger,” Ron continues, “is reading about Quidditch.”

Harry drops his jaw in mock astonishment. Despite realizing that she’s probably difficult to take seriously with cat ears poking out of her bushy hair, Hermione can’t stop herself scowling at the pair of them.

“It isn’t by choice,” she tells them haughtily. “There’s nothing else to read here.”

“That’s not true,” argues Ron, his rucksack dropping with a heavy thud as he reaches her bedside. “Not anymore.”

“Mate!” laughs Harry. “Careful with that!”

“Oh, shit, you’re right.” Ron picks up the rucksack and sets it gingerly on a nearby wooden chair. “There, that’s better.”

“Better for what?” asks Hermione, warily eyeing the bag. “What have you got in there?”

Given that they’ve recently stolen ingredients from Snape, brewed an illegal potion, drugged two of their classmates and snuck into a common room that isn’t theirs, she’s not sure their next rule-breaking stint should take place quite so soon.

“You’ve got other magazines,” says Ron, leaning over the bedside table and rifling through them. “Look, what about this one?”

He holds it up with a cheeky grin: 1,001 Knitting Patterns.

“I think I prefer Quidditch,” says Hermione dryly. “But really,” she continues as Harry crosses the room to an empty bed and seizes the two chairs flanking it, “what have you brought? There’s things that aren’t allowed in here.”

With a discordant scrape, Harry drags the chairs over to Hermione’s bedside and drops into one, rucksack in his lap. “Did they tell you how long you’ll have to stay?”

“Madam Pomfrey isn’t sure,” Hermione tells him as Ron takes a seat as well. “But it sounds like it’ll be at least until term starts again.”

“Good thing we’re here, then,” Ron declares. “We figured you’d get bored in here, so we’ve brought you some stuff.”

As Hermione watches on, words momentarily failing her, Ron upends his rucksack - the one Harry had been so concerned about the safety of - onto the foot of Hermione’s bed. Items spill out over the bedclothes, and a few of the smaller things - quills, sweets wrapped in acetate, the page of the Daily Prophet with the crossword puzzle and the word jumble - tumble onto the floor.

“See, it didn’t get squished,” says Ron to Harry, picking up what looks like a loaf of bread wrapped in wax paper and holding it out. “It’s pumpkin bread,” he adds to Hermione. “My mum sent it to Percy but I guess he doesn’t like pumpkin bread, he was all put out - anyway. You can have it.”

He sets it on the bedside table with a thud. Before she can even find her voice - to thank him, or ask what’s inside the little tin that appears to be rattling of its volition - she catches sight of the books hidden beneath Ron’s old chess set.

“What are these?” she asks, pulling them into her lap. Their heavy weight is immediately comforting. “A Brief History of Transfiguration Theory?”

“He thought you’d like that one,” says Harry quickly, pointing at Ron. “I said it looked boring-“

“Oh, it’s fascinating,” Hermione gushes, opening the book with a satisfying crack. “Did you know they used to consider Transfiguration as a permanent state - so that time you tried to turn Scabbers into a teacup and it only worked halfway, they would have just left him that way. It wasn’t until the fifteenth century that…” Noticing that their eyes have glazed over, she trails off. “Well, thanks for getting it for me, anyway.”

“Told you,” Ron grins over at Harry. “Figured the most boring books would be your favorite.”

Hermione gasps, affronted. “They’re not boring-“

“Well, save it for when we’re gone, will you?” Ron requests. “‘Cause we brought things that are actually fun-“

“Just because I don’t care what Ludo Bagman thinks about Quidditch, whoever he is, that doesn’t mean-“

“Let’s play chess or something,” interjects Harry. “Before Madam Pomfrey kicks us out.”

Ron starts setting up the board, ordering the pawns and the knights and the bishops into place, as Harry opens up the rattling tin. It’s nearly overflowing with fudge and toad-shaped peppermint creams, the latter of which leap immediately out and hop across the blankets.

“Sorry we didn’t come to visit sooner,” says Ron, words muffled around a mouthful of fudge. “We thought we’d get all this stuff together first.”

“That’s all right,” replies Hermione. “It was really nice of you to bring me all of this.”

Ron’s ears go pink. “We just didn’t want you to be bored. The time I was in here, after Norbert hit me…”

And as he chatters cheerfully on, Hermione reaches for a cube of fudge and decides, as dire as things are, that at least she’s not here alone.

[levi-inthesun]

You and Me, Together - Chapter 3

Background: You and your brother Peter were adopted by Tony and Pepper Potts-Stark when you were both teenagers. You’ve been dating Quentin Beck since your sophomore year of college and things (seem) to be looking up… until they aren’t.

Pairing: Quentin Beck x Parker!Reader eventual!someone x Parker!Reader

Social Media AU/mix, College AU, Friends to Lovers

Title/plot inspo: You & Me Together by the 1975

General Warnings: Swearing, angst, cheating

“Fuck,” you breathed as you forced your eyes open and stretched. Something didn’t seem right. You looked around the room and realized it wasn’t your room and panic began to build inside you. You looked down to see you were dressed in a familiar t-shirt that was too big for you and a pair of similarly too big sweat pants. You glanced around the room again and recognized the posters on the wall and the large bookcase filled to the bring. “Bucky?” You called out, voice raspy.

A voice came from the floor to your left, “Keep your voice fucking down,” he whined. 

“Oh thank god!” you sighed in relief as you flopped off the bed and onto one of your closest friends. “I was terrified I went home with some random dude, because.... you know.”

Bucky let out an annoyed huff as your body weight landed on him but was quick to wrap his arms around you reassuringly. “Trust me, even drunk you isn’t capable of even minutely breaking trust, let alone cheating.”

You nodded as tears of relief prickled at your eyes. “Okay, good. Thank you.” You rolled to the side so you were facing your friend. “So are you going to fill me in on what happened last night?” 

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah. But let's not waste a perfectly comfy bed by staying on the floor?”

Once you two were settled and had drunk some water, Bucky began to fill you in.

After you and Carol had had your fill of Joe’s delicious, orgasmic pizza, you both skipped over to the bar where most of your friends were waiting. You had spotted Steve and Sam first, flirting with each other at the bar while they ordered drinks, everyone else was at your normal booth.

Carol decided she’d grab drinks for the two of you since you had insisted on paying for pizza and you continued on to the booth. 

“Hey guys,” you greeted and Bucky scooted towards the wall so you could sit.

“Y/N!” Pietro yelled a bit too loudly, “You are here!” Pietro then basically climbed over the table to leave a wet kiss on your forehead. “I was getting bored without you!” he pouted. Wanda, Bucky, and Nat all rolled their eyes.

“Whatever,” you retorted, “You are just going to go home with that hot redhead sitting by the bar anyways in about an hour, I think you’d have lived.” 

Pietro eyed the bar, catching a glimpse of the redhead you had mentioned.

“Fuck, why do you have to know me so well?” he asked and you just shrugged in response. 

Then Carol, Steve, and Sam showed up with drinks and french fries, Carol sitting next to you, sliding your rum and coke over.

Conversation flowed throughout the evening and once you were another drink or so in, you turned to Bucky with an eyebrow raised.

“No,” he said, knowing exactly what you were about to propose. “No way, Y/N.”

“Whatever, Bucky,” you scoffed, “You’re just afraid to lose to me again.”

“Uh, pretty sure your memory is mistaken,” Nat piped up. “You have never won a drinking contest... like ever.”

“Uh, please keep the facts to yourself, Natalia, I almost had him,” you said, voice hushed.

Bucky just laughed, full and hearty. The kind of laugh that only came out after he’d had a few drinks and could relax. “Not doing it,” he reiterated.

“How about this,” you countered. “Whoever wins gets to have the sleepover at their place and the loser has to buy the winner coffee for a week.”

Bucky eyed you suspiciously, “I know you think you have something up your sleeve because you LOVE having sleepovers at your place and not mine. But I am not going to do this because I would feel like I am taking advantage of you because of the fact that you are a  lightweight.” 

“Does that mean you concede?” You asked with an eyebrow raised. “You know the rules, either participate or concede.”

“Fuck.” Bucky sighed.

That is how he found a line of shots in front of him, you across the table with the same, despite the fact that literally, everyone tried to talk you out of this.

And then, just as everyone (except you) anticipated, Bucky won (yet again) and you got pouty, taking your phone out to text your boyfriend.

Quentin looked up from his phone sighing before he noticed he had missed a voicemail from last night. He moved out of the walkway and sat down on a bench, having just gotten out of class and he hit play.

“Quennnnnnntiiiiiiiiin,” your voice sang. “I am soooo sad we c-couldn’t get pizza together, but I went w-with Carol and then the bar with everyone and I wish you would hang out with all of us again BUT ANYWAYS I lost the drinking c-contest and am gonna get dropped off and Bucket’s house CAUSE WE ARE HAVING A SLEEEEEPOOOOOOVEEERRRRRRR.” In the background, he could hear Bucky laughing and calling to you. “Anyways I looooooooove youuuuuuuu!” and then the voicemail ended.

Frustration began to build inside Quentin as his fists clenched at his side. All the looks you and inside jokes you and Bucky shared flashed behind his eyes and soon he found himself losing control and in a jealous rage. He stood up quickly and made his way to his motorbike, throwing on his helmet before zooming off of campus and to Bucky’s apartment. 

As he weaved through minimal afternoon traffic and before he knew it he was at Bucky’s door.

You and Bucky were sitting on the floor in the living room eating pancakes when someone began pounding on the door. Bucky quickly got up and opened it. 

“Is my girlfriend here?” he demanded.

Bucky looked at him, a puzzled expression on his features, “Yeah, man, she’s in the living room,” he said as he opened the door wider and moved out of the way for Quentin to enter.

“Quentin!” You greeted him, mid-bite of Bucky’s famous, hangover-curing, pancakes.”What are you doing here?” You set your plate down and stood up to go hug your boyfriend.

“Did you sleep with him?” Quentin asked voice low and dangerous.

You stared at him as if hed struck you in response for a moment. “Quentin, do you fucking realize who you’re talking to?”

Something in the back of his mind itched and he struggled through memories to remember why you liked like he had just slapped you across the face. He watched as you scrubbed your hands over your eyes and wrapped your arms around your middle.

Fuck.

“Fuck,” Quentin breathed as he took a tentative step forward, testing the waters before he closed the distance and wrapped his arms around you. “I am so sorry baby,” he whispered into your hair. “I was being dumb and jealous and I can’t believe I had forgotten.” 

You and Quentin had met in the dorms freshman year. You were dating your high school boyfriend, Brock and you were excited about life and still a bit naive. Brock was in one of the fraternities, but you could never remember which one. Your friendship with Quentin began to grow and you knew you could count on him and he could count on you. You shared late-night study sessions with Wanda and her twin brother Pietro, game nights with this new group of friends that was quickly forming, adding in some of your friends you’d had since childhood, including Bucky, Steve, Carol, and Natalia. Brock would make appearances whenever he didn’t have commitments to the frat and would spend the night at your dorm as often as he could. 

Brock had been your first kiss, your first love, your first everything, and you could imagine him being a part of the rest of your life. 

Except one day he stopped picking up the phone and he stopped coming over. He offered no explanation and figured you wouldn’t get one until one day, you saw him making out with one of the girls from the sorority his frat did events with, you think her name is Sharon.

You walked over to them calmly, “Brock,” you called, voice clipped and authoritative, much to your surprise. Brock turned to you, one hand holding her face, the other on her ass. 

“What,” he asked, rolling his eyes when he saw you.

