#hopefully i can do ANOTHA tonight

[stevebabey]

❤️🔥 hiiiii!! here to request a number 23 from prompt list 1: “fumbling with their hand as you tell a story.” i feel like you’d make it so soft and sweet <3

can u tell i was feeling so bad when i started writing this <3 nothing bout this prompt says angst but low nd behold, here's some hurt/comfort !! thank u for requesting alice m'dear :") this is like extra for u considering how sweet u are to me <33 1k+

It’s terribly late.

Really, the both of you should’ve wandered upstairs to bed at least an hour ago. There’s work tomorrow, early for you, less so for Steve, but it’s work all the same. He’ll grumble in the morning like he always does, tired and yawning all through his morning coffee.

Despite knowing this, Steve doesn’t even think of suggesting to turn in soon. Not when it’s one of these nights. 

Sometimes, Steve finds it takes gentle coaxing to get you to unwind from your day. When you spend so much of the day tense, reining in reactions and biting your tongue, he knows it takes more time, more touch. It’s worth losing the sleep, staying up to talk it out. Worth it to know he’s giving you peace of mind. That he can protect you from even restless nights.

Most of the time, you won’t even realise you’re wound up — it’s impossible to sift through feelings when all you feel is down. It’s not until after Steve’s worked his magic that you can tell how long the day has really been. When the stress leaks out of your shoulders and you slump into him like a puppet with its strings cut.

It’s one of those nights tonight.

You’re up on the kitchen counter. How you ended up there is lost in the haze of your tired night. You faintly recall tumbling through the door, somehow after Steve even though you started work before him. Overtime is a bitch.

Between then and now, you’re certain you’ve managed to shovel some food into you but mainly, you’ve been watching Steve fuss about the kitchen. To you, there’s no better remedy that the sight of your lover.

He’d already made dinner by the time you’d gotten in the door, some simple pasta dish, cheesy and delicious. He’d insisted on doing the cleaning up as well, seeing your low-lidded eyes and curled in shoulders. The fatigue rolls off you in waves. It makes Steve’s heart ache in an awful way.

So, he had kissed you sweet and ushered you up onto the counter, his warm hands helping under your thighs when you’d groaned and barely made a move to jump up. He mumbled something soft into your hair, ‘my tired, sweet girl’, and sealed it in with a kiss.

It had been soothing just to watch him, sleeves rolled up while he scrubbed at the soapy dishes. Rinsing the plates and working instinctively, letting the story about his own day come out in quiet rumbles, just letting you listen. You hum from time from time to let him know you’re listening, even if you feel a bit hollow.

But now, dishes done, Steve’s onto his most important job — drawing out the burdens of the day from his you. The cups of tea he’s fixed for both of you are beside you on the counter, long forgotten. Steam stains the air, just a hint of peppermint. 

Steve’s moved between your legs, hips leaning against the counter. He’s close enough that an inch forward and your head would rest against his collarbones. One hand sits on your knee, feather-light touches of his thumb against your skin. The other is held between yours, letting you fumble with it as you talk. Your hands work his fingers, playing with it idly as you talk.

“Yeah? And what’d she say?” He asks, voice low and head tilted to show he’s listening. 

“Y’know, just the usual. It wasn’t what she said, just like,” You sigh wearily, drawing a line down the middle of Steve’s palm with your finger. Your eyes stay fixed on your motions, his hand in your own. Your voice is smaller than you intend as you try to recall the rude memory of your manager today. “The way she said it? I don’t know, does that even make sense?”

“It does,” Steve assures, his hand giving your knee a quick squeeze. When your head remains bowed, still fiddling with his hand, Steve flips it over, his hand covering both yours to still your fidgeting.

“Hey,” He says, soft. His head ducks low, trying to catch your eyes. It’s alarming to see a sheen in them, glossy in a way he knows means tears. Something tears in his heart, his concern doubling in an instant. “Sweetheart, woah, woah, hey.”

You let out a pathetic sniffle and that’s all it takes for Steve’s instincts to kick in, pulling his hand out of your grip to bundle you into his arms. You cave, crumbling into his chest and burying your face away — one of his hands cradles the back of your head, loving strokes along your scalp. The other provides consoling sweeps along the curve of your spine. It all really just makes you want to cry harder.

