#Oktoberfest activities for kids

[staceysoleil]

Tulsa Oktoberfest 2024: A Sunday Brunch You Won’t Forget

When it comes to celebrating Bavarian culture in the heart of Oklahoma, Tulsa Oktoberfest does it like no other. Recently recognized as America’s Best Oktoberfest by USA Today, Tulsa’s festivities bring a slice of Germany to the banks of the Arkansas River, blending age-old traditions with modern, family-friendly fun. And while there’s no shortage of food, music, and excitement throughout the festival, one event stands out as a must-do: the Sunday morning brunch, Frühstück auf dem Oktoberfest, hosted in the lively Paulaner Bierstube.

A Family Feast and Adult-Friendly Fun

Sunday morning at Tulsa Oktoberfest is all about Frühstück, or breakfast, done the German way. From 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., families, friends, and festival-goers gather for a delightful brunch that offers something for everyone. Picture this: tables laden with authentic German fare, the warm sound of live German music filling the air, and the inviting clink of beer mugs and champagne glasses—a perfect blend for a memorable start to your Sunday.

Seated right in front of the stage, we couldn’t have asked for a better spot to soak up the action. Just a few feet away, the GAST German Blaskapelle band played lively Bavarian tunes, setting a cheerful, authentic atmosphere that made us feel transported to Munich. This wasn’t just background music; the performances by Das ist Lustig and traditional German dancers captivated everyone, young and old alike. Kids watched wide-eyed as dancers in traditional attire swirled across the stage, while adults enjoyed the upbeat energy and perhaps even joined in a few claps and cheers.

For those looking to elevate their brunch experience, Oktoberfest goes beyond coffee and orange juice. Beer and champagne are served alongside the meal, allowing adults to truly indulge in the Bavarian spirit. With the Paulaner Bierstube’s selection of German brews, there’s no better way to celebrate Oktoberfest than with a toast to good food, good friends, and a great festival atmosphere.

A Taste of Germany in Every Bite

But let’s talk about the food—the true heart of any brunch. Tulsa Oktoberfest doesn’t disappoint, offering a range of traditional German dishes that would make any food lover’s heart sing. Classic potato pancakes, juicy bratwurst, fluffy pretzels, and sauerkraut are just a few of the options that bring the flavors of Germany to Oklahoma. Each dish is prepared with authenticity in mind, capturing the comforting, hearty qualities that define German cuisine.

It’s easy to see why this brunch draws a crowd. Families piled their plates high, savoring the unique offerings that set this brunch apart from any typical Sunday meal. And while the kids enjoyed their pancakes and pretzels, adults were more than happy to sample the various beers on offer—making this brunch a winning choice for everyone in the family.

Beyond the Brunch: Highlights of Tulsa Oktoberfest 2024

Of course, the brunch is just one highlight of the six-day event. Tulsa Oktoberfest offers a wide array of activities, from live performances on the double-decker stage at Das Glockenspiel to the crowd-favorite cabin-themed bar by Cabin Boys Brewery. The festival grounds are packed with things to do for all ages. The Lufthansa Technik Biergarten keeps the energy high with rock performances from Dorfrocker, while the FC Tulsa Games and Competitions Arena hosts barrel races and Bavarian Cup team competitions.

For those who love a bit of shopping, the expanded Arts and Crafters Markthaus offers authentic Bavarian souvenirs and Oktoberfest merchandise, making it easy to take a piece of the festival home. And with hands-on arts and activities for kids in das Jugendzelt, it’s clear that this festival is designed with family enjoyment in mind.

Keeping Tradition Alive in Tulsa

Tulsa Oktoberfest owes much of its authenticity to the German-American Society of Tulsa (GAST), whose members volunteer their time and skills to keep the festival as close to Bavarian tradition as possible. From folk dancers to the food booth where you can find potato pancakes and bratwurst, GAST’s contributions help ensure that each Oktoberfest visitor experiences a genuine taste of German culture.

Why You Shouldn’t Miss Next Year’s Brunch

There’s a reason Tulsa Oktoberfest has become a staple for locals and visitors alike. The Frühstück auf dem Oktoberfest brunch is more than just a meal; it’s a cultural experience, a community gathering, and a celebration of all things Bavarian. With live music, traditional dances, and authentic German flavors, it’s the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning. So grab your family, bring your friends, and make a plan to join in the festivities next October. After all, there’s nothing quite like raising a glass at Tulsa Oktoberfest, where a taste of Germany awaits right here in Oklahoma.

[chicagofm]

Below you will find the monthly events around Chicago that you can use for starters! More information about each event can be found underneath the cut.

October: Jack Pumpkin's Pop Up @ Goose Island

October 9th: Halloween Sip N' Paint in Old Town

October 12th-13th: Oktoberfest in Lakeview

October 13th: Chicago Marathon @ Millennium Park

October 19th: Arts in the Dark @ Central Chicago Loop

October 20th: Boo! at the Zoo @ Brookfield Zoo

October 27th: Night of 1,000 Jack O'Lanterns @ Botanic Garden

OCTOBER: JACK PUMPKIN'S POP UP

Returning to a two-acre plot of land just west of Goose Island, Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up saves you a trip to the suburbs by bringing a huge corn maze, more than 10,000 pumpkins, axe throwing, carnival games, food trucks, twinkling orange light displays and more fall fun to the city. A general admission ticket nets you access to the pop-up, but you can also opt for add-ons that let you take home a pumpkin, grab a drink at one of bars or go axe throwing.

OCTOBER 9TH: HALLOWEEN SIP N'PAINT

Create Halloween-inspired artwork, from haunted house designs to spooky landscapes, while enjoying Halloween-themed cocktails, wine and pizza. The bar will also set the mood with Halloween decor and spooky music.

OCTOBER 12TH-13TH: OKTOBERFEST

Dovetail Brewery and Begyle Brewing team up for their annual fall bash in celebration of Oktoberfest. Taking place outside in the shared lot between both breweries, the event features special beer tappings (alongside favorites from Dovetail and Begyle), live music and delicious bites from food trucks, including Happy Lobster, Soul & Smoke and the Fat Shallot. A $5 suggested donation benefits local food pantry The Friendship Center.

OCTOBER 13th: CHICAGO MARATHON

Whether you’re ready to race or just joining the cheering committee, you can catch the Bank of America Chicago Marathon all across the city every October. This elite athletic event is one of the most prestigious marathons in the world, and is one of the six World Marathon Majors. Watch amateur and elite athletes from around the world race through Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods, which come out in full force to cheer on the runner.

OCTOBER 19TH: ARTS IN THE DARK

Arts in the Dark is a magical evening parade celebrating Halloween as the “artist’s holiday” and drawing together world-renowned institutions, celebrated Chicago cultural organizations, important youth programs, and aspiring artists in every field. It is a dazzling production that delights an audience of 50,000 with unique floats, spectacle puppets and creative performances – all set against the backdrop of historic State Street.

OCTOBER 20TH: BOO! AT THE ZOO

Gather your ghoulfriends, little ghosts, and goblins for this fun-filled family event. Check out the creatures, creepy crawlers, and more in your costumes at the Halloween-themed event that's perfect for family photo ops. All ages are in for a fang-tastic time, and the kids will leave with a sweet treat. While there will not be a costume contest, showing off your creative costumes is encouraged!

OCTOBER 27TH: NIGHT OF 1,000 JACK O'LANTERNS

Get in the holiday spirit at this annual ghoulish makeover of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The event brings together more than 1,000 real pumpkins—some weighing up to 150 pounds—which are LED-lit creations and staged along the garden's pathway where other entertaining characters and activations await visitors. Seasonal snacks and drinks are available for purchase, in case all that wandering makes you hungry.

[squiiids]

when i was a kid my dad had a job at nyc, and once a year around this time he would stop at this German deli and pick up a huge variety of different wursts and we'd have this big oktoberfest meal and i was always in love with em, and i would give anything to have something like that again but every oktoberfest event I've been to since adulthood has been nothing but bratwurst and I'm slowly accepting I'm not getting that again until i actively seek it out.

[whatsonmedia]

London Offers: Dining, Seasonal Fun, and Unique Experiences

Explore some of the best offers in London, from exquisite dining options to seasonal adventures and unforgettable events. Whether you're craving authentic Italian cuisine, seeking family-friendly autumn activities, or ready to celebrate Oktoberfest in style, these exclusive deals guarantee a memorable experience. Don't miss out on the chance to enjoy London's vibrant scene at unbeatable prices! Sotto Cucina & Bar: Get a starter, a main course, and an aperitivo beverage for £23. Step into Sotto Cucina & Bar for a culinary journey through Sicily in East London. The menu celebrates traditional Mediterranean recipes with modern twists. Whether you're indulging in their Spaghetti Aglio E Olio Ca’Muddica or enjoying a classic Cotoletta Di Pollo, each dish promises to transport you to the heart of Italy. Complete the experience with one of their expertly crafted cocktails like the Fiorire Spritz or Vita Tropicale. Highlights - Italian Cuisine in Whitechapel: Experience authentic Sicilian flavors at Sotto Cucina & Bar. - Aperitivo Cocktails: Enjoy an aperitivo cocktail of your choice, including options like Aperol and Campari. - Special Offer: £23 for two courses and a cocktail, available. Cocktails: Choose from their ‘Cocktails della Cassa’ selection, including: - Assolato: Bourbon, peach liquor, amaro averna, lemon juice, sugar syrup. - Fiorire Spritz: Amaro santoni, aperol, lemon juice, raspberry lemonade. - Summer Spritz: Italicus, prosecco, soda. - Vita Tropicale: Di saronno, koko kanu, passionfruit juice, pineapple juice. Need to Know - Voucher Validity: For a starter, a main, and an aperitivo cocktail at Sotto Cucina & Bar. - Availability: Monday to Sunday, 12 pm to 6:30 pm. - Booking Process: Email your booking confirmation to info@sottorestaurant.london. - Voucher Expiry: Valid until November 20, 2024. - Location: Sotto Cucina & Bar, Black Lion House, 45 Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1DU. Terms and conditions apply. Get admission to Hobbledown Heath's Pumpkin Patch for £5. This Autumn, Hobbledown Heath is inviting you to their new pumpkin patch for an unforgettable seasonal experience. Located next to the beautiful Hounslow Heath nature reserve, the pumpkin patch offers the perfect setting for autumnal fun. Bring a wheelbarrow, pick out your favorite pumpkin, and explore Instagram able photo spots and enjoy street food. Make it a full day out by including entry to Hobbledown Heath’s adventure playground and zoo. Whether you're spending the day with kids or going for a fun date, it’s the perfect autumn activity. Highlights - Pumpkin Patch Fun: Visit the seasonal pumpkin patch at Hobbledown Heath and pick your perfect pumpkin. - Full Day of Adventure: Add entry to Hobbledown Heath's adventure playground and zoo for a full family outing. - Peak & Off-Peak Dates: Available Thursday to Sunday from September 27 to October 20, and daily from October 21 to November 3, 2024. Need to Know - Voucher Details: Valid for entry to either the Pumpkin Patch or the Pumpkin Patch plus Hobbledown Heath admission (Peak or Off-Peak). - Pumpkin Cost: Entry does not include the cost of pumpkins. Pumpkins start from £3, priced by size. - Ticketing: All visitors over two years old, including adults, must purchase a ticket. - Parking: Parking is available at Hobbledown Heath for £1 per hour, with the first 30 minutes free for drop-off. - Voucher Validity: Until November 3, 2024. - Location: Hobbledown Heath, Staines Road, Hounslow, TW14 0HH. Tickets are non-refundable but can be changed for a small fee if needed. Terms and conditions apply. Get £4 tickets to Oktoberfest 2024 at Electric Brixton. Get ready for a Bavarian blast! Oktoberfest Brixton is transforming Electric Brixton into a bustling beer hall with traditional wooden tables, authentic street food, and gallons of classic Oktoberfest beers. Dance along to vibrant performances by a Bavarian band, laugh with the compères, and party to beats from top DJs. Entry tickets start at just £4 per person, or gather a group of eight and save over £35 on a private table. Dust off your Lederhosen and get ready for a day of German-inspired fun. Highlights - Experience authentic German food, music, and comedy at Oktoberfest Brixton 2024. - Enjoy traditional German beers from Spaten, Löwenbräu, and Becks. - Save up to 75% off tickets and packages. When and Where? - Dates: October 5 and 12, 2024 - Time: 1 pm - 7 pm - Location: Electric Brixton, Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RJ Need to Know - Ticket Details: Valid for entry to Oktoberfest Brixton 2024. - Age Restriction: 18 and over only. - Event Time: Starts at 1 pm, ends at 7 pm. - Voucher Redemption: Present your booking confirmation at the box office upon arrival. - Terms: Tickets are non-refundable, non-exchangeable, and cannot be amended. Tickets for 'Reykjavik' at Hampstead Theatre cost £15 "For those in Peril on the Sea" presents a poignant look at the harsh realities of trawler fishing. Set in February 1975, the play begins with the tragic sinking of the Graham Greene, resulting in the loss of fifteen crew members. In the wake of this disaster, Donald Claxton, a reviled trawler owner, impulsively travels to Reykjavik to meet the survivors. What follows is an evening filled with drinking, horseplay, romance, and storytelling that irrevocably alters their lives. Highlights - Preview tickets available for just £10. - Written by Richard Bean and directed by Emily Burns. - Save £40 on tickets exclusively. When and Where? - Preview Dates: October 18 - 23, 2024 - Main Run: October 25 - November 23, 2024 - Location: Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, NW3 3EU Need to Know - Ticket Details: Valid for one ticket to "Reykjavik" at Hampstead Theatre. - Booking Specifics: This booking is only valid for your selected date/time option. - Content Warnings: The production contains very strong language and explicit descriptions of death and industrial tragedy. - Check-In: Present your booking confirmation upon arrival at the box office. Tickets will be available for collection prior to the performance. - Re-Entry Policy: Due to the layout of the theatre, latecomers will not be permitted to re-enter the auditorium once the performance has begun. - Seating: Seats are allocated by the box office; if purchasing multiple tickets, all attendees will be seated together. For more interesting offers and deals visit here Sotto Cucina & Bar: Get a starter, a main course, and an aperitivo beverage for £23. Get admission to Hobbledown Heath's Pumpkin Patch for £5. Get £4 tickets to Oktoberfest 2024 at Electric Brixton. Tickets for 'Reykjavik' at Hampstead Theatre cost £15 Read the full article