“I’m guessing this is why you dropped out of my life?” You spat, desperately trying to hold yourself together.  

“Yep.” “FUCK JUST WHY?” You yelled, drawing more attention than you would have liked. 

“Because I have been bored with you since senior year of high school, Y/N. The only reason I stuck around after that was because you finally let me fuck you. I’ve been seeing Sharon since freshman orientation,” he said with an eye roll, and Sharon looked at you like you were gum stuck to her shoe. 

You felt the tears finally fall and you began to run away as fast as you could. You stopped when your lungs began to burn and the world began to cave in around you. 

Quentin ran faster than he thought possible across campus, not noticing when he bumped into people. The weird hand statue came into view and then he saw you, huddled into yourself on the ground, sobs rippling through you and other students near you tried to figure out what to do. 

“Y/n,” he called to you softly, desperately trying to pull you out of yourself. “Hey, you are going to be okay, I just need you to look at me.” 

You finally forced your head to look up into his blue eyes and listened as he helped you out of your panic attack. “Just breath with me, alright?” he asked, placing one of your hands on his chest, the other on your own. You nodded and forced your lungs to breathe deeper, slower. 

Soon, the edges of your world went from black and suffocating to soft and filled with his eyes and his smile and his voice. He helped you up from the ground and helped you get to your dorm where you finally told him everything. He spent the next few months helping you put yourself back together with the help of your other friends.

“Y/N, will you forgive me?” Quentin asked, his eyes begging, tinged with something you couldn’t place.

“I just...” you broke away from him. “I need a bit of time. You know how badly Brock hurt me, you were there and you know.” 

Quentin nodded and placed a soft kiss on your cheek before exiting Bucky’s apartment.

[mamabearcat]

OK FIRST OF ALL YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON I KNOW OF SINCE I JOINED TUMBLR A FEW YEARS BACK THAT’S BOTH IN THE INUYASHA AND FAIRY TAIL FANDOMS❤️🙌 IM GLAD IM NOT ALONE ANYMORE😭 For the kiss prompt #2 for Nalu please❤️ girl i apologize in advance if I blow up your messages from now on😅

Eeeey, hey nonny! There’s a few of us around - if you follow my reblogs you’re sure to find a few more! And I’m always up for a chat - not sure where you are exactly, but I’m an Aussie, so our timezones may be different, so don’t be disheartened if I don’t answer straight away, I may just be snoozing! And as a heads up, I save all the really hot stuff for AO3, just because I know some of my followers are younger. But anyways, here you go!

Natsu leaned his elbow on the bar, watching Lucy, Levy and Cana dancing and laughing out on the hurriedly cleared dance floor. The trestle tables had been pushed back to the walls of the guild with chairs stacked haphazardly on top, and the space left was filled with happy guild members in various stages of inebriation. He couldn’t even remember the reason for the party; possibly someone’s birthday, maybe a successful mission - Fairytail never needed much of an excuse. 

He scanned the crowd. There were quite a few new guild members who’d joined since the Grand Magic Games. He smiled wryly - strange how everyone wanted to join now they were acknowledged as winners by royalty and had a brand new guild hall, when just a month ago they were the lowest of the low.

“The girls seem to be having a good time”, murmured Mira, bringing him over a second glass of fire whiskey. “Why aren’t you out there with them? You’d usually be out there dancing up a storm with Lucy?”

Natsu sipped at the whiskey, appreciating the warm burn down his throat. “Nah, I hate the music Freed picks when it’s his turn to DJ”, he groused. “Too peppy.”

Mira winked at him. “Just happy to watch huh?”

“Quit it Mira”, he grumbled, taking another sip of his drink. 

Ever since they’d returned from the games, the gossip about him and Lucy had increased tenfold. He heard ‘Are they / aren’t they’ whispers all around the guild, even out amongst the civilians in Magnolia. And the thing was, he would be happy to take it to the next level, but Lucy always got so goddamn flustered every time they got too close. 

So he kept backing off, keeping their friendship happy and light, just like always, at a level she was comfortable with. People thought him oblivious, but he was just biding his time. He was happy to wait until she was ready. He’d wait forever for Lucy.

“Don’t watch for too long Natsu”, said Mira, nudging his elbow, “looks like you got competition.”

Natsu’s eyes snapped to Lucy. One of the newer male guild members was dancing a little too close to her. Every time she shuffled to one side to get closer to Cana or Levy, he closed the gap, even when the other girls swapped places as they danced to move her away from him, making it blatantly obvious that she didn’t want to be near him. Then he started touching her as they danced - a hand on her arm, a brush on her waist. He saw Lucy say something to the guy with a friendly smile, but the touches continued, increased even. Lucy was starting to look uncomfortable. He got up from his seat at the bar with a scowl, about to step in when Lucy caught his eye and winked at him.

Moving slower now, letting Lucy handle things herself, he walked onto the dance floor instead of storming over ready to solve the problem with his fist. He grinned from the sidelines as she ‘accidentally’ stumbled, her high heeled boot grinding directly onto the toes of the man who had just put both hands on her hips, ready to grind in behind her.

“Oh, how very clumsy of me”, she giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand at the man’s pained expression. “I did warn you not to get so close - I’m a very clumsy dancer. Isn’t that right Natsu?” 

“Yup”, agreed Natsu, stepping forward to casually throw an arm around Lucy’s shoulders. “You’d do well to back off buddy.” His tone was friendly, but the threat was definitely there.

The man scowled and shrugged, disappearing off into the crowd.

“You okay Luce?”, Natsu bent to whisper into her ear. 

“Yup”, she grinned, bumping her hip playfully into his. “He wasn’t too hard to handle. Besides, I knew I could count on you to step in if things got dicey.”

Natsu grinned at her. “Always, Luce.” He began to walk back to the bar, but Lucy grabbed his hand as the music started up again. 

“No, don’t go, I love this song. Stay and dance with me Natsu!” Natsu grinned as she grabbed his arm, then threw her hands up above her head as her hips swayed to the beat. They danced around each other, each coming up with more and more ridiculous moves, until Lucy was giggling hysterically.

“I need some fresh air”, she hiccuped as the song ended, dragging Natsu off the crowded dance floor and out the front doors of the guild hall. 

The air outside was much cooler, and Natsu gave a sigh of relief. As much as he loved parties at the guild, a warm room full of sweaty drunk bodies wasn’t as much fun for him if he weren’t sweaty and drunk himself. He drew in a deep cleansing breath, looking upwards towards the stars. He could hear the music start up again inside, a swirling insistent beat.

“Hey Natsu, would you dance with me?”

He looked at Lucy with a puzzled expression. Didn’t she just drag him outside because she needed a break and some fresh air? He shrugged, taking her hand to lead her back to the dance floor, but she tugged him over to the side of the guild instead, into the shadows. 

“No, out here. Where we’re alone.”

Natsu looked at her quizzically. 

A blush rose to pink Lucy’s cheeks, and she huffed out an impatient breath, blowing her fringe out of her eyes. “I know I get embarrassed easily”, she began, twisting her fingers together, “and a lot of that has to do with the fact that people are always watching us, waiting for us to be together. I know that you’ve heard people saying that too.”

Natsu stepped forward to brush the long section of hair out of Lucy’s eyes, tucking it behind her ear. “I have Luce, but that’s not what’s important.”

“What is important Natsu?” Lucy whispered, her brown doe like eyes blinking up at him. They seemed to shimmer in the starlight, and he thought she’d never looked more beautiful.

“What’s important is what we want”, he said softly. “I care about you Luce, a whole lot, and I’ll be by your side however you want me to be, for as long as you want me to be.”

“What... what if I decided that I wanted more than what we have now?” said Lucy hesitantly, her hand reaching out to softly rest on Natsu’s chest.

He grinned at her. “Then I’d say I’m ready to take that step with you, as slow or as fast as you want me to.”

“Dance with me Natsu”, Lucy smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. Natsu’s arms slid down her sides to rest lightly on her hips as they rocked to the music, gradually finding a rhythm, gradually drawing closer, until Lucy’s chest was pressed tightly against Natsu’s, and his thigh was between hers. 

Natsu’s eyes kept drifting down to Lucy’s softly pouting lips. He longed to taste them, wondering if they were as pillow soft as he’d always thought, wondering if she tasted as good as she smelt. Her small pink tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip and he almost groaned aloud. Did he dare kiss her now? Would she back away, startle like a frightened deer, or would she embrace their new closeness?

He tested the waters by rubbing his cheek against hers as they danced, breathing in her strawberry shampoo scented hair. He nuzzled his nose against hers, felt the tickle of her long lashes against his cheek, brushed his lips on her cheek near the corner of her mouth, then pulled back, leaving the next step to her.

With a blush and a self conscious giggle, she obliged, tilting her face up to kiss him softly. Butterfly kisses, fluttering, barely there, tickling almost. He was content to keep their kisses soft, not wanting to frighten her, but to his great surprise she deepened the kiss and her tongue hesitantly entered his mouth, sensuously prodding his own, gliding softly over his fangs. He felt like he’d died and gone to heaven, his blood rushing hot beneath his skin, like molten lava. 

Lucy moaned softly into his mouth as he returned the kiss, their tongues now dancing instead of their bodies as they wrapped themselves tightly around each other. There was no space between them but Natsu didn’t feel close enough, didn’t feel like he’d ever be close enough. 

A small cough had Natsu on full alert, pushing a flustered Lucy behind him, ready to berate whoever had interrupted this precious moment.

“Nice night for it”, commented Master softly, hands behind his back, rocking on his heels. “Just wanted to warn you that the party’s breaking up, so if you don’t want an audience, you might want to take this elsewhere.”

Natsu snarled, ready to rage. This is exactly what had been holding Lucy back, everyone poking into their business. He felt Lucy’s smaller hand curl into his, entwining their fingers.

“C’mon Natsu, let’s go. You can walk me home.” She bit her lip, glancing at Master and then away again, her cheeks bright. 

Natsu turned on his heel, only pausing momentarily to hear Master’s parting words. 

“I promise I won’t say anything - they won’t hear it from me.”

Natsu shrugged, then allowed Lucy to draw him down the path that lead to the canal, and her small flat on Strawberry Street.

Master grinned at them, watching as they walked so closely they were almost on top of each other, hands tightly woven together. He had been beginning to worry that he’d have to come back from beyond the grave to see them finally together. He was happy. And besides, with all the gossips in the guild, he’d give them two days tops before somebody else found out and he’d be free to spill the beans to Mira.

[moonraccoon-exe]

~ Coonie! COONIE! Pocky day today! Have you pictured Gladio and Ignis sharing some pocky time together? ;)

Coonie sounds so cute!!(*ﾉ▽ﾉ)

Coonie maccoony is here! I didn’t even know there was a Pocky Day until today! Man, I’m learning so many new things in this fandom(ノ°▽°)

N’aaaw,the Gladnis sharing pockys! This would be absurdly cute!! Hhndfnghf, can you picture them? Brotherhood Gladnis would make it look particularly adorable. Sixteen y.o. Gladio being a stubborn ass on how he can handle a children game like this, a stubborn 15 y.o. Ignis all upset at Noctis because “we are mature enough, a kiss is no big deal”, but as soon as their lips rub each other, both let go of the damn candy to look away covering their mouths, entirely red in the face, all flustered and with the hearts in their throats.

[Adding a Read More at some point]

Imagine Gladnis sharing a pocky is the reason they came to be together as a couple, ahaha

Imagine, it’s 21 and 20 y.o. Gladio and Ignis respectively, and they are at Noct’s apartment with the prince and Prompto, just having a bit of a good time together, maybe due to the birthday of some of them or some graduation celebration or just something.