“S’okay,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss into the side of your head. It’s warmth seeps into your skin, a silent comfort through your tears. "It's okay, honey."

It feels so utterly stupid to fall apart over something so little, just a bad day that’s crept under your skin, made its home in your nerves. It feels unbearable, trying to unwork it from your blood. You’re not sure how long you cry, just that Steve’s there the whole time.

When you finally pull back, shuddering breaths, Steve’s fingers make quick work to wipe your tears. Calloused fingertips that sweep across your under-eyes, tender and kind.

There’s a light kiss against your forehead, another against your damp cheek, gentle as ever. Steve doesn’t speak, his eyes just searching your face — though you can’t tell what he’s looking for. You’re too dead tired, exhausted by your own emotions, to give any semblance of a smile, even though you feel a bit better now.

“Bed now?” He suggests, voice soft and low. The clock on the wall ticks loudly in the lull of words, a reminder of how long ago you both should’ve been asleep. You nod, pitiful and small. Steve trails the both of you upstairs, sets out your pajamas while you brush your teeth, then waits in the bathroom doorway til you’re done.

It’s close to midnight when you both finally crawl into bed. Steve’s arms are around you the moment you’re beside him and you find immense comfort with your head against his chest. The echo of his heartbeat plays like a lullaby beneath your ear.

“Sorry for keepin’ you up.” You whisper in the dark.

Steve’s arms tighten around you. He shifts around for a moment, then his hand sweeps back the hair off your forehead, and he gives a soft kiss there. It lingers for a few seconds, and when he pulls back, he snuggles closer, resting his cheek atop of your head.

“M’sorry you had a bad day.” He counters. You know he means it completely.

“I love you,” the words slur a bit, feeling yourself already dropping off closer to sleep. It’s impossible not to when you’re this warm and this damn tired.

You’re asleep before you hear his response but it doesn’t matter, you heard it in every kiss, know it from every sweet gesture and moment of the evening. He loves you, and he takes care of you. The sleep is a peaceful one.

[ask-me-about-true-crime]

Some random Sprace fic because I got the idea and I don’t feel like posting it on wattpad

That’s it- that’s the title

3rd POV

Spot was sitting in the lodging house, he had had a long day selling papes and was enjoying a little bit of quiet time. Between the normal stress of selling and the fact Manhattan was trying get Brooklyn to join their strike, it was enough to drive someone insane.

Right then, Hotshot walked in “hey Spot-“ his voice scared Spot a little, the tone was a mix of ‘something just happened’ and ‘we need to talk’ “what is it-?” Spot sighed

“you know how Manhattan’s strikin?”

“Yah.... I swear if it��s anotha one of their newsies comin to try to convince—“

“No, it’s not that... they was ambushed By da bulls- Snider the spider dragged a couple back to da refuge... da othas were beatin up pretty bad”

Spot felt the color leave his face... “do ya know which ones got took..?” A part of him regretted asking that... but a different part needed to know, needed to know it wasn’t Race, he needed to know Race was ok.

“I think there was only one...”

Spots mind raced (haha get it) Race could out smart them right? Well maybe not out smart... but hopefully outrun... “who was it?”

“Not sure... think he was friends with Jack...”

Spot panicked a little more... he knew Jack was like Race’s brother... it couldn’t be him, right? It’s not him, right?? Well... he’d find out tonight... they had a date at the Brooklyn bridge...

“What’dya wanna do bout it-?” Hotshot blinked

“We won’t join yet, if this don’t destroy them then we will... we gotta know that they won’t flake when things get rough, got it?”

“Got it” hotshot nodded

“Aight, now can you give me some time to myself?”

Hotshot nodded and walked out

Spot looked up at the clock, it read 10:55 pm but it was 5 mins fast... they were supposed to meet at 11:06, never knew why Race chose the most random times, but Spot thought it was kind of cute...

He figured he could leave early... maybe Race would be there early too... he climbed out the fire escape and walked to the bridge. He was the only one there but he was early

He had been there for about 10 minutes. He was pushing around some gravel when he saw a tall, lanky silhouette walking over the bridge.