[namemozo]

Names for September Born Kids - Choosing a name for your child is a momentous decision, one that carries great significance and can shape their identity for a lifetime. For parents fortunate enough to welcome a September-born baby into their lives, there are numerous factors to consider when selecting the perfect name. From historical references to astrological connections, this article explores the many possibilities for naming a child born in this unique month. September - Significance & Overview September, the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, holds significance on multiple levels - from historical events to cultural celebrations and natural phenomena. Here's an overview of the significance of September: Transition to Autumn: September marks the shift from summer to autumn, with changing weather and falling leaves. Harvest Season: Many crops are harvested, providing food for the upcoming months. Labor Day: Celebrated in early September in the USA and Canada, honoring workers and the labor movement. Constitution Week (USA): Commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17th. Oktoberfest (Germany): World-famous beer festival starting in late September. Virgo Zodiac Sign: People born from August 23 to September 22 fall under the Virgo sign. Historical Events: Includes 9/11 (2001) and the start of World War II (1939). Natural Beauty: Pleasant weather for outdoor activities and enjoying nature's beauty. ... Read more at: 876+ Harvest Inspired Names for September Born Kids

[germany-tourism]

Discover the Top 5 German Cities for Epic Oktoberfest Celebrations

The yearly Oktoberfest in Germany is a wonderful beer festival which pulls millions of travelers from the world over. Did you realize that not every local takes part at Oktoberfest? Actually, it is a local celebration that comes from the Bavarian state in southern Germany. Then where is Oktoberfest held? Munich, Bavaria’s capital, is the obvious location. You may discover rows of tables and seats in beer & wine tents where you can unwind with a beverage while listening to cheerful music. The Oktoberfest attendees are entertained with 80 funfair rides. Additionally, there are several stalls selling authentic German food. In Germany there are several places to celebrate Oktoberfest with pomp and splendor.

Germany’s 5 Top Cities to Celebrate Oktoberfest-

Below are the 5 most popular German cities to celebrate Oktoberfest at its best,

Munich

The Abode of Oktoberfest- Top on the list has to be the one & only authentic Oktoberfest. The world’s leading beer festival is celebrated annually in Munich, the city where this Oktoberfest originated. It plays a pivotal part in Bavaria’s culture. It was held in 1810 for the very first time for commemorating the marriage of King Ludwig I, yet it turned rapidly into an annual event that featured parades, fairs, and performances along with beer of course. Germany has carved a niche for having a splendid beer making culture. At Munich's Oktoberfest, you will find a massive beer collection on tap in the offing for being tried, comprising lagers, pilsners, wheat beers, and bock. In short, this is amid the best German city for Oktoberfest. No beer may be consumed till the first keg is turned on by the mayor of Munich on the first day of the festival, as per custom. After that, there is no stopping the beer; in 2019, 7.3 million liters were consumed! Today, this festival in Munich lasts for around two full weeks, and millions of visitors come to the city to take part in the festivities. A carnival with rides, live music, costume & riflemen parade, & many beer tents are among the events' attractions.

Berlin

Celebration in the Capital- Even though Oktoberfest is primarily a Bavarian custom, it has gained appeal across Germany and the remaining of the world. During September end and the start of October, several cities now hold their own festivities. And the capital is where things get the biggest. At its most dynamic and historic, Berlin is a fantastic city to visit. Spending Oktoberfest here is definitely worthwhile because the city makes every effort to resemble Munich and offers Bavarian delicacies and a genuine Paulaner tent to enjoy. Enjoy the greatest beers from Germany while dancing to live music played by bands and DJs at the Berlin festival. Everyone will be entertained by the various rides, attractions, and activities available, many of which are aimed towards kids. Wednesdays in fact are family days, and there are discounts available. Not everything is about the beer!

Frankfurt Oktoberfest

Frankfurt's Commerzbank Arena serves as the venue for one of Germany's most well-liked Oktoberfest events. This event is among the greatest, offering a varied lineup to go with its selection of beers. Begin with the beer, please! One of the finest aspects of the festivities in Frankfurt is the festival's very own beer, which is not half bad. Naturally, there is a plenty more available from all throughout Germany. You have an overabundance of choices. Frankfurt's Oktoberfest can be the premium one but with regards to live entertainment. Special guests and Frankfurt Oktoberfest Band share the stage as the live music never stops. The 3-week event is kept hopping by a variety of music. Frankfurt lose points for charging entry, similar to Cologne, even though beer lovers will not want to miss it.

Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart

Every year, Stuttgart's Volksfest in Cannstatter Wasen takes place concurrently with Munich's Oktoberfest and rivals the latter in popularity. As the second-biggest beer festival within the world, it hosts about 4 million visitors annually. A modern Volksfest with beer tents, amusement rides, a procession, fireworks, balloon race, & an Alpine town has developed from what started as an agricultural event. Every few years, in addition to the various attractions, the festival nevertheless makes a return to its agricultural roots by hosting an agricultural exposition. A Krämermarkt (craft fair) is another place you may go to get handcrafted leather, jewelry, artwork, home items, and other things.

Cologne

The Latest Add-on- The newest player on the block is Cologne. Only in 2004 the first Oktoberfest was celebrated in Cologne. This has risen above the most well-liked lists in Germany within just less than 20 years. The festival is held in a single, enormous 3,000 square meter tent where the beer never stops pouring. As genuine Limbachtal artists share the stage along with bands from Cologne, the energy is high. There is never a shortage of amusement. You require paying an additional charge to the Oktoberfest here, as opposed to several other Oktoberfest events within Germany that are often free of cost. But this does not indicate this is not worthwhile. At the end of September in Cologne, you may have your life’s ultimate time for about €30. Here you can come across some interesting and unique Oktoberfest celebration ideas.

Oktoberfest- Some Interesting Facts

There are more enjoyable things at Oktoberfest than beer drinking. Check out the funfair rides if you are searching for something to explore throughout the day. The Ferris wheel & the carousel are two of the many fantastic rides available, thus making it kid-friendly. Explore the Oktoberfest parties if you are looking for something to do at night. There are also many of fantastic performances and spectacles to enjoy. The Bavarian folk dance is one of the most well-liked and is a must-see for all Oktoberfest guests!

Over 200 years ago, on October 12, 1810, Bavaria's Crown Prince Ludwig wed Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, and this union marked the beginning of Oktoberfest. There were several days of drinking, eating, and horse racing to commemorate the wedding. After that, the festival was a yearly occasion.

Many guests wish to keep in mind how much fun they had during Oktoberfest. And what would be a greater memento from the famed beer festival than a real beer cup.

You must sample a number of delectable Bavarian delicacies when attending Oktoberfest. Haxn (the roasted ham hough), Brezn (huge pretzels), Obazda (a soft cheese dish from Bavaria), Hendl (roast chicken), and many more foods are typical of Oktoberfest. Every year, they send about 130,000 presents and postcards.

Wrapping Up One of the numerous things to do in Munich is Oktoberfest. It is a festivity of culture, community, & tradition rather than merely a beer festival. Its influence is beyond German territory, influencing world beer culture and fostering cross-cultural interaction. Oktoberfest is still a representation of happiness, community, and the allure of tradition.

[eventseeker789]

Oktoberfest Fiasco: Must-attend Top Celebrations in Brazil & U.S

Oktoberfest Blumenau

Prepare your lederhosen and get ready for a one-of-a-kind celebration at Oktoberfest Blumenau. Nestled in the heart of Brazil, this festival pays homage to the rich traditions of Bavarian culture while infusing it with the vibrant spirit of South America.

Oktoberfest Blumenau is not just an event; it's a cultural exchange where Brazilian warmth meets German precision. The festivities kick off with the ceremonial tapping of the first keg, setting the tone for days of merriment and camaraderie.

One can't help but be mesmerized by the colorful parades that wind their way through the streets. Samba dancers and brass bands intermingle with men and women sporting traditional Bavarian attire, creating a visual spectacle that showcases the fusion of two worlds.

The heart of Oktoberfest Blumenau lies within its beer gardens, where you can sample a vast array of German brews. From pilsners to hefeweizens, every sip is a journey through Germany's brewing heritage.

Don't miss the traditional folk dances performed on multiple stages, or the chance to participate in contests like the hilarious "Chope em Metro," where competitors must carry as many beer-filled mugs as possible without spilling a drop.

For foodies, the festival is a paradise. From hearty sausages to pretzels the size of your head, you can indulge in a feast fit for a beer king. And when you need a break from all the revelry, explore the craft markets where local artisans showcase their handmade treasures.

Oktoberfest Blumenau 2023 will take place at the Vila Germanica Park between October 04 to October 22. If you’re looking for a carnival near me to attend then this is one of the best upcoming events near me to keep an eye out for.

Oktoberfest Fredericksburg

Nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Oktoberfest Fredericksburg is a charming and unique celebration of German culture that brings a taste of Bavaria to the Lone Star State. This event, often referred to as "Oktoberfest with a Texan twist," combines the traditional elements of a German Oktoberfest with the vibrant spirit of Fredericksburg.

What sets Oktoberfest Fredericksburg apart is its delightful fusion of two worlds. You can expect the classic German fare of bratwurst, sauerkraut, and schnitzel, but with a Texan flair. Picture a plate of sizzling bratwurst paired with zesty chili or a pretzel as big as your Texas-sized appetite.

The festival grounds are adorned with Bavarian-themed decorations, creating an immersive experience. You'll find yourself transported to a quaint German village, complete with polka music and lively dancing.

Of course, the star of the show is the beer. Fredericksburg boasts a burgeoning craft beer scene, and local breweries come together to serve a fantastic selection of brews. Whether you prefer a traditional lager or a bold IPA, there's something to tickle every beer lover's taste buds.

In the true Texan spirit of hospitality, Oktoberfest Fredericksburg welcomes all with open arms. It's a family-friendly event, so bring the kids for a day of fun activities, including face painting, carnival games, and a colorful parade. Oktoberfest Fredericksburg 2023 will take place at the Marktplatz (Market Square) between October 06 to October 08, 2023.

Author Name Barkat Dhanji

[pishposhmac]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: SMARTPAK PIPER 1/4 ZIP SHERPA FLEECE HORSEBACK RIDING TEDDY BEAR PULLOVER JACKET.

[shephardofthedamned]

Woo! I missed having an Ask Blog active. Welcome to the new TextingTroublesAnswers blog, a supplemental blog to my Texting Troubles series & my fic Engineer creates mobile phones & Scout becomes an iPad kid.

This is mostly a Red Oktoberfest blog, but don't be shy about asking the other characters things as well!

Something's wrong with Medic's comm again!

Hello, people old & new! This is Mod Booker, better known as UpInFlamesWriting. This is my Red Oktoberfest ask blog based on my fanfic series Texting Troubles.

Now, for the basics: this is mainly a Red Oktoberfest ask blog, but you can ask any of the RED mercs, as well as Miss P, the BLU mercs, & if you want to ask any other TF2 characters then it will be on a case by case basis. Just remember that this all takes place in the same universe, post-comics, & I won't be answering asks that don't fit into the lore of Texting Troubles.

What else... ships. Basically, the established ships are:

RED Heavy (Mikhail), x RED Medic (Ludwig)

RED Demoman (Tavish) x RED Soldier (Jane) x Zhanna

RED Scout (Jeremy) x RED Sniper (Mick)

RED Spy (Jacques) x RED Engineer (Dell)

BLU Medic (Friedrich) x BLU Scout (James)

BLU Soldier (John) x BLU Engineer (Ken)

I won't answer hypotheticals, I won't answer self-shipping asks (asking for a hug from the mercs or a kiss on the cheek is fine, tho). What ships show up there, are all the ships I will answer for.

Other house keeping: I, Mod B, am a full grown adult. I will accept suggestive asks, but anything fully NSFT (Not Safe For Tumblr) I will only answer from blogs that are off anon & who have their age/age-range in their bio. The NSFT asks will always be tagged & flagged as such, but I do encourage y'all not to turn this blog into a smut fest.

Also, here are the tags I've decided to use:

Mod B = rambles from Mod Booker

Lutz and Misha = general ask tag

Texting Guests = ask tag for people other than Red Oktoberfest

Dates at the Base = shipping asks of any kind

Beer Games (NSFT) = NSFT asks (a reference to to the fic series)

Otherwise all the characters & ships will be tagged individually.

Now, let's get this show on the road!

[brattata]

October Fun with Genshin Characters

It's almost October, aka the best month of the year! Here are some ways I think 5 of my (modern AU) Genshin favorites would like to get into the fall spirit with you.

SFW, GN reader, and 98% fluff, with one tiny suggestive comment in Childe's part.

Zhongli: Pumpkin carving 🎃

- Isn’t familiar with the concept and adores how your face lights up when you get to explain the tradition to him (for once). Hearing all your fond and funny childhood memories around it is his favorite part.

- Insists on trying out a few different design styles, and all of his pumpkins – creepy, goofy, ornate – turn out kind of annoyingly perfect. He explains that of course they had to be, since they’re going to be protecting your home.

- He has a “nice but kinda scary” reputation among the neighborhood kids, so none of them dare to steal or smash your pumpkins.

- Hu Tao might swipe one though, when she comes to pick up the fresh pumpkin pie you both made her.

Childe: Scary movies 👻

- Absolutely views it as a competition in who gets scared first/the most.

- Not above dirty tactics like grabbing your leg or blowing on your ear to freak you out when you look especially tense.

