#i know its a dice game not card game but liars dice is a good time

[danwithouttheplan]

Dan, have you ever made the conscious choice to believe (or believe in) something for the sake of having a better time being alive?

Also are you more of a bowling guy or a card games guy?

I oftentimes believe that I'm the hottest one at the grocery store. I also believe in the existence of alien life somewhere out there in the vast expanse of the universe. I think both of those add to the joy of being alive, if even just a little bit.

As an activity I much prefer bowling to card games. However, I do not, nor have I ever, owned my own bowling ball and I get weird about sharing dirty finger holes with strangers - which unfortunately dilutes the experience some. On the other hand, I do take pride in inflicting psychological warfare on others through certain card (and dice) games, which is somewhat easy because I've been noted by a number of people to be "hard to read."

[rivetwrites]

Kokichi for the fluff alphabet?

//my boy!!

--------------------------------------------

Kokichi Oma Fluff Alphabet

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Kokichi is very energetic and chaotic, so he needs to be doing something active as to not get bored. Playing video games is a great way to keep him occupied! Especially if you both play a competitive game like Overwatch, or Mario Kart!

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

The way you’ve never took his shit, or his lies. He admired that you always told him off for lying, or for teasing Gonta or Kiibo. He couldn’t help to fall a bit more each time. Sure, it makes him do it a bit more, but he just can’t help himself when you look so cute while you’re frustrated.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Jokes. Though sometimes they can hurt, which then that’s when he starts getting a bit serious. He’s not the best at comforting people, as he’s never really had anyone to comfort besides his DICE members. He would give you a bunch of sweets, and even his sacred Panta!! Once you start feeling better, he’ll slowly turn back to himself and make more lighthearted jokes to you.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Kokichi dreams about you officially becoming his second in command in DICE with him. His members love you, he loves you, so it’s perfect! Though, if you’re not that kind of person, he’ll understand and leave it alone. He hates forcing you to do things when you don’t want to do them.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

You’re probably going to be the dominate one in the relationship. This man has a diet of a seven year old, and the maturity of one as well. He needs a little help trying to get his life together as an adult, so he would be grateful for your help. Even if he purposely doesn’t do what you ask, just so you can pay more attention to him.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Kokichi is a shithead, through and through. Most likely, he’d be the one upsetting you. The best way to get back at him is the silent treatment. He despises the silent treatment, since he thrives off of attention, both negative and positive. He can’t even last a whole day, apologizing to you with those rare tears in his big eyes. 

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He’s extremely grateful for you. You keep him grounded, you keep him in check, and you keep him from committing arson the first chance he gets. He’s extremely aware of everything around him, so you taking care of him will make his little liar heart grow a bit more. He repays you by leaving small candies in your pockets while you’re not looking. They’re his favourites!! So you know you mean a lot to him.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

This is Kokichi we’re talking about. He’s a liar, no matter who you are. The best way to get him to tell him the truth, is when he’s extremely tired. But once you truly get to know him, his actions and expressions always contradict his lies. You would always be able to tell when he’s upset. If you call him out over and over again about it, his wall will break and he’d tell you the truth. Another reason why he loves you.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Kokichi is always going to be Kokichi, though he would get slightly softer to people. He’s still a liar, of course, but his teasing and jokes will become more lighthearted when you’re around. Dating Kokichi is the closest thing to....babysitting. He’s taught you a lot of patience, since you’d need so much to deal with him.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

He’d lie about this to his grave, but again, his expressions and actions say otherwise. His grip will tighten on your hand, his expression darkening at the person you’re talking to. God forbid the person lay a hand on you, they would be the main target for his pranks for weeks. Once you’re alone, you’d have to comfort him and tell him that he’s the one for you, and not anyone else will change that. His attitude will pop back to normal in no time.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Kissing isn’t something he took for account when he went into a relationship with you. Though he would have a big grin when he’s ready to do so. You’re probably going to be his first kiss. He’d climb you like a tree, wrapping his arms around your shoulders as his feet dangle from the ground. He’s pepper your cheeks and lips with small kisses as he giggles. His face would be slightly red, clinging to you for the rest of the night.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

He would be the one to confess, but try to convince you that it was a lie. You know better, of course. He’d start to panic slightly, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he tries to convince you more. Once you accept him, his mood will return back to carefree. “Of course! I knew you liked me! Who wouldn’t like a Supreme Leader?” He didn’t know, so he’s extremely relieved.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Kokichi never really had a set decision on marriage. He wouldn’t care if you two didn’t get married, but he also didn’t care if you both did. Ultimately, it’ll all be up to you, so you would be the one to propose to him. He’d be extremely smug about it, “I mean, I am pretty cool, right? I would marry myself too!!” That’s his way of saying yes.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

The dumbest nicknames. “Second in command,” “little sausage,” “mom/dad/parent.” Though, it he’s feeling a bit more affectionate, “love,” would be his go-to.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

He’s a very physical person, so he would climb into your lap as you’re reading, doing homework, or simply watching TV, and wrap his arms around your waist. He wouldn’t speak much, nuzzling his face into your chest as he absorbs your warmth and love.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Again, Kokichi is a very physical person, so he’d be constantly holding your hand, calling you his love. Gloats all the time about you. He’s not shy in the slightest, even less by you, so he would tell all his friends, especially Kaito on how amazing you are and how no one can get someone as great as you. Which is not a lie!

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

He brings fun into your life. He brings a slight sunshine as he acts like himself. He loves you very much, and just his presence makes the room light up a bit more. Even if he’s teasing someone, he’d always look over at you with a genuine smile.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

He’s not romantic in the slightest. Your dates are dumb and...oddly very fun. Video game nights with take out, snuggling while watching some dumb, low budget horror movie. Kokichi prefers to spend time with you rather than going somewhere extravagant. Though, he would love to go to a carnival with you. He loves playing the games, going on rides (sometimes he’s too short to go on it, so he gets pouty), and get junk food!

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

He’d tease you about your goals, but he makes note on them. He and his DICE members will help you achieve anything you want, no matter how impossible they may seem. Kokichi doesn’t have any big life goals, but he adores yours. You look so happy when you do reach them, so he thrives for your smile every time.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Kokichi never ever has a plan for anything, everything is spontaneous and exciting. Your relationship is never boring with him, whether its running away with you in tow from an angry person he just pranked, or just having a lazy day in, its never an in-between. 

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

He has a hard time expressing himself, but he knows you by the back of his hand. You don’t even have to be looking at him for him to know you’re sad. Just by the slight slouched posture, he knows he has to go get your favourite sweets to comfort you.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

You and his DICE members are his family, so you guys are very important to him. Sure, he seems selfish, but on the inside, he’d give himself up in a heartbeat for his family.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

He likes to sneak things he thinks you may like into your pockets. He could find a little shiny coin, and slip it into your shirt while you’re not looking. You have a small collection of small, shiny things that Kokichi has found on your dresser.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

He prefers to show affection alone with you, since he gets a bit blushy from your touches. He’s very slim and small, so just scoop him up into your arms and carry him to bed and he’ll be yours. He prefers small, butterfly kisses rather than proper, long kisses. He wants to show his love to every inch of you.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Kokichi gets very, very pouty when you’re gone, amping up his pranks and jokes to his friends. Since you’re not with him, he has to make up for the lost pranks. Once you return, he’s clinging onto your leg as he cries crocodile tears as he begs you not to leave again. 

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Kokichi will give and much as you give. He believes in equality, so if you go great lengths, so will he. 

[gameofdrarry]

Wizards Hearts: Reports are circulating!

Wizards Hearts Game/Fest has been running for a full month! We started things off September 1, and now have over 70 players dealing out some serious love to our fandom creators in the form of thoughtful comments and recs. If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late. ❤️ Signups are open until November 15. ❤️ Rules & Faq can be found here.

Players are sorted and assigned at random to four different teams. All team activities and discussions are completely optional but can yield extra points to help win the game! There are weekly team activities and longer, creative team activities where players can imagine new, fun headcanons in the Harry Potter universe and perhaps a few stories of their own!

Team Activity 2: Filing Reports and Game Rules

Now that we've all had a moment to get to know each other and enjoy our surroundings, it appears that someone in your Casino has been causing a problem. Mundungus Fletcher needs to be escorted off the property. It's very lucky that he didn’t cause too much of a disturbance to your operation. Speaking of, what is the game your Casino is most known for?  The Wizarding Gambling Commission is updating our records. 

What did Mundugus Fletcher do? Please provide us with a report for our records.

Describe a game that your Casino is known for. Does it involve dice? Cards? Wagers? Something totally unique and magical? 

View the first Team Activity post here

View the second Team Activity under the cut! 

Team 1: Loch Lomond’s Treasure

Re: Mundungus Fletcher

Re: Game Rules

Monster's Dice, a spin on Liar's Dice but the dice are furry and monster-like.  They battle each other, attack patrons occasionally, and can change patrons’ rolls. The dice have a mind of their own and won't even play the game and a player can potentially lose if they can't convince the dice to actually roll. 

Team 2: Golden Scales

Re: Mundungus Fletcher 

Re: Game Rules

Bluffing the Dragon : 

Everyone is dealt a hand of ten cards 

Each person takes a turn guessing what’s in someone else’s hand (for example, “I think person A has more red cards than black cards” or “I think person B has no diamonds” or “I think person C has at least two 4s”)

If people make a guess about your hand, it’s your job to bluff/distract/convince everyone else that the guess is nothing close to accurate 

After 3 rounds of everyone guessing, everyone has to place a bet (for example, “I think person A has one of every face card” or “I think person B had only two spades” or “I think person C has no cards lower than a 5”) 

Whoever is most accurate wins!