“Race!!” He jumped up

“Hey” was heard from the silhouette as it waved

Spot ran over and wrapped him tightly in his muscular arms “I missed you so much, Blondie, hotshot told me what happened I was so scared for you...”

“I missed you too, baby...” his tone was a mix of happy and in pain

“Are you ok?” He looked up at him as the street lights illuminated Race’s face. His face was covered in bruises and cuts and he had a huge black eye. “What happened?” He placed a hand gently on his boyfriend’s cheek

“It’s really nothin... da bulls punched me...” he shrugged and looked down before putting on a weak smile and looking back at him “but I was in da papes... front page above the fold... I’m famous...” he gave a weak laugh

“What?! They punched you?!?!” Spots look changed from sad to a mix of concerned and angry

“Yah it’s really nothin though.... is Brooklyn joinin the strike?” His face lit up a bit

“Maybe... but promise me you won’t do nothin stupid... I don’t want you gettin hurt for some stupid paper price.... I dunno what I would do if you got taken to da refuge.... I love you, Blondie, ok?” He looked into Race’s bright blue eyes...

Race smiled a little and gently put his forehead against Spot’s “I can’t promise I won’t do anything stupid, you know me... but I’ll try to stay out of trouble... and I love you too”

Spot nodded faintly and kissed him gently before pulling away into a hug.

Race hugged back, smiling “I love you so much”

Spot nodded as if you say ‘you too’ and hugged him tighter.

That’s it.... that’s the fic.... hope you liked it... I get it if you didn’t... should I do this more? If you somehow DIDNT hate that and you want me to write more... you can put like... prompts.. in my asks I guess... anyways, have a great rest of your day

[michaelaferrell]

PATTY!

Spotify Playlist or YouTube Playlist

Patty! Thanks for (hopefully) agreeing to be my best man! To celebrate, I made a lil’ mixtape of 20 songs with entries from the 90s that we may regret, to timeless classics from DMB, JT, LOTR, and all the other acronyms in between!

No More “I Love You’s” — Hadn’t heard this in years, and then I played it for you some night in the last year and boom, you knew all the words

Ants Marching — Definitely would’ve been on our Spotify Top 10 lists from basically every year in the 90s

All Falls Down — Ah, take me back to when Kanye popped his collars and let other people edit his music

Cry Me a River — A break-up song for the ages

Peaches — Grown-up music that you liked that I wasn’t really supposed to listen to, but did anyway because I WUZ A REBEL (not)

Feel It Still — Your favorite indie-ish song of the last 10 years

Bitch — Rebellious listening version 2.0

Time — Hootie could do no wrong in the 90s

I Don’t Want to Wait — Dawson and Pacey and Joey and Michelle Williams and other white people gettin’ FREAKY by a small body of water...every Thursday on the WB

I Love You Came Too Late — Picked this one over Jordan Knight because remember that music video in the diner?? (well you will if you check the YouTube playlist)

Make Your Own Kind of Music — SEE YA IN ANOTHA LIFE, BROTHA

One Day More — Cue the memory of Second City’s Lamaze vs. Les Mis sketch

Found/Tonight — Best way to pull in Hamilton AND Dear Evan Hansen

Dick in a Box — Had to include some JT SNL aka “Bring it on down to ____ville!”

Faith — I honestly didn’t want to include Limp Bizkit, but Fred Durst and his damn red backwards hat snuck in

Ni**as in Paris — Remember when they would perform this live and do it like 10 times in a row? I’ll take JT + Jay-Z at Soldier Field, though

Midnight City — I remember you being VERY obsessed with this song even though you have to admit that the hook can be a little grating

Chandelier — Your favorite BANGER of the last 10 years

I Don’t Wanna Live Forever — First “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and now I don’t wanna live forever? Which is it?!? Also, throwback to the Aussie trip with this one

Into the West — Only fitting to bookend the list with Annie Lennox; she and the ships have come to carry you homeeeee

Bachelor Party Info!