Except Gladio and Ignis have been in a bit of a tense while because Ignis has been switched to have to train with Gladio; instead of Cor or Monica or whoever is training him, they’ve put him now under Gladio’s watch, and both have been an entire week trying to demonstrate who’s best out of them (they’re covered in bruises, omfg, these men don’t know the meaning of ‘practice’, it’s go big or go home), and both have been tense because “I am the best, Iggy, I’m the prince’s Shield, just let it go”, “I have done particularly extraordinary and have come to be at your same levels when you started training at 8 and I started only 4 years ago; obviously my potential says I’ll be better”, “you hallucinate, Iggy, nobody’s better than an Amicitia”,  and so on and on.

So they’ve been friendly but tense across the night, and ever since they started training they’ve started to subtly try to demonstrate each is better than the other at any random thing; who’s faster cleaning, who grabs sushi better, who can go upstairs faster, who showers faster, these idiots are trying to be better than the other at the most stupid things, who does math faster, who bows deeper in presence of the king, etc.

So at some point of the party-for-four, Prompto whines that he’s tired of poker (and he swears the fact that he’s lost 10 times on a row has nothing to do with this), and he wants to change the game.

And he pulls out a box of Pockys.

Noctis being Noctis starts going all “Eh” about it but all “If you insist”, and Gladio’s not sure he understands the rules, and Ignis is standing there a bit puzzled as well, because he knew the candy (?) just had no idea there was a game for it (the poor thing has seen the game, but completely missed it was a game; he thought it was just the Glaives sharing biscuit candies and making out for no reason).

So Prompto starts explaining to them.

“So you take out one of the pockys, and you pick a partner, or someone picks one for you. Then you have to put one of the tips in your mouth like this…and the other person has to take the other tip. And then both start giving little bites along it, trying to eat more than the other, and whoever pulls apart first loses; hence, that who eats more of the pocky wins!”

Gladio and Ignis are (・・ )

And then it travels through both their minds while they watch Noctis and Prompto play, both being awkward, a blushing mess, laughter here and there, some smacking, etc.; this game is a Person Versus Person. This game has a winner and a loser.

This game is a competence.

So this is another thing in which they can prove who’s best.

Subtly, Gladio and Ignis glare at each other, but watch the outcome of Prompto and Noctis’ game. Prompto won, but he’s currently hiding the face in the hands flushed red while Noctis is staring somewhere else arms crossed ranting about how “It’s not like that was my first kiss or anything, let it go, Prom” but he’s all flustered too.

Gladio is, of course, first to talk.

“I want to try!”

Prompto and Noctis take the chance to ignore the awkward and offer Gladio the box, so he pulls a pocky out and starts showing it to the three.

“So, who wants to be my loser? Noct?”

“Nah man. I already played, that’d be unfair!”

“Prom?” 

“E-eh, n-no, I-I’m….I’m fine, I-I played too, but say, why don’t you and Iggy give it a go?”

Truth be told the Promptis are too flustered by what just happened to have any focus or to be calm enough to play again and they’re putting up excuses, but it works; Ignis turns to look at him and he gives Gladio his sassy eyes, raise of an eyebrow, and his smug smile.

“Well, we’ve got no option, Iggy.”

“So it seems” Ignis puts apart his cup of coffee and goes over to Gladio, who stands up and in front of Ignis. 

“You’ll pull apart first and you know it.”

“You think I’m a shy schoolgirl that can’t stand the idea of a kiss?” Ignis raises his eyebrow at him again. “For all I know, you will pull apart first.”

“Yeah, sure” Gladio says as he puts the pocky to his mouth, smirking down at Ignis, who frowns at him.

“You have an unfair advantage standing on your feet, you giant behemoth. It’ll be easier for me to pull apart first if I can’t reach it.”

“Hah. Shortie.”

“I will not argue the difference between being short and standing next to Gladiolus Amicitia again.”

Gladio ends up sitting on the couch and Ignis sits besides him. They put the pocky to their mouths, and glare at each other, all smug and confidence and sass.

Prompto counts to three and both start taking little bites of it, sometimes staring down at the pocky, sometimes glaring at each other. The closer their mouths get, the more serious they turn; Gladio had it for absolutely sure that Ignis would pull apart first, that’s why he took the game as quickly and with so much confidence. Ignis, reserved and quiet, Ignis “I don’t kiss unless it’s a formal relationship and we’re 5 dates into it” Scientia….he has to pull away, he won’t stand the idea of a kiss, let alone if it’s Gladio, what with all the tension between the two.

Ignis, on his side, is getting as serious because he too had it for sure; Gladio, mature and unexpectedly-secretly-shy Gladio, Gladio “I don’t kiss unless it’s something and someone very, very special in my life” Amicitia. He can’t think about wasting a kiss on Ignis.

So that none is pulling apart makes the other more and more serious and angry in a silly competitive way, and both are firm on not ever pulling apart until the other does no matter the consequences.

And then they reach the middle of the pocky. They can feel the other’s breath on their skin, and a tiny bite later their lips are ghosting each other. They stop there at the last bite and look up, only to glare at each other. The proximity makes it awkward, but they’re glaring nonetheless.

Prompto and Noctis are staring a bit puzzled because of how serious they look, like this is a life-or-death issue, but wait in entire silence. Gladio and Ignis are possibly the last people they would ever picture kissing, so they’re tense and a bit shocked that it will happen and don’t interrupt, and expect as if thinking it won’t happen.

But then Gladio and Ignis deepen the glare, and, competitive, they take the bite at the same time. And, so, their lips meet.

They don’t close the eyes; they only glare down at the place where their lips have met, and both feel an explosion inside…of rage, because he dared, he did it omfg how dare he come this far!? I am the best, how dare he- nnnfghfn!

And then they glare up at each other again, and both seem to think “oh no, this isn’t over yet”. Because it isn’t; there, trapped in their mouths, a tip barely held by Gladio’s teeth and the other endbarely in place by Ignis’ teeth, is the very last bite of the pocky. It’s so small it can’t be seen under the connection of their lips, only felt in it.

Both just glare at each other because that’s the very last piece and it’s impossible to break because they’re already as close as their faces can get, so the first who moves gets it.

After this tense moment, both try to get it at the same time. But that only causes that they push against the other even closer, their lips coming to a harder pressure against one another.

And Gladio wins for a moment…

…until Ignis, almost without thinking, slips the tip of his tongue into his mouth, caressing Gladio’s in the way, and recovers the piece of candy, taking it back into his mouth.

At first Gladio freezes at the entirely unexpected invasion of Ignis’ tongue in his mouth, but his competitive pride thinks faster and doesn’t let the shock take over; almost immediately, he pushed himself against Ignis to sneak the tonguue into the adviser’s mouth, looking for the candy, and Ignis pushes against him to fight his tongue away.

And this continues. And goes on.

Each push against the other in a fight for the piece of pocky in their mouths, which travels from tongue’s grasp to tongue’s grasp, stolen from a mouth and returning, coming and going. Ignis has to grip at Gladio’s arms for support and Gladio has reached to hold his face to keep it in place, so Ignis can’t sneak away when he recovers the pocky. Both are breathing heavily from the effort, and none is willing to give up.

Prompto and Noctis only watch, absolutely terrified and shocked.Prompto hasgone pale and he’s gasping slow and loud, hands on his cheeks, and Noctis is staring with disgust and terror like he’s watching a behemoth giving birth. They have no idea this is a competition and that Gladio and Ignis are fighting over a stupid piece of candy, the only thing they see is the pair of friends gripping at each other’s face and arms, having troubles breathing, groaning lightly, and entirely making out completely shamelessly and obscenely in front of them.

And the fight for the candy goes on. Both are giving their best and try not to miss the biscuit, sometimes having to look deeper into the other’s mouth or under the tongue or between the gums and inner cheeks to find it and recover it. The kiss looks angry, and it is angry, in this silly competitive and proud way; both are frustrated that the other keeps stealing their prize, both are too proud to let go, it’s a mess.

And some point Ignis wins it and starts pulling apart, but Gladio’s desperate and won’t let him win, so his tongue fights to stay in Ignis’ mouth;the Shield ends up pushing himself against Ignis so much and so hard while the adviser tries to push him off that they end up falling, Ignis’ back landing ont he couch while Gladio climbs on topof him on hands and knees; Ignis’ hands, as soon as he felt himself falling back, by reflex moved to get a grip of Gladio’s back, and his legs flail a bit and Gladio presses their mouths together so hard the back of Ignis’ head buries in the cushion, and they continue aggresively kissing.

And it looks absolutely obscene for third viewers; one of Ignis’ legs hooked around Gladio’s, his hands pulling at the Shield’s shirt, the sounds of desperate breath and tiny groans. Prompto’s standing up saying “That’s it, I can’t watch this” and walks away, while Noctis is pulling from his hair and screaming “But why on my couch!?”

Eventually, Gladio recovers the so-wet-it’s-almost-gone piece of biscuit, and Ignis fights him back. Gladio tries keeping him down and forcing him to break apart, but Ignis too knows his stuff; pushing against Gladio to recover the candy and Gladio moving back trying to pull away, Ignis ends up pushing Gladio off him but doesn’t break the kiss, and they end up sat as they were, but Ignis continues pushing until now Gladio’s lying on the couch with Ignis climbing on top of him, straddling him.

Both are still smacking and pulling from the other’s clothes in an attempt of making the other pull away, but Noctis and Prompto are still misunderstanding and freaking out. Noctis, by this point, is terrified enough so he stands up and starts going away to join Prompto at the kitchen where he’s trying to play music loud enough to drown the groans and the sloppy sounds of the aggressive making-out.

When Ignis recovers the biscuit Gladio  is so angered because he’s getting tired and his lips are starting to ache and burn, so he doesn’t measure his strength, and when he pushes himself against Ignis again, he ends up accidentally having both fall down the couch and onto the groun, him landing on top of Ignis.

The adviser lies flat on the floor, with Gladio on top of him not on hands and knees, literally lying on him, body between his legs and the only distance put apart is thanks to Gladio’s forearm above Ignis’ head and the other fist on a side, and their mouths still locked.

They continue like that for a while, stupid and awkward, until eventually Gladio takes the biscuit again; Ignis, desperate to recover it, takes him by the neck and pulls him close not to let him go away, but Gladio manages to swallow the candy and breaks apart, Ignis immediately letting out a sigh of defeat.

“Hah! I won!” Gladio cheers absolutely breathless, and Ignis sigh again, head moving to a side while he closes the eyes, accepting his defeat. “What do you say ‘bout that, huh, Iggy? See, I won!”

“I know, stop bragging” Ignis says and frowns up at him, he, too, out of breath and chest heaving.

Gladio laughs a bit as he can in such a breathless and altered state. They stay quiet in the same position, and then they stare at each other. 

And it’s only then that they see what they’ve done.

As focused in winning as they were, it’s only now that the adrenaline has passed that they realize; they just made out. Each is realizing he just kissed his friend on the mouth, and more than that, they entirely made out, made out to the point their lips are burning, their hair are a mess, and they can see the other’s lips bright and red and wonder if their own look like that.

They stay like that, looking at each other in shock. And after going pale, their faces go red like a moogle’s pompom.

“…uhm…I-Iggy…y-you can…let go of me now…”

“What? Oh…r-right…” Ignis stares away and his breath becomes heavy again, except this time is all out of embarrassment, as he lets go of Gladio’s neck. Thrown on the ground and all of Gladio’s weight on him, the only thing he can do is drop the hands at his sides, palms up like a criminal showing jazz hands.