Team 3: Vanaheim 

Re: Mundungus Fletcher 

Mundungus Fletcher has been skulking around our casino for a long time now. Our staff has observed him stealing from us on multiple occasions. Interestingly, he was stealing very mundane valueless objects. It's like he can't help himself. It was brought to our attention when we saw him stealing forks and water goblets from the restaurant, but then we observed him stealing even more valueless things, like napkins. Once he began stealing toilet paper our staff came up with a weekly betting pool on what he would steal next and in what quantities. It was fun, but unfortunately the fun ended when Charlie Weasley came in and we caught him trying to steal objects Mr. Weasley touched so that he could sell them to besotted witches and wizards with a crush on the dragon tamer. We fined and reprimanded him. We later caught him hanging around Tyche's Tavern trying to accost our more famous clientele. Most recently we caught him dressed as an old woman on holiday stealing a poker chip from Harry Potter. Its value was only 1 sickle, but he was planning on selling it to a wizard in France who is infatuated with Mr.Potter. We have since warded the premises against Mr. Fletcher and he is no longer welcome in our establishment.

Re: Game Rules

Vanaheim is well known for a game that can trace its roots to its Viking Heritage. Meir is a dice game based on chance, but that involves a good deal of skill. Much like Poker it relies on lying and bluffing to win. Vanaheim has several sets of historic dice that date back to the invention of the game. The earliest wizards in these parts used these exact sets of bone dice. Legend says they were carved from the bones of the goat that Loki and Thor once enjoyed at a farmers house as guests. Over time they have broken and chipped. But they still retain the power of Thor and the mischief of Loki. Other magical properties have been added to them over the centuries. The best of which is that to preserve their luck and to ensure a fair game, they are self rolling. Additionally, they have begun to become interested in the game they are used to play, and can develop affinities for frequent players. Some say they can be heard whispering advice to the person that wields them regarding their wagers and their thoughts about whether or not to bluff. No one is quite certain when they became sentient, but any player at Vanaheim knows it is to their advantage to make friends with the dice as they have been playing this game longer than any wizard alive and their advice is always spot on.

Team 4: Arc en Ciel

Re: Mundungus Fletcher

Mundugus Fletcher was caught in Arc en Ciel Crêperie & Wizarding Casino attempting to switch out the decks at one of the tables with a deck that would always provide him with a winning hand. However, the Charm he cast on the deck backfired on him and caused all players at the table to have the same winning hand, and he was caught while shouting at the employee at the table that they had rigged the cards, and he was supposed to win the round.

Re: Game Rules

Arc en Ciel Crêperie & Wizarding Casino is most famous for their Wizarding game of Farkle, a dice game involving six dice and the goal of the game is to be the first to reach 10,000 points. The dice will sometimes shift and change of their own accord, to the players' success or failure at equal measure. The probability of risk in either direction is a thrill, and one players who are high risk takers enjoy immensely.

[dopposhusband]

I know that was a while ago, but I think I remember you mentioning that you like board and or cardgames?? If so, what kinds do you play with your boys? How do the games usually go? Who gets all pouty when losing and overconfident when winning? I feel as though that confidence was the cause for a lot of Dice's losses!

I really love board games!!! I really wish I had people to play them with though! @yokairu

Even though it is a two person game I love to play ‘Don’t Break the Ice’ with Matenrou. We cuddle up real close around the board, we’ll try a four person game if Jakurai and Doppo want to play but they mostly watch Hifumi and I play! Jakurai is of course the best at it, he’s so patient and can hit just right to avoid knocking too many down. Doppo and Hifumi about equal since theyre both shaky, Doppo because hes nervous and Hifumi gets too excited!!! I usually beat Hifumi but he still wins a lot! He get super loud when he wins, jumps from his spot to cheer! His lil yays are always cute though!

We also play UNO and Jenga together! Jakurai is good at almost every game we play except Jenga so we like to get back at him when he wins too much by bringing out the tower! His fingers are way too big to push and pull the pieces out so he always knocks it down! 

Gentaro and I play a lot more logic based board games like Clue and Monopoly! As expected for the liar himself, he is very good with bluffs and beating me at most games that rely on getting info from other players. He’s especially terrible when we have the rest of Fling Posse over though because then he holds nothing back!! Im talking straight lying and cheating which leaves Dice and I kinda doomed since Ramuda and Gentaro can be real ruthless... 

Im a blackjack kinda guy so Dice and I always play when we can! We usually meet at Rio’s campsite for a couple hands or until Dice runs out of money! Rio and I usually play pretty safe, but Dice is super ballsy which usually leads to his downfall then he begs to play anything else. We just play a lot of basic card games in general when we aren’t gambling though! Old maid, Go Fish, War, and two person solitaire between Rio and I whenever Dice is busy actually gambling! Very rarely we play board games though and usually its only Rio and I who can sit through a whole game so we play battle ship!

[lenfaz]

Sea Squad, ch. 1 (1/14)

Summary:  Killian Jones has always managed tough spots in his con life... but never like this one. His brother is out of jail and convinced the only way to win his name back is to heist the casino of a major Vegas mogul, leaving Killian to do the planning. He now has to deal with a half-brother desperate to gain a name of his own, an ex-fling that carries her own torch against the casino mogul, his brother losing his mind over his ex-wife,  his former mentor's depression and the one woman he can't get out of his mind giving him chase. Ocean's Eleven AU

Rating: M

Content warnings: semi-explicit sexual content, law-breaking (they are thieves, liars and con men), mild violence (someone will get punched), mention of former relationships (for the main pair) and cheating (but not for the main pair)

Banner  (link to banner post) and art by the amazing @clockadile Go check her art tag for the fic here!

This fic would never exist without the wonderful @sambethe who convinced me to do over hot chocolate on one cold Chicago afternoon and virtually held my hand and betaed this fic for months. thank you SO much for everything you do.

A/N: A long time ago there was talk about Hook & his sea friends and a few collective posts shaped the idea of a Sea Squad. This fic is the attempt to bring that creativity to life. Tagging @queen-mabs-revenge   @thesschesthair   and @jvosketches as they were part of that initial thinking back in the day. If a few things sound familiar, it’s because they are based on the movie.

Link to  FFnet & AO3

Chapter 1

“Court Case #358765”

Three men sat behind a table, a manila folder lay open on it as they passed the sheets of paper that made up his file between themselves. They seemed to be taking their sweet ass time, reading thoroughly through each of the pages as if he were not sitting there, waiting for his life to change based on their decision.

Part of him wanted to huff in impatience, but he knew he shouldn’t. He had to be on his best behavior, as he’d been all this time. If this didn’t come through, it would be a long while before he got another chance at this. He’d endured so much without losing his temper, he just needed to hold on a little bit more. Just a little more and he’d be out of this godawful place and back to where he needed to be.

“Mr. Jones, this meeting is to determine whether or not you’re likely to break the law again if you’re released on parole. While we have your records of good behavior here and note this is your first convicted offense, your records indicate that there is reason to believe you’ve taken part in other fraud schemes. What do you have to say for yourself?”

His lips curved in a smug smirk. “I would say that allegedly I’ve taken part in other schemes. There has been no proof or conviction, darli- ma’am”. He caught himself at the very last moment and forced himself to lose the smirk and put on a sheepish smile. He needed these people on his side. He needed them to believe him.

He cleared his throat, lowering his head a little before he faced the panel again, a self-deprecating smile coming to his face. “I know you’re wondering why I did the things I got convicted for. I trusted the wrong people. I thought I was walking into an honest deal and I found myself in the middle of a crime I hadn’t meant and didn’t want to commit. Everything spiraled downhill from there - my wife left me, I had ended up in a dark place. The first few weeks in prison were not easy. But I’m doing better now and I want to redeem myself. I want to do better, get my life back on track, see my brother.”

He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in, trying very hard to build a momentum. “I - I want-” his voice faltered and he cleared his throat, tilting his head to the side in a lopsided smile. “I want to do the right thing.” He delivered the words with solemnity, as if he were taking a vow for a life commitment… he could only hope they’d buy it.

They did.

A few hours later, he stood in front of a mirror, tugging his cuffs and adjusting his shoulders. He felt as if the suit was bringing him back to the man he once was. The small gold band sitting in his jacket pocket felt inordinately heavy though, and he took a beat to look at his reflection in the mirror. His chin was now covered in scruff that he’d taken to grooming only every few days, and his brown hair seemed darker now and was clearly in need of a trim as it curled at the ends. But his money-making smile was still there, and his blue eyes still were able to pull the earnest puppy stare that had brought him so many good moments in his life.

With a deep breath, he pulled the ring out of his pocket and slid it on his finger, where it belonged. It has always belonged there, and he had every intention of keeping it that way. Turning around, he knocked on the wall and then slipped his hands into his pockets.

A guard came down and escorted him to the exit, his steps dragging next to him. He faced him before opening the final door between him and freedom.

“Ready for your new life, Mr. Jones?”

“I’m ready.”

Stepping out of the minimum security correctional facility, he vowed to himself that he’d never come back. They caught him once, shame on the ones that had betrayed him. If they caught him twice, it would be a shame on him. And he’d make damn sure that would never happen. He had plans for his life, and they didn’t involve another stint in jail.

Liam Jones was going to get back what belonged to him.

And a few other things that didn’t.

/-/

There was always comfort in the little details. Standing in the middle of one of the many casino’s main floor in the city, he took a moment to close his eyes, take a deep breath, and let it all sink in. The buzz of hundreds of whispered conversations, the clang of the coins pouring from the slot machines, the roll of the dice against felt, the distinct sound of the ball skipping along the roulette wheel. They each came together in a perfect cacophony. Combine them with the smell of liquor, cheap perfume, sweat, and cigarette smoke that not even smoking restriction laws had been able to completely eradicate, it produced an ambience that Liam loved like the second home it was to him.