[survivormetaverse]

Episode 2 - "Fuck I’m on the cursed tribe" ~Moth

a lil sad to see my girl, Bri, go, but that just makes us one person closer to the goal >:3

dennis is very sneaky. we all had a tribe call and he said he'd come later but he was actually doing the hunt challenge. like that's totally fair, it's just even afterward he acted as if he was not really focusing on it either. im going to play the game assuming he has something, just in case.

GAME AND GAME SHOW ARE DIFFERENT DSJKLFHASJDJFH no but this was hella fun pls let's do it again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX3Fs7lDDQk&list=PLrsCGcojtF16jvLW49C4855pUlLWI9pnn

Dhsjdjsjskksks. First tribal done. We just finished the taboo challenge ... A good bonding experience with my tribe. However, I have a feeling we lost. 😂😂😂😂😂😂 The fact that I was the guesser. Rip. 

I filmed confessionals but my internet got disconnected hahaha so that's neat. Hopefully there will be youtube videos here soon, but new update Jodi and I are in alliances with Dennis and brayden separately which I think would be hilarious if they were also in am alliance together. And it will be funny it my internet is still out for the challenge tomorrow since I'm the guesser 😆 whoops

So this is the beginning of round 2 and here are my thoughts. Might purposely not be helpful in the taboo challenge lol but i have to do it in a way that doesn't show im throwing it? tbh i say this now but when i start playing the urge to win comes in ugh but i just wanna vote one of these people out. I also took a stroll through the wiki page for this org and i love that some of these people (esp brayden and amy) have played before and their stats are there like yassss give me ammunition yassss!!!! anywho i dont care if we win or lose tomorrow i think i set myself up nicely within the tribe and i still really dont think any of these people won the hunt challenge on my tribe but again who knowssss. if we lose the logic would probably be go for josh or ginny aka the least active people buttt i dont think so like i don't wanna go the boring route. i need to keep josh close to get to merge with him we have friends on the other tribeeeeeee so i need them to survive and i need him and i to survive till we swap or merge to link up. im also trying to win a hunt challenge but my god y'all have me fucked up!!!!!!!!! i guess we shall see what happens tomorrowwwwww

It was nice sitting the challenge out, I'm busy tomorrow and the fact that they could complete it is good for me. Also, if we lose, nobody can blame me for the loss. Only drawback is it appears to me some people can be getting close by bonding over funny things in a game. I have to go back and see who may be close, I don't think I'm next on the chopping block, but I'm definitely not in control. To me, I do not need to be number one on this tribe, I just need to survive the next tribal and hopefully make it to the swap at 14 or 15.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm_dmPuwzzI&list=PLrsCGcojtF16jvLW49C4855pUlLWI9pnn&index=2 anotha one dj khaled

HEY SO KIND OF A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS TO MY GAME we didn't lose first challenge!! thats great. whatever. no tribal. I've been trying to connect with fellow tribemates but overall we're all pretty quiet. I did have a small 30 minute call with Jay where we kinda connected on somewhat of a game level. I kinda get the vibe that he may not fully trust me or he might see my as a threat, but I want to work with him. I also really like Anastasia and Elle, I think I can connect with them more on a more genuine level. Perfect scenario for me would be setting up a trio alliance of Me + Elle + Anastasia, and then having Jay on the side as my actual #1. idk if I can pull that off, but that was my plan heading into round 2 BUT. AS ROUND 2 STARTED, MY GAY ASS WON THE HUNT CHALLENGE. AMAZING. idk HOW I managed it because like?? I finished and found the hidden link within like 20 minutes? Statistically very unlikely BUT I'm so glad I did it. I WON A SAFETY WITHOUT POWER. It's kinda like a hidden immunity idol, except slightly worse because I can't actually partake in tribal at all. we went ahead and competed in the Taboo challenge last night and boy it was kinda rough. We lost a LOTTA points because we kept accidentally saying forbidden words (I lost us 2 points, woops). But we ended up with a semi decent score. Elle did an amazing job guessing. I really hope we can pull this out. SO YEAH SORRY THATS KIND OF A LOT. OVERALL I FEEL LIKE IM IN A DECENT POSITION, WAY BETTER NOW THAT I HAVE A SWP. I wanna further my position in the game with some allies now. That's my next biggest goal. toodles!!!