- Will only play fair if you watch the movie at his place, and then only because his little siblings always have to join. He wants to set a good example, and it’s also much harder to mess with you when Tonia, Anthon and Teucer are cuddled between you on the couch.

- You can only watch the more hardcore flicks when he comes over to your place. Can’t scar the kids with an R-rated movie, or the R-rated activities that inevitably ensue after Childe watches a particularly gory slasher.

Beidou: Oktoberfest 🍻

- It’s not just for the beer, but yeah, that is a draw.

- I just think Beidou would go for the whole vibe of an Oktoberfest celebration – the activity, the food, the music, and yes, the many different types of delicious beer. Simple as that.

- She’s naturally gregarious, charming, and of course extremely beautiful, so you’re going to make a lot of new friends (and probably get some free drinks). Even if you’re a jealous type, you won’t be with Beidou. She never goes full-on with PDA, but she always has an arm around your shoulder or waist.

- Beidou in a dirndl 😚

Ningguang: Couple’s costumes 🎭

- She gets invited to so, sooo many Halloween parties, and choosing the perfect couple’s costume for each of them is basically the only part where she gets to just have fun.

- A lesser woman would follow the adage that “more expensive = better,” but Ningguang knows that’s no way to stand out. If she could, she’d probably enjoy hand-making costumes with you, but unfortunately she just doesn’t have the time.

- A lot of the costumes are based on inside jokes or special memories you have together. Even if other people don’t understand the reference, the clothes just look so right together that it’s obvious you’re a matching set.

- Once spent a lot of time (and expense) so the two of you could go as a representation of her favorite gambit in Liyue Millennial, and was secretly disappointed when no one got it.

Kazuha: Leaf watching 🍁

- Okay, maybe this is an obvious choice, but he would really enjoy it, alright?

- Not just the beautiful changing leaves, but the whole production of it: packing a picnic lunch together, getting up early to make sure you can claim the best possible spot, sharing a thermos of hot cider or cocoa under a thick blanket if the day turns chilly…

- Finds perfect matching leaves for you to wear in your hair

- Can’t you just picture watching the sunset under a huge, rustling oak tree with Kazuha’s head in your lap (or vice versa), admiring all the colors as he plays you a grass flute serenade? ❤️🍂

[holysimsblog]

GUYS!!! I just found a whole file with all ts3 store content! And guess what?? They are ALL on mediafire :/ I don’t have the time nor space on my computer to download them all! I’ll link them below and hope that maybe some of you can save them up and repost at some point - thanks! (credit to freesims-3.tumblr.com)

Barnacle Bay decrapped: Mediafire 

Barnacle Bay objects only: Mediafire 

Riverview decrapped: Mediafire 

Riverview objects only: Mediafire

To install venue lots, the .package file must be placed in your library folder, not your packages folder 

Last Venue of Amore: Mediafire 

World of Wonder: Mediafire

The Now & Then Century Manor: Mediafire 

Deliciously Indulgent Bakery: Mediafire 

Prism Art Studio: Mediafire 

The Boardwalk: Mediafire 

Grandpa’s Grove: Mediafire 

Grim’s Ghastly Manor: Mediafire 

The Golden Ticket Toy Shop: Mediafire 

Business as Usual Bistro: Mediafire 

The Duke of Bows Renaissance Faire: Mediafire 

Tiny Prodigies Early Learning Centre: Mediafire 

Al Fresco Street Market: Mediafire 

Stones Throw Greenhouse: Mediafire 

The Lucky Simoleon Casino: Mediafire 

Gothique Library: Mediafire 

Modern Luxury: The Coffee Bean Hipster Loft: Mediafire Everyday Teens Collection: Mediafire Everyday Kids Collection: Mediafire Top o’ the Tots Hairstyles and Headwear: Mediafire Everyday - Cool Summer Nights: Mediafire Everyday - Hot Summer Days: Mediafire Everyday Casual Chic: Mediafire Luxury Spa Set: Mediafire Luxury Resort Attire: Mediafire Luxe Lounge Spa: Mediafire Contemporary Comfort Bedroom: Mediafire Contemporary Comfort Living: Mediafire I Heart the 50’s Laundry: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Laundry: Mediafire Bayside Laundry: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Bath: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Kitchen: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Girl’s Bedroom Set: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Boy’s Bedroom Set: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Teens Set: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Bedroom Set: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Dining Set: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Living Set: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Outdoor Set: Mediafire Ultra Lounge Study Set: Mediafire Jet Set: Mediafire Jet Set Teens: Mediafire Jet Set Elders: Mediafire Haute Hip: Mediafire Diva and Divo: Mediafire Glitter and Glam Bedroom: Mediafire Collectionne Stancke: Mediafire Runway Riot: Mediafire BahHaus: Mediafire 

Premium: Brunch at the Old Mill: Mediafire 

Travel and World Style: Bohemian Garden: Mediafire Mother Russia: Mediafire One With Nature: Mediafire Nautical Living: Mediafire Fifth Avenue Fashions: Mediafire Live, Laugh, Love: Mediafire Palace of Versailles: Mediafire Waning Moon: Mediafire Old Town Starter Kit: Mediafire Ragtime in the Big Easy: Mediafire Itadakimasu! Japanese Inspired Dining: Mediafire Japanese Inspired Living Collection: Mediafire Japanese Inspired Clothing Collection: Mediafire Drifter’s Desire: Mediafire Kingdom of Cambodia Bedroom Set: Mediafire Kingdom of Cambodia Bathroom Set: Mediafire Fabulous Fiesta Ice Cream Machine and Deep Fryer: Mediafire Haute Hacienda Kitchen Set: Mediafire Haute Hacienda Dining Room Set: Mediafire Dreams of India: Mediafire India Inspirations Clothing and Hairstyles: Mediafire India Inspirations Bedroom Set: Mediafire Africa Inspirations Safari Living Set: Mediafire Africa Inspirations Collection: Mediafire Adventurous Life! Vertical Challenge Rock Wall: Mediafire Viva Las Vegas Bedroom: Mediafire Viva Las Vegas Living: Mediafire Vineyard Villa Furnishings: Mediafire Mediterranean Villa Kitchen/Dining: Mediafire Hollywood Regency Den: Mediafire Muse Luxury: Mediafire Morocco Mystique: Mediafire Cante Captivating: Mediafire Buccaneer’s Bounty: Mediafire Hacienda Luxury: Mediafire Provence: Mediafire Beach Bummin’: Mediafire Island Villa: Mediafire Life’s a Beach (Swim): Mediafire Sun, Surf & Sand (Sleep): Mediafire Zen Again: Mediafire Imperial Bedroom Zen: Mediafire Asian Fusion: Mediafire Worldly Goodies: Mediafire 

Activities: Surf’s Up Sun and Fun Collection: Mediafire Level Up Collection: Mediafire It’s Game Time: Mediafire Championship Dreams: Mediafire Front Row Centre Bedroom: Mediafire Wretched Threads: Mediafire Loud, Fast, Clash! - Bedroom: Mediafire Loud, Fast, Clash! - Attire: Mediafire Adrenaline Rush: Mediafire Transport to the Future: Mediafire Pushin’ Pedals: Mediafire Speedy Styles: Mediafire Goal!: Mediafire 

Fantasy: Tutor of Tudors: Mediafire Happily Ever After Clothing and Hairstyles: Mediafire Happily Ever After: Mediafire Futureshock Loft Collection: Mediafire Futureshock Living: Mediafire Futureshock Bedroom: Mediafire Futureshock Kitchen: Mediafire More Magic!: Mediafire The Soothsayers Crystal Ball Set: Mediafire Steampunk Kitchen: Mediafire Steampunk: the Return: Mediafire Steampunk Savvy: Mediafire Through the Spyglass: Mediafire Through the Spyglass - Bedroom: Mediafire Faire Folk Outdoors: Mediafire Faire Folk Attire: Mediafire Faire Folk Slumber: Mediafire Faire Folk Den: Mediafire Sweet Escape Nursery: Mediafire Full Interior Castle Set: Mediafire The Complete Castle by Castles Kits, Inc: Mediafire Victorian Fashions: Mediafire (I saved that one betcha)

Fun: Double Down Poker and Roulette Bundle: Mediafire Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes: Mediafire Date Night: Mediafire Le Cirque Esprit: Mediafire Le Cirque Nouveau: Mediafire Gothic Glamour - Living Room Set: Mediafire Gothic Glamour - Home Office Set: Mediafire Show Stopping Styles Collection: Mediafire Edwardian Expressions Kitchen Set: Mediafire Back 2 Skool: Mediafire Street Couture - Kids and Teens!: Mediafire Street Couture: Mediafire Luxe Kidswear: Mediafire Indulgent Living: Mediafire Luxe Loungewear: Mediafire Fanciful Fashion: Mediafire Frontier Finds Kitchen and Dining: Mediafire Frontier Finds: Mediafire Animals Abound - Outdoor Fun: Mediafire Animals Abound Playground Bed & Bath: Dead link Wild Wears: Dead link Forest Bedroom: Mediafire Critter Comforts: Mega Wilderness Dreaming: Mediafire Panda & Friends: Mediafire Gothique Sleeping Room: Mediafire Gothique Living Room: Mediafire Regal Living Bedroom Set: Mediafire Regal Living Dining Room Set: Mediafire Regal Living Living Room Set: Mediafire Regal Living Kitchen Set: Mediafire Regal Living Bathroom Set: Mediafire Tiki Outdoor Party: Mediafire Tiki Dining Room Set: Mediafire Tiki Living Room Set: Mediafire 

Classics: Homecoming: Mediafire Farm Fresh Folk Set: Mediafire Country Livin’: Mediafire Mid-Century Modern Dining & Style Set: Mediafire Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Collection: Mediafire Mid-Century Modern Bathroom Collection: Mediafire Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Marvels: Mediafire Mid-Century Fantasy: Mediafire Killer Classics: Mediafire The Sims Classic - Welcome Back to Three Lakes Set: Mediafire Atomic Age Living and Dining: Mediafire Boho Vintage Men’s Collection: Mediafire Boho Vintage Men’s Collection: Mediafire Jazz Age Living Room: Mediafire Jazz Age Wear: Mediafire Romanza Bridal Party: Mediafire Romanza Attire: Mediafire Romanza Reception: Mediafire Romanza Ceremony: Mediafire Club Vaindenburger Den: Mediafire Club Vaindenburger Study: Mediafire Hewnsmen Dining Room Set: Mediafire Hewnsmen Living Room Set: Mediafire Hewnsmen Bedroom Set: Mediafire Hewnsmen Outdoor Set: Mediafire Hogan’s Deep-Fried Diner Starter Kit: Mediafire Rebel Just Because: Mediafire Bayside Kitchen Set: Mediafire Bayside Bathroom Set: Mediafire Storybook Dining Room Set: Mediafire Storybook Living Room Set: Mediafire Storybook Bedroom Set: Mediafire Storybook Bathroom Set: Mediafire 

Holidays and Gifts: Fashionable Fitness Set: Mediafire Happy Mardi Gras!: Mediafire Cosmic Cosmetics - Registration Bonus: Mediafire Dark Industrial Set: Mediafire Quantum Power Pack: Mediafire Tropical Waters Hat Pack - Registration Reward: Mediafire Carnaval Costumes Pack - Origin Preorder Bonus: Mediafire Mascot Attack Pack: Mediafire Seasons Wall Decal Pack: Mediafire Plants vs. Zombies Fan Pack: Mediafire Freestyle DJ Booth: Mediafire Atomic Age Pets Registration Gift: Mediafire The Sims 3 Generations Registration Gift: Mediafire The Red Carpet Collection: Mediafire The Ultimate Career Bundle: Mediafire Explorer’s Loot: Mediafire Happy Holidays to Your Furry Friends!: Mediafire Sims Santas: Mediafire Happy New Year 2012!!!: Mediafire Happy New Year ‘11: Mediafire ‘Tis the Season For Gift Giving!: Mediafire More Holiday Presents: Mediafire Happy Holiday Presents: Mediafire Harvest Bounty: Mediafire Fall Fruition: Mediafire No Tricks, Just Treats: Mediafire More Halloween Treats: Mediafire Halloween Treats: Mediafire Happy Halloween Gory Goodies: Mediafire Carnivale Celebration!: Mediafire Year of the Dragon: Mediafire Year of the Tiger: Mediafire Year of the Rabbit: Mediafire Kalliopi’s Gifts: Mediafire Weba Yayfoo!: Mediafire Oktoberfest Celebrations: Mediafire In the Dawn of Sims: Mediafire The Sims Strike Back: Mediafire Let There be Sims: Mediafire Happy St. Patrick’s Day: Mediafire Happy Valentine’s Day 2012: Mediafire Eye of the Bolder ‘10: Mediafire Earth Day: Mediafire 

[seasonsofeverlark]

Oktoberfest Effect

Author: @alliswell21​

Prompt: Town boys (drunk?) dare each other to venture into woods (Halloween night? [Oktoberfest]). Katniss saves Peeta (from peacekeepers? storm?) by pulling him into a cave for the night. (Drunk Peeta talks too much and is cuddly?) [submitted by @567inpanem​] 

Rating: Teen (for drunkenness)

Author’s Note: Thank you to @mandelion82 for lending me her beta services, and being a generally awesome cheerleader! Thank you @567inpanem for the prompt, I hope it brings you joy! Thank y’all for reading! 

Oktoberfest, originally from Munich, Germany, is a two week folkloric festival, celebrated between the third Sunday of September and the first Sunday of October. Copious amounts of beer get served worldwide to celebrate Oktoberfest…👀this fic doesn’t reflected the cultural richness of the festival and or what it represents!👀

Tags: In Panem AU; No Games AU; Not representative of Oktoberfest; Drunken Shenanigans; Thunder storms; Snarky!Everlark; Humor; Blink-and-you-Miss-it fluff. One Shot.

———————

Oktoberfest is one of my least favorite festivals in the small repertory of celebrations my District is allowed. 