Opening his eyes, Liam scanned the room trying to find what he was looking for. He couldn’t find it, but it was ok… he could kill some time at one of the tables and let the story unravel itself. He was sure that if he didn’t find her, she will find him.

He sat at one of the tables, reaching into his pocket to pull a couple of crumpled hundred-dollar bills. He had beaten a poor fool at pool in one of the pit stops on his journey to Atlantic City, getting himself a few hundred bills that he now needed to put to work if he wanted to have some sort of steady petty cash to support him for the next few weeks.

His fingers traced a pattern on the felt and the feel of the soft texture under his fingertips send shivers down his spine. He was home. Or as closer to home as he’d ever been. He tilted his head, letting a lazy smile coming to his lips as he looked at the croupier calling for the bets. He tossed a few chips and waited.

The croupier smiled to the table - that flirty I’m on your side half hidden smile that had naives fooled - and she started to deal the hand.

Liam’s mind woke up, sharpening with each whir of cards shuffling and being dealt on the felt. His eyes zeroed in on the table, his brain analyzing every bit of information about the game, every possibility and most likely outcomes. Like breathing, his mind drifted over different tactics and he made his move.

Nineteen. The house pulled eighteen.  Win.

Fourteen. The house ran over.  Win.

He put all his wins on the next bet. Black Jack.

Bloody hell, it was good to be back.

It wasn’t long until a second dealer showed up, a pit boss circling nearby like a vulture waiting for its prey. The new dealer smiled, arranging her hair to the side and showing up her cufflinks to the table before speaking. There was only a hint of nerves on her voice, but Liam could feel it. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Tina and I’ll be dealing for you.” Her eyes darted quickly in Liam’s direction, a warning hint passing fleetingly before she was back to her professional self.

Liam played with the chips, dropping them one by one on the felt as everyone else on the table made their bets. It was only him left.

“Sir, in or out?” Tina called, an eyebrow rising slightly at him.

Liam tilted his head and made tsk sound with the corner of his mouth. “Out. The table is cold anyway.” He flipped a chip with his thumb and the croupier caught it, a smile gracing her lips.

“You might want to try the lounge at the Olympus. I heard it gets interesting around one.”

Liam smiled as he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. “I’ll be sure to check it out, thank you for the tip.”

At precisely one clock, he was nursing his glass of straight Macallan when he felt someone sitting next to him.

He smiled and tilted his head as he took a sip of his whiskey. “Fancy meeting you here, Tina.”

The woman next to him gave him a feline smile, her hand signaling to the bartender. “Ursula Mount couldn’t pass a gaming board. Tina Matthews definitely can.” She nodded to the bartender that placed her drink in front of her and took a sip before her eyes focused on him. “When did you get out?”

“This morning.”

“I see that you’ve come out a new man and all that,” Ursula offered sarcastically, her eyes drifting to the drink in Liam’s hand and his whereabouts.

Liam shrugged nonchalantly and tapped a finger on the newspaper that laid open next to him. “Just having one drink and catching up with current events.”

“I can save you some time on that: Gold tore down the Nautilus.” There was a hint of regret and sadness in Ursula’s voice, her eyes also dimming as she spoke the words.

Liam’s own eyes reflected that sadness, his head lowering down and he ran a hand through his hair. “How’s Nemo doing?”

“As bad as expected, an even a little worse. Dad called him, tried to get him to come here for a few weeks, but it was a futile attempt. I wouldn’t blame the man, as Dad is going through his own set of past-midlife crisis.”

“Is he?” Liam asked concerned. Things were not looking up for him with this news.

“He retired.” Ursula shivered as if the words were harming her. “Spends most of his time at the horse’s race, eating walnuts and claiming he’s going to buy a condo in Boca next year.”

Liam pondered her words. “That’s bad.”

“That’s beneath him… but he doesn’t seem to care anymore.” Ursula gulped down the rest of her drink and order another. “But I don't’ blame him. The business has changed for us. Too much technology at the ready, too many variables to control. Tangible assets are hard to find unless you want to start embezzling regular people out of their hidden savings.”

Liam shivered in disgust. “That’s just plain bad form.”

“I know… but banks are highly protected and even if you can get there, it’s all electronics any way. Other than the Federal Reserve… what’s left?”

“Casinos.”

Liam waited for two beats before he locked his eyes to Ursula’s. Her eyes had widened in surprise before she gave him a mischievous smile. “What are you up to, Liam Jones?”

He feigned offense. “Me? Nothing. I’m just a man who’s been given a second chance and intends to be a law-abiding citizen.” He cocked an eyebrow at her and Ursula, catching his meaning, quickly nodded.

Good. One done, more to go.

“All I care about at this moment is to reunite with my beloved family.” Liam played with the edge of his glass. “Do you know where he is?”

“Last I heard, he was down in L.A., teaching celebrities how to play cards.”

“You’re bloody kidding me,” Liam blurted out without being able to hide his contempt.

Ursula sighed and her eyes dimmed again. “He all but disappeared, and has made himself hard to keep track of. After Tuscany, he seemed to have lost his edge. And then you got caught and it seems he only went downhill from there. Without you, he’s been lost, Liam.”

It seems everyone - his friends, his mentor, his own brother -  and everything had fallen apart while he was sporting orange suits and mopping floors.

“Well, good luck I’m finally here to make you all find yourselves again.” He placed a few notes on the counter and stood. “I better get to work then.”

“Heading to L.A.?”

Liam nodded. “Right after I call my parole officer and promise not to leave the state.”

Ursula shook her head, a smile coming to her lips. “I’ll see you again, soon.”

Liam took her hand and kissed it. “I’ll send word.”

He turned around and left the bar.

Hang on, little brother. I’m on my way.

/-/

This could not be his life.

That was the mantra Killian Jones kept repeating to himself, his fingers working over the knots and numbness licking across the scar that wound along his left wrist and forearm. He massaged along the lines of the tattoo that covered the worst of it, but there was still some scarring visible.

Sweat slicked down his skin, pooling at his throat and along his brow. The heat and the humidity here were going to kill him. That was not an exaggeration, no matter what Liam might have said about him having a penchant towards the dramatic. His shirt was sticking to his skin, causing an itch to ghost at his neck and the small of his back. It was enough to make him want to book the first plane out of town. It didn’t exactly matter where, as long as it led to a chillier location where at least a thick sweater and a leather jacket would be needed to be near the ocean.

But he reminded himself that none of that mattered now.

Taking a deep breath that probably qualified as more of a sigh, he crossed the posh bar - with its dim lights, black lacquered furniture and chromed steeled decoration -, making his way into the back VIP room. He stretched his head to the side, straining the muscles of his neck as he took a seat at the round table. Five up-and-coming Hollywood celebrities sat around it, each of them smiling as they waited eagerly for his lessons on how to play poker magnificently.

Killian would be lucky if they remembered to deal to the correct side and how many cards made a hand by the end of the night.

“Alright lads and lasses, let the game begin.” He smirked at the table, his eyes scanning each of them as he dealt the first hand. One of the women - Katie? Zoey? They all look the same to him these days and none of them seemed worth the effort - batted her eyelashes at him.  She played coyly with her hair, curling a strand around her fingers as she leaned towards him, her eyes hooded and her voice laced with intent as she bent over the table and asks for the tenth time that night if he felt himself lucky.

Not a chance, lass.

For the next forty minutes, Killian tried - and failed - to teach any of these bloody buffoons the basics of poker. It was as if they couldn’t retain even the simplest of information or even attempt the most basic calculations. It was a miracle their agents hadn’t embezzled any of what they’ve made, and Killian was seriously considering a massive scheme of his own on them when they collectively decided it was time for a break and ordered a round of martinis.

Kale Martinis.

What hell had he entered when he agreed to this?

Unable to get away fast enough, he made his way to the bar on the main floor where he ordered a glass of rum with two ice cubes, swallowed it back in one gulp, and asked the bartender to refill the glass with a wave of his hand. He took a moment to hold the drink to his temple, willing it to soothe away the pounding headache that was forming above his right eye. He really needed to walk away from this dreadful existence. He lifted his eyes to the stage across the room, but not even the sight of the dancers, their sculpted legs, tight abs, and bright smiles, made him feel anything at all. He was numb. Everything in his life staking up as one dull moment after another, all blurring together with the flashing lights of the endless row of nightclubs and the stale smell of private poker games.

He needed out. He just didn’t know how.

The walk back to the VIP room felt like walking towards the gallows, his feet leaden, each step a monumental effort to take. His head hurt, his scars itched under his tattoo, and he simply didn’t want to be there. The voices within drifted through the open door, and he realized he must have been more tired than he thought because he was clearly hearing things. There was no possible way someone else would have joined the table. But when he finally entered the room, the sight before him made him freeze in place.

Liam.

It couldn’t be. Killian blinked - slowly, deliberately - just to be sure. But Liam was still sitting there when he finished, perched on a chair he’d pulled up to the end of the table, the smirk resting on his lips in only the way his older brother could do.

Bloody fucking hell.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Killian swaggered to the table. “I see we have company.”

“Oh, yes.” Tyler pointed to the ‘stranger,’ showing his cards to the table in the process. Killian shook his head in defeat.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Liam drawled. “I was told it was ok if I joined.”

His brother was up to something, and it only took Killian a second to catch up. “Not at all.” He reached for the deck of cards and leaned back, cutting and shuffling it with one hand in one swift move. He cocked an eyebrow at Liam. “It’d be good to have some competition.”

He dealt the cards and took a quick look at his hand. Two beats later, Liam made his initial bet of five hundred.

“Now, lads, remember rule number one of poker.” He looked around at the table, only to find all of his students looking blankly at him.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. He was done with this shit.