So I've figured out that Amy is a comp beast based on us discussing our old seasons and how she did in those: she always talks down her abilities because she's worried she's being painted as a big challenge threat, but I don't think she realizes that doesn't matter to me at all. Ultimately, I think she needed to be at tonight's challenge more than me, so I decided it's ok to sit out since I'm sitting out only because somebody has to, not because I don't want to play. In tribal challenges, it means she'll help keep us winning tribal immunity, and further down the line, if anything, I'll be using her as my "Ken" and if she wins everything, it'll keep immunity away from people I want out. 

I think I did much better in Taboo than I did in endurance, so I'm happy about that. Hopefully my performance this round can help me redeem myself with my tribemates.

Today in the fools tribe: no one is talking 

Holy crap we won yet again this is such a great feeling just like last season :)

Fuck I’m on the cursed tribe this round This time I think I’m on the majority alliance, which is a great place to be. So hopefully everything goes as planned tomorrow 

https://youtu.be/fszNKUHjB_8

So! We did the Taboo challenge and got second place, probs wouldve got first if we didnt get deductions but also we did so good so whatever 😂. I definitely kinda pushed for us to do the challenge last night bc it's Dylan's birthday and I didn't want to have to like, be anywhere specifically today 😅. But yeah we did super good and now I'm gonna go talk to ppl bc I've been gone all day lol

Bye I hate it here. 

~

SO. Here’s the rundown: We lost. Again. Pushing for Shaad to go. Moth, Jared, and Danny all agree with him going. So far I’m getting good vibes with everyone. Danny says he gets along with Jared well and doesn’t talk to Moth that much. Plus, Jared, Moth and I have that little alliance. Jared and I also get along well. Worried for Moth as she doesn’t seem to message a lot. This tribal... I’m feeling safe. I might even make an alliance with Jared, Danny and I. Worst case scenario for next challenge we lose and Moth goes. 

Yay we won again! Anyways, Dennis messaged me tonight talking about how everybody else knows each other from playing Stings games before. He said he checked the series wiki and got freaked out and told me that we're two newbies amongst vets. While he's telling the truth, I'm actually not too panicked because 1) I actually checked out the wiki before he told me about it and 2) I have pretty decent relationship with Amy to incentivize her to keep me around. I worked tightly with Amy for the specific reason that I knew she'll have others to work with, and for her to keep me as a loyal number. I also know that she was runner up of another series and she already recognizes the target on her, so I doubt she wants to risk me putting a bigger one. WOW FOR ONCE I'M NOT THE FLAMING TARGET I LIKE THIS 

Round 1 updates: https://youtu.be/5nhSsLNcnZ0 https://youtu.be/S5-0Yw93wc0

~

Round two rambles: https://youtu.be/CuwgF9IVmUM

So, tbh I've done some research about some previous seasons and I noticed Moth and Jessica have played together before. Moth still has not talked to me but Jessica has been overly friendly. I know they have a group message with Jared and I know he can be the split vote between what happens in our tribal tomorrow. Jared claims he has voted for Moth but we will truly see tomorrow. But honestly, if he chooses us, then Jessica is next unless the tribe swap or merge has happened.

~

Also with that research, I've peeped there's other connections in other tribes from previous games so this is gonna be interesting.

~

I chose Jared to work with mostly because I see he can play strategy.

Fools tribe is bad at playing games. And its perfect for me because I am safe but i am wishing for drama bcs its fun. rn we are doing small talk and being so nice to each other. I think we will form an alliance officially soon but i am too awkward or like i dont know how to say it or bring it up.