It’s usually held in the beginning of October, after the first showers of Fall, and tends to last all day long, severely cutting into my hunting time in the woods, which comprises the bulk of my family’s livelihood. My mother is a healer, but people used to struggle to pay for her services back in the day, so she stopped charging anyone; people gave her what they could: rations, produce from their squalid gardens, old clothes and such. You’d think people would pay with coins, now that things have improved for common folks, but some habits die hard.

It’s probably the same reason we keep observing a holiday that’s real meaning has been lost to Panem since before the Dark Days; people just know that at some point, Oktoberfest was celebrated around this time, and people ate and drank ale by the bucketfuls, so that’s what they do today. 

By the same token, it’s the most popular festivity in District 12, since it’s the only day of the year in which drinking is sanctioned and even encouraged by the higher-ups of government. Trains come carrying ale, spiked ciders, and even hard liquor for the celebration. People like Ms. Ripper, who sells moonshine and white liquor in our black market, better known as The Hob, have free range to sell their wares openly, without suffering repercussions. 

The meek, dull denizens of District 12 drink the spirits by the gallons, just for the one day, and pass out in the most unseemly places around town, like savages. If something had become clear to me with the passing years, it’s that people tend to enjoy drunkenness to soothe their woes away, so it’s natural everyone embraces Oktoberfest.

But, as with everything, things aren’t as bleak as I tend to see them myself.

“Katniss!” My sister, Prim, calls breathlessly from the maypole circle, beckoning me over with one hand, while holding a bright, yellow ribbon in her other, “There still are a few ribbons left!” She shouts excitedly, her meaning plain: she wants me to join in the festivities.

Normally I’d shy away from any and all activities that would have me interacting directly with the townsfolk. It’s nothing personal against them, I’m just not used to being touched by anyone, except for my family, and weaving ribbons around the maypole practically ensures I’d be brushing up against any number of strangers …but, there are worse games to play, and I could never deny my sister anything, not even this. 

I make my way to Prim and reluctantly snatch up a pale blue ribbon from the ground. My sister’s smile is so bright I almost relax when the music starts, and the dancers take to moving in and out around the pole. 

It isn’t as bad as I was dreading it to be. The music is lively; the fiddler follows the dancers while the rest of the band plays on the makeshift stage a few feet away, and the pole is relatively short and moderately wide, so we make quick work of braiding a pretty pattern in one go. Also, people are at a respectable distance from one another, and most everyone feels as awkward around me as I feel around them, so they just give a wide berth when they pass me by.

Prim and I are laughing when the song comes to an end, and we take a minute to admire the pole’s multicolored design. 

There’s a line of smiling people waiting in the fringes to take the ribbons the opposite direction to unravel them and weave them together again. 

I pull Prim into a hug and kiss her blonde head, fondly. “Let’s give somebody else a turn, Little Duck.” Prim narrows her eyes just a smidge; she’s almost 16 and doesn’t appreciate the nickname as much anymore. “Let’s put some warm apple cider into you, yes?” 

Joy returns to her baby blues immediately. “Yes! We should go find Mother as well!” she says excitedly. 

“Let’s go then!” 

After finding our mother in the crowd, and haggling over three cups of cider and one bag of boiled peanuts, our mother suggests we go home early, before the party gets rowdy. 

An unfortunate byproduct of Oktoberfest with all the unchecked drinking is men get loud, bold and stupid. Better to clear out before that happens, because while crimes aren’t tolerated— under the influence or sober—people tend to get belligerent when alcohol is involved. 

President Snow died years ago, when I was Prim’s age. Many things changed drastically, like the abolishment of the Hunger Games, and a slightly better salary for miners, but the seemingly tolerant new government of Panem gives men a strange leave to criticize the Capitol while drunk…which technically, is still a crime in today’s Panem, just not as mortally dangerous anymore. Still, women try to haul their spouses home before they can say something incriminating and land themselves in prison.

Nothing can be done about the youngsters, though. 

With women trying to keep a leash and muzzle over the men, the teenagers have unhindered access to alcohol and close to no supervision; although spirits are supposedly only served to people 17 and older, I wouldn’t put it past the vendors to look the other way if a group of merchant kids pass a few extra coins across the table, when nobody is watching. 

If grown up men are loud, bold and stupid while drunk, teen and young adult men are even worse, and that’s without a gaggle of equally intoxicated girls egging them on.

This year— as in every Oktoberfest— the electric fence surrounding the district lays dormant and harmless, lest one of the hundreds of inebriated fools roaming the meadow fall into the wires and fry themselves upon accident.

Not that the Capitol cares if a few malnourished— probably discontented— miners fall dead during a district festival; people in 12 used to keel over from starvation all the time back under Snow’s regime, but those deaths were usually chalked up to any number of unrelated causes: pneumonia, heart weakness, black lung disease…anything, except starvation. But dying electrocuted on the very fence that’s supposed to keep us safe in our little district is unthinkable! The fence is there to keep dangerous beasts— and nutritious game alike— away from us.

District 12 remains that enduring jewel of Panem, where you can starve in safety! All we need is to drink the memory of our empty pantries away for another year, and everyone is happy. I sigh. At least they did away with the Hunger Games; now we have singing contests and trivia challenges playing on national television instead of the blood shed of innocent teenagers, which is certainly an improvement. Somehow it’s still not a fair bargain, but district folk will never complain about this particular trade; our children are safe, and we get to watch Capitol people make fools of themselves in front of everyone.

Mother, Prim and I make it home early enough to make a quick supper of roasted potatoes, salted fish and the last of the bakery bread I traded for this week. I make a mental note to bring down a couple squirrels to trade with the baker for more bread. The man is one of the few I can regularly count on to trade fairly with, so I always save him the best of my squirrels. 

By the time dinner is being cleared off the table, I can hear the murmur of families returning home from the meadow. A surge of nervous energy takes over me. I start bouncing my leg restlessly, peeking at the old clock hanging on the wall. 

“Are you going out again?” asks my mother. Her tone is light and her eyes focused on the heap of plates and forks she’s balancing in her hands. I know better than to believe she’s alright with me leaving again. 

“For a while,” I answer. 

“You could get stuck out there!” says Prim, clearly displeased. 

“I’ve been working on a shelter, just in case. I’ll be back before dawn if I can help it,” I say, brokering no arguments.

“Be careful,” Prim mumbles, her blue eyes pleading.

I stand up from my chair and plant a kiss on the crown of her blonde head. “I promise. Now, go make sure Lady is secured before I leave. I don’t want anyone getting any ideas seeing a goat loose out there.” Not that anyone would cross me knowingly, but people get a lot dumber while drunk. 

The sun set on the horizon long ago, but all my years sneaking around urge me to blend instantly with the river of dark-haired children trailing their dark-haired mothers and fathers all over The Seam. It certainly is an entertaining sight; the children are immensely happier than their parents, of course, bouncing and giggling, carrying in their spindly arms their Oktoberfest bounty of apples and freshly picked ears of corn stuffed into old burlap sacks, prizes given to them by the Capitol for every one of those silly games they played at the festival. At least they know supper won’t consist of tesserae bread tonight.

Reaching the fence will be trickier now that the meadow is crawling with blond merchants and peacekeepers patrolling the perimeter of the fence ‘for our safety’. A few miners remain, helping with the cleanup process to earn some extra money, but they are so few I can’t use our physical similarities to hide in plain sight. The merchants, meandering around the meadow, throwing nervous glances at the fence every so often, pretending they don’t care the thing is off, certainly hinders my ability to sneak around. 

I wasn’t the only person who ventured outside the fence by any means. Historically, people have snuck under the barbed wire links in the past to steal apples and berries, when the hunger pains were scarier than the bears and wild dogs roaming the woods; necessity is a great incentive, it either makes you very brave or very reckless…but the few merchants still hanging out here only linger ‘cause an alcohol-fueled thrill holds them captive. Tomorrow, when they’re home nursing a head-splitting hangover, they’ll go back to cowering at the sight of the fence. 

There’s a group of towheaded youngsters, singing obnoxiously, near the edge of the meadow. 

I roll my eyes and try to ignore them for the time being. Meanwhile, I skirt around the maypole, pretending I’m admiring the workers’ effort, pulling the pole out of the ground to haul it into storage until next year. It’s a massive effort, but all I can do is lament how now there’s gonna be a soft spot in the ground for a while there, even after they fill it back with dirt and rocks. 

I curse darkly under my breath when I startle at the sight of two peacekeepers passing by the merchant boys.

The singing stops while the townies nod politely at the albino buzzards. The boys stare at the peacekeepers until they disappear at a bend behind a big, tall retention wall where the fence stops into a jagged corner, and then the young merchants do something very peculiar…they start a round of ‘Row Your Boat’, holding up their fingers in some sort of countdown. Their voices are so shrill and out of tune, everyone around covers their ears and looks the opposite way.

I cock my head, studying the boys. They’re clearly intoxicated: red noses and ears, laughing at nonsense, and the biggest telltale, a bottle of white liquor passing around their misshapen circle. I realize, they’re not all teenagers. A few of them I recognize from my days in school, and I know for a fact two of them are married, and at least one of them has a child on the way already. 

I roll my eyes at their childish behavior. 

The peacekeepers appear again in the distance, and the singers stop their song abruptly. One of the older guys lifts his fingers up, showing all ten digits; he closes his fists quickly and opens them again, now showing seven fingers. They all giggle like lunatics, and I lose interest in them.

I round the cleaning crew closest to the fence, but suddenly, one of the townies stands up and starts calling at the top of his lungs, startling me.

“Hey, you! The girl with the braid!”

I whip around, because I’m 99% sure he’s talking to me! I’ve worn my dark, Seam hair in a single braid down my back for the last 8 years or so; it’s practical, really, to keep it that way. But that’s besides the point.

I wear my fiercest scowl on my face, and I get an uncomfortable jolt to the stomach when I realize I know this guy, the one waving at me while his companions guffaw around him, still intoning their childish ditty. 

Peeta Mellark, the baker’s youngest son, a boy I owe the biggest debt of my entire life, and for the first time since I can remember, he’s meeting my gaze without wavering. 

Debt or not, I have half a mind to stomp his way, grab him by the collar and shove him into the nearest tree in retaliation. My mouth opens to ask him what his problem is, when out of nowhere a pair of peacekeepers pop up from behind the retention wall, walking in the opposite direction of the previous set of guards. 

“Did you know it takes about a minute and a half to sing ‘Row Your Boat’ seventeen times?” Peeta Mellark chuckles, pink cheeks and nose, tilting his head towards the fence, and then his blue, sparkly eyes flit to the peacekeepers passing by; all the boys stop singing and nod at them in greeting. “Then, it takes like five minutes to sing something else, until we go back to Row Your Boat!” 

These guards must’ve crossed the other ones at some point while out of sight without me noticing. If I hadn’t been distracted by Peeta calling out to me, I would’ve run right into them on my way to the fence, if not flat out caught red-handed crossing into the woods, and how would I explain myself then?! Everyone in District 12 knows of my poaching proclivities, peacekeepers included, but that doesn’t mean I should go flaunting around my intention to trespass. Panem is still not completely free and whether people should have the right to escape into the woods for sustenance is still a murky topic…I’m not too keen on finding out if hunting is still a punishable crime by today’s parameters.

I turn my eyes back to Peeta, but he’s already singing and joking with his buddies, and although he seems to be invested in whatever shenanigans they’re doing, I’m not too sure he’s oblivious to me.  After all, he had to be watching me pretty closely to accurately guess I was close to being discovered. 

I huff. My debt to Peeta just increased, and I have no idea how to start paying him back for it. 

The peacekeepers are again out of sight; the merchants are singing again, and like before, people look away from their ruckus. There’s one boy with his fingers up…counting. 

Peeta’s watching me; he lifts 4 fingers offhandedly and turns to face his friends. 

Clever!

It’s a code, I gather. 

They’re timing the passing of the peacekeepers into the ‘blind spot’ with one song, then start a different one to predict when the keepers will be back on the retention wall.

I shake my head to clear off the hint of a smile taking over my face. The silly drunks aren’t as stupid as I thought, I guess. 

I make sure no one is looking my way; I also check the kid counting how many boats they’ve rowed, and leap closer to the spot I know there’s a loose link. I only have ten rows before the peacekeepers come back, so I make quick work out of the wires and slip to the other side fast. 

The drunk boys break into hoots and cheers once I’m in the woods, and despite myself, I look in their direction just to make sure nobody saw me scurrying out. I’m partially hidden by a tree, and should be safe now.

The cheering isn’t because I slipped out of the districteffectively; the boys are either harshly ruffling Peeta’s hair, or slapping him on the back. They’re all laughing and crowing something I can’t make out, but soon I see the glint of white uniforms out of the corner of my eyes, and hide deeper into the woods. 

I decide to check on my snares around here and head home right away. This was perhaps the worst entrance I’ve made into the woods, and too many know I’m out here as it is, but, if the townies are gonna act as a siren of sorts, better to use their system to my advantage. 

Then…I need to figure out how to finally speak to Peeta Mellark and start getting my ledger even with him. 

It’s completely dark by the time I reach my snares. I look at the sky and scowl. The stars are obscured, and the moon has a hazy ring around it. Clouds are rolling in too fast for my liking. Rain is coming, soon. So I make haste and run my fingers along the first wire I find. 

My snare wields two rabbits, and I bag them without resetting the traps. I figure one of these will be enough to hold my family over for a couple of days. I can make some coins out of the second rabbit, which should be enough until Oktoberfest has died down and business resumes as normal. It’s a good plan if I say so myself.

A peal of thunder breaks in the distance, and I grunt lowly. This night keeps getting worse by the minute; it’s good that I’m almost back to my entry point. I head back to the fence, where I can still hear the faint howls of laughter of the merchant boys. 

I’m 30 yards from the fence when another clap of thunder roars overhead, loud enough to reverberate in my bones; people beyond the fence shriek. I’ve only taken a step forward when lightning strikes, and I know the storm is hot on my heels. 