“Leave emotion at the door. The game should never be personal.”

“Your teacher here has a point.” Liam countered, tilting his head and giving the table his trademark smirk. He could see Katie/Zoey and Lili instinctively leaning closer to him, causing Killian to have to reign in the laugh that threatened to burst past his lips. “Neither should be pulling a job for the wrong reasons.”

He had him there, and Killian could only nod in turn. “Now… if I were to read this table at the moment, I would tell you that our friend here is diverting the attention. He made a big bet and now is sitting there waiting for you to call it. The question is… is he bluffing? A bet this strong in the beginning makes me think he is.”

“Maybe you should call it and see.” Liam’s soft voice carried a challenge that could not be denied.

Oh, his brother had always been good.

Killian called and the rest went in turn, some of them following his lead but a couple took the bait and raised the bet. At one point, Liam had to make KJ fold - even they couldn’t let someone who needed to change out four cards continue betting, there was such a thing as good form after all - and then raised the bet one more time. Heavily.

“Now,” Killian continued, “he could have a very good hand. Or he could be trying to buy his way out of his initial bluff.” He cupped his cards and tapped the bottom of them against the table. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but let me tell you something my older brother once told me: A man not willing to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets.”

Liam raised an eyebrow at him. “Your brother is a wise man.”

“More like a self-righteous wanker,” Killian retorted. “But he’s family.”

He didn’t miss the way Liam’s eyes flashed before the action at the table broke the moment. Soon the pot was in the tens of thousands and everyone showed their cards.

Liam was the last. He seemed to fidget for a second before fanning his hand out across the table.

Four nines and an ace.

Killian grinned. Damn, brother, it’s good to have you back.

The game ended, the budding celebrity dilettantes exiting quickly out of the VIP room to take selfies, update their Instagram status, and work their social media footprint. Killian’s glare was enough to put off any requests for him to join in the pictures they wanted to post. After a few more handshakes and a promise that he’d let them know when the next game would take place, Killian finally left the club via the back exit. He didn’t want any more attention on himself. Craning his neck to the side and letting the tension lift from his shoulders, he searched the surrounding area until he found what he was looking for.

Liam was standing a few yards away, his hands in his pockets, artfully leaning against the stucco wall of the building across the way. Killian slipped over to stand beside him. Without even a sideways glance, Liam took his hand out of his pocket and handed him a stack of bills. His cut for tonight’s job.

“Teaching poker to celebrities? Really, little brother? How low have you fallen…” The humor in Liam’s voice almost brought tears to Killian’s eyes. He’d missed him so much, and it had been hell to stay away while he was in the joint. Liam had been adamant, though, that he didn’t want visitors. Not even Killian.

“I’m bored, Liam,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I know you are and I have just the thing to snap you out of your funk.” Liam clasped his hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here and I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Coffee,” Killian amended and chuckled at his brother’s raised eyebrow. “I assume I’ll want all my wits about me for whatever it is you’re about to tell me.”

“Probably.”

/-/

Killian sat across from his brother, the two of them occupying a hidden booth in the corner of a deserted dinner while he waited as patiently as he could for Liam to tell him the plan. But after a few minutes, it seemed his brother was still pondering how to start.

“Just bloody tell me, Liam.”

Liam sighed and ran his hand through his hair and Killian smiled at just how much he had missed watching that trademark Jones move. “It’s tricky and it would require a large crew that I need your help gathering together.”

“Of course you do.” Killian shrugged, as he leaned back and played with his saucer, rotating it on the plate with one finger. “I’m the charmer.”

“And I’m the brains.”

“I wouldn’t do that far, but let’s say you’re a tiny bit better than me at planning the big picture.” He held up his hand, holding his thumb and forefinger together. But only just a tad.” He wasn’t cowered by Liam’s glare. His brother could take the hit. “What’s the target?”

“Been to Vegas lately?”

Killian’s smile dropped. Surely Liam didn’t mean…. “You want to hit a casino.”

Liam shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee. “Not one. Three.”

Killian choked. “Are you out of your mind? We can’t take on three casinos.”

“Yes, we can, little brother. And we will.”

Liam pulled a folded-up piece of paper from his jacket and spread it open on the table. Killian leaned over to take a look. It was a floorplan. Killian studied it with the keen eye he was known for in the business.

“If I’m reading this right - and you know I am - this is the least accessible vault I’ve ever seen.” Killian’s fingers traced the floorplan, his mind scanning all the possible ways to bypass the security measures. “And this is only one casino.”

Liam pointed out two main ways in on the blueprint. “These two feed into the cages of The Gold and The Dagger. Every single dollar ends up in this vault. The vault of The Baelfire.”  

“The Baelfire, The Gold and The Dagger.” Realization dawned on Killian. Bloody hell. “Liam these are Gold’s casinos.” Leave it to his brother to go this route.

“It’s about time we hit him, don’t you think?”

Yes, beyond time as far as Killian was concerned, but he wasn’t convinced it was the best idea at this juncture. But a part of him couldn’t help himself, already jumping into planning mode and seeing the picture unfold in front of his eyes.

“How many people do you think we need? Seven or eight?”

“Hell, no. We need at least ten. And we need a variety of things happening at the same time.”

Liam crossed his arms over his chest.  “A Boesky.”

Killian mirrored his brother’s stance and tilted his head as he saw it all play in front of him. “A Jim Brown, two Jethros.”

Liam seemed to be envisioning the same picture he was. “A Miss Daisy and a Leon Spinks.”

“And the biggest Ella Fitzgerald in the bloody history of cons.” Killian sighed. “Unless you tell me you met a rich widow via letter while in jail, we don’t have the start-up capital to back this.”

“We don’t… but you and I know someone who would love to help us fuck Gold over.” There was something somber in Liam’s voice and Killian knew he had to address that eventually, but his mind was already going to the same place Liam was trying to steer him to.

“Nemo.”

It made sense that their former mentor would want to be part of this. Gold had managed to get Nemo out of the business, and tore down his beloved casino, The Nautilus, once he had. Nemo had spiraled down into depression ever since and not even Killian’s outrageous tales of the teen celebrities he was teaching were able to bring a smile to the man’s face. Maybe this was a step in the right direction.

But Killian still needed more. Something was not adding up. “I need a reason, Liam.”

His brother shrugged. “Eight figures each. That should be reason enough.”

No, it wasn’t. Not if they were going to risk so much. “Come on, Liam. Don’t tell me this is about the money. You and I can play safer schemes and make decent money. Probably not eight figures, but enough to grant us a good life.” His eyes bored into his brother’s. “Tell me why.”

Something dark flickered in Liam’s eyes and Killian had a keen sense of the man his brother had to become while surviving in jail. “Because I walked out of prison after losing two years of my life. Because you’ve gone adrift and it has gotten so bad that you’re teaching the latest TMZ headliners how to play cards. And you’re not even succeeding. Because it’s time we make Gold pay… and we hit him where it will hurt.” He paused. “Because no one messes with the Brothers Jones.”

Silence. One beat, two, and then three.

“Did I rush it?” Liam asked, his voice hesitant.

“No, it was a good speech. You were always good at motivational speeches.”

“What do you say, Killian? Shall we do this?”

Killian smirked. “Let’s go talk to Nemo.”

[orangepunkwitch-blog]

Tsk, so...  A friend of mine and I plan to do a temporary banishing spell on someone.  I have a “keep reading” link posted in case you don’t wanna scroll through the story just to get past it on your dash.

Ever since September, my husband and I started hanging out with two of our friends we’ve known since high school.  We missed them dearly, and because of a lack of activity on FB, we didn’t even know we all still lived in this shithole of an area, and started hanging out.  It’s helped me get back into socializing, so I don’t feel anxiety anymore speaking to anyone outside of the immediate household here thanks to a few years of damn near social isolation (largely because I haven’t been feeling well physically or mentally and whatnot).  One of these friends grows and sells weed, and it was actually in September that I tried smoking it for the very first time.  Ever since then, I’ve been using weed for my period cramps---I don’t require very much.  Just enough to make it so my husband doesn’t have to stay home and help me go to the bathroom because I’m in too much pain to walk.  Seriously, having a buddy who sells weed has amazing benefits.  He gives me what he can for free because he’s just a damn good friend and wants to help me.  So we usually just went over and smoked weed, got me used to what it’s like (though it’ll be a while before I can finally build some tolerance for it because I’m a light-weight with like... everything), and we’d hang out and whatnot.

So now I have something to look forward to every week.  Several months later and we’ve become a little D&D group who has a blast with some other games like Cards Against Humanity, Liar’s Dice, and we watch some movies and anime if we got nowhere else to go.  My parents are fully aware of this and, despite their political views and whatnot, they don’t see marijuana as this evil thing (largely because back in the 70s, my dad grew it, smoked it, sold it, etc. but that was of course a long-ass time ago).  They knew the facts about it and told me to just be careful.  My mental health has improved greatly as has my husband’s, and we regret not finding out about them still living in the area sooner.

Welp, this doesn’t come without its downs.  You see, the good friend of ours who sells the weed?  He lives with his mom.  He did live on his own, got screwed out of some money, lived with the other friend mentioned in this story for a bit, and then his mom apparently made some sort of personal info legality threat against him (the dealer-buddy’s mom, not the other friend’s mom) and he ended up having to move in with her until he can figure something out.

This woman.... Holy shit...

She commands our friend around (from this point on, for privacy reasons, I’m going to refer to him as Buu and the other friend as Whis), making messes and commanding he clean it up.  It’s summer already, and this past Thursday, she turns off the air conditioner and opens the windows when it’s 80 degrees outside.  She claims it’s too hot, open the windows for some air circulation, etc.  Buu usually turns on the air with windows closed when she’s not in the house, but she’ll throw a fit because she wants to save on the electricity bill (she’s made it to where she only pays $90 a month or some shit like that because she’s cheap as fuck, meanwhile the company for my parents’ electricity overcharges us and we can’t do shit about it).