WHY! DOES! MY! TRIBE! KEEP! WINNING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am trying to go the fuck to tribal council but noooo we have to beast all the other tribes yet again. Like a swap is probably coming soon and with my fuckin luck I am gonna get swap screwed like they are gonna look at me from the phantoms and be like yeahhhh theyve been winning lets get his ass out. i would love to lose this next one so the sees look stronger. if phantoms go to tribal I know I''m safe (anything can happen but I set myself up well), and thats all I care about. Jodi and I started to really talk about the vets who are playing this season, and we just realized that we're the only newbies on our tribe. like wow. The fantasy would be to get to merge and have a numbers advantage of newbies against these vets, or make the vets eat their own idk. Lots of thinkin lots of thinkinnnnn. I have been strolling through the wiki page some more and mapping out potential connections from previous seasons. The casting directors work hard but i work harder

https://youtu.be/gsDJIiGiqHE

https://youtu.be/V1ku4_-w0SY

Roses are red We’re on day six Fools tribe worse at challenges than a bag of dead bricks

That im one of the strongest competitors on my tribe, Dennis feels like he is on the outs, but that connects us so i can pull him in as an ally.

It’s been a tricky round 

~~~

Edgic:

Power Rankings:

Phantom

Jodi: Jodi remains at the top of the tribe for much of the same reason as last round. Now, she is even in two alliances with no one wanting to come for her nor do they see her as playing both alliances. Hopefully Jodi’s quick alliance making and constant worrying will help strengthen her defenses in the later rounds to come when people will be looking at her more closely.

Amy: Amy is still playing that stellar UTR game. No one seems to register her as a threat despite their access to the wiki and her performance in the challenge. Her social game is just too strong. Additionally, her greater willingness to work with Dennis than Jodi’s willingness to work with him may provide some good allies for Amy if she ever wants to distance herself from Jodi.

Brayden: Brayden rises in the rankings from last round as he has become more closely aligned with Amy and Jodi. The trio seem to see themselves as the only “active” ones on their tribe and are very quick to bond. Additionally, unlike Dennis, Brayden is not viewed with suspicion by either Jodi or Amy. They definitely feel more like a core alliance than they did with Dennis. Furthermore, Brayden is poised to get the people he wants gone out of this game. He is targeting Josh and Dennis which are good targets, especially the latter. All it takes is for Brayden to push a little for Dennis and I am sure the two girls will take the bait. Finally, Brayden’s connection with Ginnifer is very beneficial since he seems to be the only one willing to work with her at the moment. This gives him a very easy ally and Ginnifer doesn’t have much of a choice besides working closely with him. It is certainly an easy number for Brayden if he ever wanted to backstab Jodi or Amy in the future.

Josh: What lands Josh here is that he performed well in the challenge and is easy to like. Interacting with Josh on calls is always a pleasure. However, by not being part of that main trio, he is in danger of being voted out on a whim. Despite that, he seems to be, in my eyes, the least likely out of the bottom 3 to be voted out. Additionally, there is paranoia around people’s “experience” with ORGs surrounding these bottom 3 from others (despite the fact that the top 3 is composed of 2 people with ORG experience). Josh gets this heat the least.

Dennis: Dennis is in real danger if this tribe goes to tribal council. If Brayden pushes hard enough, Jodi can be easily swayed into turning on Dennis. He needs to back off with the strategy talk and just be more social. What saves him from last is that he is in that alliance with Jodi and Amy. This might make Jodi hesitant about targeting Dennis so soon as she may see him as a number. Additionally, Amy does seem keen on keeping Dennis around for a little while which would help his longevity. Hopefully Dennis can realize people’s perceptions of him before it is too late considering that he gives great confessionals and is one of my favorite players this season.

Ginnifer: Ginnifer may be on the bottom, but she definitely has a chance at avoiding being voted out. Most talk around Ginny is about how she is hard to socialize with, but I am sure, when the strategic game starts becoming more important, she can navigate out of this position. After all, she does have Brayden advocating for her which can definitely help. She would need to push for Dennis if she wants to survive until the swap at this point.

Fools