The chanting of the merchants is getting louder. I never thought I’d think this, but it’s a relief, knowing I can count on them to distract the patrols while I sneak back into the district. 

They’re egging and heckling each other like a bunch of rowdy hoodlums. 

“Go on! Ten coins says you won’t last a second!” 

“I say fifteen, if he brings back proof he was there!” 

Somebody belches loudly, making the rest giggle like school kids. 

I roll my eyes and try to concentrate on finding my loose wire in the distance. I’m only a few feet away from the fence, but it’s dark and windy. 

“Seeriouslee, though,” hiccups another, mispronouncing his words. “Gwhat should he…” hiccup, “bring?” Hiccup.

“Don’t know. A berry maybe,” 

“Or a bear bite!” cackles another. They all laugh boisterously. 

I wonder what they’re up to now. The fools! Don’t they know they should be running home for cover? The first raindrops are already falling. 

“Fine! Okay…I’ll do it! But I wanna see all that money now!” slurs a voice I recognize, because I heard it calling me less than twenty minutes ago. “Pay up!”

No! Not him! I think, feeling my stomach drop. Whatever it is they’re doing, doesn’t sound very smart. 

“Dis it?!” Peeta Mellark groans, “I’m taking all your money, so I can buy me a hen house! Dis not even ‘nough to buy me chicken feed!”

I hear grumbling nearby, and the clicking of metal, suspiciously similar to how coins sound falling on each other. I assume they’re shedding the rest of their money for Peeta to see. 

“‘Kay…‘Kay…better now. Okay. Imma go now. Hold me money, Rye…and don’t spend any of it! I counted it… it’s me money! Don’t steal it, or I tell Lavender you were smooching girls a week before you got married!” 

“Don’t you dare!”

“Don’t steal me money!”

“Fine!”

“Fine! And don’t tell father ‘bout dis either!”

Somebody yells, “Mellark, stop stalling!”

“Yeah! Get—“ hiccup, “on with it al—“ hiccup, “…ready!”

“Goin’, I’m goin’!” I hear a few murmurs.

I swear, Peeta Mellark! If you set foot in my woods, I’ll shoot you in the toes! 

I’m close enough to the fence to see a few lights flicking close by, but then another thunder drums, with a lightning to boot, and the rain droplets fall heavier. 

“Wait! White helmets!” hisses someone, and even I drop to the ground to hide. 

“Evenin,’ officers!” says Peeta. 

I can picture him in my mind’s eye, smiling the same way he used to in school when covering for one of his friends to the teachers. 

“Evening? It’s almost nine o’clock, boys!” says a woman. I’m not quite familiar with her voice, but I can surmise she’s one of the peacekeepers on patrol. “Curfew starts in 30 minutes, and a storm’s on its way. I suggest you all head to your houses.” 

“Yeah, we will finish pickin’ up our garbage and head right home, officer!” says Peeta, all polite and pleasant like. 

“Very well. You better clear out by the time we return, or we’ll have you spend the night in a cozy cell at the Justice Building,” says a gruff male voice, most likely the second peacekeeper. “Now, get on with the cleaning, gentlemen.” 

There’s a chorus of voices murmuring stuff like “Right away, sir!” and “Of course, officer.” A lot of movement and hushed conversations go on for a minute or so while I lay on my stomach like an idiot. 

I can only assume the peacekeepers are out of earshot when Peeta exclaims happily, “Aight! I’m goin’ in!” 

The others start fussing and protesting, talking over each other frantically: “You can’t go in!”, “Are you crazy?! You heard them, there’s a storm coming!”, “Stop being a damned hero, Mellark! You already showed us up, by speaking to Everdeen!” 

Peeta calls out, “Guys! Shut up! She’s the reason I wanna go in there! She ain’t back yet!” 

I frown. 

“Everdeen? Dude, she’s probably stalking a deer or somethin’…she’s fine!” says who I believe is his brother. 

“Well…but what if she needs help? Shouldn’t some’ne go get ‘er?” He sounds concerned and strangely hopeful. 

My stomach does a strange little flip at Peeta’s words, and then I have to shake my head to stop myself from being grateful for his concern. Outside of my family, Peeta Mellark seems to be the only person in this entire district who cares about me. 

“No! That girl’s half feral! All them wild things in the woods are probably more afraid of her than we are!” says Peeta’s brother. 

I find myself nodding in agreement, but scowling at the same time, because I’m not feral! I just hunt and enjoy the respect— bordering on fear— people have for me. 

It doesn’t matter, though! Right now I feel almost as silly as they sound, and I just want them to take Peeta home, so I can climb back into the district and go home myself.

“I’m still goin’ in!” I realize Peeta is looking for the spot I used to come into the woods, and I hear muttering and hissing trying to dissuade him from coming in, but he’s already pulling the wire the same way I did, and a moment later, he’s wiggling his broad frame under the fence like an inchworm rolling on salt. 

“No!” I huff under my breath, scrambling to get up, to push him back in the other direction, but then somebody is whispering harshly. 

“White helmets!” 

I’m not even surprised to hear Peeta’s so-called friends run away then. Coward merchants the lot of them!

A thunder booms above us, and I see Peeta struggling to pull through under the flash of the lightning that follows. It’s a miracle the peacekeepers haven’t seen him, splashing in the muddy pool forming rapidly under his body. 

“Ugh!” I finally find my feet and practically throw myself on top of his arms, to pull him in. 

Peeta shrieks, startled by my sudden appearance, so I slap a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. 

“Hush! Or they’ll find us!” 

I pull him further out from under the wire. He seems to realize what I’m trying to do and relaxes his muscles, letting me guide him forward while propelling himself with the toe of his boots. 

There’s a bush just two feet away from us. I drag him with me on all fours and crouch behind it until the peacekeepers’ flashlights disappear. 

“Hi!” says Peeta.

“Shush!” 

“Sorry!” he whispers…loudly.

“Quiet!” I hiss, bringing a finger to my mouth, as if I was dealing with a toddler instead of a 20-year-old man. 

“‘Kay,” he responds, this time in an actual whisper. 

I still roll my eyes at him. 

Thunder and lightning and cold, stabbing rain fall from the sky unrelenting. 

“Listen, we can’t stay here too long; we need to crawl back into the district!” I tell him, peeking from behind our hiding spot to make sure we are alone. I can’t see very far ahead, but it’s obvious the meadow is empty now. 

“What?!” he calls loudly. 

“For goodness sakes!” I mutter in frustration. “We need to crawl back into the district, or we’re gonna drown out here!” I’m having to yell so he can hear me over the rain.

“Oh! O-kay!” he says, smiling beguilingly at me. “I came to get you!” he yells. 

I look at him, trying to convey all the annoyance I’m feeling towards him right now with just my facial expression, but I guess the moonlight is so minimal he can’t see me, because all he does is smile back at me.

“You’re welcome!” he yells after a second in a self-satisfied tone.

“For what?” I snap.

“For rescuing you, of course!” 

I stare at him, dumbfounded. “Rescuing— you…  what?!” I screech.

More thunder and lighting make it impossible to keep doing this where we are. And thanks to the storm, it’s too risky trying to crawl under the fence, too. Negotiating Peeta’s humongous body back under the railings in these conditions is just calling for trouble; we’ll either get found by the peacekeepers— if they’re still patrolling— or get hit by lightning; after all, the fence is meant to conduct electricity and fry whatever touches it. 

I’m lost in my head, thinking about our options at this point, when a bright flash cracks overhead, so strong, it makes everything look like it’s day time, and I fall back on my butt for how close Peeta’s face is to mine. 

“What are you doing?” I rasp.

“Wow! Has anyone ever told you, you have freckles over the bridge of your nose?” He asks, placing his two paw-like hands on my shoulders, pulling me back onto my haunches. “From close up, your face is as pretty as the night sky with all its coteslations!” 

“Hmm…no—nobody’s ever said…” I huff. “Come on. We can’t stay here.” I tell him, pulling him by the hem of his coat’s sleeve. “I think you meant ‘constellations’ by the way. Alcohol really messes up your speech, you know.” 

I think he says something, but I’m not sure, since the storm is swallowing up all the sounds around us. 

The going is slow, because we have to wait for lightning to illuminate our way, and once, I realized we were straying onto a different path from the place I have in mind. Plus, I have to keep trying to untangle myself from Peeta’s grasp, so I can feel around the way with my feet. Peeta talks too much…nonstop, and I think it’s mostly the alcohol talking, but ugh! Would it kill him to just be quiet for a second?!

He’s awfully clingy for such a big man. I mean, he’s grown a few inches since we were in school, and he used to be stocky and broad-shouldered, even as a teenager, on account of him being wrestling champion two years in a row, plus having to handle those heavy trays in the bakery and whatnot. 

I forgot where I was going with this?

Anyway, I hope the alcohol clears his system soon. He seems like an overgrown puppy at times, the way he trails after me and touches the end of my braid, which I guess he might be using as some kind of leash or rope to tether himself to me. Surprisingly, I don’t find it as annoying as I should. In fact, I find the warmth of his fingers… reassuring. 

“Stop!” I tell him, when I hear rustling nearby I know isn’t from the rain. 

A wild dog jumps in front of us, and I curse loudly. I should’ve grabbed my bow on our way out here, but I didn’t want Peeta to see my hiding spot; not that he’ll remember how to get to it, but he was able to find my loose chain in the fence, so…

I think the dog is coming after us. But before I can tell Peeta to run, he pulls me flush with his chest and somehow lifts me over his head like I weigh nothing. The dog is momentarily confused, and I take the chance to chuck one of my rabbits past it. The dumb animal looks at us curiously, but after a second, loses interest and goes for the easier, smaller prey.

I just got reminded of how strong Peeta is. 

“Thank you!” I call out when he lowers me back to his chest. “You can let go of me now. The dog’s gone, but there might be more around.” 

Peeta nods. His blue eyes are wide and alarmed, his cheeks, ruddy with booze just a few minutes ago, are drained of color. “Alright!” he gasps, clearly shaken.

I grab his arm and squeeze, leading him away from the spot. 

It’s times like these when I miss my old hunting partner, Gale Hawthorne; for starters, he would’ve had a bow on him…he would’ve shot and killed the dog. He would’ve had my back… but Peeta had my back this time, and he surely is no seasoned hunter, not even an outdoorsman, yet it was his quick thinking and sheer brute strength that saved my hide.

It’s also the reason Gale and I broke our partnership to begin with. Given the chance, he would’ve left Peeta stranded out here, instead of finding him shelter. But that’s his style, not mine, and Peeta has shown his worth twice tonight, inebriated as he is. 

I release a sigh of relief when I see the opening of a burrow on the side of a small hill. It’s not truly a cave; it’s much too shallow to be called that, but, I found it about a year ago, and have been carving it out little by little for these kinds of emergencies, when I need shelter on the run, and the concrete little shack by the lake is too far, and I want to stay close to the fence, anyway. 

“Oooh! Is this a cave? Is it abandoned? We ain’t gonna walk into some bear den or somethin’?” Peeta asks, bumping into my back when I stop to remove a few branches from the entrance of my little hiding spot. 

“Get in!” I command him, and he obeys at once. 

I take a few minutes to rearrange the branches at the mouth of the cave, just to keep the water from splashing inside, although we are soaked through our jackets. 

“Sit,” I tell him, bumping into him again when I turn to feel round the wall of the cave for my provisions. The little hollow is only 5 ft wide by 6 feet deep, so there isn’t much room to wiggle for two people even if we were both my size. 

Peeta has to hunch down as it is.

He’s quiet for the time being. My fingers touch the cool glass of the oil lamp I was feeling for, and right next to it, is a box of matches. I can finally breathe! 

I make quick work of the lamp, and we are finally in better shape than we were a moment ago. Peeta blinks owlishly at the lamp, and I can tell he’s surprised, but blinded by the sudden light. 

“Where are we?” Peeta asks in awe.

“It’s my emergency shelter,” I tell him, kicking a log from the back of the cave towards him. “Here, you don’t have to sit on the ground.” I tell him, watching him sitting almost directly in front of the entrance with his legs crossed.

“You have a shelter out here? I knew you were smart, but I didn’t know you were a genius!” 

My cheeks heat up for some reason. “Nah. It’s just common sense. Too many experiences out there without one. Whatever. Intelligence has nothing to do with this, really.” 

“So…do animals come in here?” he asks, turning his head around to study the place, not as nervously as before.

“No. It’s too small for a big animal’s den, and too big for a small critter’s burrow. It’s ‘me’ size because I’ve been digging it out little by little, and putting stuff in it for when I find myself in the same predicament we are in right now.” 

Peeta shifts to his knees and slowly stands up, hunching a smidge, ‘cause the cave ceiling is too low for him. He lumbers to the log I offered him earlier and sits on it heavily. 

“This place is great!” he states, looking at the crude shelving carved into the dirt where I keep the lamp, matches, a couple of cans of food I’ve agonized about leaving here because it feels like a waste, and things like spare arrowheads and fletchings; things that’d be useful in a pinch. 

I have a knife hidden inside the very log Peeta’s sitting on, but I’m not about to divulge that secret. It’s my last line of defense, and since I don’t have my bow on me, I feel safer knowing there’s at least one weapon in the cave I can count on. I need to bring a bow here at some point; I just haven’t found a good way to camouflage…yet.

“Thank you,” I say quietly. 

“Um, you can sit here,” says Peeta after a long moment passes in silence. “Plenty of room!” He motions to the log, scooting to free up some space.

It looks ridiculous, because there truly isn’t any room left on that log for me to sit. Peeta looks like a smushed rag-doll, sitting on a match box, and all the room he’s leaving next to him, is only big enough to accommodate a toothpick. 

“It’s okay,” I tell him, with a reluctant smile. “I’ll stand for now.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, biting his lip guiltily. 

“Yeah. Let me be a generous host.”