Now, while the area knows Buu grows and sells weed and doesn’t care or mind (and this, surprisingly, includes his mom), he would still like some form of privacy.  No, his mom wants the air conditioning off, all windows and doors open, etc.  She’ll barge in without knocking, too.  She’ll get nosy about what we’re doing or playing, and we’ll start throwing terms that confuse her just to get her to go away.  She will walk around the house bitching to herself about something, and she’ll talk on the phone with whoever while on speakerphone and talk loudly.  This woman will even walk in on you in the bathroom if the door isn’t closed and locked.  She did that to me once just so she could do laundry (the washer and dryer are installed in the bathroom---the house has a nice set-up but my only complaint is there’s one bathroom and I always lived in a house with at least two).  She’s walked in on her own son before, too, so it’s not just a personal thing against one of us or anything.

And if we confront her about anything, we have to walk on eggshells because Whis’ home (he also lives with his mother due to financial reasons but he’s saving up to move) is ridiculously small with missing or busted doors, and while we have a considerable amount of room here at my parents’, my parents go to bed at a certain time and we don’t want to wake them (ground-floor, not a two-story place).  At least, we can’t hang out here until the garages are cleaned out, and I’m working on that, but I need my mom’s help going through some stuff and she works 6 days a week, so...

Last month or the month before, Buu’s mom went to Mexico for a week for a vacation.  Buu had the whole house to himself for that week, and when we met up for that one day (my husband and Whis only had one day of the same day off that week), we played D&D in the dining room instead of his semi-cramped bedroom.  All of our health problems were pretty much gone because we weren’t under some sort of stress, and actually had the most fun we’d had in years.  Since then, we hadn’t had a day like that within Buu’s home.  Closest we’d have is when we’re out and about, but we’re not guaranteed to run into any assholes, and we have.

For some reason, since she’d returned from Mexico, she’d been yelling or screaming at Buu through walls and such to make him do things far more often than before she went to Mexico.  She doesn’t care he has guests over.  And she’s yelled at my husband and Whis before, too.  She’ll flip at the drop of a hat.  However, she won’t yell at me because I’m a woman, which is odd.  She actually calmed down when I first started hanging out, but that has since dissolved away.  Now she’s in full-on bitch-mode, and won’t flip out directly at me.

It’s to a point where we can’t exactly say we’ve hung out much because she keeps making Buu do things even though he has guests and even though most or half the things she makes him do is all because of her fucking shit up or making the mess or whatever in the first place.  But there was a straw that broke the camel’s back Thursday night that made me and Whis talk about in the car along with my husband on our way home.

Buu’s mom had a handgun on the island counter in the kitchen with the clip laying next to it.  We don’t know if she legally opens the gun or not (I can’t remember if Buu clarified this with us yesterday or not, my flare-up was distracting me heavily yesterday), but my husband asked her right before we left what the gun was for.  And she says that the neighbor’s dog likes to chase her on the ride-mower when she mows the lawn and she just fires into the air randomly to get the dog to go away.  And she laughed about it.  My husband, who is a gun-nerd knowledge-wise, said that you don’t just randomly fire a bullet into the air because that eventually comes down at high velocity (because bullets, believe it or not, tend to be heavy), and they could hurt or even kill someone or something.  She didn’t believe him and told him to leave.  He didn’t think to bring up the fact that people can trace the bullet’s serial-number to the purchaser and dust for her fingerprints until after we talked about it in the car on the way back.  The three of us on the way home all agreed that we may not be as safe around this woman as we thought we were, that she could one day snap.  But we need to buy some sort of time until I can get these damn garages cleaned out.

So Whis and I have decided we are going to have a ritual where we can have a temporary banishing spell.  Temporary because she brings in more money than Buu, and he wouldn’t be able to pay all the bills and whatnot by himself.  This will give us some time to have at least one day a week where we’re not going to be so damned stressed while the rest of my free week can be spent cleaning out the garages where I can by myself (there’s some heavy-lifted in the outer garage needed but the inner garage needs cleaned out, first).  Perhaps her visiting with a distant relative or something for a month or so would help.  Regardless, we have no other choice.

I’ve even done some divination and all signs point to the fact that Whis and I need to perform a banishing spell.  Buu’s been catching those shield stinkbugs (they’re annoying and he just catches them in a D&D dice container that he has so he doesn’t have to deal with their stench) and we’re gonna use them as part of the ritual.  This will have to take place after our trip to Pittsburgh, because there’s a metaphysical shop called Hocus Pocus that sells lots of ritualistic supplies, especially herbs, and Whis and I are gonna need as much stuff as we can get for this to work.  It’ll probably be a bit of a lengthy ritual, too.

Whis has more experience in witchcraft than I do, but I’ve been pretty damn successful in my craft so far, especially when it comes to protection as well as banishing my nasty maternal grandmother’s spirit from my parents’ home and sending her to my aunt.  So I’d imagine we should be good doing our own part in this.  I share this because I’m letting you know this will be my first ritual performed with another witch, and I will let you know how things went after the ritual and a while after that if it worked in case you are curious as to whether or not shield stinkbugs make for a good use in a banishing ritual.

Wish us luck that this might work, because we don’t know what else to do until we get these two garages cleaned out.

[survivorreelsmagicwithin]

Episode 5- “Good thing I bought a box of wine the other day.. I'm gonna need it.”-Jess

After Gryffindors tribal Raffy was voted out. This is either just bad news for Raffy specifically or for the Gryffindor tribe. I don't know how much what he's said and done as his tribe speaks to him, but I'm going to be stepping up my social game now to try and avoid a similar fate. https://am24.mediaite.com/tms/cnt/uploads/2015/07/Harry-Potter-Disgusted-Gif.gif 

 We are playing Mastermind this round and... I dunno what a good score is on this game ever. I always think I did well at it and then people blow me out of the water. I hope I did well enough that we avoid another tribal, but I have my own personal doubts. I explored the castle today. I went behind some barrels. I guess since I'm technically sorted into Gryffindor that I didn't know what the barrels are - I went behind them and found the Hufflepuff common room where I talked to Professor Sprout's flowers... They told me that Hagrid has a new dog. Either Hagrid is in the Forbidden Forest or these flowers are liars. I've been to Hagrid's Hut and interacted with each thing he owns. I saw no dog. https://dontyoushushme.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/tumblr_lp98471uss1qa8ir9o1_r1_500.gif

Mastermind is one of my very favorite comps so if someone causes us to go to tribal during this challenge I'm going to be VERY upset!! 

37 minutes later

If these people really think I'm going to rocks they have lost their minds. 

So I flopped the challenge and will probably have my name thrown out as an option so... PARTY! However, I decided to play the "omg I fucked up feel bad for me" card so maybe that'll either make people feel bad for me...or they'll make me a target. I kind of want people to feel bad for me? but also like I think people know I'm going through a rough time right now so if they vote me out they are going to hell xoxoxox But I'm gonna try and put in the werk to make sure I DON'T GET VOTES.. How may you ask? I think the key is Owen? I know Owen is a VERY social player and on a tribe like this I think having great social skills really can propel you into the top ranks. So I've decided to give Owen some "spell guesses" to help build some sort of trust moving forward.... will this help? probably not.... BUT right now.........the only kind of currency I have in this game is information (which I have none of because.. well new tribe...) and my guesses. Hopefully he feeds into my bullshit and sees that I do actually want to work with him (for now). So the goal is simple, I want people to think I'm NOT DISPOSABLE. People in games are selfish, they want to know what you CAN DO FOR THEM and I plan on doing just that. I also fucked around and shared guesses with Juls. She gave me a clue and I for the LOVE OF ME CAN NOT FIND THIS CRITTER. I thought it was that stupid Harry Potter spider but he told me to fuck off.. idk I'M SO STRESSED. Good thing I bought a box of wine the other day.. I'm gonna need it.

3 minutes later

PS: Landen is either playing too hard too fast or... he has my back? IDK. He's basically naming me as 1 of 4 people he doesn't want to go.. and we... we've spoken like twice. No game talk, nothing. We talked about MILK. How the fuck does he want me safe and not to go? IDK it seems fishy but I'll take it. Maybe he's just promising everyone safety right now and that's his game? I literally don't care. I will take whatever I get at this point. I want Max out. I've decided he really annoys me and I can't work with someone who thinks "penis" is a funny joke. I have nothing in common with him and... from the sounds of it something was "off" with him on his old tribe so... maybe just maybe..  that's something I can WORK WITH. Fucking weebz.

Oh my god, thank god we won! I do not want to have to deal with another tribal. For a unanimous vote, our tribal sure was messy. I think my position so far in this game is super solid, I'm in a great position with Nick and Kevin because we talk a lot and I have formed really strong relationships with both of them. My postion with Dan is honestly fantastic, I know he trusts me because he told me about his advantage in the game (a vote steal). Jules and I are good, we honestly just like each other and she was the first person to tell me that Miguel was throwing my name around. She also knows about Dan's advantage. I'm a little worried about her though because each tribal we have gone to she has gotten a vote, plus she started drama with Raffy before she left. I still think she is super sweet, but I'm worried that her confrontational personality is going to get her voted out and I'm not sure that there is much I can do about it. 