Jared: He takes the number 1 spot on this tribe as he is working with both “sides.” He is serving as the perfect double agent for Danny and Shaad. Additionally, he is making the smart move of getting rid of an obvious duo wherein he was the third wheel of that alliance. He has a great strategic mind on his shoulders, but is it too early for him to show that off? Regardless, he has earned this top spot by avoiding the target cleanly and betraying his allies perfectly. Jared is definitely a contender for the winner spot as he has shown some excellent gameplay these past two rounds.

Danny: Danny has done well in avoiding the target this round as well. He seems to be more sociable and active than Shaad which is the main reason that he is not the one getting Jessica’s and Moth’s vote. Additionally, he was the one that brought Jessica’s and Moth’s pre-existing relationship to Jared’s attention which caused this flip to happen in the first place. Finally, Danny made an excellent move by pairing himself with Jared as this duo could be something fearsome to go up against in the future. The cards are being laid out for a force to be reckoned with and I am excited to see what Danny will do in the future.

Shaad: It is hard to tell if Shaad did anything himself to avoid being voted out, but, regardless, he did something right by aligning with Danny and Jared instead of ratting to Jessica and Moth. In fact, even if he does rat, he will still land himself at number 3. He is not going to get voted out here, and has an established alliance moving forward. And now that he is putting more focus on the game, I am happily anticipating what he can accomplish now.

Jessica: Jessica is being blindsided tonight. However, at the very least, she is not the one going. Her performance in challenges have helped her avoid the target for the time being. Here we can see that the boys weren’t inactive, they were just inactive with her which spells doom for Jessica if this tribe goes to tribal council again. Unfortunately, the boys found out about her prior connection with Moth. The only thing Jessica could have done was to distance herself from Moth at the beginning of the game, but that seemed unlikely since people were inactive with her. I hope Jessica is able to survive until a swap because it would be devastating to see her go so early.

Moth: There is nothing Moth did that landed them here. It was just an unfortunate circumstance wherein they are targeted because of a prior connection. Additionally, I doubt Moth is going to see this coming.

S.E.E.S.

Colin: With an advantage in his hands and him being the most popular bachelor on his tribe, Colin is quick to make allies and his allies like it that way. It feels as if everyone wants to ally with Colin. His activity in the earlier stages of the game have definitely born fruit.

Elle: Similar to Colin, everyone wants to work with Elle. Her social game is just that strong. Nothing much else to say besides what I said before, but the challenge definitely helped raise Elle’s standings in the tribe.

Anastasia: Similar to last round. Nothing much to say.

Jay: He is keeping out of the spotlight which is good.

Babs: No developments. Still viewed in the same way though has noticeably been less unhinged in the tribe chat.

Jennifer: Still the same as last time: seemingly inactive and might be targeted for it.

[abiteofnat]

IN HONOR OF THE VICTORIA SECRET FASHION SHOW, HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF PIZZA AND A DOSE OF BODY POSITIVITY... 

Because when you’re in sweatpants, writing this from bed, it’s only right to be daydreaming about having a six pack and eating total junk food. But like, the classiest and MOST elegant junk food found in hip restaurant atmospheres. And I may have just polished off a full meal from one of these places post-workout twenty minutes ago... not looking like that. Not even close. But that’s the best part! I love getting my sweat on and then eating 5x the amount of calories I probably burned off because self-care is in the eye of self, so if you want to skip the workout go ahead and enjoy surfing Door Dash babyyy. I take “everything in moderation” to mean “everything that makes you happy and then also maybe a carrot” so as long as your happiness comes first, sometimes with a side of cake, that’s all that matters. I ate a large order of sweet potato fries without breathing and only regret it a little because I keep burping truffle aioli! Now that we’ve determined the best food for you is the food you love, let’s jump in. 

I have YET ANOTHER spot to seek from the West Loop *cue echoes of “anotha one, anotha one” as well as a new Lakeview favorite, and wowie if you’re into all-American cuisine this is the post for you. In typical Natalie fashion I decided to celebrate the end of graduate school finals for a week straight and tried to see as many of my friends and eat as much as I could before everyone scattered for winter break/ to do important family things, which led to a lot of indulgent meals and alcoholic drinks. And while I’m not usually one for bar food or “American” cuisine because it’s rarely vegetarian friendly unless I want a salad or three different types of fried things- CORRECT pizza and a good veggie burger can sway me. What is “correct pizza” you ask? Don’t get me started on my deep dish pizza rant... it’s fuckin blasphemy. What the fuck is deep dish pizza. Who, why, what needs to eat that?!?!? Lou’s thin crust is perfection and yes, I will fight you on this, so let’s tango you “Chicagoans” who take your parents for deep dish the minute their plane lands for a visit. 