Gladio stares at him eye widened as he already was, and his eyes start scanning Ignis. And it’s like he watches him for real for the first time;each birthmark and mole, each hair f the eyebrows, how ridiculously long his eyelashes are, and Gladio can’t help but notice how terribly good he looks with the hair slightly messed up and the cheeks red.

“…uhm…Gladio, y-you can…” Ignis stares back up at him, and Gladio loses the breath when Iggy’s beautiful eyes stare directly at him. “…y-you can…get off me now…”

Gladio takes a moment and he can only whisper “What? Oh, right” as slowly as it happened to Ignis. The shield stays there a second more before he gets awkward, stares away and burns red in the face. He adds a whispered “Sorry” and starts moving up to be on his knees, only to find himself to be in between Ignis’ legs.

And it’s then that he feels it. The embarrassing discomfort in his pants. And when he looks down it’s so obvious, it’s impossible Ignis hasn’t noticed. Too busy panicking on covering his crotch and looking up at Ignis to see if he saw, Gladio doesn’t notice the own problem in Ignis’ pants and only sees him sit up and start tucking a leg, while he too tries to hide it and only stares away.Both are so panicked thinking the other noticed that none noticed the other’s problem, just their own.

They sit together on the floor of Noctis’ living room, awkward, hands covering crotches but minds too busy to note it. They’re staring other places and they’re put in a lingering awkward silence. Ignis can’t help but fan himself with a hand, and Gladio’s pulling from his collar to fan himself as well.

“…I uhm…” Ignis starts, lowers the head and stops to clear his throat, cheeks still painted red. “…I think….I-I’ll…look at the hour, is time for dinner, I uhm…” he clears his throat again and starts standing up. “I’ll go prepare food.”

“Y-yeah, I-I’ll…just…d-do you need help or…?”

“No, no, I can manage myself, thank you.”

“Y-yeah, good.”

“Good, yes.”

They’re a mess of interrupting each other, ‘Yeah’s and excuses. Both stand up and help each other awkwardly up on his feet, but none dare make eye contact. Eventually, among all excuses and awkward exchange of ‘Yeah’s, they part ways and Ignis hurries his way to the kitchen, head down and face burning so much he’s sure he’s liteally on fire, while Gladio drops himself on the couch and hurries to take a cushion to put it on his lap, heart racing and about to explode inside him.

As soon as Ignis enters the kitchen, Noctis and Prompto, curled up in a corner, shriek and scream and run out. Finding Gladio at the couch, they continue screaming while hurrying their way to the bedroom to lock themselves and leave these demons outside.

Gladio doesn’t even laugh at their hilarious reaction. He’s too shocked for that. Ignis didn’t, either, for the same reason.

Ignis, at the kitchen, buries the face in his hands and drops the head against a counter, furiously blushing. Gladio, at the same time, is hiding his face in another cushion and whimpering into it, just as blushed as Ignis.

And both are, at the same time, falling into the awful realization:

“I think I have the most monstrous and giant of crushes on him…and I just kissed him. And I just made out with him. How, why did I let this happen, he must hate me so much right now, Astrals, that was the best kiss ever, he’s so good at this, how will I look at him to the eyes ever again, Shiva please kill me now.”

And both are, at the same time, falling into the other terrible realization:

“Astrals…this is more than a crush, isn’t it…?”

Noctis and Prompto eventually grow comfortable with the relationship that develops in the following weeks.

They just never offer a pocky to neither of them, and won’t ever do it again.

And that was unexpected storytime with Racc. Hope you all had a great pocky day and that you enjoyed this!  ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

[teamendgame-blog]

WTF Wednesday (or, Thoughts after 7x12)

Hello My Darlings,

Kate here. Another WTF Wednesday has dawned... and by that, I mean my brain just circles around WTF all day long whilst I pretend to be a professional but really am solely preoccupied by trying to figure out all the pieces of the PLL puzzle! (Like my brother, I can also expect my "Employee of the Year" award any minute now!)

TODAY however, I figured I would take you all on the journey that is my crazy mind today and live-blog my thoughts as I have them! I can't promise any of this shit will make sense or be in any sort of coherent order, but hopefully it will spark theories, ideas and maybe some answers! I don't know about you, fellow Rosewood residents, but I am desperate to either figure this out before actual EndgAme or be checked into to Radley trying!  (BEWARE TO THOSE WHO ARE BEHIND - Spoilers yonder!) 

HERE WE GO:

- Going back to my obsessive rant from my last post, there is NO way Melissa could have "not known" about Spencer's grand entrance into the Hastings family... How does a 5 year old - especially a smart, precocious, question-asking 5 year old like we can only assume Melissa Hastings was - get a baby sister sprung on her with no explanation!? I don't know where to go with this line of questioning really... Is Melissa AD or involved in the whole AD game? Even if Ron-Ron and Miracle Grow Peter managed to dupe a 5 year old, at some point in her life Melissa would probably have questioned why Spencer all of a sudden showed up when Ron Ron was never preggers, so is THAT why she's such a bitch to Spencer? She knows that there's some sort of mystery or drama around her younger "sibling" and resents having had the spotlight taken off her for even a nano-second by someone who isn't a total Hastings? This could provide some depth as to why Melissa was so cruel to Spencer - or the actual secret she wanted to protect Spencer from.  Let's not forget that Melissa, suitcase in tow, gate-crashed Mona's Army against Ali meeting, all large and in charge! She's always been too mysterious and suspicious to justify simply so she must have a hand in all of this, right!?

- WHY THE BOARD GAME... or rather, what are the stakes? Is the point of the game to get the PLLs to go to jail (since there is a "Go to Jail" spot on the game board)? But they were already in jail and then poached and put in the dollhouse. That would be an awfully repetitive end goal for AD... unless of course Cece's entire "confession" was a lie and it wasn't really her that poached them and doll-housed them. But we saw the video of Noel helping torture them in the dollhouse so this is all just SO convoluted! So for argument's sake, let's cross off the purpose as being them going to jail because CLEARLY if that were anyone's top priority, these ladies (and their parents!) have done more than enough to lock them up behind bars and, always, each incarnation of A has video evidence. The only logical motive, really, is torture. Whatever AD's beef with the PLLs is, they want to torture them by controlling their lives (like they are dolls)... But what about this "Winner Takes All" thing? Is AD challenging them and insinuating that if they WIN the game, they defeat him or her? Is this a duel to the death....? For a show that has been SO clever and has managed to outsmart me every season I need to believe that there is more to this EndgAme than just the show ending. WHY WOULD AD BE READY TO END THIS!? Like, why now? Why is it all ending NOW? For this to make sense there has to be a reason.

- I've been really, really thinking about this whole feeling of letdown and disappointment that Gavin and I expressed during our live blog - a feeling that seems to be echoed as I hit the rest of Tumblr and the PLL-watching world. Yes, we were promised "answers every episode" and at first glance we seemed to get none. But the more I think about it the more I'm coming back to the WHY as well as what answers DID we get? In the past, seasons were 24 episodes so the fact that there are only 20 this season (with a 2 hour finale) lead me to believe that the showrunners are not in need of filler episodes to stretch the story out for a set number of episodes to fill a specific tv schedule. (Plus -- and here's the mid-30 year old side of my brain that is mostly suppressed given my penchant for teenage-geared tv -- more episodes = more ad revenue = more money for those in charge so its ESPECIALLY prudent to think about the fact that this season is rather short.... they COULD have stretched it out into 15 episodes and I would be just as glued and watching live, soaking in the advertisements... ahem, rant over). Back to my point! The fact that there are SUCH few episodes leads me to believe (hope? deluded hope?) that there is really important information and answers in this episode that are not beat-us-over-the-head obvious. I need to rewatch it tonight...

- So hold the blind phones a sec... can someone please remind me - when Jenna was carted off in the 7A finale and shoved in that van and had a rubber mask thrown at her, she groped around and - with fear? awe? in her voice exclaimed "You're AD!" KEEP HOLDING THOSE BLIND PHONES KIDDIES - was this the first time we got acknowledgement of Jenna knowing about AD?! And if that is the case - and even if its not - HOW DOES JENNA KNOW AD WEARS A MASK!? Like... whoever this creepo is was walking around in broad daylight without people completely realizing they were decked out in more prosthetics than Mrs. Doubtfire so how on EARTH does Jenna know?! AD must have something on Jenna (and Noel) have been using them as pawns somehow. How else would that comment even begin make sense!? So she knows about AD, and is then carted off... her glasses are removed and she's nervously drinking tea (end of episode 7x11) and then says "You promised to tell me about the game today". IS SHE PART OF THE GAME!? Why would AD revel anything to Jenna? So AD hands her a braille binder (seriously, bitch better be thankful AD compensates for her blindness) and she smiles while whispering "Endgame". So let's think for a second.... AD can't be solely communicating with her through Braille (also, how does one produce Braille at home? Some sort of special printer perhaps? Just curious) so at this point she has to know who they are, right!?! Regardless, she waltzes into the police station to chat with Marco Fury and obsess over Spencer's breathing, so clearly she's either a pawn or a voluntary player... she's not a victim, otherwise AD wouldn't let her just traipse around Rosewood with her "bookends" to guard her. I feel like these facts are important, I just can't yet piece them together.

- Emily's game piece moved.... I say again.... Emily's game piece moved. IS this like Jumanji (side bar: how Canadian did Shay sound when she said "Jumanji"!? Also, THANK YOU PLL WRITERS for voicing our sentiments!!) or did *someone* move her piece?! I think this is also a huge thing... Also, the fact that Hanna was attacked in the shoe shop (the shoe shop MONA SENT HER TO MIGHT I ADD) with a text threatening her to "wait her turn".... this game is moving them systematically, in turns, just like actual game pieces on a board. INTRIGUING!! More thoughts to come after my rewatch.

- Yes, yes we all hate the ancillary characters like Katherine Daly who appear and provide temporary relevance (*cough* weirdo Johnny I'm looking at you and your homemade paints *cough*) but honestly? Its realistic. This show started with these girls in 10th grade ("That Night") and now they are out of college. OF COURSE there are going to be random people in their lives - and not everyone we meet in our lives is there forever, sometimes we know people for only a short while. Ahem... anyways, stepping on my tangent-flavored-soap box. Clearly there is something UP with Hanna and her budding fashion career and unfortunately I can't help feeling like Mona may be involved here. It is SUCH a coincidence that Mona claimed Katherine knew her and that's how she could hook Hanna up to dress her... and conveniently Hanna wasn't around when Mona raided her closet and nabbed her personal stash of clothing... and conveniently the ONLY dress Katherine is interested in is the one that Hanna didn't totally design herself/designed when she worked for Claudia... and conveniently the only appropriate shoe choice are the shoes Hanna is having fixed in Philly.... and conveniently Katherine, though a rich Daddy's girl socialite, can't afford her own shoes? I mean, *I* get weird about sharing shoes with friends -  but a rich "it" girl who worships fashion? Yeah, sure she's gonna take some random chick's shoes to wear, I believe that 100%.... and conveniently, when Hanna goes to get those shoes she gets locked in a cage and gets a threatening AD text... and conveniently at the same time as this, dumbass Jenna is wearing the SAME dress but in white (bitch can't even SEE the beading!).... Guys, I hate to say it but I feel like Mona may still be riding the A train voluntarily... So no, Katherine as a "person" isn't important in the sense that she's endgame but she may be leading us to clues why someone else is... It was Mona's game to start with - she and Charlotte even had that weird board game in Radley so it isn't far-fetched to believe that Mona is part of the endgame too.