His face falls. “I’m sorry,” he rushes to say. “You wouldn’t have to be playing host in your lovely cave if it wasn’t for me. Sorry I was so stupid,” he says sheepishly, “I should’ve known you had it under control before I tried coming in after you.”

“Oh…it’s alright. It was…touching. All those things you said back there.” My cheeks are burning with embarrassment. 

“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true,” he says, sounding almost sober. 

Another long minute goes by in silence. “Was that a wolf out there?” he asks suddenly. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought about kicking it, but I was afraid it would mangle up my leg, and then I’d get blood poisoned and since medicine is hard to come by, I probably would’ve lost my leg, and I’m not sure I’d be able to master a fake one…unless it was like a Capitol grade thing with robotic nerve connectors and the such… I read some man in District 3 figured out how to make prosthetics that you can control with a chip implanted in your brain!” 

I find myself laughing at his nonsense. And he seems to enjoy my laugh, because he keeps saying outrageous things, I can’t tell if he’s just making them up on the fly, or if he really read about them somewhere. 

I slide against the wall after a while, until I’m crouching close to the wet floor. Our clothes cling to our bodies, but most of the water has leaked off of us already, which is good, since I can’t light a fire inside the cave. 

“Are you hungry?” I ask him, interrupting his musings about how chewing gum is inherently evil, since we don’t have dentistry accessible in the districts. The boy really talks too much!

Peeta cranes his neck to glare at my game bag, which I recently placed by my feet. 

“What do you have there?” He asks, interested. 

“A rabbit. But we can’t eat that raw. We’d get sick with fever if we try. I wouldn’t recommend it,” I tell him. “But I have canned fruit we can share,” I offer. 

He makes an agreeing noise at the back of his throat. “I could eat.” 

“Fine. Um…close your eyes for a second. And don’t peek!” I chide. 

As with everything else I’ve commanded today, Peeta obeys without questioning, and soon I’m darting my hand into the end of the log, retrieving my knife. 

“Open your eyes,” I say. 

“Where did you get that from?!” he screeches, staring open-mouthed at my knife. 

“Secret compartment,” I deadpan.

“Well…I hope you’re not planning on stabbing me with that thing. That blade is bound to be dull now that you hacked into that can with it.”

“What does it matter if the blade’s dull?” I ask, exasperated.

“It’ll tear up my skin if you try stabbing me with it!” Peeta answers, arms moving in exaggerated arches,  “I much rather get a clean cut through, thank you very much!” 

What’s wrong with this boy?! He’s acting like discussing his own potential stabbing is an everyday thing.

“For your information, I’m pretty adept at sharpening things! And…Eww! Gross! Why would I wanna stab you?” I shudder. “I’m sorry, but I don’t do wounds, and I don’t do blood.” I pull a face, shivering.

“You kill things for a living!” He rolls his eyes in disbelief. “Why, the inside of your bag is covered in dried blood from those bunnies right now!”

“Animals! I hunt animals! I don’t do people’s blood and stuff…gross!”

“You’re kinda squeamish for such a lethal thing, aren’t ya?”

“Shut up and eat your pears!” I shove the open can into his hands, and he stares suspiciously at me for a minute before digging in.

Peeta moves over a few more inches, and the toothpick space widens to a Katniss’-rearside-size spot. This time, I take his offer gratefully and sit down next to him. He passes the can to me when he’s done. 

“You know…this is the first time we’ve done something normal together,” he says, pensive.

“It’s the first time we’ve done anything together, Peeta, period!” 

Peeta gasps, and there’s silence for a second. “You’re amazing!” He says, staring and blinking at me while I chew, as if I truly was some extraordinary sight to behold.

I scowl. “Why? Because I fed you canned food in a torrential storm in the middle of the woods?” I didn’t mean to sound so sarcastic. 

“Yeah…” he says dreamily, then scowls, then shakes his head. “Nah! You’re just…amazing! Even my mother says that you’re a survivor and the only thing District 12 has of worth…a better version of Haymitch Abernathy!”

Haymitch Abernathy is District 12’s one, and only living, Hunger Games Victor. He’s also a grumpy hermit, and a drunk, and the richest person in the district. Like me, he was born in the miners’ sector, nicknamed the Seam. People say Haymitch used to be smart as a whip, and a looker too, but now he’s just a paunchy, middle aged man, with anger issues. 

“Well, that’s not much of a compliment, is it?” I wrinkle my nose.

Peeta laughs, brushing his shoulder against mine…but that’s to be expected, he’s a giant after all, and the cave is practically a tall dresser. 

“No, I guess it’s not. But father always gushes about your squirrels. Says you never hit the pelt. You always shoot them right through the eye!” 

“Well, anyone can do that with enough practice.” I shrug.

Peeta snorts, and his knee presses against mine. “I wish I could do even half of the stuff you do. You’re an amazing hunter, and smart, and so pretty, and you can bring down deer, and the way you are with your sister…well, my big brothers have never been doting with me as you are with Primrose.” He sighs, looking at the flickering flame of the oil lamp. “You are something else!” 

“I— that’s not…” I’m frustrated and embarrassed, so I snap, “I wouldn’t have been able to do, or be, any of those things without your help, so…there!”

He scoots closer to me. His body is strangely warm, even under the layers of wet clothes. There’s bewilderment in his blue eyes, and for some reason, I can’t look away from the way his hair is all matted to his forehead. He looks boyish. Kinda cute. 

“What do you mean?” He asks in a small voice. 

I chuff. “Well, it was like today,” I start, leaning back, averting my eyes. He smells of spirits, but weirdly enough, I’m not repulsed by the scent. “You called out to me in the meadow, and I was about to rip you a new one, but then I realized you were trying to help me. Then, you save me from a wild dog, by doing something as simple as lifting me over your head, like I weighed nothing.” I feel small, all of eleven years old, and the fact that I’m wet to the bone and cold to the marrow doesn’t help my case. My voice comes out tiny, “You fed me when we were kids. I’ve never been able to even thank you for that!” I purse my lips to keep them from trembling, and blink some 28 times to keep from crying. 

Peeta sidles up against me. “Oh, Katniss,” he says low and reverently. I realize with a jolt, that it’s the first time he’s said my name. “You’re talking about the bread when we were kids?” His eyes glass over. “You can let that go now… after saving my ass tonight from the storm and the peacekeepers, I think you can count us even.” 

“How can you say that?” I demand, “You keep saving me, and I don’t know why?!”

“Really?” he asks, cocking his head sideways, scrunching his face, and shutting one eye like he can’t quite see me clearly with both eyes open; his tone isn’t malicious, just surprised. “You know why…at least, I think you should,” he says, shrugging and leaning closer. “I thought you’d notice how all of my friends were roasting me because I finally said something to you, and all I said was something lame about Row Your Boat.” He chuckles. “Fifteen years I’ve been trying to pluck up the courage to talk to you, and when I finally do, I call you ‘ Hey, girl with the braid’ like an idiot!” He practically leans into me.  

“Fifteen years?” I ask, bewildered. 

“Yeah…” he trails off, his ears turning cherry red. “I seem to have harbored a crush on you since the first day of school, when we were five.” He slumps back against the wall, and suddenly I wish he was still draped over me, warming me up. 

“Really?” I ask, because this story seems far-fetched. 

“Oh yes! It’s a whole thing! Me being a goner from the moment I heard you singing that very first day…remind me to tell you all the gory details some day.” 

“You betcha,” I say, amused. 

“I’m sorry I’m such a dork, but hey! At least imma buy me some chickens to sell eggs, and save, to buy my father’s bakery one day, and then I’m gonna ask you out on a date or somethin’.”

“Uh— what? Really?!” I chuckle. 

Peeta yawns. “Yeah, Imma take you somewhere nice for a picnic, like Victor’s Village or something, and I’m gonna bring good bread this time! None of that burnt, soggy crap I threw at you when we were kids, but real, freshly baked bread. With butter. And probably canned pears, ‘cause those are my favorites now!”

“Okay,” I tell him, not completely sure why I’m agreeing to this. After all, I decided a long time ago I was never getting married or having any children, at least, not as long as the Hunger Games loomed over me; I won’t be stringing Peeta along either. Gale accused me of doing just that once, which I don’t think I did? The accusation still stung. 

Right now, it feels nice to think I could go on a date with this crazy merchant boy; and who knows?! 

“Buttered bread sounds nice,” I say, sinking next to him. 

“This is nice!” Says Peeta, sleepily, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“Yeah…it is,” I agree, realizing just how steady and warm his arms are, even encased in wet clothing.

“Will you go out on a picnic with me, then?” He asks hopefully, yawning again. His eyes drooping with sleep. 

“I think I might,” I tell him. I haven’t felt this safe in anyone’s embrace since my father died when I was 11 and I stopped trusting my mother. “I think I will,”

I’m beginning to think that the alcohol fumes clinging to Peeta have gone to my head, and left me as simple minded as all the intoxicated people back home, maybe I have it wrong, and Oktoberfest does have its charm, because despite myself, it feels right to indulge in that fantasy tonight. After all, Peeta was the only person in the district back then, that cared enough about me and my family dying of hunger, to do anything about it. He gave me bread he purposely burned for me, all he gained was a bruised eye from his mother, and my inability to repay his kindness, for his generous gesture. 

“Good! Just a heads up, though, I’ll prolly propose to you at that picnic, ” he says. His eyes are already closed, and I roll mine in response. “What you think my odds are of you saying yes?” He snuggles up to me, his head falls onto my shoulder. 

“The odds might be in your favor,” I tell him softly; I’m not so sure I say that to humor him, though. I am really tired, and sleeping in his arms does sound like a luxury right now, so I’m gonna blame it on the ‘Oktoberfest effect’ in the morning. Plead sleep depravation insanity or something. “Night, Peeta,”

He mumbles a response, which turns into a slow snore. 

I close my eyes, smiling. 

I’ll indulge in the drunken ramblings of Peeta tonight. Tomorrow is a new day, and if the saying is right, the sun shines brightest after a storm…maybe it’s time I bask in the rays. 

[fashionanddressandyou]

Throw an Oktoberfest Party for Kids With Fun Decorations and Activities

Throw an Oktoberfest Party for Kids With Fun Decorations and Activities

Throw an Oktoberfest Party for Kids With Fun Decorations and Activities – Elizabeth S

Throw an Oktoberfest Party for Kids With Fun Decorations and Activities

How to Throw an Oktoberfest Party for Kids

[ayogikitchen]

🍂 🎃 🍁 It’s fall! My favorite time of year! Instead of a regular concert, which we had to forgo last year, Lawrence High School threw an Oktoberfest concert. The kids played at different hours and the whole day was outside, so the crowd stayed small and we could safely and easily socially distance. Thank you to LHS teas here and staff for all the hard work to make this a great event for the kids, the families and our community. And thank you to @meuschkefarms for the beautiful day with all the fun activities. #fall #autumn #pumpkinpatch #pumpkin #pumpkins #gourds #halloween #lhs #meuschkefarms #music #concert #orchestra #sociallydistanced #lhs #lfk #lawrenceks #kansas #sundayfunday #sundayvibes #weekend (at Meuschke Farms - Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVJNjucLweW/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nwbeerguide]

Back in 2021, Oktoberfest Northwest returns to the Washington State Fair Events Center October 8th - 10th.

Press Release

image courtesy of Oktoberfest Northwest

Tuesday July 13, 2021 — Puyallup, WA — Oktoberfest Northwest, the three-day Munich-style Oktoberfest celebration with German bier, delicious food, and live entertainment is back for 2021, Friday through Sunday, October 8th-10th, 2021, at Washington State Fair Events Center, in Puyallup WA.

After a year in hibernation, Washington’s largest Munich-style Oktoberfest, is back and ready to celebrate. The three-day fun-filled weekend will feature non-stop live entertainment with traditional German bands, plus the return of the one and only yodeling Oktoberfest Queen, Manuela Horn (6’ 7” in heels) performing on Friday evening, and the official Oktoberfest Northwest host, all weekend. The exciting entertainment lineup continues with 80s classic bands Night Wave (Friday) and The Spazmatics (Saturday) who will keep the crowd dancing, closing out the festival each night.

Oktoberfest Northwest will also feature traditional Bavarian food, authentic German biers in steins, Bavarian Bier-lympics, Stein Dash 5K, Hammerschlagen® Tournament of Champions, Wiener Dog races, and the Sports Haus with TV’s, and bar-style games like beer pong, Washer Boards and corn hole toss. There’s something for everyone to bring out the Oktoberfest spirit.

Oktoberfest Northwest welcomes families to enjoy the authentic Oktoberfest spirit with activities for kids of all ages up until 6pm daily including arts and crafts, traditional Maypole dancing, costume contests, and more.

Get your dirndl or lederhosen out of the closet, and get ready for an incredible weekend of Oktoberfest fun in 2021. Rain or shine, Oktoberfest Northwest will take place at the Washington State Fair Events Centre, in Puyallup.

More information to follow on tickets sales, entertainment lineup, food vendors and festival activities.

…

###

Oktoberfest Northwest Friday-Sunday, Oct 8-10, 2021 Washington State Fair Events Center 110 9th Ave SW Puyallup, WA 98371 Entry at Blue Gate Only - Free Parking. Visit www.oktoberfestnw.com for more information. Hours: Friday: Noon - Midnight, Sat. 11 a.m. - midnight. & Sun. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Note: 21 & older after 6 p.m. on Fri & Sat.)

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3egZpab

[dweetwise]

Dwight teaching Felix how trials work and crushing over him during the entire thing?

this. fic. killed. me. it’s not exactly what either of you asked for and it turned out way longer than i intended but i hope you’ll still enjoy it! i really like this ship, even if i’m 100% riconti trash and dwight has like 463 boyfriends already. anyhow enjoy the silliness and more thirst for felix’s new skin.

word count: 5570 (send help)

Felix X Dwight: Oktoberfest in the Fog

“—And then you just connect these wires here, and if you hear this… clinking sound, you know you've d-done it right,” Dwight explains, crouched by a generator with Felix carefully looking over his shoulder as he repairs the machine. “I, uh, I didn't get it, but… that's the idea,” he explains, embarrassment flooding over him as he failed to give the generator extra progress because his hands are shaking so much.