I'm going to mess around and get voted out, I have such a big mouth, y'all.  SO FAR TODAY, I have told Chips I didn't hear his name... then fifteen minutes later I DID hear his name.  Next I told Jess I heard Chips's name thinking she came up with it and she said it was news to her LSJFLDSJF.  Then I told Juls that I didn't hear anything... to which her and Jess are probably comparing notes.  I showed Lily all the places I've looked for the idol and last but not least I TOLD OWEN ABOUT THE OG HUFFLEPUFF ALLIANCE.  I AM GOING TO GET VOTED OUT, WHY DO I HAVE SUCH A BIG MOUTH????? SOMEONE HELP ME. 

hufflepuffle LOST immunity! that is so not the marshmallow move i was trying to make :/ over the course of the game, i've really bonded with lily, so i think that is going to be my close alliance here, obviously aside from juls, who i knew pre-game and we are just good friends. i do think juls would backstab me if she had to, so i'll keep my eye out for her, even tho id most likely die for her. *bleeds out* well when we got to this lil ol tribe, max made the bold move to instantly create a hufflepuffle group chat and declare how we are #HUFFSTRONG. i made the stupid decision to not trust my gut instinct on ruthie's distant responses, and now i am paying the price for that, because as far as i've heard ruthie is telling people hufflepuff is tight and is trying to blindside max, leaving me in the dark. i'm honestly less upset at the target on max, and more upset that she is trying to leave me (and pooossibly lily? cant be sure.) in the dark. I'm a little bit annoyed with it. like, we openly discussed voting about max on the original hufflepuff. i get that circumstances change, but there's no reason to leave me blind. i understand it from owen, jess, chips, but... why from ruthie lol? we've talked about it before and it's just like. bleh. that's my bad, for not talking to ruthie more on a personal level before and after the swap. i can be slow to make official alliances and cement my bonds in survivor, it's a strategy that's risky in the short term but pays off dividends in the long term when people really like AND trust you. that emotion is somethin necessary! it works its own kind of ~Magic~ so to speak. but right now it's definitely showing its weaknesses with ruthie trying to play me and my quietness with chips/owen/jess biting me in the butt a bit because they don't trust me. T_T i will have to work to prove i am a trustworthy ally for them, but in the meantime, as long as i can survive this vote (lol that means i am going home) then i'm fine and it's whatever. i want to try to think of a better wham line to close out this confessional, but i can't, so it's just going to kind of wither off and die here, as this sentence stumbles along on its meager way to find SOME version of sufficient punctuation to the topic, punctuated by actual punctuation.

this vote is gonna be.. como se dice.. interesting. working with max and landen while now being added to an alliance with owen, jess and chips um. smiles. it’s gonna be smth! but it seems like max is the target for this round which sucks but, i’d rather go with majority and help push that than make myself a target for wanting go against the odds.. idk if that made sense LMAO. but i’m just stressed! i love max so much but.. i wanna keep the people who weren’t on the og hufflepuff tribe close as opposed to letting them go so easily. 

THE WAY I HAD ONE OF THE LOWEST SCORES IN MASTERMIND https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Maspo1z34

Well here we are forced to actually play the game. And well.......this vote is crazy. I should have honestly anticipated this craziness but the craziness has been thrust upon us. Sincerely really enjoy everyone on this tribe. This meant that whatever decision I made on who to vote out would be strictly strategic. I know I can't vote out anyone from original hufflepuff because that inherently puts all of the original hufflepuff in danger of being easy targets in any future votes. I can't even in my brain consider voting out one of them at this vote because of this. I feel great about my social game rn. Several people are interested in working with me to my face and apparently in passing to others. This means that I'm unlikely to be a target for a vote but this could honestly all change after this. I feel the most trust and loyalty to Ruthie and Landen and I also feel like Max really has my back even though we haven't explicitly said this to each other. I also feel good about Jess. She told me today that she doesn't care too much as long as it isn't me or her and that semed honest to me? This leaves Juls, Owen, and Chips. Juls seems wishy-washy but I can tell she wants to vote Max but is nervous to say that to me. She is a newer player so this makes sense. I can tell that Landen doesn't want to vote Juls but no one really does so she doesn't make sense as the target. Chips has always been a good ally to me in the past but the past few games we have played together we have trouble being honest on what we want to happen.I want to work with Chips and don't want to see him go on this vote. I don't think he is as big of a threat at this stage of the game as Owen. Owen is one of the smartest people I've played with he has one of the best social games I've seen. He has a way of getting people on his side. I know he is thinking about a lot and knows that Max going right now is what is best for him. I want to trust owen and work with owen but my gut says that isn't what is going to work this time. Ruthie told us (Landen and I) about how they made a final 2 before the game even started (before we were told not to talk in the Great Hall chat in PMs) and now she is clearly backing out of that. Right now OG huffs are planning to vote Owen out. I think this is the best strategic play for us but will anyone else see it? Or will people be hyper focused on voting an OG huff that they would prefer to go to a rock draw than vote Owen. I'm not sure and I don't think I'm mentally prepared for what is about to go down. I'm hoping Jess, Chips, or Juls would be willing. But I'm also nervous not telling any of them about the vote could be the actual mistake we are making. Should I put my trust in Jess or Chips and see if they would vote Owen? I DON'T KNOW. Do I sound like I know what I'm doing??? NO. Am I attemping to make money moves??? YES. Is it the right decision????? PROBABLY NOT. But....we shall see. We shall see. 

Kind of happy we lost because this will be an interesting one for sure... As I said before, we have 4 hufflepuff and 4 non-hufflepuff on our tribe, and I wanted to jump on that IMMEDIATELY, so the second I heard Hufflepuff had a group chat (thanks ruthie hehe) I made one with Chips, Juls, and Jess. Jess and Juls are my gorls in this game, and I'm glad I finally get to make stuff happen with them. I want Ruthie to trust me (she messaged me for a final 2 literally night one before we found out we couldnt pm each other in the great hall), and I do really love her - but since we're on different "sides" of the tribe, I wanted to play smart. I originally threw out both Chips AND Max names, to make it seem like old tribal lines mean nothing to me, but then today I've been telling Ruthie and Landen I'm leaning way more towards Max beacuse he hasnt talked to me and Chips has, which is true. Ruthie seems to agree that Max should go - she told me he did some qweird stuff like pranks and things on their old tribe, and Landen said that Max would've been first boot. So it seems easy enough?? But then.... here comes Lily, with her own brain and stuff. Why can't people stop having opinions and just do what  I say??? I can tell Lily wants to keep Max, which makes sense. She probably wants to keep the Hufflepuff security in numbers. But I'm not writing Chips down, period, and they all know it. No matter what happens, as long as it is Max or Chips I'm fine. I'm just using this vote to have as many conversations with Lily, Ruthie, Landen, Jess, and Juls about game as possible to further myself, and I don't much care who leaves as long as it isn't me Jess or Juls. But I do think for the hell of it I'd go to rocks if I had to - bc if they're going to ROCKS for Max?? I sure as hell don't want to be outnumbered. Hopefully ruthie is being honest in wanting max gone and can change lily's mind.

https://youtu.be/TBrNjh2DnU4

SO my big mouth strikes again.   Landen came to me earlier and OWEN SPILLED ABOUT ME SPILLING ABOUT THE HUFFLEPUFF ALLIANCE.  I WAS SO MAD.  Mad enough to agree to voting him out and now I just feel guilty.  Jess, Juls, Owen and Chips don't know that there is going to be a tie tonight after all.  We feel like if we vote Owen that we can get Chips to vote with us in the revote and I hope that is the case because I REALLY don't want to go to rocks. Part of me thinks I should call Owen out on him spilling the alliance secret to him and try to fix things but I'm still very salty about it. I'm so sad and I feel so guilty but...  HE COMPLETELY MESSED MY GAME UP AND I TRUSTED HIM! 

So it has been a day. That's for sure. Got in my first alliance of people who didnt start Hufflepuff. Found out from two out of three Hufflepuffs my name was thrown out. May be leaving or at the very least the subject of a tie vote. If the target Max has an idol I leave guaranteed. I hope not. 

I am a horrible person. My heart is pounding so hard, this move is either going to make or break my game. :(

I would like to publicly thank Hufflepuff for extending my life in the game by another round- much obliged. Not sure how much of a difference it’ll make in the end lmao but nonetheless I’m still technically alive. Either this is the quietest game I’ve ever been apart of or everyone is definitely working together and I’m on the bottom. I know Kevin isn’t in on it but that Raffy vote was suspicious and you can’t tell me otherwise. Because how am I talking to everyone all day long but I don’t find out the vote is Raffy until 2 hours before the vote and that’s “what everyone is doing”? Not to mention it came from Jules, not Dan or Nicholas aka the people I thought I had a halfway decent relationship with. So the only way you can explain how I’m the last to know even though they were several opportunities for like 5 different people to tell me is that those 5 are working together. So basically I’m praying Hufflepuff can take one more L after tonight because if not, there’s a high chance I’m gonna have to beg for my life. And I’m not above it! But I also can do the math and I don’t know if Slytherin is smart enough to realize they’re handing the game over to Ravenclaw. Who knows though- maybe Jess or Juls will go home on the other side and that will strengthen my plea of attack Ravenclaw while we still can. Cause there’s 9 Huffleclaw left and 6 of Slytherdor so I’m like... we can’t all be the cute swing vote at merge that gets picked up to be a number but hey what do I know 

[kuriquinn]

The Girl Who Waited [5/10]

Disclaimer & Other Warnings

“Hey Sakura! Whatcha got in the bag? Huh? Huh? Huh?!”

“Naruto, if you don’t get out of my face, I’m going to slug you!” she snaps, making a threatening fist at him. The orange-clad boy pre-emptively ducks, sticking out his tongue. Several feet away, she can almost hear Sasuke rolling his eyes.

“But I wanna know,” Naruto complains. “Did you bring games? You should’ve brought something fun to do. Kakashi-sensei’s taking forever.”