- There is no justifying that little bitch, Addison Derringer, though. Well, it was funny when Emily was all (to Ali): "Am I mistaken or is she -" and Ali immediately cuts her off with "Nope, she's worse". Loved that! I mean, there will always be mean girls, and clearly Emily PTSD Fields isn't cutting any of them slack... Ugh ok, I guess there COULD BE justification for this character. The PLLs are being controlled by AD, again like game pieces on a game board, and they are each being dragged into their dark side. Spencer is having to face the realities of her parentage which has lead her to a very dark place already, especially in her interactions with Ron Ron. Emily finally grew balls......but they are biting her IN THE ASS because she just can't control her attitude now. Even her friends are commenting on it... She's being dragged into a dark place and AD is exploiting her new found backbone. All Lucy Hale seemed to talk about in interviews was Aria being in a "dark place" in this last season... so I'm sensing a theme!

- Its interesting that all their game pieces have them dressed as their High School selves - including Ali in her ever-popular yellow top (on a differently shaped base piece than the other girls....) I feel like this leads us back to AD being in this from the beginning... the conductor of this roller coaster ride... the REAL A. I think Mona could have been a pawn and that her A-days were the first stirrings of this game....

I think its clear I need to rewatch episode 7x12 and compile some more thoughts once I've done so... And I think its clear I need a new hobby.

8 EPISODES LEFT, Y'ALL!

Kisses, -K

[gethealthy18-blog]

21 Fun Games For Women’s Day Celebrations

New Post has been published on https://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/21-fun-games-for-womens-day-celebrations/

21 Fun Games For Women’s Day Celebrations

Women’s Day is celebrated with enthusiasm globally. It is a day for celebrating the achievements of women, and what can be a better way to celebrate this awesome day than by arranging a get-together or a kitty party? If you are hosting a party for the lovely ladies in your life this Women’s Day, make sure you choose the right games to spice up the party. Here are 21 of the most exciting and fun kitty games you can play.

21 Game Ideas For Women’s Day Celebrations

1. The Guessing Game

People Required: No restrictions, perfect game for up to 15 ladies.

Things Required: A transparent bowl, papers, and pens 

Instructions:

Offer a pen and paper to every lady. Make them write 2-3 truths about themselves on the paper. Offer 4-5 minutes for writing the truths and then fold the papers. Collect the papers from all the ladies and put them in the bowl.

Invite one lady in the center and let her pick a folded paper from the bowl. She needs to read the truths out loud and guess who has written them. Write down the points. At the end, the lady with the highest points wins.

2. Guess The Thing

People Required: No restrictions, perfect game for 20 ladies in pairs

Things Required: Some common household items, papers, and pens 

Instructions:

Make a pair of two ladies and make them sit with their backs facing each other. One of the partners will have the bag with the household item and the other one will have a pen and paper. The lady with the bag has to look at the household item and describe it to her partner without mentioning the exact name of the item and the other one has to guess what item it is.

Once guessed, she has to write it down on the paper. Each round lasts90 seconds. In the end, whoever gets most items correct, wins the game. You can arrange some gifts for the winners.

3. Spin The Bottle

Shutterstock

People Required: No restrictions, perfect game for 15 or more ladies

Things Required: A bottle and nail paints 

Instructions:

This is not the traditional Spin The Bottle game – it has a fun kitty twist. For this game, arrange some bottles of nail paint in a circle on your table, leaving enough space in the middle to spin a bottle. Form a circle around the table. One by one, each member of the kitty has to spin the bottle. When the bottle stops spinning, the lady toward whom the bottle is pointing has to paint her nails with the nail paint in front of her within a minute.

Try to paint as many nails as possible in a minute. Spin the bottle until all the ladies get a chance. When all the ladies get their turns, the lady with most nails painted wins. Also, make sure to look for the lady who has painted her nails neatly if there’s a tie.

4. Musical Puzzle Game

People Required: No restrictions, perfect game for 20 or more ladies

Things Required: A phone/music player, a paper, a pen, and 2 buzzers 

Instructions:

This game needs some preparation so make a list of the songs you are going to play during the game. Also, note down some questions regarding the songs such as “Who is the singer of this song?”, “What is the hook step of this song?”, “Who made a guest appearance in this song?” etc. when the guests arrive, divide the ladies in a group of two. If you have more than four ladies in a group, form more groups and play the game in batches. Invite the first batch, i.e., the two groups of four ladies.

Give one buzzer to each tea, and play the song and ask your first question. The team that presses the buzzer first answers the question. If the player fails to answer, the question will automatically pass to the other team and they can answer it. The team that gets all the answers correct wins the game.

5. Have You Ever

People Required: No restrictions, perfect game for 20 or more ladies

Things Required: A list of questions 

Instructions:

You will have to plan and make preparations before the party for this game. Make a list of some exciting questions like “Have you ever been arrested?”, “Have you ever locked yourself in a room?”, “Have you ever peed in a swimming pool?” etc. When your guests arrive, give them a pen and paper and ask these questions.

For every question, they’ll have to reply with yes or no. ‘Yes’ equals 10 points, while ‘No’ equals 0 points. Tally all the participants’ points. The person with the highest points wins. You can also add your own twists to this game to make it more unpredictable and exciting.

6. Purse Scavenger Hunt

People Required: No restrictions, perfect game for 20 or more ladies

Things Required: Papers and pens 

Instructions:

Make a list of some common items that are found in a lady’s purse. List items such as red lipstick, lip gloss, hairpins, scrunchies, grocery receipts, etc. If there are 20 ladies, divide them into four groups. You can decrease or increase the groups depending on the number of players. Once the groups are formed, inform the ladies to grab their bags.

Readout all the items in your list one by one and let the ladies start looking for these items in their bags. All the group members need to collect the listed items from their bags and arrange them on the table. The group that has all the items wins the game. You can also choose the winner based on the number of items. For instance, the group that has five red lipsticks wins over the group that has two lipsticks.

7. Name It In A Minute

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: Papers, a stopwatch, and pens 

Instructions:

When your guests arrive, hand over a pen and a paper to all the ladies. Make a list of the things you’ll ask the participants to write about. You can write things like famous cosmetic brands, famous designers, popular travel destinations in Singapore, famous female athletes, etc.

When the participants are ready, announce one topic from the list. Ask them to list out all the things related to that topic within one minute and press the buzzer. For instance, the participants have to write the names of as many female designers as possible. Whoever writes the most names wins a point. Continue the game with another topic on the list and go on. In the end, the participant with the most points wins the game.

8. Draw On A Balloon

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: Ballpoint pens, a whistle, and balloons 

Instructions:

Hand a ballpoint pen and a balloon to 5 ladies at a time. Blow the whistle and ask the ladies to draw something on the balloons using the pen. For example, you can suggest drawing four hearts on the balloon.

All the ladies need to draw four hearts without bursting the balloon. The ones who draw all the shapes perfectly on the balloon without bursting it win the game.

9. The Memory Game

People Required: 4-5 ladies. More ladies can play in batches.

Things Required: Pens, papers, and some random household items 

Instructions:

Make a group of 4-5 ladies and hand them pens and paper. Now, arrange some common household items on the tray. For example, you can arrange a lipstick, a glass, a watch, a coin, a stapler, and other such items in a line.

Now let all the participants have a close look at the items in the tray for 40 seconds and try to memorize the sequence of placement. Then, take the tray away. All the participants have to list the things in the order that they were arranged in the tray. The participant who gets all the items right and in the correct order wins the game.

10. Guess The Movie

People Required: 20 or more ladies

Things Required: A stopwatch 

Instructions:

Divide the participants into two groups. Call one member from each team. One member has to whisper the name of a movie in the opposing team member’s ear. That team member has to act out the name of the movie in front of her team. The team members have to guess the movie name. The only thing to keep in mind is that the participant who is acting cannot speak and has to explain the name through actions.

The participant can act any scene from the movie or give clues about the actor or actress in the movie. If the team guesses the movie name right within the given time, it gets a point. If it doesn’t get the correct answer, the opposing team gets a point.

11. Blow The Balloons

Shutterstock

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: A whistle and balloons 

Instructions:

Hand a balloon to each lady. Once you blow the whistle, all the ladies get 10 breaths to blow the balloon. The participant that blows the biggest balloon in 10 breaths wins the game.

12. Peel The Oranges

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: Oranges and a whistle 

Instructions:

If you are looking for a fun party game, this one will make everyone laugh. (You’ll also get some readily peeled oranges to prepare juice for the next few days!) Place a bunch of oranges in front of each participant.

As soon as you blow the whistle, all the participants need to start peeling the oranges. The participants have to try to completely peel as many oranges as possible in a minute. The participant who peels the highest number of oranges wins the game.

13. Straw In The Hair

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: Straws 

Instructions:

Arrange a bunch of straws in front of each participant. As soon as the host blows the whistle, the participants need to tuck as many straws into their hair as possible. No straw should hang or fall off while tucking.

At the end of a minute, the participant who gets the maximum number of straws tucked in their hair wins the game.

14. The Naughty Dare Game

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: Papers, pens, and a bowl 

Instructions:

This game is like Truth and Dare but more difficult. Note down some interesting tasks on paper chits. You can add tasks like ‘drink a whole can of coke in 30 seconds’, ‘peel a banana using your toes and feet’, ‘talk in a strange accent’ etc.

Once you’re done with noting down the tasks, put all the chits in the bowl and invite each participant one by one. The participant has to pick a chit and do the dare. No one wins or loses in this game, but it is a fun game to pep up the party.

15. Blind Folded Makeover Game

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: Makeup products and a blindfold 

Instructions:

This Women’s Day, include this awesome game in your party game list. To play this game, you will need to divide the guests into pairs. Make 4-5 pairs.

One member of each team will be blindfolded and apply makeup on their partner’s face. The partner can guide the blindfolded participant to pick up the right products. The pair that applies the best makeup while blindfolded wins the game.

16. Photo Scavenger Hunt

People Required: 20 ladies

Things Required: List of items and cameras/phones 

Instructions:

Before the party starts, list out some common items found in your home. You can list out things like red heels, a black scrunchie, a chandelier, a flower vase, etc. As the guests arrive, divide them into 2-3 groups. Give each team the list of items you made and also give them a camera or phone.

As the time starts, all the three teams need to search the house for the items on the list and click pictures of them. Within 5 minutes, the teams need to gather in the decided room and show the pictures. The team that gets the pictures of the maximum number of items on the list wins the game.

17. Two Truths And A Lie

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: None 

Instructions:

In this game, no one wins and no one loses. It’s just an entertaining game that you can play to jazz up the party. In this game, one person has to come up in the center and say two truths and one lie about themselves.

All the ladies present there have to guess which one is the lie and which one is the truth. Instead of winning or losing, you’ll find out some interesting and amazing things about your squad playing this game.

18. Would You Rather

People Required: None

Things Required: None 

Instructions:

This is a common game that you can play on Women’s Day with a twist. You can pick some women-centric questions. Before the guests arrive, note down some questions on a paper. Include questions like “Would you rather wear a wired bra or high heels all day, every day?”, “Would you rather shave off your eyebrows or get a rash during a waxing session?” and much more. The players have to pick one of the options and justify it. No one wins or loses in this game, but it adds more fun and excitement to your party.

19. A Minute To Thread It

Shutterstock

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: None 

Instructions:

In this game, make a batch of 4-5 participants. When the whistle blows, each contestant has to thread as many needles as possible within a minute. The participant who threads the highest number of needles wins the game. This is a fun and thrilling game that’ll add some zest to your party!