“I see,” Felix says, apparently not minding Dwight fucking up. “Thank you for showing me. I tried to ask the… Korean girl, but she just told me to ‘get good’.”

“Chinese, and yeah, she does that,” Dwight cringes in sympathy, making a mental note to give Feng yet another feeble pep talk about being nice to new survivors. “I promise it's nothing personal, she's just really competitive.”

“Fair enough,” Felix says. “After we finish this generator, do you think you could explain the bone piles? Meg showed me one, but I didn't really understand what I was supposed to do.”

“Oh! Of course. We call them totems; I saw a couple nearby. I'll show you after this," Dwight says.

“Thank you,” Felix says with a small smile. “Sorry for being a bother, you must be tired of teaching new survivors all the time."

“N-not at all!” Dwight exclaims, leaving out the fact that everyone before Felix has mostly brushed him off and learned from one of the others. “I like helping people,” he mutters lamely.

“You've certainly made this a lot easier. You're a good leader,” Felix says, offering him yet another smile that nearly makes Dwight swoon.

“Thanks,” Dwight mutters lamely and almost adds a ‘You too’ while he tries not to burst from the compliment.

So he has a crush on Felix. It would be impossible not to; he's polite and freakishly smart and actually treats Dwight like he's not a complete failure of a leader.

Plus he's insanely attractive.

For what has to be several tens of trials they've been in together, Felix has always approached him for instructions, eager to learn more about their predicament. And Dwight is more than happy to help, even if his advice is far from well-put and he often messes up from the nerves. But Felix doesn't seem to care that he doesn't have a single authoritative bone in his body, always thanking him for his teachings and commending his efforts.

And god, Dwight is weak to praise.

He tries not to let his feelings show, not wanting to ruin their slowly blossoming friendship. Felix hasn't shown any type of interest in him, and Dwight isn’t surprised, considering his commitment to a girlfriend and baby in the real world, not to mention even if he was into guys Dwight is probably the last one in camp anyone would go for. But despite knowing that basic kindness doesn't mean romantic interest, it's so hard not to let his mind run wild with different possibilities when Felix smiles and looks him in the eye and tells him, with his wonderful accent, that Dwight is a great teacher.

Several trials later, back at the campfire, Dwight is the last to arrive after a rough trial, and is surprised to find a commotion going on. But when he sees Kate twirl in a bright orange dress, he realizes the Entity has once again decided to dress them up as her dolls.

“It's so pretty!” Dwight sees Claudette smile and poke at Kate's flower crown, and he almost misses her reply of “Thanks, doll,” because he sees something so much more pretty.

Felix is one of the lucky ones to have gotten a new outfit, and he looks even better than usual. His hair is styled in an undercut with a stray lock and trimmed stubble adding a roguish charm to his looks, and he's wearing a suit vest with a button-up shirt, along with cute capris that make the outfit seem a little more casual. Felix is sitting on one of the logs with his hands clasped below his chin, chatting away with Adam and David.

“Hey, Dwight's here!” Yui announces, and several heads turn in his direction, causing his heart to leap into his throat. What are they planning?

“Let the festivities begin!” Meg squeals, jumping up on a treestump and showing off her new outfit, a leather vest and ruffled shirt with matching pants, while throwing some party streamers over the group.

The group shuffles into a circle to the side of the campfire, Kate and Meg taking the center of the makeshift stage.

“What's going on?” Dwight asks Bill, sitting down next to him in the circle.

“Kids celebratin' Oktoberfest,” Bill grumbles around his cigarette. “'Cause of the new clothes.”

Dwight takes a closer look at Meg and Kate, and can definitely see a festive, folk kind of theme; might as well embrace the opportunity to celebrate.

“Welcome to the first annual Oktoberfest, sponsored by the Entity!" Meg announces. “Now if our host—” she bounces over to Felix and forcefully yanks him to his feet. “—Would get up on stage and tell us about the program!” she finishes, giving Felix an encouraging smack on the shoulder while shoving him into the middle of the circle.

“I, ehh… What program?” Felix asks, eyebrows furrowing together in confusion.

“You've been, right? What do people do at the festival?” Kate prods.

“It's mostly about the beer, which… we obviously don't have,” Felix starts, a hint of hesitation in his normally calm and collected voice.

“What else? There has to be something we can do!” Meg pushes.

“Well, there's food like the pretzels and bratwurst,” Felix continues, pausing to consider. “There's a parade, and a section for carnival activities. And of course the music, and drinking songs—”

“Ooh, that sounds nice!” Kate interrupts. “Can you teach us some songs, hun?”

“The most common one is ‘Ein Prosit’. Do you know it?” he asks, and when Kate shakes her head, he looks around camp, feebly trying to request back-up.

“C'mon lad, let's hear it!” David encourages.

“I don't sing,” Felix states, and he looks really uncomfortable and Dwight's heart simultaneously breaks a little in sympathy and skips a beat over seeing the small blush on his cheeks.

“I have a Swedish one!” Nea suddenly exclaims, jumping up on her feet.

“Go on, darlin’!” Kate encourages. Nea takes a deep breath, and without any hesitation, starts belting out a broken tune in what sounds like complete gibberish.

“HELAN GÅR—” Nea practically shouts into the stillness of campfire, and Kate excitedly joins in, keeping the tune but missing half of the words, and Meg follows, forgoing the words in favor of a steady humming, but it's a good effort, much more than Dwight would ever have the guts to do.

“—Sjung hoppfaderallan lej, HEJ!” Nea ends the song with a shout and fistpump, which doesn't seem all that fitting. But it makes Dwight smile, and he adds a quiet “Hey!” and a raises his own fist in solidarity, and Nea grinning in approval is worth the embarrassment of several pairs of scrutinizing eyes turning in his direction.

“Okay, your turn!” Meg turns to Felix, who is now cringing from what seems to be second hand embarrassment. Shit, hopefully he doesn't think Dwight is a complete loser for joining in on the song—

“I told you, I can barely sing along,” Felix says. “I wouldn't even know the proper tune.”

“Well, then we'll make our own version!” Kate insists. “What are the lyrics?”

“It's…” Felix says, clearing his throat self-consciously. “Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemütlichkeit. And then it repeats a second time.”

“Gamutelick—ight?” Kate clarifies.

“Gemütlichkeit,” Felix repeats, and Kate mouths the word in thought.

“What does it mean?” Claudette asks curiously from the sidelines.

“‘A toast, a toast, to’… it's difficult to translate,” Felix frowns. “Belonging? Friendliness? It's almost like, a form of togetherness.”

Difficult to define and friendly and feeling like he belongs is pretty much exactly what Dwight feels for Felix, and he decides he already likes the song.

“Aww, that's cute," Nea comments. "Mine basically means ‘chug it’".

“A common theme in the German language is that it sounds cold but the meaning is warm,” Adam informs.

Dwight can't help but wonder if that also applies to Felix, very cool and collected on the outside but a big softie on the inside—

Ah, there he goes again; wishful thinking.

“Let's try this, everyone!” Kate announces, clearing her throat and taking a deep breath to signify the song starting.

“Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit,” she sings slowly, letting her steady voice carry a made-up tune.

“Come on, you guys too!” Meg encourages to their ‘audience’.

Dwight quietly joins in with some of the others, no doubt messing up most of the words and his tune shaky at best. And even Felix is comfortable enough to sing now, and Dwight can barely make out his quiet voice in the mix of Kate's overpowering one and David's deep one and Ace's shitty pronunciation, but it's there, and it sounds so fricking cute ugh—

And then the song ends, Kate drawing out a high note on a solo, before the camp erupts into cheers and applause.

“That was awesome!” Steve cheers.

“Well, it was… something,” Zarina comments, failing to suppress a smile.

“And now for the main event!” Meg announces, doing—finger guns? She’s really embracing her role as hostess—at Jeff, who procures Kate's guitar from behind him.

And then Jeff starts playing an upbeat tune on the guitar and the songstress, to Dwight's mortification, exclaims:

“Time to dance!”

“There's not usually any dancing—” Felix starts, confused.

“There is now!” Kate shoots back with a bright smile, grabbing Felix's hand. And Felix just chuckles and obediently gets into position, one hand on her waist while hers settles on his shoulder.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dwight sees Meg make her way to where some of the girls are sitting, trying to get someone to join her, but his mind is focused on Felix and Kate.

They look beautiful together, straight from some idyllic painting of a happy couple living in a flower field in the Alps, in a log cabin with their 2.5 children and a St. Bernard. Kate follows Felix's lead, effortlessly gliding over the ground with her dress flowing behind her and rising into a cone when Felix twirls her around, and Kate laughs a genuine laugh in her melodious voice.

Dwight looks at the ground as he feels a lump form in his throat. He always knew he'd never have a shot with Felix, and he knows he’s nowhere close to being in the man’s league. But it still hurts to see him enjoy spending time with Kate so much. Soon, they'll probably be a couple.

Dwight glances over to Meg and sees she's finally successfully gotten Claudette to come dance with her, pulling the reluctant botanist to her feet. Meanwhile, Ace has unknowingly saved Dwight's sanity, swooping in and stealing Kate from Felix for a dance, the girl laughing at a joke the gambler no doubt cracks. Dwight's heartbeat picks up when Felix turns around, probably going to ask one of the other girls to dance, and Dwight shouldn't read into whoever he ends up picking but he knows he will—

Luckily, Felix doesn't get a chance to take his pick before Jane taps him on the shoulder, looking for a dance, and he smiles politely and takes her for a twirl.

Dwight sees Steve excitedly bound over to Claudette and Meg, and Meg shoves her friend in his arms before going to pester some of the others.

“Nope. Not happening,” Yui crosses her arms and shakes her head, and Meg only has to glance in Bill's direction before he snorts out something that could generously be described as a laugh.

“Not a fucking chance,” Bill grumbles.

And then Meg’s eyes meet Dwight's.

“Come on, Dwight!" she exclaims excitedly, tugging on his wrist.

“N-no, I'm alright, thanks,” Dwight blabbers, trying not to let it show how much it means to him that she'd even ask, reminded of all the times he had to do this in school and was always the last to be picked.

“Why not? It's fun!” Meg urges.

“I really suck at dancing” Dwight says, and it's not even a lie, he hasn’t danced in close to a decade.

“Aww, you're so boring, all of you!” Meg pouts and puts her hands on her hips, looking over her still seated companions. “Who's going to dance with me?”

“Ugh, fine!” Nea exclaims, jumping up on her feet. “But you're not allowed to complain when I step on your feet.”

“Deal!”

“Can I try?” Cheryl asks, hovering around the other side of the makeshift dance floor.

“Of course, hun!” Kate encourages, sweeping the girl up when the couples switch partners, spinning her around and causing her to whoop excitedly.

And Dwight, somehow, completely misses Felix making his way over.

“Are you sure you don't want to dance?” Felix asks, and Dwight nearly jumps out of his skin when he turns his head and sees Felix's proximity and outstretched hand. And wow, after the dancing his hair is messed up just the perfect amount, and he looks so good—shit, focus!

“I think that'd be best for everyone involved,” Dwight says and manages a shaky grin. “I have two left feet and no sense of rhythm whatsoever.”

“You just have to follow my lead,” Felix encourages, and Dwight feels his face heating up from the insistence. Either he really wants to dance with Dwight, or he's taking pity on him.

Of course Dwight also really, really wants to dance with Felix, and join the fun and be close to him and have Felix smile like he did with Kate. But wouldn't it be suspicious? Even though some of the girls are dancing together, that's kind of different, right? If he says yes, will everyone know he has a crush on Felix?

“Way to leave a guy hanging,” Ash quips from his right, and Dwight sees a sly grin when he looks over. Ouch, looks like his crush isn't as secret as he thought. Oh, what the hell.

“O-okay," Dwight says, grabbing the offered hand and trying not to panic because oh god it's so warm and Felix is gonna notice his palm is sweaty—

But Felix just smiles and pulls Dwight against him, and then he's moving Dwight in the rhythm of the music and Dwight just has to move his feet so he doesn't trip over himself, and that should be something even he's capable of.

God, Felix smells amazing. Dwight's heart is beating out of his chest upon getting to be so close to the beautiful man, and he hopes Felix doesn't notice how red his face is and how much he's sweating from the nerves. Felix easily taking the lead is making Dwight feel so much better about himself; he sure as hell doesn't look as elegant as Kate, but at least he hasn't stepped on Felix's toes yet, and—

“Woah!” Dwight yelps, falling forward from someone colliding with his back, his nose missing Felix's chin by just a few inches. Did someone push him?

“Careful!” Felix exclaims, helping to steady him. And then he keeps Dwight much closer to his chest than before, glancing over his shoulder to give a pointed stare to whoever the culprit was. Upon hearing Nea's and Meg's snickers, the mystery isn't that hard to solve.

Well, whether or not that was the girls’ plan, at least he gets to be closer to Felix. They dance for a bit longer, and then Kate signals something to Jeff and the music picks up, before the song ends with a final strum.

“Happy Oktoberfest!” Steve cheers.

“That's not really what you'd say—” Felix feebly starts.

“Happy Oktoberfest!” the others chime in and Felix huffs and shakes his head, and even Dwight lets out a nervous chuckle, and then to his disappointment Felix finally lets go of him.

“Happy Wiesn, mein Schatz,” Felix murmurs, barely loud enough for Dwight to hear, and his breath catches in his throat because he doesn't know what it means but it sounds so affectionate—

And then familiar smoky tendrils creep up from the ground.

“Aw shit, already?” Steve whines and Dwight shares the sentiment, glancing up at Felix.

“Thanks for the dance,” he barely has time to finish the sentence before he’s whisked away into a trial.

When Dwight gets back, some of the others seem to still be in the festive mood, forgoing the singing and dancing in favor of setting up makeshift games.