“No, I didn’t bring games,” she tells him. She wonders why that idea hasn’t occurred to her before now. Their instructor is always late, if he even shows up at all. A pack of cards or dice might be a good idea...

“Then what’s in there?”

“You’ll see when Kakashi-sensei gets here,” Sakura retorts.

“But why not now?”

“Because I said so! We’re waiting until—”

“I heard my name?”

There’s a puff of smoke and, suddenly, Kakashi is leaning over them, disgustingly unbothered by his tardiness, as usual.

“You’re late!” Sakura and Naruto chorus.

“Well, my horoscope said something unfortunate would happen to me if I took my usual route today, so—”

“Liar!”

“Can we get started?” Sasuke interrupts, unimpressed with Kakashi’s excuses.

“In a minute,” Naruto shoots back. “Sakura said she would open the bag, and I wanna see what’s in it!”

“If you keep annoying me, you won’t,” she grumbles, but she’s already undoing the ties and unfolding the cloth.

Two red-wrapped packages shine in the sunlight, and she passes them to Kakashi and Naruto. Not waiting to see their reactions, she reaches back into the bag and draws out a plain carton of tomatoes for Sasuke. She has, after all, learned her lesson.

Sasuke leans away from the tomatoes, as if he’s expecting them to attack, but at her expectant look, he relents and reaches for them.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” she declares, beaming at them all and relishing in their varied expressions.

Kakashi looks as if he doesn’t know what to say—she supposes it’s been a long time since he got chocolate from anyone—while Naruto appears frozen. It occurs to her too late that today might be the first year anyone has given him anything on purpose. This suspicion is confirmed when he looks up at her, his eyes glassy.

“Sakura...”

“It’s not a big deal,” she hurries to say. “Ino gave all the guys on her squad gifts, so I figured I would do the same. I won’t let her out-do me.”

That’s not entirely true. Things have been so tense since their team formed. Sasuke’s is always cold and sulky, while Naruto has been more reckless than usual, hell-bent on surpassing rival. Which isn’t easy since the only missions they get assigned amount to babysitting or yard work.

Or worse, rescuing cats.

She hopes this tiny gesture will make the temperamental men in her life feel a little better.

“Hah! Sakura must hate you, Sasuke. She gave you vegetables!”

“Or she wants me to live longer than you.”

She winces. Or not.

“This is very thoughtful of you, Sakura,” Kakashi tells her, tone softer than normal. Even though she can’t see his face beneath that damned mask, she thinks he might be smiling at her. “I hope you receive some equally thoughtful gifts on White Day.”

In her imagination, he’s looking at Sasuke, who scoffs lightly and says, “If we’re not going on a mission today, I’m going home.”

This predictably leads into Naruto calling Sasuke names, Sakura trying to keep the peace, and Kakashi finally letting them know about whatever lame mission they’ve been assigned.

The fleeting moment of peace is broken, to be forgotten over the course of their day. Still, Sasuke brings the tomatoes home with him, and Sakura counts that as a victory—one of a meagre few.

Despite keeping her worries to herself, Sakura’s performance on the team remains lacklustre. Sasuke snaps at her for making mistakes, Naruto won’t stop making annoying requests for dates, and Kakashi doesn’t even seem to notice her while he deals with the rivalry between the two boys. If being ignored while performing useless chores is what a ninja is all about, she wonders if maybe she’s not meant to be there.

Perhaps that’s why she’s so surprised that one day in mid-March, Kakashi arrives at their usual meeting place with a box of white marshmallow animals and a casual “Happy White Day” greeting.

“Someone gave me these, but I don’t like chewy sweets,” he tells her with a shrug. “So here.”

She would brush it off as coincidence if Naruto didn’t hand her a package as well. It’s clumsily wrapped with magazine covers and he sheepishly admits, “I forgot what day it was until yesterday.”

Upon opening the package, she finds a much too large, much too frilly white lingerie set.

Kakashi chokes back either a laugh or a groan of dismay, and Sakura proceeds to beat her teammate into a human-shaped bruise for the inappropriateness of his gift. Still, inwardly she is grinning, because she has never received gifts on White Day from anyone.

Sasuke offers her nothing; this isn’t a surprise. Another girl might be upset that he’s the only one who doesn’t bother with a gift, but she’s used to this. Sasuke isn’t the type of person to give gifts to anyone, and after all these years, she finally understands that. But when Sakura glances up, his right eye is twitching as he stairs at the frilly material and she thinks, if she didn’t punch Naruto first, Sasuke might have. The idea makes her feel a little giddy because it suggests he cares about her honour.

A bit.

Ish.

Who cares? I’ll take it!

That any of them agreed to make such a silly day as White Day special for her has her beaming the whole morning. Training is even pleasant and her teammates don’t bicker with each other. Everything is going well, even though the only mission Lady Tsunade has for them is scrubbing graffiti off the back of the movie theatre. This goes by fast because Naruto is an expert at cleaning spray paint off walls.

The three of them are just heading to Hokage Tower to check in when they meet Konohamaru, tripping over his long scarf, knees scuffed and nose runny. It’s not an entirely uncommon sight, since he’s always following Naruto around after training, but the large bouquet he holds out to Sakura is somewhat of a surprise.

“It’s for you, Big Sis,” he declares with a grin, holding out a bouquet of white freesias and primroses. “Happy White Day!”

Sakura feels a muscle in her temple twitch as she decodes the meaning of the flowers—desperate, childish and immature—instantly knowing it was Ino that put the bouquet together for him. But Konohamaru looks so proud of himself, that she takes the flowers with a smile. Besides, no one has ever bought her flowers before.

“These are beautiful,” she tells him, and it’s not a lie because aside from their meaning, the blossoms themselves are pretty.

“I saw my uncle give some to his girlfriend today, and she was really happy about it. And I figured Big Bro would forget to give you any even though you’re his girl, so really, they’re from him.”

This time Sakura smile is strained, and she says, “Let’s just stick to them being from you, okay?”

Konohamaru chuckles nervously, and Naruto makes an insulted noise.

“Are you saying you wouldn’t take flowers from me?” he demands, and then turns to Sasuke. “Some people are so picky.”

Sasuke crosses his arms. “Who cares? They’re just going to die.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sakura asks before she can stop herself, clutching the flowers.

Sasuke shrugs and continues walking. “You’re impressed by useless things. If people intend to observe ridiculous holidays, the least they could do is give you something useful.”

“Hey, it’s not ridiculous!” Naruto protests. “At least we got her something, asshole.”

“Whatever.”

“It’s okay, guys,” Sakura mumbles, trying to diffuse the situation.

“No way, he’s being a spoilsport!” Konohamaru cries, and glares at Sasuke’s back. He holds out his balled up fists and yells, “Come back and say that to my face! I’ll fight you!”

“No, no! Don’t do that,” Sakura says quickly, imagining Sasuke setting the younger boy on fire. She doesn’t want him to be arrested for treason or something. “It would spoil the day. And really, I like the flowers. I’ll put them in water the minute I get home, okay?”

Although Konohamaru is placated, when she looks up, Sasuke is already down the street with Naruto glowering at his retreating back.

“He seriously needs to unpucker,” Naruto grumbles.

Sakura sighs and mourns yet another day ruined by whatever’s going on with Sasuke.

When she gets home, her mother admires the bouquet. She suggests inviting whoever gave them to her over to dinner, and Sakura is properly mortified as she explains it was just some little kid, and her father makes jokes about having to beat away the boys with a stick. Sakura grumbles at them both and heads upstairs to fall face-first onto her bed.

For several long, blissful moments, she exists in perfect peace, nothing but the light breeze teasing at her hair. She is exhausted, utterly drained, and if she’s being honest, a little hurt, too. It’s sometimes hard to care about someone unwilling to open up. Not that she blames Sasuke. Having your entire family murdered isn’t really an easy thing to discuss with just anyone.

But…

She still wishes Sasuke would let her in. One day he will, she knows, but in the meantime, pretending that his constant rebuffs and caustic remarks don’t bother her is becoming a chore.

A shiver creeps up her spine and Sakura frowns. Her room is draughty from the open window, a fact that’s confusing—she never leaves her windows open when she leaves the house. With a muffled groan, she pushes herself up and crosses the room to close it, only to pause at the sight of something sitting on the window sill. A plain, flat, white box—not very large, and she sees no ink or seals on it to suggest it might be dangerous.

But there’s no note attached to explain its presence.

Half-suspicious, half-curious, she lifts the thin lid on the box. Her breath catches in her throat.

A pair of black gloves are nestled neatly inside the container. They are thick, of high-quality leather, and clearly well-made. Upon trying one on, she discovers that they are bigger than her hand—obviously made for a woman. She’ll grow into them, one day.

She can’t figure out who left these for her or why. They’ll be useful, though, to protect her hands from any stray blades or even during sparring sessions.

As she pulls the glove off, an oddly familiar scent blows toward her on the breeze—cedar, incense, and tatami. It takes a second to place the scent, and when she does, her cheeks flush with warmth.

“Next time,” she promises herself out loud, holding the gloves close to her heart. Her birthday is in two weeks, and if she plays her cards right, she can talk him into going on a date with her.

Only I’ll call it training instead of a date because I think that word makes him nervous. But if we happen to stop by somewhere to eat on the way home, that wouldn’t be horrible, would it?

And what if it’s the beginning of a regular thing? What if they start dating, and then by next Valentine’s Day, they even spend it together?

She squeals and jumps on her bed, kicking her feet in excitement.

Sakura spends the rest of the night planning it all out in her head. She never dreams of the possibility that they will be stuck in the Land of Waves and more concerned with survival than her birthday.

And it never occurs to her that by Valentines Day next year, Sasuke will not be anywhere near Konoha.