20. Never Have I Ever

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: None 

Instructions:

This is a great game to find out who has done some of the most thrilling and bizarre things in your group. To play this game, one participant says something they have never done and everyone in the group who has done it loses one point.

If a person loses 5 points, they are out of the game. The last one standing is the winner. You’ll unveil some of the best and naughtiest facts about your friends through this game.

21. Guess The Food

People Required: 8-10 ladies

Things Required: Some food items like fruits, vegetables, desserts, etc. 

Instructions:

For this game, you need to make two teams. One member of each team is blindfolded and has to guess the food item in front of them. The blindfolded person can touch the food but can’t smell it. By touching, they’ll have to identify the food item. The person who guesses correctly first gets a point for their team. The team with the highest points wins the game. 

These are some thrilling and exciting games that can add a bit of zing to your Women’s Day party. Try them out and let us know about your experience in the comments section below!

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Harini has over 12 years of experience in content writing and editing for online media. She specializes in the areas of business, health and wellness, and lifestyle and is proficient in Medical Sciences (Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, and Biochemistry). As the Chief Editor, Harini ensures that her team delivers interesting, engaging, and authentic content. Her background in Biomedical Engineering helps her decode and interpret the finer nuances of scientific research for her team. Harini is a certified bibliophile and a closet poet. She also loves dancing and traveling to offbeat destinations.

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Fun Games and Activities To Play While Babysitting

List of 20 awesome things to do while babysitting!

This post contains affiliate links.  Please read our Disclaimer for more information.

So what is babysitting? Babysitting is when a Mom or Dad have commitments and/or engagements and want or need to be kid free for a period of time. And who should they call upon as their most trusted babysitter?

Well, if they have the option, an Aunt is a great choice for this very task. We’re a trusted resource for parents and it’s also a great way for us to build strong bonds with our niblings (especially the younger ones).

But what do you do with them when you’re babysitting? Turn on the TV and let the time pass until Mom and Dad get home? Not if your’e an awesome babysitter.

Go in with a plan to have fun, be safe, and bond with these little ones. Playing with them is the best way to bond in my opinion.

Need some ideas on what to play or how to have fun? I’ve put together a list of games and activities that babysitters can play during your visits. Enjoy them!!

Bubbles

What kid doesn’t love to play with bubbles? It’s fun to blow them, but what every kid loves to do is POP the bubbles. That’s why I prefer to have a bubble maker around so I can pop them too.

This bubble maker creates over Frog Over 500 bubbles per minute!

Get creative! See if you can..

Make a bubble snowman – catch and stack 3 bubbles on top of each other before they pop!

Have the kids count how many bubbles they can pop before you count to 10

Click here to check it out on Amazon:

Bubble Maker

Play Doh & Play Doh Sets

Play Doh is also a fan favorite for nearly every child. It’s not only for fun, it’s also functional. Play doh is great for exercising their fine motor skills.  Kids need fine motor skills for writing, eating, and tying their shoes, etc.

You can do so much with it too! Roll it, flatten it, chop it, cut it, poke it, squish it, pinch it, mix it and more!

I like to have both a play doh sets so they have some tools to work with while making their masterpieces. However, it’s also a good idea to have extra on hand. The more colors the better!

Click here to check them out on Amazon:

Play Doh

Play Doh Playset

Make Believe

Playing make believe comes naturally to children and it’s a great way to build a bond with them. I find that sometimes all they need is to set up a scenario and then they’ll take it from there.

Here’s a thought, mold some fish and sharks out of play doh, turn on the bubble maker, and make believe you’re under the sea!

Coloring

When you find yourself babysitting your niece or nephew (which many Aunts do on a regular basis), it’s a good idea to have an action plan.  Picking out a movie to watch or playing a board game can be a lot of fun. But you know what? You’re gonna want to have a quiet activity planned too – like coloring.

 It helps them develop their fine motor skills!

 It’s relaxing!

 It promotes creativity!

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Drawing

Drawing is sort of my thing, but I know it’s not everyone’s strong suit. My niece and nephews often ask me draw them a picture of their favorite characters and superheroes. We’ve gotten to the point now where I have to do a good job because they want them framed!

I highly suggest Art for Kids Hub on YouTube. This channel breaks down all the steps to drawing popular cartoon characters, to emojis and more! He does it all with his kids drawing with him! It’s a kid friend channel and fan favorite in my family.

Scavenger Hunt

Send them on a scavenger hunt! Whether you have one child a few, it’s an easy way to add fun to your babysitting duties. Plus, you can turn almost anything into a scavenger hunt!

Get your Spring Scavenger Hunt Printable!

Would Your Rather

Select the first player and have them ask a question that begins with “Would you rather…?” The player will provide two scenarios for the other players to choose from.

Each player must pick one of the two scenarios he or she would “rather” do.

“Both” or “Neither.” can never be the response. You must choose ONE of the two options given.

I’ve created some questions to get your game started. Click here for 20 FREE would you rather questions for kids!

I Spy

To begin, one person looks around the room and spies something. The person keeps it a secret. Then they say out loud, “I spy with my little eye, something… The spy must give a descriptive clue, i.e. something orange, something that starts with R, etc. The item must be visible to the other players.

Whoever guesses correctly then becomes the new spy.

20 questions

One player is starts the game by picking a word and keeping it a secret. They are the word keeper.

Everyone else is a guesser.

Each guesser takes a turn asking one yes or no question.

We usually start off the game with the first questions being is it an animal? Is it a vegetable? Is it a mineral?

The word keeper must answer the questions honestly. Lying is never allowed.

If any of the guessers figure out the secret word in 20 questions or less, they become the word keep for the next round.

If the word is not guessed, the word keeper for that round goes again.

Build a couch or pillow fort

Stack pillows and couch cushions in a square space, leaving room in the middle to sit.

Place a blanket over top.

Us this space to tell stories, read a book, or better yet…as safety for your sock wars!

Sock war

This was a favorite game of ours when we were growing up. Your ammunition? Dirty socks!

Establish boundaries and safe zones.

Take off your socks and fold them into a ball. Each player tries to hit their opponent with their dirty sock. The game only ends when you’ve had enough.

Use the forts you just built as home base for each side.

This is safe play because socks won’t hurt anyone, but it’s also loads of fun to hit someone with a sock.

Mega Bloks

Lego sets are great when kids get older and can read and follow directions for putting them together. However, I like Mega Bloks because they’re super easy to clean up, they’re great for little hands, and I won’t limp for an hour if I accidentally step on one.

Build a tower, knock it down! Let their imaginations sore with this kid friendly toy.

It’s great to bring in other toys such as stuff animals, action figures, LOL surprise dolls, etc. to build a home, bed, school, or anything else you can come up with.

Click here to check them out on Amazon:

Mega Bloks

Paint a Rock

I literally just used this paint a rock kit with my niece and nephew the last time I babysat them.

My niece Layla is older and had a great time getting detailed and making her rock look like the ones on the box.

My nephew, Julian is only 3, but he didn’t care. He went to town mixing colors on his rock and had a blast.

Get creative! Paint these rocks, allow them to dry, let the kids hide them and then add them to your scavenger hunt!  

Layla and I didn’t put on that many coats of paint so our rocks dried pretty quickly. I can’t say the same for Julian’s so just keep that in mind if you want to hide them immediately. Let the kids know the more paint you put on, the longer it’ll take for them to dry.

Click here to check them out on Amazon:

Rocking Painting Kit

Build a Puzzle

When you’ve had enough active play and you’re ready for a quiet activity, I suggest doing a puzzle together. It’s relaxing but it keeps their attention because they have to focus on putting the pieces together.

Sit down together and build this underwater scene!

Click here to check them out on Amazon:

Under The Sea Puzzle

This giant floor puzzle by Melissa and Doug is made from durable, extra-thick cardboard pieces. It’s broken into 48 pieces which is not too many pieces where they get overwhelmed and lose interest. It’s also not too few pieces where they would complete it in 4 seconds.

Minute to Win it Games!

M&M Challenge

Supplies needed:

M&M’s

Table

Straws

Empty Cup

Kitchen Timer

Setting up the game:

Start by spreading M&M’s on the table or inside a bowl.

Hand each player a straw and empty cup. Place the cup next to the child on the table.

Objective:

Players must suck up one M&M at a time and place it into the empty bowl next to them. They cannot use their hands to pick up the candy.

Players have ONE MINUTE to suck up as many candies as possible and drop them in their empty cup!

The player who transferred the most M&M’s is the winner! Everyone gets to eat their M&M’s though!

Variation:

Put the empty cups farther away on another table and have them walk their M&M’s to the cup! This will get messier so if you want a simply clean up, have them closer. However, if you don’t mind the mess, try it – IT’S FUN!

Balloon Challenge

Supplies needed:

Inflated Balloon(s)

Kitchen Time

Free Space

How to Play/Objective:

I suggest allowing one person to go at a time to avoid injury, but use your discretion based upon space.

Players will each take an inflated balloon, toss it above their head and keep it up by lightly taping it into the air.

They have ONE MINUTE to keep it above their head. If it falls below their chin, the game starts over.

Variations:

Add more balloons! Think it’s too easy with 1 balloon? Try 3!!

Too hard to keep it above your head? Change the rules so that they only have to keep the balloon in the air, not above their head.

Cookie Challenge

Supplies needed:

Cookies

Empty chair or floor space

Kitchen timer

How to Play/Objective:

Sit in a chair or on the floor. Give a cookie such as an Oreo to each player. Have them lean their head back and place a cookie in the middle of their forehead.

When the timer begins, players can only use their facial muscles to move the cookie from their forehead to their mouth.

They can tip their head and move their neck, but players cannot touch the cookie with your hands.

The cookie must remain in contact with their face. They can’t try to toss it from your forehead and catch it in your mouth.

If a cookie falls before it reaches their mouth, they must start over by placing it back on their forehead.

The cookie must actually go in your mouth to count.

Variations:

Give them 2 or 3 cookies to start. After the first cookie makes it to their mouth, they must remove it and start over with another one on their forehead. The challenge is completed when all 3 make it to their mouth before the minute is up.

Popsicle/Dice Challenge

Supplies needed:

Popsicle sticks

5 Dice

Kitchen timer

How to Play/Objective:

Players must hold one end of a popsicle stick in their mouth.

Take each die and one by one stack them on the other end of the popsicle stick on top of each other.

They must stack 5 dice in a tower at the end on the stick.

Players have ONE MINUTE to complete this challenge.

If they dice fall off, have them pick it up and start over before the time runs out.

Variations:

Use fewer dice in the tower

Spaghetti Challenge

Supplies Needed:

Six uncooked penne or tube shaped pasta per player

One uncooked piece of spaghetti per player

Empty table space

Kitchen timer

How to Play/Objective:

Place the pasta around the edge of the table so that the open end faces outward.

Players must stand at the table with their hands behind the back.

When the timer starts, the player can then pick up the spaghetti with their hands and put it in their mouth.

The player then goes around the table skewering the pasta, one at a time, with the spaghetti.

If the spaghetti breaks, just give them another piece

To win, all six pieces of pasta must be on the spaghetti within ONE MINUTE!

Card Shark!

Supplies Needed:

1 Deck of Playing Card

Kitchen Timer

How to Play/Objective:

Shuffle 1 deck of playing cards.

One player at a time goes unless you have more than 1 deck of cards

Players make 4 piles of cards with each pile containing only one suit in ONE MINUTE!.

Variations:

To make it harder! Player must put 1 pile in order from ace to king!

Even harder! Player must put 2 piles in order from ace to king!