“Yeah!” Feng exclaims excitedly, having managed to knock a pile of medkits off of a log with a rock. “I told you, I’m gonna win!”

“Eh, ya just got lucky,” David shoots back. “Two outta three!”

“You’re on!” Feng, predictably, takes the bait.

On the other side of camp, Kate and some of the girls look to be making flower crowns from twigs, and Kate plucks a few flowers from her own hair to add to one, before walking over to Jake and placing it on the grumbling saboteur’s head.

A little ways off, Bill has apparently decided the occasion is special enough to warrant sharing his cigarette stack, smoking and quietly chatting with Ash and Nea, the two normally energetic loudmouths seeming to have calmed down in favor of savoring the nicotine.

Dwight smiles from taking in the sight of his friends enjoying themselves. Days like these really help to keep their spirits high and break the monotony.

He notices Felix sitting by himself away from the group, looking lost in thought, and Dwight makes his way over.

“You okay?” Dwight asks, his usual nerves absent after the nice day they’ve had.

“Yes, just… thinking,” Felix says, frowning a little.

“I’m sorry if the girls were too pushy,” Dwight says, realizing Felix might have been uncomfortable with being put on the spot, even if he seemed to take it in stride.

“No, it was fine, I…” Felix says, before pausing. “Actually, can I tell you something? In private?”

Dwight’s heart rate definitely picks up from the suggestion, no matter how much he tries to tell himself Felix doesn’t mean anything by it, at most he’s going to say he has a crush on Kate—

“S-sure,” Dwight says with a dumb, nervous smile, and starts walking into the woods with Felix not far behind.

When they reach a place Dwight knows like the back of his hand by now, a small clearing between the trees with a nice view up at the fake sky, they sit down on an old fallen tree and Felix still isn’t talking.

“Did you like the… err, festival?” Dwight asks, trying to lighten the mood.

"If I'm honest, it was probably the most fun I've had in years,” Felix says.

“I'm glad to hear that!” Dwight smiles, thrilled to hear that Felix has already experienced something fun in the hopelessness of the fog.

“And it actually made me reconsider a lot of things,” Felix adds, looking more somber.

Dwight keeps quiet, not knowing how he'd even begin to respond, instead giving Felix the space to continue.

“You should know I'm not actually who you think I am,” he finally says with a small sigh.

“W-what do you mean?” Dwight asks, anxiety bubbling up in his chest. Is Felix a spy for the Entity?

“I'm not actually this… successful businessman, and I never have been,” Felix confesses, and Dwight is relieved, if a little confused.

“So you're… not an architect?” Dwight tries to clarify.

“No, I am, I just—” Felix frowns while he searches for words. “I'm not as good at it as people think. I just pretend like I know what I'm doing, and somehow I got all this success I don't deserve.”

Dwight has never been particularly well-versed in mental health, having refused to even acknowledge his anxiety before being swept to the realm and forced to confront it. But what Felix is describing sounds a whole lot like something he heard in a talk show once, and the term ‘imposter syndrome’ flashes in his mind.

“But… that just means people like your work, even if you don't,” Dwight tries to reason.

“It's not just the work,” Felix says. “I've pretended to be good with people, that I enjoy small talk and am excited for things I didn't give two shits about. I faked everything; from the way I dress to the way I talk to being in love and—” he pauses. “Being a good father.”

Dwight knows hurting when he sees it, and Felix is clearly in pain, showing Dwight old wounds that never had the chance to heal, and he doesn't know how to help despite desperately wanting to.

“I think you're too harsh on yourself,” Dwight eventually says. “Being yourself is hard,” he says, and fuck if he doesn't know that firsthand. “And I'm sure architecture is really competitive. Nobody blames you for doing what you have to you succeed.”

“I just can't help but wonder how different my life would have been if I'd been true to myself,” Felix says, a wistful tone to his voice. “I only got where I am because of lies.”

“But… everyone lies,” Dwight tries. “As long as it’s not hurting anybody else, is it really that bad?”

“What do you mean?” Felix asks.

“Like… if you’re interviewing for a pizza place and they ask ‘where do you see yourself in five years’, you don’t say you’re only going to be working there for a few months until you find something better. You tell them you’ve always wanted to own a restaurant of your own and PizzaWhat! would be the perfect fit for you.”

“I guess…” Felix frowns.

“And it’s not just about jobs,” Dwight keeps going, not knowing why he’s suddenly talking so much, just desperate to get the doubts out of Felix’s mind. “If you’re in a new group of people and they ask about your hobbies, it’s not like anyone is gonna say that they spend every Friday night eating frozen pizza and watching Netflix romcoms and crying about how lonely they are,” he says, and Jesus, it’s so obvious he’s talking about himself and now Felix will definitely think he’s a loser—

“But wouldn’t it be so much better if we did say that?” Felix argues. “All the formalities and keeping up appearances, it’s… so fake.”

“I dunno, I usually don’t want to tell people how pathetic I am right off the bat,” Dwight jokes nervously. “But they usually figure it out soon anyway, haha.” God, why did he say ‘haha’? Why not just laugh like a normal person?

“You’re probably the most genuine person I’ve ever met,” Felix says, and heat spreads over Dwight’s cheeks because wow he just blurts stuff like that out, huh? “You at least know that people like you for you, and not a persona you put on.”

“Y-yeah, well, I guess I suck at lying,” Dwight says. “I never really thought of it as a good quality to have. I’m just really awkward, haha.” God fucking damnit, stop saying that!

“I’m a hundred times more awkward, I promise you,” Felix insists. “I didn’t even make friends until I was in in my late teens. I barely talked at all during the entirety of school, from elementary to university.”

Dwight can’t quite hide the surprise when he hears the confession; Felix always seems so effortlessly smooth, it’s kind of nice to hear that he struggled to fit in.

“I didn’t really have any friends before the Entity took me,” Dwight confesses. “Classmates and colleagues at most. I was… um, bullied a lot.” Aaand now he’s spilling his heart out; great.

“I think I was too,” Felix says, and it’s a really weird statement that makes Dwight tilt his head in confusion. “I was just so far in my own world I didn’t even notice. Maybe that made them get bored of it?”

“Yeah, a lot of the time it’s just kids looking for a reaction,” Dwight says, and his heart clenches at the painful memories of himself crying in a high school bathroom. “I was a pretty sensitive kid, probably made an easy target,” he says like he’s not still just as sensitive and prone to crying.

“Do you ever wish you could have done something different?” Felix asks.

“I—maybe,” Dwight considers. “I’ve done some really dumb things,” he says, like drug his boss ‘for a prank’, god he was so stupid— “But, uh, I think I really needed a wake-up call to change my life. Shame it’s in the form of being tortured for the amusement of a spider god,” he grimaces.

“I feel the same,” Felix says, looking up at the sky in thought. “I guess it’s only in a crisis situation that you realize what really matters. And it sure as hell isn’t the family legacy or throwing your life away for a career path,” he mutters, almost as if to himself.

“W-well, when we get out, we can change that!” Dwight says, once again trying his best to encourage a fellow survivor even if he’s long since given up on finding a way out.

“No, I think I’m starting now,” Felix says, and… starts undressing.

“Ghh,” Dwight chokes on nothing as Felix unbuttons his vest, and Jesus Christ why is he suddenly stripping—

Felix flings the vest somewhere into the woods and rolls up the sleeves of his dress shirt, even popping two of the top buttons open. He then runs a hand through his hair, ruffling the impeccable style into a messier look. When he meets Dwight’s eyes, who is still staring and probably gaping like a fish, he shrugs and smiles a little sheepishly.

“Symbolic gesture?” Felix explains. “It’s a shame the Entity only gave me one t-shirt and about twenty different suits. I never even liked suits.”

“I mean…” Dwight starts nervously, before clearing his throat. “I have a lot of clothes from over the years. If you ever want to borrow, um, sweats and tee or something, just let me know.”

Shit, he really hasn’t thought this through. If Felix wears his clothes, Dwight’s brain is surely going to implode on itself.

“That’s very kind of you to offer—” Felix starts, prim and proper, before he seems to catch himself. “That would be great,” he corrects. “But don’t feel like you have to. It’s just clothes; I’ll survive.”

“And I’ll definitely survive without my 63rd t-shirt,” Dwight shoots back with a smile. “You wanna go pick out something now?”

“Maybe later,” Felix says, and there’s a pause, like he wants to add something, so Dwight obediently stays quiet and tries to give his most encouraging smile. “If—if I ask you something, can you promise to be honest?”

“Of course!” Dwight says, before realizing that only minutes before he wasn’t, mentioning them escaping the realm and whatnot. He doesn’t want Felix to lose hope, but he’ll tell it as it is, if he has to—

“What did you do in your spare time? Before getting here?” Felix asks instead.

Dwight grins shyly, happy that their conversation is taking a more lighthearted turn.

“Ate junk food and watched TV and moped or cried,” he confesses, like it wasn’t obvious from before. “What about you?”

“Worked way more than what was healthy,” Felix huffs. “But… I really liked playing video games,” he mumbles, and Dwight’s face splits into a grin.

“Hey, me too!” he says, thrilled to discover that Felix is a closet nerd. Who knew he could get even cuter? “I mean I suck at most, but I really like the old Zelda games. What did you play?”

“I enjoyed some RPGs, but also—ehm,” Felix says, averting his eyes. “…the Sims.”

Dwight nearly squeals.

“No way! Did you build little houses for them and everything?” he asks, smile so wide he thinks his face is going to split in half.

“Yeah, and… maybe remove a few pool ladders here and there if they got annoying,” Felix smiles bashfully.

“That’s a little morbid but still the cutest thing I’ve ever heard,” Dwight laughs, and Felix grins, eyes lighting up in a way Dwight has never seen before.

“I’ve never told anyone that before,” Felix says. “I was always so embarrassed to essentially play kids’ games.”

And damn, if that doesn’t make Dwight feel special.

“But I knew you wouldn’t judge,” Felix adds with another smile and Dwight’s heart teeters dangerously close to the line between ‘crushing’ and ‘falling in love’.

“Can—can I ask you something too?” Dwight realizes, and upon Felix’s nod, steels himself to get an answer he might not like. “Y-you called me something before, after the dance… um, what does it mean?”

Felix averts his eyes and looks embarrassed, seeming to debate with himself. Dwight realizes he could just lie and Dwight would be none the wiser, but… somehow, he doesn’t think he will, not after the conversation they just had.

“Schatz,” Felix repeats, and it sounds about right. “It was really inappropriate, I’m sorry.”

Shit, what does it mean? Was he really insulting Dwight? Maybe it’s not that bad, maybe it just means ‘awful dancer’ or something.

“’Treasure’,” Felix finally says, and Dwight swears his heart skips a beat. “I called you my treasure. And now I want to die from embarrassment,” he mumbles, face a delightful shade of pink.

“W-well it’s probably a cultural thing, right? Haha,” God-fucking-damnit— “I mean David and Kate call all of us ‘love’ and ‘hun’, it’s not that different.”

Please say it’s different please please please—

“I wish I could say that,” Felix sighs. “It’s not something you’d use for your friends. I don’t know what came over me, I shouldn’t have said it.”

“No, it’s fine,” Dwight reassures, his heart pounding in his chest because does this mean— “Do you, um. Do you still feel that way? About me?”

He steels himself for rejection, but at the same time he’s proud of himself for managing enough courage to ask.

“I—Sheiße,” Felix curses quietly. “Yes, and I don’t know what’s gotten into me, I’m sorry. I know you’ve just been trying to be friendly, and I’m much too old for you—”

“Old?” Dwight can’t help but interrupt incredulously. Felix has like, what, a maximum of ten years on him, probably closer to five? “If anything, you’re too hot for me, haha,” Dwight says and promptly feels his brain give up on its efforts to stop being awkward.

“Äh, ja… thanks?” Felix stammers, looking a little unsure. Did he expect Dwight to reject him?

“I-I mean I’ve been crushing on you since the first time you talked to me and I never thought you could be into me like that,” Dwight rambles, scrambling to piece together the reality that Felix, for some crazy reason, seems to like him back.

“I think you’re wonderful,” Felix murmurs fondly, glancing over shyly. “Despite there being nothing but death here, you’re still so full of life. You’ve made it so much easier for me, and I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You’ve thanked me plenty,” Dwight points out. “I don’t think anyone’s ever been so nice to me. The others usually yell at me when I fuck up.” Which is usually a hundred percent deserved, but he still appreciates Felix being patient with him and even complimenting him.

“I don’t understand how anyone could ever be mean to you,” Felix says, and Dwight is dangerously close to crying, but then Felix is clearing his throat and continuing. “Do you… ähm, maybe want to…?” Felix stammers, shuffling closer to him on the log, and it’s so incredibly cute Dwight’s heart melts even further.

“Please,” he says, and it comes out as a pathetic whine. Luckily Felix doesn’t seem to mind, because he’s leaning over and capturing Dwight’s lips in a soft kiss and the last of Dwight’s doubts fizzle out and die because it’s everything he’s ever wanted.

Dwight lets Felix take the lead, trying to quell the insecurities about his inexperience and just enjoy the moment. And he’s not disappointed, whimpering against the other’s lips when Felix’s mouth moves slowly against his own, a warm hand coming up to gently cup his cheek. Dwight hesitantly kisses back, not wanting to screw this up, even daring to bring his shaking hands up to tangle in Felix’s short curls and mess his hair up even further.

Dwight has never been kissed like this before. It’s always either been a quick peck, like the girl in preschool who liked him before he was a loser, or some random guy at a bar that didn’t even say a word to him before shoving a tongue down his throat.

This is so much nicer. Felix is so gentle with him, like Dwight is something precious he wants to protect, and the thought makes affection swell in his chest and he leans even closer into Felix.

And when Felix eventually pulls away, just enough to look deep into his eyes and murmur that he’s wonderful, Dwight can’t stop the tears from finally spilling free as a happy smile spreads over his lips.