つづく

Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome, but if you feel like keeping me caffeinated out of the goodness of your heart, it certainly would be appreciated! I’m also starting to post original works to my patreon.

I’m only able to keep writing as I do thanks to the support of readers like you, so every bit helps!

栗

Next Chapter

[tgcnews]

8 Amazing Board Game Design Tips (You Might Not Know)

by Calvin Wong

Have you ever thought of designing your own board game?  What are the intricacies involved in putting together a puzzle or task that a group of people would love to play?

Designing a board game is not easy. There are mechanics, rules, art, marketing, critics and all sorts of other variables to think about - including things you may have never considered. And don’t even think about getting rich off your game…

Matt Leacock, creator of the best-selling board game Pandemic, worked his day job for several years after releasing the game.  But that feeling of a personal design at your fingertips is unlike any other.

Creation can be frustrating when you keep hitting stumbling blocks along the way. Here are eight board game design tips to help you get your game moving along.

1) Use your ideas.

Show of hands: Who’s got a long-time project sitting on the back burner waiting for its time to shine? When are you going to rescue it and show everyone how amazing of a board game designer you are?

Waiting for the pieces to fall into place? (Probably) not gonna happen.

Waiting for a stroke of inspiration is a roll of the dice - and we know all about those dice rolls, don’t we? Instead of a lightning strike of genius from the gods, take the best parts of those ideas and use them in what you’ve got right now. An original mechanism, or a piece of art. Grab them and use them in your current design.

Don’t save your best ideas. Use them. Working on your best ideas is the fastest way to get to the next level in your design, to raise the bar on what ‘best’ is.

2) There’s always more to learn about fonts.

Seriously. There’s a lot to know about fonts.

Typography 101

A quick browse of recent Kickstarters reveal that plenty of designers simply don’t quite have a great grasp on fonts. Of course you can hire a pro to help you out, but in the interest of reducing costs, knowing just a little bit about fonts can help a lot.

Googling ‘Typography crash course’ reveals plenty of resources to learn the basics of fonts. When selecting fonts for your game, pay attention to the feel you want. Choose about three (one for the title, one for headlines such as card names, and one for body text) and note that body text fonts have to be legible at many sizes, and open to being re-colored. If in doubt, go for legibility over style.

3) If it’s not great, get rid of it.

Remember that idea back burner? How many mediocre ideas are sitting in there?

Get rid of them.

Sure you can save the good bits, but as we discussed in tip 1), inspiration isn’t going to randomly strike you any time soon, and tinkering with mediocre ideas won’t make them into great ones. Revamp or update them if you can, but you have to accept that some ideas are simply not good enough.

(Hint: if you have to ask ‘is this idea good enough?’ it probably isn’t.)

4) Be aware of colorblindness.

About five percent of your players will have some form of colorblindness. The most common form is red/green colorblindness which means that red and green are difficult to distinguish from each other.

Therefore, if your game uses color in any way (collect a set of red cards from 1 to 6 but green cards are worth negative points), your game will not work for about 1 in 20 of your players.

Using more than just color. Image credit: Daniel Solis

If elements of your game use color to convey information, they should also have additional identifying information. Consider adding a texture, symbol, text, font change, or vary the design by adding shadows & borders.

For more resources about colorblindness, you can go to Colourblindawareness.org

5) Prototype fast, prototype cheaply.

It can be very tempting to get stuck in and create elaborate rulesets spanning dozens of pages. Deep backstories for all of your characters that match every single mechanism in the game may not be necessary. Beautiful artwork specially commissioned for your board doesn’t always need to be in the initial prototypes.

The sad and unfortunate truth is that most of the things you spent hours creating are just going to end up being junked as you revise your game.

When you design, the key is to prototype and iterate... and iterate quickly. Don’t hand-cut hundreds of color-printed blue-cores with rounded corners.  Instead, grab a stack of index cards and scribble on them in pencil so you can quickly make changes.

The point is not to get attached. Changes will happen, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Don’t be hesitant to get rid of a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it. Move on from the failures and focus on the successes.

6) Be diverse.

Just as issues of color blindness don’t normally occur to us, issues of diversity may not occur to us either. For example, while heroes are traditionally thought of as male and white, they don’t have to be.

Dead of Winter is a hit game franchise with a diverse cast.

Apart from the more obvious race and gender, pay attention to body type (wide, short, tall, skinny any mix thereof), physical or mental disability, social class, etc.  

This applies even to games with science fiction or fantasy settings - there’s no reason your elves have to be willowy and fair skinned. Your players are going to be of all races, colors, and sizes - let them see themselves in your game.

7) There’s no such thing as a bad theme.

Because of its relatively low overhead, tabletop game design is extremely open when it comes to themes. While video games must stick to tried and true genres, why not design the first game about dwarf genealogy?

Let your imagination run as wild as you can. Write words on cards, shuffle them, and draw a few to see if you can get something good. So long as the execution of your theme works, it’ll be hailed as original and clever - some gamers are very tired of the same old thing re-dressed in new clothing.

What do you mean we’re double copyrighted?

Even a simple spin on an old theme can bring a sense of freshness: Medieval fantasy, but on a hollow planet with no gravity. Trading in the mediterranean, but with pirate witches. Growing a sentient vegetable garden where the carrots negotiate their own prices and feud with the turnips.  Step out of the box and be unique with your theme!

8) Make use of free resources

There are loads of free resources online that you can use to prototype your game (or even use in your final product if they fit well!) I’m thinking of two specific ones: Game Icons, and 1001 Free Fonts.

Game Icons provides nearly ten thousand icons sorted by categories (from Kitchenware to Sky & Weather) but the really cool thing is that each of them can be customized! Rotate, clip, resize, recolor, add text - and these edits can be saved as .png or .svg files. Massively useful prototyping resource.

1001 Free Fonts on the other hand is a bit of a liar - it has closer to 20,000 free fonts. Sorted by categories, the site lets you demo the fonts with custom text and color and even lets you donate to the designers if you like their work.

----

The world needs more games, and I hope these tips will help you bring your game to life. (Or at least, more to life than it was before!) Now, go forth!

Calvin Wong writes for BoardGamePrices.com. As a writer and writing teacher, he loves games where a strong narrative emerges from elegant systems. He is constantly thinking about stories and storytelling in games, on stage, and on screen.

[dparkins]

I’m not entirely sure where it comes from, though I can guess with one look at the way I was brought up with my two older brothers and father who were all near geniuses in their own way, but absolutely love manipulation games. Now, when I say “manipulation,” I do not mean mind control though there might be a portion of attempting that by working against my opponents. What I love to do the most is play games that allow me to mess with peoples’ minds; I have issues I know. But to me, my entire life and work is directed in figuring out truth. Truth in what I see, what I read, and what I know and providing clear avenues for others to see that truth. One of the ways I enjoy this the most is when I am counseling and I try to show people what they first are believing—lies shrouded in more lies—and then give them tools to see truth and love that vanquishes those lies.

Well, in games I can sort of read people too. And with Sheriff of Nottingham, I found a game that allows me to toy with people, to make them believe I am lying, think they are going to catch me lying, and change. What I love to do the most is double and triple cross them with known lies that just might be truth. Enter in this five player game put out by Arcane Wonders called Sheriff of Nottingham in all its glory.

First, I have to add that the components to the game are quite amazing; not only the art work, but the sleeves you place your goods in, the thick cardboard coins you play with, and the little miniature (okay, not really, but he’s pretty great and plump) of the Sheriff representing the player who acts to prevent or let the goods through.

You start off by drawing a certain amount of goods; the point of the game is to get as many goods into town as possible, but you have to pass through the Sheriff that players alternate playing. Each player also possesses a small sleeve, colored to match their player’s cart, where you insert a certain number of goods. There are green colored goods that are not “illegal” and red colored goods that represent contraband. Getting the contraband in your cart in town is what will win you the most points at the end, but so will getting the most amount of apples and cheese and such. So you have to tell the player with the Sheriff card how many cards you are taking, and of what kind you are taking, and the Sheriff can choose to believe you or inspect the bag (colored sleeve). If you are telling the truth and the Sheriff doesn’t believe you, then he checks and has to give you money witch gives you the smuggler more points. However, you can make deals with the Sheriff to not inspect your bag if you have illegal goods coming to town, winning you more points in the end but also, when you are the Sheriff, you must allow certain goods of theirs through. So there are lots of deals (that’s the point) and lots of trading going on. Its quite genius really, and if you are playing with a fun group of people, then you are in for a wonderful game. Here’s what they say:

The Sheriff of Nottingham is a fun and engaging game for all where each player will have the chance to step into the shoes of the Sheriff himself! Other players, acting as Merchants will attempt to bring their goods into the city for profit. Beware though, while many may act as honest merchants, there is always the possibility of contraband being smuggled into the city! Experience Nottingham in a whole new way! Declare your goods, deal with the Sheriff and secure victory in a fun-filled and exciting adventure!

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I have played this game many times, and each time I have seen people squirm as they attempt to smuggle contraband past the Sheriff, or see the difficulty of the Sheriff try and decide if the players are telling the truth or not. Dice Tower calls this one of the games that every person must own, and I couldn’t agree more. It simply is that much fun! So grab a pint or two, pull up a chair, open up this amazing game, and get ready for a wonderful time bluffing your way to victory. The only question remains is, are you a good enough liar and manipulator to win!

Better yet, join us on a Thursday evening at Dualist Gaming and help us break open this box and see if you too can bluff your way to victory! Chances are, you probably can!

  Sheriff of Nottingham Review I’m not entirely sure where it comes from, though I can guess with one look at the way I was brought up with my two older brothers and father who were all near geniuses in their own way, but absolutely love manipulation games.