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

5 Most Important Tips for Babysitting Your Niece or Nephew

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[xlewandowski]

NFL Mock Draft — 2017

Waited til the last possible moment to write this baby, but here we are!

We’ll skip the intro because lets be honest, no one ever reads it.

Without any further ado, this is my prediction for the 1st round for the 2017 NFL draft:

Please note that I will not be predicting trades in this mock; they are inevitable, a mock draft is already a guessing game so why add to the fire with trades.

Cleveland Browns — Myles Garret, Defensive End
 No need to overthink this, Cleveland. Garrett is the best player in the draft, despite most recent reports of him being lazy and taking plays off. Randy Moss had that rep. Look past the smokescreens people.

San Francisco 49ers — Deshaun Watson, Quarterback First big surprise of the 2017 draft. I personally believe, and have always believed that Watson is the much better prospect between he and Trubisky, but for some reason Watson has been lost in discussion in this draft process. Watson is a proven winner and San Francisco desperately needs a quarterback to bring the fan base back to the Bay Area.

Chicago Bears — Jamal Adams, Safety John Fox is hoping for a kind of impact that the Jags received last year in the form of Jalen Ramsey, minus the whole smack talking thing. Adams is the drafts best safety and arguably one of this years draft best overall players. Chicago has been dreadful in the secondary for years, aside from Kyle Fuller, who is probably still injured.

Jacksonville Jaguars — O.J. Howard, Tight End This is Blake Bortles final piece to the puzzle to have him be a consistent, elite quarterback in this league…look I don’t believe it either but the Jags do and that’s what I’m trying to get at. Jacksonville, despite their struggles last year have a top tier offence that they have built quite well through the draft, adding Howard gives them what they thought they paid for in Julius Thomas a couple of years ago minus the health concerns.

Tennessee Titans — Solomon Thomas, Defensive End/Tackle Tennessee needs some secondary help, as well as wideouts to help in the further development of Marcus Mariota, however, the value and slight slide of Thomas is too much to pass up. Thomas adds even further depth to an already underrated Titans defensive line. Mike Mularkey’s philosophy in building from the lines out continues.

New York Jets — Marshon Lattimore, Cornerback New York desperately tried to make a quick fix of their secondary when they brought the band back together in Revis and Cromartie…which worked out horribly. Who would of thought over paying corners in their 30’s and past their primes was a smart move.. Lattimore brings what Todd Bowles believes to be is his Patrick Peterson when he was the defensive coordinator in Arizona.

Los Angeles Chargers — Malik Hooker, Safety Everyone has Hooker going to the LA Chargers, why, because it just makes sense. LA has a star cornerback in Jason Verrett as well as at defensive end in Joey Bosa, Hooker gives them the free range safety they have been lacking for years. This draft has the chance to offer what Kansas City and Seattle received in 2010 with Eric Berry and Earl Thomas (respectively) with Adams and Hooker.

Carolina Panthers — John Ross, Wide Receiver Running back has been the prime landing spot for Carolina, however I’m going in a bit of a different offensive weapon direction. Cam has a big strong arm, why not take advantage of that with a wideout who is the fastest in NFL history (according to the 40 yard dash time). Ted Ginn did well in the deep threat roll for Carolina, and he could barely catch, now imagine a wideout that can and who is even faster.

Cincinnati Bengals — Derek Barnett, Defensive End Cincinnati, aside from having their offensive line purged over free agency has a decent roster despite finishing under .500 and picking in the top 10; they are a classic example of a team reloading rather than rebuilding. Barnett gives an added rusher to an already talented line in Dunlap and Atkins + this allows not all the pressure to be solely on Barnett’s shoulders.

Buffalo Bills — Jabrill Peppers, Safety/Linebacker Because who doesn’t like surprises? Prior to the in-depth draft process Peppers was talked about as a potential top 15 pick, then talks about what position he actually plays, lack of interceptions came into play and all that other fun stuff people talk about when there’s nothing to talk about in the NFL off-season. Peppers is the most versatile defensive player in the draft, and with this being Sean McDermott’s first go as a head coach he wants an impactful player that will make plays wherever and whenever on the field.

New Orleans Saints — Reuben Foster, Linebacker Couldn’t you just see New Orleans drafting McCaffrey or Fournette just to screw with us? I’m going more logical, which isn’t always the smartest route to go, but Foster gives the Saints something they haven’t had at linebacker since… Jonathan Vilma came via trade the New York Jets, maybe? Foster is the do everything rangy linebacker the Saints desperately need to take them from absolutely dreadful to at the least mediocre, and that’s one hell of a step.

Cleveland Browns — Mitchell Trubisky, Quarterback Fun fact, at the start of the draft process Trubisky wanted everyone to call him Mitchell rather than Mitch as it sounded more professional. Be strong Mitch! In all seriousness though, Cleveland finally gets their quarterback of the future (?). In being chosen with the 12th pick rather than the 1st it takes a ton of pressure off of Trubisky from performing right out of the gate. Hue Jackson wants a quarterback who he can finally groom and call his own and Trubisky has the skillset (although not the experience) to finally FINALLY give Cleveland some hope.

Arizona Cardinals — Mike Williams, Wide Receiver  It was a toss between Williams and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, my belief is that Bruce Arians still has faith (though he shouldn’t) in Carson Palmer. Arizona didn’t seem like they’d be in the receiver market for a few years but with Fitzgerald getting closer to retirement, John Brown getting injured, and Michael Floyd being an idiot, wideout become more of a need. Williams is arguably the best wideout in the draft and though he may not have elite speed, he does have the size and the hands to excel in the NFL, which bodes well for Arizona as he’s virtually a carbon copy of Fitzgerald.

Philadelphia Eagles — Leonard Fournette, Running Back Fournette is a potential generational running back who somehow falls to Philadelphia, though you won’t hear them complaining. Fournette gives the Eagles what they’ve never had, a huge back with tremendous power and surprising speed. Philadelphia has the receiving back in Sproles and made acquisitions for a rebuilt receiving core that was severely lacking prior to free agency. Last year gave the Eagles hope with Wentz, a year later, this offence could be downright scary with the addition of Fournette.

Indianapolis Colts — Christian McCaffrey, Running Back This is what Indianapolis does, they have a franchise quarterback, a terrible defence and just add to their offence in hopes that they out score you, classic Indianapolis! McCaffrey is the most versatile offence player in the draft, the fact that the Colts desperately need a running back it’s almost a perfect pairing. 

Baltimore Ravens — Jonathan Allen, Defensive Tackle/End Baltimore needs an impact at the running back position but with the two cleanest runners getting drafted right before them and with the two best still available having character issues, Baltimore goes the safe route and opts for the best remaining defensive lineman in Allen. Allen is able to help the Ravens both inside and outside and with an aging Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervill being released the drafting of Allen just makes sense.

Washington Redskins — Forrest Lamp, Offensive Guard Everyone’s favourite dysfunctional franchise! Washington says they want to keep Kirk Cousins, so what better way to keep your franchise quarterback from leaving in free agency in a year? You keep him clean and give him all the time in the world to find his receivers. Lamp is the best of a very thin offensive line group, he was originally a tackle however his lack of athleticism will ultimately kick him inside which works out perfect for Washington as they can pair him with former first rounder Brandon Scherff to form a very impressive guard duo.

Tennessee Titans — Corey Davis, Wide Receiver  In waiting to draft a wideout with their second 1st rounder, Tennessee is rewarded with one of the top receivers in this years draft. Davis for some reason didn’t receive (pun intended) as much fanfare as he should of; he is the all-time leader in receiving yards for the NCAA. Davis is by far one of the safest picks in the entire draft, a true plug and play player.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Budda Baker, Safety As fun as it would be to see Jameis Winston and Dalvin Cook reunite in the Bucs backfield a la Florida State, Tampa actually has great depth at that position despite what you think of Doug Martin. Baker is a smaller safety that can make a tremendous impact for the Bucs, think Bob Sanders but a little taller. Tampa has quickly built a contender ever since the arrival of Winston and Mike Evans, now the defence is just putting together those final pieces to put them over the top.

Denver Broncos — Cam Robinson, Offensive Tackle Really debated putting David Njoku in this spot but ultimately keeping the quarterback (whoever it is) upright won out over giving the quarterback an easy out. Denver’s o-line hasn’t been great, or even mediocre for the last few seasons. Robinson, like Forrest Lamp, is the best of a very weak offensive line draft class. He’s a bit of a risk/reward prospect, but Denver is desperate for an upgrade.

Detroit Lions — Marlon Humphrey, Cornerback Don’t look now but Detroit has slowly built themselves a contender with smart free agent signings as well as great drafting. Humphrey would be opposite of Darius Slay and immediately form a very formidable cornerback tandem. Plus, playing in a division where Aaron Rodgers is lined up against you, you can never have enough cover corners.

Miami Dolphins — Chidobe Awuzie, Cornerback Miami is only a few pieces away from making a big impact in the AFC, now unfortunately one of those pieces involves quarterback but Ryan Tannehill has played well (mediocre?) enough to hold down that position. Awuzie adds depth to a thin cornerback group in Miami; and no, Byron Maxwell is not the reason to not draft a corner, he’s terrible at best. The lone knock on Awuzie is that he could play a bit more aggressive… couldn’t we all.

New York Giants — David Njoku, Tight End New York needs to upgrade their offensive line, this is an obvious, but with no lineman worth of a 1st round pick in their eyes, and the best off the table the Giants opt for the second best pass catching tight end in the draft. New York hasn’t had a reliable tight end since Jeremy Shockey. Maybe the reason Eli kept getting killed and had lower numbers last year had more to do with the lack of trust he had of his tight ends. 

Oakland Raiders — Takkarist McKinley, Defensive End Oakland goes with their best player available approach. With Marshawn Lynch being acquired, Oakland can now focus on adding a playmaker along the defensive side. McKinley is the pick here as you can never have enough pass rushers, and with Aldon Smith future still in question Oakland plays it smart and continues to draft well. 

Houston Texans — Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback The choice was either quarterback, or quarterback for Houston. Mahomes gets the slight edge over Kizer solely because of the arm strength he showed off in recent weeks, which, no knock on Kizer as he too has tremendous arm strength. Honestly, I just flipped a coin. All this kid has to do is throw it up to DeAndre Hopkins, not hard, unless your name is Brock Osweiler..

Seattle Seahawks — Ryan Ramczyk, Offensive Tackle I mean, Seattle has to upgrade their offensive line eventually, right? Russell Wilson had a bit of a down year last year, and the main culprit behind that was the offensive line, half the time Wilson was running for his life; the running game also suffered because of the line. Enter Ramczyk who is an absolute mauler and would bring Seattle back to it’s roots in running the ball down the oppositions throats.

Kansas City Chiefs — DeShone Kizer, Quarterback The end is near for Alex Smith, it was a fun ride, like that roller coaster you go on but never truly get excited. Kizer would sit behind Smith and pretty much be red shirted for the year as he learns about the game and perfects his craft. Andy Reid would have no pressure to start this kid, unless of course Smith unravels and the season starts to slip away.

Dallas Cowboys — Obi Melifonwu, Safety Massive safety! Think Kam Chancellor of Seattle. Melifonwu is one of the most athletically gifted athletes in the draft, and paired with Byron Jones, drafted a couple of years ago and Dallas has completely rebuilt their safety position to help them against what is sure to be a high flying NFC East division.

Green Bay Packers — Dalvin Cook, Running Back Ty Montgomery is the current starting running back for Green Bay, a converted wideout who was put in that position out of pure desperation. Green Bay gets exceptional value with Cook sliding all the way to the end of the 1st round. The last time the Packers had this gifted of a runner in the back field Ahmad Green was suiting up for the green and gold. 