Mental note- don’t be so evil over your blog. Noted.

Place with the “correct pizza” is Parlor Pizza Bar on Green St., and it’s one of the coziest, most welcoming pizza parlors I’ve ever been to. By day expect a spacey warehouse filled with sleek wooden tables and chairs, a large bar in the middle ready for a 2 p.m. beer, and two giant pizza ovens roasting away in the back. In the summer there’s outdoor seating and they seem to have endless amounts of tables- this place is HUGE, and therefore LOUD. So by day, head here for an excellent lunch combo deal to share with friends and enjoy a lazy afternoon or while on the way to a sporting event. By night, it becomes dim-lit, shockingly intimate, and alive with the out-and-about foodies of the city. It’s high-caliber pizza for happy hour-turned-dinner, beautiful salads and appetizers to share with a date, and the added bonus of watching the magical pizza men putting together these one-of-a-kind pies. Which brings us to the main event- forget my amazing friend I got to catch up with! I came for the pizza, bitch! (Just kidding, Lauren I love you!)

I chose the “Save The Last Ranch” pizza and it was by far one of my favorite pizzas. As stated earlier I have a thing for truffle, and this pizza was SLATHERED in a black truffle ranch that played too well off the juicy broccolini and the sharp fontina cheese, melted over a chewy yet bubbly crust and sprinkled with red pepper. All those flavors come together in an orchestra of spice, richness, and a crisp bite of vegetable to keep it from being ranch fondue. It’s incredible. It is so much to handle, but in the best way, unless you hate truffle because in that case you will despise this pizza. ME? Bathe me in truffle ranch... mmmmmmhm. 

Lauren, the classiest girl I know, wanted to go for something a little more tempered so we got the always-delicious Margherita pizza that still gave 110% on flavor, freshness, and texture. The sauce was sweet with a kick of chili flake, the cheese was soft and creamy but with that ridiculously sexy firmness to sink your teeth into that you want from pizza, and when you add some sprinkled parm on top it’s just decadent. If you’re frightened by the crazy za’s, stick with the classics!

SO. If that’s not enough carbo loading for you to chew through, try DMK Burger Bar in Lakeview right off the Wellington stop and order every single type of french fry they have. I wanted to go and celebrate doing pretty damn well in one of my classes so my girl Luzi agreed to eat through the menu at 9 p.m. with me, bless her soul for waiting, and I immediately ordered a margarita which was delivered in a gigantic glass that was 80% tequila which spiked a deep hunger within. I see what you’re doing there, DMK. 

My choice was the #8 with two veggie patties, and it was your standard composition of butter pickles, lettuce, tomato, slaw of some kind, aged cheddar, and secret sauce all piled on the most delicious burger bun I’ve ever had. It’s sweet and puffy but dense and holds it’s shape, and the best thing I can compare it to is a Hawaiian dinner roll. Umf. The first bite took my breath away, and while veggie burgers are usually pretty good this one is just like DAMN. It’s thick, filling, and perfect with the crunch of ice burg lettuce and a meaty tomato slice. I also got the “Angry Fries” which are sriracha-mayo coated french fries topped with more spices and some green onion, and they were definitely best eaten with a fork and paired with the marg. Some sugary drank and a forkful of saucy, spicy fries? Ain’t no celebration is better celebrated than with that. That burger is exactly what I ordered tonight... I am one chubby lil burger baby right now. FANTASTIC. (Oh, and the sweet potato fries were excellent! They come with a lemon tabasco aioli.)

The menus at both these places are jam-packed with super unique items and a whole lot of things I can’t wait to go back and try, but like I said earlier “bar” food is super meat heavy so a lot of the choices wouldn’t be prepared how they were dreamed up if I deleted half the ingredients. Meat eaters, go out and please eat all the yummies that Parlor Pizza and DMK have to offer, and for the love of God order the parm-truffle fries at DMK because they are delightful. 

Alrighty friends, hopefully this fuels your weekend food adventures! I’m off to NYC for a 72 hour adventure... my favorite :) Send suggestions where I should go eat Monday when I’m on my own for a couple hours! 

Until next time, Happy Eating! 

-Natalie