Pittsburgh Steelers — Charles Harris, Outside Linebacker James Harrison can’t play forever..? Pittsburgh wants to get back to having a dominate linebacking core, and with Jarvis Jones doing next to nothing, the Steelers reload with Harris. Harris on one side, Bud Depree on the other and Ryan Shazier in the middle gives offensive coordinators nightmares. 

Atlanta Falcons — Adoree’ Jackson, Cornerback Playing against Brees, Cam, and Jameis six times a year makes drafting Jackson an easy decision. Dan Quinn prides himself on building a dominate secondary and with last years 1st rounder Keanu Neal and current starting cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford, Atlanta has built a starting secondary that could soon resemble the Broncos or Seahawks in pure dominance.

New Orleans Saints — Sidney Jones, Cornerback The achilles injury Jones suffered at his pro day cost him from being a top 10 pick, however his drop off isn’t as devastating as initially thought. Jones will still be out for at least 4 months with injury, however if he can make his way back midway through the season New Orleans may have gotten the steal of the draft and would have significantly upgraded their defence.

And there you have it! 

Thank you to those who have stuck around this long to see how I predict the 1st round of the 2017 draft will unfold. Best of luck to your team and hope that they draft whomever your little heart desires!

Enjoy the Draft on Thursday!

[survivorsentinelislands]

EPISODE 14 (FINALE): IT’S BEEN A LONG ROAD, BUT HERE WE ARE ~Ned

WHEW I KNEW I NEEDED THAT IDOL!!! BLESS NED!! I NEGATED 3 VOTES AGAINST ME, MY VOTE WAS NEGATED, AND JOSH WENT HOME WITH NED'S ONE VOTE! I wish we had taken out Keegan out instead now but we were trying to have faith that he was with us. What a dumb idea oops. Anyways now I need to figure out how to make sure Ned and I make FTC together. We're doing ROP now so it's probably going to be an F3.

So right now my plan is that Ned and I go to Carson and I make the case that 1) if Keegan goes to the end he's winning this game because he'll probably get Daisy, Josh, and Darian and all he needs is one more vote

2) one of us (Ned and I) are guaranteed a spot in the F3 and since ROP is now it's probably an F3, so if we go to F3 individually we probably win because we'll get Coffey, Sara, Alex, definite and we just need one more but if we go together those votes will be split up among the two of us and it'll make it more likely that the other person will win

3) Carson will probably get those votes Daisy, Josh, and Darian and probably Keegan especially since people are mad at us for working together so closely and don't want to vote for us

4) if he doesn't vote with us we'll just vote for him and go to firemaking and he goes home because Ned and I can beat him probably

If I think of any more I'll add them here but right now those are some 4 solid reasons I think. I really do think that it's going to turn out that Ned wins immunity and I need to go to firemaking but like damn I don't want to. I really need to win immunity

So, after last tribal, where I voted Sam with Josh and Carson, I had some damage control to do. I made up a pretty easily believable lie that I knew about Carson's vote negator (I didn't), and had no other option but to vote Sam (i did have other options). I think it worked. Both Sam and Ned said they understood my situation and they would have done similar things (except I wasn't in any situation except wanting to vote out Sam). So, as long as Carson doesn't win immunity, I should be good to make finals. If I win immunity, I'll be so happy and have another good point to bring to my final speech.

If I don't win and Carson doesn't win, I'm fairly certain Sam, Ned and myself will continue to stick together and vote out Carson. And I think that's the best option for me at this point. If I try to make a big move and force a tie breaker between Carson and Sam/Ned, it might not look great to the jury. Josh and Carson know that I intentionally tried to vote out Sam, so maybe it would actually make me look good to say "Hey, I did what I had to eliminate a big threat"

I'm not sure. I think it all just comes down to who wins immunity and I'll take it from there. Victory is so close I can practically taste it.

So Keegan flipped on us to vote out Sam, but thanks to my Idol, we got the vote switched around and Josh went home instead. Now we're worried about a 2v2 and fire-making tiebreaker, but hopefully we've convinced Keegan and Carson to vote against each other. Keegan will rue the day he betrayed us.

Apparently Ned talked to Carson and wants to vote out me. What a little snake.

Carson came to me and told me, so I don't think he's going to just vote with Ned. I really hope that's not the case. I'd hate to be voted out this close to the end

GOD i think i almost went bc i blindly put trust in ned, someone who never trusted me

im so happy i talked to keegan, and we compared what ned told us. ned told keegan to vote me, and told me to vote keegan. so, from what i think, keegan and i are gonna vote ned to try and save ourselves, bc we dont know if theyre voting me or him.

ive gone in a 2-1-1 vote because i blindly put trust in someone i shouldnt've trusted. i dont wanna make that same mistake again

So we're at final 4 and I don't remember what the last thing I talked about was so I'll just recap real quick. Last tribal Carson used his vote negator on me so it meant there were only 4 votes. And he convinced Keegan to vote for me by saying that if Keegan votes Josh with us it will end up tying and he wasn't changing his vote on the revote. At least that's what Keegan told me after I played the idol that Ned gave me and negated the 3 votes against me sending Josh home with Ned's 1 vote. So obviously after getting votes 2 tribals in a row I decided I really need to DO WORK on this immunity challenge and guess what? I FUCKING WON IMMUNITY!!! This logic puzzle drove me insane because I put the wrong thing in one spot and it fucked me up for so long but thankfully it was okay and I still won. I knew my only competition would be Keegan because Ned said he couldn't finish and if Ned wasn't finishing I didn't think Carson would be either.

So anyways, right after last tribal Ned went and made his case to Carson to try to get him on our side and wanted to get him against Keegan. We decided that it would be better to get rid of Keegan now because 1) he's more of a jury threat than Carson, 2) he's more likely to beat either of us in a tie breaker and 3) if it turns out to be a final 2 he might be more likely to beat us in that immunity challenge. I don't mind keeping Keegan around in the F2 scenario just because I think that Keegan would pick me over Ned but I'm not positive? I think I talk to him more than Ned but also he might think of me as more of a threat than Ned so I'm not positive what he would do. But anyways we decided we wanted to get rid of him and him flipping on us made it a lot easier, too.

But I was sitting here talking to Keegan and then he asks me to be totally honest with him and tell him if I'm voting for him. I told him I needed to confirm with Ned but I thought it would be Carson. Then Keegan tells me that he heard from Carson that Ned was coming for him. Carson had sent him all of the screenshots and some pasted receipts and stuff of their whole conversation. Lucky for us, Ned talked to Carson right after tribal (3/1) and I was able to say maybe he didn't still feel that way today (3/5). So I talked to Ned and I told him all of this stuff and we decided that Carson's big snake mouth has just screwed him over. Carson also came to me and asked me to vote for Keegan so I said 'yeah, definitely' because what else do you say? So then Carson went and told Keegan that I was trying to convince him to vote for Keegan? Which I was able to be like 'ha no here's what he said' and sent Keegan the actual receipts so Keegan and I were like 'yup Carson's snake ass gotta go.' Hopefully Keegan really is voting for Carson with us because it'll be easier than going to a tiebreaker but the only good thing about voting for Carson is that if it does go to a tiebreaker Ned will destroy him probably hopefully.

Chances are, I'm not winning this final immunity challenge, unless by some miracle I get first in the Wingoball, Speed and Memory parts.

The next part is convincing whoever does win immunity that I'm the best option to take to FTC. Honestly that shouldn't be too hard.

It will be pretty easy to convince whoever wins that Alex, Darian, Daisy and Carson will never vote for me. They might but I've screwed them over, Sam and Ned both know it. That's a huge chunk of the jury I seemingly won't get votes from.

I think I can be pursuasive enough to make finals. I'd hate to be the Cirie of the season.

So because of my challenge win, Sam and I are the Final 2. It's been a long road, but here we are, standing at the end of it. I'm so proud of us for making it this far, and I'm even happier about making such a great friend. No matter who wins, I'm going to be ending my ORG career (as of now) on a high note, and I couldn't be more ecstatic. SNED FOREVER!

Oh my gosh I've been meaning to write a confessional for approximately forever now. So I was really hoping for a final 3 but when seeing the logic puzzle and Drew's wording I kind of figured it would be a final 2 and I was right. So that sucked. This 5 part challenge was TERRIBLE! LIKE ABSOLUTELY AWFUL! We had to run up and down steps and it took me FOREVER! I was late to work because of it! And to quote Steffen from Westeros "I Hate This Dang Wing Bawz." I finished the game like 12 times and I was so mad that it didn't give me anything extra so I complained about it in my host chat and Drew was like "oh I don't know I've never finished the game" like excuse the fuck out of me. I actually finished the game yet his score was still like hundreds higher than mine. Fuck him. Fuck all of his stupid challenges. We had to do some dumb ass endurance and I hate it. The steps is basically endurance so we basically had 2 endurance challenges. The only good parts were the stupid quiz and the knight moves. I love knight moves and I'm pretty good with memory stuff. I did however make a full on spreadsheet of everything I thought might be on there. Wanna take a guess at how much of that stuff was there? 1 question. I had every challenge, the winners, who was on every tribe, when people were voted out and how many votes they received and how many other people received. The only good part is that I was able to know where things were on the blog to find them a bit faster. Then I just love Knight Moves, it's so fun.

But yeah this challenge sucked and the worst part about it I think is the fact that it was imperative that Ned or I won. But honestly, I was really fucking hoping that Ned would be the one who won. I was pretty positive that Ned would pick me without a though but I didn't want to have to make that decision. Obviously everyone knows that Ned and I are super tight but I have also felt very close to Keegan. His name never really came up but if it had I would have fought my ass off to save him because he is someone that I never want to have to vote out. Winning immunity would be incredible because it would guarantee that I make it to final 2 but also like fuck I don't want to have to vote out Keegan. But I would have to because voting out Ned would be AWFUL for my game. We have been a duo this whole game and people know that so voting him out at the end means that I couldn't say that I've stayed loyal to people who were loyal to me and I would just look absolutely heartless. I'm pretty positive I'd win against both of them because I have ran this game. Like I did that. I really did that all game. With Ned, I would need to be able to prove that we didn't do things together but instead that I was the driving force between the duo but with Keegan I would also need to deal with the fact that this jury probably hates me and who doesn't love Keegan? Like he's just so nice and sweet and it would break my heart to be the one to crush his chances at winning.

So I was ecstatic when Ned won but I felt awful for Keegan. I hadn't heard from him in a day or so and then Ned just voted immediately so he didn't even really have a chance to plead his case or anything. I think that was probably good for me but also I feel awful for him. But that does mean that Ned and I did that! We have played this game together since day 1 and now we've actually done that! We made it together to final 2! I am just so proud of us and I'm so happy for Ned! I know he's done with ORGs after the games he's in now and the fact that he made it to the end of both of them with ride or day since day 1 in both I'm just so proud of him. I'm also really happy that he decided he wanted to work with me. Looking back at the beginning I was nervous that he wouldn't want to work with me because he knows my game. He knows I can be ruthless and he knows I can manipulate and deceive people but he also knows that I can be extremely loyal. So like I'm just glad that he didn't take a past game into consideration and decided to stick with me. We've been through every single tribe together and every tribal council we went to we were always on the same page. I'm just hoping that I can convince the jury that even though we were always on the same page, I am the one who told Ned how to vote. We were both in the car going to the same place but I was in the driver's seat. Ned was just my passenger that I dragged along for the ride. Now I just gotta convince the jury of that.